This season is literally sucking the life out of me. The team's play, the performance of the coach, the front office and ownership, it's gotten to the point where only the truly devoted fans care in the least anymore. Since there's no game today, and I'm too drained to look at this current team in any depth, let's try an exercise in frivolity after the jump.
This is what we're going to do. Build a championship team (10-man roster) from the players who have taken the floor for the Sixers since the 2000-2001 season. Use
this list for your pool of players.
Here are the rules
- The player must have played at least one game for Philly. (No draft day trades)
- Since the Sixers have a knack for getting players past their prime, I'm going to give you the option of picking any year from a particular player's career (even if they weren't playing for Philly at the time).
- 10 roster spots, I want 2 guys at each position.
- Try to follow the format of my picks below
- Pick a coach as well. Though I think this one will be basically unanimous.
Here we go, my starting five:
- PG: Andre Miller '01-02 (10.3 win shares) - Miller was more of a pass-first PG back in the day, though he still scored efficiently. He was also less of a defensive liability, meaning he could help make up for the next guy's defensive deficiencies.
- SG: Allen Iverson '07-'08 (11.6 win shares) - Older and wiser, this was Iverson's best offensive season. He wasn't the scorer he was during the Sixers run to the finals, but he was much more efficient and a much better distributor. Mostly I chose this season because I don't want/need a guy with a 35%+ usage % on my team.
- SF: Andre Iguodala '08-09 (9.2 win shares) - He had better shooting years, but his all-around game was at it's best last season.
- PF: Elton Brand '05-06 (14.8 win shares) - I thought this was going to be a more difficult decision, but Brand's numbers really dwarf Chris Webber's in all areas but assists. This was a monster season for Brand in LA.
- C: Dikembe Mutombo '99-00 (9.9 win shares) - 14.1 rebounds, 3.3 blocks, 11.5 point with a 13.8% usage %. The ideal defensive center for my team. He had more productive seasons in terms of win shares, but I don't need more offense from him.
Second string:
- PG: Eric Snow '99-00 (6.1 win shares) - I'd love to be able to pick Jrue Holiday '12-13, but that wouldn't be fair. Snow gets the nod, almost by default here. His defense is going to have to key the second unit, because he's an impediment on the offensive end. I chose this season for his excellent assist/turnover ratio (3.85)
- SG: Aaron McKie '99-00 (4.3 win shares) - Tough decision here. Salmons got some consideration, as did Korver, I even looked at Larry Hughes for a half second, but with no one really blowing my doors off, I decided sticking with a defensive theme in the back court would have to do. We're probably talking limited minutes for both backup guards, and this year McKie was at least league-average from deep so he got the nod.
- SF: Donyell Marshall '03-04 (10.4 win shares) - Kukoc, Glenn Robinson and Matt Barnes all got a look, but fell short. Donyell had an exceptional season in '03-04. 40% from three, 9.9 rebounds/game, 1.1 steals, 1.5 blocks. The shooting is going to be desperately needed, and I envision a big lineup of AI9, AI3, Donyell, Brand and Mutombo for stretches.
- PF: Chris Webber '93-94 (7.8 win shares) - Believe it or not, I chose the rookie version of C-Webb. I want the freakish athlete to run with the second unit, not the high-post passing sluggish version who put up better offensive numbers. As a rook, Webber blocked 2.4 shots/36 minutes, he dominated the glass and he caused all sorts of mismatches with his handle and agility.
- C: Sam Dalembert '09-10 (3.6 win shares, so far) - I went as far as to write down Theo Ratliff's name here before I checked the stats. The fact of the matter is Theo was never the rebounder Dalembert is. Sammy is having a monstrous season, on a per-minute basis and in raw stats. He's grabbing a ton of boards, blocking a ton of shots and outside of the Lakers game, he's settling for limited shots. He's my defensive big off the bench.
- Coach: Larry Brown any year but the year he coached the Knicks - Obvious choice.
