A BULLISH DECISION

Posted by: Jeff McMenamin
05/09/13 6:00 am EST

The Sixers have been abandoned again. It was another three seasons of wasted basketball instead of moving closer to the ultimate goal of a championship. There were risks taken, hearts broken and blood vessels busted.

Yet, taking a trip down memory lane, what if I told you that the Sixers’ woes began way before the Andrew Bynum trade last summer? What if I told you that if the Sixers had just taken my advice that they’d be in the hunt for an NBA Championship right now as you’re reading this?

Without tooting my own horn too much, I’ll just let you see for yourself…
http://philadunkia.com/?p=263

‘DRE — YOU CAN STILL HAVE HIM

Posted by: Jake Fischer
05/01/13 12:23 pm EST

Last night, I watched the Denver Nuggets narrowly defeat the Golden State Warriors in the Pepsi Center in order to extend their first round series to a sixth game. Naturally, I found the Warriors play through the first four games of the series refreshing and thrilling. But, in Game 6, the Nuggets morphed into the Pistons of the “Bad Boys” era with a touch of pop and pizazz and secured a win. The player who pushed the Nuggets to the win last night was former Sixer Andre Iguodala.

The once heir apparent to Allen Iverson, Iguodala dropped a line of 25 points, 12 boards and 7 assists in 40 minutes of play on 10-17 shooting from the field. On the series, Iguodala is averaging 16.8 points, 7.8 rebounds and 5.2 assists per game while shooting 53.4 percent from the floor in 40.2 minutes per (Those stats are much improved over his regular season numbers of 13, 5 & 5 and 45% shooting from the field).

With his playoff averages, Iguodala would have ranked second on the Sixers in points, tied-second in rebounds, second in assists, second in field goal percentage and first in minutes during the regular season. And, the dude is doing this in the playoffs no less against a stingy defensive team in the Dubs.

Regardless, I still say the Philadelphia 76ers are better off with Iguodala elsewhere.

THE ANDREW BYNUM CONSPIRACY

Posted by: Jeff McMenamin
03/28/13 5:53 pm EST

Take a minute and think about these questions for a second:

Did the Philadelphia 76ers ownership just pull off the greatest tanking scheme in NBA history? Will their current horrible reputation be wiped away into them being regarded in the highest light for the Andrew Bynum blockbuster trade?

If I were to tell you that they’ve been pulling the media and fans’ legs all along for the good of the organization, would you believe me?

Putting your emotions aside (and believe me I’m right there with you) the answer to all three of these questions could conceivably be yes. The story of marketing ploys and genius cover ups begins after the jump…

