I have been trying to think of what to call this season. I could call it the season from hell. That sounds pretty good. Nah, get more creative Joe. How about the “Era of Bynum”, version TWO? I can save that one for another day. I know, “The Season That Never Was”. Man, that headline makes me sound intelligent. I like it.
It all started on one beautiful day back in August. We Sixers fans know it as the day of “Redemption”, the day of “Relevancy”. The day I speak of is August 14, 2012. Andrew Bynum day at the Constitution Center. I will never forget it. I hadn’t been that excited about the Sixers since the AI’s glory days. You know why I was so excited? Not just for me (die-hard Sixers fan unfortunately) but for the city. People seemed to care again about the Sixers. I wanted that “buzz” back for the Sixers so badly. Do you know what I had to go through to have a Sixers conversation the past 7 years? Seriously.
I had these visions of Bynum controlling the paint, Hawes running the high post, Jrue and Evan creating. Having J-Rich and Dorell Wright knocking down open jumpers left and right, Thad being himself, doing what ever it takes to win, and Lavoy being physical down low. Kwame Brown, well I will stop there. Such promise.
For me it’s not even about missing the playoffs. It’s about false hope. Hope that the Sixers built for us that we fans are not use too. A hope that, yes, it is our time. It was our time to have a foundation, to have building blocks. Not just a one hit wonder (like last season), that we could be built like the Spurs or Thunder. That we where ready for the next step, all of this was false hope.
Am I mad at the Sixers for dealing for Bynum? No, no matter what I tell myself it still was the right move at the time. Do I think that Sixers knew that Bynum was hurt to extent? Yes, but not this bad. They took a shot and came up empty. Whatever…
What I am disappointed about is how they handled it PR wise. Bynum will be ready for the opener they said. Then they came out saying he will be ready by January. I get it. They were scared of the backlash. They had an opportunity to “Man-Up” about it and they didn’t. We have been toyed with way to long as Sixers fans.
Maybe, this whole thing is even bigger than Bynum? Just maybe, a new “Gullible” ownership got caught with their pants down. And a smart “Savvy” ownership (Lakers) stuck it to them. See the metaphor I just gave. I really wasn’t even trying to do that. It just worked out that way.
The bottom line is that we Sixers fans paid the price. Something that we have been used to, since Ed Snider decided to let Pat Croce walk. Adam Arron and the Sixers double their season ticket base from Bynum. A large majority of last years season ticket holders renewed their tickets for this season (92 percent) and the Sixers quadrupled the sales of their 10 game packages this season.
As fans, what did we get? Another year of going nowhere fast, a misguided front office, a “gullible” new ownership, false hope and basically “A Season That Never Was”.
Where you been Joe? You & your boy, Lil Bron-Bon Jon Hart, were the only 2, that were deluded into thinking, this garbage was any good! How you liking your man-crush ET? How’s that working out for you? BUUUUUST!!!!
the prodigal son has returned – Hickman Jr.
Steerless space shuttle, in a black hole! The need to be contracted & expunged!
Evan Turner went (0-11) yesterday for zero points, He is better than Sean Bradley and Keith Van Horne but barely and still in the conversation with them.
The most frustrating part is Doug Collins chose Lavoy Allen over Nik Vucevic. He didn’t think anything of Nik. This upcoming draft the Sixers have to find an Andre Iguodala. The team was better with Damien Wilkens in the lineup, a la Iggy type role.
Sixers should be sued for fraud, they knew this bum wouldn’t play, or at least had strong suspicions, the team doctors told them about the bad knee, but they suckered all the fans into buying tickets, meanwhile they will collect on an insurance policy, sickening
This 2013 76er Team was what I thought and stated they would be back in October.. A Jump Shhoting squad with no toughness or physicality inside
And would win about 35-40 Games at Max and not make the Playoffs
I also did not expect Bynum to ever play a game this year for he simply does not want to be 76er and wants to play for the Knicks/Nets
At least last year, the Geam was exciting to watch and displayed heart and passion, everyone wanted Iggy gone.. They haven’t replaced him
Still, and needed to move ET while he still had some Trade Calue,
Gave up way too soon on Vucevic and signed Kawmi Brown instead??
Vic will be a double-double player for the next 8-10 Seasons
Gave Mo Harkless away who brings energy and scoring off the bench
And has some upside as a 21 year old.. And to make matters worse, they don’t have a 1st Round Pick this Year either.. They Draft Moultrie and hardly play him? How is he going to develop when riding the bench??
A complete, Dysfunctionable Franchise is all I can say about this Group
Running, coaching and playing for the 76ers, yes they cleared Cap $$$, but what good Free-Afents want to come Play for this garbage organization..
Roster is built with Career back-ups and journeymen players
Only Jrue Holiday is a legitimate NBA Starter, the rest (Thadd, Hawes, Wright, etc, etc are Bench Players on any Good Teams in the NBA)
They got what they deserved with the Bynum Deal and has set this Franchise 3 Years as I stated it would back when the Deal was announced so no surprise, sympathy from me about this Team..
you serious , no 1st round pick this year ?
Didn’t they send their 2013 1st Roudn Pick also, unless they were to finish in the Bottom as a Lottery Team, which they have too many Wins to be in the Lottery..
Biggest problem with the Sixers this year was lack of leadership AND lack of identity.
You know, Andre Iguodala wasn’t the most popular guy in town, but both he and Elton Brand played very good defense, and had respect from the younger players, so there was your leadership, and the identity was that of a no-nonsense group that played hard, played smart and had no out of control ego problems or bums…They made a decent playoff showing, and had something to build on, if some basketball intelligence was correctly used by management.
Now, this year: I remember draft night, I heard 19 year old Harkless drafted: I’m thinking WTF?…We already have Thad Young, we got Evan Turner, this guy the same thing!
Then, of course, the big bomb, and I do mean bomb, was dropped.
Well, of course, Bynum is a bum, let me repeat a G*DD*MNED BUM, who only knows one thing: ‘Where do I get the free money and what chump give it to me?’
You lost all your leadership on the court except for Thad Young, who I like, but he can’t overcome the rest of the spoiled children the 76ers management brought in to fill out the roster…And that’s all this Sixer team is: a bunch of roster fillers, knuckleheads and rejects.
Evan Turner strikes me as having a few screws loose…Jrue Holliday?…PFFTTT!…Spencer Hawes?…Has he blocked a shot all year?
If Doug Collins had a hand in picking this mess, then he needs to roll, and if he didn’t he needs to go anyway, as this bunch of millionaire teenage bums will give him a stroke.
‘Nucklehead Basketball Association (NBA)’…I’m calling it that because what it should really be called is unfit for public consumption.
The owner?…That bum?…Josh Harris, graduate of Wharton School of Business & Harvard Business School, the two schools whose graduates have done more to ruin the American economy than any others.
Frank I thought the biggest problem this year was a lack of talent and barring a miracle they will be lacking that for the next several years. The smart thing to do would be to let everyone walk, bring in scrubs, fire Doug and replace him with peewee Herman as head coach to ensure we get lotto picks for the next 3-5 years.
Sure…Either Pee Wee. or who was the guy who coached before Doug, with the ‘Princeton offense’?
And even if this happened, the 76ers would “F0 up the Alotgery zip is selecting a 6-11 185lb Center from Yugoslovia
Then Draft a 5-6” Guard from Spain and a Power Forward
From Iceland who actually played Hockey and not Basketball
Good Greif this 76er Franchise..