Sixers Approach Trade Deadline
Philadelphia Inquirer Sports Columnist Bob Ford writes about the Eagles, the Phillies, the Sixers and the Flyers.
Sixers Approach Trade Deadline
Bob Ford, Inquirer Sports Columnist
A few random thoughts about the Sixers as they play two games on the road this week before coming back to meet Washington and New Jersey at the Wachovia Center on the weekend to begin a stretch of seven straight home games.
As the week began, the Sixers were a .500 team, headed for seventh or eighth in the conference seedings and another early playoff exit. Maybe that isn't the way it will work out, but that's the way it looks. In other words a repeat of last season, but with Elton Brand struggling to keep up this time.
So, make yourself Ed Stefanski. Assuming your goal is to win the NBA championship in your lifetime, how do you get from here to there?
The next month is going to be crucial and very interesting, as the Feb. 22 trade deadline approaches. Despite the favorable home schedule, it's going to be a tough stretch against some good teams. At the trade deadline, the Sixers could well be under .500 again and still trying to fit the pieces together.
As you look at this team -- assuming Brand doesn't enjoy a return to his pre-Achilles surgery mobility -- the future is going to hinge on the play of guys like Thaddeus Young, Marreese Speights, Lou Williams, Andre Iguodala and, perhaps, Jason Smith, if he can recover fully from his ACL surgery.
Together, they present exciting possibilities, but that's a group that won't fully mature for at least another season or two. Now, is it better to ride along with an even record while that takes place, or does the record now not matter? Would that group be even better if augmented by a high draft pick?
Depending on how you answer that question will also answer what you think about the idea of trading Andre Miller before the deadline. Miller is a wonderful point guard and the Sixers won't win as many games without him, but maybe that would be a good thing in the long run. He turns 33 in March and is in the last year of his contract. Will he still be as effective, and as deserving of the deal he will no doubt get, when Young, Speights and the others are ready to compete for a long run in the postseason? I'm not so sure.
Brand is another problem entirely, and he might not be tradeable right now, given his shaky physical status and his new contract. But Miller could bring you a valuable piece in trade and the Sixers' future wouldn't be hurt if they drifted home with something less than a .500 record.
I'm not advocating tanking games. That's bad for business, bad for morale. But tanking the roster is another thing. It might be what Stefanski was doing in part last season when he traded Kyle Korver. If so, it didn't work. The team played at a higher level that could have reasonably been expected. Losing Miller would have a greater effect.
And your opinion?
I favor keeping Miller and taking my chances on him at the end of the season. Unless another team is dying for a point guard right now, Andre might want to stay and the Sixers might want to keep him. However, I would like to see them do everything they can to trade Brand right now.— Lpaul- I'd keep Miller as well, unless we get overwhelmed(unlikely). I'd rather see at least one round of the playoffs, then a lottery pick/1st rd pick in what is supposed to be a very bad NBA draft.— LCVET
- The Sixers have won 8 of their last 9 games, and there is every reason to believe they can catch Atlanta, Miami, and Detroit to possibly be in a position to reach the #4 or #5 seed. Keep him!!— hiphopscholar
- For me, it depends on what we'd get for him. If its going to be a 1st round pick in the 20s, is that, in the long run, really going to help us out that much? Now if that pick is, say, a lottery pick, I don't see how we could turn that down.— mikephillies86
Comment removed.- I think we should keep Miller for another 2-3 years (if he wants longer, trade him) and Brand. Brand is a stud and we have to make it tomorrow. We cant compete with other good teams in the playoffs without him.— jbroz13
- Bob, How are we going to trade Andre Miller for a "high draft pick?". I'm sure if the Sixers could do that, they already would have. The only teams that are going to trade for Andre are ones that are making a post-season run. In today's NBA, it's better to let a contract expire than tie your money into someone else's problems. So the solution to this puzzle is to play the year out and either sign him short-term or let him walk at the end of the year.— Setdawgy
- Comment removed.
- I'd trade Miller for the same reason that I would have signed Josh Smith over Brand. I love Brand and he's a great player, but this team is still very young and I would have rather built it with all young guys. In 2-3 years when this young nucleus gels, Brand and Miller will be too old. Turn the PG reigns over to Lou Williams and get what you can for Miller. Besides, you might lose Miller for nothing at the end of this season anyway. Everyone knows he prefers to play on the West coast.— Philly Dom
- see ya— Big Ragu
- Theres no way you trade Miller. For those of you who haven't noticed, He can score anytime he wants to.— Eaglelover
- Miller is an excellent floor general and it would be in the best interest of the season to keep him here.— bolt248
- give me a break! That is plain stupid! What a moron ? You really think the sixers are in the same class as Boston and LA! What Laurie is the Eagles Synder is the Sixersm maybe try trading owners!— losteagle
- Trade Brand?? Have the sports writers gone bonkers?? I feel sorry for Brand in the fact that he wanted to play here and knows he is on a good team. We need Brand and he will be better, we havent even given him a chance yet. It takes time to come back from that injury. This team is dangerous. Look at what we did last year without him. We will go farther with him. As for trading Miller, I am all for it he still has value and i think the young guys are starting to show that they can take over and Brands presence will have the same effect on the young guys. The only thing i will miss is watching Miller thread those passes inside to the big guys and Iggy.— Prego614
- The Sixers are not in a position to deal Miller. Who will replace him? Royal Ivey? Please. The unfortunate problem that they face is with or without Miller, this team is not championship caliber. They will get very little in any deal for Miller(other teams are aware of his expiring contract) and a trade would remove this team from playoff contention. They might as well keep him, win 40 to 42 games and get swept by LeBron in the first round. This team isn't going anywhere fast and moving Miller won't change that.— syddan26
