The Philadelphia 76ers came into this season with reasonable expectations of becoming a championship contending team. This goal is not far fetched but with their ups and downs during the beginning of the 2012-2013 season, they need to make some changes and redefine certain goals to achieve the contending status this season.
Personnel Goals The first and primary concern is Andrew Bynum. He needs to play in the regular season, period. Granted he would get another big contract with that play but also because he would compliment nearly every other player on the Sixers, free most up as Bynum would most likely get a lot of double-teams, and the entire playbook would be modeled around him. He needs to play, period.
The second concern that I see is a solid backup for Jrue Holiday. Not that I want to plan on him being injured but this is a concern and especially in a long playoff run, we need to be certain that we have a solid PG behind Holiday just incase.
Shooting GoalsThe 76ers are 25th in free throw percentage (72.5) and only get to the line an average of 18 times per game, second worst in the league. With a low free throw percentage and nearly worst in the league at drawing fouls, they need to penetrate deeper and ensure that they get more opportunities at the line to correct both of these statistics, and quickly.
Speaking of penetrating and drawing fouls, the young guns on the team need to start making smarter decisions when they have the ball and before they take a shot. The transition game is an area of comfort but the half-court play needs to be added to that list. For example their field goal percentage is a measly 23rd in the league and their shooting percentage is a marginal 43.8. Spencer Hawes gets carried away with too many long shots, Nick Young takes ill-advised shots from the outside, and Evan Turner can make better decisions on his shot selection. As a whole, these unnecessary shots add up to several wastes of possessions and missed points throughout the game.
Overall GoalsThe Sixers need to define their play and do so with consistency. They have proven that they are capable of beating elite teams but have also showed their unrefined side with losses to the Pistons and Cavaliers. Their season started at 10-6, after losing 11 out of 15 and most notably a six-game losing streak, they need to redefine their rhythm and consistently play up to par. In conjunction, let's continue to see Holiday and Turner mature into their 'great' player roles as they both look to prove their worth.
