76ers eliminated

[love_them_kings]

I was so sad to see that Philly was eliminated from the playoffs. Even knowing that they probably would have been embarrassed by Detroit didn't stop me from regretting the fact that for the first time in many years CWebb will be sitting home and watching the playoffs.

Disappointment aside, where do you go from here if you are the 76ers? I don't get to watch enough games to understand why they are playing so poorly, but just watching the box score it seems like AI and Cwebb are the only two who really contribute on a regular basis. Any thoughts on what Philly could do to get this team back on track?

 

[kupman]

It is just too shocking that the 76ers are a dissapointment with two superstars like AI and Webber in the starting line-up.

Where should the 76ers go from here?.......trade AI to anyone that will take him.

 

[Padrino]

this is a tough call for the sixers' front office. if you look at that team, you wonder why they not only aren't in the playoffs, but why they aren't a top 5 seed. they have two stars in webber and AI who appear to be able to share the scoring load. they have a rebounding/blocking/interior defensive machine in samuel dalembert. they have a defensive stud and rising star in andre iguodala. they have a 3-pt specialist in kyle korver, as well as a few role players off the bench. defensively, they've been horrible all season, and that's one of the main reasons for their poor performance. but it puzzles me. AI, dalembert, and iguodala are all good defenders. you'd think that would be enough for passable defense to be played...but for some reason, it isn't. dalembert should be able to help cover for c-webb's defensive weaknesses, but it hasn't worked. so the question is: who's gotta go? webber? AI? mo cheeks? its gonna boil down to at least one of those guys getting ousted...cuz those are your team leaders on a team that has more than underachieved this season.

 

[twocents]

there is no way iverson is let go. if one of the two has to, then it surely is webber. besides, it also makes sense: it is really hard to take for a younger player to see an old player (a has-been-all-star) slouching on the defensive only to dominate the ball on the other end. iverson is already so hard to take, webber must have been the last straw to alienate all the other players. much like what francis has been to the rest of the orlando magic players (this is not to say that francis is par with webber; just their relative effects were similar).

 

[Kings113]

Sad to see them out...

They need to get 2-3 defensive guys and another slasher.

 

[VF21]

there is no way iverson is let go. if one of the two has to, then it surely is webber. besides, it also makes sense: it is really hard to take for a younger player to see an old player (a has-been-all-star) slouching on the defensive only to dominate the ball on the other end. iverson is already so hard to take, webber must have been the last straw to alienate all the other players. much like what francis has been to the rest of the orlando magic players (this is not to say that francis is par with webber; just their relative effects were similar).

Oh geez.

 

[bozzwell]

there is no way iverson is let go. if one of the two has to, then it surely is webber. besides, it also makes sense: it is really hard to take for a younger player to see an old player (a has-been-all-star) slouching on the defensive only to dominate the ball on the other end. iverson is already so hard to take, webber must have been the last straw to alienate all the other players. much like what francis has been to the rest of the orlando magic players (this is not to say that francis is par with webber; just their relative effects were similar).

Other way around. Players can tune out superstar leaders in the same way they can tune out coaches. The result is the same - lucklustre performance. Players have tuned out AI altogether, or rather they too often seem to be mailing it in because of AI dominating the ball.

For example, the game they lost to Orlando: Nelson torched AI in the first (17 points). As soon as Iggy was on Nelson in 2nd half Nelson was shut down. Still, nelson managed 2 crucial points in the second when Sixers threatened to build a lead - and Iggy was effectively screened off by his own players and Nelson walked in for teh layup.

Webber was actually great down the stretch in that game, block-stealing ball from Darko when the score was still sea-sawing and then dropping two jumpers on the other side. Korver also had a clutch 3 down the stretch. The only player on that team that does not fit at all is AI.

Sixers just need to lose AI and plug in a real PG and they will be good for 4th or 5th in EC next year.

 

[Kings113]

I think Brevin Knight would be good there. Get someone like Battier/Eddie Jones/Jumaine Jones and maybe a vet. big man like Wright/Mohammed (wouldn't mind seeing Sac get one of them).

Knight
Iguodala (finally gets consistent increased touches, instead of 2-8 shots a game)
Battier or Eddie Jones or Jumaine Jones
Webber
Dalembert

Bench: Ollie/Green/Salmons/Korver/Randolph/Hunter/Williams/draft pick

 

[piksi]

Sixers just need to lose AI and plug in a real PG and they will be good for 4th or 5th in EC next year.

I am already imagining - Francis, Marbury, Iverson, Rose - 4 guards lineup.

I NBA allows 4 balls in a game - they wouls be the best team ever. Well, maybe not because Kobe would use all 4 at the same time

 

[loopymitch]

I listened to Chris' interview from today and he was very disappointed. obviously. This is new to him. When asked if he wanted to stay in Philly, he never directly answered the question, all he said was he liked to finish what he started but he mostly talked about being glad to be healthy. He sounded so sad, it was heart breaking and he doesn't even plan on watching the 1st round, it would hurt too bad.
As to what they should do, King has already said he plans on making some changes and he already knows who will go. They were very inconsistent all year but their biggest problem is defense. I think they should trade AI for some good defensive player(s). They have some young talent but it is being stifled IMO under the current conditions.

 

[tubiscus]

I'm thinking Iverson should go, but other than Larry Brown, who'd take him?

 

[BMiller52]

Allen and Chris have the ball so much that it's harder for the other guys to get in a groove IMO. Allen, Chris, Korver, and Dalembert are all bad defenders. Dalembert blocks a lot of shots but he goaltends a bunch too. Iguodala can put up points but he doesn't get the touches and just ends up dissappearing.

