Monthly Archive November 2012

DEFENDING THE EXTENSION

Posted by: Hank Allingham
11/20/12 9:17 am EST

As fellow Philadunkia writer Steve Toll will tell you, the 4 year, $41 million extension given to Jrue Holiday was met with mixed feelings from fans of the 76ers. First, let’s agree that $41 million is certainly a lot of money to guarantee a player that has only one season under his belt with a PER higher than the league average of 15.

However, because Jrue is in the middle of his fourth NBA season, it is often overlooked that he is still just 22 years old, meaning jumps in both productivity and efficiency are not only possible, they are likely. Combine this with the fact that at least a dozen teams will have enough cap space to add a max contract this off-season, and it’s safe to say that Jrue would’ve gotten a larger offer as a restricted free agent than he signed with the 76ers.

Thus, if the team had let Jrue enter restricted free agency, which some argue they should have, they would have two options: Let him walk to another team, or pay him at a higher level than they locked him up for now.

GM 10: RAPID REACTS

Posted by: Tom Sunnergren
11/18/12 9:18 pm EST

Cleveland Cavaliers

FinalRecap | Box Score

Philadelphia 76ers

	Thaddeus Young, SF 37 MIN \| 3-9 FG \| 1-2 FT \| 6 REB \| 0 AST \| 7 PTS \| +1 Thad had his hands full with Anderson Varejao and was invisible for most of the night. Next to Detroit, his worst performance so far.
	Evan Turner, SG 40 MIN \| 8-12 FG \| 2-2 FT \| 6 REB \| 9 AST \| 19 PTS \| +10 Wow. Just a superlative performance by ET. His shot was falling early (he was 5-of-7 at the half ), and as it often does, it galvanized him. He chipped in six rebounds (all in the second half) and a career high nine-assists.
	Kwame Brown, C 9 MIN \| 0-0 FG \| 0-0 FT \| 0 REB \| 0 AST \| 0 PTS \| -8 “Kwame Brown is just a big body” I think I remember Mark Zumoff tossing off at some point. That was the best you could say about him tonight.
	Jrue Holiday, PG 37 MIN \| 6-14 FG \| 0-0 FT \| 4 REB \| 9 AST \| 14 PTS \| +5 From the first quarter onward, Jrue scored 11 points with six assists against a single turnover and held Kyrie Irving to two points on 1-of-8 shooting. He was, obviously, tremendous defensively. His strip of Kyrie with 1:50 left was the icing on the cake.
	Jason Richardson, SG 34 MIN \| 5-14 FG \| 0-0 FT \| 9 REB \| 3 AST \| 12 PTS \| +5 Another very good, very balanced performance by the guy who’s been, so far, the best piece the Sixers landed in the Iguodala trade. Feels like it’s been ages since the Sixers had a consistent veteran perimeter threat, doesn’t it?
	Lavoy Allen, PF 22 MIN \| 0-5 FG \| 2-2 FT \| 3 REB \| 3 AST \| 2 PTS \| +12 After a pair of encouraging performances against the Pistons and Jazz (24 points and 14 rebounds in total) LA returned to form against the Cavs.
	Dorell Wright, SF 12 MIN \| 1-4 FG \| 0-0 FT \| 4 REB \| 1 AST \| 3 PTS \| -7 After an occasionally terrific start to the season (better than advertised defensively; intermittently explosive on O) Wright seems to have found his way back into Doug Collins’ doghouse. He’s played just 17 minutes combined the last two games after never playing fewer than 20 in the first eight. Someone please explain this to me.
	Spencer Hawes, C 28 MIN \| 5-13 FG \| 3-4 FT \| 9 REB \| 1 AST \| 14 PTS \| +9 Spence was an assassin down the stretch on Sunday, scoring nine points in the fourth quarter with a pair of blocked shots and a 3-pointer for good measure. Each time the Cavs threatened, he did something improbable and helpful.
	Royal Ivey, PG 6 MIN \| 1-3 FG \| 0-0 FT \| 0 REB \| 1 AST \| 2 PTS \| +3 Everyone’s least favorite backup point guard scored just a bucket, but it was a big one. With the Cavs charging early in the fourth he scored a layup off an Evan Turner assist to push the Sixer lead back to seven.
	Nick Young, SG 16 MIN \| 5-6 FG \| 1-2 FT \| 0 REB \| 0 AST \| 13 PTS \| +5 It was falling tonight. Swaggy was in the midst of his best performance of the season until what’s been reported as a “dizzy” spell took him from the game. He scored ten of his 13 in 11 very good first half minutes.

