It’s time for a much-needed change of pace on the Sixers front. We have pounded our heads against the wall over the Andre Iguodala contract situation, and if for some reason you are obsessed with it, here are other bloggers‘ opinions. But let’s turn our attention to the team as a whole right now.

August Power Rankings: 76ers are 13th

Inside Hoops has taken a stab at ranking all 30 NBA teams extra early going into the 2008 season. Today they updated their power rankings, reflecting all the player movement thus far in the off-season. And, as you probably guessed from the title of this post and subhead, they have the Sixers sitting at number 13. Really?

So you’re probably thinking, “Where’s the link?” First I want you to think of 12 teams better than the Sixers as of this second…

Now click here for the rankings.

Do you agree? Disagree? When I saw the list my first reaction was that there is no way Denver or Dallas are better than the Sixers (assuming Iguodala is on the team of course). I also don’t believe a very young and mostly unproven Portland squad is better than the Sixers just yet either. But if Portland’s actual play on the court equals the acclaim of their talent, I could very well back track on that assertion.

That would put the Sixers at #10. Is that reasonable? I say yes, considering this revamped team hasn’t played an actual game together yet.

But can/should they be even higher on the list?

In my mind (and my heart) I believe the Sixers can surpass Orlando, Phoenix and Detroit as well. Defensively I think the Sixers are, and will be, much better than both Orlando and Phoenix.

Orlando/Sixers

The only distinct one-sided advantage Orlando has is Dwight Howard in the post. With that said in 4 games last year the Sixers did a great job of limiting his touches, easy baskets and overall shot attempts with strong team defense. Howard will be better, but I expect the Sixers’ overall defense will be as well. Howard had his 4th lowest scoring average against Philadelphia last season.

Phoenix/Sixers

As for Phoenix, if Shaq is healthy and can pull a season out of his ass reminiscent of his 2005 performance, the Suns could have one more legit year as a possible contender. But, really how likely is that? All reports are that O’Neal is healthy, working out, and Phoenix is very optimistic about how much better he and the team will be after having had a full camp and eventual full season with the Suns. I love Shaq, so I hope he does well - but the odds are against him at age 35. Advantage goes to the Sixers in my book. Andre Miller plays very well against Steve Nash who is slowing down at a high rate. And we finally have a low post player to expose Amare’s deficiencies in man-to-man defensive situations. I like the 76ers in a series against Phoenix.

Detroit/Sixers

On to the Bad Boys. How much can we really take from that playoff series? The answer to that question depends on your opinion of Detroit’s effort and motivation. Did they underestimate the Sixers and not put forth their best effort? Did they not turn it on until later in the series when they closed things out rather emphatically? Or did the Sixers just come out and play them tough, push them to play their best ball and match up pretty well? I think it is a combination of both, with a little bit of weak coaching on Mo Cheeks’ part as well. But this season I feel the match-ups are much better for the Sixers.

• I’ve said it before; I will say it again, Iguodala at the two forces Detroit to make an important choice on who guards Thaddeus and Iguodala. One way or another the Sixers gain an advantage.
• Elton Brand will be much more effective in pick-and-roll situations on both ends of the court. His individual post defense will bolster the Sixers’ chances as well.
• I am hoping, praying Mo Cheeks has learned his lesson about making adjustments. On the other side Detroit will have a rookie head coach at the helm. Will those veterans respond well to him when adversity hits?
• Finally the Pistons’ old bones are a year older, while we expect the Sixers’ young players will be improved.

This was by no means an exhaustive analysis, rather just a little something to whet the appetites of Sixers and all NBA fans going into this much anticipated season. And a nice departure from all the Iguodala contract hoopla.

Where do you think the Sixers rank in the Eastern Conference and the NBA as a whole?

So, are Sixers fans smokin’ dope?

We conducted a survey right after the Brand signing asking how many games the Sixers will win next season. 71% said the Sixers would win 51 or more games. That had a sample size of 106. Sixers.com is running virtually the same survey and so far 52% say the Sixers will win 51-60 games next season. That is with over 20,000 responses.

