Eddie Jordan's tenure as head coach was an unmitigated disaster, and Allen Iverson's brief return didn't help matters. The team gets a fresh start this year under veteran coach Doug Collins.
Offseason Moves
Key Additions: Evan Turner, Spencer Hawes, Andres Nocioni, coach Doug CollinsKey Subtractions: Samuel Dalembert, Rodney Carney, Willie Green
2009-10 Outlook
It may have escaped notice amidst last season's chaos, but the Sixers have some pretty interesting young players -- most notably point guard Jrue Holiday, who showed a ton of potential after Iverson's comeback attempt fizzled, and who has already surpassed Lou Williams on the Sixers' depth chart and Mareese Speights had a run as Philly's most effective frontcourt player before injuries got in the way. And after spending much of last season being featured in trade rumors, Andre Iguodala had a great summer playing for Team USA and appears set to play a major role this year.But the Sixers still have significant issues, the biggest being Elton Brand. Brand has given the Sixers nothing since coming over from the Clippers as a free agent, spending the last two seasons battling injury and struggling to fit with teammates better suited for a run-and-gun style of basketball. It is in the team's best interest to get Brand back on track; they're on the hook to pay him big money for the next three seasons. And Evan Turner - the second overall pick in the 2010 NBA Draft - struggled in summer league play and doesn't seem ready to make a big contribution; he'll start the season as a bench player.
Fantasy Notes
Holiday is a notch or two below the top guards in last year's draft class, but he put up very impressive numbers in March and April and could be a fantasy sleeper. Iguodala is a tremendous asset to fantasy teams when playing at his best, contributing in just about every roto category. If his strong summer carries over into the regular season, he could be a steal.Brand reportedly lost some weight over the summer, per a suggestion from Collins, in the hopes that it will reduce the strain on his legs and help him stay healthy. He could be worth a later-round pick, just on the chance that he re-gains some of the form that made him one of the league's top power forwards. But he could wind up splitting time at the four and five spots with Spencer Hawes and Mareese Speights.
There was concern when Turner was drafted that his game is too similar to Iguodala's. For now, though, he needs to worry about beating out Lou Williams for the "first guard off the bench" role. I'm all for drafting high-upside rookies late in fantasy drafts, but at this point, Turner looks like a long-term project.
Projected Lineup
Point Guard: Jrue HolidayShooting Guard: Andre Iguodala
Small Forward: Thaddeus Young
Power Forward: Elton Brand
Center: Spencer Hawes
Key Subs: Lou Williams, Mareese Speights, Andres Nocioni, Evan Turner
