If the Sixers Want to Contend…
Monday, July 28th, 2008 by Steven Mitchell
They better not let Andre Iguodala go this off-season. The Sixers finished off the 2007-08 season in a strong fashion and then they landed the top free-agent on the market. The Sixers have a core group of proven stars in Brand, Miller, and Iguodala, along with some solid role players in Dalembert and Willie Green, and a strong bench with Reggie Evans, Thaddeus Young and Louis Williams. Barring another season-ender to Brand, this team is as good as Detroit, and can give the Celtics all they want in a 7-game series.
I am a Sixers fan, so I may be a little biased, but in a top heavy East, the Sixers can put up a lot of wins and finish as one of the top 2 or 3 seeds going into the playoffs. From that point, they may at least have a shot at the Celtics and the Finals. However…
If the Sixers decide they want to go a different direction and let Iguodala go and do some sort of sign and trade, they will be left in the middle of the pack in the East once again. The Sixers with Brand and without Iguodala are better than last year’s team, but they are still not a legitimate contender. Adding the inside force of Brand to last year’s team does make the Sixers a big boy to watch in the East. If you let Iguodala go, what is the point of paying Elton Brand?
The Sixers have a pretty good history with the likes of Moses Malone, Dr. J, Barkley, and even Iverson (sometimes) and they are not the type of franchise that is happy to be just pretty good. They pursued and got Brand because they want to contend for and possibly win a title. It is not good enough to simply trade out one good player for another. If Iguodala is unhappy, make him happy—that is, if you want to contend.
