On August 11th Philadunkia’s home team hired Rod Thorn as President of Basketball Operations, effectively demoting Ed Stefanski.

Was this a good move?

In an attempt to answer this larger question we have broken it down into its component parts:

Did Stefanski deserve the demotion? 

Was Thorn the right hire? 

And if not Thorn, who?

Over the last wo tweeks our installments in this series have evaluated the Ed Stefanski era and examined the Rod Thorn hiring.

We established last week that Thorn wasn’t exactly an inspired or inspiring hire, but while it’s easy to criticize – and fun to do – we decided to take it a step further and offer an actual alternative choice to Thorn.

A good starting point would have been with the organizations the Sixers hope to emulate, or should hope to emulate.  Earlier this summer, Forbes ranked NBA teams by win efficiency, or wins per dollar of payroll spent.  Because we can’t hold management accountable for stingy ownership, this is a better reflection of quality of decisions than total wins.  The five most cost-effective teams that also made the playoffs were Portland, OKC, Atlanta, and Cleveland, with Phoenix and Orlando tied for fifth (Not incidentally, NJ was last.  The same NJ whose brain trust we’ve placed our organization in the hands of).

What we should have done was do a complete audit of each these organizations, find out how they tick, who decided they should tick that way, and hire one of the tick-deciders away.  And if the tick-deciders wouldn’t budge we should have pried away one of their right hand men.

Portland (1st in efficiency) recently did just that, in its snagging of assistant GM Rich Cho from rival OKC (2^nd in efficiency).  Cho then turned around and did the same thing in his first act as GM, hiring Atlanta Director of Pro Personnel Steve Rosenberry (3^rd in efficiency) and OKC Director of Pro Personnel Bill Branch (2^ndin efficiency) as his assistant GMs.  Success begets success.  Brains attract brains.  Wash, rinse, repeat.

There is, however, a valid argument to be made that it’s risky to put an untested and unproven character like Cho in such a powerful position.  Smart people have wilted under lesser pressures than those that come with running an NBA team.  So our dream hire would have been there before.  Taken some lumps.  Jousted with the media.  Made tough decisions and lived with the consequences.  But ideally they would also be young and adaptable, able to change with a changing league – changed both in the new style of play recent rules changes have precipitated and the new modes of analysis advanced statistical tools have enabled.  Someone not wed to an ideology.  Somebody like Kevin Pritchard*.

(*Seth Wickersham wrote a really interesting, and convincing, articleearlier this year in which he tried to predict the next great NFL head coach.  He argued there are four traits that are most predictive of NFL head coaching success: Youth (between 41 and 49), experience (had at least 11 years of NFL coaching experience), proximity to success (been an assistant on teams that had won at least 50 games over a five year period), and having done it before (had one, and only one, previous NFL gig).  I’d imagine that the possession of the civilian equivalent of these characteristics, each of which Pritchard has in some degree, increases the likelihood success in pretty much any field.  BTW, the guy who graded out the best in his system was the Eagles own Marty Mornhinweg.  Kind of undermines his argument.)

Pritchard got a raw deal from an impatient Paul Allen in Portland (though in fairness to Allen, it’s easy to be impatient when you’re facing a second boutwith lymphoma), but despite his unceremonious dismissal (he was given his pink slip ON draft day this year and then asked to complete his team’s draft, which he did admirably), he had a great run.  After being named assistant GM of the 21-win Blazers following the 05-06 season, he orchestrated a series of trades so one-sided in his favor – he got LaMarcus Aldridge for Tyrus Thomas and Victor Khryapa; Brandon Roy for Randy Foye; Sergio Rodriguez for a duffle bag full of money and season two of Curb Your Enthusiasm; Marcus Camby for Steve Blake and Travis Outlaw, etc — that the phrase “Pritch-slap” was coined in his honor.  The past two years, when those moves have begun to come to fruition, the team won 104 regular season games, despite missing their ostensible cornerstone, Greg Oden, for large chunks of both.

That missing cornerstone though was a millstone around his neck, and even his clever maneuvering couldn’t keep it from sinking him.  His undoing in Portland was an amalgam of Greg Oden’s injury problems, their failure to win a playoff series the past two years (owing mostly to Greg Oden’s injury problems) and the contrast between Oden’s trajectory (which owes mostly to his injury problems) and the apotheosis of Kevin Durant.  

All of this is completely unfair of course.  Two unlucky playoff series is not a reasonable sample by which to judge a team, or its architect. Oden’s injuries have been fluky – when he’s healthy he’s been extraordinarily productive.  And as for Durant factor, Oden was the consensus top pick that year, had just led his team to a national championship game in which he nearly and single-handedly vanquished one of the greatest college teams of recent history, and was – and is (penis-gate notwithstanding) by all accounts a great guy.  It was the smart pick, regardless of how it worked out.  Being a successful GM isn’t about being right every time, it’s about building and employing a sound decision making framework that maximizes the likelihood you will be right.  You’re not always going to have the best outcome, but you can always make the best decision.

Pritchard is also, in keeping with the organization’s apparent desire to hire only people who have been employed by it or the Nets before, a former Sixer.

What we at Philadunkia would have done then was hire Pritchard to serve as President, put under him as GM/chief interlocutor, a young upstart who’s learned at the hip of one of the heads of the Suns or the Thunder or another of the league’s success stories, and then thrown a wild-card in the mix as a special advisor.  Our wild-card would be Professor Dave Berri.

Berri, the author of Wages of Wins, Stumbling on Wins, and editor of and prime contributor to the Wages of Wins Journal, is a relentlessly clear-eyed sports economist at the University of Southern Utah who, amongst other terrific sporting insights, developed an algorithm that translates box-score statistics into how many actual wins a player responsible for.  How accurate is it?  His model explains and predicts team win totals with 95 percent accuracy.  He’s gained almost Bill Jamesean stature (For the record, the Red Sox won their two world series afterhiring James as an advisor) amongst the small coterie of stat nerds that troll the web extolling the virtues of rebounding and making snarky comments about Al Harrington in the comment stream of any blog that hasn’t blocked them yet.  He’s smart, and because he’s spent his life in academia, pretty much any offer we made would be a huge raise.

This triumvirate strikes a near-perfect balance between age and youth, convention and originality, experience and innovation, certainty and risk.  It’s a completely reasonable arrangement.  

Which is exactly why it would never happen.

On August 11th Philadunkia’s home team hired Rod Thorn as President of Basketball Operations, effectively demoting Ed Stefanski.

Was this a good move?

In an attempt to answer this larger question we have broken it down into its component parts:

Did Stefanski deserve the demotion? 

Was Thorn the right hire? 

And if not Thorn, who?

In last weeks installment we evaluated the Ed Stefanski era.  Today we examine the Rod Thorn hiring.

