Name and defend your top 3 wishlist for this off-season

[nathan2331]

For my off season my priorities would be to increase depth and cut some dead weight. Main priority should be resigning Mack and Scott and finding a suitor for Lou. I've already proposed a trade of Lou and Jenkins for Harrison Barnes and I honestly think that's a fair trade. Elton Brand while serving us well I'd not like to see playing for us. While Pero was laying eggs, Brand wasn't playing much better. I would offer him a job as an assistant coach like the Heat did for Juwan Howard because I value his presence in the locker room.

As far as free agent signings, I'd go for Hill on a 2-year team option deal if possible. I'd also like for us to sign Stephenson. His attitude is not perfect but I think he's worth the risk. If not him then we may as well sit on the cap space til next year (no Hayward). Also, I think we need to bring Bebe over.

At the draft I'd look to draft a wing player with our first pick. My number one would be K.J. McDaniels as he could be our Kawhi Leonard, or better. He's the best wing defender in this draft bar maybe Wiggins when he's locked in. Not only that but he's an elite shot blocker regardless of position- I think he blocked 3.6 shots per 40 minutes at Clemson. Other guys I'd like us to get in the first round are Zach Lavine and James Young (high potential). In the second, I think we should pick a euro guy to stash for a couple years. Jokic and Inglis would be the best candidates for this approach.

After all these changes the team would look like this:

Teague/Mack/Schröder

Stephenson/Korver/McDaniels

Carroll/Barnes

Millsap/Scott/Antić/Muscala

Horford/Hill/Bebe

P.S. Pretty sure the CBA has something to say about my team construction but oh well.

[capstone21]

My turn?

1. Thad Young... exceptional, physical 3 who will play some 4... character guy who has waited long enough playing in the backwaters of Philly, and will finally get his due when he gets to a playoff contender... I'd like that to be us.

one thing Young is not is a three. He struggled then Philly played him there. He is a four like Josh Smith is a four.

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[sturt]

one thing Young is not is a three. He struggled then Philly played him there. He is a four like Josh Smith is a four.

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Cap, indeed, he's been more recently slotted into the 4, but based on what I've read, that's not because they struggled with him in the 3, but because they struggled with anyone else playing the 4 and had other good options at 3.

But setting that aside, much of his history has been at the 3, and he's often been quoted as more comfortable there... all things being equal, I think he's got Dominique's body and productivity... without Dominique's flair and ball-handling... but with an edge over Dominique in the degree to which he makes his teammates better.

Some supporting evidence...

Recent from Philly.com: ....Yes, Young can do a lot of it all, and his biggest value may be in his versatility. He has played small forward and power forward. He has been in a reserve role and has been a starter for the Sixers. He removed threes from his repertoire, and then learned to incorporate them again, at the request of his coaches... Young is good at spacing the floor, cutting to the basket and finding open spots for with which to receive a pass; all traits that are excellent for an offense. He can continue to be effective without stunting the growth of players like Carter-Williams and whoever the Sixers add in the draft, who may need the ball to develop and dominate. Young’s ability to play a couple positions only adds value to the Sixers, whose future roster is far from set in stone. Depending on who they draft, he could start or again embrace a reserve role (if willing), or play the three or the four; whatever best fits the team and the talent. His ability to play in the paint and also stretch it out past the three-point line gives the Sixers a lot of options, and could work to make their lineup very versatile when it comes to switching between playing traditional basketball and the increasingly-popular small ball.

From NYTimes NBA Blog: ...If a coaching change leads to Young getting the green light from the arc, especially if parts of the offense can be designed around those looks, he could take his game to a new level. Adding solid long-range shooting into a repertoire that already features speed, finishing ability, good rebounding and plus-defense would quietly make Young into one of the league’s most dangerous players.

From Total Sports Live: According to Tom Moore of the Bucks County Courier Times, head coach Brett Brown thinks Young could be an option at the 3/SF position.

From Delaware Online: ...Brown said he witnessed significant development in Young's game and can see him improving further.

"Imagine the versatility that he comes to the table with in the future," Brown said, "if he continues to refine his shot. He shot 12 percent from 3 last year, was 31 this year. If he can refine that part of his game and continue to work on his handle, and maybe he's a [small forward], probably he's a [power forward], maybe he's going to play both, maybe we've got to sort out what he is based on what we bring in after the draft.

