Philadelphia 76ers 2012-13 NBA Preview

Photo Credit: Keith Allison, Flickr.com

Philadelphia 76ers

2011-12 Vitals:

35-31, 3rd in Atlantic Division, 8th in Eastern Conference
93.6 PPG/89.4 OPP PPG

2012-13 Roster:

Lavoy Allen – PF
Kwame Brown – C
Andrew Bynum – C
Spencer Hawes – C
Jrue Holiday – PG
Royal Ivey – PG
Arnett Moultrie – PF
Jason Richardson – SG
Evan Turner – SG
Maalik Wayns – PG
Dorell Wright – SF
Nick Young – SG
Thaddeus Young – F

Offseason Additions:

Andrew Bynum, Jason Richardson, Nick Young, Dorell Wright, Kwame Brown, Arnett Moultrie, Royal Ivey

Offseason Subtractions:

Andre Iguodala, Elton Brand, Lou Williams, Moe Harkless, Nikola Vucevic

Projected Starters:

PG – Jrue Holiday
SG – Jason Richardson
SF – Evan Turner
PF – Spencer Hawes
C – Andrew Bynum

Season Outlook:

The Philadelphia 76ers had an up-and-down 2011-12 season, but finished strong with an upset over the No. 1 seed Chicago Bulls, then took the Boston Celtics to seven games before bowing out.

With newly-acquired Andrew Bynum at the helm, the 76ers offense should improve, but it came at the cost of defense. Losing Andre Iguodala will prove to be a big loss, as he was their best perimeter defender and emotional leader.

The 76ers added shooters to give Bynum room to maneuver in the paint. That inside-outside game works well when everyone produces and is on board. Will Bynum play angry, with a chip on his shoulder? Or, will he become detatched at the first sign of trouble?

Best-Case Scenario:

Bynum plays angry and the rest of the squad follows suit. The 76ers make it all the way up to the No. 4 seed, and win their first round playoff series. The second round isn’t so kind, as the 76ers can’t stack up to the Pacers, Celtics or Heat.

Worst-Case Scenario:

The first tough stretch causes Bynum to show the same kind of emotional fragility that he did with the Los Angeles Lakers. The team badly misses their leader in Iguodala, and the 76ers miss the playoffs and wonder if they made the right choice.

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