Season Preview: Philadelphia 76ers

Dhivy: I’m usually quick to point out a team’s potential, but even I have to admit that the Sixers are going to stink this year. They’ve built their roster around the idea that Andre Iguodala can become a franchise player. And while he contributes in many different areas, I don’t see how he’s any better than Gerald Wallace. His athleticism is freakish and he’s their most exciting player, but he would be better served as a second or third option. Due to the dearth of talent on the roster, AI is going to have to carry this team and I don’t think he’s up to it.

The Sixers boast a second absurd athlete in Rodney Carney. He has developed some range and could be a valuable piece this year. I’m very excited about their first-round pick, 7-footer Jason Smith. He has excellent range and mobility, and his defensive ability will find him minutes. Willie Green and Andre Miller combine to play point guard and though neither is a long-term solution, they are reliable players.

The rest of the roster is more reminiscent of the city of Philadelphia: desolate and depressing. They have over $60 million tied up in Samuel Dalembert and Kyle Korver, neither of whom is a complete player. Thaddeus Young has a world of potential, but is too raw to have an effect this season. The final piece of the puzzle is Shavlik Randolph, which presumes you are looking at a puzzle of unfulfilled promises.

It’s hard to imagine that a team could trade away someone as talented as Allen Iverson and actually upgrade their roster. Fortunately for all you left-brainers out there, you don’t have to. The Sixers gained some draft picks through the trade, but nothing that could make an impact right away. This team will struggle and while they have they have the potential to make Sportscenter’s Top 10 on a nightly basis, they’ll be very fortunate to make the top 10 in the East.

Joe: There was some funny math going on in Philadelphia that severely dealt a blow to my talent always prevails theory. It seemed like after Allen Iverson was shipped out to Denver, a burden was lifted from the collective shoulders of the team. With Andre Igoudala steering the ship the young Sixers team began to fall in line and play to a record of above .500 (29-28). While i don't think this will continue in the new season, I do believe that this team will be able to sneak up on teams that look past them. One player that will definitely fly under some teams radar is Kyle Korver, a deadly shooter and the type of player that could ignite a mini-run with a barrage of three pointers on any given night. His shooting coupled with Igoudala's slashing will be able to lead the Sixers to a respectable record even though they will almost definitely be the bottom feeders in the improved Atlantic Division.

Andre Miller seems to have cut alot of weight this season, seems much lighter on his feet and ready to play the high caliber brand of point guard he played in his days with Cleveland. The starting center Samuel Dalambert provides a key defensive presence although he has the tendency to disappear in some games. The Sixers need him to become more consistent especially so he can cover for the two primary shooting guards, Korver and Willie Green that far too often get beat into the paint by their man. This team is loaded with young wings which kind of explains the seemingly idiotic move of releasing Derek Byars the swingman drafted by Billy King in the 2nd round who showed how good he can be last year during the regular season and most importantly in the regular season. Apparently the organization felt that he would not be able to overtake Rodney Carney, who still hasn't developed an NBA player's frame and Thaddeus Young the exciting first round pick out of Georgia Tech. The only other players of consequence on this team are Louis Williams who will spell Andre Miller, Reggie Evans a hard worker who isn't really that skilled at basketball and Shavlik Randolph, a loser who wasn't even good when he played for Duke in the college ranks.

Quang: entering this season, i have two questions about the philadelphia 76ers. first, after trading away allen iverson, one of the team's most beloved players, is andre iguodala good enough to become its franchise player? and second, since when did it become acceptable to name your team after a year? a year isn't even a thing. it doesn't even contain a single letter. if you were playing pictionary and you picked the card that said "1776" what would you even draw? i'll tell you what i drew: nothing. and now i'm not invited to game night any more. thanks, the year 1776. team names should be menacing, like the philadelphia fire ants, or the philadelphia foot soldiers. or the philadelphia filibusters. even worse, the team isn't even called "the philadelphia 1776ers", they're "the 76ers" or just as commonly, "the sixers". if i told my dad i was going to name my son after him as a way to honor and pay tribute to him, and then started calling my son "sixer" he'd spank me for two hours then send me to my room without desert. and i'm a grown man! if whoever makes these decisions is stubbornly set on keeping this ambiguous reference, then at least try to make it more clear. call the team the philadelphia independents or the philadelphia self-evident truths. or sign benjamin franklin to back up andre miller. this is a problem that needs to be addressed sooner rather than later.

