Hangtime – For the first time since Allen Iverson left in 2006, the Sixers have a guy who can draw double-teams, a requisite for a successful offense. And for the first time since Charles Barkley left in 1992, they have someone to give the ball to on the low block. That will open lanes for guards Jrue Holiday and Evan Turner, while Richardson and Dorell Wright will give the Sixers more perimeter shooting than they had last season. But how coach Doug Collins manages his frontcourt rotation should be interesting, and the signing of Kwame Brown (or the re-signing of Spencer Hawes — take your pick) now seems like a waste of $6 million (or $13 million). Furthermore, swapping Iguodala for Bynum makes the Sixers younger. They now have a core of five guys — Holiday, Turner, Thaddeus Young, Lavoy Allen and Bynum — who will all be 25 years old or younger when the season starts. If Collins continues to work his magic and the whole continues to be greater than the sum of the parts, it’s a group that can eventually make another deep playoff run.
Let me just get this out of the way: anybody who says trading Iguodala and a protected first rounder to rent Andrew Bynum for a year isn’t worth it doesn’t know DICK about the NBA. Hey, what’s up Bleacher Report:
They’re dumb. And if they were smarter they would know that teams need to take risks to become one of the few clubs competing for a championship at the end of the year. This trade is so fantastic. Let me count the ways:
Firstly, the Sixers don’t have any big contracts on their roster except for J Rich, making them very flexible should a good trade/signing comes along. If Bynum walks at the end of the season, the Sixers only have more cap room to play with to sign additional talent. Should the Sixers convince the Jersey native Bynum to stay in Philly (for more money than anyone else can pay him), the front office then has enough firepower to add free agent pieces (Chris Paul and Josh Smith are both unrestricted next year). You wanna win something more than a Sportscenter Top Ten, Chris? Join Andrew Bynum here.
Secondly, Bynum is only 24 years old — he finally has a youthful team and organization that fits his mindset. No more old ass teammates like Ron Artest, Lamar Odom, and Derek Fisher. No more bossy Kobe Bryant taking 30 shots and still making life hell every second of the game. Just an understanding-yet-firm Doug Collins and a bunch of other dudes his age trying to shock the East.
Thirdly, look at this lineup:
PG – Jrue Holiday/Royal Ivey/Malik Wayns
SG - Jason Richardson/Nick Young
SG - Evan Turner/Dorell Wright
PF - Spencer Hawes/Thad Young/Lavoy Allen/Arnett Moultrie
C – Andruw Bynum/Kwame Brown
Need to get a real backup PG, but besides that there aren’t many problems. If we were one game from the conference finals with Spencer Hawes as our starting center and rookie Lavoy Allen our best defensive big man then I don’t know what the hell the creaky old Jesusless Celtics or dysfunctional Knicks are gonna do. Plus the Bulls won’t have Rose most of the year, Atlanta is just a ghost town, and Orlando is advertising Big Baby Davis? Philly/Brooklyn for the right to meet Miami in the ECF looks way more possible than ever.
Fourthly, you can say “aw man this is going to be Elton Brand/Chris Webber all over again after he hurts his knees and rides the bench on a max contact”. And…well shit…you might be right. But Elton Brand and Chris Webber were already all used up by the time they got here. Bynum is 24!
Fifthly, they shootin’! The Sixers now have a capable compliment of shooters to punish teams for packing it in to protect against Bynum. Nick Young, J Rich, and Dorell Wright can light it up, not even mentioning how Spencer Hawes’ range will draw out opposing PFs and give the Big Man even more room to work inside.
Sixly…you know I’ll just stop there. I could go on all day but I’ll leave the victory lap to the Philly Stoolies.
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