Sixers Round Table Day #2: An Optimistic Look Forward

Mar 21, 2013; Denver, CO, USA; Philadelphia 76ers players Jrue Holiday (11) , Dorell Wright (4) , and Thaddeus Young (21) react during the second half against the Denver Nuggets at the Pepsi Center. The Nuggets won 101-100. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports

As promised, this is the second day of a ten day round table regarding the Sixers. Each person featured answered ten questions, and we’ll bring you their answers to a different question every day.

We asked each member of our staff, along with fans and some of the biggest writers in the nation what the most disappointing part of the 2012-2013 season was already. To see their answers, read yesterday’s round table.

Today’s question: “What, if anything, are you optimistic about looking forward?”

Below are everyone’s answers.

"“Well, Jrue Holiday’s pretty good, isn’t he? There are so many elite point guards in the NBA these days that it’s tough to stay competitive without one unless you also have LeBron James. The Sixers have one of the most promising PG talents in the league, and they got him on a pretty great value for the next four years.”"

– USA TODAY Sports NBA Writer Sean Highkin

"“Jrue Holiday was an All-Star and Thad Young had his best year as a pro.”"

– Chuck Bausman, Sports Editor at Philly Daily News

"“Jrue Holiday. This season, we learned that he has the ability to be a very good point guard in this league for the next 10 years.”"

– Roy Burton, Bleacher Report and SB Nation

"“The Sixers have a couple very nice young pieces in Jrue Holiday and (Saint) Thaddeus Young. Both guys have a lot of ability and would be perfect compliments to a dominant scorer either inside or outside. If they can add that type player (the player they thought Bynum would be) then Sixers fans should be reasonably optimistic.”"

– Robby Kalland, SB Nation

"“Jrue Holiday definitely has been a cause for optimism this season. Whether Bynum was healthy or not, I don’t think anyone expected what Holiday did this season, setting career-highs in points, rebounds and assists per game and being selected as an All-Star. He’s been pretty awful over the last few weeks of the season, but it’s also the first time he’s logged this many minutes and had this much responsibility for an entire season. He’s even come out and said that the wear and tear of this season has surprised him and he’s worn down. Going forward, I think you have to be excited about what this guy can do for the Sixers. He is just 22 years old. I think what Thaddeus Young has done this season has some merit as well. He’s pretty much who he has always been offensively, an efficient and smart scorer. What I’ve really liked about Young this season, though, is how much more active he’s been on the glass and on defense than he has been in years past. He seems to have worked on his rebounding technique and is more aggressive on the boards. He’s also becoming a smarter defender and has obviously worked on his ability to jump passing lanes. That’s definitely got to count as a positive for this season and for the future.”"

– Cody Williams, Rant Sports

"“The young core of Jrue Holiday and Thad Young is a great reason for Sixers fans to keep the faith.  After the Andrew Bynum experiment this season, it is time to build a team around Holiday and Young for the future.  I am also not quite ready to run Evan Turner out of town, and I think it will be interesting to see if Turner can grow under a new coach.”"

– Matt Buesing, Fire and Ice Radio

"“The Sixers led by Holiday and Young.  I want to see the continued growth of Jrue Holiday.  He was great for 3/4 of the season and very much deserving of his All Star selection.  His play down the stretch of the season dropped off and I attribute that to tired legs.  He’s a young guy and was asked to carry a very large load for a team that struggled to put the ball in the basket.  Going forward, I expect Jrue to get stronger physically and mentally, and play at a high level for an entire 82 game season.  Also, Thad Young proved to be so valuable to this team because of his effort and energy everytime he stepped on the court.  No matter the situation, Thad brought it each night and was a joy to watch.  I expect his effort to continue to shine in years to come and I think he will continue to evolve as a leader.”"

– Greg Duca, Fire and Ice Radio

"“I’m optimistic to see Jrue and Thad grow together. Hopefully the Sixers can trade Turner for a solid big in the offseason.”"

– Jeff McMenamin, Sixers Columnist at Philadunkia

"“Thad. In his 5th year, Thad put up his best numbers of his career, averaging 15 points and 7.5 boards while shooting 53% from the floor. The man is a beast and I love watching him play. Interestingly enough, Thad played tremendous on Fridays, averaging 17.5 points and 9 boards on a whopping 59% from the floor. There’s something to say about a guy whose willing to show up to work on a Friday night, and give it his full effort, because I sure don’t when I work Fridays.”"

– Sports Pro, Average Bro & Sports Pro

"“Now that they have Jrue Holiday’s older brother, I’m pretty psyched to see the T-shirts that people come up with. Plus the brother thing is working for the Upton’s right now so there’s that.”"

– Average Bro, Average Bro & Sports Pro

"“Whether the organization can make the right moves. Hire the right athletes to pursue and find better opportunities that don’t include Kwame Brown, Andrew Bynum and Spencer Hawes.”"

– Danny Solis, The Sixer Sense

"“The near future (1-3 years) looks grim. I can’t say I’m excited about what will happen. They have money but the FA class is rather weak and I fear the Sixers will spend money on players that won’t really take the team to the championship level. Instead, it’ll be just to be relevant, as usual.”"

– Dante Nelson, The Sixer Sense

"“Unfortunately, there is nothing specific that I am optimistic about going into next season. There is too much uncertainty to pinpoint a bright spot of the future, besides of course Jrue. That being said, the extensive minutes and pressure of this season got to Jrue towards the end, and that’s too scary of a prospect to not hope his role is eased a bit next year. Anyway, I’m optimistic and hopeful that the front office makes some kind of move(s) that promote long-term success over immediate 6, 7, 8-seed mediocrity, and get Jrue some help before he gets run to the ground. More optimistic thoughts will come in the offseason after the future is a bit more clear.”"

– E.J. Aguado, The Sixer Sense

"“The two things I am looking forward to are Jrue Holiday and Arnett Moultrie. Holiday is an all star point guard that has great court vision and has a well rounded game. Moultrie is still very raw but has the potential to be a solid power forward in this game. Hopefully next year’s coach will play him more minutes so he can develop.”"

– Scott Boutcher, The Sixer Sense

"“As bad as this past season has gone for the organization, I am still optimistic for the team’s future. Jrue Holiday has proven his value around the league and was selected to his first All-Star team.  While it will be sad to see Doug go, I think the team can use a change of direction. With a new coach, I am excited to see if Collins was a factor in the lack of Evan Turner’s development. The Sixers have many options this summer, with a ton of cap space, a lottery draft pick, and many tradable assets. The future may not be as bright to some fans, bu there are reasons to be optimistic heading into this summer.”"

– Steve Garlatti, The Sixer Sense

"“Jrue. Other than that, not so much really. I think the Sixers are going to try to blow it up this season. Trade Evan, Thad, and hope some one takes Kwame in a deal. I think Dorell and Swaggy are both gone. The Sixers will have some money though; So there’s that.”"

– Spencer Layman, The Sixer Sense

Now that we’ve given you some expert opinions, here’s a look at some responses from fans via the Twitter world.

That’s it for the second day here at The Sixer Sense Round Table, thanks for reading! Stay tuned for tomorrow’s edition, a look at the Sixers’ best win of the season.