Elton Brand and Chris Kaman come home

 Rumors  No Responses »
Dec 052012
 


NBAE/Getty Images
These two guys once occupied the Clippers’ frontcourt, and the hopes of Clippers fans.
When Elton Brand positions himself for a rebound, he’s usually not the first guy to leave his feet.

Those are luxuries afforded to younger men, but not a 33-year-old who ruptured his left Achilles tendon back in 2007. These days, when Brand wants a rebound, he has to outwit opposing centers, which often means letting them sky toward the glass while Brand squeezes his way through the throng of bodies to a spot, then times his modest jump for the ball precisely.

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Sixers Can’t Afford to Make Andrew Bynum Their Next Elton Brand

 Philadelphia  No Responses »
Nov 302012
 

When the Philadelphia 76ers acquired center Andrew Bynum from the Los Angeles Lakers, there were two emotions that fans and the organization collectively experienced. One was the understandable optimism surrounding Bynum’s elite abilities, while the other was a fear in reference to his history of injuries.

As the fear evolves into a reality, memories of past players come into retrospective view. Plain and simple, the Sixers cannot afford to make Bynum their next Elton Brand.

For those unfamiliar with Brand’s career with Philadelphia, the 76ers signed the former Duke Blue Devil in July of 2008 to a five-year, $82 million deal (via ESPN). At that time, Brand had posted career averages of 20.3 points, 10.2 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game in nine seasons.

Brand had also missed 123 games in that time, including 74 in the year prior to his signing with Philadelphia (via ESPN).

Bynum, meanwhile, is coming off of a season in which he averaged 18.7 points, 11.8 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game. He too had missed a significant amount of time due to injury, failing to compete into 166 games during his seven-year Lakers career.

Even still, the Sixers began the process of repeating their past mistakes. A process they must abandon before it’s too late.

 

Been Here Before

During his first year in Philadelphia, Elton Brand missed 53 games due to season-ending surgery on a separated shoulder (via ESPN). Although he’d only miss 13 games over the next three seasons with the Sixers, the damage was done.

Brand would never be the same player again.

In what appears to be a terrible case of deja vu, Bynum has yet to play a game in a Sixers uniform during the 2012-13 NBA season. The debacle started when Bynum received a “routine” knee injection and subsequently rested throughout the duration of the preseason (via CSN Philly).

Even still, he was expected to return to action come the regular season.

Since then, Bynum has faced a series of setbacks. This has led to a delay in his return and the projection that he will return during either December or January (via NBA.com).

Unfortunately, Bynum sustained structural damage to his already-injured knees while bowling (via ESPN). The latest update projects Bynum to miss the entirety of the 2012-13 NBA regular season (via Delaware Online).

 

First Hand Account

In an interview with Tom Moore of phillyBurbs.com, Brand spoke on the 76ers’ current situation with Bynum. The former team leader spoke on the similarities between the two player’s unfortunate careers with the team, thus offering a first-hand look at what the Sixers are experiencing.

For those in need of a boost in confidence, Brand offers a vote in Bynum’s favor.

“I definitely came here with high aspirations similar to Bynum and being hurt,” Brand said at the Mavericks’ morning shootaround Tuesday. “It’s tough. You’ve got to keep grinding.

“I think it’ll turn out well for the city and the fans. Hopefully he can get out there and play — maybe not this season but next season—and add his low-post presence with all those shooters that they have.”

As kind as it is for Brand to offer his support for the embattled Bynum, it doesn’t change the fact that Bynum’s history of knee injuries may forever linger. After all, we haven’t heard the end of the injury discussions since he first sustained a partially dislocated left kneecap in 2006 (via ESPN).

Although the Sixers were built around Bynum, can they really afford to risk it all on yet another injury-prone frontcourt player? No matter how promising Bynum’s upside may be, they cannot take the chance.

Not again.

 

Bynum a Free Agent

Andrew Bynum is an immensely talented player with the upside to become the best center in the NBA. That said, he has also spent seven NBA season battling injuries and failing to remain on the court.

With Bynum becoming a free agent after this season, the Sixers cannot afford to reward yet another injury-prone player with a max contract. Not if Bynum continues to miss playing time.

Bynum faced these very concerns while playing for the Los Angeles Lakers. The team ultimately gave up on the player they placed their faith in when no one else would.

