LOOKING FOR A SCORER

Posted by: Michael Kaskey-Blomain
05/10/13 9:33 am EST

The Sixers need a scorer. It seems like a pretty simple sentiment. In fact, there will be those that criticize this post as being too simplistic.

“Of course, every team could use a scorer.”

“We want a name!”

The point of this post isn’t to postulate about potential players, but rather to point out a decade long problem.

The Sixers have not had a legitimate go-to-guy since Allen Iverson was shipped to Denver, which happens to be about the same time that the franchise’s success stalled.

This is not a coincidence.

Every team that has found extreme success in the NBA over the past decade plus (Heat, Mavs, Lakers, Spurs, Celtics) have a clearly defined go-to-guy. This is also not a coincidence. The best NBA teams are well-structured and well-rounded, as a one man show rarely makes it very far (save for an ’01 Iverson and an ’07 LeBron James).

HELP WANTED

Posted by: Jake Fischer
04/29/13 4:24 pm EST

After the 76ers announced their acquisition of a new D-League affiliate, the Delaware 87ers (a.k.a. “the Sevens” — insert laughter here), the Philadelphia Inquirer’s John Mitchell crafted an interesting story based off a discussion with team owner Joshua Harris while the two were down in Newark, Delaware for the “big” 87ers press conference.

In the article, Mitchell discusses a general theme that the Sixers will approach their head-coaching search diligently and steadily. However, the Inquirer columnist said that Harris and current GM Tony DiLeo will be the two men conducting the process.

“Harris, who doesn’t talk publicly about contract extensions, said that he and general manager Tony DiLeo, who has an expiring deal on June 30, are running the search. And he noted that while they have yet to interview anyone, they have several candidates in mind. In fact, Dei Lynam of csnphilly.com is reporting that the Sixers have already reached out to Pacers’ assistant coach Brian Shaw.

Whether DiLeo remains the general manager will be resolved in time. But right now DiLeo is the basketball mind that Harris, who inherited Collins from the previous owners, is leaning on to fill the franchise’s most vital position.”

Now, it’s important to remember that the last time the Sixers hired a head coach, Ed Stefanski and Ed Snider were running the front office and spearheaded that job search.

NOTES, LINKS & TWEETS

Posted by: C. Smith
02/04/13 1:02 pm EST

At the Orlando Sentinel, John Robbins talks with Nik Vucevic about playing his former team tonight.

2012 Sixer draft pick Maurice Harkless had 19 points, 14 boards and 4 steals on Saturday night for the Magic. It seems some advice from Arron Afflalo is the reason behind Mo’s recent success.

John Finger at csnphilly.com looks at “Big Nik’s” surprising year in ORL which he categorizes as the “biggest surprise in the NBA this season.” FYI…Vucevic is averaging 15.8 points and 12.8 boards over the last six games.

NBA.com has a preview of tonight’s Magic at 76ers game. FYI…The Magic have lost 9 in a row, but hold a 3-game winning streak vs. our 7-6.

On Saturday TMZ.com had a great post on an Atlanta judge that called Allen Iverson, “the worst parent ever” during Iverson’s divorce proceedings.

Iverson’s former 76er teammate Dikembe Mutombo had a better weekend. Mutombo was featured in one of the few solid Super Bowl commercials last night.

WRONG NIGHT TO HAVE A BAD NIGHT

Posted by: Tim Parker
01/23/13 4:44 pm EST

In an underwhelming, frustrating, and (so far) disappointment filled season for the Philadelphia 76ers, there was been one thread that has held the fabric of the team together. It’s been the all star candidate Jrue Holiday, who is having the best season of his career and quite frankly is the captain of a basketball ship treading through muddy water. But, when that thread comes apart, and when the captain steers off course, the fabric tears itself and the ship finds itself completely lost. There’s no better illustration of this then in the Sixers’ 110-102 loss to Milwaukee Bucks last night.

While, another Sixers loss was disheartening enough for a city starving for wins from anybody – anywhere (Villanova notwithstanding), Holiday’s failing performance in what was an all star selection audition against Brandon Jennings sunk their emotions even lower.

After all, if a basketball team is going to roam in the world of sub-mediocrity, at least it’d be nice to do so with an all star to boast about. But, as Kyrie Irving cemented his all star spot with a 40 point outburst against the Celtics, Holiday looked just as dull as the team he would represent in Houston, in their final game before all star reserves are announced.

NOTES, LINKS & TWEETS

Posted by: C. Smith
01/14/13 11:11 am EST

Many of us have wondered, is there a long term backup plan for Andrew Bynum? Some talking heads at csnphilly.com discuss that issue.

