The phrase Trust The Process, which has developed as the rallying cry for Sixers fans everywhere over the last several years, has varying interpretations depending on whom you ask. Some think they are the only ones for sure who knows what that phrase means, and others don't care and just flippantly use it because it's fun and trendy to say. Whether there is a "correct" meaning of the phrase or not, it has clearly evolved into much more than it was ever originally intended to be at its origin point.
The general sentiment among Sixers supporters is that if you don't "Trust The Process" then you aren't supporting the Sixers as an organization. I was a massive supporter of Sam Hinkie and the original iteration of The Process. Sam Hinkie was a refreshing general manager who thought outside the box, was young and forward-thinking, but most importantly to me was willing to tank to get the franchise in the position they so desperately needed to be. And to credit owner Joshua Harris, he green-lit the operation, when many owners would not have. I've been fully on board with The Process since day one.
However, and ever so unfortunately, Sam Hinkie is no longer here. Yet, people continue to still shout "Trust The Process" from the rafters. Partly due to the fact that Sixers star Joel Embiid has, himself, adopted it and champions it, but also because Sixers fans like to tell the world that they believe in what the Sixers are doing as an organization. And therein lies why I have come to say that I no longer trust The Process. With Sam Hinkie long removed from the Sixers organization, the architect who created that process which everyone trusted to such a degree is gone. In what other walk of life would an individual trust any process, plan, blueprint, or anything where the original architect or brains behind it is no longer in charge? Say there is a small family-owned restaurant that you love. You eat there all the time because you love the food and trust that the owners will make you a quality meal every time you visit. If that family sold this business to another family who you know nothing about, would you have the same level of trust that you are going to get a quality meal when you walk into that restaurant? Of course not.
I trusted The Process, because I trusted Sam Hinkie. He earned my trust, because he enacted philosophies that I had called on for many years and made quality moves that worked and were the driving force in the Sixers emerging as a playoff team last season. Now, in 2018, who in this front office has earned your trust? I love Brett Brown for all his contributions to the Sixers and sticking it out and keeping his sanity during the periods of tanking and coaching college-level talent, but I loved him as a basketball coach. He has not earned my trust as a personnel decision-maker. The Sixers named Elton Brand general manager this summer, and his only experience in that seat comes from his time with the G League 87ers. He has no NBA experience as general manager. Now, that doesn't mean he won't be good, or great even, but that doesn't mean the selection inspires confidence. Especially when fans still don't technically even know the true complexities behind the current front office dynamic.
Sixers fans and media people blasted Bryan Colangelo because "He came here to bring credibility to the Sixers and in his time with the Sixers, he has yet to add any significant talent to the roster and only carried on what Sam Hinkie left for him." Though, if everyone was honest with themselves, they knew he didn't have the opportunity to add a big-name, star-level talent, as the Sixers didn't have the pedigree as a franchise to sell yet to free agents. Brett Brown and co. this summer went "star hunting" coming off of a 52 win season and 2nd round playoff berth, were unable to land any big ticket players either. Yet, the narrative this time was "They didn't have the opportunity to land any star players, because they didn't want to come here." A narrative that apparently didn't apply to Bryan Colangelo when the team at the time had yet to prove anything to the NBA world.
A Sixers offseason that started with dreams of LeBron James, Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, or even a combination of the 3(yes, it was both talked and fantasized about among fans) ended with Wilson Chandler as their premiere acquisition. Wilson Chandler. A mediocre-at-best role player, who fans would have eviscerated Bryan Colangelo for, had he been his best addition in any offseason of his short tenure. What have the Sixers done to earn my trust with their new leadership? The draft day trade with the Phoenix Suns? A solid trade, but the Hinkie-Divac Kings mugging, it was not. If the Knicks set out in a summer for elite level talent and wound up with Wilson Chandler, Sixers social media people would be mocking the Knicks for months. However, when the very same scenario plays out for the Sixers, their offseason moves are painted in a much brighter and more optimistic light, and was declared a "rousing success" by some.
Since, the sports gods have gifted the Sixers a second chance by making Timberwolves star Jimmy Butler available for trade. The Sixers do not appear to have any interest in acquiring him. NBA reporters have stated that the Sixers are on the periphery at best, and have not spoken to Minnesota in weeks about a trade, and are unwilling to part with any quality pieces to land his services. Right now, the Miami Heat are the current favorite according to NBA insiders. The Sixers missed out on several stars already, and have a player fall in their laps who would fit the team perfectly. He is a shot creator, which is arguably the Sixers' biggest need. He is a scorer, which would aid their end-of-game shot-making woes. He plays good defense, and he can attack the rim to draw defenders and open up shooters. Butler, paired with Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons would make for a deadly trio, not to mention having a progressing Markelle Fultz, and the ever-reliable Dario Saric as your core. But again, no interest from the Sixers. They seem to believe that they can just go out again next summer and things will turn out differently. Next summer is the last chance the Sixers will have to use their cap room, as players like Ben Simmons will be due for contract extensions, thus dissolving the Sixers cap space. Apparently, they haven't learned their lesson from this summer that players just don't value the city of Philadelphia as a destination, and don't quite buy into the future greatness of the Sixers the way the Sixers themselves or "Process Trusters" do. So, what will change in a year? Other teams will accumulate more assets, which will allow them to compete with any competitive Sixers offer in a potential trade for a star. Will someone finally buy in and take the Sixers' max salary offer? Will stars choose the Sixers over a team like the Knicks who can sell the great city of New York, and playing with Kristaps Porzingis, who is a very popular player in NBA circles, and rookie Kevin Knox? Would a star choose the Sixers over playing with the Lakers and LeBron James? I find it doubtful. Not impossible, but doubtful.
Which is entirely the point. Under Sam Hinkie, I didn't have any doubts about the future and direction of the franchise. Now, I do. At one point, not too long ago, everything seemed to be going the way everyone planned. Embiid and Simmons got healthy and were developing, the Sixers traded up for that 3rd scoring compliment in the draft to land Markelle Fultz. And then suddenly the plan deviated a bit. Fultz developed odd shooting habits which derailed his rookie campaign, the Sixers lost to an undermanned Celtics team in the playoffs in 5 games, and the Sixers were unable to accomplish everything they original set out to do during the summer. Not a cause for full-on panic, but no reason for confidence either. Is it the end of the world? No. Are the Sixers still good and fun? Sure. But if you told me back in Spring or Fall of 2018 that this is exactly the position you hoped the Sixers would be in headed into the 2018-19 season, you'd be lying your ass off.
If the Sixers want me to "trust" them and to regain my confidence in their operation, they are going to have to earn it again. And that means exceeding expectations again this season, and next summer landing that star they so badly desire, which could put them in the conversation with the NBA's elite, because right now, as fun to watch and improved as they are, they have zero chance to win a championship. Zero.
Prove me wrong, Sixers. Make yourself worthy of trusting once again.
Friday, October 12, 2018
Wednesday, May 30, 2018
Firing Bryan Colangelo without proof would set a horrible precedent, which is why, oddly, him being guilty may be the best thing for them
On Tuesday night, after The Ringer's Bryan Colangelo story broke, it sent the social media universe into a frenzy. Some were confused, some were angry, some were dying of laughter, all were entertained. I want to focus on one prevailing sentiment echoed on all forms of media over the last 24 hours that I think plays a major part in all this. And that's the opinion that regardless of whether or not Bryan Colangelo is guilty or innocent, he needs to lose his job.
I would hate to be Joshua Harris right now. He's stuck between a rock and a hard place no matter how this story shakes out. And that's why it's so scary, especially if Bryan Colangelo is innocent-and I'm not saying he is. The fact that somebody so easily, could destroy someone's reputation, and critically damage an organization, merely with a Twitter account and a few thumb presses on a keypad is scary. Proof of guilt is going to be hard to acquire, and without proof, firing Bryan Colangelo would open up a massive can of worms.
For one, it would open the 76ers up to litigation should Colangelo seek to fight any of this in court. But maybe even worse, it would set a horrible precedent that just any Average Joe could create a burner account and put your professional career in jeopardy. Yes, perception can be reality, and firing him regardless may be the best thing for the organization, but if I were Joshua Harris, I would not want to be the one who opened that Pandora's Box.
Imagine this scenario. You get a job at a law firm, and put years of hard work in getting into prestigious schools, getting a law degree, and amassing a resume that would get you accepted into said firm. While working at this law firm, you get into a spat with a vindictive colleague. That colleague really wants to damage you, so he monitors your Twitter account, gets a sense of how you like to tweet, follows a large percentage of your follows, and follows all of your family members as well. Then, he tweets vile, racist, of compromising information on the account over the span of a few weeks or months. Sometime later, under another anonymous account, he contacts the CEO or partners and tells one of them they need to take a look at this, and leaks it to some other colleagues at the firm. All of a sudden, half the firm thinks you are a racist or are tweeting out confidential information, and since it's hard to prove the non-existence of anything, they have no choice but to let you go, or risk dissension within the firm.
