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| Evan Turner is a key component of the team going forward Photo Credit: Getty Images via ESPN.com |
However, it had the potential to be so much more. Forget about doing better during that abysmal start; there were times during the season after that point where they kept pace with elite teams only to fall apart in the end, or even worse, crap the bed against teams that were, on paper, clearly lower than them on the totem pole. Now, everyone does that once in awhile; hell, the Lakers lost to the moribund Cavaliers this year. However, the Lakers also won enough games to capture the second seed in the West, meaning they beat good teams too. The Sixers were not the Lakers this year.
While that's not necessarily a bad thing, especially given that they went 27-55 last year, but going forward, there were things that could be corrected that would put the Sixers in better position next year. Defensively, they're probably one of the best teams in the league right now, bar none. However, in a league full of superstars, sometimes great defense is going to falter under the sheer will of a great player. That was readily apparent every time the Sixers played the Heat this year, as either LeBron James or Dwyane Wade would take over games and kill any momentum the Liberty Ballers would amass. The best way to counteract that would be to have a scoring option that can go toe-to-toe with said hot hand on the other team.
Short of hitting the (Draft) Lottery or getting a big-name free agent to come here, that's not easily attainable. Right now, the best hope is to increase Evan Turner's minutes next year and hope he shows more of the take-over-the-game ability he showed at the end of Game 4 of the Heat series rather than the spottiness he showed at times during the regular season. Being the #2 pick in the draft, he was expected to produce at a higher level, much like, say, Kevin Durant did. However, that wasn't the case. While some pundits are calling him a bust already, I look to his college career and see the growth pattern he showed there, starting slow as a freshman before really becoming an impact player as a junior, giving him his draft position. If he doesn't step up as a scoring threat, then the Sixers will decline, or they'll be forced to make a trade midseason for someone who can score, especially in crunch time.
Why? Because Andre Iguodala certainly isn't getting it done in that role. Don't get me wrong, The Other AI is a fine player, who has developed into an elite defensive player, capable of shutting down the other team's go-to threat. His locking down of LeBron James at times this year was amazing. However, he gets this superstar complex, and tries to take over games at the end on the offensive side, often forcing shots when double or triple-teamed. Turner emerging could be the signal to Iggy that he doesn't have to do everything, which would be nice.
One more thing I think the Sixers really need going forward is a center. I complained a lot about Samuel Dalembert, but at least he did something - block shots. What does his replacement, Spencer Hawes, do, other than hit an uncontested jumper here or there? Nothing, really. He's gotta go. They need a shot blocker in the middle who can clean up on the glass. Elton Brand at the power forward spot was nice this year, mainly because he was healthy most of the year for a change, but he needs help down low. Hawes does nothing for this team.
Other than that, there are some good pieces on this team that could congeal and form a strong playoff contender in the future with the right seasoning. Jrue Holiday, Thaddeus Young, Lou Williams, Iguodala, Jodie Meeks and hopefully Turner can be players in this league for years to come. Hopefully, there's at least one more year of good, injury-free basketball left in Brand, and the team can get the parts needed to get their heads above water and not max out at 41-41 each year.
But in a league where it's so hard to build by that model, it's going to be rough. Really rough.
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