When it comes to Philly teams, practice patience - and pray | Ed Rendell
Sizing up the potential of Philadelphias four four major pro teams
NOW THAT the euphoria of hosting the NFL draft has subsided, Philly sports fan are taking stock of what the future looks like for our teams. Are they going in the right direction? How soon is contending for a championship a reasonable expectation? What do they need to become legitimate championship contenders? I believe the answers to those questions are: definitely yes, no parade plans are necessary in the near future, and not as much as you might think.
The Phillies are staggering and their fans are drowning in despair. The Phillies have serious problems and lots of holes, not the least of which is the bullpen. It's fair to say that Triple A Lehigh Valley has a better bullpen than the Phils. Heck, the Lakewood Blue Claws have a better 'pen.
Despite this, there are significant reasons to be optimistic. The Phils have a good nucleus of starting pitchers with excellent potential, including Jerad Eickhoff, Vince Velasquez, Zach Eflin, Aaron Nola and Nick Pivetta. They also have three potential stars in their everyday lineup in Cesar Hernandez, Aaron Alther and Maikel Franco. Their minor league system appears to have some future big-league contributors such as Rhys Hoskins, Nick Williams, Scott Kingery and Mickey Moniak. Lastly, Herrera and Hellickson could be valuable trade pieces to net additional top-flight prospects. So fans, when it comes to the Phillies, the key word is patience!
The Flyers are clearly pointed in the right direction. They have a core of good young players, including Travis Konecny, Ivan Provorov and Shayne Gostisbehere - and now have the second pick in the draft. That should enable them to get a highly touted center who should have an instant impact. NHL experts seem to agree that a number of exciting prospects have a good shot at becoming contributors next season. The biggest need is a terrific goalie to build around for five to 10 years. Some experts think that is Anthony Stolarz. I think they will make the playoffs next season and could be a championship contender down the road. So, again, fans, the key word patience!
The Eagles didn't miss the playoffs by much, either, and they had two impressive wins over the Steelers and the Falcons. The reality, though, is that we are not yet ready to be a Super Bowl contender. That said, there is cause for optimism that quarterback Carson Wentz will improve each year. The Eagles also had a fairly successful draft, and I think picking Sidney Jones in the second round, even if he misses the 2017 with with his Achilles' injury, could really pay off. If he comes back full strength in 2018, the Eagles will have stolen two first-round talents in this year's draft.
The Eagles also did well in the later rounds, drafting wide receivers Mack Hollins and Shelton Gibson, who both had successful college careers and could be useful additions for the future. The second cornerback the Eagles took in the draft, Rasul Douglas, might turn out to be a real steal. He led college football in interceptions last year (eight) and is also considered to be a big hitter - just what the Eagles need. So, the future is bright, but again, Eagles fans the key word is patience!
The Sixers are still a bundle of "ifs" but if things fall into place, I believe they might be the first Philadelphia team to seriously contend for a championship: If Joel Embiid stays healthy. Embiid emerged as one of the best centers in the NBA but it's impossible to know whether he can last a full season. If Ben Simmons is as good as we all hope he is. I believe he will be a remarkable NBA player, especially if he can become a decent short-range shooter. If Dario Saric continues to improve. He has the potential to be a great small forward but must improve as a defender and three-point shooter. If the Sixers can get a quality, seasoned player in a trade for Jahlil Okafor. If the Sixers get an A-plus outside shooter with their first pick in the draft. There are four solid outside shooters in the draft: Markelle Fultz, Lonzo Ball, Luke Kennard and Malik Monk. Kennard is the best pure shooter of the group, but his foot speed is only fair, and I am not sure he can create his own shot and be a first-class defender. Though Fultz is 6-4 and a good shooter, he only made 64.9 percent of his foul shots, and I don't think he will be a game changer. Ball has unlimited skills, but despite shooting 55.1 percent from the floor and 41.2 percent from three-point range, he too was a mediocre foul shooter (67.3) and is really more of a point guard than a shooting guard. Besides, there is one big reason not to draft him - his father, LaVar, might be the worst NBA parent ever.
My choice for the Sixers is Monk. He averaged 20 points a game, shot 45 percent from the floor, 39.7 percent from three-point range and 82.2 percent from the foul line. But the reasons I would pick him, above everyone else, are his foot speed and his ability to shoot quickly. Those skills are absolutely stunning. Consider what he did in a regular-season win against eventual champion North Carolina - 47 points and 8-for-12 from three-point range. He is a pure outside shooter with speed to burn. He will have to learn how to play defense in the NBA, but his upside is unlimited. So, for Sixers fans, the key word is pray: Pray for all these "ifs" to become reality.
@GovEdRendell