SB Nation Philly: All Posts by Derek Bodnerhttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/48987/philly-fave.png2012-12-21T08:01:05-05:00https://philly.sbnation.com/authors/derek-bodner/rss2012-12-21T08:01:05-05:002012-12-21T08:01:05-05:0076ers team lacks identity
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<p>While last years Philadelphia 76ers team was inherently flawed, at the end of the day they could fall back on their excellent defense. So far this year, this current incarnation lacks any such identity.</p> <p>Last years <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.libertyballers.com/">76ers</a> team was inherently flawed. Without great creators in the half-court they were far too reliant on settling for long range two point jump shots, setting a near historic futility in getting to the free throw line and struggling to be a consistent offensive team.</p>
<p>However, when the chips were down they could also count on their defense to keep them competitive when their offense struggled. After losing one of the best wing defenders in the game in <span>Andre Iguodala</span> and their best post defender in <span>Elton Brand</span>, the team no longer has that to fall back on.</p>
<p>Last season, the 76ers were 3rd in the league in defensive rating at 99.2. They were 3rd in opponents field goal percentage (42.7%), 6th in opponents three point percentage (33.4%), and gave up the 3rd fewest three pointers made at only 5.4 per game.</p>
<p>Those figures are all down so far this year, and significantly. Their defensive rating has fallen all the way down to 106.4, falling from 3rd best in the league to 20th. They're giving up 7 three pointers made per game at 37.3%, the 6th worst mark in the league. </p>
<p>This has become particularly problematic over the last 4 games without <span>Jrue Holiday</span>, where the 76ers have given up 109.5 points per game on 51% from the field, good for a mind boggling awful 118.7 defensive rating. With Holiday off the court, the 76ers are giving up 108.1 points per 48 minutes, a full 3 points per 48 minutes higher than when he's been on the court.</p>
<p>Still, the defense has struggled even when Holiday has been playing. <span>Evan Turner</span> has taken over from Iguodala as the main man responsible for defending the oppositions best offensive option, and he has struggled to fill those shoes. Turner has struggled defending some of the more physical wings in the league, and he has struggled at times on the pick and roll and on his rotations. </p>
<p>The man Turner is defending is averaging a 16.1 PER, a slightly worse than average mark, but not terrible. This output would be fine if the team had a stud defender at power forward and a center who could help block shots from the weak side, but the 76ers do not have either luxury. </p>
<p>Still, Andre Iguodala was able to hold his man to a 9.2 PER last year with many of the same shortcomings. It's unfair to hold Evan Turner to that same all-league level, but Iguodala's all-world defense was part of what made this otherwise mediocre team over-achieve. The 76ers do not appear to have that ability.</p>
<p>The rest of the 76ers flaws have largely remained the same. Despite the substantial individual steps made by Jrue Holiday and Evan Turner they have the 25th ranked offense in terms of offensive rating. They're the second worst team in the league at getting to the line, saved from repeating as the worst team in the league two years running only by the overhauled <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.orlandopinstripedpost.com/">Orlando Magic</a>. They don't force an appreciably high amount of turnovers (12th in the league), and are a below average offensive rebounding team (21st in offensive rebounding percentage).</p>
<p>Even three point shooting -- an area expected to be substantially improved with the additions of <span>Dorell Wright</span>, <span>Nick Young</span>, and <span>Jason Richardson</span> -- has largely been something the team couldn't rely on. Nick Young and Jason Richardson have been battling minor injuries and Dorell Wright has been incredibly streaky, leading to the 76ers being merely average both in terms of three pointers made and three point percentage.</p>
<p>Obviously, the loss of Andrew Bynum has changed the way this team can play, on both ends of the court. With Bynum, Holiday, and now Turner out, the 76ers are down their best 3 scorers and creators. Guys who were brought in to hit open jump shots aren't getting those open looks. </p>
<p>But, depending on the news the team receives on <span>Andrew Bynum's</span> injury later today, playing without Andrew Bynum may have to be a reality this team has to learn to live with. So far, Doug Collins and the 76ers have little they can hang their hats.</p>
https://philly.sbnation.com/2012/12/21/3790854/76ers-team-lacks-identity-without-andrew-bynumDerek Bodner2012-11-12T08:02:38-05:002012-11-12T08:02:38-05:00Holiday's improvement and how he fits with Bynum
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<p>After a disappointing third season, Jrue Holiday has taken his game to another level through the early portion of the season. Whether he can sustain his level of success, and how he fits in with Andrew Bynum, are major questions for the 76ers going forward.</p> <p>After a disappointing third season that saw Jrue Holiday regress in most statistical categories, the <a href="https://www.libertyballers.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">76ers</a> starting point guard has taken a substantial step forward after signing a 4 year, $41+ million dollar deal on opening night.</p>
<p>Through 6 games this season, Holiday has averaged 18.2 points and 9.5 assists per game, while shooting 44.8% from the field and 43.5% from the three point line, all of which would be career highs.</p>
<p>Using advanced stats, his Player Efficiency Rating has increased to 18.4 (from 14.7 last year), while generating 0.114 Win Shares Per 48 minutes (up from 0.092). His assist percentage has skyrocketed from 21.6% to 45.8%, and he has been incredibly more efficient, with a huge jump in true shooting percentage (55.6%, from 49.6%).</p>
<p>Three questions jump out as 76ers fans look to the future: what has caused his great rise in productivity, is it sustainable, and how will it change once Bynum returns?</p>
<p><b>Reasons for increased productivity</b></p>
<p>There are many explanations for Jrue's increased level of play, and all of them probably have some validity. When a young player takes the next step, it's rarely because of one reason, but usually because of a combination of factors at play.</p>
<p><u>Departure of <span>Andre Iguodala</span></u></p>
<p>The first reason many people will point to is the departure of Andre Iguodala, which represents the biggest personnel change from last years team.</p>
<p>Supporters of this theory will cite their belief that Andre Iguodala dominated the ball and Holiday deferred to him.</p>
<p>Whenever somebody who handles the ball leaves, that will certainly change the role of the remaining players. The departure of <span>Louis Williams</span> and Andre Iguodala certainly leaves Jrue Holiday with more responsibility to create, both for himself and for his teammates.</p>
<p>That being said, Iguodala hardly dominated the basketball, especially during his final year here. Iguodala's usage rate had gone down 4 consecutive seasons, and at 17.7% was actually below league average. Nearly 1/4th of his shots made and assists came in transition, he averaged only 10.2 field goal attempts per game and Doug Collins rarely used him in isolation sets towards the ends of quarters, halves, or games.</p>
<p>Last year, Jrue Holiday played in 3 games that Iguodala missed. While not a large sample size, Holiday averaged only 11.7 points per and 4.7 assists per game in those contests while shooting 42.9% from the field, hardly using the increased opportunities he had to dominate the game to the level he is this season.</p>
<p>Iguodala handled the ball, but he hardly dominated it, and it was hardly enough to hold back Jrue Holiday had Holiday been ready, both mentally and from a skills perspective, to assert himself.</p>
<p><u>Departure of Louis Williams</u></p>
<p>The departure of Louis Williams has likely had a much larger impact on <span>Jrue Holiday's</span> increased role than Iguodala's departure did. Louis Williams usage rate had skyrocketed under Doug Collins, to 27.4% during his final year in Philadelphia. Despite playing nearly 15 less minutes per game than Iguodala, Williams had more field goal attempts than Iguodala did, and nearly 90% of his offense came in the half-court, largely on pick and rolls and isolation situations where Williams dominated the ball.</p>
<p>Williams, not Iguodala, was the one Collins preferred to lean on when he needed a bucket, as his "clutch" (last 5 minutes of a game, neither team ahead by more than 5 points) usage statistics can attest. Despite only shooting 35.3% in clutch situations, Williams attempted 24.0 field goal attempts per 48 minutes in these situations, whereas Iguodala (10.2 attempts per 48 minutes) and Holiday (12.8 attempts/48 minutes) were used much less frequently.</p>
<p>Williams was used by Collins to generate offense for the 76ers last year to a great extent, and his departure has forced Holiday into the role of having to create offense, both for himself and his teammates.</p>
<p>There's also the simple fact that Holiday and Louis Williams played the same position, and at times competed for minutes, whereas Iguodala and Holiday did not. Holiday's minutes are up so far this season by 5 minutes per game, a substantial amount which has allowed Holiday to both increase his per-game averages and have more impact in controlling the tempo and pace of the game.</p>
<p><u>Better shots</u></p>
<p>Besides getting more opportunities, Holiday is simply taking shots.</p>
<p>Jrue Holiday did two things incredibly poorly last year: he settled for long range two point jump shots and he almost never got to the free throw line.</p>
<p>Over 25% of Holiday's field goal attempts last year came from between 16' and 23', an area that is generally the least efficient shot in basketball: not an area where you draw many fouls and just before the added value of a three point shot.</p>
<p>When you combine that with the fact that Jrue Holiday got to the line only 1.8 times per game, this created an inefficient scorer, despite the fact that his percentages of 43.2% overall and 38.0% from three were respectable.</p>
<p>In short, due to shot selection, Holiday did not make the most of his opportunities.</p>
<p>This year that has been an entirely different story. Holiday's free throw attempts per game have over doubled, from 1.8 to 4.2. He is getting fouled on roughly 9% of his possessions, up from 5.9% the previous season.</p>
<p>When you look at his shot distribution, over 63% of his field goal attempts have been coming from either at the rim or from the three point line, the areas that are historically the most efficient shots in basketball. Last year, that figure was only 46%. This has led both to an increase in Holiday's field goal percentage and the rate at which he draws fouls, helping lead to a rise in his true shooting percentage from 49.6% to 55.6%.</p>
