At 14-50, the Sixers have put together more wins than most would have imagined. Even after trading Michael Carter-Williams and K.J. McDaniels, the team powers on and fights every night. The man behind all of the Sixers plans is Sam Hinkie. His plan is clear – compile draft picks and put together a team of young talent that can compete for years to come. Until he finds the talent that fits, he'll likely keep making deals.
One of the men on the forefront of the Sixers news is Philadelphia Inquirer reporter, Keith Pompey. Covering everything from pre and post game reports to player analysis, Pompey has been with the Inquirer since 2004. He recently took over the Sixers beat in 2013.
Sixerdelphia's Brandon Apter had the opportunity to speak with Pompey about the teams trade deadline moves and what the future may hold for some players.
A lot happened at the trade deadline. Most surprisingly, the trade of MCW. Do you think it was worth the risk or was MCW not given enough time to develop?
I do believe it was worth the risk to trade Michael Carter0Williams. I actually don't think Carter-Williams was a good long-term fit with the Sixers. They need a PG that can consistently hit the outside jumpers. He can't.
In nine games since joining Milwaukee, MCW has averaged 14.9 points, 5.9 assists, 3.9 rebounds and two steals per game. Thursday night against Indiana, the 23-year-old scored 28 points, grabbed eight rebounds to go along with four assists and four steals in his best game with the Bucks.
The Sixers replacements for MCW have been a combination of Isaiah Canaan, acquired from the Rockets in the K.J. McDaniels trade, and Ish Smith, a waiver acquisition. Sam Hinkie and Brett Brown seemed very high on Isaiah Canaan. Drafted 34th overall by the Rockets in the 2013 draft, Canaan is now the starting point man for the Sixers. In just under 30 minutes per game, he's averaging 14.2 points, 3.5 assists and three rebounds. He's also shooting over 40% from three-point range. On March 4th against Oklahoma City, Canaan made eight of 13 from beyond the arc, including his first five to start the game.
Meanwhile, Ish Smith, who has been known to be erratic with the ball, is really coming into his own nicely with the Sixers. In nine games since coming to Philadelphia, including one start, Smith is averaging 10.8 points and 5.6 assists per game.
How do you think a duo of MCW and Jabari Parker will work out moving forward?
I believe MCW and Jabari Parker will work well together. I believe Milwaukee is a betterfit for Carter-Williams. This gives him the opportunity to just focus on running an offense and getting to the rim. Plus, he's playing under a future Hall of Farmer in Jason Kidd, who will only help his game.
Does the K.J. McDaniels deal somewhat indicate that the Sixers may not have been confident he would sign with them beyond this season?
I wouldn't say they weren't confident in signing him, because he was a restricted free agent. I just think he may demand more money than they were willing to pay him.
Whatever the case may be, the trade with the Rockets didn't work out in favor of McDaniels, who has seen playing time in just five games since being dealt. When with the Sixers, McDaniels was averaging 9.2 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.3 blocks in 25.4 minutes per game. With the Rockets, K.J. has averaged under three minutes of floor time in his five games of action.
Which NBA player, past or present, could you relate Dario Saric's skill set to? Do you believe he will eventually come to the Sixers?
I would need to see more on Dario to attempt to compare him to another player. I do believe he will become a Sixer, just not this upcoming season.
In 35 games between the Turkish Basketball League and Euroleague, Saric is averaging 15.3 points, 8.4 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 1.3 steals per 36 minutes of action.
What are your thoughts on Kyle Korver's historic season and Andre Iguodala's role with the Warriors?
It's great for Kyle. But I'm not surprised. He's always been a great shooter. In regards to Andre, I think it says a lot of his coach to be able to get him to buy into his reserve role.
Korver was a sharp-shooter from beyond the arc when he donned a Sixers uniform, but has really been rolling this year for the Hawks. He leads the league in three-point shooting, draining 50.1% of his shots. When with the Sixers, Andre Iguodala was more known for his defense than his scoring, but was pushed into the scoring role anyways. Since joining Golden State last season, Iguodala has settled into a reserve role. This season, he's averaging 7.5 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.9 assists in just over 27 minutes per game. He averaged 35+ minutes per game in seven out of his eight seasons with the Sixers.
Stay tuned for Part II of Sixerdelphia's Q&A with Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
