Heard in the Cheap Seats

There is a rumor making the rounds today that the Philadelphia 76ers might be willing to consider a deal that would send Samuel Dalembert, Willie Green and a future pick to the Houston Rockets for Tracy McGrady.  

At this point, this is little more than a faint whisper in the rumor mill but it bears watching.  It is easy to see why the Sixers would want to make this deal.  Despite the fact that McGrady may miss half the season with microfracture surgery this deal would provide two huge benefits.  

First, McGrady brings with him a HUGE expiring contract that would greatly improve the Sixers cap position and put them in position to make a move in the much-heralded free agent class of 2010.  Second, and probably more importantly, this deal rids the Sixers of two of their favorite whipping boys—Samuel Dalembert and Willie Green.

It is less clear why the Rockets would consider this deal.  With Yao Ming out for an unspecified amount of time, they certainly need some help at the center position.  But do they really believe Dalembert is that help?  In addition, for an expiring contract the size of McGrady’s, I would imagine they would seek more than marginal players in return.

The speculation sounds like a baseless rumor to me but we will keep an eye on any developments. 

Right about the time I post this, NBA free agency will be underway.  Usually that brings about a lot of excitement.  Last year at this time, the Sixers made a huge splash by signing Elton Brand.  Everyone knew that with a new GM and a lot of money to spend under the salary cap, the Sixers were going to try and make a big score.  They got their man, but the acquisition of Brand has yet to pay dividends.  Boy, how times have changed!

This season, the Sixers are over the salary cap.  It appears that the first order of business for Ed Stefanski is to start the conversations regarding the return of Andre Miller.  The Sixers can pay Miller as much as they want, regardless of the cap situation.  It remains to be seen what kind of market will be out there for Miller.  It looks as though the strategy will be to talk with Miller and his agent and make their play to resign him.  Whether they do or not will determine the other pieces the Sixers go after.

The options are pretty simple for the Sixers this summer.  In regards to Miller, they can sign him, not sign him, or work a sign and trade.  Currently, the Sixers have 10 players under contract, if you include Jrue Holiday.  So, regardless of what happens with Miller, the Sixers have spaces to fill.  They can use the mid level exception and veteran minimum as far as salary for free agents.  The mid level exception is between 5 and 6 million dollars per year.  I have scoured the list of free agents, both restricted and unrestricted and I came away unimpressed.  This summer is one of those scenarios where Stefanski and the Sixers are going to need to be creative.  They surely have a plan, and that plan will begin to unfold in the coming weeks. 

Normally, I might lay out what I would like to see the Sixers do in free agency.  But, since I am not a fan of about 90% of the available players, I will keep my opinion simple.  I am now convinced that signing Miller is a good move, but only if he will sign for 2 years.  If Miller wants a much longer contract for too much money, I don’t think it’s worth it.  I don’t want to see Stefanski signing players just to try and gain a few more wins this season.  The Sixers can’t end up in the same situation Billy King stuck them with again.  The Sixers will make a few moves this summer, and starting in about a half hours, news will be trickling out about what those moves might be.  If Stefanski gets creative and pulls a few rabbits out of his hat, I will be pleasantly surprised.  Stay tuned.

Going into last night’s NBA draft, I think most people knew that the Sixers were going to draft a guard.  The only question was: Which one?  The answer ended up being Jrue Holiday from UCLA.  I wrote yesterday about how I think it is extremely hard to project what type of pro a player will be and I am sticking to that.  I said that I would “analyze” the pick, and I will, but not from the standpoint of telling you whether or not I think he will be a great pro.  I have been reading quite a bit on last night’s draft.  I’ve read everything from newspapers, national sites, blogs, you name it, I’ve read it.  The majority of what I have read is positive on the Sixers pick of Holiday.  The word is that Holiday slipped to the 17^th pick due to some teams being a bit concerned with a shoulder injury.  Like I said yesterday, I think most of what people say about players before the draft and after the draft is a bit recycled.  No one really knows who will be good and who won’t.  That is why I won’t predict anything in regards to Holiday.  People use terms like “upside” and “potential” when they discuss the NBA draft.  Well, damn, I would hope every player has both of those things!  Why else would they be in the NBA draft?  Everyone seems to just regurgitate what they read and hear someone else say because it sounds good.  But, no one really knows.

What I will analyze is pretty simple.  Did the Sixers make a good pick based on how the draft played out?  Not, will Jrue Holiday be a great point guard? I think Holiday is a good player.  Up until recently, I was a resident of Los Angeles and saw him first hand.  I suspect a lot of the Sixers fans throwing out their opinions may have seen him 5 times on TV.  Holiday is big and strong for a guard, but he did not play much point at UCLA.  I won’t do a whole scouting report because the reality is you have probably already seen a million and they all say the same things.  Does Holiday have potential?  Of course!  He has the potential to be good and he has the potential to be out of the NBA in 5 years, just like every other player drafted last night.  So, once again, was it a good pick?  Well, I am not against the pick whatsoever, especially since the Sixers desperately needed a guard.  If I was doing one of those posts where I hand out grades on each pick, I would probably land in the middle with the Sixers.  What is my reason?