<p><u>Increase in shooters around him</u></p>
<p>The additions of <span>Dorell Wright</span>, <span>Nick Young</span>, and <span>Jason Richardson</span> have given Holiday a group of shooters that have opened up driving lanes for Holiday that weren't there last year, which can partly explain Holiday's ability to consistently get high quality looks at the basket.</p>
<p>Last year roughly 46% of Holiday's possessions came out of pick and rolls or isolation situations. This year, that has accounted for over 70% of his possessions, and Holiday has thus far been as efficient as anyone in the league when isolating.</p>
<p>Iguodala was an underrated catch and shoot player, and throughout his career was in the top quarter of the league in terms of efficiency in catch and shoot opportunities. It was off the dribble where Igudoala's jump shot broke down.</p>
<p>That being said, Iguodala had a rather slow and deliberate release, and as such was not the catch and shoot threat that caused defenders to fear leaving him. The replacement of Williams and Iguodala with spot-up shooting threats like Wright, Young, and Richardson has given the team a better complement of skill sets to build an offense around Jrue Holiday.</p>
<p>It's not only the driving lanes that this opens up for Holiday, but also the passing lanes for big men diving to the hoop, as well as the easier assists to spot-up shooters.</p>
<p><u>Maturation</u></p>
<p>Perhaps the factor that is most often overlooked, simple maturation in Holiday's skills and approach to the game cannot be emphasized enough.</p>
<p>Holiday came into the league at an extremely young age, the youngest in the league his rookie season, and he played well beyond what anybody could have reasonably expected during his rookie season. He then took a substantial jump during his second season, showing a quick maturation for a young player.</p>
<p>While Holiday took a step back during his third season, he was still only 22 years of age to start this year, far from a finished product as a basketball player. Holiday has been much more decisive so far during this season, most notably in his passing. Holiday is recognizing and reacting to situations much more quickly and instinctively, seeing openings as a passer he hasn't seen in years past.</p>
<p><b>Can Holiday maintain this level of play?</b></p>
<p>All of this needs to be taken with a grain of salt, as we're only talking about a 6 game sample size. That brings up the question, can Holiday sustain this level of play?</p>
<p>Some of his efficiency is bound to drop. Holiday is currently shooting 70% on field goal attempts at the rim, well above the 53.6% he shot last year. While some improvement is possible, the odds of Holiday having transformed from well below league average finishing at the rim (league average is around 64%) to one of the best in the league is small.</p>
<p>If Holiday drops from finishing 70% at the rim to 60%, while shooting the same number of field goal at the rim, his per-game scoring average would drop about half of a point per game.</p>
<p>Similarly, it is probably unrealistic that Holiday continues to shoot 43.5% from three, well above his career average of 37.9%. Again, while some improvement is definitely possible in a player still developing, expecting Holiday to have transformed into what, at 3.8 attempts per game connecting at a 43.5% clip, would be one of the best shooters in the league is a tad bit unrealistic. Still, if he connected at 40% rather than 43.5%, his scoring would be down less than half of a point per game.</p>
<p>It's his play making, not his scoring that will be the most interesting to watch.</p>
<p>On the one hand, Holiday is setting up his teammates at such a prolific rate that it would be hard to expect Holiday to leap into elite-level territory. Only 2 players averaged more than 9.5 assist per game last year, and only 3 had an assist percentage greater than the 45.8% Holiday currently has.</p>
<p>That being said, especially with the addition of Bynum, Holiday is going to have a lot more passing lanes and finishers than he has ever had, and a significant uptick in his assists is likely.</p>
<p>Just as likely as his assists regressing ever so slightly are his turnovers coming back down to earth. Turnovers have been the one blemish on Holiday's otherwise superb start to the season, averaging an astoundingly bad 5.7 turnovers per game and a 25.8% turnover percentage, Holiday is turning the ball over at an unprecedented rate: never has anybody in the history of the league averaged more than 5 turnovers per game.</p>
<p>That being said, some of this has been bad luck, with players mishandling otherwise catchable passes. Holiday will also get more comfortable at being the focal point of the perimeter attack, and he will be tasked with creating less of his teammates offense when Bynum comes back, something that should help him limit his risk taking.</p>
<p><b>Fit with <span>Andrew Bynum</span></b></p>
<p>The big question other than sustainability is how well he can fit in with new centerpiece Andrew Bynum when the big man returns.</p>
<p>One thing that I have often felt was underrated in Jrue Holiday's game was his ability to hit the big man diving to the hoop. With passing lanes opening up and the ball in Holiday's hands more this year, Holiday has responded by posting incredible assist numbers, not only to spot-up jump shooters but also to big men diving to the hoop.</p>
<p>So far this year, Jrue Holiday is averaging 3.4 assists per game to baskets taken at the rim. This is up considerably from the 1.4 he averaged last season and ranks as one of the 10 highest marks in the league. All of this while passing to <span>Spencer Hawes</span>, <span>Kwame Brown</span>, and <span>Lavoy Allen</span>.</p>
<p>Once Andrew Bynum comes back, that number could skyrocket. While Bynum didn't play a whole lot of pick and roll with the <a href="https://www.silverscreenandroll.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Lakers</a> (as the Lakers didn't play much pick and roll in general), Bynum plays almost exclusively around the hoop, getting over 85% of his field goal attempts within 10 feet of the basket last year. And finally having a good pick and roll point guard and the three point shooters he lacked in Los Angeles, Bynum and Holiday could form a dynamic pick and dive partnership, something which could not only give Holiday a steady target to pass to but also open up those spot-up shooters for even more great looks for Holiday to kick out to.</p>
<p>From a scoring perspective, the attention Bynum receives due to his proficiency at finishing around the basket and his ability to gobble up offensive rebounds could make help defenders less likely to leave Bynum, opening up driving lanes even more for Holiday. Bynum's post-up game will also force defenders to double him, giving Holiday open catch and shoot opportunities, something he has not currently benefited from much this season as he has been forced to generate most of the looks in the half-court offense, and presenting Holiday with some easy high-efficiency looks at the basket.</p>
<p>Jrue Holiday's improvement so far this season cannot simply be explained by any one factor. With the ball in his hands more, Jrue Holiday has not only been given more opportunities to make plays but he has been surrounded by talent that is a better fit for his style of play. Perhaps more importantly, Jrue Holiday has developed his recognition enough that he is able to take advantage of his opportunities at a much higher success rate than he has in years past.</p>
<p>When the 76ers acquired Andrew Bynum, most acknowledged that for the 76ers to become true contenders they needed a Robin to develop. They needed somebody to create offense from the perimeter to form a two-man game with Bynum. With Holiday's success, and how he is going about that, 76ers fans can only salivate at the thought of how Jrue Holiday and Andrew Bynum can work off of each other.</p>
https://philly.sbnation.com/2012/11/12/3633912/jrue-holiday-growing-into-lead-role-with-philadelphia-76ersDerek Bodner2012-08-12T08:00:23-04:002012-08-12T08:00:23-04:00Philadelphia 76ers Odds And Ends After Andrew Bynum Trade
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<p>A look at the 76ers potential starting lineup, salary cap flexibility, and draft pick situation after the Andrew Bynum trade.</p> <p>With the acquisition of Andrew Bynum, the 76ers sent shockwaves through Philadelphia. Already having parted with Elton Brand, Louis Williams, and Jodie Meeks earlier in the offseason, the 76ers continued their overhaul of a team that was one win away from the Eastern Conference Finals last year.</p>
<p>With Andrew Bynum, who by most accounts is the second best center in the league, the 76ers have a potential superstar. A legitimate player to build around who, despite legitimate injury concerns, is only 24 and could be around for a long time. While <a href="http://www.libertyballers.com/2012/8/11/3234876/andre-iguodala-you-were-great-andrew-bynum-trade-sixers" target="_blank">it was tough to see Andre Iguodala go</a>, the trade has been universally heralded as a great move, and deservedly so.</p>
<p>Now that the euphoria over the acquisition has subsided we can begin to examine how the team is shaping up, and what future flexibility the 76ers have going forward.</p>
<p><b>Starting lineup</b></p>
<p>Before the acquisition of Bynum, 76ers coach Doug Collins appeared to be leaning towards starting Spencer Hawes at power forward next to Kwame Brown in the front court. Collins hasn't officially confirmed he still intends to start Hawes, but that appears to be the most likely scenario.</p>
<p>While Hawes has the offensive skill set to succeed next to Bynum his foot speed will be an issue when defending more perimeter oriented power forwards.</p>
<p>Other immediate options include Thaddeus Young and Lavoy Allen.</p>
<p>Allen would similarly struggle with foot speed, but has a solid outside touch that would fit in well with Bynum.</p>
<p>Young makes perhaps the most sense, although Collins has generally been reluctant to move Young out of his role as a spark off the bench. Unlike Hawes and Allen, Young has the foot speed to effectively defend pick and rolls, something the 76ers will need when paired with Bynum. Young's face-up game could fit in well with Bynum, as teams become hesitant to leave Bynum to provide weak side help, and Young's rebounding deficiencies are somewhat masked by Bynum's stellar rebounding, as Bynum averaged 11.8 rebounds per game last year.</p>
<p><b>Salary cap flexibility</b></p>
<p>The 2012-2013 salary cap amount has a floor set, guaranteeing a salary cap of at least $58.044 million. Starting in 2013-2014, this guarantee is dropped and most projections have the salary cap declining.</p>
<p>Even with a cap of $58 million, the 76ers will essentially be capped out should they decide to re-sign Andrew Bynum to the roughly 5 year, $100 million extension he can get next offseason.</p>
