Throughout the week, basketball writers from the major sites have a number of chats and run rumor columns. Every once in a while, they actually talk about the Sixers. In this column, GoSixers has aggregated the relevant stuff from the chats. You'll see stuff in here that will make you scratch your head, but keep in mind, these guys are experts.
CHATS
Matt (TN)
When does the voting for DPOY go down? Any Chance my man Tony Allen can make Dwight Howard sweat it out?
Chris Sheridan
All votes are due at the NBA office by noon Thursday. Tony Allen was my preseason pick to win the award, but I have him second on my ballot right now behind Dwight Howard because Dwight impacts so many more possessions defensively.
Vinnie (ATL)
What do you think the vitriol will be like at Heat playoff games away from home? I can't wait to see what the atmosphere is going to be like at these games. All good mannered vitriol that is.
Chris Sheridan
I don't think it will be much of a factor at all. They have grown accustomed to it. What WILL be a factor if there is a Knicks-Miami series is the amount of vocal support the Knicks will get in the Heat's building. It was that way in the late 90s when the teams played four consecutive years, and it has the potential to be unsettling for the Heat. And having been with the Knicks nearly every day since the Melo deal went down, I can see how much both Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudemire feed off the support the Knicks have been getting on the road. Anthony was even gabbing with a bunch of fans in Knicks gear in the third row in Indianapolis last night as he was draining six 3-pointers. He is playing with an astounding level of confidence.
(Sigh, chris busting out the crowd noise meme)
Sunil (NYC)
There is alot of debate in NYC over who would be a better matchup for the Knicks. Heat or C's.Let me turn that question around for Miamians. Who would you rather face? Sixers or Knickers ?
Brian Windhorst
The Heat are 3-0 against Philly this season and the Sixer who has given them the most trouble (other than Jodie Meeks, who the Heat seem unable can really shoot if left open) is Lou Williams, who may not be able to play. So if the Heat had a preference, it would be the 76ers, who right now are the No. 7 seed. The Knicks beat the Heat in the last two meetings. Though I'd consider the Heat significant favorites against either, I think there's a chance of a Knicks-Heat series going deeper and getting more interesting. Wednesday night will be very interesting. There is a chance the Celtics will be able to choose their opponent by winning or tanking against the Knicks. That should be an interesting one to watch.
Marques (Utica, NY )
Can we give up on Wesley Johnson and Evan Turner or is there still hope for either?
David Thorpe
There is hope for both.
Billy in Houston, TX:
what playoff matchup are you most eager to see or which do you think will be the best? My money goes with Mavs/Blazers in the west and Magic/Hawks in the east
Bill Ingram:
I was actually thinking OKC/Denver would be the best first round match-up, but now that the Lakers are struggling and Dallas dropped so many games things have tightened up. OKC could finish in the second seed, so the first round in the West is very much up in the air. I do think Portland can take Dallas . . .always ripe for an upset. In the East I think New York/Miami or Philly/Miami will be really interesting . . .the Magic won't make it to the NBA Finals, but they'll road kill the Hawks . . .
Matt in Katy, Texas:
How good is Jrue Holiday going to be. Is he the cornerstone for Philly?
Luke Byrnes:
I don't see Holiday as a franchise player. He is a really good, young player with a chance to be an all-star. If he is your best player, don't count on winning a title. Good team? Heck yeah. Championship team? Probably not.
Attias (Montreal)
Chad Ford, do you think the HEAT can win it all this year? I think they've gotten hot at the right time and will continue to get even hotter as the playoffs continue. I think they will plow through Philly and Boston and then beat Chicago in a tough series. Your thoughts?
Chad Ford
I like the Heat. They have players who can dominate in big games. They seem to be coming together well. I for sure think they'll handle Philly. Boston also looked pretty vulnerable against them now. Bulls and Heat would be a VERY tough series. So yeah, they could win the East and they could win it all. But I still wonder about them playing team ball.
Greg (Indianapolis)
Chad, tell the nation the Pacers can hang with the Bulls and push the series to six or seven!
Chad Ford
Might be a stretch. Pacers have a super bright future. Lots of talented young players. A ton of cap flexibility. No bad contracts. A terrific front office. But ... they aren't ready to hang with the Bulls. I think Bulls in 5.
Ben (Concord)
Perry Jones?. right now does it look like the worst decision to return to school in draft history?
Chad Ford
To early to tell. He'd be a Top 5 pick this year. But he's not ready. Of all the guys going early, he's the least ready of the group. So he could really improve with another year in school. But if he doesn't dominate next year (and there are reasons to believe he won't with Quincy Miller coming in and the team still shaky at the point) he could really slide. Big risk, yes. But we won't know for a while if it's a bad decision.
BSB (Philly)
Why is no one talking about the breakout season by Thad Young? Shouldn't he be the MIP? Did he also just played himself out of Philly.
John Hollinger
The Sixers will keep Young; they'd trade Iguodala before they let Young walk, if they're smart. He should be a factor in MIP, but what amazes me more is how ignored he's been in Sixth Man voting. I've seen a lot of ballots list Glen Davis and not Young, and I just don't get that.
