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Thursday, October 22, 2009
Sixers Protect Their Assets

NBA coaches and general managers are fond of talking about the importance of protecting their assets. That's why invoking a third-year option on Marreese Speights and fourth-year options on Thaddeus Young and Jason Smith for 2010-11 were basically no-brainers.

Still, the one who should be the most grateful is Smith, the backup forward-center who missed all of last season after undergoing knee surgery.

''He's been with us through his whole rehab and was cleared to play in July,'' Sixers president/general manager Ed Stefanski said. ''He's played through the preseason and his level of energy has been off the charts. We've been told by the doctors that he'll get stronger as the season goes on. And he has a nice skill, in that he's a 'big' who can come in and make shots.''

Before Smith got hurt two summers ago, part of the plan was to use him as a change-up center because of his ability to score from the perimeter. We'll find out what new coach Eddie Jordan's plan is as we go along.

By the way, about the money . . .

Charts obtained by the Daily News show these numbers for 2010-11: Speights, $1,773,960; Young, $2,901,241; Smith, $2,187,913

Posted by Phil Jasner @ 6:09 PM  Permalink | 5 comments
5
Comments   
Posted 09:40 AM, 10/23/2009
deasytrent
Marresse Speights and Thaddeus Young deserve it. I think we should have held out longer on Jason Smith to see how he progresses during the season. That's just my opinion though.
Posted 02:46 PM, 10/23/2009
ricky
The Sixers are getting away real cheap with these players for now, but they're all going to demand and deserve big money when these contracts expire.
Posted 03:38 PM, 10/23/2009
langx
In two years they will have to give Speights and Young some money. Brand and Iggy will still have 2 years on there deals at the time. When brand and Iggy leave then maybe next time we can hire a real GM that knows basketball. Not a Fantasy League owner. Only in Fantasy league does Elton Brand numbers matter. If your talking wins and losses his numbers are meaningless.
Posted 11:36 PM, 10/23/2009
Regan368
Hey, anyone want a chance to win tickets to the Eagles/Dallas game on Sunday, November 8th? Call 215.525.0694 on Sunday October 25th between 11 am and 12pm. Once there are 100 callers on the line a winner will be picked!!
Posted 09:18 AM, 10/24/2009
Paul SoTX
If Brand is healthy, he is the Sixers best player. Thad is coming along and Iggy is a solid player, but Brand has had huge success in the past. The reason Stefanski hired Jordan was to get the most out of this group. You better believe Brand will be a big part of what happens. Lets see how they do when the games start. I expect progress. Since this has been a playoff team, I will be very unhappy if they don't win at least two playoff series this year.
About Sixerville Blog
Phil Jasner joined the staff of the Daily News in 1972. He has covered the 76ers and the NBA on a full-time basis since 1981. He won the 2004 Curt Gowdy Media Award, presented by the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame for outstanding contributions to the sport during his career; he was a finalist for the award in 2001, when he also received a lifetime achievement award from the Professional Basketball Writers Association during the NBA Finals. He is a past president of the Professional Basketball Writers Association and the Philadelphia College Basketball Writers Association. Along the way, he has covered high school sports, the Big 5, the Eagles and the NFL, the World Football League, the North American Soccer League and what was then the Major Indoor Soccer League. He is a proud graduate of Temple University, and spent his early professional days at the Pottstown (Pa.) Mercury, Montgomery Newspapers (Fort Washington, Pa.), the Norristown (Pa.) Times-Herald and the Trentonian.

Bob Cooney has been at the Daily News for almost 20 years, working in the sports department the past 12 years. This is his first season on the Sixers beat. He has covered just about everything, but mostly college basketball, where he has been the La Salle beat writer for the past six seasons.

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