So that's my roster. If you could magically assemble these players at the points of their careers I've chosen, you've got a title. No doubt in my mind. I'd like more outside shooting from the starting five, but it's not crucial. You can work McKie and Donyell in when teams are packing the paint on you. You can also put an unbelievable defensive unit on the floor: Snow, McKie, Iguodala, Brand, Mutombo. Or you can put a running unit out there: Iverson, McKie, Iguodala, Webber, Dalembert. You can go ultra big, you can slide Marshall to the four if you want to go small and spread the floor. You've got five guys capable of running the point, 4 guys who can play the five. Tons of versatility.
Have at it in the comments. Create your own team, rip mine to shreds.
i'm thinking bruce bowen should probably be in there instead of marshall. otherwise that seems right.
Mashburn makes the team (was on the payroll for 2 years.). As does Ratliff, Robinson, Kukoc and Bowen.
Iverson, Iguodala, Mashburn, CWebb, Mutumbo
Bench: Brand, Ratliff, Sam, Robinson, Kukoc, Bowen, Miller.
Sorry, as much as I am more a fan of McKie, Snow and Marshall, they don't make my roster unless I can carry 15. Otherwise I would have the typical Sixer issue with not enough shooters.
Funny thing. Looking at my roster I might decide to (in calssic Sixers style) go small, with Iverson/Iguodala/Kukoc/Mash/CWebb.
... Then I would have under LB as offensive asst.... Eddie Jordan, running the P.O. :)
On second thought, I'll stick with my original starters... and kick EJ to the curb.
Interestingly, I can't seem to find a GM.
I would go with a prime CWebb over a prime Brand as well. Brand was the better defender (although Cwebb, before all the injuries, wasn't a bad defender). He was a much better defensive rebounder, and their abilities to create were just on different levels. finally, I think paired with Dalembert Webber's skillsets fit much better, which win shares doesn't measure.
If Mashburn is eligible, he's probably more worth the starting spot than Miller. A Miller/AI backcourt wouldn't excite me, on either end of the court.
I agree w/ CWebb over Brand (as a player, even though Cwebb is a prick.) Look at the comp for each of their foirst 600 games (pre-injury.)
Interesting that both broke down after 600 games.
http://www.basketball-reference.com/play-index/tiny.cgi?id=q0bTO
We have officially hit rock bottom!
I would have to take Ratliff 00-01 over Dalembert. He may not have been the rebounder Dalembert is, but I think he was a better team and man defender. He was also a better offensive player, although it wasn't a big part of either's game.
Agreed. If you have a team with CWebb, Brand, and Mutombo to gobble up rebounds (with guys like Iguodala on the wings), Ratliff's weakside shot blocking would be huge.
I guess this begs the question of what Brian was getting at. Whether it was listing the top 12 guys, or the 12 guys who would form the best team.
Agree. Even if Ratliff had similar or lesser talent, he played more within himself. So less likely to make the boneheaded Sam plays and more consistent (at least that year.)
Brand over Webber wasn't really that hard of a call. By the time Webber approacehed Brand's scoring numbers (in Sacto) he was essentially a defensive liability.
Need to look up Mashburn's numbers, but Glenn Robinson was always an overrated stiff, and he couldn't even shoot the three. Marshall was really good in that season.
I suppose you could start both AI's in the back court and Marshall at the three, that would give you more shooting. I like the youg Miller out there, though. He was definitely a pass first guy at that point and his size would let him guard twos on the other team. Brand and Mutombo protecting the paint let's the perimeter guys gamble a little too.
Also, Ratliff wasn't just a poor rebounder compared to Sam, he was a poor rebounder in general. Really a one-trick pony, and Sam is pretty much as good at that trick as Ratliff was. I like the Webber/Sam combo on the second unit, I think Sam helps the running game a lot more than Theo as well.
Can we someone please explain to me why we traded for Jamal Mashburn? The sixers knew he wouldnt play for them and didnt even assign him a number. And the most puzzling part of this deal is that we gave up an expiring contract for him.