The result was their trading for an equally as talented but far less injury-stricken Dwight Howard.

Although the 76ers would be a much better team with Bynum in the rotation, they cannot afford to risk handing him a max contract. Not when the risk of injury is just as dangerous as the man whom they just utilized their amnesty clause on in Elton Brand (via ESPN Dallas).

To think, we haven’t even touched on the questions surrounding his effort.

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Philadelphia 76ers 2012-2013 Game-by-Game Predictions: One NBA Fan’s Outlook (Yahoo! Contributor Network)

 Sacramento  No Responses »
Sep 302012
 

After an active summer that netted All-Star center Andrew Bynum, the Philadelphia 76ers will head into the 2012-2013 NBA season with a brand new look. Gone are Lou Williams, Andre Iguodala and Jodie Meeks, who last season led the 76ers in points, assists and three-pointers made, respectively. The 76ers also amnestied their leading rebounder and shot blocker Elton Brand.

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Breaking Down How Spencer Hawes Can Complement Andrew Bynum

 Philadelphia  No Responses »
Aug 302012
 

The Philadelphia 76ers‘ acquisition of Andrew Bynum in the four-team Dwight Howard trade initially appeared to be bad news for Spencer Hawes.

The seven-footer has played the center position in each of his five seasons, but there’s no question he’s now the second-best center on this 76ers roster. Will the 24-year-old be relegated to the bench now that the new guy’s around?

Not nearly as much as you might think.

NBA.com’s Max Rappaport reports that head coach Doug Collins is planning for Hawes to reprise the the power forward position in much the same way another seven-footer teamed up with Bynum in Los Angeles:

“I want (Hawes) to play the Pau Gasol role with Bynum,” Collins said. “Both (Hawes and Gasol) like to play out on the perimeter because they can shoot the ball and are very good passers.”

Of course, in today’s NBA, the distinctions between forwards and centers can be a bit blurred. All that really matters is where a guy likes to get his touches on the floor, whether he’s better facing the basket or posting up and who he matches up with on the other team.

What position you want to call him doesn’t matter all that much at the end of the day.

So, the idea of a forward-center hybrid isn’t without precedent.

Hawes’ penchant for avoiding the painted area has arguably been a liability in the past. And yet, with so few quality big men around, his size has made him a natural candidate to man the middle. After adding Bynum and using the amnesty clause on Elton Brand this summer, the opportunity to play a different role in the starting lineup is there for the taking.

The transition may not be an overnight success.

Hawes improved his conditioning significantly going into last season, but he needs to continue working on his mobility and quickness to keep up on the defensive end. His size will be something of a double-edged sword.

On the one hand, he and Bynum will make it difficult for opposing teams to score at will in the paint. After playing alongside the 6’9″ Elton Brand, Hawes’ opportunity to defend next to a legitimate shot-blocker will make him even more dangerous.

On the other hand, his one-on-one assignments won’t always be a walk in the park on account of how athletic some guys in that 6’9″ or 6’10″ range can be. 

Fortunately, Blake Griffin plays in the Western Conference.

Whatever this move means for Philly’s defense, it almost certainly means good things for its offense.

Hawes’ ability to make passes from the high-post will translate into the kind of high-low action that made Bynum and Gasol such a lethal combination. Of course, it isn’t just that Hawes can pass (though he did average 2.6 assists per game last season, which is pretty good for a guy his size); it’s also that he’s a solid mid-range shooter.

Opposing bigs have to respect Hawes’ range, and that means Bynum has to contend with less size in the paint. 

In other words, Hawes can make defenders pay for helping in the paint and leaving him open, but he can also get the ball to Bynum when he has premium position and/or a mismatch.

These are the kind of options Philadelphia’s offense just didn’t have last season.

This team’s half-court offense often became stagnant, relying upon some combination of ball movement and sixth man Lou Williams to keep up. It still managed to win a lot of games, even in the playoffs, but it wasn’t always pretty.

We probably won’t see an especially quick tempo this season either, but the offense will be far more dangerous with Bynum and Hawes teaming up. And, that’s to say nothing of the improved perimeter shooting Nick Young, Jason Richardson and Dorell Wright all bring to the table.

Given point guard Jrue Holiday’s nice range, Collins will be able to spread the floor around Bynum with a formidable platoon of marksmen.

Having a power forward with a little bit of range will create even more space for Bynum to operate.