AN IMMODEST PROPOSAL: SHUT ‘EM DOWN

Posted by: Tom Sunnergren
11/17/12 10:50 am EST

“Never waste a good crisis”

-Rahm Emanuel

While it’s still unclear to non-experts in quixotic German plasma injection therapies (this is probably most of our readership) what exactly is going on inside of the right, and now left, knee of Andrew Bynum, this much is: he won’t be playing basketball again until, in all likelihood, the new year.

This is terrible news that presents a tremendous opportunity.

KNEE JERK REACTS

Posted by: Philadunkia
11/16/12 1:32 pm EST

Earlier this week the 76ers announced that Andrew Bynum’s debut will not occur until January as Bynum continues to recover from a bone bruise in his right knee. The 7-6’s medical staff is taking a very cautious approach to his recovery and is hoping that he can begin practicing in December and the finally see game action in the middle of January.

As we all know, Bynum was acquired by the Sixers in a four-team deal this past summer, but has yet to even practice with the team because of his knee issues. The lingering knee problem Bynum is experiencing has a been a big topic of discussion here at the Philadunkia offices for weeks and this latest news has only fueled our fears that Bynum is not remotely close to taking the floor.

So, we decided to assemble some of our thoughts on Bynum’s knee into a post and vent them to you the readers after the jump.

HAIR WE GO…

Posted by: Philadunkia
11/15/12 3:15 pm EST

Businessinsider.com has a quick but funny post and pictures on the progression of Andrew Bynum’s hair which apparently is having an impact on the style trends of NBA players…

“…one of the most talked about players in the NBA this season because of his hair…The NBA world only has so much room for fashion and style…Last year, it was dominated by outrageous shirts, pants, and glasses at post-game press conference. This year, it’s all Bynum. ”

We were hoping this year woyld be “all Bynum” as well — only on the court for the 76ers, not in the online fashion world.

To bad that bumb knee won’t progress as nicely as his hair.

After the jump, read the rest of the businessinsider.com story and a look at some of the best hair-dos in 76ers history…

GM 8: (MOVING ON) RAPID REACTS

Posted by: C. Smith
11/15/12 10:55 am EST

Detroit Pistons

FinalRecap | Box Score

Philadelphia 76ers

Honestly, I don’t have the strength or the heart to react to last night’s debacle down at the Wells Fargo Center. For the first time in a long time, the Sixers looked absolutely life-less. On top of that, all of the ills that plague this roster — streaky shooters; 7-footers who can’t rebound and poor defense — came together last night in a perfect storm to simply bury this team against the road-weary and previously win less Detroit Pistons. As a bonus, the Sixers also bricked a bunch of FTs. I don’t care that Lavoy Allen found his game or that Jrue only had 1 turnover, this one was a train wreck. Everyone gets an “F” for last night and we simply need to forget this one.

	Thaddeus Young, SF 28 MIN \| 2-11 FG \| 0-0 FT \| 8 REB \| 0 AST \| 4 PTS \| -9
	Evan Turner, SG 23 MIN \| 1-6 FG \| 1-2 FT \| 3 REB \| 2 AST \| 3 PTS \| -10
	Kwame Brown, C 12 MIN \| 1-2 FG \| 1-2 FT \| 1 REB \| 0 AST \| 3 PTS \| -1
	Jrue Holiday, PG 33 MIN \| 4-13 FG \| 4-9 FT \| 6 REB \| 7 AST \| 12 PTS \| -13
	Jason Richardson, SG 26 MIN \| 3-12 FG \| 0-0 FT \| 1 REB \| 1 AST \| 9 PTS \| -7
	Lavoy Allen, PF 26 MIN \| 6-10 FG \| 2-2 FT \| 6 REB \| 0 AST \| 14 PTS \| -20
	Arnett Moultrie, PF 7 MIN \| 0-1 FG \| 2-4 FT \| 2 REB \| 0 AST \| 2 PTS \| +4
	Dorell Wright, SF 20 MIN \| 1-5 FG \| 3-3 FT \| 4 REB \| 0 AST \| 6 PTS \| -15
	Spencer Hawes, C 15 MIN \| 1-5 FG \| 3-4 FT \| 2 REB \| 1 AST \| 5 PTS \| -11
	Maalik Wayns, PG 3 MIN \| 1-2 FG \| 0-0 FT \| 0 REB \| 1 AST \| 2 PTS \| +3
	Royal Ivey, PG 16 MIN \| 3-7 FG \| 0-0 FT \| 1 REB \| 0 AST \| 7 PTS \| -10
	Damien Wilkins, SG 6 MIN \| 0-1 FG \| 0-0 FT \| 1 REB \| 1 AST \| 0 PTS \| +4

