Eddie Jordan Stinks.

[rickortreat]

I can't say I feel sorry for Stefanski.  I think he blows chunks.

Yet he came here with much fanfare. 

When I have time I'll review how we compare to before he got here.  But in my estimation...he's done diddly squat.  PLUS he's annoying and goofy and giggly.  Can't stand him.

Our draft selections since the Stafanski era arrived have been superb, all performing well above expectations for their draft rank. If Ed isn't responsible for that, who is?

[RickyPryor]

"Superb"?  I can't say I share your choice of words.  (Especially "elite", the term you used to describe our current Sixers squad.)  But I do love how guys get credit for drafting.  You do realize that they have to make a pick, right?  Otherwise, it would go something like...

Commissioner:  "...with the 14th pick of the 2008 draft the Philadelphia Seventy Sixers select...  (Ahem)  The Philadelphia Seventy Sixers select...  I say - the Sixers--  Oh well.  The Sixers have apparently failed to choose anyone; and so they lose their pick at this time."

Anyway, so Ed chose - whom?  Speights who can't defend or rebound (which makes him half a player) and Holiday who currently shows promise...in his 19 minutes per game over a total of 19 games.

Superb? Really?

He picked up Elton Brand who'd played 37 games over the course of two full years; got rid of Kyle Korver, replacing him (at first with no one) eventually with Jason Kapono who does nothing - whatsoever - when he is not standing on the 3 pt line, usually fully defended; has had no success dumping the ludicrous salaries he inherited; dumped Reggie Evans - one of the NBA's best rebounders-per-minute, replacing him with.....NO ONE; and brought in his buddy Eddie flippin' Jordan (who will go down as one of the WORST coaches to ever put on a tie) to coach this personality-less team.

Dear God.  The more I think of it the worse Stefanski is.  WE'VE WON 7 GODDAMN GAMES!!!  Only TWO TEAMS HAVE WORSE RECORDS THAN US!!!

We are on pace to win about 20 games. 

20 games. 

Twenty.



The blame had better start at the TOP, or we are all in alot of trouble for the next decade.

[tk76-]

[
Our draft selections since the Stafanski era arrived have been superb, all performing well above expectations for their draft rank. If Ed isn't responsible for that, who is?

The Same guy who has been their main draft person for 10 years... Tony Dileo.  The only time I know of Dileo being overruled was when LB wanted Hughes (Pierce and Dirk being the next players picked.)

[jemagee]

The Rumor on the Hughes draft is that even Billy King was smarter than brown

The internet rumor that persists is that dielo and king each wanted one of pierce or dirk (forget who wanted who) and brown wanted hughes...

Giving Stefanski credit for drafting well ignores everything that happened since DiLeo wasin charge of it before Stefanski got here.

The only positive argument of keeping eddie jordan actually is that the higher the pick the better dileo can dop

[Derek Bodner]

"Superb"?  I can't say I share your choice of words.  (Especially "elite", the term you used to describe our current Sixers squad.)  But I do love how guys get credit for drafting.  You do realize that they have to make a pick, right?  Otherwise, it would go something like...

Speights and Jrue are both incredible value picks considering where we were drafting.  I challenge you to find a team who has had a pick 16th or later in each of the two drafts who have done better.  More importantly, I challenge you to find a team with 16th or later who will feel better about these picks in 5 years.

Not sure what the point about "having" to draft is.  We're not giving the Sixers credit for selecting a name, but the RIGHT name.

The rest that you said has nothing to do with drafting.

(that being said, I agree that Tony DiLeo is the main reason for our continued draft success).

[RickyPryor]

I challenge you to find a team who has had a pick 16th or later in each of the two drafts who have done better. 

Okee dokee.

'08 - Speights was clearly the best player at that spot.  Ed'd have to have been a nimrod not to pick him.  But wasn't Courtney Lee taken after Speights?  Personally I like Ryan Anderson a little bit.  Even Roy Hibbert, IMO, would look better at the 5 than what we have.  (After all...Speights is a 4 and we got a real good one of those in Brand, and a heck of a back-up in Smith.)

And, despite this being far too early to argue for or against the "value" of a rookie...

'09 - Ty Lawson?  Also a guard...more points per game, more assists per game, WAY better FG%, WAY better 3P% - all in the same minutes.