Do I think there would be an epidemic of these scenarios? No, but I guarantee you they will happen more frequently if that door is opened than they would prior. Trolls and idiots become emboldened. 15 years ago, anyone could speak at college campuses around the country. In 2018, after a handful of years of entitled, self-important, and uneducated morons snuffing out free speech because of outrage culture, it's almost impossible for any speaker who doesn't conform to the echo chamber belief system to even appear at a university without death threats or riots. It started off small, and has since grown exponentially to where it is an epidemic. Once a few people saw they could act this way and get away with it, more and more decided to do the same and now it is commonplace across the country. If you give people an inch, they will take a mile. Joshua Harris would be one of the people who set the precedent that goes way beyond sports. It's a life issue, not just a sports issue. Like it or not, people deserve a right to due process, and if innocent, no one should lose their job over something they didn't do.
Which is why, internally, the Sixers may be oddly rooting for Colangelo to be guilty of this. If they find proof it is him, then the decision is easy. You fire him and move on. You don't need to weigh the pros and cons of unethically terminating an employee, setting a horrible standard, and trying to protect the welfare of your organization and preserve its public perception. That's no decision any owner would want to struggle with. The sooner this is resolved, the sooner the organization can heal, repair the front office, get ready for the draft and free agency, and get back to chasing a title. Without proof, I can't see how this decision doesn't drag out, whether it be organizationally or legally, and that's something no franchise wants hanging over their head as they venture into the new league year.
In the end, the conclusion of this will be nothing short of bonkers. Either you'd have the most elaborate and patient framejob in sports history or you have the most meticulous and thorough burner persona ever conceived. Not only were 5 accounts created, but they tweeted like an obnoxious and deranged 12 year old with horrible grammar and Tourette's-like behavior. To be so committed to misdirect the public with a crafted persona would be a calculated and meticulous operation. Conversely, a framejob drawn out over the length that these accounts were created and the cleverness required to pull it off would take almost a genius and maniacal-level obsession.
Regardless, as unfortunate as it is, the quickest fix solution may be the best solution, and for the Sixers finding guilt and moving on may be the only option that takes care of both.
I would hate to be Joshua Harris right now. He's stuck between a rock and a hard place no matter how this story shakes out. And that's why it's so scary, especially if Bryan Colangelo is innocent-and I'm not saying he is. The fact that somebody so easily, could destroy someone's reputation, and critically damage an organization, merely with a Twitter account and a few thumb presses on a keypad is scary. Proof of guilt is going to be hard to acquire, and without proof, firing Bryan Colangelo would open up a massive can of worms.
For one, it would open the 76ers up to litigation should Colangelo seek to fight any of this in court. But maybe even worse, it would set a horrible precedent that just any Average Joe could create a burner account and put your professional career in jeopardy. Yes, perception can be reality, and firing him regardless may be the best thing for the organization, but if I were Joshua Harris, I would not want to be the one who opened that Pandora's Box.
Imagine this scenario. You get a job at a law firm, and put years of hard work in getting into prestigious schools, getting a law degree, and amassing a resume that would get you accepted into said firm. While working at this law firm, you get into a spat with a vindictive colleague. That colleague really wants to damage you, so he monitors your Twitter account, gets a sense of how you like to tweet, follows a large percentage of your follows, and follows all of your family members as well. Then, he tweets vile, racist, of compromising information on the account over the span of a few weeks or months. Sometime later, under another anonymous account, he contacts the CEO or partners and tells one of them they need to take a look at this, and leaks it to some other colleagues at the firm. All of a sudden, half the firm thinks you are a racist or are tweeting out confidential information, and since it's hard to prove the non-existence of anything, they have no choice but to let you go, or risk dissension within the firm.
Do I think there would be an epidemic of these scenarios? No, but I guarantee you they will happen more frequently if that door is opened than they would prior. Trolls and idiots become emboldened. 15 years ago, anyone could speak at college campuses around the country. In 2018, after a handful of years of entitled, self-important, and uneducated morons snuffing out free speech because of outrage culture, it's almost impossible for any speaker who doesn't conform to the echo chamber belief system to even appear at a university without death threats or riots. It started off small, and has since grown exponentially to where it is an epidemic. Once a few people saw they could act this way and get away with it, more and more decided to do the same and now it is commonplace across the country. If you give people an inch, they will take a mile. Joshua Harris would be one of the people who set the precedent that goes way beyond sports. It's a life issue, not just a sports issue. Like it or not, people deserve a right to due process, and if innocent, no one should lose their job over something they didn't do.
Which is why, internally, the Sixers may be oddly rooting for Colangelo to be guilty of this. If they find proof it is him, then the decision is easy. You fire him and move on. You don't need to weigh the pros and cons of unethically terminating an employee, setting a horrible standard, and trying to protect the welfare of your organization and preserve its public perception. That's no decision any owner would want to struggle with. The sooner this is resolved, the sooner the organization can heal, repair the front office, get ready for the draft and free agency, and get back to chasing a title. Without proof, I can't see how this decision doesn't drag out, whether it be organizationally or legally, and that's something no franchise wants hanging over their head as they venture into the new league year.
In the end, the conclusion of this will be nothing short of bonkers. Either you'd have the most elaborate and patient framejob in sports history or you have the most meticulous and thorough burner persona ever conceived. Not only were 5 accounts created, but they tweeted like an obnoxious and deranged 12 year old with horrible grammar and Tourette's-like behavior. To be so committed to misdirect the public with a crafted persona would be a calculated and meticulous operation. Conversely, a framejob drawn out over the length that these accounts were created and the cleverness required to pull it off would take almost a genius and maniacal-level obsession.
Regardless, as unfortunate as it is, the quickest fix solution may be the best solution, and for the Sixers finding guilt and moving on may be the only option that takes care of both.
Wednesday, May 23, 2018
Turning down the reported 35th pick for Nick Foles was the correct call by Howie Roseman
Reports surfaced Tuesday that the Eagles rejected an offer from the Cleveland Browns of the 35th pick in the NFL Draft for Super Bowl MVP Nick Foles. This debate seems to be relatively split, and frankly, I'm surprised. I think the decision the Eagles made was the obvious one, so let's dive in and explore why the Howie made the right call.
In a vacuum, the 35th pick for Nick Foles is fair compensatory value. However, the situation is a lot more nuanced than that. One of the biggest reasons the Eagles had that parade down Broad Street on February 8th is because of the depth on that roster. Some of the team's most valuable talents went down with injury, but thanks to a masterstroke of roster-building from Howie Roseman and Joe Douglas, the Eagles were able to sustain significant injuries and still accomplish the goal of hoisting the Lombardi Trophy that so eluded them for decades. No depth piece was bigger than Nick Foles, who out-performed Tom Brady on the way to Super Bowl MVP. Depth is important in the NFL, and many teams don't have the quality depth to sustain injuries the way the Eagles were able to.
Carson Wentz is coming off a torn ACL. We'd love to assume the hard-working, mentally tough Wentz will be perfectly fine returning from knee reconstructive surgery, but the fact is we simply don't know. Additionally, it's a statistical fact that when you tear your ACL in one knee, you are more likely at some point to tear the ACL in your other knee. Thus, going forward, your franchise QB is now at a statistically greater risk to tear the ACL in his right knee at some point in his career. Not having a quality(and proven) backup behind Wentz at this point would just be pure negligence. Especially when your goal is to repeat as Super Bowl champions, a rare feat that would allow the 'D' word to start creeping in with conversations about the Eagles. You have seen with the Green Bay Packers what happens without quality QB depth. Whenever Aaron Rodgers got hurt, the Packers fell apart. How many years of Rodgers' prime were wasted because of the inability of Ted Thompson to put capable depth behind their QB?
Yes, by turning down this offer, you risk Wentz staying healthy and not even having to use Nick Foles, and losing the opportunity to add a quality piece to your team with the 35th pick. But even if that scenario were to play out, are they really losing all that much? It's one player out of a 53 man roster. You can easily supplement that missed opportunity with a quality free agent signing, and nailing the draft picks you do have. You can replace and survive missed talent, but one thing you can't replace is lost time. And the Eagles have core players on the roster who are either past or quickly approaching their prime. Jason Peters is 36, Jason Kelce will be 31 by the conclusion of the 2018 season, Brandon Graham is 30, Brandon Brooks will be 29 when the season starts, Malcolm Jenkins turns 31 in December. If you trade away Nick Foles, and Carson Wentz goes down, your season is over. You have no shot. And you will essentially have wasted a year, not just of a chance to compete for a championship, but a critical year that key players on the roster have to remain productive. The risks far outweigh the rewards of taking that deal. We aren't going to look back 10 years from now and say "Man, if only the Eagles accepted the deal for the 35th pick, they'd have won 5 more Super Bowls by now!" The NFL doesn't work like that. Bad roster decisions that add up over time can adversely affect an organization, but singularly, the only position that can hurt you at the level where you come to immediately regret it is screwing up at QB. And the Eagles already have that position covered. In large part to having the MVP of the 2017 season under center. But also because they possess the best backup QB in the NFL. An insurance policy for the ages, and Super Bowl champion.