A few weeks before the Sixers held their press conference announcing Rod Thorn would be taking over as team president, Paul Krugman wrote an interesting critique of Obama’s economic policy for the New York Times.  Here was the thrust: Krugman was rankled that the administration hadn’t injected additional – and, in his estimation, needed- stimulus funds into the economy, but was especiallyrankled by their reason for not doing so.  According to Krugman, they stood pat not because they thought additional stimulus was unnecessary – hey thought it was very necessary – but because they thought it would be politically unpopular to add to the deficit.  Krugman argued that this calculation was cynical, cowardly, and self-interested, but even more damning; it was stupid.  What counts in electoral politics, what gets votes, he said, isn’t how people feel about an individual piece of economic legislation, but whether or not that legislation works.  Everything else is noise.  Find what works and do it, he implored the administration, the rest will follow.  He was convinced though that his plea was falling on deaf ears*.

(*I couldn’t find the link to this piece, but given my meager understanding of economics, I’m pretty sure it’s beyond what I’m capable of imagining.)

This is a tidy analogy for the Sixers hiring of Rod Thorn.  The buzzword after the announcement was “credibility,” as in, “Rod Thorn lends the organization some much needed credibility,” or “the hiring went a long way towards solving the Sixers’ credibility deficit.”  From all indications, the buzz was and is accurate.  The Sixers hired Rod Thorn because he brought credibility.  Because it was popular.  The Sixers are a deeply flawed organization.

The twin objectives of this, or any, professional sports organization are to make money and win games –usually in that order.  Fortunately, these objectives are not in conflict (Unless there is a broken revenue sharing system, ie major league baseball.).  Teams that win games make money.  They fill the stands, sell jerseys, TV rights, and ink endorsement deals.  Teams that lose games don’t do these things.  So it’s pretty simple; to be a successful organization the first and last order of business is winning games.  This is the criteria by which the Rod Thorn era will be judged.  The hiring will have been a good move if he brings in players and coaches who advance this cause and will have been a dud if he fails to do so.  This might be news to the Sixers, but “credibility’ has no role in that calculus.

But while the reasoning behind the Thorn hiring was twaddle, that doesn’t necessarily mean the outcome will be.  A broken clock isright twice a day.  Maybe the Sixers lucked into the right guy*.

*Nothing like rooting for a team that requires blind luck to be successful.

Here’s a condensed look at Thorn’s career as an executive.  It actually offers some reason for optimism.

Rod Thorn was hired to run the Nets in June of 2000.  They were a bad team.  He added Jason Kidd to this bad team and suddenly they weren’t so bad any more.  He also traded for Richard Jefferson, Vince Carter, and Dikembe Mutumbo.  He got these four for Keith Van Horn, a bunch of spare parts, and three guys who are no longer in the League — Alonzo Mourning (retired), Eddie Griffin (deceased), and Stephon Marbury (insane and playing in China ).  Despite this impressive maneuvering, those Nets peaked at pretty good.  Then Thorn moved Kidd and they got bad again.  Then they got worse. Somewhere in there he won Executive of the Year. Before that he was in the League offices. Before that he was in Chicago, where he drafted Michael Jordan*.

(*Time for an aside…As NBA legend / rumor has it, on the Eve of the 1984 draft, then Sixers owner Harold Katz called Chicago’s owner and offered him Dr. J for the number three pick, which the Sixers would have used to draft a promising young two-guard from the University of North Carolina by the name of Michael Jordan.  The Chicago owner brooded over the offer, then presented it to Thorn, who turned it down, and used the pick to select Jordan himself.  So the Sixers, THE SIXERS, almost got Michael Jordan.  Rod Thorn could build the current Sixers into a dynasty and still not undo the damage he’s caused this franchise by turning down that offer in 1984.  That said it showed good judgment on his part. )

So, in his pro column, he turned the Nets from a punch line into a two-time NBA finalist and perennial playoff team, clearly has a knack for quick fixes, drafted Michael Jordan, and did the best work of his career with Ed Stefanski* in his ear. As for the cons, he’s a near-septuagenarian whose last rebuilding effort resulted in a team that vied for the worst record in NBA history.

*Weird that while this was a demotion for Stefanski, it was, in an oblique way, a sort of doubling-down on his philosophy.  Stefanski was Rod Thorn lite.  They evidently liked the flavor enough to opt for the real thing.

This move probably makes the Sixers a little better in the short run.  Thorn and Stefanksi will probably make better decisions than Stefanski could alone.  But the problem with the Rod Thorn hiring isn’t really Rod Thorn: It’s that when the team decided it needed an upgrade in the front office, it didn’t try to identify the smartest, savviest, personnel guy in the league, and do whatever it took to bring him into the fold.  Not the 76ers.  Instead the Sixers just hired Rod Thorn a respected NBA executive retread who will bring their beleaguered front office “creditability”.

If you are comfortable with the Nets of the early-aughts as a best case scenario for this franchise, then the Sixers hit a home run here.  We at Philadunkia don’t hate the Thorn hiring, we simply think they could have done better.

Most of all, we really wish they’d at least tried to.

Of course someone asked him about cheesesteaks.  This is Philadelphia after all.

Lance Epstein handled the duties on this one for us here at Philadunkia.com and you can read his full transcript of the confernce call after the jump.   

Brian from depressedfan.com :  How comfortable do you feel playing off the ball? Have you been doing any specific drills or working with anyone this summer working off screen or moving without the ball?

Evan Turner :  “I know when I first started playing this summer I wasn’t as comfortable since it has been awhile since I haven’t had the ball in my hands.  I am starting to get more acclimated with the drills I am doing especially coming off balls screens, trying to set my man up and everything.  Just trying to move without the ball better.”

Lance Epstein from Philadunkia.com :  What’s  the best advice you have received so far?  Maybe in the Summer League or in general?  And how have you employed it?

Turner : “Just realize that it is a long journey.  I hope to have a long career and take things day by day.  Work on getting better on ball screens and not miss practice too much.”

Ben from LibertyBallers.com :  How much 5-on-5 did you play after the NCAA Tournament leading up to the Draft?  Did you feel like you were in game shape?

Turner :  “Once, maybe twice after the tournament.  For some reason I didn’t feel like I was in bad shape.  I was heavier and just wasn’t in shape.  Right before the summer league was the Draft so I was dealing with the press conferences and all that stuff. We had to report to training camp that Thursday, so I wasn’t really acclimated and stuff.  I kind had a week off without touching the ball so I needed to get better in shape.”

Ben from LibertyBallers.com :  Do you feel that the agents have a little too much control before the Draft by worrying about injuries?  Was it detrimental?

Turner :  “I think they protect yourself for whatever comes up.  Your body is your job and that is how you make your money.  So you can’t have too many negative things happen to it prior to the draft because one little thing out there will mess up your draft status and you’re not drafted at all.”

Andrew Unterberger from The700level.com :  Have you been keeping tabs on Andre (Iguodala) on team USA?  And would that be something you would want to do someday?

Turner :  “I wanted to.  I have seen (a) moment here or there like the highlight dunks or dunks and everything.  I think it is an opportunity to represent your country and I think I would definitely like to be apart of that one day.”

Lance Epstein from Philadunkia.com :  Many “experts” and pundits say that your game and Andre Iguodala’s game are very similar and hard for you two to co-exist. How do you feel about that?  And how are you going to make it work?

