The Max Contract Guys
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The Max Contract Guys
Before the regular season started, there seemed to be some speculation (I include myself among that group) that the 76ers might just contend for a playoff spot. In the very early preseason, in that first week of training camp, when this team’s ability was judged not yet against another NBA team inside an arena, but by watching the players against one another on the practice court, fighting for a playoff spot seemed a distinct possibility. A new coach, a handful of new players, a No. 2 draft pick, but as soon as the preseason games began – and, yes, we know preseason games are difficult to judge – there was little doubt that this would be a difficult season.
One preseason game in particular, the one against the Cleveland Cavaliers played in Roanoke, VA, looked particularly disturbing. There was a distinct vibe on the court that was worrisome; the game was a complete waste in terms of serving any purpose whatsoever except for highlighting the Sixers’ shortcomings: there was little cohesion, J.J. Hickson was a monster on the boards, there was a certain sense of disconnect. Sixers coach Doug Collins was not on the bench for that game (which probably contributed to the poor play) because he had returned early to Philly to deal with vertigo symptoms.
If anything, a prediction of 30-32 wins, which was pretty standard in the week leading up to the start of the regular season, seemed entirely fair. And in the first 10 games of the season, you’ve seen some of the reasons why that initial optimism almost immediately disappeared. This is not to say that the Sixers haven’t competed each and every night (omitting Saturday’s game against the San Antonio Spurs, which was a disaster), because they have. But the issues present in that preseason game against Cleveland were in full effect on Saturday.
We have some contributors/posters on this blog who are detailed in their statistical analysis of all things Sixers, so as a warning going forward, this observation is not based upon game-by-game research of the Sixers during the last two-plus seasons, but rather in the cumulative sum of having watched 150-plus of the games. So if anyone has compiled stats they’d like to share on the topic, post them below, or email me at kfagan@phillynews.com, and I’ll try to put them up.
So, here goes.
Can Andre Iguodala and Elton Brand play together effectively? In theory, you would think they’d be able to. Brand would be the post presence, draw the occasional double team, run the pick-and-roll with Iguodala, and life would be merry. In this ideal world, Brand would post on the low block, garner the attention of a few defenders, Iguodala would slice through the line for a little bounce pass and throw down a jam. Next possession, Iguodala would make the same cut and the defenders would honor it, and Brand could go to work. Probably, when Ed Stefanski signed both Brand and Iguodala to max deals, this was the assumed vision.
In reality, the two just don’t seem to flourish together. It’s not as if they’re awful together, but it seems when they’re both healthy and on the court together, each of them is knocked down to about 65 percent effectiveness (remember, this is perception and I just decided on that number arbitrarily from two-plus years of watching – blogging is fun like that). During the 2008-09 season, when Brand was sidelined with the shoulder injury, Iguodala had a pretty decent year. He hit a number of game-winning shots and was very consistently the team’s go-to player. Last season, with both of them healthy, Iguodala’s numbers were decent, not great, and Brand’s numbers were decent, not great. The two of them, together, probably accounted for a little over one max contract player, but obviously the Sixers are paying for two.
This season, this whole theory has been put under the microscope for two reasons: 1.) Because Brand is healthy, has been playing so well, and has been really effective offensively. 2.) Because for the first time in 250 games, Iguodala missed games. For the first time since Brand signed, we were able to watch the Sixers play with Brand, but without Iguodala. It seemed as if many people liked what they saw.
Here’s the impression of the difference. When Iguodala was healthy, but Brand was injured (and we recognize there have been other shifts in personnel, but these are impressions), the flow of the offense was orientated around the perimeter. There would be at least the standard pick-and-roll each possession; there would be penetration to the basket, and obviously the traditional fast-break game. With this setup, an actual post game was very sporadic, so while there was still plenty of standing and watching (it is an NBA team after all!), it wasn’t so much watching a post player. This was effective during the 2008-09 season, but a large percentage of that success should be credited to Andre Miller. In addition, this style can only take the Sixers so far, as we witnessed in multiple playoff appearances.
Last week, when a healthy Brand was the key half-court player, and Iguodala was sidelined with Achilles tendinitis, Brand seemed even more effective in his game. The team’s offense was still predicated on the play of Jrue Holiday, but there was a very natural sense that every third possession or so Brand would get the ball and go to work. Brand has been very successful this season in that position. Without Iguodala, there was no confusion or split role about who would get these dedicated possessions. The whole thing worked quite well, with Brand crashing the offensive boards even when Holiday, Turner, Meeks, Young, Speights, etc., were doing their thing from the mid-range/three-point line. More importantly, the effectiveness of how the Sixers played against the New York Knicks (the one victory without Iguodala), actually looked like a performance they’d be able to replicate quite often. It wasn’t fool’s gold, as sometimes the Sixers’ offense can be on a night when they happen to shoot 11 for 18 from the three-point line, but do that only once every 20 games.