The Eagles made it clear from day one they would only trade him if it made sense for the Eagles and for him. Clearly, it made no sense for both, as Nick Foles had a much greater chance to start for the Browns in September 2018 than he did for the Eagles. Yes, it is Howie's job not to placate Nick Foles, but to do what's best for the Eagles. The NFL is a cold, cut-throat business, and you have to operate accordingly. In this case, Howie did both. What is best for the Eagles, and best for Nick. Have yourself an offseason, Howie.
In a vacuum, the 35th pick for Nick Foles is fair compensatory value. However, the situation is a lot more nuanced than that. One of the biggest reasons the Eagles had that parade down Broad Street on February 8th is because of the depth on that roster. Some of the team's most valuable talents went down with injury, but thanks to a masterstroke of roster-building from Howie Roseman and Joe Douglas, the Eagles were able to sustain significant injuries and still accomplish the goal of hoisting the Lombardi Trophy that so eluded them for decades. No depth piece was bigger than Nick Foles, who out-performed Tom Brady on the way to Super Bowl MVP. Depth is important in the NFL, and many teams don't have the quality depth to sustain injuries the way the Eagles were able to.
Carson Wentz is coming off a torn ACL. We'd love to assume the hard-working, mentally tough Wentz will be perfectly fine returning from knee reconstructive surgery, but the fact is we simply don't know. Additionally, it's a statistical fact that when you tear your ACL in one knee, you are more likely at some point to tear the ACL in your other knee. Thus, going forward, your franchise QB is now at a statistically greater risk to tear the ACL in his right knee at some point in his career. Not having a quality(and proven) backup behind Wentz at this point would just be pure negligence. Especially when your goal is to repeat as Super Bowl champions, a rare feat that would allow the 'D' word to start creeping in with conversations about the Eagles. You have seen with the Green Bay Packers what happens without quality QB depth. Whenever Aaron Rodgers got hurt, the Packers fell apart. How many years of Rodgers' prime were wasted because of the inability of Ted Thompson to put capable depth behind their QB?
Yes, by turning down this offer, you risk Wentz staying healthy and not even having to use Nick Foles, and losing the opportunity to add a quality piece to your team with the 35th pick. But even if that scenario were to play out, are they really losing all that much? It's one player out of a 53 man roster. You can easily supplement that missed opportunity with a quality free agent signing, and nailing the draft picks you do have. You can replace and survive missed talent, but one thing you can't replace is lost time. And the Eagles have core players on the roster who are either past or quickly approaching their prime. Jason Peters is 36, Jason Kelce will be 31 by the conclusion of the 2018 season, Brandon Graham is 30, Brandon Brooks will be 29 when the season starts, Malcolm Jenkins turns 31 in December. If you trade away Nick Foles, and Carson Wentz goes down, your season is over. You have no shot. And you will essentially have wasted a year, not just of a chance to compete for a championship, but a critical year that key players on the roster have to remain productive. The risks far outweigh the rewards of taking that deal. We aren't going to look back 10 years from now and say "Man, if only the Eagles accepted the deal for the 35th pick, they'd have won 5 more Super Bowls by now!" The NFL doesn't work like that. Bad roster decisions that add up over time can adversely affect an organization, but singularly, the only position that can hurt you at the level where you come to immediately regret it is screwing up at QB. And the Eagles already have that position covered. In large part to having the MVP of the 2017 season under center. But also because they possess the best backup QB in the NFL. An insurance policy for the ages, and Super Bowl champion.
The Eagles made it clear from day one they would only trade him if it made sense for the Eagles and for him. Clearly, it made no sense for both, as Nick Foles had a much greater chance to start for the Browns in September 2018 than he did for the Eagles. Yes, it is Howie's job not to placate Nick Foles, but to do what's best for the Eagles. The NFL is a cold, cut-throat business, and you have to operate accordingly. In this case, Howie did both. What is best for the Eagles, and best for Nick. Have yourself an offseason, Howie.
Thursday, May 10, 2018
Sixers Semi-Finals Thoughts, Odds and Ends and Final Thoughts
Many a tale end in poetic fashion. A special way everything gets tied together in complete irony. Quite often these conclusions are uplifting, but sometimes they end painfully. For the Sixers, their season's end was the latter. The Sixers' season had that painfully poetic and ironic twist at the end in that their season ended pretty much the same way it began. Their inability to close out games, their inability to get one key stop or key bucket down the stretch to hang onto a lead, and their inability to prevent critical mistakes. These reared their ugly heads one final time in game 5 in Boston(City of Losers). The Sixers had a 4 point lead with roughly 1:30 left in the game and like they have many times this season, failed to seal the deal. JJ Redick, one of the NBA's all-time 3 point shooting greats had a
chance to put the game away with a wide open 3 pointer on the left wing with the Sixers
up 2, a shot that clanged short. Had it went in, the Sixers would have found themselves up 5 with a little over a minute to go in the game; a lead probably even they wouldn't let slip away. They couldn't get big stops on defense when it mattered. Joel Embiid(who played a great game) couldn't box out tiny Marcus Smart to prevent a put-back to tie the game with under a minute to go, Dario Saric found himself posting up in the paint instead of the 7'2, 280 pound Joel Embiid on the team's most important offensive possession of the season, and Embiid couldn't make a tough contested basket from right underneath the hoop on stiff role player Aaron Baynes to tie the game late. Joel was fouled on the play, but that is still a basket that with his ability he has to convert. These kinds of problems plagued the Sixers all season long. It felt like a distant memory after the season-ending 16 game winning streak, and defeat of the Miami Heat in 5 games in the first round of the playoffs. Unfortunately, like a virus, sometimes it lies dormant, only to re-surface at the worst possible time.
Sure, the Sixers are a young team. The Celtics are too. The bottom line is their players handled the big pressure moments much better than the Sixers did. I have said all season that composure was one of the Sixers' greatest issues. Despite all their flaws, ie their lack of isolation players, their lack of shot creators, their lack of depth with defensive wing players; they could have very easily won this series 4-1. Boneheaded mistakes and lack of basketball IQ bit them until the very end, some of which were from veteran players. I have no concerns about the Sixers' young core. They will improve and learn from these experiences. That said, there's no denying that just this time around, the moment was too big for the Sixers. They had the more talented roster, and they didn't play to their capabilities for almost the entire playoffs. The Sixers actually didn't play very well against Miami either, but their talent was just so far superior that their shortcomings didn't end up mattering much in the end.
This Celtics team is not very good. Despite the apologists out there pumping up the Celtics like they are the most underrated team in the history of sports, without Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward they are likely a team that finishes barely above .500. The propaganda is strong in the media and on social media for this organization and many people have been brainwashed into thinking that they are better than they are to maintain this fictional narrative of complete and total denial and delusion. Keep in mind, this is the same team that needed 7 games to squeak by the middling Milwaukee Bucks. A Bucks team the Sixers crushed by 30 points in the final game of the regular season. The difference was, at home, the Bucks played with a fire, intensity, and poise the Sixers did not. The Bucks got key contributions from role players like Thon Maker, when many of the Sixers role players were completely invisible. Key contributors during the season like Robert Covington, Marco Belinelli, and Ersan Ilyasova looked like they started their vacation early. To win in the playoffs, role players need to step up, and the Sixers just didn't get the production they needed from their ancillary pieces. This is not to absolve the cornerstone players of blame. Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons could and should have been better. Especially Simmons. However, Simmons is still a rookie. Even as their second best player, it's hard to completely knock a rookie for struggling in a playoff series more than a veteran who has been there before, even if those veterans are less talented. Dario Saric needs to be mentioned here as well. As great as he finished the series, The Homie gave very little in the first 3 games. Who knows, maybe if he played better, this series would have been 2-2 headed back to Boston(City of Losers) instead of 3-1. In the end, every player on the team had their shortcomings that hurt them in this series, sans maybe TJ McConnell who was brilliant. But most of those players had their moments where they shined, even if not consistently. I'm most disappointed in the complete zeroes who gave nothing for most of the entire series. Robert, Marco, and Ersan, I'm looking at you. You had one job to do. Come in, hit a few shots, and maybe play a little D, and you guys couldn't even do that. You were the epitome of useless, and you let your team down.
