At his singing many figured he would
be the long-term solution for the Sixers at center, providing them with both
the low post presence, and all-star, go-to-guy mentality that they have long
been lacking. However as the season has gone on with one setback to
Andrew’s knees followed by another and no guarantee that he is even going to
step out onto the hardwood this season, the Sixers find themselves in a very
interesting spot.
It would have been nice to have a
clear centerpiece, literally, to build around, especially one as potentially
potent as Andrew, and especially considering the Sixers’ recent identity
struggles since the days of A.I. Bynum, knees willing, could have been
the central part for the franchise going forward, with which additional parts were
pieced in around. The Sixers took some strong steps to compete in a sort
of shallow Eastern Conference this offseason, surrounding their new center with
shooters and scorers, which has allowed them to remain competitive, even
without Andrew out there.
However, without him out on the
court to judge what he can possibly produce and provide for the franchise, and
no clear timetable for his return, the Sixers can’t justify bringing him
back. Injuries aside, Andrew would be in line for a max deal, as he is
one of the best and most capable big men in a League where such players are few
and far between. In other words, Andrew would be in line for quite a pay
day, were his knees not made of Doritos.
Some team in need of a big will
undoubtedly sign him, maybe even with a high price tag, due to his huge
potential when he plays. Unfortunately, the Sixers cannot be that
team. The Sixers have been stuck in mediocre mode for a decade now, and
financially handcuffing themselves to a player handicapped by his knees is not
a smart move to help further the franchise. If the Sixers sink big money
into Bynum and he is only able to play half of each season (half a season seems
generous at this point), then they will not have gotten a wise return for their
investment. The size of the contract which Bynum will presumably be
seeking would hinder the mid-level spending Sixers from following other free
agents; ones that while maybe not as productive as Andrew, will actually be
able to contribute on the court. A team that is not so precariously
placed on the border between lottery bound and true contender as the Sixers
are, can take a risk on singing the bewildering Bynum, as his presence may not
be as central to such a team’s success as it was supposed to be for this seasons’
Sixers.
That’s what makes this whole thing
so frustrating. For once it looked like the Sixers had things figured
out. They had acquired one of the League’s best bigs and surrounded him
by capable shooters and scorers. With Andrew in the lineup the Sixers are
a serious threat to take a top three seed in the East. Without him
unfortunately, they look a lot like they have in the past several seasons, and
unless serious progress in made in Bynum’s knee saga, or a trade is made, it’s
back to the drawing board in the offseason. The Sixers, in their current
state, just can’t risk sinking money into another Greg Oden.
The trade, although far from what the Sixers hoped
it would be at this point, isn’t all bad however.
It allowed the team to finally unload Andre Iguodala, maybe a season or
two too late, with minimal backlash from fans, as they actually received solid
compensation in return (had he been healthy).
Worst case scenario; Bynum doesn’t play all season, the Sixers don’t
resign him and instead have a lot of cap room to go after other players. Yes, in that case, this season may be viewed as a waste, but nothing about the trade
cripples the franchise going forward, as long as the team doesn’t resign him in
the offseason. Such a large-scale
singing would make the future of the franchise as shaky as Andrew’s knees.
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