OT: Doug Collins says 76ers were "maxed out"

[nwfisch]

http://probasketballtalk.nbcsports....evolve/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

It’s going to be a very different 76ers team that takes the court this fall — and there is a lot of optimism in Philly that this is a better team.
It may be in the short term, but more importantly Philly has positioned itself well to improve in the years going forward with cap flexibility. This has brought a lot of hope to Philly fans who are probably three weeks from throwing in the towel on the Eagles (whether they deserve it or not) and will watch the 76ers with interest.
Coach Doug Collins was on 97.5 the Fanatic in Philadelphia and talked about how the old roster needed to be changed if the Sixers were going to move forward (via Sports Radio Interviews).

“I personally thought we had maxed our team out I thought we were a team that every night played hard, we played terrific defense and if you looked at our team other than Andre Iguodala we really didn’t have a premier defensive player individual. Michael Curry, what he did with our defense was spectacular. We didn’t have a dominant rebounder or shot blocker so to do the things that we did on the defensive end to give us a chance we thought was really, really good but we knew if we were going to make a move that we were going to have to get better and unfortunately when you do that you’re going to lose good people.
​

So Andre Iguodala is gone, Elton Brand is gone, Jodie Meeks is gone…
And Andrew Bynum is the focus of the franchise. It’s exactly what Bynum has said he wanted… but be careful what you wish for. Now he has to live up to it. He has to be mature, he can’t take nights off and be petulant (or flatten guys like J.J. Barea), he has to lead. He can, but it’s on him.
Collins talked honestly about Bynum adjusting to his new role.

The day of the press conference we went back and he, I and Jason Richardson spent some time together along with some of the other people in the organization and I think for Drew, I think a big part of him is he’s excited to be coming home. He was out in LA and I don’t think he ever really fit into the LA scene. I talked to him the other day and he was ready to go over to Germany to have the little procedure, the little injection done in his knee, he’s gotten home in the country here and is excited to be back near his family and everything like that. I think he’s excited that he’s going to be the primary focus of us playing through the post rather than being the third option in LA. He’s a very smart and bright guy, he’s articulate, he knows the game and we talked a little bit about it. Sometimes you say things and I think even he would agree that some of the things that he said came across maybe being a little immature a couple of times. He knows the play on JJ Barea is going to be seen forever and he will always be a part of that but I just feel like he’s in a great place.
​

Bynum, your legacy really starts now. Yes, you’ll have the Lakers years and the rings, but now is when you prove what you can do. The training wheels are off. This is your team. This is how a lot of people will remember you.

I know this has been beaten to a pulp, but the Bulls have to see what the 76ers did, and try for a similar result. Bynum is still a solid player.

 

[scottiepippen1994]

Well, one thing for sure, they will be better than the Bulls this year financially, with better roster, better management, better coach, and a future.

 

[Axl Rose]

i wish we got bynum...sixers raped that deal

 

[RamiTheBullsFan]

I don't think the Sixers will be quite the team they were last year. Andrew Bynum is a huge upgrade at the C position but losing Andre Iguodala and Elton Brand is going to hurt them. It will take some time and some more signings until they really click.

 

[RamiTheBullsFan]

I personally don't like Bynum. That guy is one of the dirtiest players in the NBA.

 

[scottiepippen1994]

He's better than Noah-Radmonovic

 

[RamiTheBullsFan]

He's better than Noah-Radmonovic

Radmanovic isn't a 5. He's a 4-3 tweener.

Bulls with Rose should beat the 76ers. So if they were to meet in the playoffs again, I'm taking Chicago.

Deng>Turner and Boozer+Gibson>Young+Allen+Moultrie

 

[scottiepippen1994]

If the 76ers faced the Bulls in the playoffs, id bet my money on the team that kirk Hinrich and Boozer are not on....

 

[houheffna]

I personally don't like Bynum. That guy is one of the dirtiest players in the NBA.

