Speights getting some ESPN attention

[jemagee]

From someone other than Hollinger

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/dailydime?page=dime-091109

Funny story. The Sixers have somehow made what should have been a relatively simple season incredibly complicated. Andre Iguodala is having his best overall season in years, matching or beating his previous highs in multiple categories and running the offense at times.

Louis Williams is somehow better than expected and still not good enough. They have the ability to get points with most teams, but can't seem to reproduce that ability in the fourth quarter, as was the case Monday as the Sixers melted into something resembling primordial ooze under the Suns' giant magnifying glass.

But the most perplexing development may be the contrast between their big-money big man Elton Brand and second-year phenom Marreese Speights.

Through the admittedly young season, Speights is not only outscoring and outrebounding Brand, but he's doing it in six fewer minutes a game. Brand has looked sluggish as if he has yet to even comparably bounce back from last year's injury.

Speights showed off not only the set of freakish tangibles that earned him his draft selection, but an impressive range of 15-to-18 footers. There's no stop button on his control panel, and he was a huge reason that the Sixers managed to hold off the Suns in the fourth quarter for as long as they did before eventually falling to Phoenix's barrage.

Speights opened the fourth scoring 11 points in the first six minutes of the quarter and snagged five boards. Brand did not play the entire fourth quarter, so at least he can't be tagged with even more responsibility for the Sixers falling to 16-20 with him in the lineup. One thing is for certain, If Iguodala is the assumed asset for the Sixers, it may be Speights, not Brand, that the Sixers need to turn to if they want to get this early season on track.

[Derek Bodner]

Hollinger's always been a Speights fan.

[jemagee]

Hollinger's always been a Speights fan.

Yeah, I know, I worded that badly, I mean someone other than Hollinger who bangs the Speights PER machine quite often.

I was just looking to see what the differences were between Brand and Speights and something very weird is happening.

Everyone thinks Brand isn't playing well, but um, well, on court off court, well, I don't know how to explain it....and there's too much to sum up

http://www.82games.com/0910/09PHI9.HTM

[Derek Bodner]

oh.  i thought that was written by hollinger.  my bad.  misread.

[DuckyNinja]

Speights and Brand are leading the team in Roland Rating for whatever that's worth.  Brand's +/- numbers have been good in every game this year.  He's by far the smartest/best defensive big man we have.  He may not be providing offense, but at least right now, he's making up for it with his D.

[tk76]

Everyone thinks Brand isn't playing well, but um, well, on court off court, well, I don't know how to explain it....and there's too much to sum up

http://www.82games.com/0910/09PHI9.HTM

Wow, its worse than it was.  Now 32% of his close inside shots are getting blocked.  That's insane. (Crazy Eddie insane... every shot must GO!)

[jemagee]

Forward Marreese Speights to miss 6-8 weeks; MRI reveals a partial tear of the Medial Collateral Ligament (MCL) in left knee.

[anklebreaker]

Could have gone without that

[Skates]

Does it really matter?

[jemagee]

Does it really matter?

Since Jordan is looking at moving Brand to the second team, then actually it does, it means that maybe carney or smith are starting or, nightmare, green is back in the starting line up

[anklebreaker]

Looking at our upcoming schedule, does anyone think this team will see .500 again all season?  I'm not too optimistic. 

[Skates]

Does it really matter?

Since Jordan is looking at moving Brand to the second team, then actually it does, it means that maybe carney or smith are starting or, nightmare, green is back in the starting line up

I think they out Brand in Speights' role for now and start Carney with Thad at PF.  Very athletic starting five and Brand gets to play all of his minutes in two spurts, one each half.  It plays into the idea that was floated of having Brand be the only big on the court in this offense, since even if he plays with Smith, offensively Smith is more of a perimeter player.

Expect Thad to see most of the post-ups if this happens, at least until Speights returns.  There is talk out there of a straight salary dump deal for Sammy, if that happens, expect to see Speights jump back in as the starting Center when he returns.

[jemagee]

It makes an already bad defensive reboudning starting five that much worse.

There is talk out there of a straight salary dump deal for Sammy, if that happens, expect to see Speights jump back in as the starting Center when he returns.

Shot down by numerous sources - fagan, tom moore, and sources out of sacto too say teams deny it...

[Derek Bodner]

It makes an already bad defensive reboudning starting five that much worse.

There is talk out there of a straight salary dump deal for Sammy, if that happens, expect to see Speights jump back in as the starting Center when he returns.

Shot down by numerous sources - fagan, tom moore, and sources out of sacto too say teams deny it...

well, duh.  of course sacto denies it. 

When has a team EVER confirmed a rumor?

Doesn't mean the leak wasn't legit, or that there wasn't discussion.

[jemagee]

The sixers denied it too according to Fagan

And any trade that takes back shorter contracts for Dalembert that it sends out will probably contain a draft pick leaving the sixers in my estimation.

It's not even a trade that makes sense to me from Sacramentos point of view - Sam doesn't really help them do anything before his contract runs out.