| M.O.B Squad, Salmons Will Determine Fate Authored by Brian Poliakoff - October 20, 2005 - 4:28 pm
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The most popular questions include the following, but are not limited to:
Can A.I. possibly keep doing what he’s doing with his small and aging body?
Will Chris Webber’s knees hold up? And if they do, can he return to his all-star form?
Will Andre Iguodala take his game to the much expected next level?
Did Kyle Korver reach his peak last season or will he improve upon his defense and driving abilities?
Since Jim O’Brien stunted the growth of Sammy Dalembert last year, can we really expect him to step right in and play like a starting center night in and night out?
Who will produce off the Sixers’ bench?
Of these commonly heard doubts, I strongly believe the fate of this season rests in the hands of the unproven bench.
I fully expect Iverson to remain a top 5 player.
Webber doesn’t have to be as good as he once was. 15 and 10 at the least will provide an asset that this team surely missed from the power forward position last season. Mo Cheeks will utilize Webber and gear the offense to take advantage of his stellar passing abilities.
Iguodala can only improve. His teammates trust him more now and he has the confidence to bring a more aggressive approach to his offensive game. His 15 points against the Knicks in Tuesday’s exhibition game is a sign of more to come.
Korver solidified himself as a premier outside shooter last season. Mo Cheeks will instill his defensive mindset into Korver, and if he doesn’t improve, his minutes will decline.
And Sammy’s performance against Detroit in the playoffs last season showed me he’s ready to be a top caliber center in this league.
So now to the M.O.B.(men on bench) squad.
Thanks to the injury plagued starting lineup (AI, Webber and Dalembert) this preseason, we have been able to get a better glance at who will be expected to produce off the bench.
Steven Hunter was signed to be a defensive presence off the bench. Hunter will spell both Webber and Sammy. He can rebound and block a few shots, but don’t expect any scoring except for the occasional put back.
Kevin Ollie has stepped in impressively so far this preseason. After producing 15 points and six assists against the Knicks Tuesday night, Ollie has shown he may be the perfect fit to give Iverson 10 minutes a game to take a breather or run off the point guard slot.
The under the radar signing of Lee Nailon may prove to be one of the biggest steals this off-season. The slim scoring forward averaged 14 points per game for a very bad Hornets team last year. But the guy can score and he provides an insurance policy for Cheeks at the small forward slot. Korver clearly played too many minutes last season.
Now to the X factor: John Salmons.
After making a mind boggling 16 free throws in route to 30 points against the Knicks, Salmons showed a glimpse of why he was a first round pick three years ago.
He will need to be that critical eighth man.
But which Salmons will we get? The non-productive and often injured player from last season or a point-forward type spark off the bench who will relentlessly take the ball to the hoop like we saw against the Knicks.
I’d bet for somewhere in the middle, and that bodes well for Sixers’ fans. Salmons has extra motivation, since he’s entering the last year of his contract. Most players and front office folks alike will tell you that the fourth year is the most critical year for underachieving first round picks.
Cheeks and the coaching staff have given Salmons free reign to step up his game this preseason. Cheeks has allowed Salmons to look more for his own shot. And thus far, Salmons has risen to the occasion.
So rather than questioning Iverson once again, completely writing off Webber as a contributor, or not believing in the growth of Iguodala, Korver and Dalembert, the real spotlight should be on the M.O.B. squad.
The contribution from Salmons this year will make or break the effectiveness of the bench, and ultimately the success of this year’s team.
With all the questions surrounding the Sixers this year, the most pressure will be on this unproved bench to produce.
Can Salmons and company provide enough of a spark for this team to be a success?
I think so. But as the cliché says, only time will tell.
Let the season begin! |