<p>With a first year salary of roughly $17.7 million for Bynum, as well as Jrue Holiday's cap hold of roughly $6.6 million, the 76ers will have around $59.4 million in financial commitments to 9 players. In essence, they would have their exceptions to work with.</p>
<p>(Holiday has a cap hold of $6.687 million, which will count against the 76ers cap until they either renounce his bird rights or sign him to a new contract. This figure is arrived at by taking the last year of his rookie deal and multiplying it by 250%).</p>
<p>If the 76ers want to be players in next years free agency, they'll need to move a combination of Thaddeus Young ($8.6 million), Spencer Hawes ($6.5 million), Evan Turner ($6.679 million), Jrue Holiday ($6.6 million cap hold), Lavoy Allen ($3 million), or Kwame Brown ($3 million).</p>
<p>The good news is that most of these contracts are short and movable.</p>
<p><b>Draft Pick status</b></p>
<p>The 76ers currently owe two future first round draft picks, one from their draft day acquisition of Arnett Moultrie and one from the Bynum trade.</p>
<p>The draft pick they traded to Miami for the rights to Arnett Moultrie is lottery protected through 2015. If the pick hasn't been dispensed at that point, the 76ers will owe Miami their 2015 and 2016 second round picks.</p>
<p>The draft pick they traded to Orlando as part of the trade to get Bynum can be dispensed 2 years after the pick to Miami is sent out. The pick is lottery protected in 2015 and 2016, top 11 protected in 2017, and top 8 protected in 2018. If the conditions are not met by 2018, then the 76ers will send Orlando a second round pick in 2018 and 2019.</p>
<p>Barring something unexpected, the 76ers will send Miami a non-lottery pick in 2013 and will send a non-lottery pick to Orlando in 2015.</p>
<p>What this means is:</p>
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<li><span style="font-size: 12px;">The 76ers will get little in the way of cheap reinforcements from the draft.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12px;">Perhaps more importantly, the lack of trade-able draft picks in coming years will limit the trades the 76ers can make. The 76ers cannot trade a first round pick until 2017, unless they acquire a first from another team.</span></li>
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<div><b>Bynum's health?</b></div>
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<div>In the 4 years prior to last year, Bynum missed 28, 17, 32, and 47 games. Bynum stayed healthy last year, playing in 60 of a possible 66 games.</div>
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<div>After last season ended, Bynum had planned to go to Germany in September to undergo Orthokine therapy, the same treatment his former teammate Kobe Bryant had last October. There has been no word yet as to whether this is still in Bynum's plans.</div>
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<div>Obviously, the big man's aching knees and ability to stay healthy are the biggest risk for the 76ers in this trade.</div>
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<div><b>Roster turnover</b></div>
<div>The 76ers are a more talented team, they're a more balanced team, and they have a player to build around. But part of what ignited their early season success, the stability in their personnel, will be one of their disadvantages this year.</div>
<div>The 76ers will go into the season with two players who have been here longer than Doug Collins' two year tenure: Thaddeus Young (5 years) and Jrue Holiday (3). Those players will be 24 and 22 years old, respectively.</div>
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<div>How will they co-exist? Can Jrue Holiday and Evan Turner step into the role of being the primary initiator from the perimeter, especially now with Louis Williams and Andre Iguodala gone? Can Bynum be the team leader? If not, can Holiday step up?</div>
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<div>If many expected a quick start last year because of the 76ers cohesion, the inverse could potentially be true this year.</div>
https://philly.sbnation.com/2012/8/12/3236019/odds-and-ends-after-philadelphia-76ers-acquire-andrew-bynum-from-lakersDerek Bodner2012-06-29T11:14:43-04:002012-06-29T11:14:43-04:00A Look At 76ers Surprising Pick of Moe Harkless
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<img alt="NEW YORK, NY - FEBRUARY 18: Moe Harkless #4 of the St. John's Red Storm looks on against the UCLA Bruins at Madison Square Garden on February 18, 2012 in New York City. (Photo by Chris Chambers/Getty Images)" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/dxurBaTUKMt7oYPKZn3azwETVz8=/0x15:1000x682/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/photo_images/5591376/139279929.jpg" />
<figcaption>NEW YORK, NY - FEBRUARY 18: Moe Harkless #4 of the St. John's Red Storm looks on against the UCLA Bruins at Madison Square Garden on February 18, 2012 in New York City. (Photo by Chris Chambers/Getty Images) | Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>A look at the new 76ers acquired last night in the NBA draft, and how they could fit with the 76ers current roster, and whether they indicate any future roster moves.</p> <p>Most of the reaction today by <a href="https://www.libertyballers.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">76ers</a> fans isn't geared towards the overall talent level of <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/146159/moe-harkless" class="sbn-auto-link">Moe Harkless</a>. Harkless isn't the household name of <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/123221/perry-jones-iii" class="sbn-auto-link">Perry Jones III</a> or <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/124094/jared-sullinger" class="sbn-auto-link">Jared Sullinger</a>, but he wasn't a complete unknown, either. With his combination of youth (he just turned 19 last month), size (measuring just under 6'9" in shoes and with a great wingspan), and incredible athleticism, Harkless has elite physical tools for an NBA small forward.</p>
<p>He also played heavy minutes on a depleted St. John's team, increasing not only his per-game averages but also his visibility among fans.</p>
<p>Draft Express has had Moe Harkless going in <a href="http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Moe-Harkless-6526/mock-draft-history/" target="_blank">the 19-22 range in their mock draft since March</a>, and the <a href="https://www.thedreamshake.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Rockets</a> were reportedly interested in him at 16. <a href="http://www.libertyballers.com/2012/6/26/3118503/liberty-ballers-big-board-2012-nba-draft-anthony-davis-thomas-robinson" target="_blank">I had him at #16 on my own big board</a> I submitted at Liberty Ballers earlier this week. Harkless going this high in the draft isn't too much of a shock. It's that Harkless went this high in the draft to the 76ers that is surprising.</p>
<p>One the one hand, picking an athletic, versatile wing who struggles shooting from the perimeter was about the last thing the 76ers needed. On the other hand, the willingness to draft what they believe was the best available talent rather than reach for a position of need is generally a draft philosophy that works out well, and a deviation from what their philosophy was last year.</p>
<p>Moe Harkless is first and foremost an athletic standout. While he is a fairly raw player, there's also some latent basketball ability and feel for the game to work with. He has a quick first step with long strides that once his ball handling ability catches up he should be able to create off the dribble with some regularity. He's a terror in transition, who rebounds as well as any small forward in the draft, and has great anticipation on defense.</p>
<p>What's holding him back? The aforementioned ball handling is one area. While not as bad of an overall ball handler as fellow 76ers forward <span>Thaddeus Young</span>, Harkless has virtually nothing in the form of a left hand and he can get turnover prone when asked to do more than one or two power dribbles to the hoop. He's showing signs of developing a right to left spin move and a crossover dribble, but those are still very much works in progress.</p>
<p>The most glaring problem is his jump shot, however, and it's something that is going to take considerable effort to correct. His footwork and balance are inconsistent, something he's going to have to correct to really see consistent results. He also struggles to shoot off the dribble, something that is also going to further hamper his dribble-drive game until it's improved.</p>
<p>His defense is a strength of his, albeit one with minor concerns. He moves his feet extremely well defensively and has good anticipation, doing a good job of reading a play and playing the angles correctly. He has excellent physical tools and displays a consistently high effort level.</p>
<p>That being said, there are two relatively minor concerns. First, he played primarily power forward in college, something not all that atypical from big small forwards at the collegiate level. Second, St. John played a primarily zone defensive scheme, giving us limited tape when looking at him defending his man from the perimeter.</p>
<p>With his physical tools, effort level, and strong basketball IQ on this end of the court, those are very minor concerns, though.</p>
<p>As I previously mentioned, it's not Moe Harkless' talent level that makes this pick surprising. Even with his raw offensive game, I could see him coming into a team and playing 15-20 minutes as a rookie just based off of his excellent defense, rebounding, and transition game. I just can't see him doing that on this 76ers team.</p>
<p>It's not just his fit with Iguodala, long rumored to be on the trading block. The team could trade Iguodala and he'd still be a poor fit with <span>Jrue Holiday</span>, <span>Evan Turner</span>, and Thaddeus Young. The team desperately needs a set-shooter to space the floor for these guys, and Harkless isn't going to fill that role this season.</p>
<p>That being said, if the 76ers feel this is the best talent (and while cases could be made for a few others, Harkless was in the mix at 15), I can't complain that they went with that strategy.</p>
<p><b><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/52789/arnett-moultrie" class="sbn-auto-link">Arnett Moultrie</a></b></p>
<p>As I <a target="_blank" href="http://philly.sbnation.com/philadelphia-76ers/2012/6/27/3115446/nba-draft-guide-for-76ers-fans-anthony-davis-thomas-robinson">mentioned in my draft guide</a>, I have some reservations about Arnett Moultrie. At 27 though, he was a steal. But the 76ers didn't give up the 27th pick to acquire him.</p>
<p>The trade with Miami sent a future first round pick that was only lottery protected. With the 76ers recent penchant for getting the 8th seed in the playoffs, there's a very good chance the pick they gave up for Moultrie will end up being the 15th-20th pick of a very recent draft. The relative value they used to acquire Moultrie was thus likely to be one of a pick in the late teens, not the 27th pick.</p>