LIFE WITHOUT BYNUM

Posted by: Tim Parker
11/14/12 9:36 am EST

Here’s the simplistic story of the 76ers in the infancy stages of the 2012-2013 season:

The 76ers brought a shiny new, sleek, trendy and swanky SUV, otherwise known as Andrew Bynum. While, the SUV was coveted and much desired, it did come with a strong manufacture’s warning. Despite this, the buyer, a.k.a. the Sixers, still believed that if they made the purchase, they’d have the best set of wheels on the road; or at the very least the best ride they’ve had in nearly 7 years.

Now, two weeks into the NBA season, their much ballyhooed new vehicle will not leave the dealership for at least another month, and once again they are forced to depend on their old, dependable 4 door sedan with dents on the side. It’s a car that still gets you to and fro; but at the very best of times the ride will ultimately be a bumpy one.

GM 7: RAPID REACTS

Posted by: C. Smith
11/13/12 10:45 am EST

Milwaukee Bucks

105

FinalRecap | Box Score

Philadelphia 76ers

	Lavoy Allen, PF 13 MIN \| 0-2 FG \| 0-0 FT \| 2 REB \| 1 AST \| 0 PTS \| -4 Lavoy is caught in a vicious circle right now. He’s in a slump, no doubt. That slump has put him in DC’s doghouse (13 mins last night) which of course makes it hard to shake out of said slump.
	Thaddeus Young, SF 35 MIN \| 4-6 FG \| 3-4 FT \| 7 REB \| 2 AST \| 11 PTS \| -5 I would like to have seen Thad’s number called more often last night. But with how quickly the Sixers were hoisting up jumpers, calling sets was a tough task vs. MIL. Thad’s hustle-dive-on-the-floor rebound in the 2nd Q was simply awesome. I feel like he is on the verge of really breaking out if he can just get some more looks.
	Evan Turner, SG 25 MIN \| 3-8 FG \| 2-4 FT \| 4 REB \| 5 AST \| 8 PTS \| -16 Two steps forward one step back, but not an awful night for The Kid. The most disturbing part of last night’s game was that ET was on the bench for almost all of the 4th Q. Why must DC toy with this guy’s head? However his lob to Thad for a dunk in the 1st Q showed great court vision.
	Jrue Holiday, PG 37 MIN \| 10-18 FG \| 4-4 FT \| 1 REB \| 6 AST \| 25 PTS \| -4 If it wasn’t for the 8 turnovers Holiday would have gotten and A+ and continued his push for elite guard status in this League. However 8 TO’s from your starting PG is simply unacceptable. Holiday has to know that and needs to improve in this area. I was particularly disturbed at the trouble he had with MIL’s trap action. Even my 9-year old knows you pass out of a trap, you don’t attempt to use the bounce to split it. It was his fourth straight game of at least seven turnovers. Still I was very pleased with the way he took the ball to the tin in the 2nd Q and wish more of the Sixers would follow his lead.
	Jason Richardson, SG 36 MIN \| 8-16 FG \| 1-2 FT \| 4 REB \| 2 AST \| 20 PTS \| +12 Jason’s 10 points in the 1st Q was the only thing that kept the 7-6 from getting blown out of this one early. He also flashed some classic J-Rich hops with his 360 dunk in the same Q that made me leap off the couch. But he only scored 10 the rest of the way and had zero in the 4th Q when the Sixers offense went MIA.
	Dorell Wright, SF 25 MIN \| 5-12 FG \| 0-0 FT \| 4 REB \| 0 AST \| 14 PTS \| -17 After every game I become more pleased with his signing. When Wright caught fire in the late 1st / 2nd Q and helped the Sixers claw back into a game they had no right being in, I thought they might actually pull out a W. But like all of the Sixers, Wright disappeared in the 4th (zero pts.) and this one got away from the team. His defense continues to be better then expected and his block on the Sanders lay-in attempt in the 4th was huge.
	Spencer Hawes, C 26 MIN \| 3-11 FG \| 0-0 FT \| 5 REB \| 1 AST \| 6 PTS \| +1 I know, his game is in the 12-17 foot range, but right now he’s our only legit big and he needs to give us some sort of an interior presence. With all the shooters we have on this team, the last thing we need is Hawes jacking up 3PAs. Spence (along with his mullet and patriotic headband) need to stay closer to the paint, which would help our post scoring and rebounding as well. FYI…there was a 3 minute stretch last night where Hawes shot an air ball; got called for 3 seconds and then bricked a “hook” shot. That series reminded me of why Hawes drives me crazy.
	Royal Ivey, PG 18 MIN \| 2-6 FG \| 0-0 FT \| 3 REB \| 1 AST \| 5 PTS \| -14 Ivey just brings the lunch pail and goes to work very night. That’s his role, he knows it and fills it nicely. But that’s it! And my back-up PG has to bring more to the table then that if he’s going to see 18 mins a night. Not signing a more productive back-up for Jrue will haunt this team all year.
	Nick Young, SG 24 MIN \| 2-6 FG \| 2-2 FT \| 1 REB \| 4 AST \| 7 PTS \| +2 I’m done on this front. I knew he was a high volume shooter that took a lot of bad shots, but his low basketball IQ astounds me. In the 2nd Q, he led a 4-on-1 fast break and took the ball to the rim for a tough finger roll instead finding one of the 3 other open guys for an easy lay-in. His defense is simply brutal, especially his rotations. FYI…Swaggy was 0-4 in the 4th Q when the Sixers offense went MIA. And they were key misses — all 4 of his missed FGAs came with the score tied or the Sixers trailing by 3 or less.
	Arnett Moultrie, PF DNP COACH’S DECISION MIN \| FG \| FT \| REB \| AST \| PTS \| He did a great job cheering on the team last night. Unfortunately that’s all he got to do. Even though the Sixers were getting murdered on the boards, DC chose not to play this rebounding machine.
	Kwame Brown, C DNP LEFT CALF STRAIN MIN \| FG \| FT \| REB \| AST \| PTS \| How long can a calf strain possibly take to recover from?!?
	Maalik Wayns, PG DNP COACH’S DECISION MIN \| FG \| FT \| REB \| AST \| PTS \| I know that DC doesn’t love rookies, but with Jennings simply killing Holiday and Ivey, how could it have possibly hurt to have given Wayns, the quickest guard on the Sixers roster (bar none) a chance to slow down #3 on MIL? What’s the worst thing that could have happened? Jennings scores 35 instead of 33.