So was Dennis Rodman...it isn't a matter of whether he is some choir boy or not, its whether he is ready to lead a franchise. I didn't like Rodman when the Bulls signed him 17 years ago...but he was a better damn option than Dickey Simpkins!

He is an allstar center...who cares who LIKES him?

 

[RamiTheBullsFan]

So was Dennis Rodman...it isn't a matter of whether he is some choir boy or not, its whether he is ready to lead a franchise. I didn't like Rodman when the Bulls signed him 17 years ago...but he was a better damn option than Dickey Simpkins!

He is an allstar center...who cares who LIKES him?

It isn't only that he is dirty. He is lazy and constantly out-of-shape. There are plenty of reasons not to like him. He will never crack the top 10 players in the league and he will come with a huge price-tag. Is he better than any player on the Bulls not named Rose? Yes. But he is not worth losing sleep over not having.

 

[houheffna]

It isn't only that he is dirty. He is lazy and constantly out-of-shape. There are plenty of reasons not to like him. He will never crack the top 10 players in the league and he will come with a huge price-tag. Is he better than any player on the Bulls not named Rose? Yes. But he is not worth losing sleep over not having.

I don't know how you can state that Bynum will NEVER crack the top 10...and then again, does it matter? He is a top 2 center right now. With the lack of depth at the position, he is very valuable.

 

[RamiTheBullsFan]

I don't know how you can state that Bynum will NEVER crack the top 10...and then again, does it matter? He is a top 2 center right now. With the lack of depth at the position, he is very valuable.

There is enough depth at the center position besides Bynum: Howard, Bosh, Cousins, Horford, Al Jefferson, Hibbert, Marc Gasol, Chandler, Bogut, Ibaka, McGee, Monroe, Kaman, Noah, Lopez, Nene, Gortat.

Then there are the older, established centers: Duncan, Garnett,

Then there are up-and-coming centers: Anthony Davis, Favors, Kanter, Drummond

And I say he will never crack the top 10 because his work ethic isn't very good. And will he ever be as good as LeBron, Dwight, Durant, Jabari Parker, Chris Paul, Deron Williams, and Russell Westbrook? Extremely unlikely. And young other young talent like Derrick Rose is still there along with players who could very well pass by him next season such as Kyrie Irving.

 

[CODE_BLUE56]

i wish we got bynum...sixers raped that deal

there's always the risk that he doesn't sign an extension, that i think would be a key. You have to convince him to re-sign during the year, or preferably before because that's better insurance. Although, it can be argued that if he doesn't sign the extension, that gives you cap flexibility after the season.

you would probably have to trade deng and noah for this to work. Not sure Boozer would be attractive until his contract got closer to expiring. What could be feasible in substituting IRT the 4 team trade would be sending noah to orlando and sending deng to the nuggets.

This all could be feasible, my only big issue would be his injury history, and keeping his knees healthy. Attitude could also be a concern, but i think that could be handled, and really becomes an issue for me when it substantially affects the rest of his game(which it can, at points)

 

[houheffna]

There is enough depth at the center position besides Bynum: Howard, Bosh, Cousins, Horford, Al Jefferson, Hibbert, Marc Gasol, Chandler, Bogut, Ibaka, McGee, Monroe, Kaman, Noah, Lopez, Nene, Gortat.

Then there are the older, established centers: Duncan, Garnett,

Then there are up-and-coming centers: Anthony Davis, Favors, Kanter, Drummond

And I say he will never crack the top 10 because his work ethic isn't very good. And will he ever be as good as LeBron, Dwight, Durant, Jabari Parker, Chris Paul, Deron Williams, and Russell Westbrook? Extremely unlikely. And young other young talent like Derrick Rose is still there along with players who could very well pass by him next season such as Kyrie Irving.

That is considered depth because you may not have seen a time when there was actual depth at the position. You are naming a lot of power forwards in that group. But lets play the game since you like lists....Bynum is better than all of them except for one. And much better than Noah.