This is not a commentary on either Iguodala or Brand, but on the effectiveness of the two of them together, which should be paramount to deciding what happens next with this franchise.
On the Road: I’ve posted the third video of our On the Road series, which should be embedded in this post. An early morning at the San Antonio International Airport, which is pretty indicative of life on the road.
--Kate
Each week, Kate will check in from the road and answer fan questions about the Sixers. Click here to ask Kate a question or e-mail her at kfagan@phillynews.com.
Comments (37)
Anybody that thinks EB is going to continue to shoot above 55% from the field all season raise your hands? Thats right nobody has there hands raised. Igoudala needs to go because this team has a glut of small forward and guards and are nowhere near winning. Elton Brand needs to go because he makes a ridiculous ammount of money and again the team is nowhere near being good. I aslo believe the play we are seeing from Elton Brand is fools gold. Can he have a nice bounceback year? Sure it could happen. Can he continue to put up a crazy PER? No way. The reason that Elton Brand and Igoudala do not work together is because you can't run with EB on the floor and we don't have a point guard that can run the break like Andre Miller. Really if this team wanted to continue to have some moderate success they should have re-signed Anfre Miller. While Holliday looks like an up and comer this team hasn't had consistent quality pg play since Miller left and its killing them. Holliday has some of the most ridiculous turnovers I have ever seen.— brannigan73- Anybody that thinks EB is going to continue to shoot above 55% from the field all season raise your hands? Thats right nobody has there hands raised. Igoudala needs to go because this team has a glut of small forward and guards and are nowhere near winning. Elton Brand needs to go because he makes a ridiculous ammount of money and again the team is nowhere near being good. I aslo believe the play we are seeing from Elton Brand is fools gold. Can he have a nice bounceback year? Sure it could happen. Can he continue to put up a crazy PER? No way. The reason that Elton Brand and Igoudala do not work together is because you can't run with EB on the floor and we don't have a point guard that can run the break like Andre Miller. Really if this team wanted to continue to have some moderate success they should have re-signed Anfre Miller. While Holliday looks like an up and comer this team hasn't had consistent quality pg play since Miller left and its killing them. Holliday has some of the most ridiculous turnovers I have ever seen.— brannigan73
- Very easy to see Brand is playing absolutely awesome this year. Great effort. On the other hand, Iggy is clueless to how his poor shot selection kills this team on a nightly basis. Get rid of Iggy for anything...expiring contract, young bench warmer, picks......anything.— Bobby V
- Honestly this team is so messed up it's so sad right now. We have way too many players who play the same position and play the same style.
1. We have no center at all
2.Iggy and Turner basically play the same style.
3. Iggy is NOT a shooting guard
4. Jodie Meeks and Lou Williams are both 2 guard who play the same way
5. With Turner, Meeks and Williams there just isn't enough mins to go around.
6. Young can't get on the court. He is too slow for small forward and too small for power forward. But he is a good player.— Jerseymagic 
Kap is such a hater.... Anyway I Like to think that given time Collins will put this team on the right track. There needs to be some house cleaning. Igoudala being moved won't be for a useful player to add to the core of Holiday and Evans. It will be a financial move, mark my words. With Peja's or Melo's money coming off the books I hope they just hold on to it and don't waste it.- There is little doubt that win or lose, this team is more fun to watch without Iguadala, plain and simple. They look more like a team, they seem to have more energy, the ball movement is better and captain chaos isn't running around trying to dribble and shoot his rainbows. Its' time to go Iggy.
- @kate: I too am a big fan - you always come up with an interesting different angle to consider and then give us some interesting inisights on the topic. Everyone has wondered if Turner and Igoudala could play together. No one really talks about these two, though. Kudos.
I subscribe more to the eye test than some of the advanced stats (i'm a stat-head in business and as Mark twain said there are 3 kinds of lies: Lie, Damn Lies and Statistics. So you have to look behind the numbers as well.)
Now it brings us it the same conclusion - time to reshuffle the deck here a little bit.— shova
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About this blog
John Mitchell is in his second year covering the 76ers for the Inquirer after joining the paper in November 2011. He covered the Washington Wizards for the Washington Times from 1998 to 2008. He's also worked at the Philadelphia Tribune, the Wilmington News Journal, Courier-Post, Trenton Times and Elmira Star-Gazette.Born and raised in West Philadelphia - not too far from Will Smith - he graduated from Overbrook High School the same year the 76ers won their last championship. He's a proud graduate of Howard University and the proud father of two sons, Jared and Jordan.
ABOUT MARC NARDUCCI
Marc Narducci has served in a variety of roles with the Inquirer since beginning in 1983. He has covered the 76ers as a backup and a beat writer. In addition, Narducci has covered everything from the Super Bowl to the World Series and a lot in between. Narducci also has a true passion for South Jersey scholastic sports, which he has covered for many years.
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