Meanwhile, the Twitter-sphere is going crazy with news and photos of Bynum shooting FTs after prac today.

Great article via Grantland writer Jonathan Abrams on how former Sixer Jerry Stackhouse (BKN) and Philly native Rasheed Wallace (NYK) are both playing in New York 20 years after they left UNC. Stack has some interesting comments on Allen Iverson and why he is no longer in the League.

Over at hornets247.com they’ve posted a podcast looking at the NOH recent success and previewing the game vs. our Sixers on Tuesday night.

John Mitchell of philly.com writes that the Sixers should trade Turner for a big man. Preferably Demarcus Cousins.

A quick “76ers” search on craigslist.com brings up this must have for every Sixers fan this winter. Reminds me of the Starter jackets that were so popular in the early ’90s.

NOTES, LINKS & TWEETS

Posted by: C. Smith
12/06/12 1:20 pm EST

Good news for the Sixers…Rajon Rondo spent his suspension relaxing in Mexico so he is now well rested for our back-to-back set this weekend.

In Yahoo Sports’ NBA power rankings, the Sixers somehow find a spot in the Top 10.

Conflicting reports on the financial status of Allen Iverson. As we mentioned previously, earlier this week TMZ made it look like Iverson is broke. Well, veteran NBA scribe Peter Vecsey writes that his sources say Iverson is okay financially.

Derek Bodner of libertyballers.com analyzes the sad state of the Sixers bigs, but doesn’t want Tony & Doug to panic and make a stupid trade.

John Finger at csnphilly.com looks at how the pick-n-roll is trending up in the NBA. That’s bad news for the 7-6 who struggle to defend the classic basketball move.

IVERSON UPDATE

Posted by: Jeff McMenamin
12/02/12 8:29 pm EST

Allen Iverson’s Answer VI’s were re-released on Friday.

Undoubtedly the most polarizing figure to the Sixers organization over the past 25 years was guard Allen Iverson. It’s hard to believe that the organization is now three seasons removed from Iverson’s last game with the team back on February 20th, 2010 in a loss to the Chicago Bulls.

Just because the Answer is now years and miles away from his playing days with the Sixers, doesn’t mean he can’t still make headlines in the city where he used to do it on a daily basis. As always with Iverson, there’s some good news and bad news to report to you on the sports icon as he’s miles away in China still trying to fight his way back onto an NBA roster.

TRIPLE THREAT

Posted by: Jeff McMenamin
11/30/12 3:00 pm EST

Jrue Holiday (left) and Evan Turner have been crucial to the Sixers success this season.

As everybody already knows, the NBA is a star-centered league. It was never more evident then when one of the NBA’s most respected coaches, Gregg Popovich, was chastised for deciding to sit four of his star players in a game last night against arguably the NBA’s best team in the Miami Heat.

For the 2012-13 Sixers, it’s been more of the same. From the start of the campaign up until now, there’s been one man drawing the attention of the national media, while next to nothing has been said of the “team” that stands at 9-6, good enough for the fifth best record in the Eastern Conference. The focus has been on Andrew Bynum, the All-Star center who hasn’t been able to play a minute this season for the Sixers as he recovers from offseason knee procedures.

Before the Sixers’ first nationally televised game this season against the New Orleans Hornets, the Sixers were on ESPN.com’s front page. Instead of a story focusing on the promising youth and acquisitions the Sixers were able to make in the offseason, it was a story focused on questioning the Sixers ownership, calling the moves they made this season a “risk”. All of the negativity was built around the status of Bynum, the Sixers’ most talked-about offseason acquisition since Elton Brand.

Just 10 days later, as the Sixers stood at 5-4, another article came out about Bynum damaging cartilage in his knees while going bowling. Most recently, as the Sixers sat at 7-5, out came yet another article on Bynum only this time about him being out indefinitely for the 2012-13 season.

As the national media now steers its way away from Philadelphia (due to Bynum’s playing status being much clearer), maybe the NBA’s fans will be able to focus on the Sixers in a positive light and see who they really are this season as a team rather than who they’re not.