Turner :  “I think Andre and I are all about the team.  We will do what we can to help the team out.  Coach Collins is a genius at guarding the basketball and on our system. I am sure that will work well.  All we have to do is be coachable and play how we play and everything will be fine.”

Andrew from the The700level.com :  I am sure you seen that the first game is against the Heat.  I am wondering if you were excited about that or if you were hoping for someone easier than that?

Turner :  “I am definitely excited. It is my first NBA game and my family will be in town.  I get to play with future Hall of Famers.  We have a great chance to play our style of offense, start what should be a great career and what should be a great season.”

Lance Epstein from Philadunkia.com :  Your friends gave you the nickname Turtle.  How did you get that nickname turtle and how did that exactly come about?

Turner:  “It was a bad joke by my friends.  There was picture of a turtle on the wall and they said ‘Evan Turner, Evan Turtle.’  My friend Dimitri, who I played with at Illinois (high school), went to go tell everybody.  Well (everyone thought) that is a cool nickname and they called me turtle.”

Ricky from sixers4guidos.com :  What areas of your game do you think you are NBA ready?  And what areas do you need to improve upon the most?

Turner :  “My mid-range game is pretty good.  I think I have a pretty good IQ.  I think I can rebound well for my size.  As for working on — moving without the ball and long range shooting it.  Also getting better at defense.  The NBA game is a pretty different game.  You have to be a little quicker, a little faster and get yourself in the right position.”

Lance Epstein from Philadunkia.com :  How is playing under Doug Collins different than playing for Thad Matta at Ohio State?   

Turner :  “Coach Matta was a bit more relaxed. He would give me a little bit more freedom.  Coach Collins he is a little bit more where he wants you to learn first before he lets the reigns go.  That is the only way I could tell.  He knows the game a lot.  He is going to let you know right away and helping you get better in a way with every second he is trying to perfect your game.   He is a perfectionist and stuff when it comes to the game of basketball.”

Andrew from The700level.com :  Did you get a cheesesteak yet since you been in Philly?

Turner :  “I went to Gino’s. It was pretty good.”

Andrew from The700level.com :  Did you try to go to pat’s to compare them?

Turner :  I haven’t done that yet.  I am not even supposed to eat that type of food. So I am trying to stay away from it.”

Ben from LibertyBallers.com :  Can you tells what you are doing this summer? Like your typical workout day like.

Turner :  “I wake up.  I work out at this spot called Summersult through Agility and speed school in the morning.  I will go show up to work for two hours and then I will lift weights after.  My day usually starts from eight and probably ends around 12:30. Then I will go back and shoot some more for an hour or so at that.”

Ben from LibertyBallers.com :  Anything you are working on in particular the shooting drills?

Turner :  “I am just working on my game.  I am definitely trying to focus a little more on coming off the screens and shooting the ball.  But I am still working on my ball handling and stuff.”

Lance Epstein from Philadunkia.com :  How is your three point shooting coming along since you did not particularly take a lot of three points in college?

Turner:  “It is going pretty well.  I think I have made my fair share of shots when I worked out.  I feel like I could push it.”

Ben from Libertyballers.com :  What surprised you the most about the summer league:

Turner :  “I had some bad stat games in five days and everything.  Other than that, some of the calls were a little tighter in summer league.  When you watch the NBA finals, you see Ray Allen and Derek Fisher going after each other it is almost like a wrestling match.  In the summer league some of those things you cannot do because the officials were refing it tight.”

Lance Epstein from Philadunkia.com :  When you were younger you had a lot of health problems, had to see a speech therapist and were hit by a car when you were three.  How has that affected you as a basketball player and made you tougher on the court?

Turner :  “I think at a young age, going through so much stuff and realizing what I went through now, I can pull myself out of any slump or situation.  I have the confidence that I am going to persevere and come out on top no matter what I do.”

Lance Epstein from Philadunkia.com :  How have your two brothers help you throughout your life, in basketball and during your time at Ohio State?

Turner :  “They there like they were supposed to be there cause I am their little brother.  They made sure that I was OK or if there was something I didn’t know they would show or teach me.  They always supported me and everything like that. They are brother always supporting and stuff.”

Andrew from The700level.com :  I saw on your twitter recently that you attended the same party as Michael Jordan and have the same agent.  Did you get to meet him yet?

Turner :  “I met him.  Got the chance to talk to him for about thirty seconds.  I didn’t want to bother him too much.  It was super cool just meeting him.”

Andrew from The700level.com :  What did you talk about with him?

Turner :  “He just asked me if I was ready for the NBA and everything.  And how my workouts were going.”

Lance Epstein from Philadunkia.com :  Do you think you can beat him one-on-one?

Turner :  “You mean right now?  I sure hope I could (jokingly).  He is not in basketball shape anymore.”

Lance Epstein from Philadunkia.com :  How do you plan on bringing back basketball to Philadelphia with the Phillies, Flyers and Eagles really dominating the city with their play right now?  How do you want to bring the Sixers back to what they were in the mid-80s and early 80s when they were winning a lot?

Turner :  “I think one thing that you kind of said is to recognize that I am one part of the team and one cog in the system.  I think as a unit we are going try to continue to play as hard as we can and bring the passion.  I think if we do that it will bring good results whether it be today, month from now, a year or two years or so.  I think with the situation we need to make corrections to start winning and getting the city excited and playing great basketball.”

Ricky from sixers4guidos.com :  The team is going to have problems rebounding do you think you and the core guys can get it done?

Turner :  “We are going to rebound.  I know Coach Collins and he seems kind of strict with rebounding.  I know if we don’t rebound then we are going to be in trouble with him and be in his doghouse. I think we are all going to try hard to go in and get the rebounds, get the ball and get chance shots.”

Brian from depressedfans.com :  Does Coach Collins give you anything specifically to work on to fit in with the current personal and what he is looking for?

Turner :  “He wants me to just come in and keep my mind open to learning, work hard, have a smile and have fun while playing. The thing he stresses the most is having fun while I am playing.”

Lance Epstein from Philadunkia.com :  Have any other athletes in the city of Philadelphia talked to you about playing in the city and how to deal with the pressure?

Turner :  “When I went for the first pitch at the Phillies game, I talked to Ryan Howard. He basically told me and compared Philadelphia to a big brother. Some days they will like you and some days they wont like you, but they still love you and it is all about how you do things. They will always have their support no matter what.”

Brian from depressedfan.com :  In college you played forward position to off guard to point guard, is there any concerns with having a more defined role?

Turner :  “I think a role is just a role… I just do what the coaches expect me to do and what the team expects me to do. Try to do my job to the fullest part.  I need to learnt he NBA game a little more and acclimate playing off the ball a little more.”

Ricky from sixers4guidos.com :  Do you think that you would be a good fit for the international game someday?  Does your game fit well with the international rules?

Turner :  “I definitely think I could be a transit player for them.  I think I am versatile and can do a lot of different things especially to help the team out.  I think if I am blessed with the abilities to do the challenges, to carry out the challenges and help win games.  But right now that USA team is so loaded and filled with talent it is almost fills itself.  I worry about today and not the future.”

Lance Epstein from Philadunkia.com :  Who would you compare yourself to past or present in the NBA?

