Josh Smith was a better option anyways | jsams's Blog

The debate has been going on since yesterday when Elton Brand decided to opt out of the final year of his contract with the Clippers. Are the Sixers better off pursuing the polished veteran, with great character and post presence or do they go after the Hawks restricted free agent, Josh Smith; the young, raw, talented, athletic, inconsistent player with attitude problems? For me it's too close to call right now, but ultimately I'd be happy with either one.

Update [6:11 pm]: I started this post right before Baron agreed to sign with the Clippers. It's not yet official, but it's probable that all hopes of the Sixers acquiring Elton are over, but here's why Josh is a better option anyways. Thank you the Clippers for making Ed's decision (and mine) that much easier.

Here's a look at the pros and cons of each player, brought to you by Depressed Fan.

Here's what I think. Elton Brand is a stud. There's no doubt about that, but he is 29 years old and coming off Achilles Tendon surgery. Elton's always been an injury prone guy and looking at his numbers, they aren't as impressive as I thought. If the Sixers ended up signing Brand, there's no doubt they would instantly become a top 4 team in the east, but is that what we want? Would Elton be enough to make us championship contenders? I say no. And the message you send by signing Brand is "Win now" and essentially proclaiming the rebuilding process as over. Elton is the exact player the Sixers desperately need, but considering the circumstances, I think he would have ultimately push the franchise's championship hopes back a few years. I hope I don't have to eat my words when the Clippers screw things up and the Sixers end up signing Brand. I'll just have to take my chances.

On nearly every website, reports have surfaced that Smith is the Sixers main man. Unlike Brand, Smith is only 22 years old and wouldn't disrupt the rebuilding process at all. Smith also wouldn't make the Sixers instant championship contenders, nor would it even guarantee them a playoff spot. The thing would make this signing spectacular is the thought of Lou, Iggy, Thad, Josh and Speights growing together and potentially gelling into a top 2 Eastern Conference team in the coming years. Josh isn't the prototypical power forward, but him along with Sammy D would make it extremely difficult for opponents to get a shot off in the paint and Smith alongside Iguodala would make the Sixers the most entertaining team in the League. Opposed to Brand, who's potential has been maxed out, Smith has a chance to become a top 20 NBA player. Oh, the possibilities. Below are two videos of Smith and Iguodala to give you an idea on what it would be like to watch them dunk on people's skulls while wearing the same uniform. It's orgasmic. Updates as the come. Later.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VfTeZ4r3Srw

http://sixersoul.blogspot.com/