30 Teams in 30 Days: Philadelphia 76ers

2007-2008 in Review

Record: 40-42
Eastern Conference Seed: 7
Playoff Results: Lost to DET in Eastern Conference Quarterfinals (4-2)

Summer of 2008

Key Additions: Elton Brand (via free agency), Marreese Speights (via draft), Kareem Rush (via free agency), Theo Ratliff (via free agency), Royal Ivey (via free agency), Donyell Marshall (via free agency).

Key Losses: Rodney Carney (via trade), Kevin Ollie (via free agency), Calvin Booth (via trade).

Everybody is talking about the improvements made within the Eastern Conference, and the Philadelphia 76ers are usually the first team to roll off the tongue. On July 9, the Sixers signed All-Star forward Elton Brand to a five-year, $82 million deal, giving the team its first legitimate two-way interior threat it’s had in over a decade.

The nine-year NBA veteran holds career averages of 20.2 points and 10.3 rebounds per game to go along with 2.7 assists and 2.1 blocks. Throughout the 2005-06 season, Brand put up 24.7 PPG, 10.0 RPG, and 2.5 BPG while leading the Clippers to the second round of the playoffs.

Roughly a month later, Philly locked up Andre Iguodala in the second week of August by signing the 20-5-5 stud to a six-year extension worth approximately $80 million. This past season, “Iggy” put up career highs in scoring (19.9 PPG), steals (2.1 SPG), blocks (0.6 BPG), threes made per game (1.2) and improved his '06-07 field goal percentage from 43.7 to 45.6 percent.

In addition to that, the Sixers locked up another promising young guard, signing Louis Williams to a five-year, $25 million deal on August 4. The soon-to-be 22-year old held career highs in nearly every category last season—scoring (11.5 PPG), rebounding (2.1 RPG), assists (3.2 APG), steals (1.0 SPG), blocks (0.2 BPG), three-point percentage (36%), and free throw percentage (78.3%).

With the 16th-overall pick in the draft, the club selected forward Marreese Speights, who averaged 14.5 points and 8.1 rebounds per game last season at the University of Florida. The 6’10’’ athlete is said to have terrific upside, a knack for rebounding the ball, strong finishing ability at the rim, and a nice-looking mid-range jump shot. A lot of people even feel that he is a lottery-caliber talent, and could be one of the biggest reward picks in the draft down the line.

To stabilize the rotation and add depth, Ed Stefanski brought in veterans Royal Ivey, Donyell Marshall, Theo Ratliff, and Kareem Rush on one-year deals.

Depth Chart

C: Samuel Dalembert / Theo Ratliff / Jason Smith
PF: Elton Brand / Reggie Evans / Marreese Speights
SF: Thaddeus Young / Kareem Rush / Donyell Marshall
SG: Andre Iguodala / Willie Green
PG: Andre Miller / Louis Williams / Royal Ivey

Biggest Strength: Versatility

Throughout the second half of last season, Mo Cheeks adopted the run n’ gun style of play and gave his youngsters a little more freedom in the open floor. This year, with the addition of a post presence like Elton Brand, they have the option of doing that as well as posing a humongous threat in a halfcourt setting.

Not only can Brand carry the scoring load with post-iso’s and mid-range jumpers over the top of the defense, he also gives the Sixers a new weapon that they hadn’t been able to use very often last season—the pick n’ roll. Andre Miller is a stud in pick n’ roll situations, and he now has a partner to produce those opportunities.

Biggest Weakness: Outside Shooting

Philly looks as though it is ready to become a threat to Eastern Conference teams, but they may be unable to take it to the status of contention until they bring in a reliable outside shooting threat or two. Look no further than Kyle Korver’s impact in Utah after the Sixers dealt him for the expiring contract of Gordan Giricek last season. It’ll be interesting to see whether or not Ed Stefanski makes a play for a sniper before February’s trading deadline passes.

X-Factor: Elton Brand’s Health

Brand has never been known as an injury-prone player, as he had suited up for 92.4 percent  of possible regular-season outings throughout his career—prior to last season’s achilles injury that kept him sidelined for all but eight games. As long as the two-time All-Star big can keep all of that behind him and put together a complete season, the 76ers can be a scary Eastern Conference team in 2009.

What to Expect In 2008-2009

Philly has a chance to establish themselves as one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference this season, and could give just about anybody a run for their money in a seven-game series. The '09 Sixers are going to be fun to watch, hard-working, and extremely competitive.

Predicted Standings

46-36
Second in Atlantic Division
Fifth in Eastern Conference

Coming Soon: Phoenix Suns