[Derek Bodner]

1) Speights was not considered a slam dunk pick in '08 at that spot at draft time
2) You're completely ignoring my question.  I said find <b>a team</b> who did better than the Sixers in those drafts who drafted at or later than the Sixers.  Getting contributors at 16 or later two years in a row is nearly unheard of.

As for your players. 
- You'd kill Ryan Anderson for his rebounding. 
- Hibbert might be (arguably) a better player now (although his defense, when you look past the blocked shots, is very bad at this level.  The whole footspeed thing has caught up to him).  But I don't care about immediate fit.  This team is more than a Roy Hibbert away from contending.  I care about 3 years from now.  And I don't believe there's a question on who will be the better player.
- You're comparing a 22 year old to a 19 year old.  Make the comparison in 3 years.  IMO Jrue's a better natural court, with better court vision and better D RIGHT NOW, and when he fills out will be a better overall player.  As I said, I care much more about 3 years from now than right now.  We're not a Ty Lawson away from competing.

[RickyPryor]

I'm really losing it with this (proven) loser.

I wish that even once, Eddie would make a substitution that would shut me up. 

He is - literally - a basketball moron.

1.  Where the f*** was Sam in the 4th?  I can't stand Sam, as you know, but he was playing terrifically (almost smart, even)...and then disappeared completely.

2.  If I ever see Kapono in a game again, I will boycott for the next three.  Kapono is the least talented basketball player I have ever seen.  He sucks.  Suckssuckssucks.  And if he MUST be in there - Eddie - draw up a goddamn screen to get the guy open.  I never ever ever see any effort to get that guy open on the perimeter.

3.  When the younger guys suck - get them the f*** out!!!  Holliday - often - sucks.  I know, I know, JEM loves the guy.  He shows flashes of defensive intensity...even a little offense occasionally...  But on many, many other nights - he is in waaaay over his head.  Last night was one such night.  He killed us.  TWENTY minutes of THAT??  He shoulda been pulled after 7.

4.  Iverson - who's proven to have become a mature play-maker - maybe our BEST player - is glued to the bench for the 4th?  The FOURTH of all quarters?  You dumb ass, Ed.  Are you TRYING to lose?  Even the announcers were asking why.  (They also mentioned that it's our DEFENSE, not offense, which will get us wins, Rick.  As I'd maintained.)

5.  Where the hell was YOUNG?  I'm maybe the only guy who thinks Young's defense is overrated a touch...but, man oh man, he needed to get more minutes last night.  We needed high percentage baskets in the WORST WAY...and Thad always delivers those.

Speaking of which, Ed: When your team goes cold...and the other team gets hot (as was the case at the beginning of the second half last night)...call time out and remind these guys it's DEFENSE, REBOUNDING, and then - with the resultant change in possession - it's to be NOTHING BUT HIGH PERCENTAGE SHOTS.  And those include - only - lay-ups and foul shots.  How many goddamn long bombs do we need to clank until he realizes that THAT'S NOT HOW YOU GET HOT AGAIN.

Oh.  And - often - Speights blows.  I'm so tired of people who get excited by that guy's offense.  When that (admittedly) exciting aspect of his game is rendered mediocre?  ...he's exposed for the half-player that he is.

Go check his +/-

[RickyPryor]

Anyone read Ms. Fagan today?

[anklebreaker]

Sure did.  I enjoyed that read. 

[RickyPryor]

wow.

[anklebreaker]

I was waiting for EJ to change that lineup in the 4th, but it just never happened...

[marklapinski]

Complete collapse.  When you have players that obviously don't have it sit them down. Speights and Carney to not really play in the second half after they played well the first half is a crime.  Carney could have shut Nick Young down, wish he was given the chance.

[DuckyNinja]

As bad as not changing the lineup was, something happened in the second quarter that proved to me that the problem right now is at least some part a lack of effort.

Holiday was guarding Boykins.  A big man sets a pick (I wasn't paying attention to who their big men were, sorry).  Our big man (Speights and Brand were our big men) just stands there as Boykins runs one way and Holiday goes under the screen, then Boykins goes back the other way, with our big man still just standing there as Boykins gets past Holiday.  This happens again the next two times down the floor, with Boykins using a screen 2-3 times with absolutely no help.  That's not a failure to defend a pick and roll, that's a pure lack of effort, and it was disgusting to watch.  Holiday was working his ass off while the rest of the team just stood around watching.  Brutal.

[Derek Bodner]

Yes, I saw that too.  Brand was particularly guilty.