Did the Sixers invite basketball back into Philadelphia after the 2013 NBA draft? They were clearly the most active and aggressive team with both their current and future status as an NBA franchise. They sent their best player in Jrue Holiday packing. Coming off his best season in his young career, Holiday was the one name that fans envisioned Sam Hinkie retaining. After signing a new contract with the Sixers, we expected the front office to rebuild the team around their only 2012 All-Star. Wouldn’t it make sense to market him as the face of this pitiful franchise during its “transitional” or “rebuilding” era in hopes to attract the attention of free agents?
Holiday is no longer a Sixer, as the player we received in the draft day trade has “upside” as his label and not a 2012 All-Star resume. Yes, we received a protected 2014 first round selection in addition to Nerlens Noel, but let me ask you a question: Do you recall the last time the 76ers took a shot-blocking, athletic, quick and defensive minded center with their first round selection? Where his offensive skill-set was questioned coming out of college, but his defensive dominance and athletic gifts would erase the lack of scoring presence. Samuel Dalembert, recall that name Philadelphia? I’m not jumping to conclusions, but Noel may not even play until the mid-waypoint of this season. Bynum’s injury frustrated us with his inability to get on the court last year. How can we truly believe that even with a great rehabilitation for Noel that he will return to the pre-ACL tear form? What position does he play with the Sixers? Thaddeus Young, Spencer Hawes and Lavoy Allen are already undersized for the positions they play with the Sixers. Noel is thin, and what he got away with in the paint in college won’t be available to him at the professional level. With this being said, I would have made this move. It’s more about drawing interest from the fans. This is being realistic with who the Sixers are.
The 2011 Sixers made it to the playoffs and went further than most expected. (Much of that had to do with the Chicago Bulls loosing Derrick Rose for the series) In the off-season they made a huge, four-team Blockbuster trade, acquiring the services of arguably the second best big man in the NBA in addition to the veteran Jason Richardson. Media and fans awarded the Sixers the 2nd or 3rd seed in the East, and saw only the Miami Heat standing in our way for a title shot. The season was a horror show with Bynum never registering a single minute of playing time and Richardson suffering a season ending injury. No need to explore what the Sixers gave up when acquiring the services of these two veterans. At the time of the trade, the majority of us were all about the potential this team now had. The only positive from the dreaded 2012 season was the now former guard Jrue Holiday.
The Miami Heat, Indiana Pacers, Chicago Bulls and now bolstered Brooklyn Nets, are the Sixers really going to compete with any of these teams over the next couple of seasons. With the draft and the right trades and free agent signings, the Sixers could very well squeak into the 2014 playoffs as the 8th seed, and what hope to win a game versus the Heat? That’s not going to bring basketball back to Philadelphia, and Sam Hinkie knows that. He has a vision, and last night he shared a mere glimpse of that with us.
If nothing more, the young, transformed Sixers desperately need to get the attention of the fans. They need to fill seats, bring back some form of mascot and not different dancing teams creating a D-League feel to the Wells Fargo Center. The Sixers demonstrated last night that their plan to rebuild this franchise is on a different path then we all thought they would travel. The fact of the matter is that the path was going to be bumpy with or without the services of Jrue Holiday. The 2014 Philadelphia 76ers slogan; new names to familiarize with and additional growing pains that comes with young and unproven talent. Just keeping making moves; get younger, free up cap room and get us to a respectable level for the start of the 2014 season.
if you really look at and analyze Jrue’s game he really wasnt much more than average if even average. His fg %, 3pt %, and ft% werent really that great. his assist to turnover ratio was the WORST in the NBA. His ppg was nice but someone had to score…
I really think we ripped off the pelicans and as long as gordon does what he always does (miss 70% of the season) we should get a 2 lotto picks next year
IMO Nerlins ceiling is Marcus Camby and his floor is Sam Dalembert. I like the Iranians grit from Oregon…
Wheres Jon Hart with his SHOW YA LUV?
ES, he’s in jail, getting his fudge packed.
Jeff in the NBA there’s really only 2 ways to get to the top get lucky in the draft with a top 3 pick or have a top flight free agent come play for you after next season the Sixers will have a chance at both. There’s a good chance the Pelicans pick will be between 7-15 and there own pick which possibly could be in the top 5 and 40 million in cap space and all they had to do was trade Jru Holliday I call that winning!!!
Anytime you can get a 7 footer you gotta do it..and a 6’6 point guard.. imagine the defense this team will be able to play in a few years
That have no Offensive game at all Llawrd? Neither one of them……..scratching my head.
Gm there just pieces gm let’s see what Hinkie does, man we might have two lottery picks next year in a draft that has great talent. This man seems to have a plan.
bench pieces Diddy. Neither one of them is a real starter. The PIECES we get next year are what you roll the dice for.
I like the result of the wheeling, and dealing. I just would have liked better pieces. Giannis Adetutkbou, and Dennis Schroeder, have Kevin Durant, Rajon Rondo type potential. Ricky Ledo has Paul George type talent.
I’d like to have them as well as the 2 #1’s for next year .
Nerlens is a defensive nightmare and a future defensive player of the year and MCW is gonna be solid. We are gonna suck ass this year but that’s ok . Wiggins!!
Hopefully I’m wrong, but right now Nerlens is so thin he strikes me as a guy that very well could play into the mold of a Marcus Camby, in terms of not being able to translate much of his game to the NBA. If that happens obviously trade sucks. Don’t get me wrong I understand the logic behind the move in terms of really just getting how rare elite centers are, but Jru Holiday is going to be a star in the league and he’s not (never was) a project.
Butch my wang is thicker than he is……..
I like the moves, Jrue is a very good Player, but not a Superstar,
I’ll take the 3 Picks in Noel, Williams and Kezmian with 2 1st Round Picks and 2
2nd Round Picks in 2014 (that’s 4 picks next year out of 64 Selections)
In a very deep Draft Class next year.. And with lots of Cap Space too..
Paul, I don’t question the moves for the result. I question the players we got them for. If I wanted a projects I would have drafted Giannis Adetkoumbo, and Dennis Schroeder.
Ricky Lado, will be a better pro, than the Iranian Kid. Heinke missed on that one.
Yea I’m not really a fan of Noel or Williams game. But I hope they pan out.
I agree Gm I like lado or ledo too but look at all the money he freed up. Plus getting two top ten picks this year. As well possibly two top ten next year. I mean he wasn’t perfect but dam he did a lot of good work in just one night. The man has a plan
No Brother, don’t get me wrong I love what he did. I just wanted better talent brought into the fold.
You will need a veteran to play in front of MCW, like Andre Miller, and Noel needs some work. I feel he should have stayed in school, and developed on that level. To me he is an average prospect. I see Caldwell Jones….Borderline Bum.
I like the Iranian kid and think he will be the surprise player come Camp time, very athletic, runs and sees the floor well, definitely needs to get strongerf as all College kids coming into the Pro’s do..
Guys don’t forget about Moutrie I think he will be a player no pt from collins didn’t help him none.
The one thing I think both of our new rookies can do is be very good defenders, which is necessary in this Nba. Jrue defense sucked ass other guards killed him on the regular.
Jrue was just the best player on a bad team, like they said on the radio earlier today. If Rondo and Rose played last year, Jrue would not have been an all star.