A lot of people say that Brand was only brought in as a puppet and it was ownership and other unqualified management that made some of the horrible decisions of the last year and a half. Everyone heaps praise all over Brand so it seems to me like he came in as a bit of an unqualified GM that had great relationships around the league and could act as the face of management while not actually having any power to make moves. Seems like it’s basically the same now but he can learn under someone that is actually competent.
Ya think it's been awkward this whole time between Elton and Morey? Part of me feels like Elton's taking his lumps like a champ. But good god I'm loving Morey just destroying Brand's major moves.
First thing I thought of after the Horford trade and then again waking up to this. I bet it’s gotta be awkward. But I like Elton and feel like he’s the kind of guy who knows he made some mistakes and can grow into a better gm with Morey’s help?
A lot of people say that Brand was only brought in as a puppet and it was ownership and other unqualified management that made some of the horrible decisions of the last year and a half. Everyone heaps praise all over Brand so it seems to me like he came in as a bit of an unqualified GM that had great relationships around the league and could act as the face of management while not actually having any power to make moves. Seems like it’s basically the same now but he can learn under someone that is actually competent.
This is true too. A lot of Colangelo guys were left over in the front office and had too much say.
Told you guys the day of the signing the Horford contract was bad, you're lucky to have gotten out from under that albatross so quickly.
You did. Kudos.
You also said there's no way out of it though. lol.
I don't think I ever said specifically there's no way out of it. But it is hard to fathom anybody trading for it until maybe the last year when it would become an expiring slot they could use. But as we have all seen over the years, never underestimate the stupidity of some teams/GMs. OKC is obviously stockpiling picks, but its not like a Sixers first round pick in 2025 (protected at that) is going to be very valuable. And the #34 pick this year is worthless.
The new make up of the team reminds me of my favorite Process era Sixers roster with Roco, Dario, JJ, and all those snipers off the bench. Need as much spacing as possible for Jo and Ben....
Daryl Morey Needed Three Weeks To Fix One Of The Sixers’ Big Problems
By
Daryl Morey is already remaking the roster of his new team.
BOB LEVEY / GETTY IMAGES
Daryl Morey has been the president of basketball operations for the Philadelphia 76ers for less than three weeks, but he has wasted no time putting his stamp on the team’s roster. The league’s most prolific trader while with the Houston Rockets, Morey swung two draft day deals designed to address his new team’s biggest weakness.
In the first, he flipped the ill-fitting Al Horford to Oklahoma City (along with first- and second-round picks, plus the rights to Serbian guard Vasilije Micić) for Danny Green — whom the Thunder had acquired in an earlier deal for Dennis Schröder — and Terrance Ferguson.1 In the second, Morey sent Josh Richardson and the rights to No. 36 overall pick Tyler Bey to the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for Seth Curry.
The Sixers duo of Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons has been at its best when surrounded by shooters. The lineup that paired those two with J.J. Redick, Robert Covington and Dario Šarić, for example, outscored opponents by 17.7 points per 100 possessions. The pair plus Redick, Wilson Chandler and Jimmy Butler compiled 12.2 more points per 100 possessions than their foes. With Redick, Butler and Tobias Harris, their margin was plus-19.6 per 100 possessions.
The 2019-20 Sixers actually knocked down threes at a better-than-average rate (36.8 percent), but they attempted treys less often than the average team. That shouldn’t be as much of a problem with marksmen like Curry (44.3 percent from three for his career)2 and Green (40 percent)3 sliding into the rotation. It certainly doesn’t hurt that Green has extensive experience working as a 3-and-D guy with stars of all stripes, while Curry has played alongside Damian Lillard, CJ McCollum and Luka Dončić.
Morey’s attempt to secure snipers didn’t stop there. With the No. 49 pick, the Sixers snagged Arkansas shooting guard Isaiah Joe. Joe was widely considered one of the best shooters in the draft despite connecting on only 34.2 percent of his treys last season. He hit 41.4 percent from deep as a freshman during the 2018-19 season, making him a 37.8 percent shooter on more than 500 career attempts from outside the arc. He was also one of only 10 power-conference players to hit at least 75 threes in each of the past two seasons.
