New Sixers Pass Podium Test (Deep Sixer)

New Sixers Pass Podium Test

The last time we checked, NBA games weren’t won at the podium, but it was hard not to be impressed when meeting the newest two 76ers, Reggie Evans and Calvin Booth.
In their opening press conference, both talked about winning, rebounding and playing defense.
Since Evans has a career scoring average of 4.3 points per game and Booth has a career 3.5 average, it was understandable that they didn’t dwell too much on offense.
Still, they seemed to say all the right things.
Evans is 27 and Booth is 31 and they bring a veteran presence to a young team. And who won’t like playing with two players who don’t care how many points they score?
Evans figures to start and Booth will be the backup to Samuel Dalembert.
If anybody has noticed, the Sixers have been bringing in a completely different type of player since dealing Allen Iverson.
Andre Miller may be one of the most unselfish talented players in the NBA. And he can score when needed.
Now Evans will bring his lunch-pail mentality to the rebounding and that can be a great influence on young players.
And as we mentioned the other day, Booth’s character, according to several people in the know, is off the charts.
Sure, KG probably isn’t shaking in his boots over these acquisitions and the Raptors and Nets along with Boston are still considered well ahead of the Sixers in the Atlantic Division.
Yet this is now a much more mature team, one that has players who have set a good example throughout their NBA careers.
Couple that with emerging Andre Iguodala, who could be an all-star this year, and at least the Sixers appear as if they can be competitive.
That doesn’t mean they will make the playoffs, but it also isn’t guaranteed that their season will end in mid-April.
One has to admit, the Sixers appear to be a very likable team, one that is going to play hard each night.
Whether that is enough to make up for gap in natural talent remains to be seen. At least for now, president and general manager Billy King is accumulating several character individuals. Talent still wins in the NBA, but character also goes a long way.
The Sixers will be a good test case in how much a team that is built more on character than talent can achieve during the upcoming season.

Posted by Marc Narducci on September 12, 2007 6:24 PM | Permalink

Comments (3)

Jon:

I'm glad to see you giving Iggy a shot at all-star this year. I think he'll be around 20 points, 6 boards and 6 assists. I think he loses out though due to Ray Allen's switch to the East.

Posted by Jon | September 12, 2007 11:33 PM

Posted on September 12, 2007 23:33

ROman:

I'm looking forward to this season. This going to be a young unselfish team with some emerging talent. I have a couple questions though. Wouldn't Julian Wright have been a much better fit for this model? He was well regarded for his passing ability and some even said he was almost too unselfish (okay, so I'm still bitter they didn't pick him). The other question is where does Willie Green fit? His gunner mentality doesn't seem to fit what they're aiming for, aside from the fact that he's attrociously inefficient.

Posted by ROman | September 14, 2007 11:38 AM

Posted on September 14, 2007 11:38

Carl:

I think that the Sixers will be handicapped as far as off-season moves as long as Billy King is calling the shots. While, I believe that he really feels that he has a "plan". I don't believe that he has shown himself to be a good evaluator of talent and his player personel moves have left a lot to be desired. The Sixers need a new general manager to lead them in a new direction.

Posted by Carl | September 19, 2007 9:10 AM

Posted on September 19, 2007 09:10

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Author

Marc Narducci is in his 23rd year as a sports reporter for The Philadelphia Inquirer. The 2007-2008 season will be his first as the 76ers beat writer. For the past two seasons, Marc had been the backup writer for the Eagles. Over the past few years Marc covered the NBA, NHL and Major League baseball as well as writing on sports media. Prior to covering professional sports, Marc was a long-time high school sportswriter for The Inquirer's South Jersey section.

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