Overall, it was a very successful season with a frustrating end. I think it's fair to say the Sixers may have overachieved in the regular season, but underachieved in the postseason. They still have a more promising future than any team in the eastern conference, as they have the two most promising players in the eastern conference. At the end of the day, the NBA is about the players more than any sport, and I don't see that ever changing. For year one of the Sixers' ascent, what they accomplished this season was pretty incredible, albeit ultimately ending with a bad taste in our mouths. Now, we can officially say it is time for the Sixers to make that next big leap and start making moves that will position them to compete with the NBA's elite, and eventually win an NBA title.
Here are some random thoughts I have on the Sixers and their summer months ahead:
1. I'm sorry RoCo fans, but Robert Covington has to go. I get that you have a special affinity for him. He was one of Hinkie's guys, an original 'Process' guy. A diamond in the rough that found a home here in Philly. He made a career from the ashes, and I'm proud of him for doing so. He brought a lot to the team since he's been here. However, he's not a starter on a team that has aspirations of playing deep into May. He can't finish at the rim, he's a poor ball handler, he can't create his own shot, and he's one of the most inconsistent shooters I can ever remember. Winning in the NBA playoffs is about relying on guys you can count on game-in, game-out. Guys you know what you are getting, and you pencil them in for a specific role. The problem with Covington is you never know what you are going to get on any given night. You can get the "5 of 7 from 3 point land Covington." Or you can get the "0 for 8 Covington" from downtown. The former seems to be less common these days, so when the great games are less common and less pronounced, the negatives start to outweigh the positives. His low basketball IQ has really hurt the Sixers in key stretches, and in the playoffs where you play better coached teams and tougher defenses, this makes his propensity to commit these mistakes more likely, and in closer games, much more impactful. Robert Covington is a bench player with the contract of a starter. The Sixers may miss his defense somewhat, but I think they can find someone who can replace his defense on a much cheaper contract. He's a good defender, not a great defender. I'm not getting rid of him for a bag of peanuts, but I don't think the Sixers will have to. There will be a taker out there for him, and the Sixers would be wise to jump on this opportunity.
2. Landing one(or more) of LeBron James, Paul George, and Kawhi Leonard is critical. The Sixers will not have cap room forever. Eventually their young core will need new contracts and their cap space will be self-engulfed. In the NBA you can go over the cap re-signing your own guys, but can't go over the cap signing players from other teams. The Sixers need to capitalize on this opportunity now by convincing another star player to join a promising Sixers team. Remember, they are building a team to beat the Golden State Warriors, not the Boston Celtics. To beat the Warriors, you need the talent to match Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson, Steph Curry, Draymond Green, and their deep roster of accomplished veterans. As promising as Embiid and Simmons are, just having those two is not going to get them to that level.
3. Put every resource into fixing Simmons' and Fultz's jumpers. I think Fultz is an entirely different situation than Simmons. Fultz seems to be more mental and he showed in college he has a natural shooting touch that has the potential to be elite. Ben Simmons has never shown that kind of potential as a shooter at any point. That said, regardless of the cause, the Sixers need their coaches and training staff to work with these guys all summer. Simmons needs to return in October, not as an elite shooter, but as an improved shooter. A guy who can hit a 15 footer with some level of consistency, and eventually over the months and years, work his way out to 3 point land. Markelle needs to display most or all of his shooting capabilities that he showed at Washington. The Sixers need the player they drafted in June, not the one he became in September. They traded up to get that Markelle Fultz, and that is the Markelle Fultz they need. I still believe in him, and I have not given up on that trade like some. He can still be a 20+ppg scorer in this league. He's a crafty player with iso skills, can finish at the rim, and score from all over the court. A Fultz rebirth is exactly what the Sixers need for next season.
4. Joel Embiid needs to spend most of his time working on his post game and all aspects of it. Handling double and triple teams in the post, passing out of the post, finishing above defenders in the post, going up strong in the post, post moves, and drawing fouls. Maybe most importantly, he needs to work on his lower body strength. For a man of his massive size and stature, he sometimes struggled to establish himself in the paint and get push on defenders when he needed to. Maybe all of his foot and leg injuries hampered his ability to develop his lower half, but that needs to be a priority this summer.
5. They need to figure out how they are going to fill out their bench and depth positions. JJ Redick, Marco Belinelli, Ersan Ilyasova, and Amir Johnson are all going to be free agents. That is basically your entire bench plus one key starter. Most, if not all, are not going to be back next season. If you spend all your cap dollars on a max level free agent, you won't have the money to do everything you desire in free agency for your bench. Bryan Colangelo will need to get creative and explore trades, try to convince free agents to sign at discounted prices, and use draft picks to fill out the depth positions with upgrades. It will be a tall task, no doubt.
The future is still incredibly bright, and one of the most important summers in the history of the franchise will soon be upon us. Bryan Colangelo has his work cut out for him. Let's see what he's got, he's been playing for this for quite a while.
Sure, the Sixers are a young team. The Celtics are too. The bottom line is their players handled the big pressure moments much better than the Sixers did. I have said all season that composure was one of the Sixers' greatest issues. Despite all their flaws, ie their lack of isolation players, their lack of shot creators, their lack of depth with defensive wing players; they could have very easily won this series 4-1. Boneheaded mistakes and lack of basketball IQ bit them until the very end, some of which were from veteran players. I have no concerns about the Sixers' young core. They will improve and learn from these experiences. That said, there's no denying that just this time around, the moment was too big for the Sixers. They had the more talented roster, and they didn't play to their capabilities for almost the entire playoffs. The Sixers actually didn't play very well against Miami either, but their talent was just so far superior that their shortcomings didn't end up mattering much in the end.
This Celtics team is not very good. Despite the apologists out there pumping up the Celtics like they are the most underrated team in the history of sports, without Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward they are likely a team that finishes barely above .500. The propaganda is strong in the media and on social media for this organization and many people have been brainwashed into thinking that they are better than they are to maintain this fictional narrative of complete and total denial and delusion. Keep in mind, this is the same team that needed 7 games to squeak by the middling Milwaukee Bucks. A Bucks team the Sixers crushed by 30 points in the final game of the regular season. The difference was, at home, the Bucks played with a fire, intensity, and poise the Sixers did not. The Bucks got key contributions from role players like Thon Maker, when many of the Sixers role players were completely invisible. Key contributors during the season like Robert Covington, Marco Belinelli, and Ersan Ilyasova looked like they started their vacation early. To win in the playoffs, role players need to step up, and the Sixers just didn't get the production they needed from their ancillary pieces. This is not to absolve the cornerstone players of blame. Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons could and should have been better. Especially Simmons. However, Simmons is still a rookie. Even as their second best player, it's hard to completely knock a rookie for struggling in a playoff series more than a veteran who has been there before, even if those veterans are less talented. Dario Saric needs to be mentioned here as well. As great as he finished the series, The Homie gave very little in the first 3 games. Who knows, maybe if he played better, this series would have been 2-2 headed back to Boston(City of Losers) instead of 3-1. In the end, every player on the team had their shortcomings that hurt them in this series, sans maybe TJ McConnell who was brilliant. But most of those players had their moments where they shined, even if not consistently. I'm most disappointed in the complete zeroes who gave nothing for most of the entire series. Robert, Marco, and Ersan, I'm looking at you. You had one job to do. Come in, hit a few shots, and maybe play a little D, and you guys couldn't even do that. You were the epitome of useless, and you let your team down.
Overall, it was a very successful season with a frustrating end. I think it's fair to say the Sixers may have overachieved in the regular season, but underachieved in the postseason. They still have a more promising future than any team in the eastern conference, as they have the two most promising players in the eastern conference. At the end of the day, the NBA is about the players more than any sport, and I don't see that ever changing. For year one of the Sixers' ascent, what they accomplished this season was pretty incredible, albeit ultimately ending with a bad taste in our mouths. Now, we can officially say it is time for the Sixers to make that next big leap and start making moves that will position them to compete with the NBA's elite, and eventually win an NBA title.
Here are some random thoughts I have on the Sixers and their summer months ahead:
1. I'm sorry RoCo fans, but Robert Covington has to go. I get that you have a special affinity for him. He was one of Hinkie's guys, an original 'Process' guy. A diamond in the rough that found a home here in Philly. He made a career from the ashes, and I'm proud of him for doing so. He brought a lot to the team since he's been here. However, he's not a starter on a team that has aspirations of playing deep into May. He can't finish at the rim, he's a poor ball handler, he can't create his own shot, and he's one of the most inconsistent shooters I can ever remember. Winning in the NBA playoffs is about relying on guys you can count on game-in, game-out. Guys you know what you are getting, and you pencil them in for a specific role. The problem with Covington is you never know what you are going to get on any given night. You can get the "5 of 7 from 3 point land Covington." Or you can get the "0 for 8 Covington" from downtown. The former seems to be less common these days, so when the great games are less common and less pronounced, the negatives start to outweigh the positives. His low basketball IQ has really hurt the Sixers in key stretches, and in the playoffs where you play better coached teams and tougher defenses, this makes his propensity to commit these mistakes more likely, and in closer games, much more impactful. Robert Covington is a bench player with the contract of a starter. The Sixers may miss his defense somewhat, but I think they can find someone who can replace his defense on a much cheaper contract. He's a good defender, not a great defender. I'm not getting rid of him for a bag of peanuts, but I don't think the Sixers will have to. There will be a taker out there for him, and the Sixers would be wise to jump on this opportunity.