Later in the second round, Morey picked up analytics darling Paul Reed. An athletic forward who claims he runs the floor like a deer, Reed was one of only 10 collegiate players since the 1992-93 season to average at least 10 rebounds, 1.5 steals and 2.5 blocks per game. Pair him with Matisse Thybulle and Zhaire Smith off the bench, and the Sixers have a whole mess of long, rangy defenders to throw at opponents and try to force some turnovers, which in turn should help mitigate any spacing issues associated with the Embiid-Simmons pairing by ratcheting up transition opportunities at the expense of half-court possessions.
Morey’s first pick of the night, though, may have been his most interesting. Kentucky point guard Tyrese Maxey isn’t yet a knockdown shooter (he made only 29.2 percent of his threes), but his free-throw percentage (83.3 percent) is encouraging, and he is extremely aggressive trying to get downhill and into the paint.
The Sixers badly need someone other than Simmons who can collapse the defense from the outside-in off the drive, and Maxey should be able to provide that for them. Harris and Richardson were, other than Simmons, the team’s two most frequent drivers last season, per NBA Advanced Stats, but were both among the least likely high-volume drivers to pass on the drive rather than shoot. Philadelphia has often struggled even to throw basic entry passes to Embiid in the post without Simmons on the floor, and Maxey should help there as well. And at 6-foot-3, Maxey has the size to defend both guard spots, meaning he could eventually be a fit alongside Simmons if his jumper ever comes around.
Throughout his tenure in Houston, Morey was famous for adhering strictly to the math behind basketball. He said often that he’d do things a little bit differently if he had a different roster, and he indeed has one now. Doing things a bit differently than he did with the Rockets doesn’t necessarily mean abandoning his principles, though. So, it should come as no surprise that each of Morey’s acquisitions aligned with attributes he has considered valuable in the past: shooting, defense, athleticism, shots at the rim. He may have changed cities and rosters, but he hasn’t changed his stripes.
By all accounts it seems like he’s chilled out the last year or so. So cheap too. Should leave enough meat on the bone to pick up a decent ball handler.
Apparently the Sixers were one of seven teams that were trying to somehow be involved with the Jrue to Milwaukee trade. Didn’t end up happening but that could be because a 7 team deal would have been too much. But the prevailing theory is that we want George Hill from OKC and that we might try to get him thrown on to the Horford deal (for additional assets + picks of course). I don’t understand the ins and outs of how the cap works, but some people on Reddit are saying that if we could get Hill and send the right pieces to OKC we would still have the full MLE to spend on a backup PF. If true our bench would be incredible.
Apparently the Sixers were one of seven teams that were trying to somehow be involved with the Jrue to Milwaukee trade. Didn’t end up happening but that could be because a 7 team deal would have been too much. But the prevailing theory is that we want George Hill from OKC and that we might try to get him thrown on to the Horford deal (for additional assets + picks of course). I don’t understand the ins and outs of how the cap works, but some people on Reddit are saying that if we could get Hill and send the right pieces to OKC we would still have the full MLE to spend on a backup PF. If true our bench would be incredible.
Good Christ do I hate that idea. Selling off the entire future just to likely get bumped in the second round anyway. If Morey can work this amount of magic within 3 weeks of walking into this shitty situation, then I really think he can find a way in the next year or 2 to bring in another all star or borderline all star who can shoot off the dribble and take over at the end of games.
trading Simmons for Harden would be a bad move. You don't trade a young star player for an older star. not to mention who wants to watch Harden dribble the ball for 22 seconds then get fouled on every other possession?
trading Simmons for Harden would be a bad move. You don't trade a young star player for an older star. not to mention who wants to watch Harden dribble the ball for 22 seconds then get fouled on every other possession?