Turner :  “I think Brandon Roy and everything like that.  He has an all-round game and is good player.  And Grant Hill as well.”

Andrew from The700level.com :  Any player in your college days that you watched growing up and want to square off against in the pros?

Turner :  “I don’t know.  I haven’t really thought about that.  Everything like that kind of flashed by me when I finished college. I don’t really play favorites with guys.  I never really sat there and thought I want to play this person or that person.   The person that I am looking forward to playing the most didn’t even go to college (Kobe Bryant).

Andrew from The700level.com :  Why Kobe?

Turner :  “You hear he is the best and has unreal ability and that. I just want to see how it is. (laughs at comment about having the city of Philadelphia behind him on that one).

Lance Epstein from Philadunkia.com :  You signed with a Chinese shoe company in Li Ning, what was the reason behind that?  How do you like the shoe while on the court?

Turner :  “The reason behind it all is that it is all about opportunities.  Just about opportunities.  The other shoe companies Nike, Adidas and all of them offered me the opportunity to be apart of their company, but I just wanted to go with what was the best fit for me.  I wanted to have my own shoe and try to build my own brand. Li Ning will support me 100 percent.  It just started off fresh.  I think there is a lot room to grow there and add a little more attention and focus on them.  Li Ning has so much resources and they’re a great company.  I am going to China in a couple of weeks to look at more models (of shoes).  It was the best opportunity and I just liked the way the company was moving.”

Ben from LibertyBallers.com :  Did anyone on the team give you any tips or pointers on the longer NBA season?

Turner :  “They just said to get a lot of rest, eat well and just be mentally tough night in and night out. Don’t dwell on having a bad game the night before because there is always another game the next day.”

Brian from depressedfan.com :  What were your impressions after playing with Jrue (Holiday) for 4 games at the Summer League?

Turner :  “I was very impressed.  He plays super hard, tough on defense and he can really score.  He knows the game well.  He is a tough player and I cannot wait to play with him.”

Ricky from sixers4guidos.com :  Did you watch a lot of the Sixers game from last season?  What impression did you get?  What was missing?

Turner :   “I really didn’t watch as much.  But I think it was just a rough season.  They just had a rough season.  Maybe injuries got in the way a little bit.  I think they needed a little pep.  I think Coach Collins will add a little pep, add the excitement and that the little missing something.”

Brian from depressedfan.com :  After your back injury, was there the slightest moment where you thought your NBA career could be in jeopardy?

Turner :  “For a second when I was hurt.  I kind of felt bad for myself for a couple of days. One of my coaches told me you have two options.  Just sit back and quit playing or just see what happens and overcome what occurred.  Seeing how I have been a fighter my whole life, it was nothing.”

Ricky from sixers4guidos.com :  Do you still think the Lakers are the team to beat or is it Miami now as the No. 1 in your rankings?

Turner :  “ I still think the Lakers are the team to beat. They’re defending champions. The last game of the season they won and brought home the trophy. So until someone proves wrong, they are the team to beat.”

Lance Epstein from Philadunkia.com :  What was the first thing you did when you got your rookie contract?

Turner :  “I purchased a car and put my mom in a spot.  Nothing too too serious.”

Ben from LibertyBallers.com :  What rule changes from college helps your game the most and hurts your game the most?

Turner :  “I’m not sure if one hurts the most.  I just have to get acclimated.  Regardless of talents, this is the NBA.  I think the game is a little bit more fast tempo, a little bit longer quarters and longer time means I can do a lot more; you know come out and help my team a lot better.”

Ricky from sixers4guidos.com :  Do you read any NBA blogs?

Turner :  “No I don’t read any of that stuff.”

He showed All-Star potential flashes his rookie season (his PER was so high that February that it called into question the validity of PER as a performance metric) and then faded pretty badly down the stretch (not uncommon when someone used to doing something 35 times is suddenly supposed to do it 82). 

He then came out of the gates hot his sophomore year before partially tearing his left medial collateral ligament in game ten (He was averaging a super-efficient 13 points and 6.4 rebounds at that point, sported a 0.215 WP48, and looked poised to make “the leap”), and when he returned never quite re-found his swing (He finished with a WP48 in the negative, mostly because he went from shooting 64 percent at the rim to 55.8 percent and started to attempt 20 footers –which in his defense went in more often than you would expect them to, though not necessarily often enough to justify taking them).  At best, he’s moving sideways.

But despite his tough year, the Sixers, as evidenced by their trade of Dalembert, are clearly counting on him to contribute.  Is that unreasonable?  Maybe not.  He’s young, and if he’s healthy – which he assures us he is - Speights has a chance to be a very productive basketball player.  If the 7-6 are going to get even within shouting distance of the playoffs (so Iguodala can yell “Please take me with you” to the Heat) they’re going to need a big season from the Big Mo.

Last night the big guy in question was generous enough to put aside some time, tolerate an incredibly lousy connection, and talk with Philadunkia from Las Vegas, where he’s hard at work training for the upcoming season.  Hopefully what happens in Vegas doesn’t stay in Vegas.

Mo Speights on his summer…

Well, I’m in Vegas right now.  Tayshaun Prince, “Big Baby”, and a few others are here too.

I’ve been working with Impact Sports to get my leg stronger.  Getting in the gym.  I want to improve defensively, but I haven’t really been working on anything specific in my game.  I’m just trying to get better all-around.

On his weight…

I’ve changed my eating habits.  I cut down on fried foods, cut down on junk food.  I’ve been eating lots of seafood.  Lots of vegetables.  I’ve been eating a lot of grilled foods.

On his struggles from ’09-10…

It was injuries.  I started out really good.  First few games I had improved from (his rookie season). Then my knee got hurt. So it was injuries, but I also wasn’t getting consistent minutes when I came back. So it was a lot of things.

On taking more jumpers in ’09-10…

It’s part of Eddie Jordan’s offense –you shoot it if you’re open.  I’m working now to put the ball on the floor a little bit better.  My rookie year I was getting a lot of lobs, a lot of looks inside, that last year, now that defenses knew me, I wasn’t getting.

I’m not going to be taking too many of those (deep jump) shots this season.  This year I’m just gonna play basketball.

On having a third head coach in as many seasons…

All the coaches are totally different, but it’s a business.  You get used to having different coaches.  The front office made the decision, and any decision they make is ok with me.  This is a business.

On Doug Collins…

I speak with him a lot.  He’s a good communicator.  He knows a lot about the game and has been around the game for a long time –and he gets respect for that in our locker room.  He’s played the game and coached the game before….He’s said he expects me to be one of the best young players in the league.

On his goals for the coming season…

I want to win more games. Individually I want to become a better player.  Get a little better every game. Never take any nights off.

On who will be starting at center…

I have no idea.  Nobody knows anything till after training camp.  Like coach Collins told us, we won 27 games last year, so we’ve got no starters.

On Evan Turner…

I’ve only played with him in the summer league.  That doesn’t compare to the season.  He was doing good things in the games though.  He fits in good with the team.  It was me Jodie (Meeks) and Jrue (Holiday) with him.  He was talking, communicating, trying to be a leader.

