Sixers Are Finally Outrun

The Philadelphia 76ers were finally ousted by the Detroit Pistons last night, as the Pistons romped 100-77 in Game Six. While it wasn't exactly an encouraging way to go out, the Sixers gave Detroit a lot more trouble than most people expected.

This series showcased Philadelphia's potential. They are already one of the most athletic teams in the league and Maurice Cheeks used that to his advantage this year, introducing an up-tempo style and a pressure defense. Often employing the full court press, the Sixers at times resembled a college team.

Problem is, they also resembled a college team in a few other respects. Like many college teams, the Sixers couldn't shoot the NBA three or consistently knock down free throws. In the regular season, they were the NBA's worst in free throw percentage and three-point percentage. They could get away with that against bad teams, but it wasn't going to last in the playoffs. Considering how poorly the Sixers shoot, it was a little surprising the Pistons didn't play zone defense more often. Other than Lou Williams and Rodney Carney, no one was going to burn them, and even Williams and Carney are fairly erratic. (The Sixers had a great shooter in Kyle Korver who would have driven those percentages up, but trading him improved their team defense and opened up playing time for Thaddeus Young.)

Despite their impressive playoff appearance, the Sixers some work to do. Even without any major additions, they can be expected to improve next year through the improvement of their young players. Williams, Young, Carney, and Jason Smith should all get better in the off-season. Young is a particularly exciting prospect as a hyper-athletic 19-year old who displayed impressive shooting, rebounding, low-post scoring, and defense in his rookie season. Williams also seems primed for a breakout year and could well be the next Monta Ellis.

Andre Iguodala has some work to do, but if he can improve his shooting, he has the best potential on the team after Young. But his status with the team is far from certain as he heads into restricted free agency. The Sixers will almost certainly bring him back, but the negotiations could get ugly. Iguodala turned down a contract extension before the start of the season, but seemed to justify a bigger deal with a strong regular season. However, his postseason struggles undoubtedly hurt his value. Iguodala puts Ed Stefanski in a difficult spot. He has to re-sign Iguodala (as well as Williams) but if he overpays, he will waste most of the cap room the Sixers have acquired.

If Stefanski can get reasonable deals for Iguodala and Williams, the Sixers should have about $10 million in cap room. While that won't be enough to get a top-tier free agent, it should net them a good supporting player or two (perhaps a long-overdue replacement for Willie Green). The Sixers will also have the 16th overall pick in the draft.

There's much work to be done, but with their impressive young core, the Sixers have a bright future in this league. In their two wins against the Pistons the NBA saw a glimpse of the Sixers' potential, but there is more to come. Much more.