Eddie Jordan is the Sixers' coach. He's got his system, he's got his idea of the type of players who fit that system. Until he's no longer the coach, he's going to utilize this roster to fit his system. This means, among other things, that guys who may be perfect fits in other systems aren't going to be as useful for the Sixers, even though other teams may value their services.
There are four ways this situation can go: (1) Jordan adapts his system
to fit the players he has. (2) Jordan is fired and a coach is brought
in who can take advantage of the players on the roster. (3) Jordan
continues to play lesser who players who he perceives as better fits,
or he tries to pound square pegs into round holes. (4) Personnel is
added, dropped or traded to create a group that fits Jordan's system,
or at the very least is ready to peak when Jordan is finally replaced.
Option number one doesn't seem to be in the cards. Jordan believes in the Princeton offense and the Community College Defense and nothing is going to change that. Option three is absolutelly a viable option, and I'm afraid the most likely outcome. Option four we'll get to in one second. As for option two (firing Jordan), well, that's probably not going to happen now, and it's most likely not going to happen for some time. Hopefully, this summer, but that may even be a stretch. Eddie Jordan may be here until the following summer, if not beyond.
It's the timing of Jordan's departure, coupled with the unlikelihood of option number one and the prospect of option number three that unfortunately leads me to believe that option number four (trades) is the most viable path the team will take at this point.
I'm not in favor of it, I'm not in favor of doing one thing to change this current Sixers roster into a team more oriented to offense and further away from a team that can defend with the elite teams, but I'm just not sure how long Ed Stefanski is going to pound his head against a wall with an obstinate coach. At some point, something has to give and seeing as how Jordan is his guy, I don't see how he can do anything but move players to get guys who fit his system.
The good news, if you can call it that right now, is the recent play of Elton Brand and Sam Dalembert. Both guys had zero trade value a few short weeks ago. Dalembert was a malcontent with a bad contract, Brand was a guy who never made it back from the Achilles surgery and still had three more expensive years left on his deal. There were teams out there who could absolutely use both guys, but there were way too many question marks involved for the Sixers to be able to pry anything of value back in return for them.
I believe that has changed. Dalembert over the past five games, against some lofty competition, Sammy has averaged 32 minutes per game, and put up very, very impressive numbers. 13.3 rebounds, 9.7 points, 3.8 blocks, 1.4 steals and 2.4 assists per 36 minutes. Those are borderline all star numbers for a center. More importantly, he shut down Tim Duncan and Dirk Nowitzki down the stretch in tight games and basically locked the paint down for his team. Dalembert's contract was bad when he signed, it was bad last season, but right now it's only a risk for a year and change. There are several teams out there, in both conferences, who could use a center who can control the paint, especially a guy who can handle a dominant big without a double when the game turns to the half court. (When I first got the idea for this post, Dalembert didn't just goaltend a potential game-winning shot, and that play wasn't shown on every sports highlight reel over and over again, so just give me some rope for a minute here).
As for Elton Brand, well, how many playoff teams need a low-post presence capable of 20/10 and 2 blocks on a nightly basis while shooting a high percentage from the floor? Just about all of them, right? Well, Brand has been better than that over his last five games (not including the Wash game where he tweaked his hammy): 20.5 points, 10.5 boards, 2.1 steals, 2.8 blocks on 14 FGA per 36 minutes and really showing no ill effects of the Achilles injury.
Has Sammy really turned a corner? Who knows. Maybe he didn't even need to turn a corner, maybe he just needed playing time. Whatever the reason, he's showing definite value. The question with Elton Brand was whether or not he'd ever get back to being the force that he was in LA prior to the injury. Small sample size, but it sure looks like he is.
As for the Sixers, well, they've gotten amazing production from both of their starting bigs and they've still lost seven games in a row and Jordan has been rumored to be griping about Brand. He obviously doesn't think his game fits and he's used minutes to show this again and again. The question becomes, if Jordan is going to be the coach for this season, and possibly the next as well, will Elton Brand be worth the money in 2011-2012 when they can finally get out from under Jordan and start playing a type of basketball that actually has a chance of being competitive. My gut says no. If Eddie Jordan is going to be the coach for that long, Elton Brand should probably be moved, sooner rather than later.
Here's a trade that makes total sense for both teams:
Philadelphia gets Brad Miller ($12.25M expiring) and Tyrus Thomas ($4.74M, restricted free agent, can be dropped)
Chicago gets Elton Brand and possibly Willie Green, if you can somehow trick Chicago into taking him.