On the Dalembert trade…

I can’t say if it was the right or the wrong move, but last year we won 27 games.  He got a lot of rebounds, but we won 27 games.

On his knee…

I got hurt.  It happened.  I’m 100 percent now though.  I’m just going to keep improving.

His prediction for this season…

More than 27 wins.

Philadunkia will have more from Mo when he returns from Vegas in a couple weeks.

On August 11th Philadunkia’s home team hired Rod Thorn as President of Basketball Operations, effectively demoting Ed Stefanski.

At the time many people, including all of us here at Philadunkia, were asking is this a good move?

In an attempt to answer this larger question we have broken it down into its component parts:

Did Stefanski deserve the demotion?

Was Thorn the right hire?

And if not Thorn, who?

After the jump we take a stab at the first question and examine the Stefanski era.

Did Ed Stefanski deserve this demotion?

Well, in his first big move as first-in-command he tied the franchise’s fortunes to a declining, now 30-something, soft and getting softer, jump-shot enamored four with a blown Achilles and dead legs.  He then hired a head coach who ran an offense as ill-suited to his personnel as his braces were to the rest of his face* and allowed two of the three most productive players he inherited to leave the team via free agency and trade while reportedly shopping the third.  So the reflexive answer is an emphatic yes.

(*Probably unnecessary. Not the braces – he needed those — the joke.)

But since the reflexive answer isn’t always the correct one (sorry Malcolm Gladwell) we’ll take a closer look before we judge.  Our objective isn’t necessarily to determine whether or not his moves panned out* but to determine whether or not they were sound decisions, built on sound thinking.  Our focus is on methodology –not outcomes.  In other words has Stefanski been bad or just unlucky?

(*That was the goal of my original column.  It read like this: “They haven’t.”  My editor thought it was too short.)

Elton Brand

The big move, the move that will define Stefanski’s stay in Philadunkia for better or for worse (clearly for worse) is the Elton Brand singing.  Obviously right now it looks awful, but it’s not necessarily indefensible, and at the time it looked not only reasonable, but maybe –believe it or not– inspired.  To understand why we have to go back to a simpler time.  Break out your Crocs, your “I am… Sasha Fierce” album, and your Bush is a War Criminal bumper stickers –we’re going back to 2008!

In July of 2008 the Sixers –a team that going into the season was widely predicted to be the dregs of the league– was fresh off a 40-win season and a respectable four games to two first round defeat at the hands of a Pistons team that had won 59 games and was on their way to their sixth straight conference finals. The 7-6 were good, getting better, and they had cap space.  The sky was the limit.

But those Sixers, while young and clearly on the up and up, had one glaring flaw: They needed a low post scorer.  Fortunately one was available.  An All-Star, 20-10 machine, on the right side of 30.  Elton Brand.  After a brief courtship and some clever cap maneuvering, on July 9th 2008 Stefanski inked him to a 5-year $79 million deal. The signing that sold a thousand jerseys was made*.

(*I think the actual total was more like 850.)

The move was praised in the media. They were going to be contenders.  The Celtics had just gone from 24 wins to a title after acquiring Kevin Garnett and now the Sixers were primed to make a run of their own.  The narrative was established; a great franchise that had fallen on tough times and a great player who had languished on bad teams find one another and return to their rightful place at the top.  The narrative wasn’t just boilerplate either. Brand was –up to that point– a great player.

Why Brand was a Great Player*

(*Totals are per 48 minutes and courtesy of Wins Produced Numbers From Andres Alvarez, as are all the other numbers littered throughout this thing.)

The red stuff signifies areas where Brand was better than average.  Yeah, there’s red stuff everywhere.  He was much better than the average PF at everything but getting steals and avoiding turnovers.  And even then he was close.  This Elton Brand, the one who played for the Bulls and Clippers, wouldn’t just be a nice fit on that Sixers team. He would be a nice fit on any team.

Elton would also allow the 7-6 to optimize their lineup.  Because of their dearth of productive big men, they were forced to play guys out of position constantly in ‘07-‘08.  Thaddeus Young had to slide from 3 to 4.  Iguodala had to slide from 2 to 3.  And Willie Green had to play.  Brand would improve the lineup not only through his productivity itself, but his presence would allow the other Sixers to play their natural positions, theoretically improving their productivity too.

Theoretically.

(We are now leaving 2008. If you want, you can imagine us passing through a sort of time-lapse vortex with a bunch of cable news images of Obama getting elected, and Elton Brand grabbing his shoulder, and tea party rallies, and pelicans covered in oil, and Brand grabbing a rebound and trying for the putback but not having the second-jump ability to get it up in time, and food stamp lines, and twitter, and maybe a kid having a catch with his Dad to soften things.)

Ah, but the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry.  Brand of course missed all but 29 games of the 08-09 season with a shoulder injury and in the 29 games he did see action he was a less than useful piece.  The Sixers consequently went nowhere. They improved by a single game and again fell 4-2 in the first round.

And then this past season, which was a complete disaster, happened.

So now Brand is an $79 million albatross (or now that we’ve paid him for two seasons, a $51 million albatross).  And Stefanski probably should have seen it coming.

While the ink was drying on the 5-year deal he signed that fateful July, Brand’s left Achilles tendon was still healing from its rupture of less than a year earlier.  The estimated time for a full recovery from an achilles (full as in “as close to full as you’re gonna get”) is a year-plus and a lot of athletes never make it back.  Ed probably should have considered this before handing a guy who was yet to prove he’d recovered $79 million.

And that injury notwithstanding — and it was withstanding in a really big way — Brand still may not have lived up to the contract he signed.  The average NBA player peaks at 24, levels off at 25, then declines slowly every year until they hit 29, when their decline accelerates*.  Elton Brand was 29 when he signed his five-year deal.  By the time the average NBA player is 34  – a season Brand will be paid $18 million — they are 13 percent as productive as they were at their zenith.  Stefanski evidently doesn’t understand that you sign players based not on what they’ve done in the past, but on what they can be expected to do in the future.

(*Berri, David J., and Martin B. Schmidt. Stumbling on Wins: Two Economists Expose the Pitfalls on the Road to Victory in Professional Sports. Pg. 129)

This brings us to the other candidate that summer for the gaping hole at PF the Sixers needed to full: Josh Smith.  In retrospect Smith would have been a much better signing (Smith has produced 19.8 wins in the intervening years while Brand has produced 0.97 –in this case hindsight is like 20-10) and while at the time that wasn’t so obvious, what was obvious was that he was much younger, had a more intact Achilles tendon, and was a better fit for the Sixers up-tempo style of play than the candidate who was eventually chosen.

That said, in the final analysis the signing wasn’t crazy or dumb: it was just a gamble that didn’t pay off. The team was on the cusp of contention, and Ed rolled the dice on a guy he thought –not without evidence– could push them over the top.  It was a massive, but ultimately excusable, mistake.

So while we can’t really hold the Brand signing against him, unfortunately for Ed, there is a bunch of other stuff that we can.  What follows is a not-comprehensive but still voluminous overview of his lesser, but more damning, mistakes.

