The question would be how far you think Thad is from equalling Prince at the 3, if at all. I could see it happening not this coming season but the following year, where he's putting up similar numbers, but still only 21 years of age. Given that, I'd rather just hold onto Thaddeus. Known quantity or not, I'd like to hold onto some of that long-term potential.
Agreed. i want to see Thad as the teams starting SF for another 10-15 years. I'd rather get to root for one great SF then a 3-4 equally good or even slightly better vets over that time.
If Iguodala and Thad end up being a great fit as their jump shots improve, I hope they are a cornerstone of a great chapter of the resurgence of the Sixers.
I agree wholeheartedly, and would prefer that the Sixers continue to build their team primarily through the draft. I think that this gives the fans the best entertainment, and a sound foundation for continued success.
Brand and Miller were additions the team made to fill specific needs, and I don't object to adding vets under those circumstances. It makes no sense to continue to wait to be able to fill the needs through the draft. Had Shavlik or Hill or Amundsen worked out, we never would have gotten Brand, and I love that we got him.
But eventually we will have to replace Brand and Miller. They are our oldest starters and our success will be very dependent on Elton.
The Sixers are a predominately young team, and it isn't inconceivable that as they are currently, they could be very good. It's not unreasonable to think that Iggy, Williams, Green and Young will all have improved their outside shooting and release. One thing that is certain is that Brand will force teams to leave these players open, and not being covered makes it much easier to hit an outside shot.
I want to see the team play a while to evaluate what their weaknesses are. I think the players they have compliment each other pretty well, and the team has no apparent holes with the possible exception of outside shooters.
This team won a lot when they started playing defense and running. They were only sporadic in half-court effectiveness, and really had trouble against teams committed to stopping them. With the addition of Brand, now we should be above average in half-court situations. That means other teams will be constantly fighting an uphill battle against a pressure defense, and the Sixers can go back and forth between being an uptempo running team, and a grind it out offense that just wears the other team down.
The Sixers are no-longer undersized. That hasn't been something I felt for awhile. Cheeks was playing Korver at the 4 spot last season before he was traded! It is a big difference to be able to match up with other teams with players that are the right size, and are more athletic.
With Thad at the 3, Brand at the 4 and Sam at the 5, we should be one of the league leaders in rebounds, and score a higher percentage from the inside. That should also translate into lots of foul shots for our side.
As long as we sign Lou and Iggy I'm looking forward to the new season with great anticipation.