Friday, February 19, 2010

Your Seventy-Sucksers

Rant by R.H.

Very disappointing, but not too surprising, that Stiffanski stood pat yesterday (unless you count the Primoz "Chicken Whacked" Brezec and Royal "With Cheese" Ivey blockbuster). I'll miss the Primoz Brezec era. I'm suddenly hungry.

I was happy when they hired Stefanski, mainly because of the atrocities Billly King had committed. And Stefanski said all the right things when he was hired. Since then, just about EVERY move he's made has been bad. I'll give him credit for Speights and Drew Djrue Dru Jrue Holiday, who seem like they can play and were decent picks from where the Sixers were in those drafts (although Speights may need a brain transplant, so glad Iverson's here to mentor him). And granted, he inherited Dalembert's toxic assets. "But wait, Sam's had a good 3 weeks!!!" "Good" meaning he kind of seems to care and has gotten some rebounds.


I can't blame Eddie Jordan too much. We knew it was a terrible hire to begin with. But they were buddies from their Jersey days. Stefanski's big-ticket signings (Iguodala and Brand) have been awful. Anyone with a brain knew the day they did it that the Iguodala contract was outrageous. And poor Brand looks like damaged goods at this point (I think, at this point, even if you brought in Wojo to pound the court excitedly Brand would shrug his shoulders apathetically).
It's pretty telling that Stefanski basically immediately tried to get out from under both contracts quicker than you can say "Isiah". Jason Kapono for $6 million a year? Seems steep as hell. Were teams lining up for him? Can he play here? We don't know, Jordan never plays him.
The team is unwatchable, but still winning kind of enough games to be in the mix for a 7 or 8 seed in the wretched bottom of the East. Who cares? It's just another year in David Stern's purgatory. Stern needs to go. Maybe he'll get shot by Arenas. He has really ruined the league and I can't stand looking at his stupid face anymore. The trade deadline was basically one team (Cleveland) trying to add a guy to get better and about 20 teams trying to get rid of bad contracts. (Sigh).

Which brings us to yesterday. This team should've been imploded like the Vet. Stefanski should've made every effort to make that happen. But his logic was backwards and completely flawed. Every statement I heard him make, he's said "we're only gonna make moves that make us better on the court right now" or something to that effect. For who? For what? This team is going nowhere this year or the next five years if you don't do anything drastic. If the report that the Rockets would've taken essentially Dalembert and Iguodala for Tracy McGrady (aka Tracy McGrady's Expiring Contract), and the Sixers passed on it, that's a disgrace. That's just what the Sixers needed to begin to turn this around. How could he pass on that? Would've given them alot of money for next year (or the year after), and made them a little worse on the court this year, increasing their chances for a better lottery pick. But no, the Knicks moved in and are in prime pouncing position for free agents. Not that Lebron or Wade was coming here, but the Sixers needed to take some baby steps and did nothing instead.

Stefanski needs to go. They're just running in place with him. Bring in Rod Thorn (who may be leaving Jersey) or try to lure Jerry West out of retirement. Somebody proven that has some creativity (fleece Minnesota somehow for Kevin Love). I think Ed Snider/Comcast has the money. Jordan and his You-don't-need-a-true-point-guard Princeton offense should also be shown the door. They need a point guard. Shit, I'd take a Hinrich or a Kyle Lowry right now. Or see what Holiday can do.....oh wait, he barely plays either....need to get minutes for A.I.!!! Iverson's really bought the crowds back to the Wachovia Center as well.....well, at least for that one night.

Bring in Jeff Van Gundy (who I wanted last year) or a Lawrence Frank. Who gives a shit if the players don't like them. Maybe they'll get them to play a little defense and give this team some kind of identity. They could've taken a big step forward yesterday, but now we're stuck in this nightmare for who knows how much longer.
And can Donyell Marshall fit any more marbles into his mouth on the postgame show? Yeesh.

Celtics with a weird move picking up Nate Robinson. Maybe he'll do underwhelming dunks in practice or something and be banished there as well. Good luck with all that. How did that Sheed signing work out for them? Has he moved inside the 3-point line all year? KG's intense woofing act is kind of sad anymore. Assholes.
Oh well, as long as the Lakers don't win it all again, I'll be happy. Two Kobe titles sandwiched around an A-Rod World Series title may be too much for me to recover from.

The All-Star game/weekend was sickening drek. As if the game wasn't horrible enough, we had to endure Jerry Jones mugging as a basketball game was played in his cavernous football dome. Not that I watched or anything.

I could not care less about this Tiger Woods "press conference". This has contrived sham written all over it. A prepared statement written by lawyers and no questions allowed. No thanks. It will be about as informative and fullfilling as an Andy Reid press conference.

2 comments:

  1. Stefanski is hoping a playoff spot will salvage his job - im sure thats why he didn't blow it up. Very Disappointing is right

    I actually feel bad for Donyell Marshall - at least he knows that nobody is watching.

    My focus would be to somehow get Brand into it. If he can become a consistantly productive player, you might be able to drop him on the Celtics next year in their last ditch effort to contend. Brand has been playing better but his relationship with Jordan is in the toilet and he looks disinterested and is starting to bitch about it - rightfully so.

    Maybe Igoudala can fake an injury like Pierce and Wade did in the past couple of years to ensure a good draft pick.

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  2. You're right, Stefanski is only concerned with his own job security right now. I guess he didn't get any assurances from Snider that he'd have a job next year if he blew it up. Snider's checking to see if Bob Clarke knows anything aboot basketball.

    Celts maybe would take Brand. Intriguing. They took Sheed and he has a buxom C-cup.
    Jordan...ugh.

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