Back in 2012, from CBS' Matt Moore: ..."Thaddeus Young has resisted playing power forward for years. Dating to 2008, he wanted to play what he feels is his more natural position at small forward for Philadelphia. He has size advantages at small forward and the athleticism to hang at that spot. But his coaches have always leaned toward dropping him at the 4. Because of the Sixers' need for depth, Young routinely has been used off the bench as a backup power forward who had the ability to stretch the floor.

With Andrew Bynum in town and Andre Iguodala gone, there's an open spot at small forward. And Young wants it.

...Philadelphia coach Doug Collins still wants him to come off the bench and still wants him at power forward...Young clearly doesn't want this. In the past, he has felt that he has more advantages at the 3 and playing that position plays to his strengths. There's also likely the fact that if you're an undersized 4 in this league, you get beaten up physically on a nightly basis.Young wants to do the beating, not receive it.... So Young, after putting in so many years for the Sixers, is likely to remain a reserve and, in his mind, out of position. It'll be interesting to see whether he continues to play the good soldier in that role or if it creates friction in the new-look Sixers. It should be mentioned, the top three lineups in plus/minus for the Sixers, according to NBA.com featuring Young, had him at the power forward position.

As to that last sentence, it has to be noted that for years, PHI primarily had Iggy playing the 3, and more recently have slotted Evan Turner in that spot. It's just been a function of their other assets that forced Young to play 4.

Edited May 26, 2014 by sturt

[hazer]

Trade for Afflalo, Korver 6th man of the year, sign Hill as backup 5, draft either Hood/Young/Saric, bring Bebe over as 3rd C, load up for 2015 FA class (Love, Aldridge, M. Gasol, etc).

Edited May 26, 2014 by hazer

[nathan2331]

Woah, did I just see someone compare THE Dominique Wilkins to the peon that is Thaddeus Young? He's good, but not close to being as productive to him. Nique had his faults but the cards were stacked against him while he was in Atlanta.

[hazer]

Teague/Mack/Shredder

Afflalo/Korver

DMC/Hood

Sap/Scott/Moose

Horf/Hill/Bebe

[sturt]

Woah, did I just see someone compare THE Dominique Wilkins to the peon that is Thaddeus Young? He's good, but not close to being as productive to him. Nique had his faults but the cards were stacked against him while he was in Atlanta.

hehe... yes, nathan... your eyes did not deceive you. :)

[red2play]

Greg Monroe for C and Antić as his backup. Move Millsap to the 3 and hope the Nogueira is ready for the NBA.

Edited May 27, 2014 by red2play

[Diesel]

The way I see it:

Shelvin Mack: I think this guy proved that he can be a really good BU PG for us.

Wesley Johnson: 6'7" 215lb SG who can play good defense and can shoot. This guy has the stroke and the Athleticism to be on this team and to make a good name for himself.

Gortat: With all the physical bigs that will be coming back next year, we need our own hammer. Also, let's give Al a shot at the 4.

[QuantumHawkz]

1. Get Lou back to full strength-mentally- I still believe Lou can (cause he showed flashes of it) help this team. Once he get's his confidence back at finishing at the rim,he will add another dimension to our offense.

2.Get Horford back full strength- For obvious reasons.

3. Get Antić back, get Nogueira here- We need Antić back. People forget that he was a rookie, and his playoff performance reflected that. We need rim protection and rebounds-Nogueira can help in this area.

4. Melo in Atlanta.

[Ebert]

Not very realistic, but we would become a contender.

1.- Trade for McLemore and Asik. Sacramento must start winning. If they are lucky, they could get Smart in the draft . I would trade Millsap and Lou Williams to get both players. Millsap would fill a position where they need help and would improve their team a lot. Asik value must have descended a lot since he will now earn 15M, but he is a good center. If we can get him cheap, and trade Millsap for McLemore that would be great. Trade Lou to gain some cap space. Maybe we would have to trade a few or one second round pick if it's necessary. I would ask for the rights of Papanikolaou for 2015 if possible (because Demarre will be an expiring).

If we trade those 2 players and get those 2 others we would earn a few millions in cap space. Next year cap space is projected to be 63M,

2.- Sign Melo Anthony. The hardest move. He would start to be paid at around 18-19M. That's just a dream, but as I said I would not be very realistic in my wishlist.

3.- Bring Bebe, draft K.J. McDaniels. Bebe must be in Atlanta next year to continue improving. I like a few players in the draft but K.J. McDaniels is the most realistic to be at 15. I really like Harris, Young, Lavine and Hood, but since I like all those 5 players and I can't choose who I really want at this moment, I'll take McDaniels.