2. Landing one(or more) of LeBron James, Paul George, and Kawhi Leonard is critical. The Sixers will not have cap room forever. Eventually their young core will need new contracts and their cap space will be self-engulfed. In the NBA you can go over the cap re-signing your own guys, but can't go over the cap signing players from other teams. The Sixers need to capitalize on this opportunity now by convincing another star player to join a promising Sixers team. Remember, they are building a team to beat the Golden State Warriors, not the Boston Celtics. To beat the Warriors, you need the talent to match Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson, Steph Curry, Draymond Green, and their deep roster of accomplished veterans. As promising as Embiid and Simmons are, just having those two is not going to get them to that level.
3. Put every resource into fixing Simmons' and Fultz's jumpers. I think Fultz is an entirely different situation than Simmons. Fultz seems to be more mental and he showed in college he has a natural shooting touch that has the potential to be elite. Ben Simmons has never shown that kind of potential as a shooter at any point. That said, regardless of the cause, the Sixers need their coaches and training staff to work with these guys all summer. Simmons needs to return in October, not as an elite shooter, but as an improved shooter. A guy who can hit a 15 footer with some level of consistency, and eventually over the months and years, work his way out to 3 point land. Markelle needs to display most or all of his shooting capabilities that he showed at Washington. The Sixers need the player they drafted in June, not the one he became in September. They traded up to get that Markelle Fultz, and that is the Markelle Fultz they need. I still believe in him, and I have not given up on that trade like some. He can still be a 20+ppg scorer in this league. He's a crafty player with iso skills, can finish at the rim, and score from all over the court. A Fultz rebirth is exactly what the Sixers need for next season.
4. Joel Embiid needs to spend most of his time working on his post game and all aspects of it. Handling double and triple teams in the post, passing out of the post, finishing above defenders in the post, going up strong in the post, post moves, and drawing fouls. Maybe most importantly, he needs to work on his lower body strength. For a man of his massive size and stature, he sometimes struggled to establish himself in the paint and get push on defenders when he needed to. Maybe all of his foot and leg injuries hampered his ability to develop his lower half, but that needs to be a priority this summer.
5. They need to figure out how they are going to fill out their bench and depth positions. JJ Redick, Marco Belinelli, Ersan Ilyasova, and Amir Johnson are all going to be free agents. That is basically your entire bench plus one key starter. Most, if not all, are not going to be back next season. If you spend all your cap dollars on a max level free agent, you won't have the money to do everything you desire in free agency for your bench. Bryan Colangelo will need to get creative and explore trades, try to convince free agents to sign at discounted prices, and use draft picks to fill out the depth positions with upgrades. It will be a tall task, no doubt.
The future is still incredibly bright, and one of the most important summers in the history of the franchise will soon be upon us. Bryan Colangelo has his work cut out for him. Let's see what he's got, he's been playing for this for quite a while.
Monday, February 26, 2018
It's time to move on from Sam Hinkie and focus on winning championships
Right now, somewhere out there in Philadelphia there is probably a scorned boyfriend who got dumped by his girl and after two years he still has refused to let her go. He monitors her Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram accounts dozens of times per day, texts her an "I miss you" once every few days, and hasn't started dating again because every woman he sees doesn't compare to the girl who broke his heart. And this guy's friends routinely tell him that everything is going to be ok and that "There are plenty of fish in the sea" or some other cliched advice. One friend might be upfront and bluntly tell him that he's pathetic, and after two years he needs to grow up, stop acting like a teenager, to move on with his life, and stop holding a candle to one woman in a city of hundreds of thousands.
Sixers fans find themselves in a similar predicament. Sam Hinkie, a man whom a large portion of the fan base worshipped was forced out of town by commissioner Adam Silver and Jerry Colangelo. Sam Hinkie's power within the organization was so withered down that he was essentially forced to resign from his post as general manager. Jerry Colangelo subsequently hired his son Bryan Colangelo, in a move that outraged many Sixers fans. It wasn't so much his track record or general managing abilities that angered fans, though his track record wasn't exactly the greatest. It had more to do with the slimy way everything went down. How the Sixers broke no rules under Sam Hinkie, still had the NBA commissioner meddle in their affairs, and bring in an aging executive whose face and persona oozes "curmudgeon." How Jerry went on to hire his son, which was perceived in Philly as the most nepotistic move the world has seen since Pope Alexander VI appointed his son Cesare commander of the Papal army. It was was like an obese man being proud of losing 100 pounds after tireless training, only to step on the scale one day and find himself at 300 lbs again. A total nightmare for Sixers fans. Back to the same ol'. The young, forward-thinking GM with fresh ideas gone, and in comes the retread hire to take ourselves back to that treadmill of purgatorial mediocrity forever and ever until the end of our days.
Except it didn't happen. Bryan Colangelo came into town and essentially continued 'The Process' on, in the way everyone wanted. People feared he would try to artificially speed up the rebuild by giving mega-contracts to guys like Harrison Barnes and Allen Crabbe. It didn't happen. Many thought he would trade away all of the Sixers' stockpiled draft capital for aging veterans. It didn't happen. It hasn't been perfect. The Bayless signing(which few took issue with at the time) hasn't turned out so well, albeit with a bad wrist that seemingly still hasn't fully healed and has clearly affected his play. Markelle Fultz, the consensus #1 pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, and called by some "A James Harden clone" and projected perfect fit next to Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons shockingly altered his gorgeous shooting form in only a couple offseason months; and that combined with reported shoulder issues, has not been close to what the Sixers envisioned when trading up to snag him, to put it lightly.
If you want to be overly critical, you can even say he mishandled the Nerlens Noel and Jahlil Okafor situations. The return value for both wasn't what fans had hoped for, but I personally have always felt the fans had their expectations set way too high. Every GM in the NBA knew that Bryan Colangelo was stuck between a rock and a hard place. They had to trade at least one of them, both had their share of issues(be it skill or health) which detracted from their value. Fans deluded themselves into thinking they could get quality first round picks for both, which didn't happen. No one knows for sure what every single offer for those players contained, but I highly doubt that if a quality trade package was ever given to him, he wouldn't have accepted it without blinking. I just don't believe the offers were there and I think fans and pundits severely miscalculated their value around the league. However, if you want to blame Bryan for inheriting a tricky situation of big men, I'll even grant you that. Overall, everything is still looking incredibly bright. Once Fultz recovers his jumper, you are going to be adding the perfect compliment to your young superstar duo. Cap room has been preserved to pursue a max level cornerstone free agent in 2018 or 2019. And the Sixers are an attractive destination again to free agents, as was shown by Atlanta Hawks roster casualties Marco Belinelli and Ersan Ilyasova committing to the Sixers when each were pursued by several contending teams.
Sure, a big reason the Sixers are currently a destination is because of the foundational pieces Sam Hinkie's work left behind. But Sam Hinkie isn't here anymore. A lot of contending teams have foundational pieces to attract free agents. They chose the Sixers, and Bryan Colangelo was the man who made that happen. He also was able to lock up Robert Covington on favorable terms, and land sharpshooting free agent JJ Redick on only a one year deal to provide much-needed floor spacing in the starting lineup, and retain cap flexibility in the process.
Yet none of those positives seem to be enough for Sixers fans. Instead of praising the good moves he makes, people focus on the negatives. Instead of appreciating the good in the players he brings in like, say, Amir Johnson, people nitpick the flaws. Instead of having hope in Markelle Fultz returning to his collegiate form, fans declare him a bust at the age of 19 and blame Bryan for a failure of a trade. The Sixers, with their schedule are on pace to have a win total in the mid or high 40's, which would be ahead of schedule to most, yet there is still dissention among the fans. The way you'd hear the fans talk about the way they perceive all the moves he's made, you'd think their future prospects were forever tarnished, yet here we are with a chance to nab a 4th seed in the NBA Eastern Conference playoff standings. And on top of it, the biggest buzz in the city right now is that the Sixers may be the team to land the greatest player in the NBA, and a top 3 all-time talent in LeBron James. Sounds like the Sixers are in a very good situation to me. Thanks to both Sam Hinkie and Bryan Colangelo. Yes, both, Sixers fans. Would I prefer to still have Hinkie here? Of course. But he had his mistakes too, none of which people seem to acknowledge. Excuses are made for him, like "It wasn't his choice to draft Okafor" which can neither be proven or disproven, but the smallest mistake Bryan Colangelo makes everyone will take him to task for it. "Bryan should have known Markelle Fultz would be a headcase." Really? You mean the guy mentally strong enough to bounce back and become the #1 pick in the draft after being cut from his high school basketball team? Bryan should have somehow greenseer'd Fultz's future shooting woes that never had shown the slightest inkling of ever existing? That's called having an agenda, and that's what happens when one is worshipped at a god-like level, as Sam Hinkie is in Philadelphia.
