Mediocre 76ers Tip Off Season

Team mired in being average entering 2009-10

Andre Iguodala has never made an All-Star team and was never really mentioned in the same company as the top stars in the NBA.

Iggy has his memorable moments. Flashy dunks, winning shots. The Sixers swingman has had notable clunkers, too. That playoff series against Detroit in 2008 is one he'd like to delete.

In so many ways, Iguodala is a microcosm of the Philadelphia 76ers since he was drafted in 2004. Certainly not bad, quite a few steps from great.

The Sixers were stuck in neutral for most of this decade, that scintillating run to the 2001 NBA Finals far behind them and more an aberration than an ascension into the league's elite.

They haven’t won more than 43 games in Iguodala's five-year career -- or fewer than 35 either. The Sixers have made the playoffs, but were knocked out of the first round of the playoffs in each of their last three trips.

Philadelphia has posted seasons that keep a team in contention for a low-seed playoff spot, not a championship.

Iguodala, with an $80 million contract and nearly 26,000 Twitter followers, has developed into the best player on a decent team. And he's had enough.

“I just want to win more,” he said.

It's not that simple this season in a revamped Eastern Conference.

The Sixers have the talent to win at least 40 games -- again -- and make a first-round series interesting before a title contender would eliminate them. They don’t appear to have enough big pieces to contend for the conference championship.

Defending Eastern Conference champion Orlando acquired Vince Carter. Boston picked up Rasheed Wallace. Cleveland is pairing LeBron and Shaq.

Philadelphia's offseason pickups -- Primoz Brezec and Rodney Carney -- barely netted more than a line in the transactions column.

The 76ers' biggest move was on the bench.

Eddie Jordan, a longtime friend of team president Ed Stefanski, was hired as coach with the idea his Princeton offense would turn the Sixers into the type of conference-contending team that Iguodala so badly wants. The Sixers won't be a threat to win the
NBA championship, but Jordan believes he has quality players -- a team on the rise.

“They have an offensive system they can believe in,” Jordan said.

The Sixers haven't won a playoff series since 2003. Jordan is the team's third coach since the start of last season and sixth in six years.

Jordan is 230-288 with the Wizards and Sacramento Kings. In 2004-05 the Wizards won 45 games and a round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.

Can a lukewarm fan base warm up to the Sixers? Jordan wasn't the type of big-name hire that boosted ticket sales. Elton Brand, a two-time All-Star, might be the most recognizable name to a casual Sixers fan, but he missed most of his first season in Philadelphia with a shoulder injury. And, steady point guard Andre Miller left via free agency for Portland.

When the Sixers open the season Wednesday at Orlando -- the home opener is Friday vs. Milwaukee -- they'll play in virtual anonymity in their own city. Philadelphia is wrapped in red with Phillies fever and their World Series against the Yankees is about to get under way. The Eagles have a huge showdown with the NFC East rival New York Giants on Sunday.

The Philadelphia-New York match ups have diverted attention away from all other teams.

Lou Williams, who will take over for Miller at point guard, said he understands why the Sixers are under the radar.

“We can't take away from the success that the Phillies are having and we can't take away from the Eagles being a very good football team,” Williams said. “We can only go out and do our part. So that doesn't really play a big part in the way we feel.”

Williams and Iguodala start in the backcourt. Brand, small forward Thaddeus Young and center Samuel Dalembert make up the frontcourt. The Sixers drafted everyone but Brand -- a better record would be dependent on better seasons out of the homegrown nucleus.

Iguodala wants to make the leap. He believes he can handle the responsibility of being the No. 1 option for the Sixers.

“I'm looking at everyone on our team and how I can make everyone better and how we can win games,” he said.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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