It’s actually simple.  I have stated over and over that the draft is a crapshoot.  So much so that you may have stopped reading by now because you think I’m an ass.  But, if it truly is a crapshoot, then the best any GM can do is project so I don’t blame anyone for doing that.  Still, if you are going to project, shouldn’t you go with facts?  The fact is, no matter what anybody says or what Holiday tells you about being out of position in college, he wasn’t a point guard.  Don’t get me wrong, Holliday was drafted as a point guard and that will be his position in the NBA, but there were 2 highly rated point guards on the board when the Sixers were on the clock: Eric Maynor and Ty Lawson.  Regardless of what happens with Andre Miller, the Sixers need a point guard, plain and simple. I trust that the Sixers know a lot more about all of this than I do, so that is why I am not saying they were wrong.  All I am saying is that Lawson and Maynor have been point guards since Prohibition.  On the flip side, when draft “experts” use the term “value” when discussing the draft, the Sixers definitely score high there.  Anytime you get a kid who was as highly rated out of high school as Holiday, and played at UCLA for just one year, with the 17^th pick, you have succeeded in the value department. 

I guess all I’m really saying is I probably would have gone in a different direction, but I’m not an NBA GM.  Although, based on a lot of picks last night and over the years, that’s a good thing.  Holiday could turn out to be a great pick, or he might not.  But, I think we all need to actually see the kid play a few NBA games before we anoint him the Sixers point guard for the next 10 years.  If that’s what he turns out to be, then I will be as happy as anyone, and I will applaud Ed Stefanski.

It’s that time of year again!  That’s right, the 2009 NBA draft takes place tonight, with the Sixers currently holding the 17^th pick.  There have already been a number of trades involving draft picks, as well as a mega trade that will now pair Shaq with LeBron.  So, who will the Sixers take with the 17^th pick?  No one has a clue, and if you say you do, well then you’re either lying or your name is Ed Stefanski.  I have never been a fan of the over coverage of the NFL and NBA drafts.  It just serves to fill up TV and radio time, because the reality is, no one really knows what teams will do, and no one really knows how a player will pan out as a professional, especially in the NBA. 

There are only 2 rounds in the NBA draft, and quite a few of the players drafted never get a sniff of the NBA game for a few years if at all.  Yet, every blogger, sportswriter, radio personality, and TV analyst puts their 2 cents in on evaluating, projecting, and guessing.  I am not going to do any of that.  I can honestly say that I know the game of basketball more than most people, but there are hundreds of cases of players I thought would be good and they weren’t and vice versa.  Just look at how poorly so many general managers have drafted around the league.  There may be a few can’t misses, although even those are never sure things.  I mean, hell, Bill Simmons has a column he has written a few times entitled “The Atrocious GM Summit” to honor how stupid many of the picks/trades that NBA GM’s make are.  No one knows what will happen in tonight’s draft, and no one truly knows which players will be all stars and which will be flops.  Most of the players have talent, although it can be argued that many do not have NBA level talent, but it is impossible to determine how a player will react once he is thrust into the NBA world and the NBA game.  With, the Sixers picking at #17, it becomes even more of a crapshoot as to whether or not the player they draft will ever be a successful NBA player.  Do I need to run through the list of Sixers draft picks that were much higher than #17?  I didn’t think so.

There seems to a common question that is posed when discussing the draft.  Do you draft the best player available or draft at a position of need no matter what the value of the pick is?  Well, this year, it seems the only thing that we know with relative certain is that the Sixers will be drafting a guard.  Unless, of course, we are surprised by a big trade, but my guess is that won’t happen.  Ed Stefanski has pretty much told everyone that the Sixers aren’t looking at big men.  NBA GM’s certainly don’t like everyone knowing their strategy, but I think in this case we can trust the words.  What we don’t know is which guard the Sixers will draft.  Will it be Ty Lawson?  Eric Maynor?  Brandon Jennings?  Jeff Teague?  Wayne Ellington?  No one knows.  I “like” all of thos players, but that really means nothing at this point.  Sure, I will analyze the pick after the draft, but again, no one knows.  It seems that one of the trades (the trade of Acie Law to Golden State for Jamal Crawford) may have helped the Sixers because the Warriors are now reportedly no longer interested in drafting a guard.  Either way, we will know later tonight what the Sixers thought process is, and after that we can only hope that they made the right choice. 

UPDATE: It’’s official: http://www.nba.com/raptors/news/evanspr_060909.html 

The Philadelphia 76ers have reportedly landed three-point sharpshooter Jason Kapono from the Toronto Raptors in exchange for Reggie Evans.  Andre Iguodala hinted at the deal on Twitter less than an hour ago and the Globe and Mail out of Toronto is now reporting it as well. 

As Brian over at Depressed Fan notes, the deal works from a financial standpoint and certainly fills the gaping hole the Sixers have for a long-range sniper.  Jason Kapono is a Kyle Korver type player but with a more consistent shot.  He has made a living knocking down shots from the perimeter and would be a very solid addition to the Sixers roster.

If this rumor turns out to hold water, Ed Stefanski is done an excellent job at addressing the biggest weakness on this roster.  Having Kapono on the floor will do more than add a three-point threat to the team.  It will open up the floor and provide room for Elton Brand on the block and for slashers like Thaddeus Young and Iguodala to get to the rim.

Good move for the Sixers.  I will let you know as soon as I see an official announcement.

