NBA | Future may be great, but, reality is, Sixers have chance to be good now

Sixers GM Bryan Colangelo stepped up this offseason to acquire the No. 1 pick in the draft and two potentially key free agents.

By Jack Kerwin  |  ydkjack1@gmail.com

Hey, why not?

Seriously …

We get to the point where, after all the wheeling and dealing and “processing” possible, the 76ers finally have a roster that, well, pretty much stacks up with the best in the NBA, non-Golden State division, at least theoretically, or in terms of projected talent, and we’re still afraid to stand up and go, yeah, that’s right, they’re good enough to compete, to contend … for everything?

Yo, what the eff, Philly ... Kinda time to start showing some of those self-promoted cojones any day now, fans.

Enough with the scaredy cat, “afraid to jinx ’em,” “gotta give the kids time to develop” crap.

Think about it. They now got two potentially transcendental players, an electric No. 1 pick from the 2017 draft with silky smooth moves, a desperately needed sharpshooter who also happens to bring an ever-evolving game to the table, depth at every position, a seemingly quality coach and a GM who proved this offseason he actually isn’t afraid to pull the trigger to make the right move, big or small.

So, why wait … with investing your heart and mind in the team’s chances now, instead of in the truly unknown of 3-4 years down the road?

They can’t win right now? Can’t challenge for a title? Can’t win one?

Umm, why the hell not?

Too young, too inexperienced are poppycock BS rationalizations that are put out there by people too chicken to commit and get on board. It’s utter silliness to think something can’t happen now, especially in the world of sports, because it needs time to evolve like some fine wine.

Puh-leeze. Teams and players pop up all the time outta nowhere, at every level, in every sport, to compete, challenge and even, at times, win titles.

Mid-major Villanova won the NCAA men’s basketball crown in 2016. Mid-major Gonzaga played for it this year.

The Kansas City Royals reached the World Series in 2014, then prevailed in it a year later.

Temple football won 10 games each of the last two seasons, not to mention a conference title last year.

Matthew Dellavedova started multiple games in the 2016 NBA Finals.

The Nashville Predators made the Stanley Cup Finals this year as an eighth seed.

People, c’mon. Anything is possible.

Forget that defeatist, backdoor logic that the Sixers’ hopes on leapfrogging into immediate legitimacy rest on limitations of the remainder of the Eastern Conference, outside of Cleveland and now Boston.

They have a chance to be good right now. Regardless of competition. Period.

​So, why not get on board?

5 REASONS TO GET JACKED

► Addition of J.J. Redick. The veteran 2-guard gives the team a shooting presence it hasn’t had under the current regime, not to mention a professional athlete who “gets it.” Guy has transformed his body and game into something never expected of him going off his college days at Duke. Redick has the potential to go off for 30-plus any night due to his shooting stroke, which, frankly, ranks among the best in NBA history. Yeah, that’s right, NBA history.

► Health of Ben Simmons. With all due respect to the hype surrounding Joel Embiid and Markelle Fultz that seems to have blossomed by the short-term memory masses, Simmons, who missed last season due to injury, is the most prized possession in the organization. His talent level is across-the-board, off-the-charts great, whereby he could dominate a game without even scoring in double figures. He is Sam Hinke’s greatest gift to the franchise.

► Brett Brown with Extra Talent. Not for nothing, but the coach does seem to have a feel for tapping into the younger guys, of which there are a lot on this team, and getting much of what they possess out of them. He’s a straight shooter and seemingly a player’s coach – could there be a better fit for this outfit, even with that sometimes overbearing, hard-to-understand New England accent?

► Arrival of Bryan Colangelo's Balls. The take-over GM from Hinkie, he showed a knack for doing, well, not much of anything for most of his first year. Little did we know the guy probably was just doing his due diligence and prepping to make things happen, such as trading up to get Fultz at No. 1 and bringing in free agents Redick and Amir Johnson.
​
► Law of Averages. We get so caught up around here in trying to avoid getting hurt, going overboard with rationales aimed at protecting our delicate psyches from disappointment, that we fail to realize all the crap we’ve endured with regard to this team the last 3-4 years, and, really, far beyond, and that, hey, maybe it’s the Sixers’ time.

---

---

RELATED

Sixers need to strike with iron hot
Westbrook a worthy MVP choice
Work to do beyond No. 1 selection
​Wasn't Simmons set to be the savior?