Everyone breathe easy... exhale... take that sigh of relief and relax. This nightmare-ish season, which was once so promising and exciting, is finally over. The Sixers, who owned a 10-5 record in the month of January(matching the 2015-16 entire season's win total in that month alone) somehow managed to finagle a whole lot of ping pong balls by the time this season ended. Enough to give them the 4th best odds at the #1 overall pick. Ideally, and if things go according to plan, this should be the final year of the tank. If it isn't, then it's likely Embiid got hurt again, Ben Simmons sucked, or a combination of the two. And in that scenario, the Sixers are pretty much screwed anyway.
This is a unique situation. Dare I even call it possibly a blessing in disguise? The Sixers are nowhere close to the worst team in the NBA this season. Without Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons, and Jerryd Bayless, they managed to still be competitive this season for the most part. Even against quality competiton. It wasn't until the final two weeks of the season, after losing Robert Covington to a knee injury, that the team finally buckled under their own weight. In terms of the caliber of their rosters, the Sixers are less deserving of the #1 overall pick than a lot of other teams. But here they stand, sitting comfortably with the 4th best odds, and their chances are even greater with the addition of Sacramento's pick swap. This is a situation the Sixers need to take full advantage of, because they may not find themselves in the top 10 of the NBA draft for quite some time(at least with their own draft picks anyway).
I view this upcoming draft as a "one player draft" meaning I see one potential franchise-changer. His name is Markelle Fultz, and he would be a perfect fit for the Sixers. He is a scoring guard, who doesn't need to be a distributor on offense. He can work off of Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons. He has the shooting ability to spread the floor, and the athleticism to attack the rim when he needs to. Fultz is the prize of this draft class. With what we all hope is a final tank "send-off season" the Sixers need to find a way to sail away with the prize of this draft class. There is always a price that is too rich, but if the Sixers come away on lottery night with, say, picks 3 and 4, or picks 4 and 5, they should do whatever they can to move up to 1 and grab Fultz. Drafting Jonathan Isaac and Malik Monk would be nice... but neither scream "superstar" to me. This may be the Sixers' last chance to draft a superstar with the assets they have, and they should make it happen should the opportunity present itself.
If the Sixers find themselves unable to land Fultz, I believe they should revisit trading for Paul George. Recently, ESPN's Zach Lowe, and Liberty Ballers reported that the Sixers expressed interest in trading for Paul George at the trade deadline, and Liberty Ballers even reported that they made a formal offer to Indiana. The problem is that Paul George isn't under contract for much longer. He can be a free agent at the end of next season. Trading away significant assets for a one year rental is bad business. However, if the Bryan Colangelo, Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons, and Dario Saric can convince George that Philly is the new "place to be" and he agrees to a contract extension, then the Sixers should cash in some of those numerous assets that have accumulated over the last 3 years. Get your superstar wing to pair with your two young budding potential superstars.
The East is very vulnerable. The Cavs suddenly look beatable. LeBron James isn't getting any younger, and with George, the Sixers would have an opportunity to climb the Easter Conference very quickly, and he's still young enough that you would have a long window to compete for a championship. The Sixers have options and that's a great thing. George Costanza once said
"Oh. It's just horse manure. Horse manure's not that bad. I don't even
mind the word 'manure.' You know, it's, it's 'newer,' which is good. And
a 'ma' in front of it. MA-NURE. When you consider the other choices,
'manure' is actually pretty refreshing."
When you have a negative situation, you behoove yourself to try to get something positive out of it. In a Sixers season that ended with misery, it might have just opened the door a crack for them to get one more superstar... either via the draft or trade. And they should grab onto that opportunity and hang on for dear life, and refuse to let go. It may just be the difference in building a very good team, and building a potential powerhouse.
Thursday, April 13, 2017
Tuesday, April 11, 2017
The Eagles shouldn't go anywhere near Richard Sherman for what it will cost them
Eagles/Seahawks. 3:45 to go in the 2nd quarter. Eagles trail 16-7. Nelson Aghholor is wide open in the middle of the field and is hit in stride by Carson Wentz.... drop. That infamous play is one of the many strains on the 2016 season by the Eagles WRs and one that stood out as #1 to many Eagles fans. Who was the DB the much-maligned Agholor beat on the play to get so wide open? Richard Sherman. Not only did he beat him, but after the play, Sherman had to go back and pick up his jock strap before the next play. Yes, this is only one play, but it is an example of the regression the Seattle CB showed this past season, and why any Eagles fan should have concerns about acquiring him.
