BEFORE WE GET TO THE MAILBAG...
We've got about 100 tickets left for Flip The Switch, which at this pace might end up being a "Sell The Team" part as well. You can get GA and VIP at THIS LINK. We've now got our fifth Sixers writer , Kyle Neubeck (in addition to AU, SixersAdam, Godner and O'Connor) to annoy at the VIP hour.
Every penny we make will go to The Providence Animal Center and Coded By Kids.
WHAT: Rights To Ricky Sanchez - Flip The Switch
DATE: April 11th, 2020
TIME: Doors at 6pm, Show at 7pm (VIP 5p-6p)
AGES: 21+ (sorry!)
WHERE: Underground Arts (the site of Live Ricky 1 with TJ)
TiCKETS: Tickets are available at this link
$15.00 - Regular on-sale General Admission
$75.00 - VIP (VIP Ticket includes early admission, one-hour VIP open bar, full tamale bar with vegan option, commemorative autographed poster, Meet & Greet with Spike, Mike, SixersAdam, AU, Derek Bodner, Mike O'Connor, all the sponsors, and other special guests, and maybe some puppies from Providence)
MAILBAG VOLUME 3: PROCESS KARMA?
Longtime listener, first time mailbagger... You must have touched on this on the pod before but not enough IMO: How much of the Sixers' "misfortune" do you think can be attributed back simply to karma for the most blatant tank job in sports history? Outside of the NBA's/Dave Silver's role in sabotaging the Process, do the basketball gods just want to continue to punish the franchise that didn't go about things "the right way"?
- Brian
Brian, you're right. We have not focused enough on karma being the reason that the Sixers haven't turned out the way we wanted them to. It would be a lot simpler, right?
I've heard the karma reason a few times, but it's usually that it's our fault because of what smug assholes we've been. Now, it's true, we've been smug assholes. But there are a lot of smug assholes that are hugely successful, so why hasn't karma found their favorite basketball team?
We've all done a lot of bad things, we've all done a lot of good things. The basketball team is built like a three year old did it because of who they hired, not because of karma. Karma is why my hip hurts.
What do you think is the most high-percentage shot on the team? I feel like I have never seen Tobias miss a straight-on floater from the paint. Say what you will about him, but I think that is absolutely his best shot. Other contenders might include Korkmaz from the right wing, Joel's hesi from the block, or Ben driving to his left in transition. The lowest percentage has to be Al shooting a 3 from anywhere other than top of the key.
- John
This one might make Wednesday's pod too, because I'm curious what Mike thinks. First of all, I'm not going to deal with what is actually the highest percentage shot on the team. I'm sure some dork could go look that up on Second Spectrum or Per Cleaning The Glass (Cleaning The Glass' new official name), but I'm an eye test guy now. So I'm going to go with "what shot am I most confident is going in when someone shoots it?"
What we're really dealing with here is the race for third place. In first place is, "any shot that an opposing team takes" and then it's "Ben Simmons at the break or in the corner three pointers."
I'm not sure I want to call that Tobias Harris shot a floater because it doesn't float. It's pretty flat. I'd say it's in the running but I wouldn't have it first.
I'd have it like this:
1. Kyle O'Quinn three pointers.
2. Raul Neto three pointers (has rarely missed).
3. Furkan Korkmaz three pointers (that he stares at and tries to guide in with his shooting hand).
Do you think the Sixers will pay the luxury tax? The Sixers salary sheet for next season is pretty hefty once Ben Simmons extension kicks in. If they don't make any changes, their salary number would be about $154 million, which is $14 million over the tax threshold (almost never happens in the modern tax era unless it is the cavs or warriors titles teams), with a luxury tax payment of $25 million along with the $154 million payroll.
Does anyone see Josh Harris paying this next season given his affinity for selling picks, and love of paying so little during the tanking years when he demanded fake trades like the javale trade so he could pay less.
I fear that major changes will come in the off season if the team is a 5th seed (which is what all the projection models say right now) and are first round or second round fodder.
-Ayoub
I always think it's funny when we're confused and angry why an owner of a sports team won't pay more in (in this case luxury) taxes. The people that are the very best at avoiding taxes in this world are rich people. It's one of the ways that they're able to stay rich. This isn't me disliking rich people, I know a lot of very good people who are rich, it's just a fact.
While what taxes are used for (in this cases, just to give more money to small market teams, so let's not go too crazy with the moral obligation here, it's just one super rich person giving money to another one) differs, what the person paying them sees is usually the same; paying more money for the same thing.
There is no way the Sixers are going to pay $25 million in luxury tax for a team that goes out in the second round. And they shouldn't! It's dumb! You know what I would have done? Built a team that maybe would go over the luxury tax that didn't have 18 power forwards and centers so they had a better shot of getting out of the second round.
Truth be told, they might be better off for it. The Sixers don't really have very many salaries they can shed that can help them get under the tax line that they wouldn't want to shed anyway. Would we really be upset if they shed the Horford or Harris (best shot on the team not withstanding) contracts? I guess an option is Josh Richardson, especially with a contract on the way, but I think they'd get value out of him anyway in a trade (well I don't know if the Sixers would get value, but someone should).
I'll boil this down to two things: should the Sixers ownership group sell the team? Yes, of course. Think about it guys! You bought the team for $250 million and now it's worth $2 billion. This was the whole point, right? Think of all the money you'd save in helicopter flights coming down to Philly for network TV games. You wouldn't have to deal with us anymore. You could go back to being Lakers fans. I don't expect the owners to care about winning basketball games for the sake of winning basketball games. That's not why they bought them. They bought a distressed asset that they thought they could raise the value of, and they did. They have, as Sam Hinkie promised, separated the good people of the Delaware Valley from their wallets. Sell the team! Just do it! So, that's the first thing.
The second thing is that outside of a Finals run that proves most of us wrong, this team needs an overhaul. They should find a trade suitor for Al Horford. They should consider Tobias Harris. They should look at their two young centerpieces and think "how is the best way to win with these two?" So in this case, that probably falls in line with going under the tax. It doesn't seem like spending for the sake of spending works in the NBA, it's only effective when you're spending to keep a good thing together.
Sell the team!
One of the most consequential figures in recent Sixers history is the Celtics fan that fought Jahlil Okafor. If that fight never happens, Hinkie might survive the season. And if he survives that season, he's around for Jo's debut and the beginning of the ascent. Can we find this person and get him/her on the pod?
-Avi
Finally, an important question. I'm in it.
Sell the team!
Spike