2019-2020 Sixers Season/Offseason

zambonir 2020-10-01 21:46:34 UTC #745

Lue was his top assistant of late of course. Sam Cassell the other.

Our candidates, except for Lue, were three guys who all got fired, and three guys who only became candidates once they got fired (or in D'Antoni's case, chose to leave). The reason they got fired is in the end they were only marginally better than Brown (inasmuch as they never got to the finals). But, as with the Phillies, they were always going go that way - you try the unproven assistant, it doesn't work, you hire the vet.

With all of them I think it is equally easy to argue that they'll be good for the players and not. They all have experience handling stars & young players well, and they all have experiences that fizzled. I think having a Black coach is also important, both on and off the court.

Of the group, especially with Lue probably off the table, I like Rivers better than D'Antoni (and Donovan too).

Dirk41 2020-10-01 21:57:19 UTC #746

The Celtics he won with still bicker and bully one another to this day. He stood out of the way and let 3 HOFers and a borderline HOF do what they wanted. Sometimes it works, other times you are the Lob City Clippers.

bigegypt0417 2020-10-01 22:02:58 UTC #747

Sixers have Signed Doc Rivers...

https://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/259757/Doc-Rivers-Agrees-To-Become-Head-Coach-Of-76ers

bkeich 2020-10-01 23:00:01 UTC #748

I can’t help but be excited by Rivers. He has succeeded at times, failed others, but he has some idea what to do.

My guess is that Brown may also succeed someday, but he was not able to here. He will go down as having one of the worst records ever, not really his fault, but he apparently had no clue how to merge this team and get a highly successful run out of them.

I think given talent Rivers is a very good coach. AsPC points out, he might need some game time help, but hopefully we get guys around him that do that. My guess is that Rivers is a draw for assistant coaches and with all the talent we have.

Maybe he can even get Horford to try. That alone would make this a good team I have a feeling.

Squire 2020-10-01 23:46:35 UTC #749

Woj says Alvin Gentry a strong possibility to join Rivers staff

zambonir 2020-10-02 00:02:19 UTC #750

Now the real work begins. I think you still trade Horford, even more so given Rivers and Tobias had recent success together.

The Sixers are more like the Phillies than the Flyers - great talent but not enough depth or ability to change up the roster short-term - but all three teams have basically made the same type of coaching change.

Meanwhile the Eagles have not ever hired a head coach with previous NFL coaching experience in the Super Bowl era.

phillychuck 2020-10-02 11:46:43 UTC #751

Assertion on another board --> "The process is over whether people like it or not."

My response:
"This is probably correct, leaving the Sixers to compete with 5-8 better-run organizations in the East, most of them already with better overall talent. And now they are playing by the same rules, without an innovative GM, with a multiple-retread coach (who may be better than most re-treads, to be fair), and with an owner who has not made a good decision since hiring Hinkie. To pass those other teams they will have to have an innovative plan to gain an edge, and I really don't know if Brand is the guy to find that plan. Bring in the best assistant coaches in the league to help Doc and run it back? Might work; but the assistants will have to mesh well with Doc. And they will have to get pretty lucky with the development and health of their players--maybe not Eagles SB lucky, but close.

Someone in that front office has to be asking the question, "How do we get out in front of the curve, instead of playing catch-up all the time? What can we do that is different and can elevate us to championships? Where is the next edge coming from?" "

Do you folks agree?

LegoDoom 2020-10-02 12:58:02 UTC #752

Marion Campbell?

bigegypt0417 2020-10-02 13:29:13 UTC #753

I dont in any way agree with the comment around talent...it might not work well together but there are not 5-8 teams in the east with better overall talent.

In fact...if you can move in one shooter and move horford, you are right at the top of the east.

phillychuck 2020-10-02 13:38:29 UTC #754

I think we Sixers fans overestimate Joel's talent and usefulness, especially in today's guard-dominated game. Love him, love his game, but that's not what wins games in the NBA today. As much as I don't like the Celtics, Tatum and Brown are probably just as valuable (in terms of winning games) offensively as Joel, and Joel's defense is going to get worse as he ages, not better. And Joel can't stay healthy (nor can Simmons). Those things factor into "talent", too. "The best ability is availability..."

bigegypt0417 2020-10-02 13:45:43 UTC #755

I dont think that's true...there isn't a national person who describes embiid as nothing but a star or elite.

My only issue was there are 5 or 8 teams more talented and I dont think that close to true...the issue is how they fit together.

phillychuck 2020-10-02 15:08:12 UTC #756

In my humble opinion, Bucks are more talented, Nets are more talented, Celtics are more talented, Miami is more talented, Pacers are more talented, Raptors are arguably more talented. I would think about Orlando being just as talented.

Joel did not make all-NBA this year. I do think he is a star (when healthy). The question for me is two-fold..how much do you discount his ability because of injury and lack of conditioning (possibly due to injuries)? And how much do you discount his ability since star centers don't affect the outcome of games as much as star wings/guards in today's NBA?

And finally, I don't really care if national NBA reporters see Joel differently than I do. Honestly, I think that's solid support for my position.

bigegypt0417 2020-10-02 15:21:49 UTC #757

I think that was meant for your comment it's sixer fans that elevate Joel Embiid...if anything, we are more critical of his performance.

phillychuck 2020-10-02 15:49:33 UTC #758

Oh, I get it! I agree, to each other we are more critical, but when we talk about him to outsiders we seem to over-value him. I hear Sixers fans saying they wouldn't trade him for Giannis or Kwahi, etc., for example.

bigegypt0417 2020-10-02 16:15:25 UTC #759

that's silly! we couldn't get giannis for embiid and a substanial package.

But i would expect if we trade him we get back a substantial haul...which could make us better.

zambonir 2020-10-02 17:28:32 UTC #760

Ah, forgot about him, since he was just an internal hire from coordinator.

LegoDoom 2020-10-02 17:43:24 UTC #761

Still pretty rare. Even to not hire a former NFL coach in the last ~35 years seems crazy, but it seems like the NFL has fewer retreads than other sports (I have no evidence to back up that claim.... it just seems right).

zambonir 2020-10-02 20:07:47 UTC #762

Certainly there are examples of people who failed once and then succeeded greatly (including two of the best coaches in the league), and somehow Rich Kotite got hired a second time, but yeah, I think the NFL is probably less forgiving than the other sports, a couple of 6-10 seasons is a real drag on the resume whereas a bad run in the other sports still might be .500 and the odd low-end playoff berth.

Anyway, back to Sixers. Despite the finish I would still say any team that starts with the three guys we start with, and even Richardson for now, can be Top 4 in talent, even including the Nets. They just haven't had the cap space or acumen to build the right team around that talent. And, including Harris, it will always be too top-heavy if Ben and Joel don't truly emerge as Top 3 to Top 5 players in the league, rather than Top 10-15.

You can say Joel faililng to make NBA was a positional quirk - he had to be one of three rather than one of six - but of course he's been second-team before.

And we still have whole 'nother problem, which is that we're just trying to be good enough to win the East and last year might have been the only time the East wins it all again for while. If Brown had done better he might have still gotten fired for failling short of the ring.

Amazingly, until Toronto, Doc Rivers was the last coach to win an NBA championship in the East without LeBron, and except for David Blatt's year Lue and Spoelstra are also the only coaches to appear in them out of the East (again until Toronto, but now the Heat are back this year).

bigegypt0417 2020-10-05 20:41:47 UTC #763

Doc Rivers says the things you want to hear from a new coach...

Dirk41 2020-10-06 01:27:44 UTC #764

Is he the new GM? Sounded like he is the new GM. He does have more experience than Brand.