As you probably already know my brother and I were able to take part in a conference call this morning with new Sixers head coach Eddie Jordan.  Chris did a great job summing up the call, and there are also some great summaries and observations on the other blogs that took part.  I will say that I think it is pretty clear, at least at this point, that Jordan is not looking at Sammy Dalembert in a favorable light, nor should he.  I was a little shocked when he essentially referred to Dalembert as selfish.  Like I said, both my brother and the other bloggers have already pretty much given all the insight into what was said this morning, so there is really no need for me to beat that one into the ground.  My interpretations are very similar to the rest of the guys on the call.  One thing I did want to say was that, going into the call I was not the biggest Eddie Jordan supporter.  I certainly wasn’t upset that he was hired, but he wasn’t my first choice.  I came away from the conference call feeling much better about Jordan.  Now, that doesn’t mean that he will succeed, but what I liked about him was that he has a clear plan and a strong belief in his plan.  He even did a little selling to us when he reminded us that the 2 trios (Hughes, Arenas, and Jamison, and Butler, Arenas, and Jamison) he coached in Washington were the highest scoring in the league.  My hope is that he and Stefanski work together to build a roster that fits Jordan’s philosophy.  It should be an interesting summer ahead for the Sixers.  I also wanted to post the full transcript for people to read for themselves and make their own conclusions.  Thanks go to Jeff from Philadunkia.com for the transcript. 

Brian Depressed Fan – When it comes right down to it, who gets the playing time: a weak defender who fits the offensive system or a strong defender who does not? What is the priority?
Eddie Jordan – There has to be a balance. If you have skill to score the basketball, you”re going to play. I mean, you can”t win 0-0. If you have a weaker defender, you play team defense to cover for him. At the same time, if you have four strong offensive players, then you can carry one defender, sometimes two. I think championship teams start with a solid, veteran front line.
Ricky Sixers 4 Guidos – Do you see Lou Williams in the combo guard role he’’s played in the past, or could he slide in as a starting point?
Eddie Jordan – In this offense, you really play two combo guards at all times. In training camp, we”ll see how Lou handles it. But yes, I see Lou as a combo guard.
Derek RealGM - Can Iguodala play the two?
Eddie Jordan – Yes. I think he can flow from the two to the three. I like to think he’’s a three-man first. It depends on the roster, if Smith or Speights can earn time, then he’’s at the two. I played Jared Jeffries at the two on a team that went to the second round of the playoffs. I will use him at the two if one of those big men can earn the time.
Dannie ReclinerGM – How will Samuel Dalembert fit into the offense next year?

Eddie Jordan – Just like everyone else Samuel has to buy into being an unselfish player that cares about his teammates. That has been a knock on him, he has to get past the selfish up and down mentality of playing in the NBA. I’d like to see him care about his teammates, the offense can run through him or around him, and he can still be a valuable part of the offense. He has to have an approach that he can be highly competitive and being unselfish teammate and that’s what we’re looking for first.

Ricky Sixers 4 Guidos – The Sixers couldn’t sell out an arena last year, even during the playoffs. Is this because the Sixers just have to win more basketball games or play a fun style of basketball or both?

Eddie Jordan – I don’t know. I really don’t. I haven’t been here long enough to understand why they haven’t filled the arena for playoff games. I think if you have an exciting team and they win than people will come out to see them. That’s been proven throughout the NBA in the history of the NBA. If you win and you’re exciting, and if you have a chance to play for either the Conference championship or NBA championship, than they will come and fill the arena. So outside of that I don’t have a problem.

Brian Depressed Fan – During your time in Washington it seemed as if once you had your full arsenal of players with Gilbert Arenas, Caron Butler, and Antawn Jamison you were one of the fastest teams in the NBA and had close to the most possessions per game. Than when you were hit by injuries in 2007-08 that pace slowed considerably and that was how you competed with a depleted roster. What do you foresee for the Sixers this year, do you see them as a top 10 team in possessions per game?

Eddie Jordan – I think we’re going to be a high possession team. Two reasons: number one we have terrific athletes. I think Andre Iguodala can run, I think Thaddeus Young is a runner, Samuel at the center position can be a runner if he puts his mind to it, Willie Green can get up the floor, Jason Smith was very athletic before he got hurt and that’s number one. Number two, this team has shown they can generate points on the defensive end. They can create turnovers and they get out and run. We should continue to defend well, rebound well, turn people over, get out and get earlier baskets and if not than get into the offense. I think part of this team matches Washington. Gilbert Arenas was a really quick shooter off the break and in the offense, Antawn Jamison at the forward position was a catch and shoot guy in the early offense, so I don’t see those type of players here and when we were hit by injuries especially Gilbert we had to slow it down because our backup guards weren’t fast enough (DeShawn Stevenson and Antonio Daniels) so we slowed the game up a little bit. I really envision our 76ers being a high possession team.

Chris Heard in the Cheapseats – One of the primary weaknesses of this team last year was defending the perimeter and I’m curious what is your philosophy is on the defensive end of the floor particularly around defending the three point shot?

