Post by SoonerfanTU on Sept 19, 2005 16:16:37 GMT -5
In a word? Doubtful.
Philly went into last season with high expectations. Losing out on the final playoff spot on the last day of the season pretty much exemplified the type of year that the 76er's had.
Andre Iguodala was expected to match his 22 ppg average of two years ago. Instead, he slipped to 18+. Aleksandrov was counted on as being the 3rd scorer on the team, and he too struggled.
So what has changed? Not much. Neither Iggy or Alek appear to have improved much during the offseason. Couple that with the departure of Kandi and J.R. Smith, and its hard to see where Philly will be improved at in the upcoming year. Yes, they resigned Aldridge, who will likely step into the starting PF position, much to the dismay of the team GM. They were also able to sign Damion James to their MLC, a guy they really like coming off the bench at the 3 spot. Stephen Jackson replaces J.R. Smith off the bench at the shooting guard spot, and Tony Battie provides depth in the post.
GM Jeremy Hill won't come out and say as much, but he appears to be worried about his inside game. While Gasol and Aldridge should be adequate scoring the ball, they are pretty average on defense and rebounding the ball. Also, there is little to no scoring potential off the bench.
With tempered enthusiasm this year, maybe the 76er's can suprise some teams. Afterall, on paper, the team isn't that bad. Not alot of teams can run out a starting pg and sg that are both capable of averaging over 20 ppg. Couple that with a SF with all the potential in the world, and adequate inside game, and depth off the bench in James and Jaric, and maybe things aren't as "average" as they appear.
That said, rumor has it that there might be a shakeup coming early in the season if they struggle. GM Jeremy Hill has been on the lookout for an aging star that might have just enough juice left to give Philly the shot in the arm they may need this year. With Terry nearing the end of his contract, and Iggy and Alek both entering their prime, the window to make a good run in the playoffs with this roster appears to be closing.
If nothing else, it should be be an entertaining year as GM Jeremy Hill appears to be very focused on bringing a winner to Philly. And soon.
Philly went into last season with high expectations. Losing out on the final playoff spot on the last day of the season pretty much exemplified the type of year that the 76er's had.
Andre Iguodala was expected to match his 22 ppg average of two years ago. Instead, he slipped to 18+. Aleksandrov was counted on as being the 3rd scorer on the team, and he too struggled.
So what has changed? Not much. Neither Iggy or Alek appear to have improved much during the offseason. Couple that with the departure of Kandi and J.R. Smith, and its hard to see where Philly will be improved at in the upcoming year. Yes, they resigned Aldridge, who will likely step into the starting PF position, much to the dismay of the team GM. They were also able to sign Damion James to their MLC, a guy they really like coming off the bench at the 3 spot. Stephen Jackson replaces J.R. Smith off the bench at the shooting guard spot, and Tony Battie provides depth in the post.
GM Jeremy Hill won't come out and say as much, but he appears to be worried about his inside game. While Gasol and Aldridge should be adequate scoring the ball, they are pretty average on defense and rebounding the ball. Also, there is little to no scoring potential off the bench.
With tempered enthusiasm this year, maybe the 76er's can suprise some teams. Afterall, on paper, the team isn't that bad. Not alot of teams can run out a starting pg and sg that are both capable of averaging over 20 ppg. Couple that with a SF with all the potential in the world, and adequate inside game, and depth off the bench in James and Jaric, and maybe things aren't as "average" as they appear.
That said, rumor has it that there might be a shakeup coming early in the season if they struggle. GM Jeremy Hill has been on the lookout for an aging star that might have just enough juice left to give Philly the shot in the arm they may need this year. With Terry nearing the end of his contract, and Iggy and Alek both entering their prime, the window to make a good run in the playoffs with this roster appears to be closing.
If nothing else, it should be be an entertaining year as GM Jeremy Hill appears to be very focused on bringing a winner to Philly. And soon.
