The Philadelphia 76ers greatly struggled in attendance last season, and the 2010-2011 season will likely be no different. In recent e-mails sent out to season ticket holders, the following message was sent:

“”Pick out the Best Seats to see Evan Turner & Jrue Holiday take on the NBA’s best!”

No, that does not mean that Andre Iguodala is being traded. It just shows that the team is trying to steer away from the mediocrity that has been haunting Philadelphia basketball for the last eight years or so. If Iguodala and/or Brand were advertised, it would just remind fans of the misery. But advertising this backcourt is something for fans to look forward to. Or at least the few who show up to the games.

by David at the Sports Fan Blog Network

After drafting Evan Turner, the 76ers added yet another young gun to their loaded roster (that always leads to mediocrity). But despite the fact that they look mediocre, this team has a potentially bright future. However, two men may be blocking that bright future. One is Andre Iguodala, and the other is Elton Brand. Imagine if the 76ers didn’t have those two? The starting lineup would include Spencer Hawes, Marreese Speights, Thaddeus Young, Evan Turner, and Jrue Holiday. That would be an incredibly young and exciting lineup. Would the team do worse? Yes. But it is not exactly like an NBA Championship is coming their way anyway.

If this were the lineup, many positives would come out of it. First of all, Philadelphia would have a ton of cap room. That is not realistic though, as you cannot just dump these contracts for nothing. But suppose they got dumped for expiring deals. Philadelphia would have loads of cap room in the future to use however they wanted. Also, these five young guys would be playing together, and maturing together. There would be nobody like Iguodala hogging shots from them, and they would get the playing time necessary to fully grow.

There is no way of trading Elton Brand. And we all know Philadelphia has always overvalued Iguodala. But if there is a way to move one or both of these guys, it needs to be done.

by David at the Sports Fan Blog Network

Philadelphia 76ers fans (or whatever is left of them) always have mixed opinions on Andre Iguodala. Some think that he is under appreciated, while others think that he is overrated. Many believe that he is overpaid, while others think his contract is justified. But the fact is that he will be making over $12 million each of the next four seasons.

There is no denying that Iguodala is a good player. He can score, shoot, pass, and play defense. But while his defensive game should never be called into question, his offense game should. Iguodala has the mindset that he is a top-flight scorer. It was clear when Iverson returned that Iguodala kept chucking up shots, to try to get the point across that Philadelphia is his team. He may technically be the best player on the team, but that is why they have the #2 pick.

Barring a disaster, Evan Turner will be in Philadelphia. Iguodala should not take his development away. By the time the 76ers can actually become good, Iguodala’s contract will be up anyway. He is just preventing other players from reaching their potential. Iguodala has reached his, and it’s nothing better than being an all-star caliber player. He would work better on a team with stars above him, so Iguodala could know his role, and only do what he is good at doing.

Clearly, the 76ers need to rebuild. Jrue Holiday has potential to be good, but it is too soon to tell. Thaddeus Young does not mesh well with Iguodala, so one needs to be dealt. Dalembert is (thankfully) entering the last year of his contract. Speights seemed to look worse last year, especially after his injury. This team needs to just reboot itself, and trade away all the long-term deals that it can.

Philadelphia management doesn’t get anything right, but hopefully they do here. Trade Iguodala while he still has value.

by David at the Sports Fan Blog Network

New Philadelphia 76ers head coach Doug Collins wants a “speedy” lineup for next season. A lineup that would put Elton Brand at center, Thaddeus Young at power forward, and Andre Iguodala at small forward is being considered. This would be a pretty stupid move. First of all, Elton Brand should be traded at all cost; even at the expense of trading the #2 pick. He is simply making too much money over the next three years, and the young core the 76ers have right now will not develop into a winning team.

But shifting focus back onto the potential lineup, it sounds like a terrible idea. Sam Dalembert does more harm than good, but he at least provides somewhat of a defensive presence. With this small lineup, Philadelphia would get killed inside the paint. Opponents would grab far more rebounds, and be far more dominant inside. Here’s a message to Doug Collins. Coaches like Mo Cheeks, Jim O’Brien, Randy Ayers, and Eddie Jordan haven’t gotten it done. Don’t join that list too soon.

by David at the Sports Fan Blog Network

Who needs to tank? Certainly not teams in the NBA if they want to land a top pick in the NBA Draft. With just a 5.3% chance to land the top pick in the 2010 NBA Draft, the Philadelphia 76ers were able to get the next best thing- second pick. For a franchise that has had nothing to cheer about for years, the luck may finally be turning around.

On paper, a team headlined by Andre Iguodala, Elton Brand, Thaddeus Young, Samuel Dalembert, Lou Williams, and Jrue Holiday should not be in such a downward spiral. But the fact of the matter is that the team chemistry is just not there, and everyone seems to be underachieving at the same time. Now with the second pick in the draft, underachieving could be thrown out the window. All signs would point to Kentucky’s John Wall being the top pick, which would likely mean that Ohio State guard/forward Evan Turner will be coming to Philadelphia.

Many compare Turner to Brandon Roy, which would be an ideal fit for a team that would largely benefit from any type of scoring. Ideally, Turner would form a dynamic backcourt with Jrue Holiday that would change Philadelphia basketball in the coming years. But in order for this to happen, general manager Ed Stefanski has some work to do. Recent rookies such as Tyreke Evans and Derrick Rose have been so successful because teams went out of their way to build around them. If Evan Turner wants his potential to be reached in Philadelphia, then moves have to be made. Players like Andre Iguodala and Thaddeus Young should be moved if they will possibly block Turner’s development; and they will. It is all speculation at this point as to how Evan Turner being on Philadelphia will play out (assuming the team keeps the pick, and uses it on him). But one thing is for sure; it won’t matter if management does not present him with a good scenario.

by David at the Sports Fan Blog Network

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