<p>As such, I'm only lukewarm on the acquisition. Moultrie has some definite athletic talents, and his ability to finish around the hoop off of offense generated by his teammates should work well with Holiday, Turner, and Iguodala if he remains. He's also a very good offensive rebounder, something the 76ers lacked last year as all their big men tended to float on the perimeter.</p>
<p>That being said, there are a number of areas of need Moultrie doesn't fill. While he played largely with his back to the basket at Mississippi State, he's unlikely to translate much of that to the NBA. He was only an average defensive rebounder (21.8% defensive rebounding percentage) on a Mississippi State team that was only an average defensive rebounding team. He lacks the lower body strength to deny deep post position to good post scorers, and he offers virtually nothing in the form of weak side shot blocking despite his length and athletic ability.</p>
<p>Giving up a 16th-20th pick for Moultrie was certainly not a horrible move, but I hardly consider it a slam dunk, either.</p>
<p>Overall, I would give this draft a B-. There were probably players with more upside available (Perry Jones III), picks with more polish/skill (Jared Sullinger), and picks with higher floors available (<span>Tyler Zeller</span>), and certainly better fits and positions of need available. There is bound to be some disappointment that they didn't move up from 15, as well as some disappointment that <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/99813/john-henson" class="sbn-auto-link">John Henson</a> didn't fall one pick further.</p>
<p>But Harkless is a player with a very high level of upside and a fairly high floor as well, as his excellent defense, rebounding, and transition play along with his strong character, maturity and work ethic should assure he becomes an NBA contributor. I don't think they struck out, and all the people they passed on had considerable red flags.</p>
https://philly.sbnation.com/philadelphia-76ers/2012/6/29/3125924/a-look-at-surprising-pick-of-moe-harklessDerek Bodner2012-06-27T07:00:09-04:002012-06-27T07:00:09-04:002012 NBA Draft Guide For 76ers Fans
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<p>With the 2012 NBA draft tomorrow, we took a look at the prospects in the draft and their potential fits as players on the 76ers, including players available both if the 76ers stay at 15 and if they move up.</p> <p>With the draft right around the corner, the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.libertyballers.com/">76ers</a> will look to add talent to their roster, the first in what could be a series of roster-shaping moves this offseason.</p>
<p>Besides covering the 76ers, I also spend time as a college basketball scout with <a href="http://www.draftexpress.com">Draft Express</a>. This article isn't meant to be an in-depth scouting report, and if that's what you're looking for check out the write-ups on Draft Express. Each player contains detailed scouting reports, usually going well back into their high school days. This is merely meant to be an introduction to these players for 76ers fans who may not have seen them play very often.</p>
<p>This article will is broken down into 3 parts: point guards/combo guards, wing players, and big men.</p>
<p><b>The point guards / combo guards</b></p>
<p><u>Damian Lillard</u> [6'3", Junior, Weber State]</p>
<p>A scoring point guard from Weber State, Lillard brings an intriguing combination of athleticism and shooting from the lead guard spot. Not a pure point guard by any stretch of the imagination (although he hasn't been asked to be at Weber State), Lillard is a multi-dimensional scorer that can score in a variety of ways. An extremely good shooter both in catch and shot situations and shooting off the dribble, Lillard's bread and butter is likely to be as a scorer off the pick and roll.</p>
<p>The concerns with Lillard are his lack of natural point guard instincts, lack of size to play the off-guard position, and the low level of competition he played against. That beings said, in a draft that doesn't have a whole lot of diversified scoring from the perimeter, Lillard is going to go well before the 76ers pick, and if they trade up into the range it would take to get Lillard they would likely be targeting a big.</p>
<p><u>Austin Rivers</u> [6'5", Freshman, Duke]</p>
<p>Austin Rivers, Duke freshman and son of Boston coach <span>Doc Rivers</span>, is similar to Lillard in that he's a scoring guard. Whereas Lillard is likely forced to play the point because of his size, Rivers measured in at 6'5" with shoes on.</p>
<p>Rivers core skill is his isolation ability, as he has the ability to take most of his defenders off the dribble. This is both a blessing and a curse, as while it's a skill set not many players towards the top of this draft have, it also leads Rivers to some questionable shots and hinders ball movement. While Lillard was a solid shooter off catch and shoot situations, Rivers doesn't have that skill, making his contributions when he's not dominating the ball minimal.</p>
<p>While Rivers has the size to play the off-guard position, the consistency in his effort on that end of the court is perhaps his biggest question mark when projecting him to the next level.</p>
<p><u>Dion Waiters</u> [6'4", Sophomore, Syracuse]</p>
<p>A local Philadelphia product, Waiters spent 2 years coming off the bench for Jim Boeheim at Syracuse. These years were somewhat adversarial, particularly his rocky freshman year that almost led to his transfer away from Syracuse.</p>
<p>Like Rivers, Waiters main skill set is his ability to break his man down off the dribble. He's a better athlete than Rivers, and once he gets into the paint uses his strength and athleticism to finish. He's also a little more diversified of a shooter, with a nice assortment of catch and shoot ability, ability to hit shots off the dribble, and floaters in the lane.</p>
<p>While also not a natural point and somewhat undersized to play the shooting guard full time (although Waiters has the same wingspan as Rivers), Waiters does a better job than Rivers of using the attention he receives to setup his teammates.</p>
<p>Having played at Syracuse, Waiters has played virtually no man-man defense in his college career, which presents some challenges projecting that part of his game to the next level.</p>
<p><u>Kendall Marshall</u> [6'4", Sophomore, North Carolina]</p>
<p>Whereas the first 3 guards listed have been scoring combo guards, Kendall Marshall contains an abundance of true point guard instincts. His problem is that he goes too far in the other direction, rarely if ever looking for his own shot.</p>
<p>How unique has Marshall been? His assists per minute rate is the <a target="_blank" href="http://www.draftexpress.com/stats.php?sort=23&q=&league=NCAA&year=all&per=per40pace&min=20&stage=all&conference=0&pos=all&qual=qual&field[1]=2&sign[1]=%3E&val[1]=1&field[2]=0&sign[2]=%3E&val[2]=&field[3]=0&sign[3]=%3E&val[3]=&field[4]=0&sign[4]=%3E&val[4]=">best among draft prospects</a> over the past decade.</p>
<p>Marshall doesn't have the greatest quickness off the dribble, and is far from an athletic specimen. Without a great pull-up jump shot, he doesn't have much in the way of ability to create his own offense. Whether or not he can score enough to keep defenses honest, and whether he has the lateral quickness to defend in the NBA, are the big questions with Marshall's NBA value.</p>
<p><b>The wing players</b></p>
<p><u>Bradley Beal</u> [6'5", Freshman, Florida]</p>
<p>While Bradley Beal had what most considered a mildly disappointing freshman season for Florida, his draft stock has remained consistently high throughout the season, and he now looks like a virtual certainty to go top 5 in the draft.</p>
<p>Beal has by far the best shooting mechanics of anybody in the draft, with picture perfect form and good elevation. While he shot only 33.9% from three point range on the season, he was much more proficient as the season went on, and most believe his shooting will translate to the NBA as his primary weapon despite not being a knock-down shooting in college.</p>
<p>Beal is almost perhaps the best defender among guards likely drafted high, with good lateral foot speed and a very good job chasing people off of screens. Unlike many offensive players, Beal is always alert and in good stance on this end of the court.</p>
<p>Beal doesn't have spectacular athleticism, size, or ball handling ability (although none to the level of being bad), which he'll have to either improve (ballhandling) or overcome (size) to be a top scoring option in the NBA.</p>
<p><u>Michael Kidd-Gilchrist</u> [6'7", Freshman, Kentucky]</p>
<p>Freshman Kidd-Gilchrist was the 5th option for the national champion Kentucky Wildcats, something that speaks to the level of polish he's lacking offensively. That being said, he's likely to be a top 5 pick despite that, possessing a refreshing combination of athletic gifts and sheer tenacity that's rarely seen.</p>
<p>Kidd-Gilchrist is a good finisher at the rim and a very good athlete, although offensively that's somewhat limited due to his limited ball handling ability. His biggest hurdle at this stage offensively, however, is his jump shot. Kidd-Gilchrist shot less than 26% from downtown on the season and has a very unorthodox release which is going to need a lot of work.</p>
<p>It was his versatility that made him such a role player despite his offensive limitations. He can post-up when needed, run the break as well as anyone in college basketball, and be a pest defensively. Kidd-Gilchrist was able to defend any position on the court in college, and with his combination of length, strength, athleticism, and effort level should be a very good defender in the NBA as well.</p>
<p><u>Harrison Barnes</u> [6'8", Sophomore, North Carolina]</p>
<p>Right now , Barnes physical profile and athleticism indicates an offensive ability that just isn't yet there, and some question whether it ever will be. Largely content settling for pull-up jumpers, Barnes doesn't yet have the advanced ball handling ability to consistently get all the way to the rim despite his excellent leaping ability.</p>
<p>The core of his strengths come from the combination of his elite physical tools (size, length, athleticism) and his effortless shooting stroke. He's still more comfortable in catch and shoot situations, although he did improve this year off the dribble.</p>
<p>Many think Barnes game is more suited to the NBA, and there is some legitimacy to that. While Kendall Marshall is a wizard with the ball and greatly improved Barnes' effectiveness when he took over the starting point guard role, having a great isolation player or post-up threat along side of him could collapse the lane and open things up for the talented forward.</p>
<p><u>Jeremy Lamb</u> [6'5", Sophomore, Connecticut]</p>