Eddie Jordan – Well you emphasize containing the defense, you emphasize containing the dribble. One of the first things you work on, and work on very often throughout the season is one-on-one containment. If you can defend the first dribble, then you’ve done 80 percent of your job on the perimeter. If you get deep on the first dribble than it’s hard for help to come. If you can stay in front of your man on the first dribble than that’s how you can stop the draw and kicks and you don’t have to help so much. When you help you leave somebody to help and there’s a shooter left open or the next guy passes to the next guy. So that’s number one, you have to defend the first dribble and defend the dribble on the perimeter. How do you do that? First of all you’d like to have guys who are defenders first, you have to have athletes. You have to be able to move your feet, stay in front of the dribble, change direction, and sometimes get up on somebody to make it hard for them to even put the ball on the floor. That’s how you can number one stop the three, two if there is help you have to keep coming in the rotation and that’s a term we use throughout the season. Don’t stop your defensive rotation, if they draw and kick and one guy flies at him another guy must come and another guy must come so keep coming and you have to run people off the three. You have to rebound the ball and not give a guy a second chance because you see a lot of games where there’s an offensive rebound and a kick out for a three. Those are daggers as we like to call them. So again stay in front of the dribble, keep coming in your rotation if there’s a breakdown, and you have to rebound the ball so there won’t be a kick out for a three.

Ricky Sixers 4 Guidos – In terms of veterans inside the locker room, Andre Miller might not be back as well as Theo Ratliff and Donyell Marshall. Do you think the team will need a couple of veterans to keep the locker room united and also to play on the floor or are you find with 25 year olds running the show?

Eddie Jordan – I think that’s a good question, that’s a good point. You always like to have solid veterans in the locker room to keep everything professional, to keep a work ethic, to keep a focus, to keep a serious mindset of going to practice everyday, and that’s very important. Antawn Jamison and Caron Butler were great leaders in our locker room in Washington. You like to have responsible veterans to be there and keep our young guys focused. It is a relatively young team, but I do think our young guys are very serious and they have great work ethic. I’m talking about Thaddeus Young and even Andre Iguodala is still very young and has great work ethic and a serious mindset. That is a big part in the NBA.

Dannie ReclinerGM – How would you address the roster the way it is in terms of strengths and weaknesses?

Eddie Jordan – I haven’t had much time to talk about personnel with our front office. I just got the job on Friday and we’re looking at the draft and working guys out tomorrow. We’ve already addressed some issues with the team: three point shooting, point guard if Andre doesn’t come back, and probably another big man that can defend in the paint. Right now I think the playoff experience that this young core group has had is very important they’ve got to the first round two years in a row. Number two this team competes. They’re undersized but they compete. I think that’s partly due to one of the best players being defensive minded: Andre Iguodala. If one of your best players defends than everyone else follows. It’s a young team it’s a team that’s got some talent and some young players that haven’t played a whole lot like Jason Smith. Plus Elton was out all year and he’s been a continuous all-star. So I like the fact that they compete and they’ve got two guys coming back from injury that didn’t compete last year.

Brian Depressed Fan – Will there be a full-time shooting coach on staff?

Eddie Jordan – Yes it is something we’re looking into. We hope there will be.

Brian Depressed Fan – Coaching against the Sixers you were 7-11 against them and I was wondering as an opposing coach what is the look on the Sixers. What are you trying to shut-down what are you trying to exploit? As the Sixers coach what are you going to do to try to improve those areas?

Eddie Jordan – Number one when you’re going against the Sixers you want to prepare to not turn the ball over. They’re a very fast team and if you turn the ball over against the Sixers than they can get out on the fast break on you and score on the open floor. So number one, limit your turnovers. Number two you can’t allow them to get offensive rebounds. Samuel Dalembert and Andre Iguodala can both hit the glass and they both pose problems on the offensive glass. I also think that the bench with Lou Williams coming off and Willie Green was coming off the bench at one time, I think the bench had a lot of risk takers but they turned you over. You’d have to keep the energy off their bench. Now as far as us as a team when I’m coaching them I think you have to be a lot more organized and a lot more often in the offense. I think that’s a big key for us this year

Philadunkia – The shooting guard position has kind of been a pressing issue during the off-season so far. I saw that you have Toney Douglas of Florida State, Stefon Jackson from UTEP, Jodie Meeks from Kentucky, and Terrance Williams from Louisville coming in tomorrow to workout who are all shooting guards. Is this definitely a need position that you’re looking into in the off-season?

Eddie Jordan – Yes it is a very big issue that we’re addressing that we need better three point shooting whether it’s from our forward or from our guard spots. Both positions have to improve and the coach and the coaching staff has looked at improving through development. Now that’s not always going to be the end all, we need to acquire better shooters. Our job is to continue to work with our players and see if Willie Green can be a better three point shooter, if Andre Iguodala can be a better three point shooter, if Lou Williams can be a better three point shooter. I had DeShawn Stevenson the last two years and he improved to be a 40 percent shooter last year from the three point line. So its how much work can our current players put in and how much work our players are willing to put in with our coaches to improve and get better. Than its up to our front office to see if we can make transactions where we can acquire, without losing our core guys, some shooters.

Anthony Heard in the Cheapseats – The coaches last season tried to fit Elton Brand into a certain system and than obviously got hurt. So how do you see Elton Brand fitting into what you want to do, especially offensively? Also do you believe as a coach it’s better to fit a player into your system or kind of tweak the system to better utilize the skill-sets that certain players have?

Eddie Jordan – Number one Elton will be moved around in the offense, he’ll be facing the basket from the logo area, he’ll be facing the basket from the elbow, he’ll be posting up on the box. He’ll even look at the basket from the top of the key or between the top of the key the free throw area, he’ll play a lot of two man games off the elbow like Kobe and Lamar Odom would do or Kobe and Gasol would do, hopefully he can get out and run, than we’ll do some pick and rolls with forwards and guards and Elton likes to pick and than pop so all those options are available for Elton in this offense. Number two, I think that Elton is a guy who has to defend the post, but again a lot of these things will work out in training camp. Good coaches develop players and fit a system with their players. Whether it’s the triangle, whether it’s the UCLA offense that Jerry Sloan has been using for 20 some odd years, we fit the offense to our best players and that’s what good coaches do. Gilbert Arenas, Antawn Jamison, and Caron Butler were the highest scoring trio in the NBA in the system and before that Gilbert Arenas, Larry Hughes, and Antawn Jamison were the highest scoring trio in the NBA and that’s because we tilted the system to fit our best players.