Just like the scorned boyfriend who is so heartbroken, he can never regain the ability to find beauty in another women again, Sixers fans have essentially become the same way. Due to lingering distaste with the whole situation, lines have been drawn in the sand, and agendas have been set. When you're still lamenting a lost love, you'll never be able to find beauty in another. That next love may not be perfect, they may not be the one of your dreams, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't give them a chance. If you look hard enough and move on, you can come to understand that maybe things aren't so bad after all and come to appreciate that next one more and more. So I'm going to be that friend that needs to speak up and put it to you bluntly. MOVE ON. I liked Sam Hinkie too, but there are plenty of GM fish in the sea, and the one right here in front of you isn't doing too bad. I think in life everyone kind of wants the same thing. To find a woman you like, find a good paying job, a decent house, maybe some kids, and to live relatively happy. And in sports, we all want a championship. Instead of lamenting, judging, and ridiculing put the past behind you and focus on winning a championship. Instead of wasting time pettily and childishly retweeting 3 year old negative Hinkie takes like the boyfriend creeps his ex's Facebook daily, celebrate your team's victories. The GM battles no longer matter. Let's make the best of the situation we're in and let the past be the past. We're climbing that mountain pretty damn fast, and if you continue to keep your head in your bucket of Hinkie sorrows, you're going to miss the whole journey that was right there in front of you.
Sixers fans find themselves in a similar predicament. Sam Hinkie, a man whom a large portion of the fan base worshipped was forced out of town by commissioner Adam Silver and Jerry Colangelo. Sam Hinkie's power within the organization was so withered down that he was essentially forced to resign from his post as general manager. Jerry Colangelo subsequently hired his son Bryan Colangelo, in a move that outraged many Sixers fans. It wasn't so much his track record or general managing abilities that angered fans, though his track record wasn't exactly the greatest. It had more to do with the slimy way everything went down. How the Sixers broke no rules under Sam Hinkie, still had the NBA commissioner meddle in their affairs, and bring in an aging executive whose face and persona oozes "curmudgeon." How Jerry went on to hire his son, which was perceived in Philly as the most nepotistic move the world has seen since Pope Alexander VI appointed his son Cesare commander of the Papal army. It was was like an obese man being proud of losing 100 pounds after tireless training, only to step on the scale one day and find himself at 300 lbs again. A total nightmare for Sixers fans. Back to the same ol'. The young, forward-thinking GM with fresh ideas gone, and in comes the retread hire to take ourselves back to that treadmill of purgatorial mediocrity forever and ever until the end of our days.
Except it didn't happen. Bryan Colangelo came into town and essentially continued 'The Process' on, in the way everyone wanted. People feared he would try to artificially speed up the rebuild by giving mega-contracts to guys like Harrison Barnes and Allen Crabbe. It didn't happen. Many thought he would trade away all of the Sixers' stockpiled draft capital for aging veterans. It didn't happen. It hasn't been perfect. The Bayless signing(which few took issue with at the time) hasn't turned out so well, albeit with a bad wrist that seemingly still hasn't fully healed and has clearly affected his play. Markelle Fultz, the consensus #1 pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, and called by some "A James Harden clone" and projected perfect fit next to Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons shockingly altered his gorgeous shooting form in only a couple offseason months; and that combined with reported shoulder issues, has not been close to what the Sixers envisioned when trading up to snag him, to put it lightly.
If you want to be overly critical, you can even say he mishandled the Nerlens Noel and Jahlil Okafor situations. The return value for both wasn't what fans had hoped for, but I personally have always felt the fans had their expectations set way too high. Every GM in the NBA knew that Bryan Colangelo was stuck between a rock and a hard place. They had to trade at least one of them, both had their share of issues(be it skill or health) which detracted from their value. Fans deluded themselves into thinking they could get quality first round picks for both, which didn't happen. No one knows for sure what every single offer for those players contained, but I highly doubt that if a quality trade package was ever given to him, he wouldn't have accepted it without blinking. I just don't believe the offers were there and I think fans and pundits severely miscalculated their value around the league. However, if you want to blame Bryan for inheriting a tricky situation of big men, I'll even grant you that. Overall, everything is still looking incredibly bright. Once Fultz recovers his jumper, you are going to be adding the perfect compliment to your young superstar duo. Cap room has been preserved to pursue a max level cornerstone free agent in 2018 or 2019. And the Sixers are an attractive destination again to free agents, as was shown by Atlanta Hawks roster casualties Marco Belinelli and Ersan Ilyasova committing to the Sixers when each were pursued by several contending teams.
Sure, a big reason the Sixers are currently a destination is because of the foundational pieces Sam Hinkie's work left behind. But Sam Hinkie isn't here anymore. A lot of contending teams have foundational pieces to attract free agents. They chose the Sixers, and Bryan Colangelo was the man who made that happen. He also was able to lock up Robert Covington on favorable terms, and land sharpshooting free agent JJ Redick on only a one year deal to provide much-needed floor spacing in the starting lineup, and retain cap flexibility in the process.
Yet none of those positives seem to be enough for Sixers fans. Instead of praising the good moves he makes, people focus on the negatives. Instead of appreciating the good in the players he brings in like, say, Amir Johnson, people nitpick the flaws. Instead of having hope in Markelle Fultz returning to his collegiate form, fans declare him a bust at the age of 19 and blame Bryan for a failure of a trade. The Sixers, with their schedule are on pace to have a win total in the mid or high 40's, which would be ahead of schedule to most, yet there is still dissention among the fans. The way you'd hear the fans talk about the way they perceive all the moves he's made, you'd think their future prospects were forever tarnished, yet here we are with a chance to nab a 4th seed in the NBA Eastern Conference playoff standings. And on top of it, the biggest buzz in the city right now is that the Sixers may be the team to land the greatest player in the NBA, and a top 3 all-time talent in LeBron James. Sounds like the Sixers are in a very good situation to me. Thanks to both Sam Hinkie and Bryan Colangelo. Yes, both, Sixers fans. Would I prefer to still have Hinkie here? Of course. But he had his mistakes too, none of which people seem to acknowledge. Excuses are made for him, like "It wasn't his choice to draft Okafor" which can neither be proven or disproven, but the smallest mistake Bryan Colangelo makes everyone will take him to task for it. "Bryan should have known Markelle Fultz would be a headcase." Really? You mean the guy mentally strong enough to bounce back and become the #1 pick in the draft after being cut from his high school basketball team? Bryan should have somehow greenseer'd Fultz's future shooting woes that never had shown the slightest inkling of ever existing? That's called having an agenda, and that's what happens when one is worshipped at a god-like level, as Sam Hinkie is in Philadelphia.
Just like the scorned boyfriend who is so heartbroken, he can never regain the ability to find beauty in another women again, Sixers fans have essentially become the same way. Due to lingering distaste with the whole situation, lines have been drawn in the sand, and agendas have been set. When you're still lamenting a lost love, you'll never be able to find beauty in another. That next love may not be perfect, they may not be the one of your dreams, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't give them a chance. If you look hard enough and move on, you can come to understand that maybe things aren't so bad after all and come to appreciate that next one more and more. So I'm going to be that friend that needs to speak up and put it to you bluntly. MOVE ON. I liked Sam Hinkie too, but there are plenty of GM fish in the sea, and the one right here in front of you isn't doing too bad. I think in life everyone kind of wants the same thing. To find a woman you like, find a good paying job, a decent house, maybe some kids, and to live relatively happy. And in sports, we all want a championship. Instead of lamenting, judging, and ridiculing put the past behind you and focus on winning a championship. Instead of wasting time pettily and childishly retweeting 3 year old negative Hinkie takes like the boyfriend creeps his ex's Facebook daily, celebrate your team's victories. The GM battles no longer matter. Let's make the best of the situation we're in and let the past be the past. We're climbing that mountain pretty damn fast, and if you continue to keep your head in your bucket of Hinkie sorrows, you're going to miss the whole journey that was right there in front of you.
Saturday, February 10, 2018
What the Eagles have to do to repeat as Super Bowl champions
No introduction here, let's get right to the things the Eagles need to do in the offseason if they want to repeat as Super Bowl champs.
