2024-2025 Sixers Season

[phillychuck]

Ideally, the Sixers will sign someone like Marcus Morris to start at the 4 position and play slim minutes--he'll be the starter, not the finisher.

The Sixers have basically no money under the cap. Martin was among the best players available at that price. To give us an idea how he is valued by the league, he was reportedly offered 4 years and $65M by the Heat. He left a lot of money on the table to try to win with the Sixers.

He's a competent, willing shooter; a good defender; a good per-minute rebounder; he can attack a closeout; and he can finish at the rim. AND he took a contract to play with the Sixers that allowed the team to stay a bit flexible with future signings.

This was a GREAT signing; about the best possible given their cap situation.

[zambonir]

Yeah, I too see this as getting a really good player for a bargain price. Not a below average (or even average) player. A far better player than anyone else we might have expected given the available $.

[bkeich]

Yea, I just don’t see it, agree to disagree. When I look at the numbers I just don’t see even average. A big shouldn’t be shooting in the (low) 40s when they are not shooting mostly 3s. 4.4 RPG is just not what we needed.

Maybe there is a true “4” coming as PC says, but if he is that player I just think it was a poor use of our remaking cap.

Now we enter into the “I want to play with 3 stars to win” guys, Morris would be interesting. I don’t like him, but I think he might be the best hope, he is a dirty player, but that might be what we need. We need that guy to do dirty things, not only intimidate, but dive around, high energy, cheerleader type. He is that.

I am still really looking forward to next season, and no one will cheer for Martin more than I do (although obviously all of you equally)

[zambonir]

I think it's less the three stars than Morris wanted to come home (and unlike Pat Bev isn't holding a grudge).

My guess is Martin's going to have a career-best season, because he's never played with this good a trio before. And having a guy who's known to be better in the playoffs than the regular season is something we haven't had since, well... his former teammate.

[phillychuck]

Martin shoots 44% on loosely guarded or "open" catch-and -shoot 3's, and has for the last two full seasons. His 3 pt % goes up in the playoffs. Any player they sign for the roughly $8 million they had left in usable dollars is going to be a far more flawed player than Martin. On PHLY, Bodner, Kyle, and Devin ALL picked Martin as their #1 target before the signing. I thought he'd get way more.

This is not quite Kelly Oubre for the vet minimum, but it's very close to that good.

bk, who would you have signed? Remember, you only have $8M per year...

[bkeich]

Martin shoots 44% on loosely guarded or "open" catch-and -shoot 3's, and has for the last two full seasons. His 3 pt % goes up in the playoffs. Any player they sign for the roughly $8 million they had left in usable dollars is going to be a far more flawed player than Martin. On PHLY, Bodner, Kyle, and Devin ALL picked Martin as their #1 target before the signing. I thought he'd get way more.

This is not quite Kelly Oubre for the vet minimum, but it's very close to that good.

bk, who would you have signed? Remember, you only have $8M per year...

I know what you are saying PC, and honestly I don’t really have time to look through who is (was) available, but I just don’t see how he helps with what I see as our biggest weakness (rebounding). Hopefully I will be wrong and Martin is the player that completed the build (at least of the primary players).

We still have a few guys to get, we need to get a strong bench given how are 2 best players will be 31 and 34.

There is still a lot of work to do, the guys we sign now are the ones that will hopeful get us from good team to Championship caliber.

[phillychuck]

Bodner addressed the rebounding question the other day, saying that since George, Oubre, and Martin can all switch 2 through 4 (and sometimes 1-4) that would relieve Joel of helping on so many open drives, and he would therefore be a more formidable defensive rebounder. Bodner is usually pretty good with the Xs and Os stuff, so I have to give that argument some credit.

[Austinfan]

That's not good enough. With smaller guards, rotating 3 smaller forwards won't be enough.
I think the reason they dumped Reed is he couldn't handle PF, they need a defense/rebound guy who can help against physical teams.

[bkeich]

How about Precious Achiuwa? Don’t know what he would cost, but a high FG %, good rebounder with a growing reputation. High energy guy. Not good at 3pt shooting, but not sure that is a need.

He could help Embiid with rebounding and would not need offensive plays.

