Right on Mr. Snider

Don't look now, but the Sixers are 32-45, with just two fewer victories than the Pacers. They're 27-27 since trading Allen Iverson to the Denver Nuggets, 15-9 since the All-Star break.

And don't even begin to try to talk to chairman Ed Snider about the relative value of lottery positioning.

"No, we're a team on the rise," Snider said after visiting the postgame locker room. "We just beat a team that's still trying to make the playoffs. Andre Miller has made such a difference. I loved what we did tonight."

Thanks Phil J.

http://www.philly.com/dailynews/sports/20070411_Louis_Williams_steals_spotlight_vs__Pacers.html

Losing Ping Pong Balls...but building assets

Despite not having Korver and AI, the Sixers still beat the playoff bound Indiana Pacers.

Jermaine O'Neal would be a welcome addition in Philadelphia...

Lou Williams got major minutes...he needs more confidence in his game but the skeleton is there. He's got about 3 years before he can be counted on for major minutes.

Tough to watch this game tonite...

Culture in "the Room"

From the Delaware County Times:


Before the Sixers’ most recent game in Detroit, Webber characterized his time in Philadelphia as the worst of his career.

"It was the way people interact with each other, the way people treat each other," Webber said of the Sixers. "I’ve been on losing teams a couple times before and we still got along, it still was a positive environment. It wasn’t always like that."

Perhaps not coincidentally, the environment in the locker room has been more positive since Webber left. There’s no sense in the locker room these days that there are factions, as there clearly were last year.

One player, talking about the acquisition of Andre Miller and Joe Smith, described them as not being "high maintenance," the implication being that Iverson was.

http://www.delcotimes.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=18182295&BRD=1675&PAG=461&dept_id=18170&rfi=6

Where Do We Go Now?

The Sixers are a break and a few tweaks away from moving into the top 5 in the eastern conference playoff picture next season. While that is not the goal of what I want as a fan, a championship contender year in and out, its a first step. We've got infrastructure! Who wants to spend money on tickets for a team that doesn't have a chance to win the championship?!??!

How?

When injuries to Caron Butler and Gilbert Arenas flip the entire Eastern Conference playoff picture...

When the Indiana Pacers are preparing for the first round...

When Isiah Thomas in in the division...

When Chris Webber is the key move to ensuring a division crown and homecourt advantage...

...there's a chance.

We're young. We're athletic. We've got a MUCH better culture for player (asset) development.

We could use a break? - either a top 2 pick this draft or a trade that gets them a big time frontcourt scoring piece, but this is the Sixers...

Let's say things go the way they are supposed to with the draft (although it doesn't happen with Billy the King), we're going to get 3 good young players, one of which should be, kinda like, good. I'm not a big Noah fan ... no low post game - I'd take him later in the first round, not with the top 10 pick.

I think it is imperative we spend one of the first round picks on a legit PG prospect - I think Andre Miller is going to be here the next two years. Two years is a good amount for a high end talent to develop on the bench and play 15-20 minutes a night and spot starts when Miller is down.

Random thoughts....

- If the first pick comes up and Noah and Brewer are still on the board, I would take Brewer. That guy is going to be a matchup problem for 10 years.

- I'm not into any of the centers past Oden this year - I think you won't get anything more from any of them than what you get from Dalembert, who already has grown as an asset in the second half of the season for the team.

- There are two things that make players better assets for franchises - game (skill) development and salary structure. Now, we all will be praying that Billy the King will be more...judicious...with OUR (the Sixers collective which includes us fans!) salary cap.

If you look at this list of players, all have increased their value as assets for the franchise:

• L. Williams (floor game, game experience)
  
• Korver (floor game, team defense)
  
• Dalembert (REBOUNDING, self confidence)
  
• Green (health)
  
• Carney (game experience)
  
• Hunter (consistency in role has led to improved att-i-tude)
  
• Igoudala (does anything need to be said?)
  
• B. Jones (professional coaching, game experience)
  

With the committed money situation coming under control in two season, and with a new group of young players, the value of our assets will continue to grow and the average "value" per player will improve. This average "value" will also be improved by having Andre Miller playing a majority of the minutes at PG.

Its going to be a great summer!

1,2,345...Sixers