GM 6: (NOT SO) RAPID REACTS

Posted by: Jeff McMenamin
11/12/12 2:41 pm EST

Philadelphia 76ers

Final
Recap | Box Score

Toronto Raptors

	Lavoy Allen, PF 21 MIN \| 0-5 FG \| 0-0 FT \| 0 REB \| 2 AST \| 0 PTS \| +7I hate to rip on a guy from my Alma Mater, but Lavoy is by far the biggest disappointment on the Sixers team this season.
	Dorell Wright, SF 27 MIN \| 5-12 FG \| 1-1 FT \| 6 REB \| 0 AST \| 15 PTS \| -16@DWRIGHTWAY1 continues to impress both offensively and defensively. When the Raptors climbed back into the game to just a 69-62 Sixers lead at the end of the 3rd, Wright displayed his shooting stroke in the 4th with back to back treys to put the Sixers up 75-63 which set the tone for the rest of the game. Has he proved enough yet to be a full-time starter? It may still be too difficult to tell at this point.
	Thaddeus Young, SF 34 MIN \| 5-11 FG \| 6-6 FT \| 8 REB \| 2 AST \| 16 PTS \| +4Thad put on another Thad effort. Efficient from the field, solid on the boards and high energy all game. But…Andrea Bargnani had 23 points for the Raptors. I know you’re trying your hardest on defense Thad, but try harder.
	Evan Turner, SF 37 MIN \| 2-7 FG \| 4-5 FT \| 12 REB \| 4 AST \| 8 PTS \| -3There was a play early in the 3rd quarter where Turner drove into the lane, stopped and found a cutting Thad Young for an easy dunk on the baseline. These are the types of plays which makes my Turn-o-meter go towards the green. After easily his best game of the season against the Celtics, Turner played well against the Raptors and nearly got a double-double with 8 points and 12 rebounds. He had the tough assignment of guarding the Raptors best player in Damar DeRozen and was able to keep him to just 6-of-17 shooting from the field. It’s a phrase that’s been used before, but it looks as if Turner is Turn(ing) the corner.
	Jrue Holiday, PG 35 MIN \| 6-11 FG \| 3-5 FT \| 3 REB \| 5 AST \| 16 PTS \| -12Holiday should consider himself extremely lucky. Point guard Kyle Lowry who has been playing the best basketball of his career for the Raptors wasn’t able to suit up due to a sprained ankle, and Holiday found himself against a much easier assignment of Jose Calderon. Yet Calderon nearly single-handily brought the Raptors right back into the game with four second-half three’s, finishing with 14 points while dishing out 11 assists. Holiday finished with 16 points but with just five assists while yet again notching seven turnovers! Yup, Jrue Holiday was outplayed by Jose Calderon and he has to use that as fuel for a stellar performance tonight against Brandon Jennings and the Bucks.
	Spencer Hawes, C 23 MIN \| 5-10 FG \| 2-4 FT \| 11 REB \| 3 AST \| 12 PTS \| +14No star-spangled headband? Let me show you how America does things Toronto.’ Spencer Hawes is becoming a legend in Philadelphia because of his personality both on and off the court. He had himself a nice game against the Raptors, notching a double-double in just 23 minutes. I’ve jumped on the Spencer bandwagon and agree that his salary might be a huge steal for the Sixers down the road. As long as Bynum is out, he’s going to have to rebound like this for the Sixers to stay competitive.
	Royal Ivey, PG 19 MIN \| 3-3 FG \| 2-2 FT \| 3 REB \| 5 AST \| 8 PTS \| +22I may have to retract my last comments pertaining to Royal Ivey. Ivey played mistake-free basketball against the Raptors where his counter-part Jrue Holiday nearly cost his team the game. He may not be the flashiest of guards, but as long as he can play efficient basketball while on the court I’m a fan.
	Damien Wilkins, SG 11 MIN \| 1-2 FG \| 0-0 FT \| 1 REB \| 0 AST \| 2 PTS \| +911 wasted minutes.
	Nick Young, SG 32 MIN \| 7-12 FG \| 1-2 FT \| 2 REB \| 0 AST \| 16 PTS \| +25Swaggy was the man in the second quarter and now has back to back games of efficient scoring on the offensive end. He shot 7-of-12 for 16 points, including an impressive And-1 in the third to put the Sixers up 67-55. He played a season-high 32 minutes and did his best Lou Williams imitation for the first time this season.

