I'm back after a week off, Brian... I missed game 6 but I'm happy Sixers played a great series overall

as for Josh Smith I think he's more the missing piece, I've been lobbying for this guy all year.

I often discuss with my buddy Sixerdave about the Hawk and he's underlining his bad defense (his opponents' stats are always excellent...), the fact that he's not the "back-to-the-basket" kind of PURE PF we probably need, the fact that he jacks up too many shots from the perimeter etc etc

All true, but I tend to consider more that he's just 23 y/o, he can still improve and his upside is unlimited. He would give us even more depth and versatility, imagine a line up of Miller, Iguodala, Young, Smith and Dalembert...

trade Green (his value is at an all time high) for a decent big man (PF/C) who can score some points off the bench (Wilcox-type, say, didn't check their salaries but you get the point) and you have a very good team in my opinion

I would go for Josh Smith definitely, but unfortunately I'm afraid he won't come, Hawks would be nuts to let him go

I think acquiring Smith would force us to move Iguodala to a position he can't play well, not help our offense much, maybe even hurt it, and make us a little better defensively. He'd fill a positional need, but he wouldn't help our real need, which is scoring and more specifically shooting. According to 82games, he makes 30% of his jump shots. From outside the arc, inside the arc, wherever - well that's okay, you don't need your power forward to shoot, but if they can't shoot, they shouldn't try, and he tries an awful lot, so you sign him and you get tons of wasted possessions. So I say get a shooter, hope Thad becomes a superstar, and maybe 2-3 years down the road we'd be a real contender.

Hello Brian
the question is about Josh Smith, I know.
But I think that the only PF we need is Elton Brand.
Trade Andre Miller for Calderon, let Green go and take Mike Miller or Arenas. That's all to get to the finals in two years, assuming Thad develops as a dependable small forward. Iguodala at shooting guard would be a risk but he does so many things well besides shooting.

The rotation would be
Calderon
Iguodala
Thad
Dalembert
Brand

M. Miller
Smith
Carney

The dream for me, being Italian, would also get Gallinari this draft.

Sorry I didn't follow the question properly.
Hope you forgive.
Ciao, Massimo

Sorry....I forgot Louis Williams as a Calderon reserve and Evans, our warrior.

"I think acquiring Smith would force us to move Iguodala to a position he can't play well" What position are you talking about? Shooting guard? If so that is the position he should be playing because he is only 6-6. How many 6-6 small forwards do you know in the league. Moving Iguodala to the 2 makes us bigger, better defensively (mainly because he doesn't have to guard 6-8 and 6-9 guys anymore) and helps him offensively as he will be matched up more often with smaller shooting guards. He is only 26 and I think his outside shooting will be the priority for him this summer so it should improve.

massara - did you use the trade machine to create that roster? If so I would love to see how you are acquiring all these very good players for pretty much nothing, since the Sixers would be offering up pretty much nothing if we are keeping, lou, dalembert, thad and iguodala.

I'd love to have Josh Smith if you tell me in two years his offensive game would be developed along the lines of David West's. A guy that can shoot the mid range jumper (i could care less about him shooting 3s) and post up and score with both hands around the basket.

You are right Dannie,
I don't know all the cap space and values stuff because it's difficult to understand them from here (Italy).
Let's consider my post as a fantasy or a dream. Sorry.

That said and answering to the real question I think that Josh Smith won't be my choice. I would go for Elton Brand because in the next years the toughest match the Sixers will have to face is Orlando and Dwight Howard.
Brand , at his best and paired with Dalembert, could handle him.
Boston and Detroit are on the downside already, even if this year they could win it all.
Remember the Sixers after the title?
Beaten by the New Jersey Nets with Albert King and Buck Williams the following year.....

Massimo

If you're hoping for offensive rebounds from him don't hold your breath. I'm pretty sure you won't get a Hawks opinion from anyone else. He'd absolutely fit in the Sixers (at least current) running offense and would benefit greatly from being on the receiving end of Andre Miller's ally-oops but I don't see him as a great improvement.

If he can learn to play under control (he needs to be taught) and not disappear when the ball isn't going to him or shoot those god-awful jumpers then he can absolutely become a phenom but taking him is taking a moody work in progress. There's a good chance Woodson will be fired and the fact that Smith wants him out is no small fact.

Josh Childress will be the odd man out if anyone will in Atlanta. If they let Smith walk, they would be ripped by the media and proclaimed an enormous joke once again.