Miller is the prototypical five for Jordan's system. More comfortable out on the floor, passing and shooting from the high post and/or top of the key. Extremely poor rebounder, defender and shot blocker. Thomas gets an audition when he comes back from his injury, provides some depth in the front court, but most likely walks at the end of the season, clearing Brand's entire salary off the books this summer.
As for Dalembert, well, tonight's game was one hell of an audition for a potential trade partner. The Mavs will battle San Antonio head-to-head for the Southwest title. They don't have a single guard who can stop penetration, nor a legitimate shotblocker to protect the rim. They also happen to have an expiring contract they could ship to Philly for Dalembert.
Philadelphia gets Erick Dampier ($12.15M, not guaranteed for next year, won't meet stats to guarantee it).
Dallas gets Sam Dalembert
Marc Cuban spent a lot of money on the Mavs this season and they're kind of built to win now. The key piece to their summer was Marcin Gortat, who they wound up losing back to Orlando. They never filled the vacancy of a center who can rebound and block shots. Dampier has never lived up to his paycheck, and he's been injury prone. I think Cuban might be willing to roll the dice on Dalembert to upgrade the defense even though he'd be taking back an extra year in the deal. Dallas is going to be paying the luxury tax for the foreseeable future anyway, so they don't have much to lose by taking on Dalembert's salary for 2010-2011, and Dampier is basically dead money on their payroll right now. I'm sure he'd like to get some production out of that cap space.
If the Sixers were able to pull off both of these deals, they'd shave their payroll to $33M and change (plus a first-round pick salary, probably high in the lottery) and set themselves up as legitimate players in free agency, if they could fool some poor guy to come to Philly and play for their miserable coach next summer. The Brand deal works financially with or without Green, if Green wasn't included they'd have $37M which probably wouldn't be enough for a max contract, but it would be enough for a deal the same size as the one they gave Elton Brand.
To be clear, I desperately don't want to see this happen, but I'm pretty much at the end of my rope. I don't see how this group of players is going to suddenly gain the ability to shoot the contested 20-foot jumpers Jordan's offense thrives on. Even if they do, I know you can't compete when you don't guard anyone and that's your defensive philosophy. It now looks more and more clear that Allen Iverson will be brought in as an attendance gimmick. If the leadership of this franchise is happy to let this season slide down the tubes and they're wholly unwilling to correct the tragic mistake they made this summer in hiring Eddie Jordan, I don't see what other options you have.
Thoughts in the comments, as usual.
One thing I failed to mention, the Bulls could actually be players in free agency next summer, so if they have plans to chase Bosh, Wade or LeBron, there's no way they make the deal proposed above. I don't think I'd do it if I was calling the shots in Chicago, I don't think they're that close to contending personally. But Brand would be a perfect fit there.
You really depressed me with talk of their play and than moving them, man, what could of been with a defensive coach!!! The players he left in Wash. have been playing like shit, so evidently, even after he leaves he has a lasting effect.
No way are the sixers getting rid of Willie. He's gained the affection of the past three coaches with his lovable smile, off-balance three pointers, and horrible defensive plays.
In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if they re-signed him after his contract expires.
I do see them trying to get rid of Brand...perhaps others too.
I honestly don't know what to say. I hate Eddie Jordan so f'n much.
If they can make those trades, they should make them. It makes sense if we're stuck with this complete moron for another two or three years.
Don't see the trade with CHI happening - my sense is they really want to be players in FA this upcoming summer.
I like the DAL idea, though...Sammy has played better of late, and Cuban had a front-row seat to what Sammy can do.
Perhaps if we can clear enough salary, the Roberts boys and Snider will eat the rest of Jordan's salary this summer, get rid of "Dumb and Dumber Part 2", and bring in a LB-like transformational guy to head up basketball operations. Before this franchise does ANYTHING else, this has to be the first order of business...and the sooner the better.
(I wonder if letting these clowns bring AI back is Snider's way of giving these clowns enough rope to hang themselves...)
Yeah, I'd be shocked if CHI moved their expiring contracts, but on the court it makes a ton of sense for them.
The theory is that Chicago has allure to both Wade and Lebron...Wade cause he's from there and for both of them because of the "Jordan Aura" or whatever...if you can win in Chicago after Jordan did it you have achieved something, so the saying goes, plus they have a not so bad roster going forward which some people think is a bigger allure to Lebron than the straight up money (or why not just stay in Cleveland) since he wants the titles.