Whether or not Spencer Hawes is the next Pau Gasol, he’ll become an integral part of the 76ers’ new game plan, and he certainly won’t be forgotten now that Bynum’s around.

Read more Philadelphia 76ers news on BleacherReport.com

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Andray Blatche is willing to play in the D-League (Ball Don’t Lie)

 Washington  No Responses »
Aug 212012
 

Since the advent of the NBA’s amnesty clause, many highly paid players have been waived only to find new teams shortly thereafter. For players like Chauncey Billups (Knicks to Clippers) and Elton Brand (76ers to Mavericks), the problem wasn’t that they lacked all use on the basketball court — it was simply that they made too much money given their contributions. Precious few of the amnestied players have failed to find new work at all, because it’s not as if their large contracts were handed out with no on-court basis at all.
However, some players present different problems altogether. Consider, for instance, former Washington Wizards forward Andray Blatche, whose remaining three years and $23 million were wiped from the franchise’s salary cap figures in mid-July. Over his seven years in DC, Blatche cultivated a reputation as a troublemaker and malcontent. So, despite his considerable abilities and the near-constant need for talented big men around the NBA, Blatche has earned very little interest on the open market.
Things look so dire, in fact, that Blatche is openly proclaiming that he’s willing to play in the D-League. From Donna Ditota for The Syracuse Post Standard (via EOB ):

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Philadelphia 76ers: What Would Hiring Tom Penn Mean?

 Philadelphia  No Responses »
Jul 262012
 

According to a report from Ken Berger of CBSSports, former Portland Trailblazers executive and current ESPN television personality Tom Penn is firmly in the running for the Philadelphia 76ers general manager position.

According to Berger, Penn is regarded as one of the NBA‘s foremost authorities on the salary cap and financial dealings:

One of the league’s top experts on the salary cap and intricacies of the collective bargaining agreement, Penn would be a strong hire for the Sixers as they navigate the new labor deal and how it has dramatically affected payroll and planning strategies.

Should the Sixers hire Penn, they would be making a very wise choice that could help bolster their front office, one that has not shied away from making aggressive, and financially questionable, moves in the past.

For a franchise that has shelled out big bucks to players like Elton Brand (five years, $80 million), Andre Iguodala (six years, $80 million) and Thaddeus Young (five years, $42 million), it’s clear that the Sixers are in need of some more pragmatic financial consultation.

While Rod Thorn and the rest of Philadelphia’s front office have done a good job this offseason by slapping Elton Brand with the amnesty clause and making a few low-risk, high-reward signings, this team is in desperate need of facelift in the front office.

According to Hoopsworld, the only players that the Sixers have hefty sums of money invested in for the 2013-2014 season are Andre Iguodala and Thaddeus Young. 

Should Penn be the eventual hire, he will have some tough decisions to make next offseason. Assuming Iguodala makes it through this season without being dealt, there’s always the chance that next summer will finally be the time we see him shipped out.

Both Nick Young and Dorell Wright will be free agents after this season, clearing nearly $10 million in cap space. Could this money help go towards paying one of next summer’s coveted superstar free agents? Fans can only hope that’s the case.

However, the biggest decision that’s looming seems to be Jrue Holiday’s request for a maximum contract extension. Holiday will be entering the final year of his rookie deal in 2013-2014, and the front office will have some serious work to do. Holiday certainly looks like the team’s point guard of the future, but should his requests become too outrageous, things could always change.

With considerable money coming off of the books and some financial flexibility coming in the summer of 2013, Tom Penn looks like he could be the right man for the job in Philadelphia.

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Lakers Rumors: Jermaine O’Neal Is Best Bet for Los Angeles to Upgrade Frontcourt

 Rumors  No Responses »
Jul 152012
 

Along with Jermaine O’Neal, the Los Angeles Lakers are reported to be interested in multiple frontcourt players this offseason.

According to Dave McMenamin of ESPN Los Angeles:

Aside from [Jordan] Hill, appearing on the Lakers’ “short list” of names they are hoping to add to the roster for the veteran’s minimum are Antawn Jamison, Elton Brand and Jermaine O’Neal, according to a source familiar with the team’s thinking.

That said, Elton Brand is no longer available, as he was picked up by the Dallas Mavericks, per ESPN’s Marc Stein.