A SWAGGY P(ROBLEM)?

Posted by: Tom Sunnergren
11/10/12 4:28 pm EST

If you look at the thing from the right angle, there’s something admirable about Nick Young’s steadfast refusal to stop shooting the basketball.

Abraham Lincoln lost his first eight elections before he won the presidency.

Eagles GM Howie Roseman sent letters to every team in the NFL, several times over, before the Eagles finally hired him.

Henry Ford went bankrupt five times before he founded Ford Motor Company.

They each, staunch, stubborn in the face of mounting failures, kept pressing, eventually broke through.

	Thaddeus Young, SF 37 MIN \| 3-9 FG \| 1-2 FT \| 6 REB \| 0 AST \| 7 PTS \| +1 Thad had his hands full with Anderson Varejao and was invisible for most of the night. Next to Detroit, his worst performance so far.
	Evan Turner, SG 40 MIN \| 8-12 FG \| 2-2 FT \| 6 REB \| 9 AST \| 19 PTS \| +10 Wow. Just a superlative performance by ET. His shot was falling early (he was 5-of-7 at the half ), and as it often does, it galvanized him. He chipped in six rebounds (all in the second half) and a career high nine-assists.
	Kwame Brown, C 9 MIN \| 0-0 FG \| 0-0 FT \| 0 REB \| 0 AST \| 0 PTS \| -8 “Kwame Brown is just a big body” I think I remember Mark Zumoff tossing off at some point. That was the best you could say about him tonight.
	Jrue Holiday, PG 37 MIN \| 6-14 FG \| 0-0 FT \| 4 REB \| 9 AST \| 14 PTS \| +5 From the first quarter onward, Jrue scored 11 points with six assists against a single turnover and held Kyrie Irving to two points on 1-of-8 shooting. He was, obviously, tremendous defensively. His strip of Kyrie with 1:50 left was the icing on the cake.
	Jason Richardson, SG 34 MIN \| 5-14 FG \| 0-0 FT \| 9 REB \| 3 AST \| 12 PTS \| +5 Another very good, very balanced performance by the guy who’s been, so far, the best piece the Sixers landed in the Iguodala trade. Feels like it’s been ages since the Sixers had a consistent veteran perimeter threat, doesn’t it?
	Lavoy Allen, PF 22 MIN \| 0-5 FG \| 2-2 FT \| 3 REB \| 3 AST \| 2 PTS \| +12 After a pair of encouraging performances against the Pistons and Jazz (24 points and 14 rebounds in total) LA returned to form against the Cavs.
	Dorell Wright, SF 12 MIN \| 1-4 FG \| 0-0 FT \| 4 REB \| 1 AST \| 3 PTS \| -7 After an occasionally terrific start to the season (better than advertised defensively; intermittently explosive on O) Wright seems to have found his way back into Doug Collins’ doghouse. He’s played just 17 minutes combined the last two games after never playing fewer than 20 in the first eight. Someone please explain this to me.
	Spencer Hawes, C 28 MIN \| 5-13 FG \| 3-4 FT \| 9 REB \| 1 AST \| 14 PTS \| +9 Spence was an assassin down the stretch on Sunday, scoring nine points in the fourth quarter with a pair of blocked shots and a 3-pointer for good measure. Each time the Cavs threatened, he did something improbable and helpful.
	Royal Ivey, PG 6 MIN \| 1-3 FG \| 0-0 FT \| 0 REB \| 1 AST \| 2 PTS \| +3 Everyone’s least favorite backup point guard scored just a bucket, but it was a big one. With the Cavs charging early in the fourth he scored a layup off an Evan Turner assist to push the Sixer lead back to seven.
	Nick Young, SG 16 MIN \| 5-6 FG \| 1-2 FT \| 0 REB \| 0 AST \| 13 PTS \| +5 It was falling tonight. Swaggy was in the midst of his best performance of the season until what’s been reported as a “dizzy” spell took him from the game. He scored ten of his 13 in 11 very good first half minutes.

