 Expand The Coaching Staff The play of Sammy Dalembert and Thad Young has carried the Sixers to their past two wins. It's as simple as that. Thad has taken over the role of lead scorer, Sammy has embraced the role of intimidating center. The question you have to ask is why now? I'm not sure if you can really point your finger at any one thing, but I'm going to give it a shot anyway. Think back to the long break the Sixers had leading into the Memphis game. There were no fewer than five stories written by the beat writers on Thad's work with shooting coach Bruce Kreutzer. Since then, Thad has averaged 24 points per game on 54.8% shooting, 38.5% from three. He's looked like a different player out there, oozing confidence. With Sammy, something I pointed out a few weeks back struck me this week. When Sam was at his best, he was working very closely with Moses Malone. I remember seeing them pounding each other in the low post prior to games. Recently, we've heard about Sammy jacking up threes with Kareem Rush during the pregame. We've seen him joking around with teammates and opponents. On the court, we've seen a guy making a ton of mental mistakes and stupid quotes to the press afterwards. So what changed a couple of games ago? Well, Moses was back in the building. Tom Moore had a quote from Moses the other day: "Get mean - just get mean," he said to Sammy. Well, that's exactly what Sammy has done over the past two games. Moses is a part-time assistant coach with the team, and it sure seems like he's a guy Sammy really respects. So here's the question. If this shooting coach can give Thad confidence, and Moses can give Dalembert focus, why not have them around more? This isn't really anecdotal evidence. Sammy was a much better player when he was working with Moses on a daily basis. Thad came out of the gates shooting the lights out this season, after spending the summer working with his shooting coach. Bring these guys on full time, if you can. In Thad, you're dealing with a really young kid who may need a constant reminder to keep his feet set. Someone who will look at game tape and grade his pre-shot preparation and construct drills to reinforce certain aspects of his shot. We're all way too familiar with Dalembert's fragile psyche. Maybe having a guy in his ear day in, day out will keep his focus on the things that matter and not his touches on offense. It's worth a shot, right? 
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See - now you're talking my language - i've always felt that if i ran a team i'd bring in as many coaches as I needed. Not only guys htat played the same position but maybe more than one guy to focus on things - for instance - can George Gervin help the shooting of Andre Iguodala - could Andrew Toney help the court vision of Lou Williams or Andre Iguodala.
I'd also want commitment from my players to work with these guys in the off season - i'd of course make it 'worth their while' - but if they show commitment to getting better, i'd hire the guy(s) needed to help them with that commitment.
That's what I've never understood, you're investing anywhere from 8-15 million per year in your players and then you cheap out on your coaches.
For example - do the Magic have a coach dedicated to helping Dwight Howard with his free throw shooting? And is dwight committed to improving his embarrassing FT percentage.
Hey Brian, would you trade Sammy in the off season for a second round pick to shed his contract? Dannie over there at recliner thinks its a dumb idea, but me personally I think that its a no brainer to get rid of Professor Dalembeart.
Not going call it a dumb idea - but i think it's a bad idea for a couple reasons:
1. It's not enough for Dalembert - I hate Sam Dalembert with a passion but recognize that he has SOME value around the league if he stays within himself (as he has the past few games)
2. From a practical point of view - what team with 10 million dollars in cap room is going to take sam on for ONLY a pick - thus adding 10 mil per year for the next 2 seasons on their roster. You've got Detroit, Memphis and Minnesota as the only teams with significant cap room this off season. If the sixers call up looking to dump Sam for nothing - why would those teams take on 10 million in salary for a guy the sixers think so little of.
3. At this point - and you can't know until the beginning of next season really - Sam Dalembert is the best starting center option when you factor in both ends of the floor on the team. Ratliff is too old and Speights is too weak defensively (and hella foul prone).
4. You create a need that you didn't have to. The best solution is that Speights beats him out in camp and Sam agrees to be a back up for his own good.
I'd trade willie green for a second round pick to clear his cap number - heck i'd trade willie green to one of those 3 teams for cash considerations and/or a 2nd round pick protected through Number 55 (inherently nothing), but as much as Sam is aggravating he's got more value than 'nothing'.
Agreed with all that, John. Sam's aggravating, but far from useless. Needs a nanny.
Bang on.
My problem with Sam has always been a lack of clear understanding of pure basketball fundamentals combined with what I perceive as a lack of interest in getting better...
