jsams's Blog

Sixers 08-09 Expectations

http://sixersoul.blogspot.com/ — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 03:57:03 GMT

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MvooIa-Fd_A

DISCLAIMER: If you can't read or don't like to read I recommend just skimming this post because it's ridiculously long.

Sixersoul

I can watch the celebration over and over and over again and still not know what it's like. Being the age I am, I've never experienced any of my teams wininng a championship (I actually have, but I definitely wasn't old enough to remember) and I'm sure it's the same for the most Sixer fans. Just once in my lifetime. Just once, I want to feel it. I want to get rewarded for all the time and emotion I invest in my teams each year, instead of having my hopes and dreams crushed every year. Just once, I want to run into my front yard and douse myself in champagne. I want to wear a "Sixers, Cowboys or Astros" World Champions t-shirt for an entire year. Just once.

25 years. Can it be considered a curse? That's how long it's been since the 76ers (or any other Philadelphia team) have won a championship. Since then there's been a ton of talent (Shawn Bradley cancels about half of it out) to come in and out of Philadelphia. First there was the "Sir" Charles era, along with Hersey Hawkins and Rick Mahorn. No championship. There were Shawn Bradley, Jerry Stackhouse and Derrick Coleman sightings. No championship. Finally, the supposed savior Allen Iverson came. He took the team to the Finals; however he also came up just short.

Now a new era is upon us. I'm not exactly sure what it will be known as ten years from now. Will it be the Elton Brand era? The Andre Iguodala era? That remains to be seen. We also have no idea how it will play out. As I sat in my luxurious office (In my room, in front of my TV on my "Super" Love-Sac) late last night, I wondered, "What are some realistic expectations for this revamped Sixer team?" Will the Iguodala/Brand era (that's what we'll call it for now) bring Philly a much deserved championship? Will wearing the 60th anniversary jerseys/patches be enough good karma to be the last team standing? As all these questions ran through my head I tought, "Man, it'd be sweet to take a break from the Iguodala ‘I got paid one million per point averaged in the playoffs' contract situation and look at the best case and worst case scenarios for not only the 2008-2009 team, but each individual player." So, without further adieu, here they are (Keep in mind, I'm not saying the team or players will either have a "best case" season or a "worst case" season, because they'll probably fall somewhere in the middle, so some stats might be a little high or a little low.)

Andre Miller #7 PG

Best case: The best case scenario for Miller would be to play almost identical to the way he played last season. This is a contract year for the 32-year old vet, so I don't see him playing worse. His scoring will drop, but reasonably so, since Elton should score quite a bit. His assists will go up with Brand down low. Miller should play like the true point guard he is, run the offense and be a leader on and off the court and remain a lock to play all 82 games.

Best case stats: 15 points, 10 assists and 5 rebounds

Worst case: The worst case scenario for Andre to completely fall off from last year, which is definitely possible since he had a career year and isn't getting any younger. I'd even say there's a slight possibility that Miller plays poorly enough to warrant a trade, just to get something for his expiring contract. I mean, I thought Miller was done at the beginning of last year. I even dropped him from my fantasy team (not a move I'm very proud of).

Worst case stats: 12 points, 6 assists and 3 rebounds

Louis Williams #23 PG

Best case: Lou has a lot to build on from last year. At times, he looked unstoppable and AllenIversonesque. I'm sure he'll improve this summer and see a solid minute increase this season. Best case for Lou is he plays the Leandro Barbosa role on this year's team, coming off the bench a providing a huge spark on offense and providing occasional rest for Andre Miller.

Best case stats: 15 points, 4 assists

Worst case: If he plays like he did in December and January last year, shooting 35 and 38 percent, respectively. It's also possible Lou could come in and completely stall the offense a la Willie Green and not only NOT contribute, but hurt the rest of the team in the process. For the sake of Elton Brand being a Sixer, let's hope Lou improves his 3-pointer this summer.

Worst case stats: 11 points, 3 assists on fewer than 40% shooting

Royal Ivey #11 PG

Best case: Ivey plays less than 5 minutes per game and plays them effectively.

Worst case: Ivey plays more than 5 minutes per game and plays them ineffectively, plain and simple.

If Ivey plays more than that, it will be because either Lou or Miller got hurt, Miller got traded or we brought back Jim O'Brien as our head coach. Any of those scenarios would cause me serious pain.