So, L.A.s “short list” just got shorter and O’Neal is the next best bet for the Lakers’ frontcourt. Here, let’s see how O’Neal fits the mold in Los Angeles for the 2012-13 season.

 

Depth

It never hurts to have depth and getting reliable depth only enhances a team’s rotation.

Well, Jermaine O’Neal could do just that for the Lakers, as he played in 49 games the past two seasons in Boston. Not an everyday starter or player, but O’Neal’s ability to rebound and block shots would certainly help the Los Angeles defense.

Andrew Bynum is unquestionably better, as is Pau Gasol, but a stronger rotation is needed to keep the team afloat. Last season, L.A. ranked No. 15 in defense by allowing almost 96 points per game.

Against more explosive offenses like the Thunder and Clippers, the Lakers need to improve defensively for another run at the NBA Finals.


Experience

At age 33, Jermaine O’Neal provides plenty of NBA experience to Los Angeles. And with other guys like Kobe Bryant and Steve Nash, O’Neal’s veteran status bodes well in any game situation.

Additionally, through 16 years in the association, O’Neal has been on 13 playoff teams and has played in 90 postseason games. During the 2010-11 campaign with the Celtics, O’Neal started all nine of Boston’s playoff games and logged almost 22 minutes per contest.

Now his overall experience doesn’t match that of Kobe, but O’Neal does present an increase in reliability for late in the regular season and during the postseason.

 

Total Skill Set

Along with ranking No. 15 in defense the Lakers also ranked No. 15 in scoring offense. Despite being a Top Five team in rebounds and Top 10 in assists, racking up points and locking down on defense must improve.

Fortunately for O’Neal, he can provide this in two different forms.

For one, he can be a solid bench player . Secondly, he can provide the occasional start. Last season, O’Neal started 24 games of 25 played for Boston and averaged 5.4 rebounds with 1.7 blocks per contest.

He may have averaged under 23 minutes, but O’Neal was efficient enough to get the job done when called upon. Adding O’Neal would also give the Lakers a dynamic team to present against any opponent.

They could go big with O’Neal and Bynum dominating the frontcourt or keep O’Neal at center and give him time with the starters. Along with Bynum’s talent, Los Angeles would simply have the luxury of using multiple looks with different frontcourt personnel.

You know Kobe and Nash will do their work, so creating more favorable mismatches in the paint is only to the Lakers’ advantage.

 

Follow John Rozum on Twitter.

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Philadelphia 76ers 2012 Offseason: A Kwame Brown Memorandum

 Philadelphia  No Responses »
Jul 142012
 

After unclogging 18 million big ones off of the financial records as a result of waiving power forward Elton Brand, the Sixers have vacancy at the power forward, center and backup point guard positions. Kris Humphries, Carl Landry, Derek Fisher and Aaron Brooks, among other talented players, were at the front office’s disposal on the free-agent wire, and the Philadelphia 76ers acquired Kwame Brown in a recent two-year deal.

Kwame Brown.

For about $6 million total over two years, Sixers’ president and GM Rod Thorn hired Kwame Brown in an effort to provide inexpensive depth to the roster that recently shed the veteran power forward Brand.

Brown was the first-overall selection of the 2001 NBA draft, joining the Washington Wizards directly from Glynn High School in Brunswick, Georgia. Coach Doug Collins of the Sixers was the coach of the Wizards at the time of the draft in 2001. Brown’s 2001 stat line in 57 games played looked bleak at best. He averaged 4.5 PPG and 3.5 RPG in 2001.

His career averages in 270 games started: 6.8 PPG, 5.6 RPG and 0.6 BPG.

The Sixers’ depth at power forward includes sophomore Lavoy Allen and rookie Arnett Moultrie, which could lead to a starting frontcourt that includes Brown.

After aggressively acquiring a true shooting guard who can create his own scoring opportunities in Nick Young and drafting long, athletic bodies who can easily mesh with the system, Moultrie and Maurice Harkless, this controversial move stumps basketball aficionados nationally, especially with all of the options previously—and still—available on the free-agent market.

A lone positive pulled away from the startling acquisition? The deal is very contractually friendly to the front office, leaving some to wonder if the deal arranged beholds a future acquisition—be it through a trade or a signing in the 2014-2015 season when the contract expires.

For a while now, Andre Igoudala and Elton Brand were the scapegoats of this city’s basketball troubles. But, for the time being, I think Philly has a new punching bag.

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