1. Have just the right amount of turnover. You'd think when you win a championship, bringing the entire team back in full is the best case scenario, but that usually isn't the case. Championship teams always need some turnover so you can bring in younger, hungry guys who have never won before to come in, and be extra motivated to achieve with the other guys in that locker room achieved. Players are human beings and complacency is only natural. You don't want to replace too many guys though, as this team has a blueprint for success and they've developed that family chemistry more than any team I've ever seen.
2. Add offensive line depth. Jason Peters will be coming off a torn ACL and MCL, and the Eagles are one serious OL injury away from being paper thin there. They need depth at LG and OT. This should be a priority in the draft. The Eagles had the top scoring offense in the NFL for almost the entire season and if they want it to stay that way they need to be deep on the o line. The draft would be the best place to address this and to address it early.
3. Add linebacker depth. Jordan Hicks has been injury prone, and the Eagles don't have a lot of quality depth at either LB position. They could use some young, high-upside talent there they can develop going forward. Guys like Ellerbe, Goode, and Grugier-Hill did solid jobs stepping in, but I don't think you want to be relying on those guys again if you have the choice.
4. Find a young stud running back. The Eagles had a dominant rushing attack this season piecing it together with a committee, and I would not be opposed to going that route again if the Eagles have to, but ideally you want a stud workhorse back of the future if they can find one in the draft. Blount is up there in age, Ajayi has questions about his knees moving forward, and Clement was a real surprise this season, but we simply don't know yet if he can handle the burden of a majority workload yet.
5. Find a young speedy WR. Torrey Smith had issues catching the ball this season, and went lengthy stretches of the season where he was totally invisible. To his credit, he played his best ball in the playoffs, and I'll always love him for that. We don't know yet if Howie is going to keep him on the roster for next season, but either way, this team should have their eyes open for a young deep threat to groom. Mack Hollins could very well excel in that role with more playing time, and we'll see what Gibson does in his 2nd year, but you can never have enough speed for your offense.
6. Get healthy. The Eagles just need to flat out get healthy. Get Wentz, Hicks, Peters back and playing at a high level first and foremost. It's amazing the Eagles were able to win a championship without them, but I'd rather not have to try and do it again. Those are key guys who will be motivated to come back and play in the Super Bowl this time around, and we have to get them back to 100% and feeling comfortable.
7. Howie, work that cap magic. The Eagles are currently projected to be over the cap, and will have very little salary cap space once the dust settles on March 14th. I don't expect the Eagles to be very active in free agency, and frankly this free agent class isn't very good. That said, you always need some cap room to fill in needs here and there, so it's up to Howie to restructure deals, re-sign players, and make all the cap stuff work out. Howie's management of the cap is a huge reason the Eagles won the Super Bowl to begin with. Fitting in key guys on team-friendly deals at a good price.
1. Have just the right amount of turnover. You'd think when you win a championship, bringing the entire team back in full is the best case scenario, but that usually isn't the case. Championship teams always need some turnover so you can bring in younger, hungry guys who have never won before to come in, and be extra motivated to achieve with the other guys in that locker room achieved. Players are human beings and complacency is only natural. You don't want to replace too many guys though, as this team has a blueprint for success and they've developed that family chemistry more than any team I've ever seen.
2. Add offensive line depth. Jason Peters will be coming off a torn ACL and MCL, and the Eagles are one serious OL injury away from being paper thin there. They need depth at LG and OT. This should be a priority in the draft. The Eagles had the top scoring offense in the NFL for almost the entire season and if they want it to stay that way they need to be deep on the o line. The draft would be the best place to address this and to address it early.
3. Add linebacker depth. Jordan Hicks has been injury prone, and the Eagles don't have a lot of quality depth at either LB position. They could use some young, high-upside talent there they can develop going forward. Guys like Ellerbe, Goode, and Grugier-Hill did solid jobs stepping in, but I don't think you want to be relying on those guys again if you have the choice.
4. Find a young stud running back. The Eagles had a dominant rushing attack this season piecing it together with a committee, and I would not be opposed to going that route again if the Eagles have to, but ideally you want a stud workhorse back of the future if they can find one in the draft. Blount is up there in age, Ajayi has questions about his knees moving forward, and Clement was a real surprise this season, but we simply don't know yet if he can handle the burden of a majority workload yet.
5. Find a young speedy WR. Torrey Smith had issues catching the ball this season, and went lengthy stretches of the season where he was totally invisible. To his credit, he played his best ball in the playoffs, and I'll always love him for that. We don't know yet if Howie is going to keep him on the roster for next season, but either way, this team should have their eyes open for a young deep threat to groom. Mack Hollins could very well excel in that role with more playing time, and we'll see what Gibson does in his 2nd year, but you can never have enough speed for your offense.
6. Get healthy. The Eagles just need to flat out get healthy. Get Wentz, Hicks, Peters back and playing at a high level first and foremost. It's amazing the Eagles were able to win a championship without them, but I'd rather not have to try and do it again. Those are key guys who will be motivated to come back and play in the Super Bowl this time around, and we have to get them back to 100% and feeling comfortable.
7. Howie, work that cap magic. The Eagles are currently projected to be over the cap, and will have very little salary cap space once the dust settles on March 14th. I don't expect the Eagles to be very active in free agency, and frankly this free agent class isn't very good. That said, you always need some cap room to fill in needs here and there, so it's up to Howie to restructure deals, re-sign players, and make all the cap stuff work out. Howie's management of the cap is a huge reason the Eagles won the Super Bowl to begin with. Fitting in key guys on team-friendly deals at a good price.
Friday, February 9, 2018
With the help of the Eagles, Philadelphia has taken embracing the underdog status to a whole other level
Philadelphia has always been known as the city that has embraced the underdog status. Dating all the way back to Rocky, sometimes being anything but the underdog has made the fans feel a little bit uneasy. Almost like if Philly has a sports team that is too good, something will go wrong and break all of our hearts in the most devastating way. However, with being the underdog, there was almost still a little bit of insecurity lingering. "Why doesn't anyone think we're going to win???" "Why don't the analysts give us any respect???" were always questions uttered from the mouths of Philadelphia sports fans. We embraced the underdog status, but the amount of perceived disrespect for our sports teams bothered us.
Then in January of 2018 all of that started to change. An Eagles team lost their MVP quarterback in Carson Wentz, all pro middle linebacker in Jordan Hicks, hall of fame special teams player and dual-threat running back in Darren Sproles, hall of fame left tackle in Jason Peters, and best special teams coverage man in Chris Maragos. They heard the doubters, they felt the negativity. But something this time was different. Instead of letting the noise get to them, they let it fuel them. Rather than trying too hard to prove doubters wrong and end up making mistakes, they just continued to play with cool unwavering confidence. Instead of letting it tear them apart, it drew them closer together. The Philadelphia Eagles laughed and spit in the face of all the loud-mouthed pundits and rode that underdog status with almost 60 years of pressure and disappointment on their shoulders all the way to a Super Bowl championship. It was the perfect synergy. Usually, Philadelphia wants a team to play the way the city identifies with itself. The blue collar, hard-working underdog. For maybe the first time ever, it was the team that set the example the city could identify with. There was no lingering insecurity with this Eagles team. They were confident. They knew they were the best, and they weren't going to let anyone or anything stand in their way.
And suddenly you can feel that new standard resonating throughout the city. No longer do you hear fans whining about the lack of respect and how much people hate Philadelphia. Now, it's singing "No one likes us, no one likes us, no one likes us, we don't care. We're from Philly, fucking Philly, no one likes us, we don't care!" joyously in the streets. It's wearing underdog masks with the pride a college graduate would show off their diploma. The script has been flipped. Philadelphia, the ultimate underdog city has fed off the swagger of its football team, instead of the team just feeding off of its fans. It's why this championship team is more special than any other our town has ever seen. It's a match made in heaven, and you can feel it already spreading to the other teams in town. Philadelphia now has a new swagger and its teams now feel like they're supposed to win regardless of the odds instead of just hoping they can somehow pull it off. The fans set the expectations, the Eagles set the standard, and everyone else is just following their example. Personalities of equal temperament and measure uniting with one common attitude. "Philly vs Everybody" and fuck the haters. Spoken like a true Philadelphian, with a team that couldn't be more 'Philadelphia' and has redefined what makes Philly Philly. Pun intended.