TomD (Philly)
What would be a successful post-season for my beloved Sixers? If they win 2 games against the Heat? I think that would help get the Wells Fargo Center rocking once more.
John Hollinger
Win Game 3 at home. Anything more than that is gravy.
Keeweekid in Colorado:
Any 5-8 seed that you see that has the potential to get to 2nd round or even conference finals?
Yannis Koutroupis:
I'm giving the New York Knicks, Denver Nuggets and Portland Trail Blazers all a chance to advance. I've said from the moment the Carmelo trade went downt that I thought NY now had the potential to beat anyone in the league in a seven-game series, something they couldn't do before. The Nuggets have a major chip on their shoulder while the Oklahoma City Thunder are everyone's favorites in the Western Conference right now. They're getting all kinds of love and I can't help but wonder if they think their spot deep in the playoffs is already secure. Don't look past George Karl and that deep Nuggets team. And the Blazers are a tough, gritty team that I think is going to go right up to the Mavericks and punch them in the mouth. They're not going to back down. They're going to battle and fight hard. Wouldn't surprise me at all to seem the complete what would be a small upset.
RANKING
NBCSports.com - Kurt Heilin
14th (previously 13th) The Sixers really miss, and really need back, Lou Williams. And they need Elton Brand and Iggy healthy. With all those things they can push the Heat a little. (They can get the six seed from the Knicks if NY loses its last two and Philly wins out.)
ESPN.com - Marc Stein
14th (previously 15th) In addition to the Collins factor, credit generally good health for putting Philly on the brink of its first winning season since 2004-05. The flip side: Going 2-8 in OT games didn't make Doug's job any easier.
CBSSPORTS.COM - Dave Del Grande
15th (previously 15th) Season's biggest surprise: Elton Brand. Not long ago, the 76ers gladly would have paid the freight for the team willing to take him off their hands. Not anymore.
ARTICLES
Basketball Prospectus - Making the Picks (some award picks, Thad, Doug, listed)
NBA.com - Sam Smith's take on EOY Awards
ESPN.com - Truehoop network award picks (The sixers blog in the truehoop network is deplorable - but it is what it is)
ESPN.com - 5 on 5 - is this the year doug Collins gets out of the first round (first time in 22 years)
Basketball Prospectus names their all defensive team (guess who is first team at SF?)
Basketball Prospectus - Andre Iguodala Underrated (this is from 2009 but first I've seen it)
Miami Herald - Heat-Sixers series just doesn't excite (that's right, everyone thinks the knicks are awesomesauce)
Hoopsworld.com - Best First Round Playoff Matchups (Player vs player, each series)
Probasketballtalk - 10 Guys without household names who can swing a series (T Young)
NBA.com - Success of Sixers Centers on Intangibles
ESPN.com - Sixers Heat Preview From Jamie Kennedy (Yeah, that Jamie kennedy, he's from philly)
Huffingpost Sixth Man of the Year Voting (Thad mentioned)
Huffington Post Coach of the Year Voting
SI.com - Sixers Heat Preview
NYT.com - Playoff Preview
Grizzlies extended Zach Randolf. Does that mean they might not be able to resign Marc Gasol? Could we get him? Should we want to get him? I really just haven't watched him play, anybody watch him a good amount?
If the Sixers resign Young, I don't think they can afford Gasol or are willing to go over the luxory tax for him. He is also a restricted FA, which means we're going to have to give up something for him. I can see a team like Boston or New York signing him to a good deal.
Marc Gasol is a very solid young center but the Sixers will not have enough money to sign him in the summer unless they make some sort of a sign and trade. I would love to see him in a Sixers uniform though, even if his style of play may be a bit "too slow" for the Sixers. He is a half court guy.
The thing that I always found odd about Gasol was his extremely low usage rate. I'm not sure if it's a team thing, that they're just really bad at getting him the ball, or if it's an aggression thing with him.
It doesn't really matter, the Sixers won't have the money to get him unless Nocioni retires, which he probably won't. But I'd be a little hesitant to pay him $10M+/year, at least I'd be hesitant to pay him that kind of money with the expectation that he's going to play a bigger part in your offense than he does in MEM, I'm not sure he's capable/willing.
But does he really need to be a bigger part of the Sixers compared to what he is for the Grizzlies? I think he is definitely worth around 9-10 million per year on average. He is certainly a much better player than DeAndre Jordan, a guy that everybody seems to love these days.
Oh yeah and Marc Gasol just went for 24p, 9rb, 3ass and 2b against the Spurs on the road in the playoffs, leading his team to a huge upset.
In the current climate where zach randolph gets a 4 year 71 million dollar extension you think Marc Gasol is only going to net 9-10 million dollars per year?
He's an RFA and will get more money than that, and is worth more money than that.
