Deep Sixer

I wonder how many open shots Korver gave up.

It is what it is. We are REBUILDING. Grin and bear it. Michael Beasley - Kansas State!!!

They should have moved Miller at the trade deadline last season. They could have gotten a first round pick and it would have hurt them in the standings so their own first round pick would have been higher. But Billy was too concerned about padding their meaningless win total last year to justify the Iverson trade. With Billy continuing to make the decisions, this team has no chance.

Aw c'mon, look who they've been playing! Dallas, New Orleans, teams with good records. When they get out in the open floor and run (they way they did against Chicago), they're fun to watch. I actually kind of like this team. Yes, it's a work in progress, and the players are young. But there does seem to be a plan to me, especially if you count next season. I'm not ready to give up on them yet.

Aw c'mon, look who they've been playing! Dallas, New Orleans, teams with good records. When they get out in the open floor and run (they way they did against Chicago), they're fun to watch. I actually kind of like this team. Yes, it's a work in progress, and the players are young. But there does seem to be a plan to me, especially if you count next season. I'm not ready to give up on them yet.

Boy, oh boy, negativity can get into your head...especially when it is relentless.

Believe in yourselves, Sixers, and do as Marc says...stay together and keep plugging.

IF the sixers lose their spirit, who fault is it?
I guess it is the coach's fault, he is the one motivate and inspire players to play hard. The problem is they tried his program XOXO's and it doesn't work for this team. Try something new, changing the starting line up. But marc we can stop thinking about broken spirit, until the sixers start loosing by a large margin on a consistence base's.

I believe you will see a break in spirits and belief inthe system. You will not see these palyers quit. They are young and all good character guys. You will find that they will stop doing the little things "full body" rotations as KK put it in his quotes today. They will not do this because they know they are leaving a shooter open ... in stead they will stunt and get back - thus giving up penetration. Chances are the spirits of the coaches will be broken because the players will stop believing in them.

Last years strong finish was more of a tribute to the players and their character as opposed to the head coach! Forget teh XO's as the previous comments metions - he does not understand that and openly admits it.

To address the first comment of rebuilding...if the team is rebuilding why not deal A. Miller for more picks or younger players? If they are rebuilding why add R. Evans at a longer and more expensive contract then S. Hunter? They are not rebuilding. When did this 3 year plan come about? Rebuilding? No. True they will have cap room at the end of the season but it is going to A. Iguodala (especially since they came out and said he was the franchise player-all leverage gone!) and if you like L. WIlliams at the end of the year he gets it too. Please they are not rebuilding.

Marc you do a great job of writing and keep it up...you bring up valid points of spirits ... if it is obvious to you in your first year covering the team - then why is it not obvious the regime?

Yay! A "Sixers at the Crossroads" column already. That didn't take long. ...Unfortunatley, we're not at the crossroads. We're just a 28-win team, which is what we started out as.

I'm starting to become glad that we didn't sign Iguodala to an extension. I mean, I like him and he's a good player and all, but... he wants 10 million a year? Let him go then. Hail and farewell, Iggy. And don't worry, I'm sure you'll find someone who will overpay you. The last thing the Sixers need, at this point, is to be saddled with another 70 million dollar contract for another average player.

As for our strong finish last year, call me crazy, but I attribute it to the fact that the rest of the East was actively TANKING... with a few exceptions.

But hey, at least we're not the Knicks. In fact, that should be the Sixers' new motto, replacing "Passion and Pride" or whatever it is. "The Philadelphia 76ers: Not the New York Knicks."

Oliver:

That's hilarious. And thank God they're not the Knicks. Could you imagine actually paying to watch that disaster unfold.

Sammy already has a commanding lead in the most idiotic fouls committed.

We need to tank this year with the young guys, get them playing experience and draft a big guy who can change the game. Do we even have a post-up presence on the floor???

Unfortunately Ed Snider is only a hockey guy, he sure seems to have turned the Flyers around but as for basketball...bring back Pat Croce and apologize to him. Mo Cheeks has got to be the worst coach in all of Basketball. Period. It's gonna be a long basketball season for the fans, who are the ones that are going to suffer the most. Thank god I have my Dallas Cowboys to lean on. Makes my Yankees season feel like we won a championship compared to the Sixers organization.

How can a player turn down 5/55 million dollar contract?With contract numbers like that,you would think that a guy would put Lebron/Kobe/D-Wade/T-Mac type numbers,but instead,Iggy struggles with his handle,gets stripped regularly,and still struggles to hit jumpers.If he was smart,he would taken that contract,and shut up.

Who cares?

Mo Cheeks the worst coach in basketball? Please. At least he has them playing hard in front of empty arenas and low expectations. Heck, they were just a few foul shots from beating the Raptors and a couple of quality bench players from sustaining a win over Dallas, hence rebuilding.

No, the worst coach is truly Scott Skiles. How you take that much talent and have a worse record than the Sixers? You need to be trying very, very hard to let your team get that distracted.

Or, Isiah Thomas. How do you let a player ("Starbury") get away with such egregious conduct and welcome him back with open arms? How desperate must a coach be?

Cheeks can only make do with the pieces he has. He has no legitimate, consistent scoring threat in any of his players.

And consider this, we're only a season removed from Allen Iverson's departure. For over a decade, every player including most of the current cast deferred to his scoring prowess and his gambles on the defensive end to make up for the deficiencies. It's going to take more than a season for players to learn their roles post A.I., in a completely different system.

Personally, their defense isn't good enough to win games. I think they should just go it Don Nelson style and just light up the scoreboard. At least it'd be entertaining.

In almost 10 years at the helm, Billy King has created the worst team in he NBA-check that-the worst team in professional sports. The reason Iggy didn't sign is that he doesn't want to be stuck on a loser for five years. Look what the Celtics did in one year to turn it around. King is completely clueless, and the Sixers will be until he is gone. Fans must boycott the games until all top management is cleaned out.

The next time Willie Green plays defense will be the first time Willie Green plays defense.

Look at the starting two guards in the East: Ray Allan, Michael Redd, Dwayne Wade, Ben Gordon, Rip Hamilton, Jason Richardson, Joe Johnson, etc. And we're stuck with a backup who plays no D. At least give Carney a shot.

My only hope is that Thaddeus develops over the next two years and Iggy can move to 2.

We also need a solid, vet backup center with some guts and meat to his bones. Jason Smith is a four, and playing him at five is going to stunt his development. Kurt Thomas sure would be nice. Glenn "Big Baby" Davis would have been nice with that No. 30 pick.

Losing confidence, spirit is being broken down give me a break! This is a proffessional team and these guys get paid pretty good money to play and get better at playing. We are like at game 7 or 8 and your aready talking about this team caving in. Last time I looked there were alot of teams struggling. This is just in the Estern Conference
Toronto 4 4
New Jersey 4 4
New York 2 5
Cleveland 4 5
Milwaukee 3 4
Indiana 3 5
Chicago 1 5
Washington 2 5
Miami 1 7
Atlanta 3 4

The majority of these teams have way more talent than the Sixers, and yet they are losing also, Heck, Dallas couldn't win early last year and produced the best record in basketball. "It not so much how you start but how you finish". Go Sixers!

We have to move AI to two-guard immediately. Neither Green nor Carney deserves to start for ANYONE in this league. Put either Smith or Young in as the starter at small forward and expect us to get a LITTLE better.