<p>An enigmatic player, I <a href="http://www.draftexpress.com/article/Trending-Prospects-482011--3667/" target="_blank">profiled Jeremy Lamb</a> after last years tournament run. On one hand, his change in role from secondary option to primary playmaker didn't drop his own offensive efficiency like you'd expect, in fact he increased from 57% true shooting percentage to 59%, doing a better job of getting to the line in the process. On the other hand, UConn's offense was painful to watch down the stretch at times as the Huskies lost 13 of their last 19 games en route to a very disappointing season.</p>
<p>That being said, Lamb's ability to shoot coming off of screens and as a stand still shooter makes his floor pretty high. He's also fairly unique from a physical standpoint, with a ridiculous 6'11" wingspan and a 38" vertical leap, all which could help him grow as a defender.</p>
<p><u>Moe Harkless</u> [6'8", Freshman, St. John's]</p>
<p>Playing for an undermanned St. John's team, freshman Moe Harkless had the chance to play big minutes, accumulate big per-game averages, but also display some of his limitations.</p>
<p>Harkless has great size for somebody who will primarily be playing the small forward position, and his status as a draft prospect is largely based on his physical profile and his outstanding effort level. A far from finish product offensively, particularly due to his weak ball handling and perimeter shooting ability, any team that drafts Harkless is going to have to have patience with him as he refines his game and increases his overall skill-level. That being said, at this stage of the draft that could pay huge dividends down the line.</p>
<p><b>The big men</b></p>
<p><u>Anthony Davis</u> [6'10", Freshman, Kentucky]</p>
<p>There's really not much to say about Davis. He's the prize of the draft, he'll be the #1 pick, and he's the one pick in the draft that there is virtually 0% chance of obtaining.</p>
<p><u>Thomas Robinson</u> [6'8", Junior, Kansas]</p>
<p>Robinson has some question marks, as he's slightly undersized, and there are questions of whether his post-based offensive game will translate against bigger competition. That being said, with his improved mid-range game (his free throw percentage went from 39.5% his freshman year, to 51%, to 68.2%) and his incredible athleticism and first step, he projects more as a face-up power forward in NBA style offenses anyway.</p>
<p>He's an incredible defensive rebounder, athlete, and an extremely hard working kid who has <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=6048355" target="_blank">worked his way through his own recent hardships</a>, Robinson could very well be an all-star caliber power forward when all is said and done.</p>
<p><u>Andre Drummond</u> [6'11", Freshman, Connecticut]</p>
<p>One of the major enigma's in the NBA draft. Few big men in recent history have had the physical tools Andre Drummond has. Standing a shade under 7" with a massive standing reach and a great vertical jump, Drummond has the potential to be a defensive monster.</p>
<p>At times, that in fact played out. He blocked 2.7 shots in only 28 minutes, and was a monster on the offensive glass. But his perimeter shooting (29.5% from the free throw line), lack of perimeter skills, feel for the game, and general basketball IQ create quite the project.</p>
<p><u>John Henson</u> [6'10", Junior, North Carolina]</p>
<p>Another extremely long shot blocking force, Henson has his own question marks. Rail thin (although the 216 pounds he measured at was with a considerable amount of added weight from the reported 183 pounds he came in as a freshman), Henson will always be fighting against his size and how that impacts him in the post.</p>
<p>That being said, while he's never going to be a huge offensive threat, Henson's slowly-but-surely increased confidence shooting the ball makes him significantly further along than a guy like the aforementioned Drummond, and he's similarly more advanced as a rotational defender. He has also so far been a much better defensive rebounder, which should increase his ability to contribute sooner rather than later.</p>
<p><u>Tyler Zeller</u> [7', Senior, North Carolina]</p>
<p>Henson's frontcourt mate at North Carolina, the senior brings a level of polish largely lacking from the big men in this draft. A good rebounder with a strong basketball IQ, ability to run the floor, good hands, and a bit of a post game, Zeller is commonly viewed as a safe pick. Likely to be a contributor but almost assuredly not an all-star. Zeller would likely not be an exciting pick, but he shouldn't be an all-out bust, either.</p>
<p><u>Meyers Leonard</u> [7'1", Sophomore, Illinois]</p>
<p>Another enigma amongst the big men, Leonard measured out at well over 7" with great athleticism, once again bringing the argument between potential and production to the forefront.</p>
<p>Leonard isn't particularly polished as a basketball player, on either end. On the offensive end his post-game isn't all that fluid or natural and he hasn't showcased all that much from the perimeter. Defensively, he's often in a poor defensive stance and isn't in control when closing out, creating a fairly bad pick and roll defender when the athleticism is there to be a good one.</p>
<p>How much of this is correctable? That largely depends on his work ethic, and your evaluation of his potential going forward will largely be based off of that.</p>
<p><u>Perry Jones</u> [6'11", Sophomore, Baylor]</p>
<p>A projected #1 pick at times last year, Perry Jones is one of the examples of why it's almost never a good idea to return to school. Not showing substantial progress, Jones enters this years draft with a bevy of question marks that normally aren't associated with someone of his talent level.</p>
<p>The length of a power forward, Jones has been criticized for shying away from contact down low and preferring a perimeter game, one that he has yet to translate his explosive athletics gifts into certifiable perimeter skills. He has an incredible first step from the mid-to-high post area, but he's not all that much of a threat as a shooter and doesn't have enough advanced counter-moves to take full advantage of this.</p>
<p>A jack-of-all-trades master of none, Jones may have too much natural talent to pass on at the Sixers pick.</p>
<p><u>Terrence Jones</u> [6'9", Sophomore, Kentucky]</p>
<p>A potential lottery pick last year, Jones has fallen quite a bit since that time. Eclipsed by Anthony Davis and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Jones didn't take a major step forward this year to elevate his draft stock.</p>
<p>Despite that, Jones has a diversified talent level to make him a potential steal in the late teens, and he measured better than expected at the NBA combine. But with the Sixers plethora of ball handlers and a somewhat overlapping role as <span>Thaddeus Young</span>, Jones potential fit as a Sixers is in question.</p>
<p><u>Jared Sullinger</u> [6'9", Sophomore, Ohio State]</p>
<p>Already with health question marks, as well as question marks about his his unathletic game could translate to the NBA, Jared Sullinger is falling on most mock drafts. Once ranked as a potential top 5 prospect, Sullinger now could see himself fall into the later half of the first round.</p>
<p>Used primarily as a post-scorer at Ohio State, Sullinger has a series of moves and feel for the game on the low block that few his age have. He's also expanded his perimeter shooting considerably and is a very good rebounder, with a 24% defensive rebounding percentage on one of the best defensive rebounding teams in the nation.</p>
<p>With the good comes the bad, and his question marks are abundant. Slightly undersized, with a less-than-stellar vertical leap and one of the slowest lane agility drills among first round draft picks at the combine in recent memory, Sullinger has many athletic question marks. His foot speed makes him a liability defending the pick and rolls, and he's going to struggle to defend face-up power forwards at the next level. Add in being <a href="http://content.usatoday.com/communities/gameon/post/2012/06/sources-jared-sullingers-back-raises-red-flags-to-teams/1#.T-oG319jhGo" target="_blank">medically red-flagged at the combine</a> due to his back, and the drop isn't entirely surprising.</p>
<p>That being said, with his advanced and unique skill set, his basketball IQ and his excellent effort level, the reward may outweigh the risk.</p>
<p><u>Arnett Moultrie</u> [6'10", Junior, Mississippi State]</p>
<p>At nearly 22 years of age by the time of his rookie season, Moultrie's advanced age doesn't necessarily reflect his development as a prospect. He saw a good portion of his offense in the post last year, something he's not all that comfortable with. He also didn't take a whole lot of attempts from the perimeter, something he's going to have to prove he's comfortable doing in individual workouts.</p>
<p>He's also thin, which could be troublesome defending the post in the NBA.</p>
<p>He does have good length (nearly 6'11"), great athleticism, and has improved his pick and roll defense. He's a good finisher at the rim off of offensive rebounds and cuts, and a solid defensive rebounder. He may never put together the complete package in terms of skill sets, but he could certainly work himself into a solid contributor.</p>
<p><u>Royce White</u> [6'8", Sophomore, Iowa State]</p>
<p>Another polarizing figure in this draft, White has as unique of a skill set as anyone available. Running quite a bit of the point for Iowa State, being deceptively quick andwith advanced ball handling moves and great creativity off the dribble, White has a diverse skill set that can be tantalizing. He's improved as a jump shooter, which if he continues would be a very welcomed addition to his game.</p>
<p>His downsides include not being consistent as a jump shooter, being turnover prone, and not having a position to defend at the next level. Add in the abundance of ball handlers on the 76ers have as well as some fears about his admitted anxiety disorder (although he's worked through it so far), and it seems unlikely the Sixers will view his talent as worth the risk.</p>
https://philly.sbnation.com/philadelphia-76ers/2012/6/27/3115446/nba-draft-guide-for-76ers-fans-anthony-davis-thomas-robinsonDerek Bodner2012-05-29T10:01:16-04:002012-05-29T10:01:16-04:00Questions Abound as 76ers Head Into Offseason
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<p>The 76ers face numerous roster decisions that are sure to shake up the roster of the team that went to game 7 in the Eastern Conference semi-finals.</p> <p>With the disappointing game 7 loss to the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.celticsblog.com/">Boston Celtics</a> in the Eastern Conference semi-finals now in their review mirror, the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.libertyballers.com/">76ers</a> must now begin to face the many questions that could reshape the core of the team.</p>
<p>From the free agency of <span>Spencer Hawes</span> to the opt-out clause that <span>Louis Williams</span> has, to the endless trade rumors involving <span>Andre Iguodala</span> and the potential amnesty of <span>Elton Brand</span>, it would be shorter to list the players that are virtual certainties to return than it would be to list the players whose futures are in legitimate question.</p>