Then in January of 2018 all of that started to change. An Eagles team lost their MVP quarterback in Carson Wentz, all pro middle linebacker in Jordan Hicks, hall of fame special teams player and dual-threat running back in Darren Sproles, hall of fame left tackle in Jason Peters, and best special teams coverage man in Chris Maragos. They heard the doubters, they felt the negativity. But something this time was different. Instead of letting the noise get to them, they let it fuel them. Rather than trying too hard to prove doubters wrong and end up making mistakes, they just continued to play with cool unwavering confidence. Instead of letting it tear them apart, it drew them closer together. The Philadelphia Eagles laughed and spit in the face of all the loud-mouthed pundits and rode that underdog status with almost 60 years of pressure and disappointment on their shoulders all the way to a Super Bowl championship. It was the perfect synergy. Usually, Philadelphia wants a team to play the way the city identifies with itself. The blue collar, hard-working underdog. For maybe the first time ever, it was the team that set the example the city could identify with. There was no lingering insecurity with this Eagles team. They were confident. They knew they were the best, and they weren't going to let anyone or anything stand in their way.
And suddenly you can feel that new standard resonating throughout the city. No longer do you hear fans whining about the lack of respect and how much people hate Philadelphia. Now, it's singing "No one likes us, no one likes us, no one likes us, we don't care. We're from Philly, fucking Philly, no one likes us, we don't care!" joyously in the streets. It's wearing underdog masks with the pride a college graduate would show off their diploma. The script has been flipped. Philadelphia, the ultimate underdog city has fed off the swagger of its football team, instead of the team just feeding off of its fans. It's why this championship team is more special than any other our town has ever seen. It's a match made in heaven, and you can feel it already spreading to the other teams in town. Philadelphia now has a new swagger and its teams now feel like they're supposed to win regardless of the odds instead of just hoping they can somehow pull it off. The fans set the expectations, the Eagles set the standard, and everyone else is just following their example. Personalities of equal temperament and measure uniting with one common attitude. "Philly vs Everybody" and fuck the haters. Spoken like a true Philadelphian, with a team that couldn't be more 'Philadelphia' and has redefined what makes Philly Philly. Pun intended.
Monday, January 1, 2018
We are going to find out everything we need to know about the Eagles' offense on January 13th
When Carson Wentz went down with an ACL tear, every person on the planet knew the Eagles' offense would take a hit. The question was how much of a hit would they take? In the 3 games without him, the offense looked decent enough once, and dreadful twice. You can write off the final game vs Dallas if you want considering the game meant absolutely nothing for either team, the Eagles players knew they wouldn't be playing the entire game, and you had to evaluate situationally based on backups playing significant snaps. So, even at best, you have a split sample size. One, a product quality enough to potentially get you some wins in the playoffs, and another that would make the Eagles one-and-done. It remains to be seen which Eagles team we're going to get on January 13th on Saturday afternoon.
We're going to find out a lot about the Eagles and just how good they are in that game. In sports, sometimes teams have players who are so great, they make the final product look much better than it actually is. And sometimes teams have players who are great, but also have great players and coaching around them which amounts to an elite-tier overall product. All season long most people believed the Eagles were the latter, and in the playoffs we're going to find out which of those is actually true.
The QB position is the most important position in all of sports. When you lose your starting QB to injury, especially one that is league MVP, you are going to take a significant hit. However, there is a difference between taking a hit and turning into a club that goes from being able to score 40 points in 3 quarters to only being able to cross midfield once in an entire football game and spending the entire day punting the football away. One player, even a QB, should not be responsible for that much of a drop-off, unless the QB is truly that amazing. If the Eagles come out on the 13th vs whichever opponent they face, and their offense picks up where it left off the last two games, it will tell Howie Roseman, Doug Pederson, Joe Douglas, and all Eagles fans everywhere two things:
1) As great as everyone thinks Carson Wentz is, he's miles better than even we thought, and has surpassed Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers as the best QB in the NFL.
2) The rest of the talent on offense, and the coaching isn't as good as we realized.
In 2002, Donovan McNabb went down with a broken ankle, and between Koy Detmer and AJ Feeley the Eagles were still able to put together a quality enough offense to lead the Eagles into the playoffs as the #1 seed the rest of the way. The offense even looked so impressive at times, that many Eagles fans stupidly believed that Feeley should be the future starter. As dumb as that notion was, it only existed because the offense was able to succeed at such a level without McNabb. At that point, McNabb to the Eagles then is essentially what Wentz is to the Eagles now. The team MVP, the most important player on offense, and the shining light that produced optimism, excitement around the city to that level for the first time in years. This showed us that not only was the coaching spectacular, and amenable enough to adjust their game plans and system to fit different players, but the team was talented enough to keep winning without their best and most important player.
We will find out if this Eagles team has that caliber of coaching and that level of talent on the offensive side of the ball. An offense that disastrously sputters into oblivion without their starting QB indicates that the final results of the product are significantly skewed in favor of the QB, who was making players around him look a lot better than they are and maybe the the talent level on the Eagles isn't as good as originally thought. Long-term that bodes great for the Eagles. It would be they truly have a transcendent QB capable of keeping the franchise contending for years. Short-term it would mean the Eagles are basically screwed without him and need to bolster the players around Wentz to put less of a burden on him, and make success more sustainable if he were to get injured again, which would be the 3rd time in 3 seasons he suffered some type of an injury. It would also open the door, just a crack, to question a coaching staff that had one of the all-time great Philadelphia sports seasons ever, and maybe cast just a smidgen of doubt on the man who should absolutely win Coach of the Year in Doug Pederson. Not that he is a bad coach by any means, but it would lead to questions the ratio of how much of the team's success was owed to Wentz instead of Pederson.
However, if the Eagles are able to pick up the pieces in the playoffs and continue to put a quality offense out there capable of winning playoffs games, then it would confirm everyone's initial impressions were correct. That the Eagles are truly as good and talented as we thought, and are resilient and well-coached enough to overcome any injury and still compete at a high level amongst the best the league has to offer. The 13th can't get here fast enough. Major questions looming, and we will have our answers... for better or for worse.
We're going to find out a lot about the Eagles and just how good they are in that game. In sports, sometimes teams have players who are so great, they make the final product look much better than it actually is. And sometimes teams have players who are great, but also have great players and coaching around them which amounts to an elite-tier overall product. All season long most people believed the Eagles were the latter, and in the playoffs we're going to find out which of those is actually true.
The QB position is the most important position in all of sports. When you lose your starting QB to injury, especially one that is league MVP, you are going to take a significant hit. However, there is a difference between taking a hit and turning into a club that goes from being able to score 40 points in 3 quarters to only being able to cross midfield once in an entire football game and spending the entire day punting the football away. One player, even a QB, should not be responsible for that much of a drop-off, unless the QB is truly that amazing. If the Eagles come out on the 13th vs whichever opponent they face, and their offense picks up where it left off the last two games, it will tell Howie Roseman, Doug Pederson, Joe Douglas, and all Eagles fans everywhere two things:
1) As great as everyone thinks Carson Wentz is, he's miles better than even we thought, and has surpassed Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers as the best QB in the NFL.
2) The rest of the talent on offense, and the coaching isn't as good as we realized.
In 2002, Donovan McNabb went down with a broken ankle, and between Koy Detmer and AJ Feeley the Eagles were still able to put together a quality enough offense to lead the Eagles into the playoffs as the #1 seed the rest of the way. The offense even looked so impressive at times, that many Eagles fans stupidly believed that Feeley should be the future starter. As dumb as that notion was, it only existed because the offense was able to succeed at such a level without McNabb. At that point, McNabb to the Eagles then is essentially what Wentz is to the Eagles now. The team MVP, the most important player on offense, and the shining light that produced optimism, excitement around the city to that level for the first time in years. This showed us that not only was the coaching spectacular, and amenable enough to adjust their game plans and system to fit different players, but the team was talented enough to keep winning without their best and most important player.
We will find out if this Eagles team has that caliber of coaching and that level of talent on the offensive side of the ball. An offense that disastrously sputters into oblivion without their starting QB indicates that the final results of the product are significantly skewed in favor of the QB, who was making players around him look a lot better than they are and maybe the the talent level on the Eagles isn't as good as originally thought. Long-term that bodes great for the Eagles. It would be they truly have a transcendent QB capable of keeping the franchise contending for years. Short-term it would mean the Eagles are basically screwed without him and need to bolster the players around Wentz to put less of a burden on him, and make success more sustainable if he were to get injured again, which would be the 3rd time in 3 seasons he suffered some type of an injury. It would also open the door, just a crack, to question a coaching staff that had one of the all-time great Philadelphia sports seasons ever, and maybe cast just a smidgen of doubt on the man who should absolutely win Coach of the Year in Doug Pederson. Not that he is a bad coach by any means, but it would lead to questions the ratio of how much of the team's success was owed to Wentz instead of Pederson.
However, if the Eagles are able to pick up the pieces in the playoffs and continue to put a quality offense out there capable of winning playoffs games, then it would confirm everyone's initial impressions were correct. That the Eagles are truly as good and talented as we thought, and are resilient and well-coached enough to overcome any injury and still compete at a high level amongst the best the league has to offer. The 13th can't get here fast enough. Major questions looming, and we will have our answers... for better or for worse.
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