So, that's would be our roster

PG: Teague/Schröder

SG: McLemore/Korver/Jenkins

SF: Anthony/Carroll/McDaniels

PF: Horford/Muscala

C: Asik/Antić/Bebe

We would lack a back up PF, but maybe Melo could play some time there too.

A third PG could come in the draft.

I like both Mack and Scott but it would hurt our posibilities of getting Melo

That would be an incredible team

A starting five of one borderline all star when play his best, a potential all-star, a superstar, an all-star and a solid center.

Korver and Carroll would be incredible players from the bench. Same to McDaniels and Jenkins. A hell of a rotation on the wings.

Dennis if he developes could become a very good PG, he can play good minutes next year as a back up. We would need a 3rd PG if necessary but it can come for the minimum.

The only doubt would be the rotation inside. A cheap option would be a veteran who can stretch the floor, but I haven't scouted the market.

Sadly, that's probably not happening. But I'll keep dreaming :)

[capstone21]

Cap, indeed, he's been more recently slotted into the 4, but based on what I've read, that's not because they struggled with him in the 3, but because they struggled with anyone else playing the 4 and had other good options at 3.

But setting that aside, much of his history has been at the 3, and he's often been quoted as more comfortable there... all things being equal, I think he's got Dominique's body and productivity... without Dominique's flair and ball-handling... but with an edge over Dominique in the degree to which he makes his teammates better.

Some supporting evidence...

Recent from Philly.com: ....Yes, Young can do a lot of it all, and his biggest value may be in his versatility. He has played small forward and power forward. He has been in a reserve role and has been a starter for the Sixers. He removed threes from his repertoire, and then learned to incorporate them again, at the request of his coaches... Young is good at spacing the floor, cutting to the basket and finding open spots for with which to receive a pass; all traits that are excellent for an offense. He can continue to be effective without stunting the growth of players like Carter-Williams and whoever the Sixers add in the draft, who may need the ball to develop and dominate. Young’s ability to play a couple positions only adds value to the Sixers, whose future roster is far from set in stone. Depending on who they draft, he could start or again embrace a reserve role (if willing), or play the three or the four; whatever best fits the team and the talent. His ability to play in the paint and also stretch it out past the three-point line gives the Sixers a lot of options, and could work to make their lineup very versatile when it comes to switching between playing traditional basketball and the increasingly-popular small ball.

From NYTimes NBA Blog: ...If a coaching change leads to Young getting the green light from the arc, especially if parts of the offense can be designed around those looks, he could take his game to a new level. Adding solid long-range shooting into a repertoire that already features speed, finishing ability, good rebounding and plus-defense would quietly make Young into one of the league’s most dangerous players.

From Total Sports Live: According to Tom Moore of the Bucks County Courier Times, head coach Brett Brown thinks Young could be an option at the 3/SF position.

From Delaware Online: ...Brown said he witnessed significant development in Young's game and can see him improving further.

"Imagine the versatility that he comes to the table with in the future," Brown said, "if he continues to refine his shot. He shot 12 percent from 3 last year, was 31 this year. If he can refine that part of his game and continue to work on his handle, and maybe he's a [small forward], probably he's a [power forward], maybe he's going to play both, maybe we've got to sort out what he is based on what we bring in after the draft.

Back in 2012, from CBS' Matt Moore: ..."Thaddeus Young has resisted playing power forward for years. Dating to 2008, he wanted to play what he feels is his more natural position at small forward for Philadelphia. He has size advantages at small forward and the athleticism to hang at that spot. But his coaches have always leaned toward dropping him at the 4. Because of the Sixers' need for depth, Young routinely has been used off the bench as a backup power forward who had the ability to stretch the floor.

With Andrew Bynum in town and Andre Iguodala gone, there's an open spot at small forward. And Young wants it.

...Philadelphia coach Doug Collins still wants him to come off the bench and still wants him at power forward...Young clearly doesn't want this. In the past, he has felt that he has more advantages at the 3 and playing that position plays to his strengths. There's also likely the fact that if you're an undersized 4 in this league, you get beaten up physically on a nightly basis.Young wants to do the beating, not receive it.... So Young, after putting in so many years for the Sixers, is likely to remain a reserve and, in his mind, out of position. It'll be interesting to see whether he continues to play the good soldier in that role or if it creates friction in the new-look Sixers. It should be mentioned, the top three lineups in plus/minus for the Sixers, according to NBA.com featuring Young, had him at the power forward position.

