Spring Break
Sixers in need of new direction
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Nadum
Issue date: 4/27/07 Section: Sports
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Ask most Sixers fans about life in a post-Iverson era and they'll smile with pride, pointing out the team improved drastically (as if going 29-29 in the worst division in the NBA is something to be proud of) after Iverson was traded to Denver for Andre Miller, Joe Smith, two late first round draft picks and salary cap fodder.
They'll point to the emergence of their young stars. Which is great, I suppose. But Andre Iguodala will never be anything but a poor man's Scottie Pippen. Kyle Korver is a one trick pony that can't play defense. Maurice Cheeks is as inept a head coach as there is in the NBA. Samuel Dalembert still hasn't learned to play a lick of defense, and we're still roughly $30 million over the salary cap.
As for that change in "culture" Billy King, President of Basketball Operations and General Manager, is so proud of … unless it means King plans on learning French, eating croissants and getting the hell out of Philadelphia … the chances of that stopping us from being one of the most poorly run franchises in professional sports are roughly the same as me learning to fly.
While Billy King has the potential to be a terrific McDonald's 'Team Leader,' that he remains employed in the NBA is as puzzling as it is offensive. This is a man that bids against himself to retain his own players. A man that has blundered every single contract he's ever signed. And a man that, in spite of his best efforts, still had a sure fire out. A way to erase every mistake he's ever made (which would be the equivalent of George Bush fixing the war in Iraq in six months).
After managing to get two draft picks and Andre Miller from Denver in exchange for Iverson and buying out Chris Webber's contract, one step remained from making the Sixers relevant again. One step from getting a franchise player that would become the face of the Sixers for years to come. All they had to do was lose. And god knows that if they could manage to do it with Allen and Webber, two future first-ballot Hall of Famers, they could lose even more without them.
They'll point to the emergence of their young stars. Which is great, I suppose. But Andre Iguodala will never be anything but a poor man's Scottie Pippen. Kyle Korver is a one trick pony that can't play defense. Maurice Cheeks is as inept a head coach as there is in the NBA. Samuel Dalembert still hasn't learned to play a lick of defense, and we're still roughly $30 million over the salary cap.
As for that change in "culture" Billy King, President of Basketball Operations and General Manager, is so proud of … unless it means King plans on learning French, eating croissants and getting the hell out of Philadelphia … the chances of that stopping us from being one of the most poorly run franchises in professional sports are roughly the same as me learning to fly.
While Billy King has the potential to be a terrific McDonald's 'Team Leader,' that he remains employed in the NBA is as puzzling as it is offensive. This is a man that bids against himself to retain his own players. A man that has blundered every single contract he's ever signed. And a man that, in spite of his best efforts, still had a sure fire out. A way to erase every mistake he's ever made (which would be the equivalent of George Bush fixing the war in Iraq in six months).
After managing to get two draft picks and Andre Miller from Denver in exchange for Iverson and buying out Chris Webber's contract, one step remained from making the Sixers relevant again. One step from getting a franchise player that would become the face of the Sixers for years to come. All they had to do was lose. And god knows that if they could manage to do it with Allen and Webber, two future first-ballot Hall of Famers, they could lose even more without them.
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