Allowing Andre Miller to leave

Good teams are built by retaining good players and allowing bad players to leave.  Stefanski consistently confuses this rule.  He might be dyslexic.  After offering him a one year deal that he balked at, Stefanski let his starting point guard and third-most-productive player walk.  Miller, as always, went on to post nice numbers with his new team (7.5 wins, a .144 WP48, and one 52 point outburst for a fun Portland squad).

The Eddie Jordan hiring

Wrong coach.  Wrong style.  Wrong team.

So Ed Stefanski gave him a four-year $13 million contract and fired him after one season.  The Sixers will now pay him six-million-dollars over the next two years to do nothing.

The non-move deadline move

Stefanski was somehow a major power broker at the trade deadline this past season, fielding multiple calls about multiple players from multiple teams.  He used this power to acquire Jodi Meeks.

The Dalembert trade

Player A in 2009-10: 10.8 wins produced/0.244 WP48

Players B and C in 2009-10: -2.67 wins produced/-0.038 WP48

Stefanski traded A for B and C. For the second-best player on his team he got the worst and third-worst players from the second-worst team in the NBA.  I know that Dalembert’s attitude was awful, his knowledge of the game limited and his work ethic non-existent, but that’s still thirteen wins backwards in one move.  Not good.

Basically all his moves

You know, in the interest of efficiency (please note the irony of trying to efficiently discuss these decisions), lets just condense all his personnel moves into a neat little chart.

This is a terrifically bad track record.

In 32 months on the job Ed Stefanski has yet to acquire a player who went on to post an above-average season with the Sixers.  Not a single player.  This is really bad news for a guy whose job is to acquire players who go on to post above-average seasons with the Sixers.  He’s been doing this job for almost three years and hasn’t done his job once*.

(*I will give him credit for drafting Holiday. Though he’s yet to have an above-average season (WP48>0.1), he really came on late last year and was a nice get at 17.  Turner on the other hand was an obvious pick.  No credit there.)

So Ed Stefanski has been bad.  And he’s been unlucky.  And he’s made bad moves that were made worse by his unluckiness.

He deserved the demotion.

SI.com lists former Sixer and future Hall of Famer Allen Iverson as one of the best available free agents.  Also on the list are former Sixers Louis Amundson, Larry Hughes and Jerry Stackhouse as well as Philadelphia native Ronald “Flip” Murray.  That’s not a bad five to have out on the floor.  Well maybe not in the NBA, but it certainly would win a few at in the Sonny Hill League.

According to philly.com, Andre Iguodala is “excited” to be part of Team USA.

Kelly Dwyer at Ball Don’t Lie proposes a trade between the 76ersand Pacers and we have to admit we agve it some serious consideration before saying, “No thanks”…

In his proposal Dwyer would have the Sixers send Elton Brand, Andre Iguodala adn Mo Speight to Indy and in return the Sixers would receive Mike Dunleavy, T.J. Ford, Jeff Foster (all expiring contracts) and Paul George to Philadelphia — along with their first-round pick from next year (top three protected, losing said protection the year after).  Read Dwyer’s support for the deal here.

More craziness from Dwyer as he ranks the NBA point guards and has the 76ers Jrue Holiday slotted at 28th in the League.

Via his Twitter page we learn that AI9 is super pleased he brought his Ipad to Europe with him. 

Also on Twitter…from the NBA’s Twitter account, we get a TwitVid with Evan Turner from the League’s annual Rookie Photo Shoot Day.

CSNPhilly.com alos has some video of Turner at the NBA Rookie Photo event

Holiday in the 2009-10 road jersey.

.

Look no further to how vital a bench can be to a team’s success than the final four teams left standing at the end of the 2010 NBA season.  The Phoenix Suns were able to go four to five deep with their bench of Lou Admunson, Leandro Barbosa, Channing Frye, Jared Dudley and Goran Dragic.  The Boston Celtics had players such as Glen Davis, Rasheed Wallace and Tony Allen.  The Orlando Magic’s reserves boasted J.J. Reddick, Matt Barnes, Brandon Bass and Jason Williams. More importantly, the world champion Los Angeles Lakers who had a so-called “weak,” bench still managed to run out Lamar Odom, Luke Walton, Shannon Brown and Jordan Farmar.

While the 76ers do not have the experienced veterans and in some cases the talent that those teams have coming off their bench, they do have the potential to go eight deep and those players have the ability to keep the Sixers in games. 

The first two guys off the bench for the Sixers have the potential to be starters on other teams.  Thaddeus Young has been a starter at the power and small forward positions for the Sixers in the past and he might very well find his way back into a starting role this year.  As of right now, he is expected to be the top guy off the bench for the Sixers since rookie Evan Turner is likely to be inserted into the starting lineup.

Nevertheless, he is a valuable asset to the 76ers off the bench.  Young should be able to develop into a James Posey type player, but with a higher upside on the offensive end of the court.  Over his short career, Young has been a 12.4 points, 1.1 assists, 1.2 steals and 4.8 rebounds per game guy.  Off the bench, he could give the Sixers instant offense.  With his athleticism he has the potential to be groomed by head coach Doug Collins into a defensive stopper in the mold of Posey.  Since Young has the quickness to give power forwards fits and the size to keep small forwards in check, he is a nice piece coming off the bench.  Remember the James Posey who played an intricate role in the Celtics ride to a championship?  With a lot of hard work and dedication, that’s the type of player Young could become for the 2010-11 Sixers.

So who is the other guy that could start, but is coming off the bench for the 76ers? Well that would be the forgotten player in the deal that sent starting center Samuel Dalembert to the Kings.  Certainly, small forward Andres Nocioni is never going to be a superstar or even be a player team’s game plan around, but he does a lot of things well.  Nocioni can shoot the rock and score, as he is a 37.5 career three-point shooter and an 11.3 ppg. wing player.

More importantly than the offense he provides, Nocioni brings something that Philadelphia has lacked over the past couple of years, which is toughness and hustle at the defensive end.  Nocioni is the typical blue-collar worker on the defensive end. He will get into an offensive player’s face and make life hard for the opponent.  Even if they score, he is going to make them pay the price with his aggressive, physical nature.  With him on the court, there is never an easy basket.

Furthermore, Nocioni will dive after loose-balls, gets floor burns and brings instant intensity to the floor and a buzz with the crowd. It is not hard to imagine, the Philly faithful falling in love with Nocioni and his style.

Besides Young and Nocioni, the 76ers have a young and promising talent off the bench at both inside positions.  Collins has three legit options in his arsenal with Jason Smith, Marreese Speights and Spencer Hawes.  Yes all of then are raw in aspects of the game, but each big man has unique basketball gifts that could allow them to be big time contributors.

Hawes was acquired this offseason as the centerpiece in the Dalembert deal.  While most Sixers fans believe he needs to gain weight (which he does) and that he is not quick enough to compete in the paint with the big boys of the Eastern Conference — Dwight Howard, Chris Bosh and Kevin Garnett, he could surprise a lot of people.  In his short 220-game career, Hawes has managed to crack the starting lineup 118 times.  Not only has he started more than 50 percent of the games, he has been able average a block a game along with 5.5 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 8.8 points per game.

