Tom Moore 2.0

[steveb21]

I've been reading through some of these threads and the question that nobody seems to be asking is:

What if Eddie Jordan gets through to Dalembert?

It's not impossible...Chris Ford did it. Seems to me that Sam has a lot to prove and this is the perfect opportunity to do it. New coach, new system and everybody is starting from scratch.

Another question is: is anyone other than Igoudala working on learning the Princeton? If not then I'd be awful dissapointed in the rest of the guys.

[Gsraider]

What if Eddie Jordan gets through to Dalembert? It's not impossible...Chris Ford did it. Seems to me that Sam has a lot to prove and this is the perfect opportunity to do it. New coach, new system and everybody is starting from scratch.

I don't think anyone has wanted to get to a point of having to think about this just yet. Now, with the FA off-season Philly is currently having, this, along with Lou Williams becoming a good full-time PG, we may have to bank on it. How scary is that? I suppose it's possible, but his situation looks a lot to me like Tim Thomas of year's past. So many teams and coaches thought they could unlock his vast talent too. In the end, Thomas just didn't want it badly enough. I doubt Dalembert does either.

[sixers hoops]

Guys like Korver, Kapono, reggie miller, and ray allen were born with it and have worked on it their entire lives. But the guys like Raja Bell, Roger Mason, Trevor Ariza, and Bruce Bowen who have worked on it constantly since joining the NBA because they knew it would be the only way they'd get more playing time.

I agree, I will always take a pure shooter. However, seeing that Andre, Lou, and Thad plan to be here long-term, possibly playing on the court together, just improving their outside shot like Raja, Bowen, or Mckie, could really be beneficial.

I don't think the 3 of them will resemble Dell Curry, Ray Allen, and Reggie Miller, but yearly improvement in that area of their game is what this team needs.

[tmoore]

Just finished a conference call with Jrue Holiday in Orlando. He said he wasn't aggressive until last night's game because he tried to get other guys involved and run the plays all the way through. Knocked down both his 3s in Wednesday's 22-point loss to the Magic.

[corwin]

I have to admit that I'm absolutely astounded that a Wharton School, MBA did not take into account that the recession would seriously impact the team's finances this yea& in the future since the cap is tied to the league revenues. Frankly, I think this should have been anticipated a year ago when Brand , Williams & Iguodala were signed. Some of us were calling for Ed to structure the Iguodala & Williams contracts differently so they wouldn't affect the future cap as much at the time. Instead, we got three escalating contracts. Those will only damage the team's ability to improve in the future. The impact of the recession should also have been anticipated this year when Evans was swapped for Kapono (adding an additional 1.6 million next year). We all know that this organization will not pay the luxury tax. This will impact the ability to improve and compete. We're going to see a veteran PG on a one year contact & a couple minimum guys this year. Next year the team can only hope that the league passes another moratorium so they can release Dalembert or Kapono to get under the LT. Otherwise, they'll probably have to trade, renounce, or pick a foreign player to stay under the luxury tax during the draft (when we still need a core player or two) or else work out a buyout for 90 cents on the dollar for Dalembert or Kapono. Ed has really dug himself into a hole. Just because other teams are in worse shape doesn't make this right!

[Gsraider]

Just finished a conference call with Jrue Holiday in Orlando. He said he wasn't aggressive until last night's game because he tried to get other guys involved and run the plays all the way through. Knocked down both his 3s in Wednesday's 22-point loss to the Magic.

Thanks for the update Tom. This actually makes some sense to me and not just because I want to believe it either. I would imagine that it's tough for a rookie to start playing SL ball in front of some of his future coaches and particularly after switching positions. He's probably trying so hard to do what the coaches want him to do and not playing as instinctually or naturally as he would otherwise. At some point however, he will reach a comfort zone and just start playing. My guess is that it will be more and more noticeable with Holiday and by the end of the SL, he may actually be able to finish a drive.

[tmoore]

Link to today's blogs on Lou Williams and Holiday:

http://www.phillyburbs.com/opinions/blo ... moore.html

[Hops2thesky]

also..they seem to think holliday can start in 2010.....and worst case scenario year 3. so lou and that vet min PG can hold the fort for a year.

That is good news, they obviously see some great things from him.
That would actually be similar to Rondo's development.

[76ciology]

I have to admit that I'm absolutely astounded that a Wharton School, MBA did not take into account that the recession would seriously impact the team's finances this yea& in the future since the cap is tied to the league revenues. Frankly, I think this should have been anticipated a year ago when Brand , Williams & Iguodala were signed. Some of us were calling for Ed to structure the Iguodala & Williams contracts differently so they wouldn't affect the future cap as much at the time. Instead, we got three escalating contracts. Those will only damage the team's ability to improve in the future. The impact of the recession should also have been anticipated this year when Evans was swapped for Kapono (adding an additional 1.6 million next year). We all know that this organization will not pay the luxury tax. This will impact the ability to improve and compete. We're going to see a veteran PG on a one year contact & a couple minimum guys this year. Next year the team can only hope that the league passes another moratorium so they can release Dalembert or Kapono to get under the LT. Otherwise, they'll probably have to trade, renounce, or pick a foreign player to stay under the luxury tax during the draft (when we still need a core player or two) or else work out a buyout for 90 cents on the dollar for Dalembert or Kapono. Ed has really dug himself into a hole. Just because other teams are in worse shape doesn't make this right!