Ricky Sixers 4 Guidos – Is there any chance that Thaddeus Young could evolve into an Antawn Jamison type power forward?

Eddie Jordan – I think he could because Antawn was an interior player to start and even when I talked to coach Dean Smith he said that he saw Antawn had been taking a lot of threes and he never thought that he would evolve into that type of player but its effective and I said yes coach he’s worked on it and he’s been an unorthodox player since he’s started with scoring in the paint and he moved out to the three. I think Thaddeus being left handed could pose some problems of first being an interior player and we’re going to see if he can move out and improve his mid-range jump shot and see if he can make a high percentage of his three point shots.

The fine folks in the PR department over at the Philadelphia 76ers were kind enough to arrange a call for some of the Philadelphia sports bloggers to speak with new Sixers head coach Eddie Jordan.  So first off, thanks to both the Sixers and Coach Jordan for taking the time to chat with us today—much appreciated. 

Able to jump on the line for the call was Brian from Depressed Fan, Derek from RealGM and Philly Arena, Dannie from ReclinerGM, Ricky from Sixers 4 Guidos, Jeff from Philadunkia and my brother and I. 

As you can imagine, the line of questioning ran the gamut from the Princeton offense, to defensive philosophy, to what to do with Samuel Dalembert.  I will do my best to summarize here Coach Jordan’s answers in all departments and my take on those answers. 

On what to do with Samuel Dalembert:

It is clear to most observers that Samuel Dalembert is a colossal mismatch for the Princeton offense due to his limited offensive skill set in a scheme that demands versatility.  Though, it could be easily argued that Dalembert is ill suited for most any NBA offense other than one intent on throwing lob passes his way all game long.

Of course, Coach Jordan took a diplomatic approach when asked how Dalembert fits into the Princeton offense.  Jordan highlighted that Dalembert is an elite shotblocker that rebounds the ball well and can run the floor.  No arguments from me on that point.  But what was probably most telling was Coach Jordan’s take on Dalembert’s commitment to his teammates and his work ethic.  Jordan said: “He has to buy into being an unselfish player who cares about his teammates. That’’s always been the knock on him. If he can play unselfish basketball, and stop all the up and down stuff, the offense can either run through him, or around him, but he has to buy in.”

In my opinion, that is about as close to a public tongue lashing as you will see a coach give one of his players.  And personally, I like the approach.  Jordan is sending a clear message to Dalembert and any other player paying attention—the Sixers will play a team brand of basketball and if you can’t buy into the philosophy you will find yourself sitting at the end of the bench.

On the defensive philosophy:

Eddie Jordan is widely considered to be an offensive-minded coach.  Because of that, I was keen to hear what his philosophy was on the defensive end of the floor.  Essentially, Coach Jordan emphasized that a championship-quality team starts at the defensive end of the floor and must have a frontcourt capable of defending the basket.  When pressed on the weak perimeter defense of last year, Jordan stressed that the Sixers need to do a better job of containing the dribble penetration and rotate to the basketball better.

There is no doubt that the Sixers have the athletes needed to be a quality defensive team.  The question is: can coach Jordan motivate them to up their level of play?

On offensive philosophy:

There were no huge surprises on the offensive philosophy.  Coach Jordan said he firmly believes that any good coach adapts his system to the skill set of his players.  For this team, he acknowledged that meant a handful of players that essentially have the same skill set and lack a true outside threat.  Because of that, Coach Jordan said that each one of the players will be asked to be a chameleon and occupy different spots on the floor.  Andre Iguodala and Lou Williams will both be used as combo guards and Elton Brand will be moved around the floor in a variety of ways.

Most interestingly, Coach Jordan indicated that the Princeton offense thrives off of combo guards.  Does that mean a pure point guard like Andre Miller has no use for this team?  I think so.  Even more telling on this front is Jordan’s candid acknowledgement that players that can knock down the three are a huge priority.  It seems likely that Sixers will be shopping for a long-range threat at the expense of bringing back Andre Miller.   

My overall first impression of Coach Jordan was positive.  He did not shy away from questions and answered them candidly and in a matter of fact manner.  It is clear that he has a system in place and a plan in mind for this roster.  He is painfully aware of this roster has holes and admits it is a work in progress.

Will his plan work?  That remains to be seen.

The first and biggest question of the Sixers offseason has been answered with the hiring of Eddie Jordan as their new head coach.  I wrote previously that Jordan was not my top choice, but that I wouldn’t be upset if he was hired.  I will say that the hiring of Jordan is not one that will inspire Sixers fans to get excited about the prospects of next season.  That doesn’t matter at this point, because Ed Stefanski has made his decision.  The Stefanski era has now officially begun with the hiring of Jordan.  Now, the clock starts ticking.