<p>Even coach Doug Collins, who has improved the 76ers winning percentage in each of his seasons as head coach, is a question mark, not because of the ownership groups satisfaction with his performance but due to his vagabond ways. Collins has had a tendency to burn out, at least a partial byproduct of his intense nature, and has never been head coach of a team for more than 3 years, a trend he will try to buck with the 76ers.</p>
<p>As I met with Collins, president Rod Thorn, owner Joshua Harris, CEO Adam Aron, and the 76ers players during the day after exit interview session, the uncertainty of the future was the prevailing topic, even more-so than the tough series they just let slip away.</p>
<p><b>Doug Collins future</b></p>
<p>Despite his history of burning out, Doug Collins certainly has the intent to continue what he has started in Philadelphia, and the ownership group is more than willing to let him steer their ship.</p>
<p>"I'm totally committed [to being here]," Collins affirmed. "As long as Josh [Harris] wants me here, I'll be here for him."</p>
<p>"We have a great basketball operations team, we have a great coach, and we have a lot of assets on our team," managing owner Joshua Harris said. "We want Doug to be here a long, long time."</p>
<p><b>Improving the team</b></p>
<p>Despite being so close to a surprise trip to the Eastern Conference Finals, nobody on the staff sounded happy with the level of success they've achieved.</p>
<p>"It's great to be an overachiever. That's great. But to be a champion, you can't overachieve," coach Doug Collins stated. "We're going to have to sit down, we're going to have to evaluate every player on our team, and see how it all fits together."</p>
<p>"We've got to get bigger, stronger, more athletic on the front line. We've got to get some bigger wings [off the bench]," Collins continued.</p>
<p>"We've got some good young pieces. We obviously have a lot of character on this team, the guys fought all the way, and they do that every day," Thorn added. "I think we can use an athletic big. We obviously need some scoring."</p>
<p>"I think that we played about as close to our potential as virtually anybody this year," Thorn continued. "I think that we know that we need to get better [from a talent perspective]."</p>
<p>"It's never easy [to part with players]. I was really proud to be associated with the team, and I think we have really good men as well as good basketball players, and it was really heartening to be a part of it," managing owner Joshua Harris added. "But having said that, obviously this is the big leagues, and we will do what we have to do to make the team better."</p>
<p>"I think we're prepared to do what we have to do as an ownership group, financially or otherwise, to improve the team. We want to win. Our goal is to bring a championship back to Philly," Harris said. "We're a well financed group, so we're going to do what we have to do."</p>
<p><b>Elton Brand and the amnesty clause</b></p>
<p>The amnesty clause, which came about during the bargaining session for the new Collective Bargaining Agreement the two sides agreed to last fall, is potentially very valuable. It has the ability to clear a contract off the salary cap calculation for a team, potentially creating a lot of flexibility for a team willing to use it. The team would have to pay the salary, or at least the difference between the initial salary the player was to be paid less the amount another team signs the amnestied player for.</p>
<p>That being said, it has a limited set of scenarios it can be used for. It can only be used on a player who was on your team before July 1st, 2011, and can only be used for players who signed their current contract prior to that same date. Which means somebody like <span>Thaddeus Young</span>, who re-signed during last offseason, cannot have the amnesty clause used to clear out his contract.</p>
<p>Which essentially means the 76ers can only realistically use it on one of two players: Andre Iguodala or Elton Brand. Because Iguodala still has relatively good value around the league, odds are if the 76ers are ever going to use the amnesty clause it would be on Elton Brand this summer.</p>
<p>While Brand played well in the playoffs, fighting through shoulder and neck injuries, and the team has a lack of depth in the front court, freeing up the $18 million owed to Brand next year could provide the team with considerable flexibility in the free agency market. If Elton Brand is amnestied, along with Spencer Hawes leaving and Louis Williams opting out of the final year of his contract, the 76ers could have upwards of $15 million in cap space, even with Andre Iguodala under contract.</p>
<p>"[The amnesty clause] is one of the things we have at our disposal," president Rod Thorn said. "It's something I'm sure we'll talk about. There are a lot of moving factors right now that would determine [whether we would use the amnesty], but it is something that is a possibility."</p>
<p>When asked whether or not the ownership group would be willing to absorb the financial hit of using the amnesty clause and paying a player no longer performing for the team, managing owner Joshua Harris wasn't hesitant in stating they would.</p>
<p>"Look, everything is on the table," Harris said. "Yes, under the right set of circumstances we'd be willing to use the amnesty, for sure."</p>
<p>Elton Brand understood the situation he was in.</p>
<p>"I want to be here, absolutely," Brand said. "Be here with this young team, continue to grow. But like I said, it's whatever is best for the organization right now for me. Whatever happens, so be it."</p>
<p>"If it is [the end of his 76ers career], then I've definitely loved my time here," Brand said. "I loved the fans and had a great time. It started off rocky, but we gave our all. I gave my all."</p>
<p>"We'll cross that bridge when it's time. I'm not sure which way it's going to go," Brand finished.</p>
<p><b>Louis Williams opt-out clause</b></p>
<p>Louis Williams, runner-up in 6th man of the year voting, is another 76er who could be elsewhere next year. The 7th year guard had the highest scoring average of his career at 14.9 points per game, which led the 76ers. Williams has an early termination option for the final year of the 5 year contract he signed back in 2008, which would pay him roughly $5.3 million if he doesn't opt out.</p>
<p>Williams said he hasn't yet decided what he is going to do.</p>
<p>"I haven't decided," Williams stated. "I've been on vacation for like 12 hours, so I haven't really had an opportunity [to think about it]."</p>
<p>"At this point I just think that it would be crazy for me to leave. This is somewhere where I've carved otu a lane. This is where my family is, and this is my second home outside of Atlanta," Williams went on to say. "But business is business, and once it comes time to deal with that then we'll get to the table."</p>
<p>With other similar players getting contracts in excess of that, it is thought to be likely Williams will opt out.</p>
<p><b>Andre Iguodala trade rumors</b></p>
<p>Every summer, 76ers forward Andre Iguodala is subject to numerous trade rumors. This year is no exception, as rumors have already come out that Golden State and Los Angeles are interested in acquiring the versatile swing man.</p>
<p>At this point, dealing with these rumors has become second nature to Iguodala.</p>
<p>"[Trade rumors] don't really bother me because I don't give it too much attention," Iguodala said. "It hasn't happened [yet], so I'll always prepare to come back and be here, and I always keep in touch with the guys."</p>
<p>"After going through it so many times you kind of figure out the routine," Iguodala concluded.</p>
<p>When asked whether he wanted to return, Iguodala answered with a succinct, but clear, "Definitely".</p>
<p>"One of my goals is to keep pushing forward and not just be satisfied with getting here one time but to establish ourselves in the Eastern Conference as a team that's going to be a threat every year," Iguodala said. "I feel like we have the pieces to get there, we just have to continue to improve."</p>
<p>That being said, many people question whether Andre Iguodala can mesh with <span>Jrue Holiday</span> and <span>Evan Turner</span>, and Iguodala, despite his contract, has value to veteran teams around the league looking to add a final piece. If the right package comes along, the 76ers may entertain that offer.</p>
<p><b>Spencer Hawes free agency</b></p>
<p>Last offseason, Spencer Hawes, then a restricted free agent, wasn't happy with the contract being offered with the 76ers and elected to take the one year qualifying offer, which now makes him an unrestricted free agent.</p>
<p>With a somewhat rocky end to the season, first being benched for the first time in his 76ers career then struggling during the playoff series against Boston, the possibility of there being a change at the pivot position for the 76ers next year is very real.</p>
<p>Both Collins and Thorn, and even Iguodala, reiterated the need for an athletic big man.</p>
<p>Hawes made just north of $4 million this past season.</p>
<p><b>Quote of the day</b></p>
<p>With the head decision makers for the 76ers and players in the same room, the quote of the day came from a lighthearted back and forth between Michael Preston, the 76ers Director of Public Relations and WIP host Howard Eskin.</p>
<p>As Preston was explaining where everybody was going to be situated, he said "the more marquee players will..", at which point Eskin interrupted with "You have marquee players?"</p>
<p>Preston retorted with "Funny, for years I thought the same thing about WIP hosts."</p>
<p><b>Video Interview - Joshua Harris</b></p>
<p><b></b>On the teams willingness to use the amnesty clause and do everything they can to build a championship.</p>
<p><iframe frameborder="0" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/pjzGnqx1U4E" height="315" width="560"></iframe> <br id="1338300201962"></p>
https://philly.sbnation.com/philadelphia-76ers/2012/5/29/3049633/questions-abound-as-76ers-head-into-offseasonDerek Bodner2012-05-11T08:01:17-04:002012-05-11T08:01:17-04:00Andre Iguodala shines as 76ers advance
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<p>Making the game winning free throws with 2.2 seconds remaining to vault the Sixers past the Bulls in the first round of the Eastern Conference Playoffs, Andre Iguodala momentarily silenced his critics.</p> <p>He's the longest tenured 76er, his 8 years of service time edging out <span>Louis Williams</span>' 7 by a year. He's been the (supposed) poster boy for mediocrity, the guy with the (allegedly) undeserved contract that is (allegedly) holding the team back. He was the defacto number one option for years on a team that didn't have a legitimate number one option. He's been the best player on an average team.</p>
<p>Last night, Andre Iguodala became a playoff winner.</p>
