Late yesterday we all learned that Steve Nash has officially been ruled out of the 2014-15 season for the Los Angeles Lakers because of the nerve damage that has led to years of back and leg pains.  The announcement was a bit of a shock given that in late-September at the start of training camp, Nash had the following to say about his health, “A lot better.  A lot different, even…I feel healthier mentally for sure.”

Still, Nash had seen limited minutes for the Lakers in this preseason and there were rumors swirling about continued health issues for #10.  So there was some writing on the wall prior to the official announcement.

This setback has likely ended the playing career of a certain first ballot Hall of Famer and one of the most entertaining floor generals in modern NBA history.  However, 76ers fans who truly love the game can take solace in the fact that in what was likely Nash’s final game played here in Philadelphia, that star point guard put on performance that could go down as the best outing of his final season in the League.

After the jump, highlights and a few facts about Nash’s last game here in Philly.

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As the 109-103 loss in Detroit last night further proved, the 76ers are going to struggle to win many games in 2014-15.  To be honest being competitive every night is going to be a huge challenge for Brett Brown and his troops.  That will be especially true in games where Michael Carter Williams and/or Nerlens Noel are sidelined.  On those nights, the Sixers will be absolutely unwatchable.

So given how bad the 7-6 will be this season — Vegas has set the over/under for wins at 15.5 — why not make the losses significantly more interesting each night by laying a few benjamins on some player prop bets.

After the jump, we list a number of player prop bets you can place with our friends at Bovada.lv.

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The 76ers stand at 2-5 this preseason and matchup with the improved Detroit Pistons lies ahead on Thursday night.  After missing 3 games because of a respiratory infection, it appears Nerlens Noel (8.7 points & 8.7 rebounds per this preseason) will return to the lineup vs. the Pistons and look to scrape more of the rust of his game.  As Brett Brown’s “all of October” training camp rolls on, we are going to continue to discuss a number of topics that deserved to be examined as the team draws closer to the tip off of the regular “double tank” season.

As you probably know by now, this Philadunkia series will ask and analyze key questions Sam Hinkie, Brett Brown and the Sixers will be facing as the 2014-15 regular season opener approaches.  Each day a question will be posed to three Philadunkia scribes — Jeff McMenamin, Michael Kaskey-Blomain and C. Smith — and their insightful answers (hopefully) will be posted for you the reader to view and comment on.

Today we present the 10th installment in our series with the question…“Where will the 76ers offensive production come from in 2014-15?“

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Yesterday on Philly.com there was a story by Joe Juliano about the 76ers their struggles from behind the 3-point.  In the article/post coach Brown basically acknowledged that the Sixers don’t have the shooters to be successful from deep, but also noted that he will continue to encourage this roster to hoist up 3-point attempts.

Here are a couple of interesting quotes by Brown on the Sixers and the 3-pointer:

“I hope we make more.”

“I know we’re not really a three-point shooting team.”

“We knew it was going to be a problem…It’s just part of development to encourage them to shoot.  I want them shooting threes and I want them feeling that they can.”

Why I ask?

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Last night up in Syracuse the 76ers lost another preseason game and their record fell to 1-3 this month.  Nerlens Noel (12 & 11) and Henry Sims (10 & 7) posted solid performances against the Knicks, but it remains painfully obvious that the 76ers have a great deal to work on.  So as Brett Brown’s “all of October” training camp rolls on, we are going to continue to discuss a number of topics that deserved to be examined as the team draws closer to the tip off of the regular “double tank” season.

As you probably know by now, this Philadunkia series will ask and analyze key questions Sam Hinkie, Brett Brown and the Sixers will be facing as the 2014-15 regular season opener approaches.  Each day a question will be posed to three Philadunkia scribes — Jeff McMenamin, Michael Kaskey-Blomain and C. Smith — and their insightful answers (hopefully) will be posted for you the reader to view and comment on.

Today we present the 8th installment in our series with the question…“Which player will be a pleasant surprise for this team coming out of Brown’s extended training camp?“

 
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“If it was up to me, I’d be out there playing right now.  I want to be out there.  I feel unbelievable.  I feel 100%.  I’m plenty ahead of schedule.”

According to a number of Twitter feeds run by the 76ers’ beat writers, those are the words of Michael Carter-Williams after the Sixers workout at PCOM yesterday.

The shocking part about MCW’s comments is that just last Thursday afternoon, Sixers Head Coach Brett Brown had this to say about MCW, “We haven’t completely wrapped (MCW) up in cotton wool but almost. … He’s still a ways away (from scrimmaging).”

Brown also mentioned that there is no timetable for MCW’s return, but at least a few weeks is to be expected.  Given the franchise’s recent history on dealing with injured players, we’re betting that it will be even longer than that before we see #1 in action for your 2014-15 76ers.

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It may only be two preseason games against non-title contending Boston and Charlotte, but Sixers fans have every right to be optimistic about how guard Tony Wroten has performed on offense over the last two contests.  Wroten has not only been the top scorer both nights, 19 points against the Celtics and 15 points against the Hornets, but his decision making and level of control over his game appears drastically improved.  If this change is not temporary, and Wroten has matured as a player, then his presence could have a positive impact on the court for the 76ers this year.

We all knew TWroe has the ability to score in the League, so his point production against the Celtics and Hornets does not come as a surprise.  What is noticeably different about his play during the small preseason sample is that Wroten appears less prone to mental lapses.

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The first preseason game for Philadunkia’s home team is in the books and after Monday night’s very disappointing effort in Boston, it’s obvious the 76ers have a great deal to work on during the rest of Training Camp 2014.  As Brett Brown’s “all of October” training camp period continues, we are going to continue to discuss a number of topics that deserved to be examined as the team draws closer to the tip off of the regular “double tank” season.

In this Philadunkia series we will ask and analyze key questions Sam Hinkie, Brett Brown and the Sixers will be facing as the 2014-15 regular season opener approaches.  Each day a question will be posed to three Philadunkia scribes — Jeff McMenamin, Michael Kaskey-Blomain and C. Smith — and their insightful answers (hopefully) will be posted for you the reader to view and comment on.

Today we present the seventh installment in our series with the question…“Who will win the opening night start at shooting guard?”

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The first week of Training Camp 2014 for Philadunkia’s home team wrapped up this weekend and the 76ers then traveled to Boston for tonight’s for preseason opener with the Celtics.  However, since Brett Brown views “all of October” as the training camp period, we are going to continue to discuss a number of topics that deserved to be examined as the team draws closer to the tip off of the “double tank” season.

Today we present the sixth installment in our series here at Philadunkia that will ask and analyze key questions Sam Hinkie, Brett Brown and the Sixers will be facing as the 2014-15 regular season opener approaches.  Each day a question will be posed to three Philadunkia scribes — Jeff McMenamin, Michael Kaskey-Blomain and C. Smith — and their insightful answers (hopefully) will be posted for you the reader to view and comment on.

Today’s training camp question is…“At training camp, will Brett Brown and his staff make an honest effort to teach this group legitimate team defense?”

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