I keep hearing that it would be a “win now” move, but would it really? Maybe a couple of extra regular season wins and at best one extra round in the playoffs. All for him to walk it 2 years. This team needed 2 things for Ben and Joel to co-exist and have a legitimate shot at a ring, some 3 point specialists and someone who can create their own shot and take over late in games/in the playoffs. They already took care of one of those problems and I really trust that Morey can find the other part sooner rather than later. This hypothetical 3rd star doesn’t even need to be that great overall, he just needs to be able to do that one thing. Zach LaVine would be perfect.
trading Simmons for Harden would be a bad move. You don't trade a young star player for an older star. not to mention who wants to watch Harden dribble the ball for 22 seconds then get fouled on every other possession?
I keep hearing that it would be a “win now” move, but would it really? Maybe a couple of extra regular season wins and at best one extra round in the playoffs. All for him to walk it 2 years. This team needed 2 things for Ben and Joel to co-exist and have a legitimate shot at a ring, some 3 point specialists and someone who can create their own shot and take over late in games/in the playoffs. They already took care of one of those problems and I really trust that Morey can find the other part sooner rather than later. This hypothetical 3rd star doesn’t even need to be that great overall, he just needs to be able to do that one thing. Zach LaVine would be perfect.
trading Simmons for Harden would be a bad move. You don't trade a young star player for an older star. not to mention who wants to watch Harden dribble the ball for 22 seconds then get fouled on every other possession?
The Houston Rockets have expanded trade discussions regarding James Harden to various teams beyond his preferred destinations, sources told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski and Ramona Shelburne.
Previous reports have stated Harden is primarily interested in a trade to the Brooklyn Nets, Miami Heat, Milwaukee Bucks, or Philadelphia 76ers.
The 76ers have shown a willingness to include Ben Simmons in a package for Harden, according to Wojnarowski and Shelburne. However, Houston and Philadelphia have reportedly not come close to a deal.
Multiple playoff-caliber clubs told ESPN they are "finding increased comfort in committing high-level trade assets" in talks to acquire the former NBA MVP. The Rockets are in communication with Harden about those talks.
While Houston has said it plans to begin the regular season with the three-time scoring champion, the franchise is exhibiting a desire to complete a trade as soon as possible, sources told Wojnarowski and Shelburne.
Some organizations have said they are less inhibited about trading for Harden without an assurance he would re-sign with them when his current contract expires. The 31-year-old has a $47.3-million player option for 2022-23.
I’m so grossed out by the Harden rumors. Even if it does significantly increase the odds of a championship (which I honestly don’t think it does even in the short term), I still don’t want him over Simmons. I can’t see myself rooting for him and if he comes here then it’s his team, Embiid instantly becomes second fiddle.
Yeah, it sucks, because I'm starting to think there's more and more a chance of happening. And what also sucks is, in the short-term, I'd be incredibly ecstatic. I think it makes them marginally better this season - like from a conference quarterfinals team to a conference semifinals team - but in the long run that's not worth letting Simmons go for only two years of Harden.
Comments
TTP 2.0! Let’s go!
You also said there's no way out of it though. lol.
But it is hard to fathom anybody trading for it until maybe the last year when it would become an expiring slot they could use.
But as we have all seen over the years, never underestimate the stupidity of some teams/GMs. OKC is obviously stockpiling picks, but its not like a Sixers first round pick in 2025 (protected at that) is going to be very valuable. And the #34 pick this year is worthless.
https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/daryl-morey-needed-three-weeks-to-fix-one-of-the-sixers-big-problems/
Daryl Morey Needed Three Weeks To Fix One Of The Sixers’ Big Problems
By
BOB LEVEY / GETTY IMAGES
Daryl Morey has been the president of basketball operations for the Philadelphia 76ers for less than three weeks, but he has wasted no time putting his stamp on the team’s roster. The league’s most prolific trader while with the Houston Rockets, Morey swung two draft day deals designed to address his new team’s biggest weakness.
