Filed under: Basketball, Film, NBA, Thaddeus Young | Tags: Andre Iguodala, Basketball, Elton Brad, Film, Los Olvidados, Louis Williams, Luis Buñuel, Marreese Speights, NBA, Philadelphia 76ers, Thaddeus Young
And now, a clip from Luis Buñuel’s 1950 film, Los Olvidados (The Forgotten Ones):
Disturbing, no?
The 2008-2009 Philadelphia 76ers are represented quite nicely in this clip. Don’t see it?
The disabled man is the Sixers. Sure, at one point, when the man was young and full of energy, he held promise and showed potential to become something great. He was expected to achieve any expectations that were bestowed upon him. But what happened? He became disabled and those expectations and the promise were thrown out.
Same goes for the team. After the Brand signing, they skyrocketed up power rankings and season projections. The Sixers were expected to be in the top three of the Eastern Confrence, if not challenge for the title. Those promises haven’t exactly panned out. Four months and one coach later, they stand at 13-20, good enough for tenth place in the confrence. While teams such as Orlando and Atlanta were leapfrogging them in the standings, Phila was crippled by Brand’s inablity to run and his ultimate injury; the former killing what made the team so exciting and promising last year and the latter taking away any positives that would have resulted from signing EB in the first place. They’ve been bullied by such “children” in the league as Minnesota (L 96-102), Toronto (L 84-94), Charlotte (L 84-93), and Chicago (L 92-103).
Perhaps a healthy Brand will improve the team to playoff caliber. Perhaps Iguodala will begin to produce and live up to his massive contract. Perhaps Thaddeus Young, Marreese Speights, and Louis Williams will carry the team on their young backs. Perhaps all will happen, perhaps none will happen. Regardless, this team will be interesting to follow to the end of 08-09.