Are we all educated basketball fans who understand the game, know how to analyze match-ups and make realistic and compelling arguments in favor of our team? Or are we really just being overly optimistic homers?

You make the call.

Quite frankly I am a bit tired of writing and talking about the Andre Iguodala contract situation so this will be short. But since the goal is to keep the conversation going on this blog and stay updated, I felt the need to at least put it out there.

Tom Moore, Philly beat writer, is reporting…

A source indicated that the Sixers and agent Rob Pelinka are discussing a deal worth more than $70 million over five years. That would mean $12 million next year, with annual raises of $1.26 million. [...]

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Alright, after dissecting the horrid array of Philly sports attire, we can move on to the second installment, which is obviously, the 10 best uniforms in Philly sports history. Some of these were easy, some were tough, but I’m sure there will be opinions about all. Here we go… [...]

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Below is a list of the top players from the 2004 NBA draft. I also added Monta Ellis and Andrew Bogut from the 2005 draft class since they both signed contracts this summer. It is unquestionable that Dwight Howard is by far the best player on the list. So my question to you is…

Who is the second best player?

[...]

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Shortly after reportedly declining a $3.9M per season deal, the Sixers stepped up to the plate and signed Louis Williams to a 5-year contract.

The 76ers agreed to terms today with restricted free agent guard Louis Williams on a 5-year contract. - Philly.com

Philly.com is not reporting any terms of the contract, but I just saw Derrick Gunn on Comcast SportsNite say the deal is reportedly worth $25 million over the 5 years. [...]

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OK - well, our blog has been a little too “newsy” recently for my taste, so I’m starting a new Best/Worst of Philly segment that should generate some good discussion.

My idea for the first segment, uniforms, came immediately after Elton Brand’s press conference, when instead of the current Sixers jersey, he raised an updated version of the old red, white and blue version. I freaked out. I couldn’t tell if I was more excited for the Brand signing, or the fact that the Sixers finally returned to their classic roots (note: They haven’t). How many of these would I buy? Which player(s) would be most appropriate? Would they make Shavlik Randolph jersey’s even though he was released? I talked to several other people, and some of them were equally excited about the possibility of a new jersey and others simply nodded disinterestedly and said “mm hmm, that’s nice.” [...]

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Ever wonder what goes on in NBA contract negotiations? What the teams say, what the players are thinking and how their agents go to battle for them? I’ve touched on it a bit in recent posts, and we’ve been discussing it quite a bit in the comments on this blog. But, unless you are an insider you rarely know what really goes on behind closed doors in pro sports. We are so often left with the common line “team [...]

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In what would be an uncharacteristically bold move, SI.com is reporting that the Phillies and Red Sox are talking about a possible Manny Ramirez for Pat Burrell swap.

The Red Sox appear serious about trading slugger Manny Ramirez and are talking to the Phillies and two other teams about a deal, according to people familiar with the talks. [...]

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ESPN.com is reporting that the Phillies are in talks with the Royals about acquiring Ron Mahay in exchange for minor-league SS, and current Olympian, Jason Donald.

Mahay is sporting a 1.81 ERA with 17 holds in 54.1 IP this season. He is 2nd among MLB relievers with 50+ IP in ERA (behind only Chad Durbin). Mahay would not be a rental as he is signed for next year at $4 million. He is a left-handed reliever with better control than J.C. Romero [...]

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It’s official - Kareem Rush will sign with the 76ers tomorrow.

The 76ers have reached an agreement with free-agent guard Kareem Rush.

A source close to Rush has confirmed that the shooting guard is in Philadelphia and will sign with the Sixers tomorrow. - Philly.com

Ed Stefanski has delivered on his promises we now have one shooter on the roster. Here’s a video of what the Sixers fan will get and should expect from Kareem Rush (apologize for a blurriness)… [...]

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