Obviously he needs to crash the boards better, but bear in mind Hawes is a legit seven-foot-one and a former top 10 pick so he does have the talent to be a difference maker.  Plus it usually takes centers a tad bit longer to develop than guards.

As for Speights and Smith, both are former first-round picks that haven’t panned out yet (for different reasons).  With that said, both remain solid prospects.  Smith missed the entire 2009-10 season due to a torn ACL and when he wasn’t anchored to Eddie Jordan’s bench in 2010-11, he showed signs of being an impact player.  Smith gives the Sixers a big man with an array of offensive moves who can also pull defenders out 15-18 feet with his ability to hit the mid-range jumper consistently.

Meanwhile, Speights has had a tumultuous time with the 76ers.  When Speights came out of the University of Florida, scouts never questioned his athletic potential. Unfortunately, he carried the label of “lazy.”  So far with the Sixers, it seems like that label is fitting. In two years, Speights has started only three out of 141 games.  Yes, he missed 14 games with a torn MCL this past season, but he has never become the presence the Sixers thought he could become.

The six-foot-ten Speights has the bulk to bang with the big bodies in the low post, which he has demonstrated by pulling down 3.9 rebounds per game over his career in just 16 minutes per night.  Moreover, Speights can put the ball in the hoop with the best of them as he is averaging a .5 points per minute played (8.8 ppg. for his career).  His problem lies with his lack of passion at the defensive end.  He draws a ton of fouls due to being lazy and not moving his feet.  With Collins in the saddle, Speights has a chance to changes his bad habits.  Collins knows how to teach young players and get the best out of them.  And if he doesn’t change his defensive ways, the Sixers have two quality big men to run out there ahead of him.

Lastly, the Sixers have a plethora of talent at the guard position.  Their backup guards all have unique and diverse roles with the club.  Louis Williams is a pure scorer who can hit mid-range jumpers or use his lightning quick speed to get to the hoop.  Meanwhile, his speed allows him to breakdown a defense and dish off to a teammate for an easy basket.  Also, he possesses great hands, which leads to a ton of steals at the defensive end of the court.

It is true that Williams has his deficiencies – he lacks the ideal size to be a true shooting guard, struggles at the defensive end to stay in front of his man and is probably not a good enough distributor to be a pure point guard.  However if can deliver 14 points and 4 assists off the bench like he averaged this past season, then the Sixers will have a very formidable combo guard off the pine.

The 76ers reserve guard group also includes two shooters that could make huge contributions in 2010-11.  Those two players are Jodie Meeks and Jason Kapono.  No one on the Sixers is considered to be an elite or even a decent three-point shooter, but Meeks and Kapono add that dimension to this team.  If Collins utilizes their strengths, then both could make an impact on a nightly basis.

A deep bench is a colossal advantage for any NBA team, but especially useful for a franchise trying to pull themselves out of the basement in the conference.  Having a competent and proficient bench enables a club to stay close or ahead of opposing teams without even having their best lineup on the court.  Moreover, a solid bench can make up for the bad night of a superstar and win a game that should be a sure loss. 

At Collins disposal is a bench that could wear down opponents starting five on a nightly basis; meanwhile can also keep his team fresh for the stretch run (and possible playoff run).

Unquestionably the 76ers bench is untested, but the talented is definitely there.  If the Sixers bench is employed properly and accepts the nightly challenges, then they could transform from a team with promise into a legitimate playoff contender.

An old Chinese proverb says, “A problem well defined is a problem half solved.”  Because we always listen to old Chinese proverbs, let’s define the problem before we jump to the solution.  Here’s where the Sixers stand as I type this (Just a paragraph ago they were sitting and now they’re standing.  That’s progress.  I credit Doug Collins.)

2009-10 Production of the Sixers’ Current Roster

*All numbers courtesy of Wins Produced Numbers From Andres Alvarez

Two things jump out here: One, the Sixers are going to struggle this year to meet even the low expectations set for them.  Two, the reason for this is the frontcourt.

The roster Ed Stefanski has assembled for this coming campaign produced 17 wins last season.  While I would be uncomfortable using this alone as a projection for 2010-11 – Jrue Holliday’s progression, Evan Turner’s production, and minute allocation issues all need to be accounted for and would add a few victories to the total — I don’t think it’s too far off the mark either.  ESPN’s fearless forecasters have the Sixers winning 31 games.  For the sake of this post let’s split the difference and call the 2010-11 Sixers a 24-win team.

On to the frontcourt.  I think a good argument could be made that this is not only the worst frontcourt in the NBA, but the single worst component of any team in the League.  We don’t have time for such lofty arguing though.  Not today.  We do however have time to take a closer look at this unit.  (Warning: Not for the faint of heart)

2009-10 Production of Every Guy who could Potentially Log Frontcourt Minutes for the Sixers

The best post player the Sixers currently employ (Elton Brand) was 16 percent as productive as an average power-forward this past season*.  The second most productive player was the third-worst player on a 25 win team.  Is there any reason for hope?  Hawes, Speights, Smith, and Young are all young and considered comers and they — ugh, I can’t do this.  This is a terrible unit.  Remember the defense of the ‘85 Bears?  The greatest unit on a historically great team.  This is the opposite of that.

(*Now might be a worthwhile time to quickly review WP48. Short story: It’s a performance metric that takes box score statistics and explains how many wins they equate to.  Slightly longer story: An average team produces .5 wins per 48 minutes, and has five players on the court at a time.  So the average player produces .1 wins per 48 minutes, or has a WP48 of .1.  A player with a WP48 of .11 is above average, a player with a WP48 of .09 is below average.  And so on.)

So, after taking an honest appraisal of where the Sixers stand, it’s clear this team is not even in the vicinity of contention.  The goal then should be this: develop young talent, lose enough games to get decent lottery position, hope lightening strikes twice in the form of a second straight top three pick, use a few of the bucks that come off payroll at the end of the season to make a modest move, and enter 2010-11 with a core of Holliday, Turner, Iguodala, 2011 high lottery-pick, and (hopefully) 2011 semi-splashy free agent acquisition.

If we’re going to add a guy, the team we’re looking to fortify is the above best-case scenario team; The Sixers of 2011-12 and beyond.  That means we want a productive guy who, in order of preferability, is either likely to improve over the next few seasons or maintain his present level of production.  So he’s got to be young.  Let’s say 25 and under.  He should also play PF/C, for obvious reasons.

How many guys on the market fit this narrow profile?

One.  Josh Boone.

Now the 76ers signing Boone seems highly unlikely likely given that Rod Thorn his former boss in NJ is the new president of the Philadunkia’s home team.  Even though he drafted the guy, if Thorn were all that crazy about Boobe, he would have offered him a fresh deal with the Nets once it became clear that “The Decision” wouldn’t be bringing Lebron to New Jersey / Brooklyn.  Still, I like Boone a lot as addition to the 2010-11 Sixers roster, so here’s a closer look at Boone as a player.

Josh Boone at a Glance

How do we like Boone, let me count the ways.

1.)    He’s young (25) and has been used only sparingly.  Given his production when he has gotten on the court, I think we can chalk his lack of minutes up to the Net’s incompetent coaching rather than any fault of his own.  There’s a lot of tread on this kid’s tires.

