Mediocre Monsters

Brendan Hazlett

LosingWithStyle NBA Contributor

Is there a better way to describe the Sixers than mediocre monsters? Anyone who saw their last two games has to sit back and laugh.  The mistakes they make down the stretch, their inability to consistently rely on a go-to guy, and their porous defense are reason enough to give up on them.  Add that up with the fact that the franchise hasn’t had a winning season since 2004-5 when they lost to Detroit in the first round.  Attendance at Wells Fargo is the lowest in the league.  Really? Philadelphia?  This isn’t Memphis, Vancouver, or Seattle.  This is a storied franchise that has produced all-time greats such as Barkley, Erving, Malone, Iverson (arguably), and others.

And if you trend it over the long run, it becomes even more depressing.  The 76ers haven’t won a championship trophy since 1983. 37 years ago.  And we’ve only had a staggering single win in a Finals series since then.  It’s difficult to envision this struggling franchise quickly coming together to produce a high-caliber winning team capable of contending.

So what’s the solution?

As hard as it is to watch these games, there are positives.  Against a formidable Magic defense playing over the watchful eye of their home crowd, the Sixers’ young guns stuck it to Orlando.  Attacking the rim with an unflinching ferocity, they found a way to stay competitive in a hostile environment.  It was fun to watch and undoubtedly would have been an entertaining nationally televised contest (is anyone else sick of watching the Brandon Roy-less Trailblazers playing every other game?).  But I digress.  You can’t pinpoint every single negative and hope to rebuild simply from that.  Picture the Celtics early in the decade.  Paul Pierce was their franchise rock but upper management couldn’t find a way to give him a supporting cast.  They slumped at the bottom of the Conference until they drafted Rondo, then miraculously worked the market to snag Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett.  Instant contenders for years to come.

What management has to do in this case is find a reliable go-to option.  It is not Iguodala.  It is not Brand.  And no, Lou Williams is not going to suddenly explode for a 20+ PPG season. It’s not going to happen, stop thinking about it.  Every great team operates around an impact scorer, and a big man who can control the paint defensively.  Shuffle in some role players, and you’ve got yourself a team.  Nobody on the Sixers scores over 15 PPG; they’re the only team in the league that does that.  Iguodala game is a massive underachievement this season. He’s an incredible player, but not your franchise leader.  He’s a solid alternate option.  Scouts know him already; he can’t shoot and his dribbling skills are less than savory.  His defensive skill set is stellar, no doubt, but that’s not going to take your team over the top.  In essence, he’s a poor man’s Josh Smith.  While I was overjoyed at our acquiring of Brand a few years ago, his worth is far beneath expectations.  The perennial 20/10 big man is no more; knee surgeries tend to do that.  And to reemphasize, stop waiting on Lou Williams. That experiment is over.  At best, this guy is a sixth-man of the year, and he isn’t even close to that level now.

There are players to keep.  From watching the way he plays with a knack to get to the rim and his relatively high rebounding rate, Turner is going to be rock solid.  Thad Young should continue to come off the bench because of his versatility and offensive arsenal.  But scouts know him too well for him to play 30+ minutes a night.  Jrue Holiday is a future All-Star, no doubt about it.  Don’t sleep on that kid.  I see Speights as a marginal contributor because he prefers to play outside so much.  What happened to dominant, physical big men who bang on the inside?  I think I preferred Reggie Evans more.  Hawes?  No, absolutely not.  You don’t go over the top with a weak center who gets crushed down low.  Talk about a defensive liability.

This team needs restructuring, but not a massive overhaul.  Keep the young core together, and get a team to bite on Brand or Iguodala, perhaps even if it’s a low sell.  The Iguodala experiment is over; he’s a second fiddle at best.  Go out and get a scorer, someone to attract fans to Wells Fargo.  Get that attendance up, build a winning culture, and bring back relevance to the basketball world in Philly.  If we stay optimistic and follow the mold of the Celtics, it could be just around the corner.