But no, that is not depth. In the 1980's and 1990's, you had hall of fame centers running around. At this point? Who on that list has spent a bulk of their career at center can be called perennial allstars let alone hall of famers? Your idea of depth is actually a curve. Big difference. The point guard position has depth, not so much the center position.

If Howard played in any other era...he would NOT be the best center in the league, and in most eras, he wouldn't be top 5.

 

[scottiepippen1994]

there's always the risk that he doesn't sign an extension, that i think would be a key. You have to convince him to re-sign during the year, or preferably before because that's better insurance. Although, it can be argued that if he doesn't sign the extension, that gives you cap flexibility after the season.

you would probably have to trade deng and noah for this to work. Not sure Boozer would be attractive until his contract got closer to expiring. What could be feasible in substituting IRT the 4 team trade would be sending noah to orlando and sending deng to the nuggets.

This all could be feasible, my only big issue would be his injury history, and keeping his knees healthy. Attitude could also be a concern, but i think that could be handled, and really becomes an issue for me when it substantially affects the rest of his game(which it can, at points)

Get it done Pax-Gar

 

[scottiepippen1994]

I'd take Noah-*Radmanovic over Bynum any day of the week.

LoL, you are a funny guy......you always crack me up....:rolling:

 

[scottiepippen1994]

So was Dennis Rodman...it isn't a matter of whether he is some choir boy or not, its whether he is ready to lead a franchise. I didn't like Rodman when the Bulls signed him 17 years ago...but he was a better damn option than Dickey Simpkins!

He is an allstar center...who cares who LIKES him?

 

[RamiTheBullsFan]

That is considered depth because you may not have seen a time when there was actual depth at the position. You are naming a lot of power forwards in that group. But lets play the game since you like lists....Bynum is better than all of them except for one. And much better than Noah.

But no, that is not depth. In the 1980's and 1990's, you had hall of fame centers running around. At this point? Who on that list has spent a bulk of their career at center can be called perennial allstars let alone hall of famers? Your idea of depth is actually a curve. Big difference. The point guard position has depth, not so much the center position.

If Howard played in any other era...he would NOT be the best center in the league, and in most eras, he wouldn't be top 5.

There is quality depth at the C position. It is not top heavy at all and that I agree with. Dwight Howard is not even a HOF lock quite yet. It seems like a very big stretch to say that Bynum will crack the top 10 players in the game. He is pretty far behind even Dwight Howard.

And all of the players I mentioned are centers/5-men by today's NBA standards.

Bosh, Duncan, Garnett, Horford, Nene, Al Jefferson, and Ibaka all play at the 5 the vast majority of their playing time. The Thunder made the Finals with Ibaka playing nothing but C and the Heat won the Finals with Bosh playing 5 practically whenever he was on the floor.

 

[CODE_BLUE56]

That is considered depth because you may not have seen a time when there was actual depth at the position. You are naming a lot of power forwards in that group. But lets play the game since you like lists....Bynum is better than all of them except for one. And much better than Noah.

But no, that is not depth. In the 1980's and 1990's, you had hall of fame centers running around. At this point? Who on that list has spent a bulk of their career at center can be called perennial allstars let alone hall of famers? Your idea of depth is actually a curve. Big difference. The point guard position has depth, not so much the center position.

If Howard played in any other era...he would NOT be the best center in the league, and in most eras, he wouldn't be top 5.

ehhhhhhhhhhh.....90s he'd probably be 5th( behind robinson,ewing,olajuwon, and shaq)...in the 80s he'd probably be 2nd to kareem...70s actually had a good crop of centers, i would put dwight somewhere in the top 5 though,maybe behind kareem and cowens

60s i would think he'd be right behind russell and chamberlain

but this all assumes that dwight howard would undergo similar regiments of training that these centers went through in their time....if you plop dwight howard of now against some of these guys, i think he would dominate(not so much against the 90s centers, but 80s and back)

 

[RamiTheBullsFan]

I think Dwight Howard was probably just about as good as Bill Russell. He was definitely the better scorer. Passing- maybe not. Better teammate/leader- maybe not.