2019-2020 Sixers Season/Offseason

[zambonir]

Per Bodner, Joel actually got more votes than Ben and Westbrook, but Gobert was ahead of him.

It might actually be slightly good for the Sixers that Ben didn't make first or second team this year. It also might have been better (considering) if he hadn't made it at all.

Ben Simmons has been named to the All-NBA Third Team.

That means his supermax extension which begins next season will start at 28% of the cap rather than 25%.

— Derek Bodner ( @DerekBodnerNBA ) September 16, 2020

[VoteForKalas]

So who are you thinking?

Not sure, like zambonir said that type of coach is more rare nowadays, but that is what these guys need. It is not just structure, discipline and accountability; its also support, love and motivation. Those coaches could always get the best out of their players and teams and made players understand it all came from wanting them to be great, to reach high levels of success and that all the work would be paid back in spades because, if they won a ring, they would, as Fred Shero famously said, "walk together forever" and Philadelphia would always remember them as legends as they do Moses, Dr. J, Wilt etc. They have the chance to be the next legends of a city rich in basketball tradition and achievement. That would get my motor running for sure.

[zambonir]

Heh, well, you are only asking for something that no Sixers (or Flyers) coach has done for 40-45 years (though I'd take Larry Brown if it was still 20 years ago).

My issue is even if that coach exists he won't necessarily thrive in the Sixers culture, or want the job. Spoelstra, Stevens, Kerr, Popovich, Nurse all succeed because of what's above them, not just what's on their bench. Donovan too (but the Thunder are also a team the Sixers seem likely to emulate in terms of what lies ahead).

[VoteForKalas]

Heh, well, you are only asking for something that no Sixers (or Flyers) coach has done for 40-45 years (though I'd take Larry Brown if it was still 20 years ago).

I think you are over-simplifying. Flyers have been to the Cup finals 6 times since winning their two Cups: 1976, 1980, 1985, 1987, 1997 and 2010. Fred Shero, Pat Quinn and Mike Keenan are all legendary coaches and rightfully so. Shero got the Flyers to the finals 3 straight years, winning 2. Keenan got the Flyers to the finals twice in 3 years. Murray and Lavs were not legends, but very good coaches.

They ran into dynasty teams in the finals every time: MTL in 1976, NYI in 1980, EDM in 1985 & 87, DET in 1997 and CHI in 2010. The Flyers were plenty good enough to win those Cups, but dynasties are just that for a reason. They beat everyone for sizable stretches (MTL 4 straight Cups, NYI 4 straight Cups, EDM 4 straight Cups, DET 3 out of 4 Cups and CHI 3 Cups in 6 years).

The 76ers, OTOH, I agree more with your analysis. They also ran into a dynasty in 2001, but I think everyone knew that was a special season that would not be duplicated due to organizational, coaching and personnel factors. Plus they had not sniffed the finals since 1983 before that and certainly not since then. It has been a poorly run organization for decades now spanning several owners, many GMs and all kinds of coaches and players.

My issue is even if that coach exists he won't necessarily thrive in the Sixers culture, or want the job. Spoelstra, Stevens, Kerr, Popovich, Nurse all succeed because of what's above them, not just what's on their bench. Donovan too (but the Thunder are also a team the Sixers seem likely to emulate in terms of what lies ahead).

I agree the ownership and management are critically important which is why I've been advocating that Brand be replaced by a much better GM with full authority over basketball operations. I'm hoping Harris sells the 76ers soon as he only bought them as an investment and does not seem to truly care about championships or building a consistent winner. I agree the 76ers gig may be viewed as less interesting by coaches who'd like to work for a good organization.

[bigegypt0417]

This may explain the slow coaching search...

Sixers Mulling Efforts To Make Big Splash In Front Office

[Philsmania]

They ran into dynasty teams in the finals every time: MTL in 1976, NYI in 1980, EDM in 1985 & 87, DET in 1997 and CHI in 2010. The Flyers were plenty good enough to win those Cups, but dynasties are just that for a reason. They beat everyone for sizable stretches (MTL 4 straight Cups, NYI 4 straight Cups, EDM 4 straight Cups, DET 3 out of 4 Cups and CHI 3 Cups in 6 years).

The 76ers, OTOH, I agree more with your analysis. They also ran into a dynasty in 2001, but I think everyone knew that was a special season that would not be duplicated due to organizational, coaching and personnel factors. Plus they had not sniffed the finals since 1983 before that and certainly not since then. It has been a poorly run organization for decades now spanning several owners, many GMs and all kinds of coaches and players.

I agree the ownership and management are critically important which is why I've been advocating that Brand be replaced by a much better GM with full authority over basketball operations. I'm hoping Harris sells the 76ers soon as he only bought them as an investment and does not seem to truly care about championships or building a consistent winner. I agree the 76ers gig may be viewed as less interesting by coaches who'd like to work for a good organization.

For all the talk of the Curse of William Penn, running into dynasties was a long-running problem for Philadelphia sports. With the exception of the '83 Phillies, every Philadelphia team that had a crack at a title between the '83 Sixers and the '08 Phillies ran into the brick wall of a dynasty in the final championship round. In addition to the Flyers and Sixers cases you point out, see also the '93 Phillies who fell to the Blue Jays' mini-dynasty (back-to-back titles) and the '04 Eagles who fell to the Patriots in the Super Bowl (the Pats' second consecutive title and third in four years).

