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The Philadelphia 76ers are the great mystery of the 2007-08 NBA season. No need to call Gil Grissom to investigate, as the evidence clearly points to a rebuilding year at Broad Street and Pattison Avenue.
When the team traded Allen Iverson to Denver and bought Chris Webber out of his contract last year, management started laying the groundwork for the future. They deserve credit for taking a giant leap forward and shipping their star attraction off in favor of delivering a better product. With their $72 million payroll dropping to $38 million next summer, it means money will be spent on a free-agent shopping spree.
But where does that leave the Sixers in the interim?
That case is for the current players and coaches to solve.
In previous years, the Sixers success — or lack thereof — was orchestrated by Iverson, a seven-time NBA All-Star with career averages of 27.9 points and 6.2 assists per game. Prior to packing him up for the Rocky Mountains in December, the Sixers won a total of five games. Add the fact the organization made the postseason just once over the past four years, and the guard’s recent track record for winning wasn’t too hot. The one time they did advance (’05), the Sixers were eliminated in the first round by the Detroit Pistons. No matter what moves the front office made to try and better themselves with Iverson, it never equated to a championship formula. The closest they came was the ’01 NBA Finals when they fell 4-1 to the Los Angeles Lakers.
Ironically, the rebuilding came earlier than expected when the Iverson-less Sixers won 30 games following the trade. This is the same team many expected to tank and therefore improving its chances of landing a top pick in the ’07 draft. Instead, they ended up picking No. 12 overall, the first of three first-round selections (two of those involved draft-night trades).
The suspense lingers heading into the Oct. 31 opener at Toronto as to who the faces on the ’07-’08 roster really are. Is this team a couple years away from a playoff appearance or does this group of young talent already have what it takes to sneak back into the postseason picture?
When A.I. left town, Andre Iguodala, now entering his fourth season with the Sixers, stepped forward. Given the opportunity to put his well-rounded game on display, the swingman delivered a career-best 18.2 points, 5.7 rebounds and 5.7 assists per game. He could be key to the team’s future, so his production and leadership must continue. Talks are ongoing concerning a contract extension, as Iguodala is scheduled to become a restricted free-agent at season’s end. If a deal isn’t reached by the end of the month, negotiations can’t resume until June.
Andre Miller, who arrived via the Iverson trade, also could be part of a winning image. In 57 games with the Sixers, he averaged 13.6 points and 7.3 assists per game. His pass-first mentality will help others become more involved in the offense.
What other players fit into the plans?
Louis Williams has been talked about of late as a player who could see increased time on the court. Third-year guard, who was drafted out of high school, has averaged just 9.2 minutes per game over the previous two seasons. Strong summer league exposure, where Williams led the Sixers offense, merits a more active role. Through three preseason matches, the guard averaged 20.6 points per game, which included 33 in Friday’s overtime loss to the Nets. Giving Williams additional time provides the Sixers a chance to evaluate whether or not they’ll make the young talent part of their plans beyond ’08.
Samuel Dalembert, Kyle Korver, Reggie Evans and Willie Green are all signed through ’10-’11, but who knows if they’ll be around when their contracts expire. New rookie additions Jason Smith and Thaddeus Young also could figure into the picture.
The only sure things are, once June rolls around, the Sixers will no longer be stuck paying Webber’s $19 million salary or $7 million to Aaron McKie, now of the Sixers coaching staff. With a $53.1 million cap for the current season, the front office will finally have some wiggle room to purchase the missing pieces.
Not making the playoffs may give the organization the edge it needs with a better chance of getting a higher ’08 draft pick.
At this point, the Sixers taking one of the eight Eastern Conference playoff spots would be much more shocking than the Phillies recent rise to the top of the National League East. Boston, Detroit, Chicago, Cleveland, New Jersey, Miami, Orlando and Toronto have better talent.
With every new season there is always plenty of hype, but the mystery and intrigue comes with seeing what teams live up to it and which ones don’t. For now, consider the Sixers in the hunt for a winning identity.
