Could No Dalembert mean No Turner?

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.

ill Take: Bryant gets his 5th and the Celtics choke in Game 7

The Los Angeles Lakers won their 16th NBA championship last night in a Game 7 for the dark ages. It was a game that set the NBA back a half decade or a decade depending on which defensive era of basketball you prefer.

LA beat the Boston Celtics last night by a score of 83-79 and it was Boston's game for the taking, if they could find the bottom of the basket. The Lakers waited until the fourth quarter to pounce on what looked like a tired, worn out and beat up Celtics team that was missing their defensive stalwart in the paint, center Kendrick Perkins.

Perkins missed Game 7 due to a knee injury he suffered in Game 6, which was a huge blow to not only the team but the man who went from being the weak link in the starting five to arguably their toughest cog. He most notably frustrated Orlando Magic star center Dwight Howard in the Eastern Conference Finals with his wide frame and stubbornness to giving up prime positioning in the paint. The Celtics clearly missed his energy and front court presence in Game 7 when Pau Gasol took over the offensive boards in the fourth quarter.

A 13 point lead is what the Celtics had with 8:23 to go in the third quarter when Rajon Rondo made a lay-up to put Boston up 49-36, but the difference between this game and other games in the 2010 playoffs for Boston is that no one could close this championship out for the Celtics.

The C's would frequently go minutes at a time between baskets and this happened in the fourth quarter as well when the Celtics went without a field goal for five minutes in the fourth quarter. A stretch of time in which the Celtics went from having the lead at the 8:26 mark to trailing by four with 3:45 to play and that was a lead that the Celtics never got back.

People talk about Kobe Bryant getting his fifth championship ring and at this point in his career maybe surpassing Michael Jordan, but if you really watched the game last night and listened to Phil Jackson's comments following the game about Kobe trying to do to much and being nervous, then you would realize that Kobe was nothing but a role player last night, something that MJ never was when he was winning his six rings.

Bryant deserves a lot of credit for what the Lakers have been able to accomplish over the last decade-plus, but when looking at the role that he's played on the Lakers' championship teams, you could argue that on four out of the five teams and maybe with all five that he wasn't the most integral part of the lineup for the Lakers.

Last night, Bryant scored 23 points on 6-24 shooting from the floor and went 0-6 from three point range and pulled down 15 boards while committing four turnovers, I wouldn't call those numbers MJ-worthy. I think Bryant deserves alot of propz and respect for being one of the best in the game, but the comparisons to Michael Jordan need to stop now because no man will ever compare, period.

But, I wanted to give an "ill Take" on Game 7 of the NBA Finals and sound off so to speak on the people that are foolish enough to compare one of the greatest ever to a great player in the NBA currently. Stay tuned for more NBA talk soon, with my take on the trade of Samuel Dalembert and the possibility of adding the former Ohio State star Evan Turner to the Sixers. Yes, there will be Sixers talk. Everyone rejoice.