What does Jordan bring to the table?  Well, he has experience in this league for one thing.  But, according to Stefanski, what he really likes in Jordan is his motion offense.  It is a version of what everyone likes to call the Princeton offense.  Now, I spent 2 years in my early teens at Princeton basketball (with Donyell Marshall as one of my counselors actually), and every team was taught the Princeton offense.  It is predicated on movement without the ball, communication, backdoor cuts, screens, quick decisions, and crisp passing.  I am not going to say that this offense can’t work with the Sixers.  If it was the true Princeton offense, I might say that, but Jordan’s version is an NBA friendly one.  Still, the offense dies require some basketball intelligence to run it effectively.  That is what worries me.  When I watch the Sixers play, one of my biggest frustrations is the lack of discipline.  The Sixers make quite a few terrible basketball decisions throughout the course of each game.  Now, the reality is, the NBA is filled with athletic talent and bad decision making, so the Sixers aren’t alone.  Jordan’s offense can work, but I am definitely skeptical.

I was not of the opinion that offense was the Sixers biggest problem.  Sure, they need a shooter or two, we all know that, but that is a roster problem.  If the Sixers can find a way to utilize the abilities of Brand properly, I think they can be an above average offensive team.  My preference was for the Sixers to focus on defense.  Yeah, alley-oops can be exciting, but they don’t win games.  Like Cole Hauser said in “The Break-Up”, “Jokes might make you feel better, but they don’t get you fed.”  Maybe that’s a weird reference, but what I mean is that the Sixers can set all the back screens they want, but if they don’t learn how to play defense, it won’t make a difference.

The first question has been answered and many still remain for the Sixers.  We will be looking at those questions as the offseason progresses, but no matter what the answers are, Ed Stefanski has hired his man.  So, now both Jordan and Stefanski will sink or swim together.

I guess I have been pretty slow on getting this post up, but then again, I am following the same deliberate pace that Ed Stefanski is in the search for the new Sixers coach.  I have stated before that the hiring of the next head coach is vital to the growth of the organization.  The Sixers simply cannot afford to screw this one up again.  We have seen that Stefanski has absolutely no problem making decisions, so the fact that his search will probably take a little while is a clear indicator that he fully realizes the importance of getting this one right.  It’s been interesting so far, and will likely continue to be before the process is all said and done.  What I wanted to do here is simple:  I will never pretend to be a reporter, so I have no inside information, but I wanted to take a look at who the Sixers have already interviewed or are at least rumored to be interested in and give you my personal opinion based rankings on whether or not they would be a good fit for the team.  My rankings are from 1-10, 10 meaning I would love to see them on the sidelines and 1 meaning I might put my head thru a wall if he is hired.  At the end, I will tell you who I think will end up being hired regardless of my rankings.

JAY WRIGHT

Resume: Obviously, most people around the Philly area have become very familiar with Wright.  Wright has been a head coach in Division one basketball for 15 seasons (7 with Hofstra and 8 with Villanova), and taken his teams to 7 NCAA tournaments.  He just made his first appearance in the Final Four this past season with Villanova.  His career head coaching record is 300-175.

News: Wright did the polite thing and accepted an interview with Stefanski and then notified the Sixers he was not interested in the position. 

My thoughts: It is a good sign for Wright that his name is already at least being discussed in some NBA circles.  I highly doubt Stefanski was serious about hiring Wright, however.  I have always felt that Wright has the type of personality that could work with NBA players, but the reality is he has no track record.  That isn’t what the Sixers need right now.  In 5 years, I may feel differently about Jay Wright and the Sixers, but if they had hired him this season I may not have put my head thru a wall, but I might have come close.

Ranking: 2

CHRIS FORD

Resume: Ford played 10 seasons in the NBA and won a title as a player with the Celtics.  He has been an NBA head coach for 8 full seasons and parts of 2 other seasons for four different teams (Celtics, Bucks, Clippers, and Sixers).  He led the Celtics to the playoffs in four out of 5 seasons that he was the head coach.  Ford has compiled a record of 323-376 in the regular season and 13-16 in the playoffs.  He has been an NBA assistant for both the Sixers and Celtics and is currently a scout for the Sixers.

News: We haven’t really heard much other than that he did interview for the position.

My thoughts: Well, I have never been a big fan of Chris Ford.  He was the Sixers interim coach and we all remember how great he got along with Allen Iverson.  Ford has been a part of the Sixers organization for awhile and knows the players, but at this juncture they need to go in a different direction.  I don’t want any recycling of past Sixers coaches, unless it’s Billy Cunningham or Larry Brown.  If he is hired, which is doubtful, the Sixers will almost certainly be looking for yet another head coach next season.  Another one that would be close to my precious dome crashing thru drywall.

Ranking: 1.5

DWANE CASEY

Resume: Casey played ball at Kentucky and then served as an assistant coach for 5 years under Clem Haskins at Western Kentucky and 5 years under Eddie Sutton at Kentucky.  He then spent 5 years as a head coach in Japan and would later coach the national team for Japan.  Casey spent 11 seasons as an assistant for the Sonics under George Karl and Nate McMillan.  He was the head coach of the Timberwolves for a season and a half before being fired in 2007 with a record of 53-69.  He is currently an assistant for the Dallas Mavericks.

News: We know that Casey has now had two interviews for the job.  To my knowledge he is the only confirmed candidate that has been given a second interview.

