Farewell Korver

Ed Stefanski has made his first major move as GM and it was to trade Kyle Korver in an obvious salary cap-reducing move. The Sixers take back Gordan Giricek and a first round draft pick (that we might not exercise for 7 years). I personally am a little upset. I know some people didn't like the contract Korver had but it was not that bad when he was playing to his strengths (spotting up along the perimeter, making hustle plays, embracing the 6th man role). The problem is that this team cannot afford to stock up with great role players when they don't have any core franchise guys in place. We clear more money, still have to sign Iguodala (we are planning on that still right?), and still have to decide what to do with Miller. Rebuilding 101 states that you need to gut your team of all guys not on their rookie contracts or not providing obvious benefits if you plan to turn the team over. Korver unfortunately suffered on the "business" end of the NBA. He's a good player for his strengths. He never tried to do too much and he played hard to make up for what he lacked in natural ability. He's also a great person and one that will be missed in Philly. After Iverson, it was possible that Korver was the next fan favorite. Can't stay attached to guys on the roster when the team is not in contention of anything. Good luck to you Kyle. Utah will give you a nice shot at something bigger.

Sixers Playing Strong Lately

If you've tuned out during the holidays, let me remind you that the Sixers have won 7 of their last 10. It's overall team play, sparked by special performances by Iguodala and Miller, that have keyed this. I know many are wondering if Andre Miller is stepping up his play to market himself for trades but you can't focus on that. The NBA is a business and if he gets traded, he gets traded. He know that but has to play through it anyway. The bottom line is that it's more fun to win than to lose so why would he not put forth his best effort night in and night out to help the team win? I'm happy that he's currently playing great. This team is developing the identity I said they so poorly lacked at the start of the season. They are scrappy, they know they have to fight for every last inch, they know they have to cut down turnovers, play great defense, and have resiliency down the stretch. Check out the evidence - they have the 6th best defense in the league, that's right behind teams like Detroit, Boston, and San Antonio. You've also seen Iguodala drain a game winner at the buzzer and the team rally after the Heat cut their lead to 3 late in the game. Those are all signs of maturity that weren't there at the start of the season. Of course, the Sixers are still only 12-16 and not a true threat to any elite team, but they are progressing and developing guys and that is what you want.

In Defense Of Dalembert

I myself have been harsh at times over the play of Samuel Dalembert. As a Sixer fan, can you really blame me? He was given a large contract that many felt overstated his value and he is currently the highest paid player on the team. Many people complain over his court awareness, discipline, seeming lack of go-to moves, and general basketball IQ, but it's hard to argue the Sixers are better off without him. He definitely changes the game when he is on the floor because of his shotblocking ability. One of the easier things to do as a "shotblocker" is rotate from the weak side to block a shot - the opponent doesn't account for you rolling over. This is how Dalembert racks up most of his blocks and that's fine because you start to make the opponent coming into the lane think about you and alter their shot. Good centers have this effect on opponents. It's even better when you can guard your man straight up and block his shot if he pulls up for a jumper. Against Minnesota, Dalembert had 18 points, 11 rebounds, and 9 blocks - those blocks coming in a variety of methods and the final one turning away a possible tying basket with 15 seconds left. Sammy also shot 5-8 from the field and was 8-8 from the line.

My point is that it's time for most fans to start looking closer at Dalembert and stop accusing him of the faults that you did a couple of years back. He has progressed but most people are not paying attention this year to notice. The Sixers are an absolutely better team with him on the floor. He does not make me half as nervous when he pulls up for a 10-footer or backs down a man in the lane and floats a turnaround hook shot. I won't sit and argue that every night he justifies his contract, but on this team - a team who will be $15 million under the cap this summer - what is the big issue? He's not dead weight. He's not sitting the bench injured and making a fortune. He's contributing nightly. Consider this comparison:

S. Dalembert $10.25mill / 11.2ppg / 8.9rpg / 2.5blk pg / .54FG%
Jermaine O'Neal $19.73mill / 15.3ppg / 7.9rpg / 1.6blk pg / .44FG%

Now I know O'Neal is relied on more in that offense and has been banged up but who would you rather have for the money? It may be time for more people to give Dalembert a new chance.

New York, New York...Thanks for the Wins!

I'm sitting here watching the Sixers vs. Rockets game and the Sixers are winning in every facet of the game. Iguodala just threw down an incredible breakaway windmill dunk. I like the potential of a 3-game win streak going here...