PG: Andre Miller
SG: Allen Iverson
SF: Jamal Mashburn
PF: Chris Webber
C: Dikembe Mutumbo
Bench
PG: Allen Iverson
SG: Andre Igoudala
SF: Toni Kukoc
PF: Elton Brand
C: Samuel Dalembert
Iverson ofcourse plays 48 minutes a game, so he is our backup PG.
I want to change backup PG to E. Snow
Are you guys forgetting that I made the Allstar team?
HAHA
I just took a look at Mashburn's numbers, he doesn't belong anywhere near this team even if he's eligible. Inefficient scorer who really did nothing else.
He didn't do anything else? Look at his ast%'s during some of his Hornets years. He evolved into the definition of a point forward.
high ast% and lower to% than Iguodala this year.
http://www.basketball-reference.com/play-index/pcm_finder.cgi?request=1&sum=0&p1=iguodan01&y1=2010&p2=mashbja01&y2=2003
1.3 three's at 38.9%. 4.7 defensive boards per game.
When talking about efficiency, keep in mind rule changes have made wing players generally more effective. Back then league average fg% was 44.2% compared to 46% this year.
Sorry, didn't even get to the assist rate. Ws looking at the horrible ts% and insanely high usage rate throughout his career. Still, no place for him on my team. Iguodala is my starting 3 and I like donyell off the bench. These assist numbers were really late in his career, also and I don't remember him as much of a defender even when he was young.
I find it interesting that the 83 Sixers were better than the best from an entire decade of players
That's probably not that rare. More teams in the league now , etc. Showtime Lakers probably better than this decade of Lakers that won four title. Same for the celts.
better than Shaq-Gasol-Kobe?
Well, actually if we use the same criteria for LA they can field a better unit.
Payton
Kobe
Odom
Karl Malone
Shaq
with Gasol coming off the bench with Artest.
Take Payton and Malone away and I'd take the showtime lakers, though.
Shaq and Kobe are the top 5 player of all time at their positions. I was born 5 years later so Im not much of a judge, but was Magic-Kareem > Shaq-Kobe? I guess what hinders the 00 Lakers is that they didnt have a decent number 3.
Yeah, I'd say Magic + Kareem is definitely above Kobe and Shaq.
Shaq and Kareem number wise compare pretty well (aside from Shaq's FT% which is embarassing) but I think the oldsters get the edge for when they played and how they changed teh game. I don't think Shaq ever refined his basketball game more than he just depended on his brute strength.
As individual weapons Kareem and Kobe are superior. But this is more than offset by Shaq and Magic impacting the entire complexion of a game more- so IMO are the better overall players.
Basically, Shaq in his prime owned the lane. Kareem was a great defender, but did not dominate the lane on defnse like Shaq in his prime.
Similarly, Magic was like a combination of Steve Nash and Lebron (without as much power.) Kobe is the perfect wing and the better lock-down defender, but Magic imposed his will on the entire game and was unbelievably versatile. Magic could do everthing, and give a team whatever it needed inside or outside.
On a tangential relationship, on this Saturday night, HBO will premiere a documentary about the Bird/Magic rivalry - I believe from the NCAA tourney and how it evolved through their post NBA careers (not sure how far it goes).
HBO does some pretty good stuff
In terms of actually building a team, Kyle Korver would make a solid 8th man on a championship squad. But if we're choosing on talent, I would go with Monster Mash. Having that extra guy who can take over a game off the bench would help. Now whether this team would win a title... they would beat the championship Miami team. Would they beat any of the threepeat Lakers, the Spurs teams? Harder to say. I guess I've never believed a team with Iverson could win.
right calf strain for brand
Glad to hear there is a physical reason for his recent decline.
Kevin Ollie, Willie Green, Alan Henderson, Zendon Hamilton, and Brian Skinner.
6th Man- Steven Hunter
Coach- Randy Ayers
I know it's a bit of a stretch, but I'd like to see what this big lineup could do.
You probably noticed this Brian but three of your top picks -- Iggy at SF, Brand at PF and Dalembert at C -- are on the current roster, as is an imaginary fourth (JRue at PG in a year or two). All we need is a stud SG with range and a GD real coach . . .