Nice post.

I think prior to the signing of Iggy and EB42, this has already been anticipated.

But the problem is that we had a very poor vision of this team at that point of time. I think Ed Stefanski envisioned a team that is ready for contention with our squad last season. I mean, even Donyell Marshall and Theo Ratliff even jumped to our bandwagon (LOL). But come the regular season, we looked very unprepared out there with Mo and his poor offensive sets and the lack of chemistry between EB42 and the rest of the team. And what made it worse, was EB42 has to sit for the majority of the season due to the injury.

Yes, right now we're in a terrible shape. It reminds me of the present Magic team that has become inflexible due to the contract that they gave to Rashard. But the big difference is that they got a franchise player like Dwight that his mere presence can lift their team into an elite status, and on our team we're still deciding on who to point our fingers at.

[Hops2thesky]

Link to today's blogs on Lou Williams and Holiday:
http://www.phillyburbs.com/opinions/blo ... moore.html

Sounds like Jrue knows what he needs to to to fit in, and is practicing that now, rather then just tryign to dominate summer league.
I think he will fit in smoothly with our team...

[Gsraider]

also..they seem to think holliday can start in 2010.....and worst case scenario year 3. so lou and that vet min PG can hold the fort for a year.

That is good news, they obviously see some great things from him.
That would actually be similar to Rondo's development.

That would definitely be nice and is a glass is half full view. Of course, the glass is half empty view would be that they simply are hoping and praying that Holiday will be ready at that point because they can't/won't spend any more money and are out of options. I sure hope it's the former.

[The Guilty Party]

As the summer goes by, I'm now starting to hope that we do just let Miller walk. We really won't be competing for a title this year (sorry to be Debbie Downer) so I don't have a problem with playing our young core, let them make their mistakes, but also let them mature together and gel together. I still don't know how Elton Brand fits in but hey, it'll be nice to have some veteran leadership on this team.

[tk76]

As the summer goes by, I'm now starting to hope that we do just let Miller walk. We really won't be competing for a title this year (sorry to be Debbie Downer) so I don't have a problem with playing our young core, let them make their mistakes, but also let them mature together and gel together. I still don't know how Elton Brand fits in but hey, it'll be nice to have some veteran leadership on this team.

Insert here Bebop rant about wasting last year not playing Speights, Lou, Iguodala and Young at the right positions

Which I agree with, but its a new year.

[Dedicated_76ers_fan]

TGP: Your right, they do need a veteran leader on this team. One that's experienced winning.

Kevin12 made the point, I'll make it again: This basketball team has experienced WINNING. If you dump Brand for just about anything, now your letting them experience losing.

I don't want to be the Clippers or the Hawks: To suffer through losing for decades.

As we look now, we don't even have good trade value yet. So let the guys play it out, let them raise their stock.

You can discuss it legitimately in February,you can't begin to discuss it now.

[bebopdeluxe]

Back at you, tk...

I am worn out on this whole thing...and - on some level - I agree that having Miller and making the playoffs has benefitted the development of the young players...although I do believe that had they move Speights into the starting lineup, played Iggy/Thad at the 2/3 and given Lou regular rotation minutes at PG, they would have STILL made the playoffs...

I only hope that Tom Moore and Kate Fagan press Stefanski on why, if he is willing to go with Lou and Jrue at PG this season (with Brand back in the lineup), why he didn't develop the young guys last season after Brand went down.

Isn't it basically the same position to take?

[Dedicated_76ers_fan]

FOR PLAYOFF GAMES .

[Gsraider]

I don't want to be the Clippers or the Hawks: To suffer through losing for decades. As we look now, we don't even have good trade value yet. So let the guys play it out, let them raise their stock.

I agree, but I don't want to be the Hawks prior to M. Bibby either. The league is littered with teams that have had a nice collection of talent, but were subpar at the PG spot. That claim could be made for Philly towards the end of the Iverson era too. Among other things, a good PG calms the team down and gets them in the right sets, he feeds the hot hand, and can score when necessary. If he's good enough, he makes everyone around him better.

Regardless of whether you think Miller did that (personally I think he did), I don't want to experience even one season with someone like Anthony Johnson or Anthony Carter at the point. So, to your point about letting guys play it out and raising their stock, that knife cuts both ways. Subpar play at the point could also cause everyone to look worse.

[tmoore]

Understand the offer to Miller has been one year and roughly $6 mill since July 1. Had been told it originally was two years, but that's apparently incorrect.

[tmoore]

Was just told this: "There is nothing going on (sign-and-trade wise) in Portland. There never was."

Asked where Miller will end up and was told it's unclear because he wants more than the MLE.

[Gsraider]

Understand the offer to Miller has been one year and roughly $6 mill since July 1. Had been told it originally was two years, but that's apparently incorrect.

Tom, do you get a sense that if this is the type of salary that Miller is forced to accept, he would be more inclined to take it with another team than Philly at this point? This does not seem overly amicable at the moment.