Sign In Using Facebook  |  Sign In  |  Sign Up

Can Doug Collins Save the Philadelphia 76ers?

B-Dub Written by B-Dub, Thursday May 27 2010
Text Size - A +
Things are starting to turn around for the Philadelphia 76ers.  First they got lucky with the ping-pong balls and landed the second pick in the 2010 NBA Draft and now they've lured Doug Collins away from his job as a TV analyst to be their new head coach.
 
Some think that Collins wasn't the best man for this job, but I disagree.  I think Collins is the perfect man to start the rebuilding process that has been stuck in neutral for the better part of the last decade.  Collins is even a former Sixer, who was drafted No. 1 overall in the 1973 draft and spent his entire career (1973-81) with the Sixers.
 
Collins, 58, has previously coached the Chicago Bulls (1986-89), Detroit Pistons (1995-98), and Washington Wizards (2001-03).  He has a lifetime record of 332-287.  He also has a reputation as a great X's and O's coach.  He is a bit of a disciplinarian, but after this Sixers squad quit on former coach Eddie Jordan last season, they could all use a swift kick in the ass.  "I think all players want to be coached," Collins said.  Yeah, good luck with that with some of these players Doug.
 
Collins believes in a strong defensive approach to the game and he'll have his work cut out for him with the Sixers' current roster.  Only Jrue Holiday and Andre Iguodala are seen as good defenders on this team. 
 
In his introductory news conference on Monday, he also gave a glimpse of what his starting lineup would look like.  Everyone assumes that shooting guard Evan Turner will be the Sixers' pick at No. 2 and Collins didn't shoot down that notion.  While not addressing Turner specifically, he discussed the rest of the players on the roster and how he saw them fitting into his vision of the Sixers going forward.  He didn't mention any of the current Sixers as the starting shooting guard.
 
"The NBA is a point guard-driven league," Collins said.  "That's why I'm excited, because I think we've got a terrific young point guard [in Jrue Holiday] to build around." 
 
Collins said that he wants Iguodala at the small forward position, taking less jumpers, taking more free throws and becoming an all-NBA defender.  "Andre Iguodala should be an all-league defensive player at the small forward position," he said.  Left unsaid was the obvious point that Iguodala played out of position last season at shooting guard.  That's kind of tough, when you aren't a great shooter.  Luckily, Collins sees that and won't make the same mistake.
 
Collins thinks that Thaddeus Young fits in at power forward, instead of at small forward, because the NBA game is less about big men and more about spreading the floor.  Young looked so promising as a rookie, when he got out and ran up and down the floor.  Then last season in Jordan's ridiculous "Princeton offense", Young was terrible.  The difference in coaching really is going to be like night and day.
 
The biggest question though is about Elton Brand.  He was signed to a mega-contract and is seen as an untradable anchor on the Sixers franchise.  He has grossly underperformed and there have even been rumors that the Sixers are willing the trade the No. 2 pick to anyone willing to take Brand's contract off their hands.  God I hope that's not true.  I don't like Brand, but he can be effective if used properly.  Enter new coach, Doug Collins.
 
"Elton is going to be critical, and I've got to get him playing the way he is capable of playing," Collins said.  "He has had two tough years coming off the Achilles and shoulder injuries and we've got to get him healthy and feeling good about himself." 
 
If you notice, Collins mentioned Iguodala, Young and Brand as his frontcourt.  That would mean that Brand would be the starting center in an undersized lineup.  It would also mean that a backcourt of Holiday and Turner would be extremely young.  Well I said it was going to be a rebuilding process didn't I?
 
The obvious omission was center Samuel Dalembert.  The reason for that is that in his job as an analyst of NBA games for TNT, Collins got to dissect the teams, especially the Sixers.  By doing that Collins knows that Dalembert simply can't play.  He is a terrible defender who is always out of position and rarely knows what to do.  He has a very low basketball IQ and it is said that he has bad practice habits.  Dalembert can block shots, but when he misses, he leaves gaping holes in the defense for easy baskets.  And Dalembert has no offensive game whatsoever.  That doesn't stop him from bitching and moaning about wanting the ball more, but he's a liability on the court.  He is also a free agent after this coming season and it sure seems like Collins will be happy to see him go.
 
Collins said that he studied the Sixers and it looked to him like they lacked both mental and physical toughness and couldn't play defense worth a damn.  "Toughness is one of the most underrated skills in the sport," he said.  "Right now we're very much a finesse team.  (By that he means they play like a bunch of pansies)  In practice you can create competitive toughness, and one thing I have always done is reward competitors."  
 
If that reward is in the form of minutes on the court during games, we won't be seeing much of Dalmbert this coming season.  We also may not see much of Mareese Speights, who is just a horrible defender.  The thing is, defense is mostly effort, so Collins will try to get this team to put forth 100% effort in every game and even every practice.  Those who give the effort in practice will be the ones who get the minutes in the games.  Those who don't will be gone according to general manager Ed Stefanski, who must be shocked to not already be gone himself.
 
Stefanski should have hired Collins last year instead of his buddy Jordan.  The thing is, Stefanski isn't even alone is his ineptitude at picking a head coach for the Sixers.  The team has had eight head coaches in the last eight years, including Larry Brown's last year (2003). I think they got it right this time, but only time will tell.
 
"I was taught by teachers, I have a basketball mind and I want to pass that on," Collins said.  "I can't wait to roll up my sleeves and go to work here, because there are some nice young pieces in this organization."
 
I hope he's right and I hope the team keeps the No. 2 pick and drafts Evan Turner to be the shooting guard.  Then Collins can build around the young nucleus of this roster and possibly Brand.  Along the way, he'll weed out the guys who aren't willing to put in the effort it takes to be great and maybe someday the city of Philadelphia will actually have a legitimate basketball team to cheer for again.
 
Right now we're at the beginning of the rebuilding process.  "We're not ready to be a championship team right now," Collins said.  "I think right now we're talking about being relevant again."  It's been so bad lately as a Sixers' fan, I'll take relevant right now.  That's sad, but at least it's a start.  I just hope it's the start of something good.
 

Tags:  



Recent 76ers Articles






Leave a comment

Name *
Email *
Website

Create date
— :

Article

Sport

City

Team

Photo

X

Not So Fast! To publish your comment, you have to login

Not Registered? Register now as it only take 20 seconds!



Click here to browse




0 comments