No Hippos Jai Alai Thread

[PhillyGirl]

Don't Count On McGrady

Let's get this out of the way before the 76ers face the Sacramento Kings tonight:

The Sixers have spoken with Houston Rockets' executives about Tracy McGrady, rehabbing from major knee surgery. More than once.

The Rockets didn't seem interested in a deal involving Samuel Dalembert, and they still aren't. They wanted no part of Dalembert's 15 percent trade kicker, and they still don't.

At the same time, even though McGrady ($23 million salary) and the Rockets have agreed to part ways, there's no law that says the Rockets have to trade him. They could just let his $23 million contract expire at the end of this season and deduct it from their payroll.

Sixers president/general manager Ed Stefanski says what you expect him to say: "We talk to all the teams on a regular basis, but I won't talk about players and trades. We are looking at any and all options that might improve the team.''

Who knows what any other team might be offering for McGrady? But there is this from Rockets coach Rick Adelman, to Richard Justice of the Houston Chronicle: "The thing people want to write about is who (McGrady) was two years ago. He isn't that right now. We have a whole team. It's not just about what he wants or what he was going to want. It was about what can he do to help us win.''

Bottom line: The Sixers are exploring ways to improve their team.

So are the Rockets.

But don't count on them doing business with each other.

[MDS]

oh well

and @ dillen they have to start planning to compete in 2012 and 2013 cause thats they most realistic thing. they arent going to be competing for anything close to a title for the next 1-2 seasons. a tweak here and tweak there could get them into the 4-6 seed range, sure. but what the farg does that do. give me a title contender or give me the worst team in the league and a chance to win the lotto.

[MDS]

farg melo...he stinks

and why are you acting like the sixers can just by out brand whenever they want...you know that the player has to agree to a buyout?...its not a simple thing and doesnt usually give you a ton of cap space even when it happens...theres no point in even thinking about a buyout right now

cause he aint gonna want to hang around on a shteinhole team and no ones gonna want his contract via a trade. so logic says hell take a buyout down the road so he can go somewhere and help out. or maybe he wont cause he still wants to get paid.

im not huge on melo, but i love cp3. problem is he needs weapons around him to win. what the sixers need is someone who can drop 20-25 each night. there are like 10 guys in the world who can do that. thats how you win titles. is john wall that guy? lets find out.

[reese125]

Clearing out every salary in hopes of getting one of the best players in the league in free agency 3 years later is retarded. Those guys never hit the market, and when they do there's going to be a more appealing team to go to who offers the max too. You just need to get lucky somehow.

When's the last time one of the best superstars in the league changed teams in free agency which led to a title? It mightve happened recently, seriously I dont know. But it doesnt happen often, and sure as hell wont happen to the Sixers.

exactly...even if one of those studs came here it still wouldnt matter because this team does not have those kind of consistent complimentary players to win a championship.

I mean all you have to do is look past the last 3 decades of nba champions and see what kind of team was on the floor. Do you see any kind of comparable talent, even with 1 of those guys and Iggy today on this Sixers team that could win them a championship?

[ice grillin you]

a superstar + iguodala + the devlopment of the young players particulary jeru could win a title...but who the hell knows how advanced thad speights lou and jeru will be in three years....they might have already hit their ceilings....

its a farging crap shoot any way you look at it

[MDS]

$ wise can expect to extend igy for a 2012-2016 run? also will he accept a lesser role?

NO.

[Dillen]

The Sixers are farged for the next century or two. Argument over?

[The BIGSTUD]

By then David Stern will be dead and the league can be saved.

[ice grillin you]

doubt anyone stayed up last night but a real fun game

iverson has really opened up stuff for this team and iguodalas numbers continue to impress...i hate to use this awful term but he truly is a stat sheet stuffer...and he only has one turnover in his last two games

what has happened to moreese tho...for whatever reason...im guessing his defense which is awful he has fallen into ej's dog hizzle...rodney carney is getting more run...he was big off the bench btw

[PhillyGirl]

http://www.philly.com/philly/sports/sixers/20091231_John_Smallwood__McGrady_could_help_Sixers.html

[Rome]

if t-mac and iverson were on the same team wouldn't the space-time continuum rupture?

[PhillyGirl]

I'd close my eyes and wish it to be 2003

[ice grillin you]

he should just retitle that piece "the dumb article"

iverson didnt help attendance but mcgrady will?

yao might never play again

iguodala isnt good enough for the sixers but hes the perfect player to pair with yao and hes so good that he would show a committment to winning?...then why wouldnt the sixers just keep him to show that same committment

and why would you dump iguodala just to get rid of dalemberts contract which only has a year and a half left

[reese125]

not sure why anyone thinks Young is untouchable. Nobody on this team has that mark--regardless of ceiling. I fully understand that sometimes you give up your most valuable assets to get a better investment down the line..but if youre going to build, you do it anyway possible...especially the way this squad is moving.

shtein...Id give up Thad, Dalembert and Brand... and keep Iggy

[ice grillin you]

yeah exactly...so you give up iguodala to get rid of his deal and then instead of iguodala and a superstar plus whatever else you deem the team needs now they need a superstar AND another iguodala plus whatever else

iguodala isnt a piece you build around but hes a damn good piece to build with