As for your second point, I am not sure Harris is ready to cash out yet. He now seems to have set his sights on having a new arena built for the team closer to Center City (or in Camden). The Penn's Landing proposal was rejected but now he's set his sights on other possibilities. If/when he gets that built, his team will become even more valuable and the arena will be a part of the package.

The 76ers could put a new arena where fans actually want to be: a guide

And, as dysfunctional as the Sixers are, they're still better than the Knicks, an organization that is supposed to be one of the league's flagship franchises.

[bigegypt0417]

Anther interesting article...

76ers Rumors: Philly Considering Rockets' Daryl Morey, Pacers' Kevin Pritchard

[VoteForKalas]

For all the talk of the Curse of William Penn, running into dynasties was a long-running problem for Philadelphia sports. With the exception of the '83 Phillies, every Philadelphia team that had a crack at a title between the '83 Sixers and the '08 Phillies ran into the brick wall of a dynasty in the final championship round. In addition to the Flyers and Sixers cases you point out, see also the '93 Phillies who fell to the Blue Jays' mini-dynasty (back-to-back titles) and the '04 Eagles who fell to the Patriots in the Super Bowl (the Pats' second consecutive title and third in four years).

As for your second point, I am not sure Harris is ready to cash out yet. He now seems to have set his sights on having a new arena built for the team closer to Center City (or in Camden). The Penn's Landing proposal was rejected but now he's set his sights on other possibilities. If/when he gets that built, his team will become even more valuable and the arena will be a part of the package.

Excellent points, well stated

[zambonir]

If true these front office rumors are good news. Doesn't matter who they get, even, though I like both those guys mentioned. Those are big swings, obviously, and Morey just lost his top assistant to Sacramento. Of course he was also where Hinkie came from.

VFK, yeah, it's true the Flyers had a much better run in the '80s though it is easy to forget that now. Nothing against Murray or Lavs, certainly not their fault, but after the '80s those Flyers coaches and teams are certainly not remembered as legends. I remember them as disasters - the Lindros era, the Carter/Richards era, the Pronger era - with that one lucky year in 2010 that still should have probably ended against the Bruins. Of course all those disasters happened for different reasons.

What your Flyers analysis shows I think, is you can't expect a coach to win a championship, just be good enough to consistently compete for one.

[zambonir]

Here is the actual source of the other posts above, incidentally. Several other names mentioned (Olshey, Danny Ferry, they even asked about the Warriors GM supposedly).

The Inquirer is a non-profit, if you can't subscribe at least give 'em credit!

How serious are the Sixers about restructuring the front office?

[flyers19rw]

IDK how any quality front office talent would seriously consider leaving a good job to,work,for this ownership group after how they dealt with Hinkie.

[bigegypt0417]

The 76'ers didn't deal with Hinkie...the NBA did.

[flyers19rw]

True but ownership could have backed him and didn’t.

[zambonir]

Now that I've read all those stories, most of what the Inquirer is reporting are things that are probably not happening, which of course the other two places turned into clickbait as things that might. To summarize:

• They are not pursuing Myers, that's something they tried last year. He wouldn't be interested.

• They might inquire about Morey and Pritchard but sources say neither would be interested. And Morey just signed a five-year extension.

• Sixers deny interest in Ferry.

The only person who might be a real candidate is Neil Olshey, and as someone who lives in Portland, I don't even think he's especially good. But we could probably give him a raise, and no one would be too sad to see him go in Portland at this point.

The real point of the column is still the question of whether the team intends to install someone over Brand or not. If so, Pompey sensibly argues, they should stop dreaming of stealing GMs who are already winning with more accomplished and stable organizations, but rather, find the right #2 who's ready to step up.

[xogfog]

As the Heat go on to take a 2-0 lead against the Celtics forever more I'm going to cringe when I hear Butler's name. You basically gave up Covington and Saric for less than half a season of Butler. If they would have kept Butler and not traded for Harris, the Sixers would have been in the finals this year.

[zambonir]

Well, they probably would have found a way to screw it up. But they certainly still would have been better.

Imagine how Josh Richardson feels.

[bigegypt0417]

That isn't even remotely true...the sixers would still have lacked the outside shooting the heat have. Simply leaving Butler on the team and not trading for harris would not have the sixers in the same position.

[xogfog]

Well, they would have had Shamut and probably could have also retained Reddick, so they would have had outside shooting.

[bigegypt0417]

Well, they would have had Shamut and probably could have also retained Reddick, so they would have had outside shooting.

I'm not really sure shamet would have fit that role.

I would have liked to have butler to harris but this team would still be flawed.

[zambonir]

Like he said, could have maybe kept Reddick. Or they would have had cap space to add other people, including in-season.

We would have regretted re-signing Butler, with or without Harris. It wouldn't have gone well, might have ended with Ben being traded, and certainly would have ended with Butler being a contractual albatross. But it doesn't change the awful symbolism of it. Or the fact that we were chasing Milwaukee and Toronto (while expecting Toronto slip) and wound up only being the fifth or sixth best team.

And Miami has the kind of culture and locker room that was able to deal with Jimmy Butler. The Sixers don't have a culture at all.