GM 65: (W – AGAIN) RAPID REACTS

Posted by: Jake Fischer
03/17/13 12:12 am EST

Indiana Pacers

FinalRecap | Box Score

Philadelphia 76ers

	Thaddeus Young, SF 37 MIN \| 5-7 FG \| 3-4 FT \| 7 REB \| 1 AST \| 4 STL \| 1 BLK \| 1 TO \| 13 PTS \| +8 Thad always plays with incredible heart and hustle. If he doesn’t receive at least an A- nightly, something went terribly wrong. Tonight, the prototypical small-ball PF was extremely efficient from the field and played great D on David West. But he shouldn’t play 37 minutes at this point in the year, Doug. Give some of that burn to Moultrie!
	Evan Turner, SF 34 MIN \| 5-11 FG \| 1-2 FT \| 4 REB \| 2 AST \| 1 STL \| 0 BLK \| 2 TO \| 11 PTS \| +7 Evan put together a decent night of his own against a team that should have provided a tough match-up for him: lengthy and athletic perimeter players. It’s a positive sign that he only shot the ball 11 times, but he should have converted more of them.
	Spencer Hawes, C 34 MIN \| 7-14 FG \| 3-4 FT \| 16 REB \| 8 AST \| 0 STL \| 7 BLK \| 3 TO \| 18 PTS \| +12 Wow. After blanking a crucial layup in his last time out against the Heat, the big ole’ stiff comes out and delivers a near quadruple-double! He even made contact on a few screens and rolled to the basket! And, he embarrassed Roy Hibbert! Wow. Just, wow.
	Jrue Holiday, PG 43 MIN \| 12-25 FG \| 1-1 FT \| 6 REB \| 12 AST \| 0 STL \| 0 BLK \| 3 TO \| 27 PTS \| +7 Jrue played like an all-star this evening. And, of his 3 turnovers tonight, two came when he was arguably fouled in the 4th Quarter. He could have shot a much better percentage overall, but he straight carried this team to a triumphant victory.
	Damien Wilkins, SG 33 MIN \| 4-11 FG \| 4-6 FT \| 1 REB \| 3 AST \| 0 STL \| 3 BLK \| 1 TO \| 12 PTS \| +1 Damien Wilkins should not be playing 19 more minutes than Arnett Moultire and Charles Jenkins combined at this point in the season. He shouldn’t. ‘Nique’s nephew is shooting 43% from the field this year. Why is he playing over two young guys who might actually be able to contribute to your rotation for the next five seasons?
	Arnett Moultrie, PF 9 MIN \| 0-0 FG \| 0-0 FT \| 2 REB \| 0 AST \| 0 STL \| 2 BLK \| 0 TO \| 0 PTS \| -4 You’re the man, Arnett! Keep fighting hard for rebounds! Keep blocking shots! Keep running the floor! Keep smiling on the bench like you’re not pissed about playing behind Damien Wilkins! Maybe, just maybe, one day you’ll have a coach that recognizes your potential and how it would be very beneficial to give you some playing time.
	Dorell Wright, SF 29 MIN \| 4-6 FG \| 2-2 FT \| 2 REB \| 1 AST \| 1 STL \| 0 BLK \| 1 TO \| 13 PTS \| +10 Dorell Wright took the form of a quality wing perimeter player that he can be with regular minutes this evening. Over the team’s last five games, Wright is playing 23.0 minutes and scoring 14.2 points per contest. Why couldn’t he have gotten to this consistent run earlier in the season?
	Lavoy Allen, C 16 MIN \| 2-4 FG \| 0-0 FT \| 3 REB \| 1 AST \| 0 STL \| 1 BLK \| 0 TO \| 4 PTS \| -4 Eh. Lavoy is what he is. 16 minutes is a good number for him and 4 points and 3 rebounds is a solid contribution. But he was just another face in the crowd, tonight.
	Charles Jenkins, PG 5 MIN \| 0-1 FG \| 0-0 FT \| 0 REB \| 0 AST \| 0 STL \| 0 BLK \| 1 TO \| 0 PTS \| -2 Unfortunately for Charles, Collins refuses to acknowledge this guy is the second-leading scorer in Colonial Athletic Association history behind only David “The Admiral” Robinson. Give this kid an opportunity to prove himself!
	Kwame Brown, C DNP COACH’S DECISION MIN \| FG \| FT \| REB \| AST \| STL \| BLK \| TO \| PTS \| Again, only a few more games before Kwame Brown becomes, “Kwame Brown’s expiring contract” That’s worth some trade value, right?
	Jeremy Pargo, PG DNP COACH’S DECISION MIN \| FG \| FT \| REB \| AST \| STL \| BLK \| TO \| PTS \| It’s not his fault he’s really irrelevant at this point in the season for this particular team, right?
	Royal Ivey, PG DNP COACH’S DECISION MIN \| FG \| FT \| REB \| AST \| STL \| BLK \| TO \| PTS \| Who?
	Nick Young, SG DNP COACH’S DECISION MIN \| FG \| FT \| REB \| AST \| STL \| BLK \| TO \| PTS \| At least Swaggy looks swaggy on the bench.
	Doug Collins DC did a good job of coaching tonight to win this game. He played the hot hands, he left units in that went on big runs. He even made key substitutions in a few situations. However, he gave Moultrie and Jenkins 14 minutes, combined. Their are 240 minutes to divide amongst a roster in an NBA game. They got 14. Come on, Doug!

ANALYZING THE SIXERS

Posted by: Jeff McMenamin
01/02/13 8:44 am EST

A relatively new and popular way of analyzing sports teams and players is through the use of advanced statistics.

Around the NBA, you’ve seen teams hiring their own stat guru’s to better evaluate talent based on their findings. Early in December, the Memphis Grizzlies hired ESPN’s highly popular analyst, John Hollinger, as their Vice President of Basketball Operations. At the beginning of the season, the Sixers hired Aaron Barzilai, creator of the website basketballvalue.com, as the team’s director of analytics.

The most famous stat-guy in the front offices of an NBA team is Daryl Morey, general manager of the Houston Rockets. He was the first NBA general manager to be hired through the Moneyball concept of thinking. This past offseason, he famously signed Jeremy Lin and Omer Asik while also trading for James Harden. The Rockets are now one of the most intriguing and exciting teams to watch in the League, currently holding the NBA’s second-best offense.

Being relatively new to the subject of advanced statistics I couldn’t think of a better way to both enlighten myself about the topic and to give readers a better understanding as well then to interview one of the more popular number-crunchers out there today.

