The Corner Three: Zo's Thoughts on Four Potential Summer Targets & Spike's Twitter AMA
Still only May somehow!
Zo’s Thoughts on Four of the Biggest Names Associated with the Sixers This Offseason
We have no clue what’s going to happen in five weeks but here’s my survey of the land!
Paul George
On one hand, the Sixers would have to part with zero draft capital to just sign him into cap space – on the other hand, he might be a bit of a loser, which we’ve already a couple of here (without naming names, let's call them Sen Bimmons and Hames Jarden). He had a great shooting year and honestly stayed relatively healthy – and listen, he’s gone much further in his playoff career than both current Sixers stars have – but I really do worry about that loser part. What if Clippers fans aren’t completely wrong, and he just doesn’t care as much to be effective on defense or take the opposing team’s best player anymore? We know all too well as Sixers fans that the tiniest puff of smoke can turn into a three-alarm blaze.Â
Jimmy Butler
So incendiary, but I’m still not sure that this isn’t chasing a dream that has already passed by. Jimmy had a fine season, before missing some crucial playoff time by tearing an MCL ligament in a play-in game vs the Sixers. I think behind the scenes, the front office is exploring every scenario, and I’m sure many of us have no true idea what’s really going on. But this one feels weird and clunky, because the guy has already been here and is also still really close friends with our best player.
Brandon Ingram
Daryl Morey specifically said they will prioritize a wing (or wings) who can perform at a high level on both ends of the court, especially in the playoffs (bye Tobias). Ingram’s price tag and short playoff resume would raise an eyebrow with me. They could do much worse – and honestly, he might be a guy motivated by a fresh start – but for as good as he is at some stuff he’s not really great at anything, coasts through games a ton and also might be a loser. NO MORE LOSERS, DARYL!
LeBron James
Come on. I don’t believe it, won’t believe it but can’t see him ever leaving L.A., maybe he gives Morey a meeting, Brett Brown 2018 style but I’ll believe it when Bryce is playing in the Rumph classic this summer.Â
As we know by now, one full month before free agency even starts, the Sixers have set themselves up to go down a multitude of avenues to make this team not just better, but deeper and more talented for the long haul. My honest opinion: none of these guys are perfect fits. Which to me, is all the more reason to focus harder on whatever plan gives you the best flexibility to bolster the supporting cast. What makes the Denvers, Indianas, Bostons, Minnesotas of the world so good is they compliment their best players with a crew that matches their skills almost perfectly. The three-star system is antiquated, expensive and not a winning formula any longer – it’s time to (finally) bring a few good two-way dogs in here.Â
SPIKE’S CORNER: A TWITTER AMA MAILBAG
The offseason is good for a lot of things. Pods where the first 28 minutes isn’t Mike assessing literally every player on the roster who played that night, trade rumors, emails about bathroom behavior – and mailbags!
Not for me or for Mike! I’m sure it was anticlimactic in the crowd. Why would it be anything but? It’s two guys fake ringing a bell. I’m sure it sucked. But for us, it was awesome.Â
Let’s reverse engineer this… how many times have we had max contract space under the cap, with two star level players already under contract? Not as long as I remember. The last max-level free agent who signed here was Elton Brand (shout out Philly Max).Â
It’s still a long shot, but they are one of three teams with max-level cap space, and the other two are the Pistons and the Magic. If you asked me what the most likely scenario is, I believe it’s that Paul George returns to the Clippers. But we do have a shot, which I can’t remember us having before.
I would say it was almost certainly worse during the Summer of Simmons or the Summer of Harden. Once expectations come, most of the joy goes down the drain. Part of the excitement of the last two Phillies runs is that they basically came without any expectation that anything good was going to happen.Â
I remember saying on a pod earlier this season that I hope the Thunder fans enjoy this season, because it’ll likely be the most fun they’ll have cheering for this core. All likelihood is that they (and most teams) do not win a title, and it ends badly. I’m honestly at peace with all of it.Â
I apply peanut butter on one slice, and the jelly on top of it. Does that make me a communist?
Easily Hinkie not fired. Not because I think it’s the most likely scenario in which we win a title (thought it might be), but because I’m most curious about what would happen.
What would most likely happen is he’d piss someone else off and still end up getting fired.
Oh, absolutely no chance. Not in our lifetimes.Â
I don’t have an answer for this, but it would be a fun exercise to do this Summer on the pod.
Awesome idea! Won’t ever happen. They can’t even get people to turn off their cell phones and put on their seatbelts, much less get every company in the world to make the same size luggage and get everyone to buy it.Â
I think we’re watching it?
He basically said in his end of the year press conference that they cannot do again what they did with Tobias, which is settling and overpaying for someone not good enough.
To me, Daryl sounded particularly frank and honest during that press conference and I tend to believe that he’d go with one year deals and role players and wait for a star to shake loose. Essentially that’s what last year’s team was and it would have won 55 games if we had normal Embiid health.Â
Not getting myself into this predicament again. I’d watch them, and hate every second of it. Â
I can answer for myself, perhaps when Mike writes again he can answer for himself.
I’ve gotten better at not needing to say every bad thing that I think is going to happen. I’ve been right a lot over the years but it’s mostly about the bad stuff. I’ve learned that nobody cares if you’re right if it’s about something bad, and it just ruins everyone’s good time. So I’ve been more conscious of that.
I think we’re both better at not belaboring the things we disagree on.Â
I don’t think he’s a great fit, but also I’d never target an RFA because it only makes sense for Cleveland to match and then wait until they can trade him.
This mailbag is for me, but I just thought this was such a good question it should be included.
Hey man! Fuck off.
Greg Gross, and I’m not sure it’s debateable.Â
As many as Jimmy Butler has won since leaving, none.Â
I was exactly right about him. I said he could not co-exist with Simmons, and it wouldn’t work. I said he was too obsessed with being the primary playmaker, which he was. I said he’d be too destructive behind the scenes, which he was.Â
I’ve said this over and over again, and I’m not sure if you are too dense to listen or not smart enough to understand, but it would have never worked here. The Sixers did not have a strong enough infrastructure to withstand how Jimmy was, which is exactly why he was gone. The Heat did, and good for them! The Sixers never have. It would have ended badly, which is basically how it’s ended for Butler everywhere.Â
I wrote before the trade this is what would happen, and it happened. I’ll always cherish his 5-16 performance in Game 7 against the Raptors though.Â
I’m almost certain Mike would agree that the answer is quite clearly me. First of all, I know how to produce a podcast, as doing that stuff has been my career for a long time. Mike doesn’t know anything about crypto and as he’s often said, he doesn’t even like hosting a podcast.Â
I’d hate every minute of it, but I’d certainly last longer.Â