<p>Iguodala has had signature moments before, most notably the game winner against Orlando back in the 2009 playoffs. But that was game 1. Down by 1 point, with 2.2 seconds remaining, about to head back to Chicago for a game 7 against a team that could possibly have <span>Joakim Noah</span> returning and a renewed sense of confidence?</p>
<p>This one tops the list.</p>
<p>After <span>Omer Asik</span> missed the second of his two crucial missed free throw's with 7 seconds left and the <a href="https://www.blogabull.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Bulls</a> up 1, as <span>Spencer Hawes</span> and <span>Taj Gibson</span> fought for rebounding position and with no timeouts remaining, Iguodala swooped in to take control of the rebound and pushed the ball 94 feet in just over 4 seconds, using his lightning quick transition speed to get the Sixers an attempt at the rim. He drew a foul from Asik and momentarily put the entire Wells Fargo Center into shock.</p>
<p>At one point in Iguodala's career, this situation wouldn't have caused Sixers fans much concern. Iguodala came into the NBA shooting a respectable 74.3% from the charity stripe his rookie year, and improved on that each of his first three seasons, to 75.4% his second year and finally to 82.0% his third year. And it wasn't as if this was an improvement based on small sample size, either, as Iguodala attempted 551 free throw attempts his third year, the most he's ever attempted in a season.</p>
<p>But Iguodala was never able to retain that level of success from the line. Originally, it simply regressed back to the levels from when he came into the league, 72.1%, 72.4%, and 73.3% his next three years. The last two years have been a struggle, from 69.3% last year to an absolutely abysmal 61.7% this year.</p>
<p>And even that number, as bad as it is, doesn't tell the full story. Iguodala shot 45.1% from the free throw line during the 4th quarter this year. So, as Iguodala stepped to the line for those two attempts with 2.2 seconds remaining, even the most ardent of Iguodala supporters had their doubts. "Just make one out of two to send it to overtime" was the thought running through my head.</p>
<p>Iguodala had already played a good game up until that point. He had 18 points on 12 field goal attempts, to go along with 7 assists, 3 rebounds, 2 made three's and no turnovers. None of that would have mattered had he missed those two free throws.</p>
<p>But he didn't. Calm, cool, and collected, <a target="_blank" href="http://philly.sbnation.com/philadelphia-76ers/2012/5/10/3013347/video-tony-battie-andre-iguodala-free-throws-bulls-76ers-game-6">with thoughts of his son running through his mind</a>, Iguodala sank both free throws and gave the Sixers a one point win. Their first one point win of the season, as it turns out, propelling the Sixers to their first playoff series win since 2003 and Doug Collins first since 1989.</p>
<p>Few players currently calling Philadelphia home are as maligned as Iguodala is. From his shooting and scoring struggles, to his supposed belief that he's the man, to his contract, alleged aloofness and bad body language, fans have long since turned on Iguodala. People tend to forget the fact that the Sixers could have major cap room next offseason without moving Iguodala, or the fact that he's willingly taken a back seat offensively when asked. They ignore his All-NBA caliber defense, his excellent passing for a wing, his ongoing battles with chondromalacia and his injured Achilles, and his underrated catch and shoot ability.</p>
<p>It's hard to say exactly what this win means for the team, or even any of the players as individuals, including whether it could give Iguodala the confidence to return to form from the line. This was hardly a pretty series, and the series win doesn't show the Sixers as being any closer to the end goal of winning a championship. The fact that an 8 seed beat a 1 seed is almost irrelevant because of the circumstances around Rose and Noah's injury.</p>
<p>It's also not likely to change the public's perception of Iguodala long term. Fans have long ago formed their opinions on Iguodala, and one play, one game, even one series won't change that, and nor should it.</p>
<p>But, for one day we'll be talking about Iguodala's heroics. Regardless of whether that verdict lasts, it's at least some recognition for a player who has deserved far more than he's gotten.</p>
https://philly.sbnation.com/philadelphia-76ers/2012/5/11/3013663/Andre-iguodala-shines-as-76ers-advance-past-BullsDerek Bodner2012-04-02T07:00:37-04:002012-04-02T07:00:37-04:00Sixers Need To Show Progress In Final Month
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<p>Looking uphill at the Boston Celtics and in the 7th seed of the Eastern Conference, the potentially dim playoff outlook and the lack of development from Evan Turner and Jrue Holiday threaten to derail what once looked like a promising season.</p> <p>Heading into the final month of the season the Sixers stand a game behind Boston in the Atlantic Division and in the 7th spot in the Eastern Conference with 14 games left to play. After leading the Atlantic Division for over 3 months straight, from a December 28th victory over Detroit until bad defeat to Washington last week, the Sixers playoff picture now looks vastly different. A 7th seed in the playoffs and a likely first round defeat to the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.blogabull.com/">Bulls</a> or <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.hothothoops.com/">Heat</a> would look eerily similar to what Sixers fans have experienced in the recent non-<span>Eddie Jordan</span> past.</p>
<p>But that's not the only measure of progress.</p>
<p>Coming into the season the development of the Sixers young guards were perhaps as important for the future outlook of the franchise as any improvement in wins and losses.</p>
<p><span>Jrue Holiday's</span> ascension last year into full time starter was one of the brighter individual points of the season, particularly at only 20 years of age. His season has been inconsistent at best, incredibly inefficient at worst. Only three players in the league have a higher usage rating than Holiday does with a lower true shooting percentage. That, combined with a drop in assist totals, represents a disappointing season, even if his defense has been one of the teams key strengths.</p>
<p>After <span>Evan Turner's</span> disappointing rookie season, fans were hoping his positive playoff series against the Heat represented Turner turning the corner on his professional career. Turner started off the year playing well, averaging 10.7 points to go along with 6.3 rebounds and 2.9 assists in his the first 15 games of the season, seemingly indicating his rookie struggles were a thing of the past.</p>
<p>The February that followed that, however, was one to forget. Turner averaged a dismal 5.1 points on 34% from the field in over 20 minutes per game. Ironically, this was immediately followed by his insertion into the starting lineup, prompted as much by <span>Jodie Meeks</span>' struggles as much as anything Turner was doing. It was this change that gave the Sixers season new meaning.</p>
<p>Not that it would all of a sudden give the Sixers a legitimate chance of winning a championship, as they're still piece(s) away from legitimate contention. The Sixers current fate wasn't altered that much March 5th, but their long term projection became brighter when Doug Collins announced that Jrue Holiday, Evan Turner, and <span>Andre Iguodala</span> would be the starters on the perimeter for the remainder of the season.</p>
<p>The last 28 games would provide the Sixers their best data on not only Turner's overall talent level but also on how the trio could mesh together, something that has largely been absent during the first 1.5 years of Turner's career, as prior to this he has either come off the bench or started in place of Iguodala last year when Iguodala was injured.</p>
<p>During a 4 game stretch of Turner starting, the outlook was positive. After a 1-12 shooting clunker in his first game, Turner responded by averaging 21.8 points, 10.3 rebounds, and 3.5 assists on 64% from the field over his next 4, with the Sixers going 3-1 over that span. Since then, he's largely been unable to replicate that success. He averaged a mere 6.6 points on 31% from the field while hauling down only 5.4 rebounds in nearly 31 minutes over his next 5 games, playing more off the ball during that span, and playing poorly.</p>
<p>Doug Collins went from saying of Turner that "at the end of the day, he's a point guard" to "that's 10 more times [off defensive rebounds] he has [the ball] in his hands," referencing the discrepancy between Turner's output during two <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.postingandtoasting.com/">Knicks</a> games, the first that saw Turner accumulate 24 points and 15 rebounds on 14 field goal attempts, the second that saw him provide a mere 2 points and 5 rebounds on 7 field goal attempts .</p>
<p>Collins insistence that Turner will start the remainder of the season appears to have waned. He still maintains that a change won't be made, although the nature of why seems to be more based around the fact that he doesn't want to force the team to adjust to any more drastic changes.</p>
<p>"I don't know what I could do, really," Collins said about any change in the lineup. "I think we're still adjusting to the change I made before."</p>
<p>Whether or not Turner and Holiday can succeed together is as important over these last 14 games as retaking the Atlantic Division lead. Sixers president Rod Thorn recently said he thought Jrue Holiday could succeed off the ball. I think there's some merit to that, and think Jrue Holiday has the qualities you would want in someone to start next to a ball dominant big guard (ability to shoot from the perimeter, ability to defend quick guards, ability to alleviate ball handling duties). Do I think it's Jrue Holiday's best role, or one that maximizes his talent? No. But if Turner proves his talent level is enough to warrant being a ball dominant initiator, then I think it's a role that he can fill.</p>
<p>Determining Turner's talent level is the key in the equation, and it's why moving him into the starting lineup, and keeping him there, is so incredibly important. It's important for the Sixers long term goals to allow him to initiate the offense and see what they have in him.</p>
<p><b>Winning the Atlantic</b></p>
<p>Winning the Atlantic is no small goal either, as the difference between getting the 4th seed and the 7th seed is drastic. Being a 7th seed and losing to the Heat in the first round would be a huge blow to a fan base that has been watching a first place team the majority of the season, and fan base that was told to accept minor offseason changes because of the benefits it would provide in the shortened season. Getting the 4th seed and winning a round over the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.indycornrows.com/">Indiana Pacers</a> is a much more realistic proposition.</p>
<p>That's why Saturday's game against the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.peachtreehoops.com/">Hawks</a> was so pivotal.</p>
