FanHouse Preview: 76ers

FanHouse previews all 30 NBA teams in advance of the 2009-10 season.

The Philadelphia 76ers have a new coach, a new system and even a new player, kind of.

What they don't have, however, is a point guard to bring it all together.

The Sixers' most significant offseason move was hiring Eddie Jordan, who will bring along with him an offensive philosophy less about isolation and more about movement and flow.

It's possible the Sixers can improve on their .500 season from a year ago. But the responsibility for that happening will fall largely on power forward Elton Brand and guard Louis Williams. That's where the skepticism comes in.

Brand missed most of last season with a shoulder injury, and quite frankly, the vultures are beginning to circle around his career. His game has always been the subject of debate, with his supporters citing his impressive individual numbers and his detractors pointing out he's played in one playoff series in 10 years.

The more tangible issue is what Brand really has left and how effective he'll be in Jordan's offense, one that doesn't necessarily stress dumping the ball into the low post. For sure, Brand won't have the kind of role in Philly that he thought he'd have when he signed last offseason for $82 million. Nor should he.

Williams is also going to have a big say in the 76ers' season. The hope was that last year Williams would embrace the point guard position while splitting time with Andre Miller. That happened to a lesser degree than many had hoped, and now this season there is no Miller to lean on.

In some ways Williams is like a poor man's Monta Ellis -- a scoring guard through and through and not ideally equipped to concern himself with all the things successful point guards usually concern themselves with. But Williams is well ahead of rookie point guard Jrue Holiday so there's really no choice in the matter.

Still, there's a roster to work with here, and Jordan can coach. Andre Igoudala isn't perfect, but he's pretty good. And the hope is that Thaddeus Young, who took a nice step last season, continues to do the same in 2009-10.

Trading for Jason Kapono was an under-the-radar move but should help a team that was awful -- last in the league -- from beyond the three-point line a year ago. Samuel Dalembert is sometimes maligned, but he's more solution than problem.

The one thing Philadelphia did this offseason was hold the line financially. After committing big money to Brand with little return, and also having re-signed Iguodala and Williams, it's been about getting the money under control. That's why re-signing Miller was never seriously considered.

More was less in 2008-09 for the Sixers. This year they'll try for less is more.

Last Season By the Numbers

Record: 41-41 (9-14 under Mo Cheeks, 32-37 under Tony DiLeo). Finished 2nd in the Atlantic Division, tied for 6th in the Eastern Conference. Eliminated by Orlando (4-2) in first round.

Offense: 107.9 points per 100 possessions, 19th in the NBA. 24th in shooting, 20th in turnover rate, 2nd in offensive rebounding, 4th in free throw rate.

Defense: 107.8 points per 100 possessions, 13th in the NBA. 19th in shooting defense, 3rd in opponent turnover rate, 26th in defensive rebounding, 9th in opponent free throw rate.

Top Performers: Andre Iguodala led the team in scoring (18.8 points per game) and steals (1.6). Andre Miller was the top assister at 6.5 per game. In limited play, Elton Brand led the team with 8.8 rebounds per game; Samuel Dalembert played all 82 games and averaged 8.5 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game.

All statistics via Basketball-Reference.com.

Player to Watch

FanHouse's Matt Moore and Tom Ziller preview one player to watch from each team. Here's a snippet of Ziller's post on Sixers guard Louis Williams.

Chauncey Billups has never been mistaken for John Stockton, yet he has an NBA Championship. Tony Parker is a scoring point guard ... and he has three NBA Championships.

Now, Lou Williams is not Chauncey Billups and he is not Tony Parker. But the lesson applies: if a team has players who can create shots effectively, they don't need a priest at the point guard position. A little sinful shooting can be tolerated. Mix in that new coach Eddie Jordan has imported the decentralized Princeton offense, and ... hey, Lou Williams: you're a point guard in my book.

See Ziller's full post on Williams.

Offseason Tracker

IN: Jrue Holiday (draft), Jason Kapono (trade).

OUT: Andre Miller (free agency), Reggie Evans (trade).