Sixers End Another Dismal Season

As I watch the Western Conference playoffs, I pause to reflect on the Sixers’ season gone by. Momentarily, I dream of the days of annual battles with Boston and perhaps the Lakers in the NBA Finals.
I even fondly recall Billy Cunningham’s shrill when he would cry out “Leo!” as he screamed at Syracuse rookie Leo Rautins. We always had good seats back in the college days at Glassboro. The ride was short and the dollars were doable.
Watching the young Charles Barkley was thrilling for fans who’d grown accustomed to winning with rosters full of talent and prestige.
The names roll from recollection, including Doug Collins, Dr. J, Moses, Andrew, Mo Cheeks, Caldwell Jones, Bobby Jones, and even “The Prince of Mid-Air,” Lloyd Free before the odd name change. Heck, we watched Kobe’s daddy, “Jelly Bean” Bryant.
While indeed memorable, those days of wine and roses in Philadelphia professional basketball are so long ago. Before the gray hair, family sedan and lawn work, there were many forays deep into the postseason.
True to Philly form, most of those years ended in disappointment. Aside from the banner season of 1983, many of those great years ended at the hand of Bird or Magic, the two best before the generation of Michael Jordan.
Speaking of Jordan, Eddie that is, the Sixers pulled out their well-worn eraser to rid themselves of another mistake. Depending upon whom you ask, the first and only year of Jordan’s rein was ruined by the coach’s so-called “Princeton Offense.”
Others contend the team ran very few back-door sets in favor of vanilla professional designs.
Was this latest disaster the fault of a roster poorly altered by Ed Stefanski or the new coach not using consistent player rotations and communication?
To their credit, the underachieving players rarely made missteps in front of a microphone or vertical notepad. The athletes never quite revealed the obvious discontent percolating below.
NBA salary cap and player guarantees make the league difficult to watch. The best teams can dominate for years due to the difficulty of financially comparable trades. Retired players have been traded when clubs were desperate to make salaries compatible.
The Sixers may not see their way out of this tailspin for years. They are not a desirable location for free agents, they are salary cap restricted, they have zero coaching consistency, their ownership is interested in pucks and the fan base is disinterested.
An optimistic view is that you’re never as good as you look when you win and you’re never as bad as you seem when you lose. I believe that.
There are athletes on this team. The error in acquiring the broken-down Elton Brand reminds one of the Jamie Moyer deal, although the lefthander is only baggage for one more season while Brand’s salary will handcuff the Sixers for three more years.
Whether you’re a fan of the Eagles’ management, you have to admit that the Birds seldom make the mistake of overpaying an aging former star.
For every Brian Dawkins or Derrick Burgess, there are many more Bobby Taylors and Duce Staleys.
I’m in the minority that enjoys Andre Iguodala’s game. I keep the Arizona star and try to deal Thaddeus Young. One starting small forward is all most teams need.
I’m OK with Lou Williams off of the bench and baby Jrue Holiday at the point. I’m willing to wait for the 20-year-old to gain the experience necessary to rise to the next level. Williams can score the ball and has a role.
Sam Dalembert can’t leave soon enough. He’s athletic and rangy, but possesses zero basketball skill. That’s not good for a starting center in the NBA.
Willie Green as the third guard off the bench does not bother me. Green takes a beating in the media but he’s an effective scorer who never makes negative noise. There’s nothing wrong with an offensive-minded team player on the bench.
Jason Smith needs more time, but patience is rare in cut-throat professional sports. He’s got size and deserves an opportunity to play one year away from a major injury.
Jason Kapono was supposed to be a long-distance shooter but he never earned Jordan’s trust. It’s tough to say what will happen but a three-point shooter would be nice.
Marreese Speights has potential but like many of his teammates, he needs a defensive-minded coach who commands respect and instills discipline. The new head coach needs to establish strict parameters early.
I’ve always been a Doug Collins fan so I’ll vote for him as the new coach.
It can’t get worse, can it?
Reach Rossi at Joerossi61@comcast.net
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