I really thought it would be best to hold on the Sixers season preview until after getting a look at the team they would play first. Yes, the Sixers open the season tonight at home against the future NBA Champion Miami Heat. All buzz surrounds the Heat this season as LeBron James and Chris Bosh, the two top free agents of this summer's class, joined up with reigning King of South Beach Dwyane Wade.
While LeBron was deciding to "take his talents to South Beach" (my own personal euphemism for masturbation), your Philadelphia 76ers made some "big" news. Well... big for them. Hiring Doug Collins as coach and getting the number 2 pick in the NBA draft is always good.
Key Additions:
Getting Doug Collins as coach will hopefully provide some stability on this team. Collins has had success in the past with Chicago, Detroit, and less notably with Washington.
Evan Turner was selected the number 2 pick overall behind Washington's John Wall. Early reports on Turner classified him as one of the most NBA-ready players from the draft. However, stories out of training camp and his preseason performance tell a tale of a lot of work to be done with Turner. Who knows if Turner and Andre Iguodala can coexist? Turner will start the season riding the pine for the Sixers.
While I wouldn't call them "key additions", the Sixers made a couple of moves this offseason to help provide some depth and size across the board. Trying to improve their big men, they sent Sammy Dalembert to Sacramento for C Spencer Hawes and F Andres Nocioni. Nocioni has been known for playing with a large contract and under performing but Hawes may be a nice role player sharing the front court with Marreese Speights.
Key Losses
The aforementioned Samuel Dalembert was traded in June but will not really be missed. The Sixers of course said goodbye to Allen Iverson who just signed to play over in Turkey. Again nothing major.
The one key player that was lost this offseason was Willie Green. Pushed out due to the draft of Turner, Green was the odd-guard out on this team and was traded to New Orleans along with Jason Smith for Darius Songaila and Craig Brackins. Brackins was the 21st overall pick in this year's draft by the Thunder and was bounced to New Orleans before being traded for Green.
Green put up some good years in Philly but ultimately left the team and the fan base wanting more.
The Good, The Bad, The Ugly
The Sixers have a very good, young core to build around. Jrue Holiday, Lou Williams, Andre Iguodala, Evan Turner, and Thaddeus Young all provide some excitement in the back court. However, questions abound with the Sixers up front as the aging Brand looks to shake his "bust" label as a Sixer and we don't possess a game-changing big man in either Hawes or Speights.
It is definitely a rebuilding time and I believe this season could get ugly. I don't think that Turner is the player that everyone thinks he is. He can be a good NBA player at best, but I would never say he's going to be great. I don't think he'll be able to coexist with Iguodala and I think by mid-season, one of them will be gone. My money is on Iguodala as the Sixers can try to move him and acquire some expiring contracts.
The Sixers play in a very weak division but in an ever-increasing tough conference. Besides the Celtics, no other team in the Atlantic is that scary, but I still think the Sixers will finish in 3rd place in the division and 10th in the Conference overall. Which means, of course, they'll miss the playoffs. I don't see this team being able to gel and they'll face tough opponents in the East against the elite (Celtics, Magic, Heat) and against the up-an-comers (Bobcats, Hawks, Bulls, Bucks, Knicks).
It will definitely be a tough first matchup as we'll see if "Miami Thrice" can live up to its billing tonight in the Wachovia Center.
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