I assume they are resigning him after that near series win, so I am not thinking about it anymore.

dannie - That jumper may improve, but if it is being depended on to spread the floor, that is not a good thing.

http://www.82games.com/0708/07PHI6C.HTM

Those are his stats for this season by position. He seems to score less from the 2 spot, but holds opponents to less while there.

I would not touch Josh Smith given what I've seen. I've had a chance to watch him. He has talent, yes; I just don't think his brain is all there sometimes. Plus, he has zero leadership qualities. This teams needs more chemistry and leadership as evidenced in the Detriot series. There are other players who would fit better given these needs. Josh Smith turtles up too much for my liking. Pouts alot. Seems like a big baby to me. Yes, he's 23 but he's no rookie either. His personality isn't going to magically change given a change of scenery. Above all else, I need smarter players than Smith surrounded around Sam Dalembert. Sam isn't the sharpest knife in the drawer. Thad Young or Elton Brand is a good step in this direction. Josh Smith is not.

Mike Miller would no question be a better fit on this team. But if you can't land a guy like Miller, I wouldn't force an aquisition of a player you'll wind up regretting in a year. My stance is - wait until that player becomes available and make sure you draft well.

too many italians here...

Massimo dai un'occhiata al mio blog (linkato da quello di Brian, guarda sulla destra), presto avrò nuovi aggiornamenti e una nuova home page, ti aspetto anche lì, a presto !

sorry for the guidoish intrusion, back to Smith, I think many talk like he's 30 y/o or something and forget that many of his ACTUAL flaws can be corrected working on them: shot selection, defense etc etc... dude is 23 !!!!

I honestly doubt he would/could build a solid set of back-to-the-basket moves but this could even NOT be a problem, he can still score a lot of points at PF... see what Marion did for many years in the right system

Correct me if my math is wrong here, but... 11-47. That's what the Sixers shot from the three-point arc against the Pistons. Less than 25%. Adding a guy in Josh Smith who hoists up 100 3PTAs a year, at 25%, is suppose to help?

The only reason to go after Smith is if Iggy is asking for too much money. Otherwise, the needs for the Sixers are clear: a low-post presence capable of sometimes drawing a double, so to open the perimeter a bit more. And perimeter shooters. Note that Rodney Carney was impressive in the series, as far as outside shooting goes. He had half of those 11 three-pointers by himself. He could benefit the most from an Elton Brand-like presence.

Josh Smith adds nothing to this team, at least not anything they don't already have in abundance.

Ricky: I understand "potential", but the reality is that most young players don't correct their flaws. They need motivation to do so. But it's a catch-22: if they had motivation, they would have already.

"23-year old, 4 year vet" might sound like a novice, but the reality is this cat has been playing ball for a long time now. At least 16 of those 23 years. Has he improved his game at every level? Yes. Is he going to continue to do so, after finally getting that big paycheck? That's to be seen. Not everyone has Kobe's desire (or MJ's) to be the best. And seeing how much Josh Smith has yet to learn, or improve, over the past two years... I'm not sure he's going to be that rare kind of player who reaches full actualization of his abilities. He seems more likely to be what he is - lazy footwork defensively bailed out by supreme athletic ability and timing; a gambler who goes for the big play (the three, the steal, the block from behind) rather than the smart play (drive through the paint, tough defense, drawing a charge). And a terrible perimeter shooter whose % (FG, FT and 3PT) haven't improved over his career.

I just think it's nuts to throw out a starting lineup where not a single guy can shoot. I think you'd be hard-pressed to find a team that's succeeded without a single shooter in their starting rotation. Maybe Thad will be able to shoot one day, but I don't think you can count on that. He has decent form, which is more than can be said for Iguodala, but his release is awfully slow.

When is the "trade options" post coming up?

What does Josh bring that's not alredy there? The team has lots of athletes, but not enough shooters or a scorer down low. Yes, he might give the team shot blocking, but right now the defensive part of the team is already great, right?
Plus I agree with the guys that said he's almost a team cancer. Has a bad attitude and no leadership abilities.

Josh Smith is perfect for this team. He's athletic, can run the floor, blocks shots, has a ton of heart, makes all of the hustle plays, and is just entering his prime.

This move allows the Sixers to keep Willie Green on the bench, but yet still have 5 starters who can run the floor and 5 pretty good defensive players.

The problem is I don't see how Atlanta can let him walk.