2008-2009 Finish: 49-33 by PROID and VT

What went well

The Sixers had just come of their third Finals appearance. Though they dropped the series in seven games to the Blazers, no other NLL team has accomplished such a feat. Was this the beginning of a dynasty? Though the Sixers did nothing except re-sign some players in the offseason, something about the team was not gelling.

As customary for the 76ers they started the season a bit rocky with some underachieving play. Luol Deng had signed a big contract but his play was erratic and Josh Smith started the season on the IR, with Jeff Green filling in for the first few weeks. So on the day of GM VT's wedding, the team splashed out, trading Deng, Green and Al Thornton for superstar Joe Johnson, rookie Darrell Arthur, Chris Quinn and a first rounder. With two supremely efficient scorers in JJ and Richard Hamilton on the wing a budding beast in Smith, savvy veteran big man Zydrunas Ilgauskas and crafty Andre Miller driving the offense the expectations were set pretty high. The offense played well but no one never really asserted themselves as the go to guy which still may have cost the 76ers some games early.

So the team was just cracking .500 near the trade deadline. Which is roughly about when things really started kicking. Jeff Foster and Craig Smith were sent to OKC for Hidayet Turkoglu and Marc Gasol. Turkoglu who is more of a SF than Richard Hamilton paid immediate dividends for the 76ers. His size and shooting ability caused match up nightmares daily for opponents’ and he was just a bit more efficient with a fg average of 47% 3pt 40% and 97% ft combined with 2 more rebounds per game. The 76ers got a bit more productivity from the position while putting a superior offensive and def player with the 2nd unit to help keep them in control of close games. In a dramatic run at the end of the season, they Sixers charged ahead and grabbed not only 2nd seed, but the division title.

What went bad

After making mincemeat out of NY and NJ in the two rounds, it looked like smooth sailing to the Finals after jumping out ahead 3-0 over the Raptors in the Conference Finals. But the Sixers clearly ran out of gas against the Raptors allowing them to come back and take the series. Beyond that, Turkoglu and Milller may both be gone next season. Chess Grandmaster Dave will have to really make the offseason moves count in order to keep from losing a step into next season.

Stars

- Andre Miller, G-

Although his assist numbers were down, Miller quietly was the 76ers most consistent player. He averaged 15pts per with 5.7 ast and 5 ft attempts a game which led the team at a rate of having a trip to the line every other fg attempt he had. He capitalized on his shot attempts even though they weren’t very many, generated fouls on the opposing team and kept the offense flowing.


- Hedo Turkoglu, F –

The addition of Turkolglu really set things on fire for the Sixers. This guy was instant offense, dropping threes at will during some games. He even got JJ to step up his game a little bit more.


Goat

- Stephon Marbury, G –

Need I say more?

Looking to the future

Sixers enter the offseason with more questions than ever. The first concern is leveling off the ridiculous salary situation. With the cap dropping this coming year and a stiff luxury penalty coming, the Sixers needed to find a solution. First to go was fan favorite Ilgauskas. Replaced by Gasol as starter, Ilgauskas played 5 full seasons for the Sixers. But the team scored young forward Ryan Gomes for him, saving money and adding talent.

In the draft, the Sixers picked up in Darren Collison and DeMarre Carroll. In the UCLA senior Collison, the Sixers get solid point guard prospect who can pass and shoot. However, he will need to work on his defense. Carroll, a tweener for Missouri, dropped into the second round, so the Sixers scooped him up. He has loads of energy but might be too small for the PF slot and too unskilled for the three.

The biggest question marks for the Sixers are Turkoglu and Miller. Turkoglu has already demanded a trade and the Sixers are searching for a team to give them collateral value. There are rumors that the Bulls, Warriors and Hornets are all interested. Miller is trickier. He is an unrestricted free agent and there are concerns he will bolt for another team, leaving the team with only Leandro Barbosa and Collison to fill his shoes.