Photo from AP/Kevork Djansezian.We all know Elton Brand is almost certainly going to the Clippers (And no, Plaschke, it’s not because of you. But on that note – open your minds to KD, children, for he speaks the truth. Hallelujah!), but the entire situation with Philadelphia is, at the very least, interesting.
Let me preface this by saying that I love Josh Smith. I mean who doesn’t? He’s above the rim, he’s tough as nails, and he’s probably made at least one of his teammates cry from being repeatedly rejected in practice. But if it comes down to Elton Brand versus Josh Smith in terms of the Sixers’ foreseeable future, I’ll take Elton Brand. Josh Smith is undeniably the better prospective talent. His athleticism is off the charts, and he gives you shot blocking and defense at the three, which can be incredibly helpful. If Philly can’t snag Brand (which seems likely, considering his attachment to the Clips), I wholeheartedly advise them to go for Smith. With Brand, what you see is what you get. Except what you see happens to be an all-star caliber big man who rebounds well, scores efficiently, and plays solid post defense. And that’s where the advantage goes to Brand. Both are good rebounders and defenders in their own way -- Josh Smith is a great shot blocker and isn’t bad at coming up with steals, either, but Elton Brand can offer something Smith can’t: disciplined post defense. Smith is talented defensively, but I’d be hard-pressed to say that he’s a capable post defender. I’m not sure he has the experience or the instruction to have that ability at this point, and for this team that's really what he would need to be able to do. All indications point to Smith playing at the 4 if the Sixers are able to steal him away from under the collective noses of the Hawks, and is that really what this team needs?
But let's step away from that for a minute, and look at the offensive end. The Sixers can score easily enough on the fast break, but when the game goes into half-court sets they have trouble. And I mean really have trouble. Does Smith allow for this team to improve offensively in the half-court? A little I guess; Smith can shoot well enough, his drives to the basket are intimidating, and he'll grab some offensive boards. But could he give Philadelphia a reliable half-court option like Brand could? No way. Right now, Smith is a small forward. He may be big enough to guard power forwards and strong enough or athletic enough to guard power forwards, but his skill set doesn't yet have any kind of reliable post game.
He's got plenty of time yet, and maybe he'll develop into a great half-court player and make me eat my words. Entirely possible. But for a team looking to invest this off-season, I'm not sure that Smith doesn't duplicate the strengths that the Sixers already have: rebounding, finishing on the break, and aggressive defense. He’d certainly bolster all of those strengths (and boy, would Philly be fun to watch), but the central problem is that he doesn’t remedy any of their weaknesses.
Let me preface this by saying that I love Josh Smith. I mean who doesn’t? He’s above the rim, he’s tough as nails, and he’s probably made at least one of his teammates cry from being repeatedly rejected in practice. But if it comes down to Elton Brand versus Josh Smith in terms of the Sixers’ foreseeable future, I’ll take Elton Brand. Josh Smith is undeniably the better prospective talent. His athleticism is off the charts, and he gives you shot blocking and defense at the three, which can be incredibly helpful. If Philly can’t snag Brand (which seems likely, considering his attachment to the Clips), I wholeheartedly advise them to go for Smith. With Brand, what you see is what you get. Except what you see happens to be an all-star caliber big man who rebounds well, scores efficiently, and plays solid post defense. And that’s where the advantage goes to Brand. Both are good rebounders and defenders in their own way -- Josh Smith is a great shot blocker and isn’t bad at coming up with steals, either, but Elton Brand can offer something Smith can’t: disciplined post defense. Smith is talented defensively, but I’d be hard-pressed to say that he’s a capable post defender. I’m not sure he has the experience or the instruction to have that ability at this point, and for this team that's really what he would need to be able to do. All indications point to Smith playing at the 4 if the Sixers are able to steal him away from under the collective noses of the Hawks, and is that really what this team needs?
But let's step away from that for a minute, and look at the offensive end. The Sixers can score easily enough on the fast break, but when the game goes into half-court sets they have trouble. And I mean really have trouble. Does Smith allow for this team to improve offensively in the half-court? A little I guess; Smith can shoot well enough, his drives to the basket are intimidating, and he'll grab some offensive boards. But could he give Philadelphia a reliable half-court option like Brand could? No way. Right now, Smith is a small forward. He may be big enough to guard power forwards and strong enough or athletic enough to guard power forwards, but his skill set doesn't yet have any kind of reliable post game.
He's got plenty of time yet, and maybe he'll develop into a great half-court player and make me eat my words. Entirely possible. But for a team looking to invest this off-season, I'm not sure that Smith doesn't duplicate the strengths that the Sixers already have: rebounding, finishing on the break, and aggressive defense. He’d certainly bolster all of those strengths (and boy, would Philly be fun to watch), but the central problem is that he doesn’t remedy any of their weaknesses.
But then again, both the potential signing of Smith and the potential signing of Brand ignore the fundamental problem here: neither big ticket free agent makes the Sixers the favorite to win the East. Thaddeus Young is still too raw, Iguana Iguodala could jump ship if negotiations don’t go his way, and Andre Miller is on the way down. Louis Williams is an interesting prospect as a scorer, but does he have what it takes as far as playmaking and defense to make this team click? I wouldn’t be so sure.
What I’m bludgeoning you with in terms of the implications of these deals is that neither puts the Sixers over the top. I would say that they put the Sixers into contention if they can properly utilize the added piece, be it Brand or Smith. They would be below the Celtics in the scrum that includes the Pistons, Cavs, and Magic. A few injuries go against Boston (or if they don’t get Posey or Maggette) and all of a sudden the conference is prime for the taking. The young players will likely improve, and it’s hard to imagine this team not building upon their playoff experience/mild success. Whether the new jacks will be up to the task I’m not really sure, but in the coming days and weeks the Sixers could be forming their team and identity for the long haul, and in doing so should probably ask themselves: is contending enough?
What I’m bludgeoning you with in terms of the implications of these deals is that neither puts the Sixers over the top. I would say that they put the Sixers into contention if they can properly utilize the added piece, be it Brand or Smith. They would be below the Celtics in the scrum that includes the Pistons, Cavs, and Magic. A few injuries go against Boston (or if they don’t get Posey or Maggette) and all of a sudden the conference is prime for the taking. The young players will likely improve, and it’s hard to imagine this team not building upon their playoff experience/mild success. Whether the new jacks will be up to the task I’m not really sure, but in the coming days and weeks the Sixers could be forming their team and identity for the long haul, and in doing so should probably ask themselves: is contending enough?
EDIT: Get ready, Philly. The Sixers have cleared some cap space to make a run at...someone.
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