	Thaddeus Young, SF 28 MIN \| 2-11 FG \| 0-0 FT \| 8 REB \| 0 AST \| 4 PTS \| -9
	Evan Turner, SG 23 MIN \| 1-6 FG \| 1-2 FT \| 3 REB \| 2 AST \| 3 PTS \| -10
	Kwame Brown, C 12 MIN \| 1-2 FG \| 1-2 FT \| 1 REB \| 0 AST \| 3 PTS \| -1
	Jrue Holiday, PG 33 MIN \| 4-13 FG \| 4-9 FT \| 6 REB \| 7 AST \| 12 PTS \| -13
	Jason Richardson, SG 26 MIN \| 3-12 FG \| 0-0 FT \| 1 REB \| 1 AST \| 9 PTS \| -7
	Lavoy Allen, PF 26 MIN \| 6-10 FG \| 2-2 FT \| 6 REB \| 0 AST \| 14 PTS \| -20
	Arnett Moultrie, PF 7 MIN \| 0-1 FG \| 2-4 FT \| 2 REB \| 0 AST \| 2 PTS \| +4
	Dorell Wright, SF 20 MIN \| 1-5 FG \| 3-3 FT \| 4 REB \| 0 AST \| 6 PTS \| -15
	Spencer Hawes, C 15 MIN \| 1-5 FG \| 3-4 FT \| 2 REB \| 1 AST \| 5 PTS \| -11
	Maalik Wayns, PG 3 MIN \| 1-2 FG \| 0-0 FT \| 0 REB \| 1 AST \| 2 PTS \| +3
	Royal Ivey, PG 16 MIN \| 3-7 FG \| 0-0 FT \| 1 REB \| 0 AST \| 7 PTS \| -10
	Damien Wilkins, SG 6 MIN \| 0-1 FG \| 0-0 FT \| 1 REB \| 1 AST \| 0 PTS \| +4

