"Not there yet", another skilled stiletto slash from Kate. The Sixers are not there yet, and are still many many years away. In the warped and unwatchable world of the NBA, the Nets (0-5) are closer to respectability because of their obvious commitment to being very bad in order to be very good. Even when the Sixers beat the Nets tonight, they will still be the big losers. You really need to be a fool to pay to watch this stuff. (iao).
Go with Jrue and let him learn on the job. It's not like this team is going to the NBA finals anyway and we already know what we'll get with the other guys.
Jrue should be learning on the job as the starting point guard. Sixers should consider a starting lineup of Holiday, Iguodala, Young, Speights and Brand. Smith, Kapono and Williams should be your first options off the bench. Dalembert, Green are dogs and retreads from a different regime. Both should be buried on the bench.
No way we are among the top teams as long as Dalembert and Brand (as he is playing now) are among our starting 5 and Green is part of the expected rotation off the bench. Dalembert, at best, is a situational defensive replacement. Green is a guy you keep so you can scrimmage 5-on-5 in practice if you have a couple injuries. Brand must improve in big games (see Orlando and Boston) or his signing is a complete waste. But, I give him until mid-season. The other two - can we just move on?
Jrue is the team's only true point guard. They should give him the same playing time that other rookie pg's are getting around the league, ie. plenty.
Ty Lawson
Haven't seen them play (they don't get shown much here in Indiana) so can't really comment on who should be playing, all I can do is read. I will say that they should be given until the all-star game before we judge them too harshly, it isn't easy to pick up a totally new system and it appears that this one may be harder than most! Always good ink Kate, keep it coming!!!
Jrue Holiday should be first guard off the bench; as other posters have noted, what will we get from Ivey and Green that will move us forward later this year and into next year" Carney may help, but is struggling to learn the system, since he missed virtually all of training camp. They need to see what Holiday can do; admittedly, he will be raw at first, but needs on the job training. Sixers saw a bigger upside with this kid than with Ty Lawson, so play him.
Iguodala, carney, Thad, Sam at the 4, Sp8ts at center. Iguodala defends the point in tonights case Devin Harris. Who will Harris guard? Iguodala? No. Thad? No. Carney? Maybe then the sixers would have a major mis match on the boards. Take harris inside. Dont forget an accidental elbow while the refs are looking at the flight of a shot attempt to the chest while boxing him out. 6'6", 6'6", 6'6", 6'11",6'11". Looks like the 1990's Bulls to me with Pippen, Jordan, & Harper. Sam as Rodman grabbing rebounds. Sp8ts as Longley. Out of the 3 6'6" guys there will be a match up problem. It's official in my mind. Iguodala is not a small forward he's a point guard. A problem point guard at that. Size, strength, speed, agility, hops. Just enough skill. Put the ball in his hands. At least Harris would not be a factor.
Wish the Sixers could get Bayless from Portland. I think he would be perfect for Sixers fast-break!!!
Anyone who watched this team and saw them going to Williams at Guard should have known that they are thin in their backcourt. Ivey and Green are journeyman players and cannot run the team effectively. Our 2nd team doesn't have a point unless Jrue is ready. They may need to do a trade to get one. A bad mistake by Ed Stefanski to allow Andre Miller to leave, and not realize that promoting Lou meant no one on the bench to run the team. Carney is more of a forward than a guard, nice player, but I wouldn't expect him to run the point, but back-up Andre and Thad. It is very early yet and the Sixers need to re-define themselves, it will take some time, but the potential is clearly there.
First guard, I'm not sure it really should be, I think it should be TYoung. I think we have to start Iggy at the 3 not that he can't play the 2 it's just with both him and TYoung on the court there's no spacing the floor and defensively, forget it, he just made TRENT HASSELL look all league! I say start Carney at the 2 or even Green, they both try and give effort defensively something neither Brand nor Young does and when it comes down to it you have to play defense especially in the East. Thad will be good as a situational player coming off the bench playing minutes at both forward sots, running wild and scoring baskets and Brand should look at McDice and take a page from him and his career, just come off the bench and play ball.
But I really think we could trade Young for a big man such as the Wizards McGee or the Clippers Jordan, they're both on the rookie contracts as is Young, so it works. We need a talented big man to be our anchor, I like Dalemberts effort, but he has regressed and I think he might just need a change of scenery, or if we could bring him off the bench, that would be great.
CC1975, I love Iggy, he's our best player by far,defensively he's a stud, offensively he's our best facilitator and can get us into our offense, however, he can not consistently stay in front of NBA point guards and a dude like DHarris, it's not going to happen. Speights is a 4, he can not guard 5's and he will wear down physically, did you see him trying(at least he gives effort) to guard Lopez? Longely was 7'2". I say put Young on the bench, although I really want us to trade him to the Wizards for their young talented 7 footer McGee. Young plays no defense, the latest example, Trent Hassell, he made this guy look all world, TRENT HASSELL, like G Rap "nough said"!!!!!!!!
Start Lou and Carney in the back court, with Iggy at the 3, Dally at the 5 and for now until it's time to just put Brand on the bench and reward Speights, keep Brand at the 4.
You had a bench guard, Eddie, but you released him. Letting Dionte go was a mistake.
Al I agree 100% sp8ts is a 4 i'm thinking Sam can effectively defend a stretch 4. Sp8ts can't help and recover the way Sam would. And offensively sp8ts would be a better option at center as opposed to Sam. Play iguodala at the point and Sam at the 4 for defensive purposes. Then sub in Lou and brand together. Sam would foul brand into the game. Sub in Lou for carney or Thad. That answers the first guard off of the bench question. The stretch 4's have killed Philly. Same thing last night Najera got off a little bit. I saw Sam however back trenton hassell up a few times. BUT ANDRE IGUODALA! UUUUUUUUGGGHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!! I LOVE THAT DUNK! AND HE LOOKED AT HIM IN MID AiR, SIZED HIM UP, WENT HIGHER & THREW IT DOWN! EXACTLY HOW I WOULD HAVE DONE IT! And it all came with the nets knowing he was coming. I can see him doing that on a regular basis. Put the ball in his hands with Thad & carney and see what happens.
