NBA.com analyst David Aldridge ranked all 30 NBA teams in terms of how successful he thought their offseason was. The defending champion Heat took the top spot thanks to their capture of Ray Allen, but Aldridge has the Sixers at #2.
They were really athletic, but struggled to do much in the halfcourt. So, what did Doug Collins and company do? They doubled down, getting even more athletic, and trusted that Collins would be able to divide minutes and shots. Wright has eight years in the league but is still just 26, with two seasons as a starter at small forward with Golden State under his belt. With Brand amnestied, forward Thaddeus Young will get his best opportunity to capture significant minutes at power forward. He'll still come off the bench behind Spencer Hawes, who Collins said will now start at the four, with Brown playing center. Brown is what Brown is -- a good low-post defender who doesn't need help, but is limited to putbacks and dunks at the offensive end. Allen was very productive against Boston in the playoffs and Collins believes he could be in the league 10 years. Harkless and Moultrie should contribute immediately as more high-energy guys that will get after it at the defensive end, and Young will fire away off the bench in Williams' place.
But what Aldridge really liked is that the Sixers "didn't spend any real money for any of those myriad moves." Meaning they'll have flexibility in the coming years should a major opportunity arise. In the NBA, that's really all you can do if you don't possess one of the 10 or so guys that can be considered superstars. The Sixers are not going to be a contender with their current roster, so they could either go after marginal upgrades like say.. Kris Humphries and tie up their cap, or they could roll with what they have and hope the cap space saved will be useful in the future.
There's no guarantee it will be, but its better than the alternative. Being stuck in the middle.