Anyway, it was a nice weekend with beating the Knicks on back-to-back nights by a combined 39 points. I was there on Friday and the Sixers just flat out played better. It was one of those nights where nothing in particular happened. Dalembert had a nice game overall with 20 points and 8 boards but the Sixers just played great as a team.

Saturday night the Sixers won again, beating the Knicks at MSG in grand fashion. Due to a prior commitment, I was not able to watch this one but had my eye on the score throughout via the good old phone updates. I've seen the Sixers play a great first half this year and then let a lead melt away, but this appeared to be in hand throughout the second half as well. (Sidenote: the Sixers are up 26 right now at the end of the 3rd and looking pretty good. McGrady is now out with a sprained ankle but if he plays next game we'll know how serious it was.) What I've noticed in the past couple of games is that Korver is getting his rhythm back and it's very good news. Andre Miller has looked good also. He has been shooting with efficiency and really distributing the ball well. In the end, it's been about the Sixers' attention to defense and creating a good amount of turnovers that have led to easy offense.

One more thing about Saturday's game...I had a lot of respect for David Lee as a player because he is gritty and a good rebounder. But now, after that cheap flagrant foul on Lou Williams, which broke Lou's toe, I'm finding him to be a bit of a thug. He was mad that Lou kept shredding the weak Knicks defense and took it out on him while he was in the air defenseless. Really should have warranted a Flagrant Type 2 but I think the win will be worth it in the end. What's with the Knicks? They made an offseason trade that hasn't done much of anything and would probably really like that Eddy Curry trade back too. People picked the Sixers to finish dead last in the East this season and, while it's far too early to make bold claims, it's seeming that most people would rather be in the Sixers' shoes than the Knicks. Sixers are playing inspired ball with a young team and they will have $15 million or more in cap room after the year. Too early to tell really. All in all, one of these days I want to pull off attending the full Sixers-Knicks home and home series.

Goodbye Billy King!

I had wanted to touch on the past couple of games but today's news is certainly more noteworthy. Billy King's 10-year tenure as the Sixers' GM is over. While many Sixers fans have been calling for his departure for years now, the move comes at a surprising time. King finally sucked it up and traded Iverson last year and bought out Chris Webber's contract, moves that indicated he'd finally realized the need to blow up the current team and rebuild. He was even kept through the draft and helped make the selections and (unsuccessfully) attempted draft night trades. Everyone expected the Sixers to be in the position they are now. In fact, some people are quietly admitting that they are playing better than even thought and King is let go. The man who is in the middle of orchestrating the breakdown and rebuild of the team will not be here to see it through to completion.

Ed Snider has stood by King for many years and even appointed him the President of the team after the spot had been vacant for a couple years following Croce's resignation. Now I admit that I haven't been the biggest fan of King because he seemed slightly more like a puppet than a GM. When he first arrived, with Larry Brown, you got the feeling that Brown was influencing the moves. You think King would have really signed Greg Buckner, a defensive minded role player in the Larry Brown style, to that contract on his own? Now I fully blame him for the signings of Lee Nailon and Kenny Thomas, the trades for Van Horn and Glenn Robinson, and passing on Dirk Nowitzki and Paul Pierce in the '98 draft in favor of Larry Hughes (Like Brown didn't want Paul Pierce?? A stud from Kansas, the very team Brown coached to a championship had to be his pick over a young high schooler who he typically hates). I can't blame him for the signing of Dalembert like most people do because he had to do it. Sammy was a restricted free agent and everyone knew the Hawks were in the market and clearly drove his price up. At the time, there were no centers around and he had just showed promise by averaging close to 12 points and 13 rebounds in the playoff series against the Pistons.

In my mind, King's finest moment was in '98 when he traded Eric Montross and Jerry Stackhouse, a good player who couldn't have been successful next to Iverson long-term, for Aaron McKie and Theo Ratliff. These players, along with Iverson, were the core of Sixers' rebuild and string of playoff runs - culminating in the 2001 season when the Sixers went to the Finals and McKie won the Sixth Man award and Ratliff was traded to bring in Mutombo who won Defensive Player of the Year. (Random sidenote about Stackhouse: Does anyone remember in 2001 when he averaged close to 30 ppg? Probably not but he did.)

Anyway, I'd be interested to see what incoming GM Ed Stefanski's first order of business is. I would like him to retain Cheeks and supply him with players that can develop and compete within 2 years. Cheeks does not deserve to be fired when he does not have the true means to win with this team. I'm all for shopping around guys like Andre Miller and Dalembert who might bring in prospects, picks, or extra cap relief.