Continue Reading

OHH NO…PLEASE NO

Posted by: C. Smith
12/13/12 3:29 pm EST

In case you have not been on Twitter or the WWW in the last two hours, here’s the news flash…

Jrue Holiday did not practice Thursday and is a game-time decision for Friday night’s contest against the Pacers in Indianapolis. A sprained left foot kept him out of practice today and appears to be the reason for Jrue’s sluggish 4th Q in Wednesday night’s debacle vs. CHI.

Holiday had both an X-ray and a MRI today, which again according to numerous sources indicated that the foot is simply sprained.

According to sixers.com Holiday will wear a walking boot and as the team travels to Indianapolis Thursday afternoon in advance of their Friday night meeting with the Pacers. He is a game-time decision (but arent’s we all).

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.

MITCH THE MAGNIFICENT

Posted by: Tim Parker
11/29/12 10:34 am EST

There aren’t too many things that Philadelphia and Memphis share in common.

One city is best known for its historical grandeur, fine restaurants and rabid sports fans, while the other can only boast Elvis and BBQ. But, Philly and Memphis do share one very unique thing in common. The City of Brotherly Love and the Barbecue Pork Capital of the World have both had its professional basketball teams’ bamboozled by Lakers’ general manager Mitch Kupchak in deals that allowed the Lakers to acquire two of the most dominant big men in the NBA – Pau Gasol and Dwight Howard.

Yes, long before Kupchak alienated not one, but two coaches in Lakerland (including arguably the best coach in professional basketball history), he suckered our beloved Sixers franchise which was starved to leave the world of the irrelevant (that was nestled in a direction of going nowhere fast) to take on Andrew Bynum and his bum knee, scratch that, two bum knees.

The 76ers were supposed to receive a Bynum with plenty of superstar potential whose knee simply needed some rest. Once the knee was stable and now that he was out from under the Kobe dominated Lakers; he would ultimately come into his own as a perennial all-star.

At least, that’s what Bynum was supposed to be.

MOST BANG FOR THE BUCK ??

Posted by: Steve Toll
09/07/12 12:28 pm EST

Welcome to Philadelphia, Andrew. You’ve told fans that you like the city and that’s great but have you checked out the banks? Philly has lots of em’ and I think they will be to your liking but the question for me is, “Are you worth it?”.

At first glance you certainly seem to be worth it, but it’s important to see if the numbers back up intuition. As my previous articles have stated, the numbers make the world go round. In this case, the numbers say you aren’t worth the money.

It’s been reported that Bynum and his representative did not speak to anyone from the 76ers prior to this trade. That isn’t a bad sign, but it’s certainly not a good one. If Bynum doesn’t sign an extension this season, he is leaving once the season is over. You see, the fifth year that Philly can Bynum offer is just not the Ace of Spades that people think it is.

Seriously, if you could go play with Ryan Anderson, Eric Gordon and The BROW or Holiday, Turner, Jrich, Lavov and Hawes, where would you go if you wanted to both win and party?

That isn’t the only team that will be vying for his services come this off-season, but that’s at least one with a more attractive offer.

Hopefully, that doesn’t happen and Bynum stays in Philadelphia, that’s what’s best right?

2012 DRAFT NIGHT TRADES

Posted by: Steve Toll
06/28/12 10:13 am EST

As we all know, tonight the 2012 NBA Draft takes place up the turnpike in Newark, NJ. Our 76ers are coming off of a solid season that few of us predicted, or could have. Still, as we have discussed at length, this team needs to help in several areas and the 2012 Draft could provide the perfect opportunity for this front office to make some serious moves and improve this team drastically.

Earlier this week, our lame-duck General Manager made a statement that the Sixers will NOT be looking to move up in tonight’s Draft. But what if that quote is a smoke screen? What if the Sixers new ownership group and Doug Collins are looking to make a big splash tonight and shake up this roster?

Let’s imagine for a minute that is the case. Then the question becomes, Does the Sixers front office make moves to in hopes of winning now or later?