<p>"We had to win this game at home," <span>Elton Brand</span> told SB Nation Philly after the game. "Our confidence, season, a lot of things could have been in jeopardy if we didn't win this one at home."</p>
<p>Even with the win, the Sixers will still have an uphill climb, one that was made harder by the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.celticsblog.com/">Celtics</a> 91-72 pummeling of the Heat on Sunday night. Ironically, the Heat next opponent will be the Sixers Tuesday in Miami. The Heat have lost 2 or more games in a row only 4 times this season, and the Sixers haven't been all that competitive against Miami, losing by an average of over 11 points per game in the previous three meetings.</p>
<p>On first glance, the Sixers remaining schedule appears to be rather unfavorable, finishing with 10 of their last 14 games on the road, where the Sixers are 10-13 on the year.</p>
<p>The Celtics, however, will face much harder opponents, with Miami (twice), San Antonio, Chicago, Atlanta, New York and Orlando still left on their schedule. The Sixers will play 8 of their final 14 games against teams with below a .500 record, the Celtics only 4 of their last 14.</p>
<p>The Celtics, however, are playing much better than the Sixers at this juncture, winning 7 of their last 8 games, including the beatdown of Miami last night.</p>
<p>Losing the division and being bounced in the first round of the playoffs (for the 5th playoff appearance in a row) would be a big blow to Sixers fans and make this season largely a disappointment, particularly when combined with the lack of progress in developing the two cornerstone guards they have invested so heavily in.</p>
https://philly.sbnation.com/philadelphia-76ers/2012/4/2/2919329/sixers-need-to-show-progress-in-final-monthDerek Bodner2012-02-09T09:02:22-05:002012-02-09T09:02:22-05:00Philadelphia 76ers Season One Of Extremes
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<p>Through 26 games this season, the first place Philadelphia 76ers are on pace to set the single season record for fewest turnovers per game. They're also nearly historic in their inability to get to the free throw line and grab an offensive rebound.</p> <p>The <a href="https://www.libertyballers.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Philadelphia 76ers</a> have found a virtually uncharted way towards their 18-8 start to the season, one which defies logic and past indicators.</p>
<p>Throw out for a second that they're doing it without a superstar, a commonly stated prerequisite for winning, and one with some degree of truth. This was known about the team before the season started and is hardly a shock.</p>
<p>There are three things this 76ers team has done so far this year that are at near historic levels.</p>
<p>First, they aren't getting to the free throw line. At all. After last nights 100-90 loss to the Spurs, the Sixers are last in the league in free throws made at a mere 13.4 made per game. Since the league was founded in 1946-1947, no team has ever finished above .500 averaging less than 14 made free throws per game. The closest to the Sixers were the St. Louis Bombers, when in the inaugural season they averaged 14.1 made free throws per game. The least since the BAA/NBL merger in 1949 were the 2005-2006 <a href="https://www.brightsideofthesun.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Phoenix Suns</a> at 14.5 made per game.</p>
<p>The worst offenders of this are <span>Jrue Holiday</span> (1 free throw attempted for every 7.7 field goals attempted), <span>Thaddeus Young</span> (one free throw attempted for every 5.1 field goals attempted), <span>Nikola Vucevic</span> (1 every 12.8 field goals attempted), <span>Jodie Meeks</span> (1 every 7.1), <span>Spencer Hawes</span> (1 every 6.5), and Elton Brand (1 every 4.9).</p>
<p>None of those are particularly surprising. Meeks was much better last year (1 free throw attempted every 3.3 field goals), but he was being fouled at an abnormally high rate for a jump shooter. Elton Brand had been good at getting to the line earlier in his career, but has been on a steady decline since his injury. Spencer Hawes has been incredibly bad for his career (1 free throw attempted for every 6 field goals for his career), as has Thaddeus Young (1 every 5 attempts), despite an ability to get inside and finish well.</p>
<p>Vucevic's game (and reputation) aren't yet developed enough to draw many fouls, but his start to his professional career has not been a positive one in that regard.</p>
<p>The major disappointment is Jrue Holiday.</p>
<p>Holiday wasn't particularly adept at it in previous years, but the hope was that he would take his game to the next level, penetrate more inside and learn how to draw contact. Instead the opposite has happened. Rather than build on his previous rate (one free throw attempted for every 4.9 field goals), he has gone far in the opposite direction. Of point guards who are scoring at least 10 points per game Holiday's 1.7 free throws attempted per game are tied with <span>Mario Chalmers</span> for the 2rd fewest, behind only <span>Jordan Farmar</span></p>
<p>The second item the Sixers have been tragically bad at this season has been offensive rebounding. Heading into the game the Sixers were last in the league in offensive rebounding rate, which is simply the percentage of available offensive rebounds the team has grabbed. If you go back to the 1970-1971 season only 4 teams have ever had an offensive rebounding rate as bad as the Sixers have been this season (22.2%) and finished above .500.</p>
<p>While the Sixers were a poor team at getting to the line the last two years (26th in free throw made last year and 27th the year before), this one is a little more surprising, as they were 23rd in offensive rebounding rate last year and 9th the year before.</p>
<p><span>Elton Brand's</span> decline as an offensive rebounder and the trade replacing <span>Samuel Dalembert</span> with Spencer Hawes have contributed to the problem, but the offensive rebounding and free throw discrepancies are tied together and have a very simple explanation.</p>
<p>The Sixers are shooting too many long jump shots.</p>
<p>While the Sixers are making a very good percentage from both beyond the arc (4th in the league at 38.9%) and from 16-23 feet (38.5%, good for 12th in the league), they're simply taking too many of them. The Sixers have attempted the 2nd most field goals between 16 and 23' from the rim and have the third fewest field goal attempts at the rim.</p>
<p>For a coach in Doug Collins who has stated he doesn't believe long two point jump shots will beat him, this is a major contradiction.</p>
<p>Jrue Holiday is once again the primary culprit. He's tied for 5th in the league among point guards who play 30 or more minutes per game in field goals attempted from 16-23 feet, at 4.4 per game. But he's not alone. <span>Andre Iguodala</span> (3.8 long two point jump shots per game), <span>Evan Turner</span> (3.2 per game), <span>Louis Williams</span> (3.2 per game), Thaddeus Young (3.2 per game), Spencer Hawes (2.9 per game), Elton Brand (2.6 per game), <span>Lavoy Allen</span> (2.2 per game), and Nikola Vucevic (1.5 per game) all get a size-able chunk of their half court offense on the worst shot in basketball.</p>
<p>Not only are you unlikely to get fouled on a long two point jump shot (except for Louis Williams), but it's often times only a step away from gaining the extra point awarded to three point shots and is not a significantly higher percentage shot than the three pointer to boot. The league on average shoots 37.6% from 16-23 feet, only a small uptick from the 34.5% it shoots from three point range.</p>
<p>To perform a simple math equation, if a team shoots 100 three pointers and makes 34 of them, or 34%, it would yield 102 points from those shots. If a team shoots 100 two pointers from 16-23 feet and makes 38 of them that would yield 76 points. Since those two pointers are so far away from the basket, it is unlikely teams will get fouled enough to make up this difference.</p>
<p>The Sixers are overcoming these two glaring holes due to their incredible ability to protect the basketball. The Sixers are only turning the ball over 10.6 times per game, well ahead of even the second best team in the league the <a href="https://www.poundingtherock.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">San Antonio Spurs</a>, who turn it over 13.8 times per game. In fact, 10.6 turnovers per game is well ahead of even the best mark in NBA history, set by the 2005-2006 <a href="https://www.detroitbadboys.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Detroit Pistons</a>, who turned it over 11.4 times per game. They're not just setting an NBA record, in a season which has seen turnovers pick up and scoring decrease as side effects of the strike, they're demolishing it.</p>
<p>If you wanted to find an area of the game the Sixers could pick up on, something to offset any potential increase in turnovers or even more decline in offensive rebounding and getting to the free throw line, it's transition. While the Sixers have generated transition opportunities, at the 4th highest rate in the league according to <a target="_blank" href="http://www.mysynergysports.com">Synergy Sports Technology</a>, they haven't converted those opportunities like they have in the past. Last year the Sixers shot a blistering 60.4% during transition opportunities, the 5th most efficient mark in the league. This year they've only converted at a 53% clip, which is 25th in the league. With returning almost entirely the same cast and still generating a good amount of opportunities, you would expect this mark to increase.</p>
<p>So far, the Sixers have vastly exceeded expectations on their way to an 18-8 record and sitting at first place in the Atlantic Division. How they have gone about that has been interesting in that it's been historic in numerous ways, both good and bad. Which of these extremes continue throughout the season will go a long way towards determining whether the Sixers are truly contenders.</p>
<p><i>Follow </i><a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/#!/derekbodner">Derek Bodner on twitter</a></p>
https://philly.sbnation.com/philadelphia-76ers/2012/2/9/2786527/sixers-season-one-of-extremesDerek Bodner2012-02-07T01:24:58-05:002012-02-07T01:24:58-05:00Sixers send Craig Brackins to D-League
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<p>the Sixers have <a href="http://www.slamonline.com/online/nba/2012/02/sixers-send-craig-brackins-to-d-league/" target="new">assigned Craig Brackins</a> to the Sixers D-League affiliate, the Maine Red Claws.</p>↵<p>Brackins, the 21st overall pick who the Sixers acquired along with Darius Songaila for Willie Green and Jason Smith, averaged 20.1 points and 8.6 rebounds on 44% from the field and 24.7% from three point range in 18 games in the D-League last year.</p>↵<p>Brackins has appeared in a total of 11 games in his <span class="caps">NBA</span> career, averaging 1.2 points in 5 plus minutes per game.</p>
https://philly.sbnation.com/2012/2/7/2781703/sixers-send-craig-brackins-to-d-leagueDerek Bodner