2.)    His production has been pretty excellent. He’s 40 percent over League average over the course of his career.  Why?  He’s an efficient scorer.  He also rebounds well, blocks shots and steals the ball averagely, and avoids fouls and turnovers.  He immediately becomes the Sixers’ best big.

3.)    The worst place to be in the NBA is in the middle; 35-45 win 7-10 seed purgatory.  We don’t want to go back there.  You need stars to win in this league (always) and you get stars in the high lottery (usually).  When you’re bad, the only way out is to get worse.  What’s this have to do with Boone?  The Sixers have no use for a guy who will knock them from lousy to mediocre.  Fortunately Boone’s not that guy.  Let’s say he gets his 1500 minutes and produces his 5 wins and does so by taking minutes evenly from each of the current PF/C’s on the roster.  That moves us from 24 wins to 29.  29 wins still gets you a lot of ping-pong balls.

Will Boone be a useful addition to the team?  Yes.  Is Boone a panacea?  No. (Did I have to look up panacea to make sure I was using it correctly? Yes.)  But at this point in the offseason there are no perfect fits out there.  You have to take what you can get.  To quote whatever politician is on TV arguing in favor of a deeply flawed bill, “let’s not let the perfect be the enemy of the good.”

Yesterday, the 76ers continued their odd, borderline incestuous relationship with the New Jersey Net franchise by hiring Rod Thorn as the new “President” of the franchise. 

Yahoo.com’s Adrian Wojnarowski first reported the story last night via his Twitter account and now several news sources have confirmed the hiring.  The Sixers will be holding a press conference later today.

Apparently Thorn will move into the organization as general manager Ed Stefanski’s direct boss.  Stefanski worked for Thorn for six seasons in the New Jersey Nets organization. 

As we all know, Stefanski has been hanging on to his job by a finger nail and this move basically ends his reign as the decision maker on player personnel moves for the Sixers.  Despite what many are basically calling a demotion, it appears Stefanski will stay on and have a similar role he had under Thorn with the Nets.

Thorn departed the Nets organization after a decade of service last month.  He decided against staying on to work for the Russian version of Mark Cuban — Mikhail Prokhorov — who is the new owner of the Nets.

Mark Ginocchio over at netsarescorching.com breaks down the highs and lows of the Rod Thorn era in NJ.

Here is a deatiled history of the moves Thorn made as the head man for the Nets (courtesy of Nets Daily).

Yesterday over at ESPN.com 93 of ESPN’s best basketball minds predicted the final 2010-11 standings for Eastern Conference and for the 76ers the outcome was not pretty.  The brain trust over at ESPN forecasted that the Sixers will finish 11th in the East on the strength of 31 total wins. 

If that prediction for the Sixers upcoming season wasn’t hard enough to stomach, the minds at ESPN followed it up with this little blurb, “Even a new coach (Doug Collins) and the No. 2 pick (Evan Turner) didn’t give Philly much of a boost in our forecast.  While the Sixers have the raw materials to emerge as a surprise team in the East, our panel fears their roster of bad contracts, mismatched pieces and redundant talent will render them mediocre at best.”

OUCH.

While we agree with most of the analysis blurb, we thought the prediction of 31 total wins was low for the 2010-11 76ers.  After all in 2009-10 they battled through having clueless Eddie Jordan at the helm, injuries to key players, playing with no point guard for half the season,  no defensive presence, the Allen Iverson experiment, a near mutiny, in-fighting as well as severe apathy down the stretch and still pulled in 27 wins.  So we believed that a “fresh start” under new head coach Doug Collins would be worth at least 10 more victories in 2010-11 and that the Sixers would rack up 37 or so wins this coming season. 

Of course that theory was assembled before the 76ers schedule for the upcoming season was released yesterday.

After close analysis of the Sixers 2010-11 brutal schedule, we’ve decided that Collins and the Sixers have a very tough road to haul during this upcoming season and thus the minds at ESPN may be correct.  31 Ws might be a nice accomplishment for the Sixers in 2010-11. 

Below is Philadunkia’s unscientific analysis of the Sixers 2010-11 schedule…

Tough early stretches:

 Oct. 27th – Nov. 2^nd : MIA;  ATL;  at IND;  at WAS; *

* Would a 0-4 start kill any hope and momentum the 76ers have built up over this summer?  We may find out.

 Also the following won’t help us get off to a fast start in 2010-11 either:

 Nov. 7th – 13th : at NYK;  at OKC;  at DAL;  at SAS

This 10 game stretch that could bury the Sixers season before the holidays are over: 

12/15: vs. LAC

12/17 vs. LAL

12/18 @ ORL

12/21 @ CHI

12/22 @ BOS

12/26 @ DEN

12/27 @ GSW

12/29 @ PHX

12/31 @ LAL

01/03 @ NOH

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from the scheduling gods at the League offices. 

The toughest road trip: See the eight games above.

The toughest month:

The stretch from December 3rd to January 3^rd.  In that span of time the Sixers will play in 16 games in 31 days including the 8 game road trip listed above.  They will also have 2 games vs. the defending champs, 2 games vs. Boston, play at Atlanta and get only 6 games in at Wells Fargo Center.

The easiest home stand:

The good news is the Sixers could close out the 2010-11 season on a high note thanks to a 4-game home stand vs. very beatable competition.  On April 6^th they face the NYK.  That’s followed by a game on 4/8 vs. Toronto.  Next is a run (4/11) against an Orlando squad that should be resting its starters for the playoffs.  Finally, the 2010-11 season comes to a close on 4/13 against lowly Detroit. 

The easiest month:

April – Okay so it’s only half a month, but it still looks to be the easiest stretch of the season for the Sixers.  The Sixers play New Jersey at home, @ Milwaukee, @ Boston and then close with the above mentioned soft four game home stand.

The toughest back-to-backs:

December 17^th and 18^th … On the 17^ththe Sixers are home against the reigning NBA Champion Los Angeles Lakers for a 7pm start.  After the game they’ll then travel to Florida to play Orlando the following night at 7pm . It’s not just the travel that’s rough, it’s also the fact that on back-to-back nights you have to play two very, very good teams that are completely different in terms of style of ball.

Philadunkia Notes:

• Evan Turner will receive a “baptism by fire” as they say as on opening night 2010, Turner’s first NBA game, the rookie will be asked to guard either Lebron James or D-Wade.  Good luck with that kid.
• The Sixers will play 13 sets of back-to-back games in 2010-11, including five sets across March and April. 
• The team will also have completed more then half their road schedule (25 games) by the end of January.  They will have played 31 away games before the 2011 All-Star Break.  
• Lower Merion product Kobe Bryant and the L.A. Lakers make their annual appearance on Friday, December 17^th.
• Sammy Dalembert returns to Philadelphia on 3/27/2011
• Andre Miller returns to Philly with the Portland Trailblazers on 11/30/2010.
• Over at csnphilly.com Dei Lynam talked with AI9 about opening up the 2010-11 season vs. the Heat. 
• You can view the entire 2010-11 Sixers schedule here.