I personally don't buy into the Noah hype yet but others seem to be, and they keep saying Tyrus isgoing to break out (and your buddy thorpe loves him you know that) and yet he keeps not doing it.
I think they probably wind up with Bosh and his Rich Man's Zach Randolph game. Gotta love guys who actually work out to get ready for their walk years. No need to try if there isn't a contract (and a trip out of Toronto) on the line.
Eddie Jordan will threaten hari kari if the sixers trade willie green and you know it.
I still like getting Monta Ellis - what happened to the pending Warriors implosion :)
As for Sam, any trade that removes him from the roster, I'm in favor of...including for a bag of doritos, cool ranch style
and bring in a LB-like transformational guy to head up basketball operations.
You mean a guy with no vision who changes his opinion on a player every couple weeks or so and is such a megalomaniac he never realizes he made a mistake?
Yeah, definitely, bring an LB like guy in.
Thanks for reminding me how much I love you, jem.
Once an azzhole, always an azzhole.
You know, you've never lost that sublime skill of taking someone's post and twisting the meaning/content of said post for the sole intent of pissing the poster off. It must be why you have had so many fans on forums like this over the years.
I appreciate your useless rant but maybe you could clarify what you meant by an "LB transformational guy" because as far as I can tell, the post 2001 death spiral of the sixers was precipitated by the guy you seem to worship.
The guy who won a title (with a pre made team and a strong GM) in Detroit and got his ass run out of town while trying to get another job during the playoffs and who hasn't accomplished squat in Charlotte after he found another 'weak' GM who will do whatever he says.
People clamoring for a return of an LB like 'guy' are as ridiculous as people clamoring for Iverson back...it ignores the facts and wallows in nostalgia and ignorrance.
But per usual - instead of answering what I said, you'll attack me again, because, well, that's your MO, facts escape you (or confound you) so you stick to attacking people
Can everyone please try to keep their anger directed squarely at Eddie Jordan? We're all in this together, folks.
I'd like to broaden it to folks named ed affiliated with the sixers (pinckney isn't really that good is he)...I mean even if jordan goes, you still have the same silly GM who hired him and the same ownership group that is represented by Snider still...
Jordan is a symptom, he's not the problem, the problems are deeper and systemic...a return to the philadelphia iversons is evidence of that.
It's going to be awesome to waste another year....maybe if they're really good they can waste all of Iguodalas prime years
Apologies, Brian. I have tried very hard to simply ignore jem since I have posted here, but there is a ton of history there.
Damn, where IS that "ignore" button?
1) Last I looked, LB had a job;
2) An "LB-like guy" isn't LB - it is an established, successful basketball man with a track record of success (which is something that LB clearly was before we hired him) - not a retread with a subsidy from his former team.
I think that most posters would have read my post and taken THAT as the substance of my post, but as anybody who knows you knows, you are not "most posters". If anything, your blabbering about LB was - as is often the case with you - not about adding substaqnce to the discussion, but about jem being pithy and witty.
Yawn.
you guys are going to think i am crazy and i was with you all completely on the Iverson thing until about 5 minutes ao when i had a lfash of insight.
Iverson is going to step on the court Monday night, pound the sixers logo on his chest, do a 360 to the crowd, stamp his foot and pound his chest. He is going to call the crowd to its feet pounding his chest, bringing the pride back to all of us. The crowd is going to go beserk and all the young Sixers are going to start playing with the heart of Iverson.
1. I would rather have Allen for 25 minutes a night than Willie.
2. Allen and Jrue start together, when Lou comes back Allen goes to the bench.
3. With Allen and Elton you can play halfcourt ball and with Allen you can stay a running team.
4. The D, yes the D is awful, but you know what. Big Ed wants to score 130 a night just as bad as Eddie Jordan. You know why? That sells tickets. And that makes me sick to say, but it is true. If Big Ed wanted a lock down defensive team, he would have hired Thibodeaux. He wants to run and gun, so here we go.
The flash of insight i had ended with Iverson scoring 34 against the Celtics in a decisive game 7 victory at the boston garden and during the press conference he says "that was my gift to the people of Philadelphia"
Let's just say - for the sake of argument - that AI comes back and plays well, and the team starts winning some games...I think it will be VERY hard to pull Iverson out of the lineup in that event.
