Nick Piccone
While some of us are following the Sixers daily and ready to rub it in the faces of everyone when they finally win the NBA Championship in 2131, others are just waiting for the team to become relevant again. Sure, watching them is fun for the most part, but watching them lose isn’t. They are exciting… sometimes. OK, most of the time. Some games, they lay an egg and look somehow more embarrassing than before. But one thing’s for sure, according to head coach Brett Brown, and that’s the fact that the Sixers will be players in free agency this offseason.
#Sixers Brown: 'We're definitely going to be in the free agent game.'
— Tom Moore (@TomMoorePhilly) March 9, 2016
Many took this quote and ran with it. Hell, I’m writing a post on it right now. But whether it’s just lip service to the fans or Brown speaks the truth, the fact of the matter is that the Sixers need to become free agent players soon. I honestly am holding out hope that the turnaround year begins next season, and in two seasons the Sixers will be one of the better teams in the Eastern Conference. I don’t think that’s too far off base.
I just hope Brett Brown believes it, too.
I think 2 years of becoming one of the better teams in the EC is a stretch, no matter how bad the EC is. In 2 years I would expect them to be around .500 and then in year 3 they start making huge leaps towards conference supremacy.
All this hinges on Embiid really. If he’s as good as advertised, they can get creative on how they use Noel and/or Okafor with him. I’m picturing something like Embiid out in the corners hitting 3’s, or something different like that.
If they can get that Lakers pick this year too, we should be able to get Dunn or Hield, which would go a long way in establishing a competent NBA level starting backcourt.