Much to our excitement, the 76ers 2011-12 schedule was finally released last night.  And while we have no idea what is going to happen with the Sixers roster or the rest of the NBA when the free agency frenzy launches later this week, we took a stab at analyzing the upcoming 66-game slate.

We had to make a lot of asssumptions based on what the teams looked like at the end of 2010-11 in our predictions for 2011-12, so we reserve the right to make some changes after the free agent bonanza comes to a halt. 

With those assumptions in mind we believe Sixers fans will be very pleased with how we predict the start off the 2011-12 season will go for the 7-6.  If they can manage to survive the opening 5-game Disney on Ice road trip Philadunkia’s home team has been burdened with, then a very pleasing  month of January awaits them.  So we are predicting a fast start from the 2011-12 Sixers.

However, a fast start may be cancelled out completely if the 7-6 can not keep it together during the brutal stretch the scheduling gods have planned for Doug Collins and Co. in the final month of this shortened season.

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That is the question…we threw out to you the readers yesterday. 

As we mentioned there is no consensus here at the Philadunkia offices as to what approach the 76ers should take for the upcoming 2011-12 season.  From reading comments on this and other Sixers sites, talking to other Sixers fans and listening to sports talk show hosts, there does not seem to be any agreement on “the street” either.

On one side (in our offices and on the street) are those who say Josh Harris and Co. should give Rod Thorn the green light to do whatever it takes in order to assemble the best basketball team possible for this 66-game season and thus build on the success the team had in 2010-11.  On Wednesday, in the first of this two part series, Tom Sunnergren stated his case for why he feels strongly that the 76ers should, “Go For It” during the 2011-12 season.

On the other side of this discussion are those who say that this abbreviated season presents a perfect opportunity for the Sixers and their new owners to hit the “reset button” in order to get a fresh start and establish a brighter future for this franchise.  Today Philadunkia scribe C. Smith lobbies for the 7-6 to take a “competitively indifferent” approach to the 2011-12 season and look to the future right NOW.  

You may choose to call it what it really is, that ugly sports term known as — “Tanking”.

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Thaddeus Young, even among those in his deeply unsettled profession, holds a uniquely unsettled position.

Not only does he, like the rest of his League’s players, not know the particulars of the new CBA he’ll be playing under when/if this season starts, he also, as a free agent, doesn’t know what team he’ll be suiting up for.  And even if he — as is widely expected — returns to the 76ers, he’s completely in the dark about his new boss (now-Sixers majority owner Josh Harris) because the terms of the lockout bar them from so much as exchanging emails.

So you could say Thad has a lot on his mind.

But despite this uncertainty, Thursday afternoon from his hometown of Memphis, Thad made some time for us — opening up about the long offseason, his training regiment and getting recognized in airports.

Q and A, as always, after the J.

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In the spirit of Halloween, the scribes at Philadunkia.com were asked to review a list of eight members of the 76ers roster and pick a costume for each player to rock as they went Trick or Treating tonight.

Some of the selections are humorous.  Some are sarcastic (as hell).  While still others went the wishful thinking route.

So as you read through this post, try to imagine this group of Sixers dressed in the costumes we chose for them going door-to-door in your neighborhood with all the kiddies.

We think you’ ll get a laugh or two…

Happy Halloween.

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Allegedly there was some positive progress on the NBA labor front yesterday.  NBA scribe / radio host Stephen A. Smith believes the lockout will be over within a week.

“I’ll play for anybody…”  That’s what 76ers legend Allen Iverson told Yahoo Sports when the topic turned to the possibility of “The Answer” coming back to the NBA during an interview promoting  his Las Vegas Superstar Challenge.

As you may have heard or read yesterday, Dr. J is auctioning off a host of his personal ABA / NBA memorabilia, including his 1983 NBA Championship ring.  Rumors immediately started flying that Julius is in financial trouble.  That was hard to believe for us considering his vast success in the business world.  The Doctor is now saying he’s not in financial trouble, “To claim it’s a firesale or to clear up some debt, I don’t think so.”  That’s good news.  

The Raptors hired recently fired Sixers GM Ed Stefanski.  Why we ask?

A quick “76ers” search on craigslist.com produces this Barbie doll gem. 

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The seemingly eternal NBA lockout has given Sixers fans an empty feeling.  It doesn’t help that most of those fans witnessed the demise of their beloved Phillies and endured a Birds team that quickly became the dream unfulfilled. 

Sadly, though, the true Sixers’ faithful have become acquainted with being drowned in emptiness.  Every season, they witness empty dreams, empty unfulfilled talent, and most definitely an empty arena.