GAME 15: RAPID REACTS

Posted by: Jeff McMenamin
11/28/12 2:02 am EST

Dallas Mavericks

FinalRecap | Box Score

100

Philadelphia 76ers

	Lavoy Allen, PF 21 MIN \| 2-2 FG \| 2-2 FT \| 5 REB \| 2 AST \| 6 PTS \| +6 When I have to say things like, “Lavoy Allen looks slower than Chris Kaman”, then you know you had a bad game. I’m tired of drilling Lavoy, but he’s playing like “Mr. 500″ this season. Due to both foul trouble and bad play, Lavoy barely saw the court in the second half of this game.
	Thaddeus Young, SF 29 MIN \| 7-14 FG \| 6-11 FT \| 7 REB \| 1 AST \| 20 PTS \| +6 Thad could find himself playing in his first All-Star Game if he keeps his play at this level. 20 points, 7 boards and a career-high 11 free-throws attempted. The bulk he added in the off-season is paying dividends for the Sixers who crucially need him to succeed for the team to succeed. He wasn’t necessarily strong on defense, but made up for it and then some on the offensive end of the court. Needless to say, he’s a starter the rest of the year no matter what happens if Bynum does indeed return.
	Evan Turner, SF 36 MIN \| 8-12 FG \| 4-5 FT \| 4 REB \| 4 AST \| 22 PTS \| -3 In the first quarter, ET had 10 points on 4-of-5 shooting and 2-of-3 from beyond the arc. In the third quarter Turner had three straight crucial buckets to turn a 66-70 deficit into a 72-70 lead. In the fourth quarter, Turner denied Vince Carter an attempt at the last shot (when he had been red hot in the quarter up until that point) to bring the Sixers a victory. It was a complete performance from Turner on both ends of the floor who finished with a game-high 22 points and showed an organization the type of player he’s capable of being on a more consistent basis. Turner’s now scored 10 or more points in the last seven games while adding at least four rebounds and three assists. In fact Evan has now scored 10 or more points in 11 of the Sixers 15 games this season (73%). Last season Turner scored 10 or more in just 28-of-66 games (42%).
	Jrue Holiday, PG 41 MIN \| 7-13 FG \| 4-4 FT \| 0 REB \| 7 AST \| 18 PTS \| +1 Great game from Jrue, up until the fourth quarter. Two crucial turnovers, a couple late misses and a foul on O.J. Mayo which could have cost the Sixers a win. I was rooting for Jrue to score 20 points so I could research when the last time three different Sixers reached 20 or more points in a game, unfortunately it didn’t happen. However 18 points, seven assists and three steals is a great performance in my book. His defense on O.J. Mayo deserved applause and he made a few awe-inspiring passes to open teammates. He took a step back in terms of turnovers, but his plus’ outweighed his minus’ in the grand scheme of the game.
	Jason Richardson, SG 31 MIN \| 2-8 FG \| 0-0 FT \| 8 REB \| 1 AST \| 6 PTS \| +13 Richardson hit two straight three’s to open the game, but then didn’t score the rest of the night. However, he played solid defense with three steals, he had eight first half rebounds and the Sixers were +13 with him on the court. Hard to argue with his playing time.
	Dorell Wright, SF 17 MIN \| 1-5 FG \| 0-0 FT \| 4 REB \| 4 AST \| 2 PTS \| -7 Wright’s playing time was one of the things I was upset about in this game. The Sixers were up 87-81 when Wright exited the game midway through the fourth quarter. He had just had a huge dunk a couple plays earlier for his first points of the game, but he had played a large role as a facilitator and defender up until that point. Swaggy P on the other hand was having a terrible game and terrible fourth quarter up until that point, but for some reason when it came time for Thad to check back into the game it was Swaggy and not Wright who was allowed to stay on the court. I don’t know what Wright did for Collins to be dogging him like this, but after a great start to the season I would’ve expected Wright to be respected a little more than this.
	Spencer Hawes, C 13 MIN \| 3-5 FG \| 0-0 FT \| 2 REB \| 0 AST \| 6 PTS \| -7 For the most part, Hawes was a non-factor in this game. He had a couple big buckets in the fourth and a big steal, but really disappointing overall. He’s now gone nine-straight games without 10 rebounds and had just two in this game. If he doesn’t start getting physical, Collins will find minutes for guys who are willing to bang no matter how much shorter they may be.
	Kwame Brown, C 16 MIN \| 2-3 FG \| 2-4 FT \| 8 REB \| 1 AST \| 6 PTS \| +6 Were you as happy as I was watching Kwame Brown in this game? He was physical, he was smart, he was efficient, he was active on the boards and he showed toughness. Literally every question I had about Kwame was answered in his 16 minutes of playing time. He can be a productive player in this League, he really just has to be aggressive and to stay focused. I admittedly am a hater of Kwame, but I was excited for him watching this game. The crowd, after booing him when he first entered the game, was even behind him by the end of the game. If Kwame can start to do this every night then maybe Doug Collins knew what he was doing all along. If not…I go back to my realistic expectations.
	Maalik Wayns, PG 13 MIN \| 2-8 FG \| 4-4 FT \| 1 REB \| 0 AST \| 10 PTS \| -5 Before the game I asked Maalik how he had felt getting his first real production in the NBA in the teams win over Pheonix and he responded, “I’m getting more comfortable. I know what to do now and I’m getting more acclimated to it. I’m trying to make the most of my minutes whether it’s five minutes or seven minutes, whatever it is I’m trying to make the most of it and to come out successful.” In Maalik’s most extensive minutes of the season against the Mavs, he had his ups and downs but ultimately showed that he can be more than effective for the team this season. He had eight first half points and showed that his speed is something that could be dangerous to an opposition. He was crossed up to the floor by Collison, but came back with a three. He was blocked by Brand, but came right back at the rim and was hacked for two. He left Collison wide open for a three, but attacked the rim right after and got two more from the line. Inconsistency is supposed to come with being a rookie, give Maalik some playing time to get comfortable and he could be dangerous.
	Nick Young, SG 21 MIN \| 1-5 FG \| 0-0 FT \| 1 REB \| 2 AST \| 2 PTS \| +2 Horrible game. Should’ve played at least 10 minutes less than he did. His only points came off of a runner/floater where he almost turned the ball over. He also made a careless pass for an easy two and simply took his eyes off a pass on another occasion. Despite the crowds “swag” chants, this guy deserved some bench time.

