| 2007-2008 Season Preview: Sixers Going Young Authored by David Mintz - November 2, 2007 - 7:33 pm
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In the 2007 NBA Draft, the Sixers added F Thaddeus Young, PF/C Jason Smith, SG/SF Derrick Byars, and PF Herbert Hill. They had the 12th, 21st, 30th, and 38th picks, but ended up trading the 30th and 38th down for the 42nd and 55th picks. Smith, Byars, and Hill were all expected to go higher in the draft.
The Sixers also traded Steven Hunter and Bobby Jones to the Nuggets for Reggie Evans to add some rebounding help. They have since cut ties with Byars, and lost Hill to injury for several weeks. With Joe Smith leaving this summer to Chicago, all that is left from the Iverson trade is Andre Miller, Jason Smith, and some cap space. As depressing as that sounds, the trade signaled the end of one era and the beginning of another. It has not yet been determined what that era will entail. The beginning may be disappointing, however, a Sixer fan can only hope that the team can build a consistent contender for the long term.
Here is a breakdown of the Sixers by position for the 2007-2008 season:
Point Guard
Andre Miller is one of the best passers in the league and sets the tempo nicely for Philly. His best skill is getting the ball to his teammates where they need it. While not the fleetest afoot, Miller does have a decent shot from 17 feet in, and can handle scoring duties for brief stints. His backup, Louis Williams, looks to have a breakout season for the Sixers. He is a great change-of-pace guard and can play some shooting guard as well. Williams should be a great asset off the bench and will cause match-up problems for other teams because of his quickness and ability to shoot outside. His game is very similar to Leandro Barbosa of the Suns, but Williams is not at that level of production yet. At just 21 years old, Williams is an electric player to watch. Third stringer Kevin Ollie is fortunate right now just to have an NBA job.
Shooting Guard/Small Forward
What initially looked like a deep squad has been trimmed down. With Jones and Byars gone, the Sixers turn to last year’s breakout player, Andre Iguodala. Iguodala, 23, has a great all-around game, however could improve on his dribbling in the open court and his outside jumper. The Sixers hope that Willie Green and Rodney Carney can contribute more than they did last year. Green was one of few players to have more shots per game (11.7) than points (11.3). Green needs to improve on this if the Sixers are going to be successful. If Carney can improve his outside jumper, including 3-point shots, he will be a very difficult player to defend. These three players need to help Kyle Korver stretch the defense. Besides Korver, the Sixers had no player who could consistently make a 3-pointer. Thaddeus Young is just 19 and while in the long term plans of the team, does not figure to get many minutes in the short term. If the Sixers are quickly out of playoff contention, look for Young to get more of a look.
Power Forward/Center
Newly acquired Evans takes over the starting power forward spot and looks to dominate the backboard. Given substantial playing time, Evans has proven to be a very capable rebounder. Evans usually offers little else to a basketball team. His offense is limited and his free throw shooting is poor. Frontcourt sidekick C Samuel Dalembert is coming off an offseason where he played for the Canadian National Team and suffered a minor injury. Dalembert should provide some solid defense and limited shooting out to 17 feet which isn’t bad for an NBA center. Backups Calvin Booth, Louis Amundson, and Shavlik Randolph provide little support off the bench.
Outlook
The frontcourt will be the Achilles Heel for this team as there is just not enough scoring. Sure, Dalembert can provide defense, and Evans rebounding, but at some point, a team needs to get scoring from inside to be successful. This team is constructed similar to recent New Jersey Net teams, but Miller is a level or two worse than Kidd, Carney and Green are worse than Jefferson, and Iguodala may or may not be as good as Carter depending on who is on or off that day. The bottom line is that this team will go through periods where their offense struggles and will lose games as a result. Most teams in the East have improved through free agency, trades or the draft while the Sixers have pretty much stood still. I think this team struggles to win 30 games.
Prediction: 25-57 |