Though, maybe, just maybe, a new dawn of fulfillment has begun in South Philly.  That’s what the new Sixers’ ownership group would like fans to believe.  In order to instill that belief, they have announced lowered ticket prices in multiple sections all over the Wells Fargo Center, otherwise known as (Ed) “Sniderville”.  In fact, they haves slashed prices by nearly 50% for select lower level seats and dropped prices throughout the arena..

Obviously, it may purely be a strategic business ploy simply to sell seats, that would otherwise go cold and unused. 

Yet, it could also be an essential key in energizing what has become a lifeless franchise.

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Good news usually comes in droves and it appears that is just the case for the Philadelphia 76ers of late.

First, the newly approved Sixers owner Josh Harris has promised to slash over 9,000 ticket prices in half in order to start tilting die-hard Philadelphia fans back to the Wells Fargo Center for basketball.

Secondly, the NBA owners and players met Wednesday for 16 consecutive hours with a federal mediator.  That can only mean good things (Right?).

Finally, Sixers fans should still be basking in the glory of what Lou Williams did last Saturday evening, upstaging Kevin Durant and John Wall in leading the underdog Team Philly to victory.  In particular it was Williams’ defense and not even the 53 point scoring outburst that had writers buzzing.

I’m not an upper echelon journalist – yet – to have met with Josh Harris or David Stern.  But I did deliver on the Lou Williams end.

If somehow, someway the NBA returns in mid-November, I hope we get to see more than 23 minutes per game out of Williams. 

We all know he’s been a streaky player in the past, but take one look and you can see that Louis has been busting his butt this off-season in hopes of a big year in 2011-12 season — if the season ever tips off.

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Since the “76ers for sale” rumors started flying around the internet this past spring, there’s been only one person  we’ve been waiting to hear from — billionaire Joshua Harris. 

For months we have heard nothing from Harris in the media and our repeated requests for interview time went unanswered. 

Well, yesterday was the big day, as Harris and new 76ers CEO Adam Aron finally stepped into the Philadelphia spotlight.  As the press conference was about to begin I literally had goosebumps.  The 76ers were about to launch a new era in which they will be owned by a billionaire and some of his pals who will be laser focused on the 76ers.  Philadunkia nation was about to get it’s own Mark Cuban or Mikhail Prokhorov.  I was smiling ear to ear as the Sixers would no longer be Ed Snider’s second favorite son.

Then the press conference began and my smile was soon wiped away.

Yes Harris and Aron said all the right things — as most very successful businessmen have been trained to do in a public speaking setting.  And there was some positive news — Ed Stefanski is out.  But let’s be honest — there was no pop, no sizzle, and  overall a lack of any energy behind the whole event.  By the end of the 44+ minute press conference, some of the excitement I had for a new beginning for the 76ers was drained from my soul. 

Obviously this new ownership group is comprised of very smart businessmen who by all accounts will do great things for this organization.  Believe me, here at Philadunkia we are praying very hard that Harris & CO. can make the 7-6 relevant to the Philly sports fan again.  However, in my opinion, the new era sure did get off to a slow start yesterday.

After the jump, are a few of my notes and key quotes from down at The Palestra on Tuesday…

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October 15^th was supposed to be the Kevin Durant show. It was supposed to be a day where the Oklahoma City Thunder idol showed he was the anti-Lebron, the anti-Carmelo, the winner.

He was supposed to topple team Philly in front of his hometown.  Basketball addicts in the Washington, D.C. area had cleared their calendar a month in advance to watch a ‘Durantula’ clinic after such a bitter ending to his playoff quest against the Dallas Mavericks.

And then Lou Williams happened.

Sweet Lou finished with 53 points – 34 in the second half – to upstage Durant, John Wall, the bevy of attractive female groupies and the few NFL players sitting courtside.  No one at Calvin Coolidge High School could take their eyes off of Lou.  He was giving grown men the chills.  Honestly, I don’t ever recall seeing a player catch fire like Louis did Saturday night.

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While the city of Philadelphia is darkened by the recent collapses of championship hopeful franchises, what’s even more depressing for hoop heads in this town is the idea that the Sixers have missed out on a huge opportunity to capture this city’s attention.   

The Vince Young proclaimed “Dream Team” stands 1-4 in pigskin matches with coaches and players walking on a tight rope.  And the “Greatest Pitching Staff Ever Assembled,” lost in the postseason because of a poor supporting offensive cast — again.  Prior to the start of the MLB and NFL seasons, both the Phillies and the Eagles were allegedly bound for postseason success, but have since left their fans in a state of depression.  

So what team does the city need during this troubling condition?  Yup, you thought correctly, it needs the 76ers. 

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