HOLIDAY: ALL-STAR SG ?!?

Posted by: Steve Toll
11/27/12 10:04 am EST

Doug Collins has the rare distinction of coaching Michael Jordan, the Greatest of All Time (G.O.A.T.).

For a short period of time Collins also coached the best PG of All-Time. A player who was like a maestro, who would make CP3 and Magic seem ordinary. However, this player didn’t last long as a point guard, because that player was Michael Jordan.

Asked to play the point, Jordan had a 21 game stretch over the 1989 season, where he averaged 11.4 assists and 3.6 turnovers, while having 11 triple-doubles in 13 games at one point. Over the course of that season, Jordan averaged 8 assists per game and had a 2.25 : 1 assist:turnover ratio. That MJ-point guard experiment of course did not last. Still, Jordan’s time as a floor general makes me think when I see Holiday play, that Jrue is being miscast.

Through some research, I have discovered as my eye test has hypothesized: Jrue is an All-Star combo guard

	Lavoy Allen, PF 21 MIN \| 2-2 FG \| 2-2 FT \| 5 REB \| 2 AST \| 6 PTS \| +6 When I have to say things like, “Lavoy Allen looks slower than Chris Kaman”, then you know you had a bad game. I’m tired of drilling Lavoy, but he’s playing like “Mr. 500″ this season. Due to both foul trouble and bad play, Lavoy barely saw the court in the second half of this game.
	Thaddeus Young, SF 29 MIN \| 7-14 FG \| 6-11 FT \| 7 REB \| 1 AST \| 20 PTS \| +6 Thad could find himself playing in his first All-Star Game if he keeps his play at this level. 20 points, 7 boards and a career-high 11 free-throws attempted. The bulk he added in the off-season is paying dividends for the Sixers who crucially need him to succeed for the team to succeed. He wasn’t necessarily strong on defense, but made up for it and then some on the offensive end of the court. Needless to say, he’s a starter the rest of the year no matter what happens if Bynum does indeed return.
	Evan Turner, SF 36 MIN \| 8-12 FG \| 4-5 FT \| 4 REB \| 4 AST \| 22 PTS \| -3 In the first quarter, ET had 10 points on 4-of-5 shooting and 2-of-3 from beyond the arc. In the third quarter Turner had three straight crucial buckets to turn a 66-70 deficit into a 72-70 lead. In the fourth quarter, Turner denied Vince Carter an attempt at the last shot (when he had been red hot in the quarter up until that point) to bring the Sixers a victory. It was a complete performance from Turner on both ends of the floor who finished with a game-high 22 points and showed an organization the type of player he’s capable of being on a more consistent basis. Turner’s now scored 10 or more points in the last seven games while adding at least four rebounds and three assists. In fact Evan has now scored 10 or more points in 11 of the Sixers 15 games this season (73%). Last season Turner scored 10 or more in just 28-of-66 games (42%).
	Jrue Holiday, PG 41 MIN \| 7-13 FG \| 4-4 FT \| 0 REB \| 7 AST \| 18 PTS \| +1 Great game from Jrue, up until the fourth quarter. Two crucial turnovers, a couple late misses and a foul on O.J. Mayo which could have cost the Sixers a win. I was rooting for Jrue to score 20 points so I could research when the last time three different Sixers reached 20 or more points in a game, unfortunately it didn’t happen. However 18 points, seven assists and three steals is a great performance in my book. His defense on O.J. Mayo deserved applause and he made a few awe-inspiring passes to open teammates. He took a step back in terms of turnovers, but his plus’ outweighed his minus’ in the grand scheme of the game.
	Jason Richardson, SG 31 MIN \| 2-8 FG \| 0-0 FT \| 8 REB \| 1 AST \| 6 PTS \| +13 Richardson hit two straight three’s to open the game, but then didn’t score the rest of the night. However, he played solid defense with three steals, he had eight first half rebounds and the Sixers were +13 with him on the court. Hard to argue with his playing time.