As to that last sentence, it has to be noted that for years, PHI primarily had Iggy playing the 3, and more recently have slotted Evan Turner in that spot. It's just been a function of their other assets that forced Young to play 4.

touche

[Diesel]

But we need a swingman. My country for a swing man. I see all you guys gushing over SF/PF types. That's the last thing we need. We need a big SG who can defend the perimeter. Afflalo would be great, but his trade pricetag is too high. Nobody in the draft is ready to participate this year. We swung and missed with John Jenkins any way. I pray I don't see Louis Williams there next season. I know when healthy, he's a good dude but his size has always been a problem, especially defensively.

As you start to make your wishlists, you guys need to find that 6'7" and above 215-235 pound SG who can play defense and nail a shot.

Maybe Alan Anderson is that guy?

[Guest]

But we need a swingman. My country for a swing man. I see all you guys gushing over SF/PF types. That's the last thing we need. We need a big SG who can defend the perimeter. Afflalo would be great, but his trade pricetag is too high. Nobody in the draft is ready to participate this year. We swung and missed with John Jenkins any way. I pray I don't see Louis Williams there next season. I know when healthy, he's a good dude but his size has always been a problem, especially defensively.

As you start to make your wishlists, you guys need to find that 6'7" and above 215-235 pound SG who can play defense and nail a shot.

Maybe Alan Anderson is that guy?

Agreed, we need more of a SG/SF not SF/PF. How about Thabo Sefolosha as a free agent - he's a FA coming off a deal worth $3.9 mil - he is 30 yrs old though and his shot still needs work but he a good defense at SG.

[Diesel]

J-J-J-Joeeee Johnson .... Kidding, kidding. Put your pitchforks away.

Pietrus?

Give me Joe before Pietrus. @jaybird, I like Thabo. Originally, that's my dude but his lack of offense is scary considering who we can put on the court with him.

[Guest]

Agreed, we need more of a SG/SF not SF/PF. How about Thabo Sefolosha as a free agent - he's a FA coming off a deal worth $3.9 mil - he is 30 yrs old though and his shot still needs work but he a good defense at SG.

I love Thabo. Specially if we can get him at a good bargain. Tremendous shut down type of guy defensively. He is definitely a Spur prototype guy.

[capstone21]

Agreed, we need more of a SG/SF not SF/PF. How about Thabo Sefolosha as a free agent - he's a FA coming off a deal worth $3.9 mil - he is 30 yrs old though and his shot still needs work but he a good defense at SG.

Although his d is excellent, his offense is terrible. DMC and Thabo would be bad to have on the court together. Teams would be doubling and tripling our other guys. I completely agree we need a good perimeter defender but it needs to be one that can also score so teams don't double off of him.

Edited May 27, 2014 by capstone21

[coachx]

1. Russell Westbrook

Elite guard who can create for others, create his own shot, and defend. He is s more athletic Tony Parker........who is perfect for the Spurs system. I like Teague but Westbrook is everything we want Teague to be in a consistant basis.

2. At pick #15 select one out of: Staukas, McDaniels, Warren, Payne.

3. If we draft a wing focus on signing signing Jordan Hill in free agency.........if we draft a big then focus on signing Trevor Ariza in free agency.

[sturt]

Since last off-season, I've been bullish on young Xavier Henry, and he didn't disappoint in his LAL stint this year. As indicated in my follow-up post in Trade Ideas forum, he's my other FA acquisition beyond my top 3 (ie, TYoung, Saric and Gortat). Good perimeter defender, has an all-around game, and is just 23, I think... there's a knee issue that ended his season early, but assuming the best on that front, I really like his upside.

Just to defend Thad Young (SF/PF) as #1 on my wishlist... it's not without some good rationale...

With getting Horford finally settled into the primary 4 for the first time ever, I'm seeing TYoung as a better fit than holding on to Milsap, yet also someone who clearly has been good enough to log minutes at the PF as necessary. They're both high character guys who pretty much end every game showing up in every stat column as making a difference. But intuitively, TYoung seems a better option at the 3 than Milsap, and then, on those occasions when you want to shift Horf back to the 5, he's still a very credible producer at the 4.

Even better, TYoung is 3 years younger than Sap if I recall correctly.

Edited May 27, 2014 by sturt