I honestly have no idea what he will get. He really isn’t a starter, but he could fill a role on the team and help against teams that send a bigger lineup at us.

[xogfog]

I don't think they ever once tried playing Reed with Embiid. I always thought he might make a good 4.

[phillychuck]

Precious Achiuwa is a decent suggestion, projected to get between $8M and $10M per year. Sixers might chase him at the deadline with the KJ Martin balloon contract (if they choose to go that route).

I think they tried Reed with Embiid in practice and didn't like the results. They reported that a couple of times over the last two years.

[bkeich]

Precious Achiuwa is a decent suggestion, projected to get between $8M and $10M per year. Sixers might chase him at the deadline with the KJ Martin balloon contract (if they choose to go that route).

I think they tried Reed with Embiid in practice and didn't like the results. They reported that a couple of times over the last two years.

I know reasons it wouldn’t work, but it would be fun to see Drummond and Embiid on the court together.

Ok, completely screws up the offense, but if you get EVERY SINGLE REBOUND does it really matter if the offense is inefficient???. So it takes 4 minutes to score. Oh well.

[phillychuck]

Sixers beat OkC in the first summer league game tonight by 10 points, but it wasn't that close. Ricky Council IV scored 29, 19 of them in the 4th quarter allowing the Sixers to run away with a close game. Council was bombing contested 3s in the 4th. McCain had an off shooting night, but scored 15, mostly on drives. Bona had two monster dunks and one more fairly normal dunk for all his FGs.

[dicemen99]

Good to see Council dominating here. He is a player that could continue to make a leap and establish himself in the rotation this year. He should dominate this competition and he's off to a good start. If you are looking for someone to step up this year, keep your eye on him and not the 19 year old rookie.

[phillychuck]

If Council can shoot close to NBA average on 3-pointers he's a good NBA rotation player at the minimum. He defends, rebounds, and is physically tough around the basket. And he's a 100% effort guy, too. It was great seeing him get scorching hot last night, although his shot didn't have textbook form. He hit two step-backs and two of the shots were well outside the line. Honestly, "the rookie", McCain, was equally impressive in his own way, running the point effectively and attacking the basket with an array of scoop shots and reverses.

Nurse is very slow to gain confidence in younger players (similar to Doc), though, so a young guy has to really stand out to earn time. The players Morey signs to vet minimum contracts will very likely get Council and McCain's minutes this year I'm afraid. I guess we'll see...

[bigegypt0417]

I would imagine Nick Nurse is involved in the building of this team and he has his style of play. Sixers attempted to go out and get more physical and that didn't work out the way they thought it would.

Sixers are building a team for the current NBA.

[zambonir]

I don't subscribe to ALL PHLY (though I'm inching towards it as they continue to add more stuff including Salisbury on Phillies) but before the paywall obscured it I gather Neubeck was dismissive of both the CW that the Sixers need more of a PF and that there actually would be one to get in today's NBA if they did.

What the Sixers are getting in new arrival Caleb Martin - PHLY Sports

[bkeich]

If Council can shoot close to NBA average on 3-pointers he's a good NBA rotation player at the minimum. He defends, rebounds, and is physically tough around the basket. And he's a 100% effort guy, too. It was great seeing him get scorching hot last night, although his shot didn't have textbook form. He hit two step-backs and two of the shots were well outside the line. Honestly, "the rookie", McCain, was equally impressive in his own way, running the point effectively and attacking the basket with an array of scoop shots and reverses.

Nurse is very slow to gain confidence in younger players (similar to Doc), though, so a young guy has to really stand out to earn time. The players Morey signs to vet minimum contracts will very likely get Council and McCain's minutes this year I'm afraid. I guess we'll see...

It would be great to find a league minimum guy who could be in the rotation, cost nothing and adds early 20s energy and drive.

[schillingfan]

I liked what I saw of Council last year. He looked young and hungry.

[dicemen99]

Well, he (Council) followed that game up with a clunker today. Oh well. McCain had an OK box score, I only watched the 4th quarter but he did have a pretty huge miss with under a minute to go. Down 2, he made a nice pump fake that had his defender fly by him for a WIDE open 3, but he was long with it.