ANd yes he would be required to do more, the sixers need a big man who can rebound and haven't had a low post offensive presence in close to a decade
To me, there are a bunch of factors that tip in Jordan's favor where the Sixers are concerned:
1) Jordan's 4 years younger
2) Jordan's an athletic freak. He's a guy who's going to be able to finish off plays created by Jrue, Iguodala and turner. Gasol is a gifted offensive player, but he's not a guy who's going to go up and finish a lob. He's more of a methodical big man.
3) If you get Gasol, for the most part you're getting him for his offensive game in the half court. He'd certainly help in that area, but w/ such a low usage rate, I'm not sure how much he'd help.
To me, Gasol is what everyone foolishly thought Spencer Hawes would grow into. He'd absolutely make the Sixers a better team, but I don't think he'd make them as good of a team, or as dangerous of a team as Jordan would. Plus, if you sign Jordan, you could really be setting the team up for the next 5-8 years w/ a young, athletic core than grow together.
It's probably a personal preference thing, but I really want this team built to be one of the best defenses in the league with elite athletes all over the floor. Gasol doesn't fit that mold.
And while it's nice to think about, barring some sort of CBA miracle that causes decertification the sixers roster isn't going to be adding impact players like that in the off season.
I'm surprised there were no comments on the 'sign thad at all costs even if you have to get rid of Iguodala' chat comment
This is of course a hypothetical discussion. Realistically they don't have the money to sign either of them.
As for the comparison between Gasol and Jordan i always felt like you need complete basketball players (on both ends of the floor) to win in the NBA. I was never (nor will i ever be) a fan of athletic freaks with no basketball ability whatsoever and i feel like Jordan is just that. He is young and atheltic yes but those aren't exactly basketball qualities. And i don't think he is a better defender than Gasol, he is just more flashy.
Jordan is a better fit with the current roster, but i would still prefer Gasol over him, not only because i think he is a better player, but because i think the Sixers need to be able to play more traditional half court basketball if they want to contend. But i guess you can pencil it as a personal preference.
Or maybe Zach Randolph gets in his way?
Had a good game against San Antonio but San Antonio kind of ignored him (Duncan admitted it in the press conference) which reminded me of how Sam was 'great' against Detroit right before his big deal from BK mostly cause Detroit ignored him.
How good is he defensively? The Sixers need a big man who play interior defense, block shots, rebound and be able to defend/play the pick and roll. If he can do all of those things he is worth the 10 million annual salary. I haven't watched many games Memphis games this year. So I don't know how well he plays in transition. I would honestly rather sign DeAndre Jordan to 6-7 million annual contract.
Jordan will get more or less the same money Gasol will or at least very close to it. And yes Gasol is a pretty good defender, not great but above average.
Spencer Hawes and Marc Gasol both had the same defensive rating this year, all season before that Gasol was a 108 while hawes went 109, 113, 109
Sure Marc Gasol is much better than Hawes defensively?
If that's the defensive rating from basketball reference, i'm sorry but that's one of the most misleading stats out there IMO.
Oh yeah and Gasol is a much better defender than Hawes, which of course doesn't mean he is great but he is above average. The only weakness he has on defense is pick and roll defense which is important for the Sixers from a fit standpoint and is of course a pretty big weakness, but most of those young centers that can jump out of the gym have far greater fundamental weaknesses in terms of understanding team defense.
So Basketball Reference is misleading but you know with certainty that Gasol is that much better - how?
I said that's my opinion you can either agree or disagree. And you know very well that defense is very difficult to quantify at the moment and that there are no reliable stats out there. And Drtg (and Ortg) from basketball reference is the worst of them. Basketball reference is a great site btw, it's just that stat that i don't like due to the way it is being measured. Again this is just my opinion..
I'm with you, Gasol's a hell of a player. Jordan's not there yet - maybe he'll get there but his production is really kind of underwhelming for a guy with his talent. Anyway, we don't have the money.
Other than that, everybody should watch Denver-OKC. A hugely entertaining match-up.
Why watch Denver? They don't have any superstars. Or does that argument only apply to the Sixers for you.
But they have Ty Lawson
Doesn't matter anyway. Applying Tray's logic to the Denver/OKC series, OKC was just toying with them anyway and it's going to be a sweep. No chance for DEN.
Well see, that just makes perfect sense.
The Lakers and Spurs are just falling behind so they can have a more dramatic victory I suppose.
http://www.moviesoundclips.net/movies1/knightstale/victory.wav
Whoever wins the game has a superstar.
No one can say for sure until the new CBA is signed, but the Grizzlies have Gasols rights and if heisley is serious about keeping a winner together he has the money to keep Gasol, not sure he WILL but he has the money and the only thing preventing him from doing so is his own frugalness.
And to the question below. Paying Yao Ming any sort of money above minimum salary is ridiculous because he's going to miss half the season.
Would you be willing to sign Yao Ming at the right price?
I know a lot of people here don't like them, but Amare and Randolph played really well yesterday. I would take either one of them and their contracts over Brand/Hawes.
Have you seen Randolph's new contract? Ugh... the Grizzlies are screwed big time financially.
Sixers get another shot at the Heat:
http://ow.ly/4CAqU
love it. that is all.