| Kingpinned? Sixers Royally Ruin Season Authored by David Mintz - April 16, 2007 - 12:33 pm
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Howard scored 35 points, pulled down 11 rebounds, dished out five assists, and had three steals. Howard, selected as the first pick of the 2004 draft, could not be stopped by the Sixers big men as he converted 14 of 15 field goals and seven of 10 from the line. Samuel Dalembert, Steven Hunter and Joe Smith were defenseless as Howard put up a career high in points.
The game was emblematic of where the Sixers truly stand as a team. The Magic, mediocre by NBA standards, came into the Wachovia Center and dominated the Sixers. Since the All-Star break, the Sixers were 16-9, but most of those games were against lottery teams who have started looking toward next season. The Sixers were coming off of a stretch of three victories over depleted Atlanta, Indiana, and Boston. The Sixers rested Andre Iguodala and Kyle Korver in two of the games but came away with victories anyhow.
What separates a team like Orlando from the likes of the Sixers and other also-rans? The answer is Howard, the unstoppable man-beast in the middle. Imagine Howard in a Sixer uniform. Then imagine a starting five of Andre Miller, Iguodala, Rodney Carney, Howard and Dalembert. Howard is unstoppable with an underperforming below average point guard such as Jameer Nelson. Think about how he would dominate with clever passers such as Miller and Iguodala getting him the ball. The Sixers’ future depended on their ability to get a high draft pick. Being able to select Greg Oden would have given the Sixers their own version of Howard.
Right now, the Sixers are looking to draft 10th, 20th, and 30th in the upcoming NBA draft. The latter two picks were received courtesy of the Denver Nuggets as part of the Allen Iverson trade. The team’s recent success put a damper on any potential lottery chances. In the last week, the Sixers have jumped from fifth-worst to 10th-worst in the NBA. At fifth-worst, the Sixers would have had a near-lock on getting one of the top 6 players available. Now, barring a statistical anomaly, the Sixers will draft much later.
The effect of this jump is enormous. The Sixers have a gaping hole at power forward, a chasm that lottery picks Greg Oden, Al Horford, Brandon Wright, Joakim Noah, and Yi Jianlian could have effectively plugged. In the upcoming seasons, Oden could be not just an offensive force, but also a defensive force against the likes of Howard. All of these players will most likely be off the board by the time the Sixers get to select.
Trade up in the draft you say? The Sixers do not have the personnel to tempt other teams. By trading up, the Sixers would take away from what is an already depleted roster. Remember that Smith is unlikely to be resigned by the team.
What was the purpose of winning these games? Sixer General Manager Billy King essentially folded a royal flush and in doing so, flushed away the Sixers’ opportunity to get a potentially dominant NBA player like Oden. Iguodala has played too many minutes and could have chronic back trouble. Miller, who came to the Sixers in return for Iverson, played too many minutes as well. Coach Mo Cheeks retarded the growth of younger players Carney, Louis Williams and Bobby Jones by playing his veterans so many minutes. By doing so, he also caused the team to win more games.
Am I saying that the Sixers should have purposely lost games? No, I am not. The players on the court gave maximum effort every game to win. But at the same time, an organization has to develop its younger players. Last season, the Lakers played Andrew Bynum 7 minutes per game, and this season 22 minutes per game even though he might not have been their best option to win the game. Is that considered intentionally losing? Is this “tanking”? What about when the Lakers played Kobe Bryant 15 minutes per game in his rookie season despite his errant play and decision-making? The Lakers don’t seem to be kicking themselves over that decision.
Carney, Williams, and Jones are not on Kobe’s level. However, in order to find out how good they can be, they need minutes. The Sixers let Bruce Bowen and Raja Bell go several years ago. Jones could be a similar player.
When King traded Iverson, the team entered a rebuilding process. Smith, one of the older members of the team at 32 year of age, was clearly not part of the future of the team and should have been cut immediately after the trade. Where the Sixers stand now, they will still have a gaping hole at power forward next season, and will still be dominated by the likes of Howard, Chris Bosh, and Al Jefferson. In the following seasons, the Sixers will have the unenviable task of trying to defend this year’s crop of talent in the post.
Having Oden on the Sixers would sure beat having to play against him in the regular season and playoffs every year. |