My thoughts: First of all, I don’t think too much can be taken from Casey’s record as an NBA head coach.  He was coaching a bad Minnesota team that had absolutely no stability anywhere in the organization.  On the positive side, he comes from a pretty impressive basketball background.  But, to be honest, so do a lot of coaches, so that doesn’t mean crap to me.  I don’t know a ton about Casey, so I am not going to sit here and say he would be a terrible coach.  But, as I keep saying, the Sixers don’t need a question mark coach.  What I mean is, I don’t want to see a guy come in that has no successful track record.  I don’t like hearing the fact Casey interviewed twice, but I don’t know if that means he is the frontrunner.  I am hoping he isn’t.

Ranking: 5

KURT RAMBIS

Resume: Most people remember Rambis for his playing days in the NBA.  He played 14 NBA season, most of which were in a Lakers uniform and has 4 rings to show for his efforts.  He has been an assistant to Phil Jackson, and briefly was the Lakers head coach during the lockout year.  He had a record of 24-13 and took the Lakers to the conference semifinals.  He also worked in the front office for the Lakers and is currently back on the bench as an assistant to Phil Jackson.

News: We now know that Rambis has been informed he is out of the running for Sixers head coach.

My thoughts: I am sure playing for Pat Riley and coaching under Phil Jackson has served Rambis well.  He may end up being a very good NBA coach some day, but I am glad that he was taken off the list by the Sixers because I would have hurt my head badly if he was hired.  For some reason, and I can’t exactly pinpoint it, I just didn’t want Rambis to be the next head coach.

Ranking: 1

EDDIE JORDAN

Resume: Eddie Jordan played for seven years in the NBA and won a championship with the Lakers in 1982.  He was an assistant coach for 5 years in Sacramento and then was promoted to head coach for a little more than a season.  He was unsuccessful in Sacramento, and then went to New Jersey as an assistant for 4 years on some very successful Nets teams.  Jordan then coached the Wizards for just over 5 seasons, and led them to 4 straight playoff appearances.  He has a regular season coaching record of 230-288 and a playoff record of 8-18.

News: A lot of people figured Jordan would be the guy when this whole process started.  We know he has spoken to Stefanski, but there is no news other than that.  He has also interviewed for the Sacramento Kings vacant head coaching position.

My thoughts: Jordan has a relationship with Stefanski from when they worked together in New Jersey.  I think Stefanski is comfortable with Eddie Jordan.  I personally don’t put a ton of blame on some of the failures of the Wizards.  I think he got more out of that team than most would have.  They dealt with a ton of injuries, and coaching Gilbert Arenas must be an absolute anxiety attack.  Jordan has had some success in the league both as a player and a head coach, which is what I want out of the next coach.  He isn’t my favorite candidate, but I wouldn’t be upset if he was the choice.

Ranking: 6.5

TOM THIBODEAU

Resume: Thibodeau has been an NBA assistant for 19 years, most notably for the Knicks, Rockets, and Celtics.  He is known as a defensive guru, and has been Jeff Van Gundy’s right hand man for both New York and Houston.  He helped turn last year’s NBA champion Celtics into the best defensive team in the league.

News: We know that Thibodeau interviewed for the job last week.

My Thoughts: Thibodeau served as an assistant to John Lucas in Philly in the mid nineties.  But, that has nothing to do with anything, just thought you might want to know.  I actually really like Thibodeau…as an assistant.  A lot of people are in love with Thibodeau because of his proven success as a defensive genius.  The Sixers are in desperate need of defensive improvements.  It seems to be a perfect fit, right?  I say wrong.  Some coaches are better served as assistants than head coaches.  Now, I am not saying that Thibodeau automatically fits into that category, but once again, I don’t think this is the time for the Sixers to give a guy his first crack at being an NBA head coach.  I am all for forward thinking, but I am just not into the idea of giving a guy hus first chance, no matter how much he amazes in his interviews.  There are plenty of cases on both sides of this argument, so I’ll admit that if Stefanski goes with Thibodeau I will understand. 

Ranking: 5

AVERY JOHNSON

Resume: Johnson played 16 seasons in the NBA, most notably for the Spurs, winning a title in 1999.  He was an assistant under Don Nelson briefly and then became head coach of the Dallas Mavericks.  He was very successful during the regular season with the Mavs, compiling a 194-70 record.  He had a record of 23-24 in the playoffs, including a trip to the NBA Finals in 2006, but 2 first round playoff exits following that season cost him his job.

News: Johnson has not interviewed for the position.  It was rumored that the Sixers might be interested, but word is that Avery Johnson doesn’t want to be involved in a huge coaching search.

My Thoughts: Avery Johnson has proven he can coach.  He has also proven that I can’t stand the sound of his voice.  It doesn’t look like he will be part of the process anyway, but he definitely had some clear ideas of what he would do with this Sixers team in an interview on ESPN Radio.  I can’t say that I disagreed with any of his thoughts on the Sixers.  The guy knows his stuff, but I doubt he will be in the fold.  I think he would do a very good job, but he is the type of coach who needs to be in complete control, and I don’t know if that would mesh with Stefanski.

Ranking: 7.5

DOUG COLLINS

Resume: Collins was a four time NBA All Star, is a former Sixer, and a former number one overall draft pick.  He has been the head coach of 3 different NBA teams (Bulls, Pistons, and Wizards).  Collins coached Michael Jordan in his younger years. He took  teams to the playoffs in 5 out of 8 seasons and has a regular season record of 332-297 and playoff record of 15-23.

News: First Collins said that the Sixers contacted him, then he retracted his statement a couple weeks ago.  Well, now it looks like the Sixers are, in fact, interested in talking to Collins.