Basically if they want to keep AI(who has been loyal to philly) they need to trade those guys for better defensive players. When Iverson went to the finals he was the only guy who scored more than 15 points on his team and there were a lot of defensive role players that team. Iverson is going to get most of the touches and he's going to be most of the offense anyways.

 

[HndsmCelt]

I just love the fact that the two higest payroll's in the NBA are both sitting out the play offs.

 

[LPKingsFan]

this is a tough call for the sixers' front office. if you look at that team, you wonder why they not only aren't in the playoffs, but why they aren't a top 5 seed. they have two stars in webber and AI who appear to be able to share the scoring load. they have a rebounding/blocking/interior defensive machine in samuel dalembert. they have a defensive stud and rising star in andre iguodala. they have a 3-pt specialist in kyle korver, as well as a few role players off the bench. defensively, they've been horrible all season, and that's one of the main reasons for their poor performance. but it puzzles me. AI, dalembert, and iguodala are all good defenders. you'd think that would be enough for passable defense to be played...but for some reason, it isn't. dalembert should be able to help cover for c-webb's defensive weaknesses, but it hasn't worked. so the question is: who's gotta go? webber? AI? mo cheeks? its gonna boil down to at least one of those guys getting ousted...cuz those are your team leaders on a team that has more than underachieved this season.

I agree. It truly is puzzling.

 

[Fillmoe]

the reason philly is not in the playoffs is not because of iverson or webber... its because they have no 3rd option. andre igoudala started off good but has been playin like crap for the last 20-30 games... who else do they have? samuel dalembert? right now his defense is 100 times better than is offense.... iverson is a slasher/shooter.. webber is a shooter/post player they need a 3 point threat/pure shooter type player and they will be back in the palyoffs.... maybe a peja type player will do them some good

 

[acisking]

I've watched a whole lot of Sixers games this year and I can honestly say (as most of the Philly media does) that the only three guys who bring it every night in terms of effort are the veterans - Iverson, Webber, and Ollie. As several other members of this board pointed out, the Sixers have some of the pieces, including several that are supposed to be excellent defensively and cover up the flaws of teammates (Dalembert and Iggy for example). Yet the team as a whole is terrible because only a few players give EFFORT. Even if players are not naturally gifted as defenders they can at least be mediocore on effort alone. The Sixers give perhaps the worst effort in the league considering their talent level. This is, in my opinion, partly the fault of acquiring a coach who is just not tough enough on his players, forcing them to play hard or be benched. However, the large blunt of the blame needs to be placed on the ROLE players on the Sixers who should inspire themselves to play hard defensively and fulfill their roles, regardless of how often they get the ball. The Ivy/Webb combo is actually a relatively efficient pairing as they combine for the most ppg of any duo in the NBA (including Wade/Shaq). It is certainly true that the combo of Iverson and Webber dominate the ball, but the other players on the teams tend to complain about not getting the ball instead of playing within their means. The truth is that any team with two palyers capable of combinging for over 50 ppg is going to focus the majority of the offense on these players. You never saw Kukoc/Rodman/Longley/Harper from the Bulls teams or Fox/Horry/Fisher complain when the ball was dominated by Jordan/Pippen and Kobe/Shaq respectively. That is because these players knew their ROLES and brought it on a nightly basis regardless of how oftn they touched the ball. As long as the Sixers' ROLE players do not understand their respective roles, no combination of stars - be it Ivy/Webb or Kobe/Shaq - can lead them to any kind of respectable success.

 

[Padrino]

the reason philly is not in the playoffs is not because of iverson or webber... its because they have no 3rd option. andre igoudala started off good but has been playin like crap for the last 20-30 games... who else do they have? samuel dalembert? right now his defense is 100 times better than is offense.... iverson is a slasher/shooter.. webber is a shooter/post player they need a 3 point threat/pure shooter type player and they will be back in the palyoffs.... maybe a peja type player will do them some good

kyle korver

 

[kennadog]

I'm just sad for C-Webb.

 

[Kings113]

kyle korver

Exactly.

What they need is another slasher and some defense.

 

[SacTownKid]

I don't know what the heck they need and don't know what they will do. I don't see an easy fix with the contracts they have on board, and the overall lack of tradable assets.

 

[kingkung]

The Sixers should trade Webber for two lesser role/hustle players who don't demand the ball, like, for instance, Kenny Thomas and Corliss Williamson, for example. Duh. I can't believe this trade hasn't been made yet.

 

[Padrino]

I don't know what the heck they need and don't know what they will do. I don't see an easy fix with the contracts they have on board, and the overall lack of tradable assets.

there is a reallllly easy fix, but its not an easy one to come to terms with necessarily, because it essentially screws the sixers in the short run. here's what they should do: allow both webber's contract (thru '07-'08 season) and iverson's contract (thru '08-'09 season) to expire. next season's gonna be a *****, but you would have back-to-back major expiring contract years after that. those are huge assets as they are HUGE cap relievers. either allow one or both to expire or use one or both as trade bait. i have no idea what the free agent market is gonna look like around the '08 and '09 seasons, but if the sixers retained both contracts through expiration, they would be the biggest player in both of those off seasons. iguodala and dalembert are both still young, so if the sixers can start rebuilding through the draft, while retaining webber and iverson, they can add some real pieces in a coupla years. always harder to say, though, because you have to please the fans in the short term. i dunno...the ball is in the sixer's court right now, one could say.

 

[Kings113]

What they need is defense mainly. I know they wanted to get Eric Williams this season, but did not, so wouldn't be surprised if they went after him and a couple other guys.