They ate pancakes. Dry.
- PhillySportsGuy

True story: During the 2012-13 lockout season, an NHL figure who has known Garth Snow for many years mentioned MacDonald -- in a casual way, not probing for info -- as a player he liked.

Snow half-jokingly responded, "Yeah, and hands off. We're not trading him."

Of course, UFA eligibility, a terrible Islanders season in 2013-14 and the Islanders asking him to do too much this year changed that picture.

But, yes, MacDonald is pretty well-regarded by people from at least several different organizations.
- bmeltzer

*waits for chest beating post

i'm confident there was a beverage
- -davies-

Who is better, Carle or MacD?

The 76ers are patiently building a machine. A machine built to last years and contend perennially. A machine not centered around one player but a machine built upon a foundation of suffocating, team-oriented defense and fundamental execution. Every move they have made is with this longterm goal in mind. They are committed and prepared to take the heat from the local and national media as they continue to slowly build this the right, patient way.
- Crimsoninja

And Plind

They ate pancakes. Dry.
- PhillySportsGuy

Heathens

People either love him or they hate him.

Or they think he's okay.
- jmatchett383

Who is better, Carle or MacD?
- nails

Carle

Who is better, Carle or MacD?
- nails

Carle every day of the week. Except Sunday. He's bad on Sundays

Yandle is available once again, but once again the prices are "Too damn high!"
- EastBeast18

Im over this rumor...Yandle isn't getting traded

- jak521

I can't take credit, that's a Mitch Hedberg special.

Heathens
- jmatchett383

Lots of dry heathening

Who believes the Flyers already have a deal done and it will be announced at the draft?
- GOA88

Im calling it now! Kasperi Kapanen will be a Flyer!

Im calling it now! Darius Kasparitis will be a Flyer!
- MrBigglesworth

ftfy

I can't take credit, that's a Mitch Hedberg special.
- jmatchett383

If you didn't source that joke, you'd be dead to me.

*waits for chest beating post
- funmaster18

If you didn't source that joke, you'd be dead to me.
- PhillySportsGuy

Well, I did put a spin on it (changed "us" to "him") but, yeah.

The NBA is a league where you need at least 1 superstar to be a real threat, and you need to build around that superstar with good supporting players. The Sixers are going nowhere, but they're going there at the speed they dictate.
- jmatchett383

the sixers have the most cap space in the league.
2 guys that could have been #1 overall picks and can affect the game on both ends of the court.
a 6'6 rookie of the year pg.
and likely a top 6-7 pick next year.

they are completely en route to bringing this plan to fruition.
but please, continue to hate everything they are trying to do. im sure it must be fun.

Ok Bill, put on your GM cap....Weighing everything you just wrote and where you think the flyers current situation is, would you do that deal?
- nonpoint22

Conditionally, yes.

1) I would not be willing to take more than a tiny amount of VL's salary on my cap if I am also sending a second-round 2015 pick as an incentive, and

2) I would like to feel reasonably confident that I could replace that asset by getting another team's 2015 second-round pick in a separate trade at some point by next year's draft.

If I could do those things, then yes despite the bad optics of it.

The 76ers are patiently building a machine. A machine built to last years and contend perennially. A machine not centered around one player but a machine built upon a foundation of suffocating, team-oriented defense and fundamental execution. Every move they have made is with this longterm goal in mind. They are committed and prepared to take the heat from the local and national media as they continue to slowly build this the right, patient way.
- Crimsoninja

Holy poop Crims... this is the best post you have ever graced us with.

Its well thought out and put together, and is dead on.

Way to go little fella.

I disagree. I think there's a number of defenseman on top contending teams that look a lot better then they actually are, because of one, the true top pairing players that play huge minutes in front of them. And the team structure and play in support of those defenseman. MacDonald is not a 3rd pair defenseman by any metric.
- MJL

See my thinking is if Berube can institute his system and the team buys in the team d should be better. If your helping the d out it makes any teams defensemen look good. People seem to forget there are a lot of moving parts. Macdonlds ability to make a good first pass should help getting this team out fo their own zone. Also wihe D we have we may not have the true number one but they can all play a role to succeed with the collection they have

the sixers have the most cap space in the league.
2 guys that could have been #1 overall picks and can affect the game on both ends of the court.
a 6'6 rookie of the year pg.
and likely a top 6-7 pick next year.

they are completely en route to bringing this plan to fruition.
but please, continue to hate everything they are trying to do. im sure it must be fun.
- Crimsoninja

You have no idea how fun it is mocking that joke of a franchise. How anyone can have any form of high hopes for a team that just tied the league record for a losing streak and missed out on a top-2 pick is beyond me.

the sixers have the most cap space in the league.
2 guys that could have been #1 overall picks and can affect the game on both ends of the court.
a 6'6 rookie of the year pg.
and likely a top 6-7 pick next year.

they are completely en route to bringing this plan to fruition.
but please, continue to hate everything they are trying to do. im sure it must be fun.
- Crimsoninja

I hope they get some talent to play this season though. I'm not saying I want a star, but I don't want to see 26 losses in a row again.

Conditionally, yes.

1) I would not be willing to take more than a tiny amount of VL's salary on my cap if I am also sending a second-round 2015 pick as an incentive, and

2) I would like to feel reasonably confident that I could replace that asset by getting another team's 2015 second-round pick in a separate trade at some point by next year's draft.

If I could do those things, then yes despite the bad optics of it.
- bmeltzer

They're already in a position where a trade down wouldn't be the worst thing in the world.

the sixers have the most cap space in the league.
2 guys that could have been #1 overall picks and can affect the game on both ends of the court.
a 6'6 rookie of the year pg.
and likely a top 6-7 pick next year.

they are completely en route to bringing this plan to fruition.
but please, continue to hate everything they are trying to do. im sure it must be fun.
- Crimsoninja

Having a defensive down low combo of Noel and Embiid might be the scariest the league has seen in a long time. Embiid's offensive potential, combined with his freak athletic ability really does mean that he is just scratching the surface. He truly is the total package for a C.

MCW is a true gamer.

Having a Greg Popovich trained Brett Brown behind the bench is also a fantastic thing. Look at how many in their prime, top of the world superstars the Spurs had this year. No wonder they were able to completely embarrass that team oriented Heat squad.