bill simmons on amnestying elton brand

[BChydro86]

Elton Brand (Philly: one year, $16.1 million)
The Sixers could have kept Brand as a locker room leader and expiring contract/trade chip for the 2012-13 season, but they amnestied him so they could spend that cap space on Spencer Hawes (two years, $13 million), Nick Young (one year, $6 million) and Kwame Brown (one year, $3 million). In other words, they threw away $16.1 million to give themselves a chance to waste another $22 million. NBA teams are really, really dumb. Don't forget this for a second.

[wannabGM]

Yeah. In hindsight, what the Sixers did was indefensible at this point. Just the obvious sign of a head coach having too much say in personnel matters. I knew people were underrating the loss of Brand on the defensive end. And then to clog up the cap for another year or two on what the Sixers acquired....just really dumb.

[BChydro86]

It didnt make sense when they did it. It makes less sense now.

Im assuming they thought theyd get more from lavoy cause he was so much better than brand in the playoffs and more notably the boston series.

But either way, based on what they did with the money it was and still is completely indefensible.

[wannabGM]

That's where you and I differ on this topic. Brand had bigger minutes and more responsibilities than Lavoy. While Lavoy was clearly more valuable defending KG, and also got the hot hand in that series, Brand's screen defense really made Rondo no where near as effective for the C's as his stats might indicate. And Brand's defense in the Chicago series was in my opinion more impactful than Lavoy. I thought that without Brand we wouldn't have defeated Chicago. His rim protection on rotations was huge in that series. He'd jump like two inches but still get a block. He was a defensive JYD for us that series. Moving his feet and poking his hands everywhere.

I really believe that despite all the smoke he'd blow u their ***** publicly, that Collins wanted Brand and Iggy gone. Kwame was a hedged bet to help Lavoy on defense....and a horrible one at that. There is more to defense than being big and strong. Kwame can defend the low post, but with extended minutes I find him less trustworthy defensively overall than Hawes. I trust Moultrie on defensive rotations 5xmore than Kwame, and that was one of Moultrie's big weaknesses coming into the league. I trust Sammy D more than Kwame to actually know where to be on the floor than Kwame. It's like Kwame is a vegetable without a functioning brain sometimes.

[BChydro86]

Ill agree with u on the chicago series because noah was out and brands biggest worry was boozer.

Brand has trouble against the bigger longer 5s defensively no matter how good he positions hinself and rotates.

But at the same time, without lavoy being better at moving laterally and playing with that motor (which somehow disapeared this season) brand becomes ineffective as well.

[Bajecco]

I posted this a while back. It's not rocket science and is certainly no revelation. As Simmons said many NBA GM's are just plain dumb.

From what I understand Doug Collins is responsible for the awful offseason (with the exception of the Bynum deal). Before that is was Stefanski who was negligent in his handling of Thad Young's contract and drafted Turner. They amnestied Brand and basically did nothing with the cap room it freed up. They probably would be a better team if they kept Brand and let everyone else walk. Then they could of amnestied Young at the end of this year and the team would me in AMAZING shape going into this summer. Maybe I'm off so feel free to correct me. At this point it really doesn't matter who screwed up.

I'm optimistic that Thorn & DiLeo can right the ship. Pissing away $12 mil a year for 2 years on Hawes/Allen/Kwame is not only irresponsible, but incompetent. I don't know that they can fix that, but at least it will take care of itself after another year.

[steagles]

Then they could of amnestied Young at the end of this year and the team would me in AMAZING shape going into this summer. Maybe I'm off so feel free to correct me. At this point it really doesn't matter who screwed up.

he is. they couldn't amnesty young because his contract was signed after the lockout and the amnesty provision was limited to contracts that were in place before the lockout began.


anyway, i don't think the big mistake was amnestying brand, because with or without him, this team is still terrible. the mistake, as i see right now, was in not going after omer asik. i say that with hindsight because i wasn't really a fan of doing it at the time (mostly because i was a huge fan of vucevic), but if the sixers had gone after asik instead of hawes and brown (and the two of them make roughly what asik makes in the first year of his contract), they'd have a frontcourt of asik, vucevic, allen, young and moultrie, plus iguodala, wright, turner, harkless and (nick) young on the wing and holiday (and ivey and wayns) at the point.

that's still an awful team to watch, but at the very least, with asik, iguodala and holiday, it's a top 5 defense and a likely playoff team.

[Knowledge]

Amnestying Brand was not the problem, though he was a big on court loss. It was signing Spencer and Kwame and only having Lavoy signed to a 1 year rookie deal.I thought Lavoy would at least be serviceable this year so I was willing to overlook his deal, but he has been horrendous.

At least Young is on a 1 year deal and we can decide what to do with him after the season.

Brown has no value around the league and is definitely opting in. I still don't know what Doug saw in him to give him a contract, nonetheless a 2 year deal. Spencer also should have been signed for less or just let go. He is a good 15 minute a game guy, but no reason to give him a 2 year deal for 12 million. He doesn't have that much value around the league.

[Knowledge]

That's where you and I differ on this topic. Brand had bigger minutes and more responsibilities than Lavoy. While Lavoy was clearly more valuable defending KG, and also got the hot hand in that series, Brand's screen defense really made Rondo no where near as effective for the C's as his stats might indicate. And Brand's defense in the Chicago series was in my opinion more impactful than Lavoy. I thought that without Brand we wouldn't have defeated Chicago. His rim protection on rotations was huge in that series. He'd jump like two inches but still get a block. He was a defensive JYD for us that series. Moving his feet and poking his hands everywhere.

I really believe that despite all the smoke he'd blow u their ***** publicly, that Collins wanted Brand and Iggy gone. Kwame was a hedged bet to help Lavoy on defense....and a horrible one at that. There is more to defense than being big and strong. Kwame can defend the low post, but with extended minutes I find him less trustworthy defensively overall than Hawes. I trust Moultrie on defensive rotations 5xmore than Kwame, and that was one of Moultrie's big weaknesses coming into the league. I trust Sammy D more than Kwame to actually know where to be on the floor than Kwame. It's like Kwame is a vegetable without a functioning brain sometimes.

The 76ers always have to find a way to overpay mediocre big men. Dalembert, Kenny Thomas, Brian Skinner, and the list goes on and on. Though at least Dalembert actually have talent.

[2-ONE-5]

Sammy D was above medicore. His biggest flaw was trying to do too much on offense too often and being really goofy lol

[Shkelqim]

Lol Sammy D i heard was a terrible locker room guy.

[BChydro86]

Sam had skills, just no brain.

If he played basketball before he was 18 it would have made a huge difference.

He should have watched hours of bill russell clips, but he wanted to be kg and didnt have the skills ability or head for it.

[j0nyj0n]

to be fair the good thing with brand leaving is that thad could develop more at the 4 with consistent minutes. but i still thought we should've kept brand. either way this could be a blessing in disguise. next year's draft is suppose to golden.

[Reptar]

none of this matters. there is no hope.

[Fred]

none of this matters. there is no hope.

ding, ding, ding.....we have a winner!