After the jump we look at both options…

	Thaddeus Young, SF 37 MIN \| 5-7 FG \| 3-4 FT \| 7 REB \| 1 AST \| 4 STL \| 1 BLK \| 1 TO \| 13 PTS \| +8 Thad always plays with incredible heart and hustle. If he doesn’t receive at least an A- nightly, something went terribly wrong. Tonight, the prototypical small-ball PF was extremely efficient from the field and played great D on David West. But he shouldn’t play 37 minutes at this point in the year, Doug. Give some of that burn to Moultrie!
	Evan Turner, SF 34 MIN \| 5-11 FG \| 1-2 FT \| 4 REB \| 2 AST \| 1 STL \| 0 BLK \| 2 TO \| 11 PTS \| +7 Evan put together a decent night of his own against a team that should have provided a tough match-up for him: lengthy and athletic perimeter players. It’s a positive sign that he only shot the ball 11 times, but he should have converted more of them.
	Spencer Hawes, C 34 MIN \| 7-14 FG \| 3-4 FT \| 16 REB \| 8 AST \| 0 STL \| 7 BLK \| 3 TO \| 18 PTS \| +12 Wow. After blanking a crucial layup in his last time out against the Heat, the big ole’ stiff comes out and delivers a near quadruple-double! He even made contact on a few screens and rolled to the basket! And, he embarrassed Roy Hibbert! Wow. Just, wow.
	Jrue Holiday, PG 43 MIN \| 12-25 FG \| 1-1 FT \| 6 REB \| 12 AST \| 0 STL \| 0 BLK \| 3 TO \| 27 PTS \| +7 Jrue played like an all-star this evening. And, of his 3 turnovers tonight, two came when he was arguably fouled in the 4th Quarter. He could have shot a much better percentage overall, but he straight carried this team to a triumphant victory.
	Damien Wilkins, SG 33 MIN \| 4-11 FG \| 4-6 FT \| 1 REB \| 3 AST \| 0 STL \| 3 BLK \| 1 TO \| 12 PTS \| +1 Damien Wilkins should not be playing 19 more minutes than Arnett Moultire and Charles Jenkins combined at this point in the season. He shouldn’t. ‘Nique’s nephew is shooting 43% from the field this year. Why is he playing over two young guys who might actually be able to contribute to your rotation for the next five seasons?
	Arnett Moultrie, PF 9 MIN \| 0-0 FG \| 0-0 FT \| 2 REB \| 0 AST \| 0 STL \| 2 BLK \| 0 TO \| 0 PTS \| -4 You’re the man, Arnett! Keep fighting hard for rebounds! Keep blocking shots! Keep running the floor! Keep smiling on the bench like you’re not pissed about playing behind Damien Wilkins! Maybe, just maybe, one day you’ll have a coach that recognizes your potential and how it would be very beneficial to give you some playing time.
	Dorell Wright, SF 29 MIN \| 4-6 FG \| 2-2 FT \| 2 REB \| 1 AST \| 1 STL \| 0 BLK \| 1 TO \| 13 PTS \| +10 Dorell Wright took the form of a quality wing perimeter player that he can be with regular minutes this evening. Over the team’s last five games, Wright is playing 23.0 minutes and scoring 14.2 points per contest. Why couldn’t he have gotten to this consistent run earlier in the season?
	Lavoy Allen, C 16 MIN \| 2-4 FG \| 0-0 FT \| 3 REB \| 1 AST \| 0 STL \| 1 BLK \| 0 TO \| 4 PTS \| -4 Eh. Lavoy is what he is. 16 minutes is a good number for him and 4 points and 3 rebounds is a solid contribution. But he was just another face in the crowd, tonight.
	Charles Jenkins, PG 5 MIN \| 0-1 FG \| 0-0 FT \| 0 REB \| 0 AST \| 0 STL \| 0 BLK \| 1 TO \| 0 PTS \| -2 Unfortunately for Charles, Collins refuses to acknowledge this guy is the second-leading scorer in Colonial Athletic Association history behind only David “The Admiral” Robinson. Give this kid an opportunity to prove himself!
	Kwame Brown, C DNP COACH’S DECISION MIN \| FG \| FT \| REB \| AST \| STL \| BLK \| TO \| PTS \| Again, only a few more games before Kwame Brown becomes, “Kwame Brown’s expiring contract” That’s worth some trade value, right?
	Jeremy Pargo, PG DNP COACH’S DECISION MIN \| FG \| FT \| REB \| AST \| STL \| BLK \| TO \| PTS \| It’s not his fault he’s really irrelevant at this point in the season for this particular team, right?
	Royal Ivey, PG DNP COACH’S DECISION MIN \| FG \| FT \| REB \| AST \| STL \| BLK \| TO \| PTS \| Who?
	Nick Young, SG DNP COACH’S DECISION MIN \| FG \| FT \| REB \| AST \| STL \| BLK \| TO \| PTS \| At least Swaggy looks swaggy on the bench.
	Doug Collins DC did a good job of coaching tonight to win this game. He played the hot hands, he left units in that went on big runs. He even made key substitutions in a few situations. However, he gave Moultrie and Jenkins 14 minutes, combined. Their are 240 minutes to divide amongst a roster in an NBA game. They got 14. Come on, Doug!