	Lavoy Allen, PF 13 MIN \| 0-2 FG \| 0-0 FT \| 2 REB \| 1 AST \| 0 PTS \| -4 Lavoy is caught in a vicious circle right now. He’s in a slump, no doubt. That slump has put him in DC’s doghouse (13 mins last night) which of course makes it hard to shake out of said slump.
	Thaddeus Young, SF 35 MIN \| 4-6 FG \| 3-4 FT \| 7 REB \| 2 AST \| 11 PTS \| -5 I would like to have seen Thad’s number called more often last night. But with how quickly the Sixers were hoisting up jumpers, calling sets was a tough task vs. MIL. Thad’s hustle-dive-on-the-floor rebound in the 2nd Q was simply awesome. I feel like he is on the verge of really breaking out if he can just get some more looks.
	Evan Turner, SG 25 MIN \| 3-8 FG \| 2-4 FT \| 4 REB \| 5 AST \| 8 PTS \| -16 Two steps forward one step back, but not an awful night for The Kid. The most disturbing part of last night’s game was that ET was on the bench for almost all of the 4th Q. Why must DC toy with this guy’s head? However his lob to Thad for a dunk in the 1st Q showed great court vision.
	Jrue Holiday, PG 37 MIN \| 10-18 FG \| 4-4 FT \| 1 REB \| 6 AST \| 25 PTS \| -4 If it wasn’t for the 8 turnovers Holiday would have gotten and A+ and continued his push for elite guard status in this League. However 8 TO’s from your starting PG is simply unacceptable. Holiday has to know that and needs to improve in this area. I was particularly disturbed at the trouble he had with MIL’s trap action. Even my 9-year old knows you pass out of a trap, you don’t attempt to use the bounce to split it. It was his fourth straight game of at least seven turnovers. Still I was very pleased with the way he took the ball to the tin in the 2nd Q and wish more of the Sixers would follow his lead.
	Jason Richardson, SG 36 MIN \| 8-16 FG \| 1-2 FT \| 4 REB \| 2 AST \| 20 PTS \| +12 Jason’s 10 points in the 1st Q was the only thing that kept the 7-6 from getting blown out of this one early. He also flashed some classic J-Rich hops with his 360 dunk in the same Q that made me leap off the couch. But he only scored 10 the rest of the way and had zero in the 4th Q when the Sixers offense went MIA.
	Dorell Wright, SF 25 MIN \| 5-12 FG \| 0-0 FT \| 4 REB \| 0 AST \| 14 PTS \| -17 After every game I become more pleased with his signing. When Wright caught fire in the late 1st / 2nd Q and helped the Sixers claw back into a game they had no right being in, I thought they might actually pull out a W. But like all of the Sixers, Wright disappeared in the 4th (zero pts.) and this one got away from the team. His defense continues to be better then expected and his block on the Sanders lay-in attempt in the 4th was huge.
	Spencer Hawes, C 26 MIN \| 3-11 FG \| 0-0 FT \| 5 REB \| 1 AST \| 6 PTS \| +1 I know, his game is in the 12-17 foot range, but right now he’s our only legit big and he needs to give us some sort of an interior presence. With all the shooters we have on this team, the last thing we need is Hawes jacking up 3PAs. Spence (along with his mullet and patriotic headband) need to stay closer to the paint, which would help our post scoring and rebounding as well. FYI…there was a 3 minute stretch last night where Hawes shot an air ball; got called for 3 seconds and then bricked a “hook” shot. That series reminded me of why Hawes drives me crazy.
	Royal Ivey, PG 18 MIN \| 2-6 FG \| 0-0 FT \| 3 REB \| 1 AST \| 5 PTS \| -14 Ivey just brings the lunch pail and goes to work very night. That’s his role, he knows it and fills it nicely. But that’s it! And my back-up PG has to bring more to the table then that if he’s going to see 18 mins a night. Not signing a more productive back-up for Jrue will haunt this team all year.
	Nick Young, SG 24 MIN \| 2-6 FG \| 2-2 FT \| 1 REB \| 4 AST \| 7 PTS \| +2 I’m done on this front. I knew he was a high volume shooter that took a lot of bad shots, but his low basketball IQ astounds me. In the 2nd Q, he led a 4-on-1 fast break and took the ball to the rim for a tough finger roll instead finding one of the 3 other open guys for an easy lay-in. His defense is simply brutal, especially his rotations. FYI…Swaggy was 0-4 in the 4th Q when the Sixers offense went MIA. And they were key misses — all 4 of his missed FGAs came with the score tied or the Sixers trailing by 3 or less.
	Arnett Moultrie, PF DNP COACH’S DECISION MIN \| FG \| FT \| REB \| AST \| PTS \| He did a great job cheering on the team last night. Unfortunately that’s all he got to do. Even though the Sixers were getting murdered on the boards, DC chose not to play this rebounding machine.
	Kwame Brown, C DNP LEFT CALF STRAIN MIN \| FG \| FT \| REB \| AST \| PTS \| How long can a calf strain possibly take to recover from?!?
	Maalik Wayns, PG DNP COACH’S DECISION MIN \| FG \| FT \| REB \| AST \| PTS \| I know that DC doesn’t love rookies, but with Jennings simply killing Holiday and Ivey, how could it have possibly hurt to have given Wayns, the quickest guard on the Sixers roster (bar none) a chance to slow down #3 on MIL? What’s the worst thing that could have happened? Jennings scores 35 instead of 33.