	Dorell Wright, SF 17 MIN \| 1-5 FG \| 0-0 FT \| 4 REB \| 4 AST \| 2 PTS \| -7 Wright’s playing time was one of the things I was upset about in this game. The Sixers were up 87-81 when Wright exited the game midway through the fourth quarter. He had just had a huge dunk a couple plays earlier for his first points of the game, but he had played a large role as a facilitator and defender up until that point. Swaggy P on the other hand was having a terrible game and terrible fourth quarter up until that point, but for some reason when it came time for Thad to check back into the game it was Swaggy and not Wright who was allowed to stay on the court. I don’t know what Wright did for Collins to be dogging him like this, but after a great start to the season I would’ve expected Wright to be respected a little more than this.
	Spencer Hawes, C 13 MIN \| 3-5 FG \| 0-0 FT \| 2 REB \| 0 AST \| 6 PTS \| -7 For the most part, Hawes was a non-factor in this game. He had a couple big buckets in the fourth and a big steal, but really disappointing overall. He’s now gone nine-straight games without 10 rebounds and had just two in this game. If he doesn’t start getting physical, Collins will find minutes for guys who are willing to bang no matter how much shorter they may be.
	Kwame Brown, C 16 MIN \| 2-3 FG \| 2-4 FT \| 8 REB \| 1 AST \| 6 PTS \| +6 Were you as happy as I was watching Kwame Brown in this game? He was physical, he was smart, he was efficient, he was active on the boards and he showed toughness. Literally every question I had about Kwame was answered in his 16 minutes of playing time. He can be a productive player in this League, he really just has to be aggressive and to stay focused. I admittedly am a hater of Kwame, but I was excited for him watching this game. The crowd, after booing him when he first entered the game, was even behind him by the end of the game. If Kwame can start to do this every night then maybe Doug Collins knew what he was doing all along. If not…I go back to my realistic expectations.
	Maalik Wayns, PG 13 MIN \| 2-8 FG \| 4-4 FT \| 1 REB \| 0 AST \| 10 PTS \| -5 Before the game I asked Maalik how he had felt getting his first real production in the NBA in the teams win over Pheonix and he responded, “I’m getting more comfortable. I know what to do now and I’m getting more acclimated to it. I’m trying to make the most of my minutes whether it’s five minutes or seven minutes, whatever it is I’m trying to make the most of it and to come out successful.” In Maalik’s most extensive minutes of the season against the Mavs, he had his ups and downs but ultimately showed that he can be more than effective for the team this season. He had eight first half points and showed that his speed is something that could be dangerous to an opposition. He was crossed up to the floor by Collison, but came back with a three. He was blocked by Brand, but came right back at the rim and was hacked for two. He left Collison wide open for a three, but attacked the rim right after and got two more from the line. Inconsistency is supposed to come with being a rookie, give Maalik some playing time to get comfortable and he could be dangerous.
	Nick Young, SG 21 MIN \| 1-5 FG \| 0-0 FT \| 1 REB \| 2 AST \| 2 PTS \| +2 Horrible game. Should’ve played at least 10 minutes less than he did. His only points came off of a runner/floater where he almost turned the ball over. He also made a careless pass for an easy two and simply took his eyes off a pass on another occasion. Despite the crowds “swag” chants, this guy deserved some bench time.

LOOKING FOR A SCORER

HELP WANTED

NOTES, LINKS & TWEETS

WRONG NIGHT TO HAVE A BAD NIGHT

NOTES, LINKS & TWEETS

NOTES, LINKS & TWEETS

IVERSON UPDATE

TRIPLE THREAT

GAME 15: RAPID REACTS

HOLIDAY: ALL-STAR SG ?!?

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