The Philadelphia 76ers continued their off season makeover yesterday when they traded center Samuel Dalembert to the Sacramento Kings yesterday. Philadelphia had been looking for a way to rid themselves of Dalembert for the better parts of the last two seasons partially because they realized that he would never live up to the crazy expectations set for him inside the organization when he was drafted back in 2001 in the first round.
Dalembert has seen his share of negative press in the city for his wildly inconsistent play which was a staple of his eight seasons as a Sixer. The perfect example would be his play in the first round of the 2008 playoffs vs. the Detroit Pistons.
Sammy in Game 1 of that series only put up 5 points and was a non factor, but then in Game 3 he exploded for 22 points and 16 boards in what was a 20 point victory. And then in a big-time Game 6 elimination game fnr the Sixers on their home floor, he literally disappeared with a stat line that read like this: 8 points, 6 rebounds on six shots.
The problem with Dalembert is that for a starting center he didn't have an lasting impact and could go an entire playoff game with just three points (he did it in Game 2 of that Detroit series). But when Sammy came to play, he played with a athleticism and a energy that flowed through the team and helped the pacing on the floor and led to victories.
In eight seasons as a Sixer, he averaged just 8.1 points per game and 8.3 rebounds and never lived up to being that super nimble, athletic and hard to guard beta-center that the team wanted him to be, and the truth is many times he would take himself out of games with his disinterest and his obvious lack of focus. It's always disappointing when you can't get what you want out of a player like Dalembert, but now that's he gone, he may still be having an impact on the Sixers' present and future.
The future should be Ohio State star guard Evan Turner, even the Sixers website is banking on Turner being taken with the number two pick and why shoudn't they, he is the most logical pick for the Philadelphia.
There is one problem however and that is with the loss of Dalembert, the team may believe it now needs fresh blood in the front court and that youth could come with Georgia Tech's Derrick Favors or Kentucky's DeMarcus Cousins.
It should be noted that the team released a statement not to long ago stating that the Kings trade will not have an affect on the team's draft plans.
Here's is what Sixers GM Ed Stefanski had to say about the situation,
"I think we're where we were before — the same draft options we had. We're very fortunate to be drafting No. 2. I don't think [the trade] changes it a lot," Stefanski said.
Evan Turner is the selection for Philadelphia because of a few reasons:- He's an impact player, someone who can and will contribute immediately, something this team needs.
- He allows Andre Iguoudala to move down a number, to the three spot where I think he will be better suited because as we have seen, Iggy isn't a natural scorer. But he is athletic enough to be a matchup problem at the three spot.
- The most important reason: MONEY, Turner will make this team a lot of money because he is a marketable name right off the bat. He's somebody fans are already starting to identify with because of his insistence of working out only for the Sixers and praising the Sixers the last couple of days.
Turner is one of only two sure bets in this year's NBA Draft and if the Sixers pass on him, this could be another black-eye to an organization already riddled with bruises.
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