The antithesis of this was always (to me) Kyle Korver - every season he was here he seemed to come in better at something he wasn't as good at in the previous season. In his first season dude couldn't score off the dribble, like EVER, he worked on that, and you could see he did.
It was one of the reasons I loved him on the sixers - just as an example
Play like we've seen over the past two games is what got Dalembert that contract. I think the problem a lot of people have with him is that he's paid to do that every night, but he can't or won't. Take a step back from the expectations and look at what he is. A very, very good rebounder and a very good shot blocker. Both are important qualities to have, neither really come from anyone else on the roster.
Overall, the team is better with him on the floor. It sucks that he hasn't and probably never will reach the point where he's tapping into his full potential, but that doesn't mean he isn't good, or important. It just means that he's frustrating.
My problem is that COMBINED with a lack of improved basic fundamentals (post up moves, dribbling, passing, free throw shooting) year over year - these are basic things he still can't do and it shows me a lack of interest in WANTING to be better - which means good nights, bad nights, they're just random occurances because he has shown very little interest in getting better.
Well, I'm not sure there hasn't been improvement throughout his career. I actually think he's gotten better at two things. One of which is useful, one of which really isn't. He's definitely better at not fouling. He can avoid foul trouble, he used to be much much worse at that. The other thing is he's improved his touch on his jumper. Now, it's probably silly that he's worked on that instead of a post move or two, but he's definitely a better shooter from about 15 feet than he used to be.
Free throw shooting isn't really something you can fault the guy for. 74% is pretty good for a center, and his first couple of years he was in the low 60's.
WOrking on his jumper actually aggravates me since i hate him taking that 15-19 foot jumper.
He also goaltends less than he used to - I guess you could say that's improvement
But his big man fundamentals are still weak - and it's a travshamockery.
No, I wouldn't do it. I'm not nearly as down on Dalembert as most people are. Pay close attention to the games, and see what happens when he isn't on the floor. When guys on the perimeter lose their man on the dribble, it's like open season on the hoop. I'm a firm believer that you need a center (or PF, I guess) who can protect the hoop to be an effective defense. Not to mention the fact that the Sixers, as a team, absolutely suck on the defensive glass, other than Dalembert.
If you tell me you can replace Dalembert with someone who will clean the glass and protect the hoop, then I'm fine with it. But just dumping him for nothing leaves this team sorely lacking defensively. Having him on the floor makes everyone else a better defender, that's a underestimated facet of his game.
Yes, he makes boneheaded plays on a nightly basis, it's frustrating to watch. It's even more frustrating to read stupid comments from the guy, but don't let that distract you from the facts. Dalembert is an important part of this team, even when he isn't playing well, he still does two things better than anyone else on the roster, and those happen to be two things no one else on the roster really does.
I just think that we could get two betters players for that money, and ofcourse 2 smarter players. Who knows when Sammy actually feels like playing, thats why are record is mediocre.
I disagree with the better part. I defy you to find a guy who rebounds like he does for $5M who isn't on a rookie contract.
You could definitely get two smarter players. I mean, Christian Laettner was a damn smart player, doesn't mean I'd want him on my team.
Just imagine what our record would be this year IF Sammy played every game this year as the last 2 games. I think we would definitely be atleast 4th in the East.
I wonder what it would be like w/ Elton playing center and Thad and Iggy as the 2 and 3.
I wonder what it would be like with elton playing power forward and speights playing center with Young and Iguodala at their 'natural' positions.
And sam playing that 'reggie evans' role that reggie doesn't actually play off the bench :)
And Willie gone and lou being the 'shooting guard' off the bench with some intelligence
And a real back up point guard
That would be a contender team.
Speights isn't really any more a natural center than Brand. He can do spot minutes in that position but I don't think that isn't his most productive spot.
Well if the option is start brand at center or start Speights at center - the choice to me is the taller guy who can still get physical
There are very few 'natural centers' left in the game today anyway - it's becoming a hybrid position.
I don't really care who starts where, but I think a team w/ a three-man rotation of Brand, Speights, Dalembert at the 4 and 5, with each playing somewhere between 25-35 minutes can absolutely be a contender. Especially if Thad/Iggy fill the 2/3. shooting will probably have to come off the bench, which is something they'd have to address. I have a bigger question about thad which I'll write a post on hopefully this weekend.
Interesting idea.
Might be worth a peek at the DLeague. Raptors found Pops Mensah-Bonsu (sp?) there, mad rebounder if somewhat weak on shotblocking. Right now there's Richard Hendrix, tho he's def a PF at this level.