If the eventual goal is to have Holiday at the 1 and Iguodala at the 2 (with Lou being the 25-30 mpg Jason Terry like supersub), all we would be doing is fast-forwarding that for half a season. The biggest downside to this, as I see it, is we lose the opportunity to play Iggy at the 2 and Thad at the 3...but I doubt that "Mr. Small Ball" was going to give us a ton of that anyway.
I actually think that Holiday may benefit from this in the short-term...I would hope that Jordan would play him alongside AI a fair amount (for defensive reasons)...he could learn how to run an offense...would not have to force his game to score the ball...and he could continue to grow into his defensive game. You could also have a lineup of AI/Iggy/Thad/Brand/Sammy - not too different than a lineup with Lou, of course, but a lineup that should be reasonably effective on the offensive side of the ball.
And even though Jordan's stupidity seems to show no bounds, I can't imagine many minutes of Lou and AI on the floor at the same time.
I also think that the risk (the 10-year vets' minimum contract, with some of that number being paid by the NBA) is worth the potential return...even if AI only lasts for 15-20 home games, I would think the ticket sales would more than offset the salary outlay. If I am Leon Rose, the discussion that I am having with Stefanski is focusing on a deal that protects Iverson from this simply being a deal where he is bent over for some ticket sales until Lou comes back (which DEFINITELY sounds like something that Snider and the Roberts boys would do).
From a pragmatic standpoint, it is simple - if it is working, you keep it in place for the rest of the season...if it is not working, you blow AI out when Lou comes back.
2. Allen and Jrue start together, when Lou comes back Allen goes to the bench.
What makes you think that he'll accept that now when he wouldn't accept it in Detroit or Memphis?
I don't get the thinking here, I really don't, Allen Iverson has shown NO willingness to come off the bench in Detroit or Memphis, most teams don't want him because he shows no willingness to come off the bench...he's going to want his 40 minutes per game immediately or he's going to be a petulant bitch.
There's absolutely no evidence I see that says he's going to accept a bench role so why do people keep asserting that he will?
You think the sixers don't run the Princeton Offense now - imagine how little they'll run it when they go back to being the Iversons.
I don't think you're crazy - I think you got hold of some VERY powerful hallucinogens and I want some.
i think the depression has turned me looney.
but come on, there is an outside chance that iverson is exactly what the Sixers need. The irony of all ironies. EB starts playing better. Speights has developed. Sammy is finding his role. Iggy had developed into a stat stuffing 2/3 combo. Thad has three years under his belt and will find his way. Lou can drop 20 any night. Running with the right line-up i even think Kapono could be effective for 15 minutes a night. There is a lot of puzzle pieces to play with already, then you add Allen and atleast it wont be so boring. We are seriously the last people in the world that care about the Sixers. Now, do i have any faith the EJ can fit these pieces together? No way, Jose. He'll be playing Willie, Iverson, Kapono, Thad and Jason Smith for long stretches at a time and we will all officially lose our mind. How about we create a petition of rules for EJ or we boycott the season. Shit down the blog and migrate this over to a Fire the Ed's.com. I'll start
rule #1
Elton or Sam must be on the floor at all times. Protecting the rim is what ignites the break and allows the Sixers the easy baskets they need to be cometitive. Sam and Elton on the floor at the same time can be ugly, but one of them needs to be anchoring the D even when Speights gets back.
Rule #2???
These are all nice thoughts, but none of this addresses the reason this team is pitiful right now. Check out the post that just went up to see what I'm talking about.
Bulls are getting Wade, so, uh, no thanks.
There's absolutely no guarantee that that's going to happen.
Miami can pay more moeny
Miami has better weather
Miami has money to add someone in the off season
Isn't florida one of those income tax free states?
Yeah, I'd hold out for Wade or LeBron if I was Chicago's GM. Just be prepared to overpay for Bosh or Joe Johnson, though.
I don't buy that a struggling player becomes attractive to teams because he plays a good 5 games. Dalembert I could see a team trading for, because there you basically know what you're getting. But with Brand the health concerns just loom too large, especially with the size and length of his contract. Maybe if he keeps playing this way for a while, a team would be willing to take a chance.
I don't think Brand's there yet either, but he's on his way. Another week or two of play like this and he recoups his value. My point is, if they're going to move him, they need to start the discussions now, same with Sammy. Both guys are playing well, both guys really look like they can help a team. You can't wait until this team really disintegrates (which is coming, and coming fast) and you have the utter stink of desperation on you when you go into any trade talks. You also don't want to wait too long and see one of the guys go down to injury.