When you sign or trade for players in sports, you want to acquire them for what they will do, not what they did do. Richard Sherman is 29 years old, and is coming off a season where he looked very pedestrian far too often. He will have a case to make the Hall of Fame once he retires, but right now at this very second, he is no longer the best CB in the game. Not even close. Could he return to that level? Absolutely. Would I beat quality draft picks on it? Not a chance in hell. The worst thing you can do in the NFL, especially for a building team, is to forfeit your high draft picks for old(er) players coming off of down years. It's too risky, and it's just bad business. Data has shown over the years that once you hit the age of 30, your prime years are typically behind you. Sure, there are exceptions, and maybe Sherman is one of those cases, but you'd be stupid to risk giving away a young player who you control for a minimum of 5-7 years on it.
The Eagles are trying to build something special. Fans may not want to hear this, but I truly believe the best way to win a championship in sports is much akin to the original Reid and Banner model. Be highly competitive every single year, and hope one of those years you break through and the luck goes your way. "Going for it" in sports works at far less of a rate than most people think, and by breaking bank on shortsighted moves, you shrink your championship window, thus lessening the chances that you win a championship. Sherman would be the epitome of that kind of move. The Eagles need cost-controlled young players to help build a contending product for 5-10 years. Not artificially speed up the process and delude yourself into thinking you're ready to bring a Lombardi to Philly when you aren't.
There is a chance Richard Sherman will never be the same player he was ever again. There's also a chance he is. However, putting it right down the middle, at most, he probably gives you 2 years of elite play, and from then it will be all downhill. You will have sacrificed a vital building block for a 2 year sprint to the finish line, when your starting point is the Milky Way and you need to reach the Andromeda galaxy. Then, in a few years, when you see the player Seattle takes at pick #14 or pick #43 contributing for them for the next 5+ years, and Sherman is an afterthought in Philadelphia, you'll all be thinking "Man, I wish we had this guy on our team." And you could have... if you were just smart and patient.
Just say no to Richard Sherman.
When you sign or trade for players in sports, you want to acquire them for what they will do, not what they did do. Richard Sherman is 29 years old, and is coming off a season where he looked very pedestrian far too often. He will have a case to make the Hall of Fame once he retires, but right now at this very second, he is no longer the best CB in the game. Not even close. Could he return to that level? Absolutely. Would I beat quality draft picks on it? Not a chance in hell. The worst thing you can do in the NFL, especially for a building team, is to forfeit your high draft picks for old(er) players coming off of down years. It's too risky, and it's just bad business. Data has shown over the years that once you hit the age of 30, your prime years are typically behind you. Sure, there are exceptions, and maybe Sherman is one of those cases, but you'd be stupid to risk giving away a young player who you control for a minimum of 5-7 years on it.
The Eagles are trying to build something special. Fans may not want to hear this, but I truly believe the best way to win a championship in sports is much akin to the original Reid and Banner model. Be highly competitive every single year, and hope one of those years you break through and the luck goes your way. "Going for it" in sports works at far less of a rate than most people think, and by breaking bank on shortsighted moves, you shrink your championship window, thus lessening the chances that you win a championship. Sherman would be the epitome of that kind of move. The Eagles need cost-controlled young players to help build a contending product for 5-10 years. Not artificially speed up the process and delude yourself into thinking you're ready to bring a Lombardi to Philly when you aren't.
There is a chance Richard Sherman will never be the same player he was ever again. There's also a chance he is. However, putting it right down the middle, at most, he probably gives you 2 years of elite play, and from then it will be all downhill. You will have sacrificed a vital building block for a 2 year sprint to the finish line, when your starting point is the Milky Way and you need to reach the Andromeda galaxy. Then, in a few years, when you see the player Seattle takes at pick #14 or pick #43 contributing for them for the next 5+ years, and Sherman is an afterthought in Philadelphia, you'll all be thinking "Man, I wish we had this guy on our team." And you could have... if you were just smart and patient.
Just say no to Richard Sherman.
Monday, April 10, 2017
Why John Ross may project better to the NFL than any WR in his class
This isn't a golden rule, but most of the time, if you want to stand out in the NFL as an elite level WR, you need to fit one of two categories:
1. A big, physical freak of nature who can impose his will on DBs, but still has enough speed to get separation whenever he needs.
2. A blazing fast target with good hands, who is a threat to go the distance every time he touches the ball.
Of the 3 "big names" talked about for the Eagles at pick 14, the only one who fits either category is John Ross. Mike Williams is big and physical, but lacks the speed to get consistent separation, causing concern that he will only be a possession WR in the NFL. Corey Davis is no shrimp. He's a big WR who is "sneaky fast" and he gets YAC, but he isn't what I'd call a "freak" physically or in the speed category.