In the first, he flipped the ill-fitting Al Horford to Oklahoma City (along with first- and second-round picks, plus the rights to Serbian guard Vasilije Micić) for Danny Green — whom the Thunder had acquired in an earlier deal for Dennis Schröder — and Terrance Ferguson.1 In the second, Morey sent Josh Richardson and the rights to No. 36 overall pick Tyler Bey to the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for Seth Curry.
The Sixers duo of Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons has been at its best when surrounded by shooters. The lineup that paired those two with J.J. Redick, Robert Covington and Dario Šarić, for example, outscored opponents by 17.7 points per 100 possessions. The pair plus Redick, Wilson Chandler and Jimmy Butler compiled 12.2 more points per 100 possessions than their foes. With Redick, Butler and Tobias Harris, their margin was plus-19.6 per 100 possessions.
The 2019-20 Sixers actually knocked down threes at a better-than-average rate (36.8 percent), but they attempted treys less often than the average team. That shouldn’t be as much of a problem with marksmen like Curry (44.3 percent from three for his career)2 and Green (40 percent)3 sliding into the rotation. It certainly doesn’t hurt that Green has extensive experience working as a 3-and-D guy with stars of all stripes, while Curry has played alongside Damian Lillard, CJ McCollum and Luka Dončić.
Morey’s attempt to secure snipers didn’t stop there. With the No. 49 pick, the Sixers snagged Arkansas shooting guard Isaiah Joe. Joe was widely considered one of the best shooters in the draft despite connecting on only 34.2 percent of his treys last season. He hit 41.4 percent from deep as a freshman during the 2018-19 season, making him a 37.8 percent shooter on more than 500 career attempts from outside the arc. He was also one of only 10 power-conference players to hit at least 75 threes in each of the past two seasons.
Later in the second round, Morey picked up analytics darling Paul Reed. An athletic forward who claims he runs the floor like a deer, Reed was one of only 10 collegiate players since the 1992-93 season to average at least 10 rebounds, 1.5 steals and 2.5 blocks per game. Pair him with Matisse Thybulle and Zhaire Smith off the bench, and the Sixers have a whole mess of long, rangy defenders to throw at opponents and try to force some turnovers, which in turn should help mitigate any spacing issues associated with the Embiid-Simmons pairing by ratcheting up transition opportunities at the expense of half-court possessions.
Morey’s first pick of the night, though, may have been his most interesting. Kentucky point guard Tyrese Maxey isn’t yet a knockdown shooter (he made only 29.2 percent of his threes), but his free-throw percentage (83.3 percent) is encouraging, and he is extremely aggressive trying to get downhill and into the paint.
The Sixers badly need someone other than Simmons who can collapse the defense from the outside-in off the drive, and Maxey should be able to provide that for them. Harris and Richardson were, other than Simmons, the team’s two most frequent drivers last season, per NBA Advanced Stats, but were both among the least likely high-volume drivers to pass on the drive rather than shoot. Philadelphia has often struggled even to throw basic entry passes to Embiid in the post without Simmons on the floor, and Maxey should help there as well. And at 6-foot-3, Maxey has the size to defend both guard spots, meaning he could eventually be a fit alongside Simmons if his jumper ever comes around.
Throughout his tenure in Houston, Morey was famous for adhering strictly to the math behind basketball. He said often that he’d do things a little bit differently if he had a different roster, and he indeed has one now. Doing things a bit differently than he did with the Rockets doesn’t necessarily mean abandoning his principles, though. So, it should come as no surprise that each of Morey’s acquisitions aligned with attributes he has considered valuable in the past: shooting, defense, athleticism, shots at the rim. He may have changed cities and rosters, but he hasn’t changed his stripes.
Fucking fake fans again. Ugh.
The Houston Rockets have expanded trade discussions regarding James Harden to various teams beyond his preferred destinations, sources told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski and Ramona Shelburne.