Sixers Are Closer Than People Think

As I watched Kobe Bryant and the Lakers hoist the NBA Finals trophy on Thursday night, I couldn’t help but think that the Sixers aren’t that far away from winning a championship. I’m not saying that this team is going to win it next year or even the year after that, I realize this team is far from where they need to be. There are a lot of problems that need to be addressed but I feel that their poor record from last year does not tell the whole story. Its almost as if their record from last year is a false indication of what is to come. Look at it this way, a coach’s job is to utilize his players in the most effective way he possibly can, and always get the most out of his players. Last year, Eddie Jordan was brought in as head coach and he did not do the things a coach is supposed todo. He came in with a reputation of not getting it done in Washington even with super star Gilbert Arenas, and he was known for his complex Princeton style offense. In my mind Eddie Jordan did a terrible job last year mainly because he didn’t utilize the talent that he had, and he tried to force a stupid mid court offense down this team’s throat when their best threat is getting the ball out into the open floor and scoring in transition. Talent wise, there is no question that the Sixers have the talent and especially athleticism to win games in the NBA. Athletes like Andre Igudola, Thaddeus Young, Lou Williams all have tremendous athletic ability and when you use them the right way, they can go out there and win ball games for you. One thing that guys like Young, Igudola and Williams are not effective in is a mid court offense. Think back to when Mo Cheeks was coach. The Sixers won games when they pushed the ball and scored in transition. When the Sixers run, there are very few teams that will be able to play at that pace. The Sixers are one of the youngest most athletic teams in the NBA, and when they are out in the open floor they are very dangerous. Eddie Jordan tried to hard to instill his complex offense and the Sixers struggled greatly as a result. Another thing that Eddie Jordan did a very poor job with was utilizing the talent that he had. I realize that the Sixers do not have any big super stars, but at the same time, they do have many young skilled players who can be good when used correctly. Jordan did not use his guys in the right way. He put young fast players who want to score on the run and forced them to play a style of offense that they are not accustomed to playing. Basically the point of this article is not to rip apart Eddie Jordan. I still think that he is a good coach, he just wasn’t the right fit for this team. I think Eddie Jordan may be more successful if he were to go to a veteran team that is willing to learn his offense. The point of this article was to highlight that contrary to prior belief, the Sixers as a team are not that bad, they just got screwed over by the wrong coach. I really like what I’m hearing from Doug Collins so far in this off season, you can tell that he is already plotting and thinking of the best ways to use the guys that he has. And on Thursday night when the Sixers draft Evan Turner, Doug Collins will have his team and it is up to him to utilize them effectively.