	Lavoy Allen, PF 21 MIN \| 0-5 FG \| 0-0 FT \| 0 REB \| 2 AST \| 0 PTS \| +7I hate to rip on a guy from my Alma Mater, but Lavoy is by far the biggest disappointment on the Sixers team this season.
	Dorell Wright, SF 27 MIN \| 5-12 FG \| 1-1 FT \| 6 REB \| 0 AST \| 15 PTS \| -16@DWRIGHTWAY1 continues to impress both offensively and defensively. When the Raptors climbed back into the game to just a 69-62 Sixers lead at the end of the 3rd, Wright displayed his shooting stroke in the 4th with back to back treys to put the Sixers up 75-63 which set the tone for the rest of the game. Has he proved enough yet to be a full-time starter? It may still be too difficult to tell at this point.
	Thaddeus Young, SF 34 MIN \| 5-11 FG \| 6-6 FT \| 8 REB \| 2 AST \| 16 PTS \| +4Thad put on another Thad effort. Efficient from the field, solid on the boards and high energy all game. But…Andrea Bargnani had 23 points for the Raptors. I know you’re trying your hardest on defense Thad, but try harder.
	Evan Turner, SF 37 MIN \| 2-7 FG \| 4-5 FT \| 12 REB \| 4 AST \| 8 PTS \| -3There was a play early in the 3rd quarter where Turner drove into the lane, stopped and found a cutting Thad Young for an easy dunk on the baseline. These are the types of plays which makes my Turn-o-meter go towards the green. After easily his best game of the season against the Celtics, Turner played well against the Raptors and nearly got a double-double with 8 points and 12 rebounds. He had the tough assignment of guarding the Raptors best player in Damar DeRozen and was able to keep him to just 6-of-17 shooting from the field. It’s a phrase that’s been used before, but it looks as if Turner is Turn(ing) the corner.
	Jrue Holiday, PG 35 MIN \| 6-11 FG \| 3-5 FT \| 3 REB \| 5 AST \| 16 PTS \| -12Holiday should consider himself extremely lucky. Point guard Kyle Lowry who has been playing the best basketball of his career for the Raptors wasn’t able to suit up due to a sprained ankle, and Holiday found himself against a much easier assignment of Jose Calderon. Yet Calderon nearly single-handily brought the Raptors right back into the game with four second-half three’s, finishing with 14 points while dishing out 11 assists. Holiday finished with 16 points but with just five assists while yet again notching seven turnovers! Yup, Jrue Holiday was outplayed by Jose Calderon and he has to use that as fuel for a stellar performance tonight against Brandon Jennings and the Bucks.
	Spencer Hawes, C 23 MIN \| 5-10 FG \| 2-4 FT \| 11 REB \| 3 AST \| 12 PTS \| +14No star-spangled headband? Let me show you how America does things Toronto.’ Spencer Hawes is becoming a legend in Philadelphia because of his personality both on and off the court. He had himself a nice game against the Raptors, notching a double-double in just 23 minutes. I’ve jumped on the Spencer bandwagon and agree that his salary might be a huge steal for the Sixers down the road. As long as Bynum is out, he’s going to have to rebound like this for the Sixers to stay competitive.
	Royal Ivey, PG 19 MIN \| 3-3 FG \| 2-2 FT \| 3 REB \| 5 AST \| 8 PTS \| +22I may have to retract my last comments pertaining to Royal Ivey. Ivey played mistake-free basketball against the Raptors where his counter-part Jrue Holiday nearly cost his team the game. He may not be the flashiest of guards, but as long as he can play efficient basketball while on the court I’m a fan.
	Damien Wilkins, SG 11 MIN \| 1-2 FG \| 0-0 FT \| 1 REB \| 0 AST \| 2 PTS \| +911 wasted minutes.
	Nick Young, SG 32 MIN \| 7-12 FG \| 1-2 FT \| 2 REB \| 0 AST \| 16 PTS \| +25Swaggy was the man in the second quarter and now has back to back games of efficient scoring on the offensive end. He shot 7-of-12 for 16 points, including an impressive And-1 in the third to put the Sixers up 67-55. He played a season-high 32 minutes and did his best Lou Williams imitation for the first time this season.

Monthly Archive November 2012

DEFENDING THE EXTENSION

GM 10: RAPID REACTS

AN IMMODEST PROPOSAL: SHUT ‘EM DOWN

KNEE JERK REACTS

HAIR WE GO…

GM 8: (MOVING ON) RAPID REACTS

LIFE WITHOUT BYNUM

GM 7: RAPID REACTS

GM 6: (NOT SO) RAPID REACTS

A SWAGGY P(ROBLEM)?

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