John Ross is the only one who fits the bill. He showed incredible vertical speed and big play ability in college, and was a home run threat every time he touched the ball. He backed this up at the Combine by running a record 4.22 40 time. He is the type of WR who will scare defensive coordinators, take safeties away from the middle of the field, and open up space for your running game and QB.
Having blazing speed doesn't guarantee you to be successful in the NFL. You saw this with Darrius Heyward-Bey, who has been a bust out of Maryland. Will Fuller(Philadelphia's own), another speedster, out of Notre Dame was drafted in the 1st round by the Houston Texans, and struggled as a rookie. That's not saying he can't turn into something special, but his drop issues carried over to the NFL, as he struggled with securing routine passes, much like he did in college. This is why I put the specific criteria of having "good hands" into my two categories. Typically, two things prevent athletes with that kind of speed from making it in the NFL: their hands or their brains. Minimizing drops and route running need to be done well to make that speed worthwhile, and John Ross excels at both.
Ross has been praised by draft pundits for his solid hands and route running, and I see no reason why that shouldn't carry over to the NFL. Combine that with speed, and he has all the makings of a very successful WR in the NFL, who has a floor of a long-term vertical threat, and a ceiling of a perennial Pro Bowler. Players like Odell Beckham Jr., Brandin Cooks, Mike Wallace, DeSean Jackson are all WRs with similar traits in college, who came right into the NFL and had immediate success. Not to take anything away from Corey Davis or Mike Williams. I'm quite high on both, and I currently have Corey Davis #1 in my WR rankings, mainly due to John Ross' injury questions. However, looking at how skills typically translate to he NFL, and looking at the history of WRs with athletic abilities similar to Ross, I'd say he is a good bet to be a dynamic playmaker at the NFL level, provided he can stay healthy.
At pick 14, he is worth strong consideration if I'm Howie Roseman and Joe Douglas. He could provide big plays at the Linc for many years, and give Carson Wentz a young playmaker to go with, who will be perfect playing opposite of Alshon Jeffery.
1. A big, physical freak of nature who can impose his will on DBs, but still has enough speed to get separation whenever he needs.
2. A blazing fast target with good hands, who is a threat to go the distance every time he touches the ball.
Of the 3 "big names" talked about for the Eagles at pick 14, the only one who fits either category is John Ross. Mike Williams is big and physical, but lacks the speed to get consistent separation, causing concern that he will only be a possession WR in the NFL. Corey Davis is no shrimp. He's a big WR who is "sneaky fast" and he gets YAC, but he isn't what I'd call a "freak" physically or in the speed category.
John Ross is the only one who fits the bill. He showed incredible vertical speed and big play ability in college, and was a home run threat every time he touched the ball. He backed this up at the Combine by running a record 4.22 40 time. He is the type of WR who will scare defensive coordinators, take safeties away from the middle of the field, and open up space for your running game and QB.
Having blazing speed doesn't guarantee you to be successful in the NFL. You saw this with Darrius Heyward-Bey, who has been a bust out of Maryland. Will Fuller(Philadelphia's own), another speedster, out of Notre Dame was drafted in the 1st round by the Houston Texans, and struggled as a rookie. That's not saying he can't turn into something special, but his drop issues carried over to the NFL, as he struggled with securing routine passes, much like he did in college. This is why I put the specific criteria of having "good hands" into my two categories. Typically, two things prevent athletes with that kind of speed from making it in the NFL: their hands or their brains. Minimizing drops and route running need to be done well to make that speed worthwhile, and John Ross excels at both.
Ross has been praised by draft pundits for his solid hands and route running, and I see no reason why that shouldn't carry over to the NFL. Combine that with speed, and he has all the makings of a very successful WR in the NFL, who has a floor of a long-term vertical threat, and a ceiling of a perennial Pro Bowler. Players like Odell Beckham Jr., Brandin Cooks, Mike Wallace, DeSean Jackson are all WRs with similar traits in college, who came right into the NFL and had immediate success. Not to take anything away from Corey Davis or Mike Williams. I'm quite high on both, and I currently have Corey Davis #1 in my WR rankings, mainly due to John Ross' injury questions. However, looking at how skills typically translate to he NFL, and looking at the history of WRs with athletic abilities similar to Ross, I'd say he is a good bet to be a dynamic playmaker at the NFL level, provided he can stay healthy.
At pick 14, he is worth strong consideration if I'm Howie Roseman and Joe Douglas. He could provide big plays at the Linc for many years, and give Carson Wentz a young playmaker to go with, who will be perfect playing opposite of Alshon Jeffery.
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