that's of course not to say there aren't other problems the 1776ers need addressed, because this year they are likely going to be one of the worst teams in the league. the only starters written down in pen are andrew miller, iguodala, and samuel dalembert. miller and iguodala are fine starters, though the fact that they're both named andre may raise some concerns about chemistry. dalembert is an adequate starting center and was moderately succesful last year, but he should very rarely ever be the third best player on a team. so by my count, the sixers have two openings in the starting lineup and two million sixers fans with headaches. let's run through their assortment of options. at power forward it looks like reggie evans is going to get first crack even though he's a prototypical back up with one very particular strength. whether it's due to unproductive play or getting busted in a "to catch a predator" sting, i can't imagine he keeps the job all year. the only problem is that the sixers' next options are shavlik randolph, among the most disappointing mcdonald's all americans in recent memory, and jason smith, a rookie with a high motor who will likely learn from the bench. the guard/forward situation is a little less dire. the likely candidates are willie green, rodney carney, and kyle korver. korver is the biggest threat offensively, but mo cheeks seems inclined to play him as a sixth man. willie green doesn't do anything better than average and at this point in his career, carney is an athlete whose main offensive weapon is triple jumping on fast breaks for titanic dunks. unfortunately, even though these are two big question marks, whatever the sixers decide at either position won't likely matter. even if they ran out matthew lesko and the riddler to start alongside miller, iguodala, and dalembert, i don't expect that it would cost them any more than 5 to 10 wins.

the real story of the sixers is not what they can do to contend this year, but what can they do to contend in the future. andre iguodala needs someone to share the load and it is unclear how much longer andre miller can continue playing at a somewhat high level. luckily, as one of the youngest teams in the league, they have several interesting players. i've already mentioned, carney and jason smith who both look to play very prominent roles in the sixers' rebuilding. beyond that, thaddeus young was their 2007 lottery pick and a player i was hoping would fall to the wizards. he's supremely athletic and and could develop into a very nice compliment to iguodala in the future. at guard, the sixers are hopeful louis williams becomes starter material. he's a scorer first and a scorer second, but is too skilled not to contribute in some respect down the road. in summary, the sixers have inklings of talent, but most of it is too young to help them make any noise in the near future. last season, i thought the sixers biggest problem was playing too well after trading iverson and instead of getting a coveted top-5 pick, they selected in the late lottery. hopefully, they've learned from these mistakes and lose so often this year that the lottery rewards the sixers with the top 7 draft picks.

Achilles Heel:

• Shavlik Randolph (d)
• Shavlik Randolph (j)
• Shavlik Randolph (q)

Unsung Hero:

• Jason Smith (d)
• Thaddeus Young (j)
• Louis Williams (q)

Bold Prediction:

• Reggie Evans will impersonate a doctor in an attempt to touch Chris Kaman’s testicles again. His scouting report takes on a new connotation when it says "good ball-handler". (d)
• Larry Brown pushes to become head coach and GM of the team after a bad start. He refuses to play Andre Igudola, Thaddeus Young and Andre Miller, because Reggie Evans and Shavlik Randolph are "Larry Brown guys." (j)
• During a timeout, Mo Cheeks berates Andre Miller and demands to know why he didn't pass to a wide open Kevin Ollie on the play before. "Kevin Ollie's still in the league?!", Andre Miller screams. "Kevin Ollie's still in the league?!", Mo Cheeks screams. "I'm still in the league?!", Kevin Ollie screams. (q)

Favorite Moment:

• Maurice Cheeks helping 13-year-old Natalie Gilbert sing the National Anthem when she forgot the words. (d)
• At a Knicks/ Sixers game attended by me and my brother, We scream out to the court "Nate, don't let Willie Green beat you - hes a bum!" Nate Robinson immediately steals the ball from him and goes in for an easy lay-up. Me and my brother should be coaches. (j)
• The 76ers trading Iverson to the Nuggets for Andre Miller, Joe Smith, and two first round draft picks. The next day, GM Billy King reads the paper and screams, "Joe Smith?! I thought J. Smith was JR Smith! Good Grief." (q)