My Thoughts: I like Doug Collins, I will admit.  I think he knows more about the game of basketball than most people on this planet.  He has been around the NBA for over 30 years and has had a little nit of coaching success.  The problem is, I never felt that he quite connected with his players.  I have no basis of proof, it was always just a feeling I had.  I think this version of the Sixers team might tune Collins out.  Again, it’s just a gut feeling I have.  I’d prefer to listen to him break down games on TNT.

Ranking: 5

JEFF VAN GUNDY

Resume: Van Gundy started out as an assistant for Providence and Rutgers before heading to the NBA.  He served as an assistant coach for the Knicks for over 6 very successful seasons.  Van Gundy has been a head coach for all or part of 11 NBA seasons for the Knicks and Rockets.  His teams reached the playoffs in all but one season that he spent the entire year on the bench.  He has a record of 430-318 in the regular season, and 44-44 in the playoffs.  He took the Knicks to the NBA Finals in 1999.

News: Van Gundy has yet to interview for the job, but it has been reported that the Sixers are interested in talking to him.

My Thoughts: Ok, here is where I will let the secret out.  Van Gundy would be my choice for the next Sixers head coach.  I realize that his teams in Houston lost in the first round every year, but when you have Tracy McGrady on your team that is what happens.  In fact, I will unveil my master plan: Hire Van Gundy and then he reunites with Thibodeau and then everybody wins,  Van Gundy has had a nice little break from coaching and seems ready to get back into the game.  Of any of the candidates, he is the most successful and that is what I want.  He has proven that he can get teams to win.  Even better, once Van Gundy burns out, we can then transition Thibodeau in and he will be familiar with the team!  Ahhh…my plan is perfect!  I believe Van Gundy is the type of coach that can demand and get the most out of this Sixers team.  They need someone who won”t put up with laziness and has a more demanding personality than Cheeks or DiLeo.

Ranking: 10

I just wanted to make sure everyone understands that my rankings are simply what I think of each coach and not what I think the Sixers feel about them.  So, you now know what I would like to see happen.  But, who do I think will be the next head coach of the Sixers.  It’s just a hunch, but, ladies and gentlemen meet your new Sixers head coach: Tom Thibodeau!  It all remains to be seen.

Before I get into this post, I just want to apologize for not writing anything for a week.  Both my brother and I have been all over the place and I have not been in front of my computer at all.  I will try not to let it happen again.  The good news is that my writing should be vastly improved, as I have been on a steady diet of performance enhancing drugs.

It seems like months ago that the Sixers were ousted from the playoffs by the Orlando Magic.  There are many questions that need to be addressed this offseason.  One of those questions was partially answered earlier today.  The question:  Who will be the Sixers head coach next season?  The answer:  Not Tony DiLeo.  Ed Stefanski met with DiLeo earlier today and Dileo informed him that he was withdrawing his name from consideration for the head coaching position.  Dileo will return to the front office.

I can’t say that I am surprised at all.  I don’t think that DiLeo would have retained the job anyway.  In fact, if you enjoy conspiracy theories, I wouldn’t be surprised if Stefanski informed DiLeo at their meeting that he was not in consideration, and the two agreed to report that DiLeo had withdrawn because of all he has done for the organization.  I think DiLeo did an admirable job considering the circumstances.  The reality is, he is not an NBA head coach, at least not in my opinion.  There were times that the team looked like it was responding to DiLeo, and other times they did not.  With the way the season ended, and many of the players speaking in not so glowing terms about the coaching staff, the writing was on the wall for a new regime.  So, who will coach the Sixers next season?

I have no idea, but I am of the belief that this is the most important offseason the team has had in years.  During the years that Billy King was handing out terrible contracts like candy on Halloween, the Sixers were able to have some good years because Allen Iverson carried them.  The Sixers are trying to get back to the land of NBA contenders, and the job of getting them there has been given to Ed Stefanski.    Since Larry Brown left in 2003, the Sixers have had 5 coaches, and are looking for their sixth.  You won’t find upper echelon NBA teams with that kind of instability.  Honestly, that’s ridiculous.  The next coach has to be a coach that is here to build a winner.  That’s why this offseason is so important.  There are so many questions regarding the roster, but none of them matter until we know who will be charged with trying to mold the Sixers into contenders.  For Stefanski, this will be one of those pass/fail situations.  There is no middle ground because that’s where the Sixers are currently stuck.  Whoever Stefanski hires has a tough job ahead of them.  That is why I feel the Sixers need a tough minded, demanding coach with some kind of track record.  This hiring cannot be another situation where the Sixers decide a year from now they have the wrong guy.  They simply don’t have that luxury.  The fans are already staying away from the arena, and if this is screwed up, the Wachovia Center will sound like Wimbledon. 

There are quite a few names that are being thrown out, but at this point no one knows what direction Stefanski will go in.  Will it be Eddie Jordan, Doug Collins, Avery Johnson, Jeff Van Gundy, or a name that isn’t on anyone’s radar at the moment?  We will start to hear more rumors as the days go by.  Who do you want as the new Sixers coach?  Can a new coach finally get the Sixers out of mediocrity?

There are so many questions and no answers at this time.  We will be tracking the hiring process as it plays out.  Once the coaching question is answered, we can then examine the many questions facing Ed Stefanski and his new head coach moving forward.  Stay tuned.