Andre Iguodala #9 SF

Best case: The reports of Iguodala working on his jumper and watching film at 3 in the morning are true. He flourishes as the number 2 option behind Brand and continues to improve each season.

Best case stats: 22 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists

Worst case: Iguodala's head continues to grow. He regresses due to his new 6 year/80 million dollar contract and plays like he did in the playoffs against Detroit. All possibilities, but I'd bet on the best case over the worst case any day.

Worst case stats: 18 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists on fewer than 45% shooting

Willie Green #33 SG

Best case: Best case for my least favorite player Willie Green is to be a scoring threat off the bench. We all know he's a talented scorer and maybe, just maybe a reduced role will cut down on his stupid plays and he can provide a nice spark off the bench. That's the best case scenario for the team, but I wouldn't mind seeing him get traded either.

Best case stats: Around 15 minutes per game, less than a turnover a game, 7 points on more than 44% shooting or traded

Worst case: Willie plays 1 on 1 like he did last year, takes bad shots and turns the ball over in an extended role since Mo seems to like him so much. I don't want to see him take any minutes away from Lou or Kareem Rush (my opinion might change on that once I watch Rush consistently) unless he matches up better with a particular player.

Worst case stats: Over 20 minutes a game or starting shooting guard, more than 1.5 turnovers a game and fewer than 42% shooting

Kareem Rush #20 SG

Best case: Rush comes in a hits a few threes to spread the half court offense.

Worst case: Rush is Willie Green 2.0 (I've heard some things).

Thaddeus Young #21 SF

Best case: Thad takes a huge step toward an All-Star caliber player, improves his ball handling and jumper drastically (Let's hope the Summer League wasn't much of an indication) and plays within himself. Thad should flourish as the 5th scoring option in the starting lineup since he can't seem to create his own shot yet.

Best case stats: 12 points, 5 rebounds, 1+ steals, less than a turnover on more than 50% shooting.

Worst case: Thad plays like he did in the Summer League and turns the ball over a ton along with bricking open jumper after open jumper.

Worst case stats: 8 points, 3 rebounds, less than a steal and more than a turnover per game on fewer than 50% shooting

Elton Brand #42 PF

Best case: Finally, we get to Elton Brand. This one's tough to figure out since he's coming off a ruptured Achilles and he's never played a game with this team. The best case scenario is Elton plays like the Elton of old and is a dominate force in the post, along with a defensive and rebounding presence next to Dalembert.

Best case stats: 24 points, 10 rebounds and 2 blocks

Worst case: Elton is just a mere image of his former self, is injury plagued throughout the season and makes Sixers fans think, "Is this really the first year of a five year deal?" Although the best and worst case scenarios are so much different, both are realistic.

Worst case stats: 18 points, 8 rebounds, 1 block and less than 70 games played

Reggie Evans #30 PF

Best case: Reggie! Reggie! Reggie! Best case is Reggie does exactly what he did last year; provide energy, swagger and rebounding to a young team. He definitely won't play as much as he did last year with the acquisition of Brand, but oddly enough Reggie is the player I'm least worried about. He's been a stud role player his whole career. He might even steal the show from Brand's return to LA by reuniting with his old friend, Chris Kaman.

Worst case: Gains weight, gets out of shape and lets the big playoff shot get to his head, provoking him to shoot fade away jumpers.

Jason Smith #14 PF

Best case: Get well soon Jason!

Worst case: Just when Jason Smith was looking like a solid NBA role player, a torn ACL ends his career.

Marreese Speights #16 PF

Best case: Speights plays anything like he did in the Summer League and steps into the hole left by Jason Smith. I could see Speights playing the role Thad did last season. As the season goes on, his minutes could slightly increase and be a nice rotation player.

Worst case: I really can't see a worst case for Speights. The only thing I could think of is a serious injury because even if he doesn't play at all or plays in the D-League he'll still develop nicely and be ready to blossom into the next Amare down the road.

Samuel Dalembert #1 C

Best case: Sammy D had an excellent year last year. He's not expected to score much, but if he could actually finish a dunk or stay away from the T.O. school of catching, it'd be nice. As long as he stays consistent and plays good defense against the opponent's best post player he'll flourish next to Brand. His mid-range jumper has also become cash money.

Best case stats: 11 points, 11 rebounds and 3 blocks. I don't see his numbers improving that much, especially with Brand taking some of his scoring away, along with some rebounds.

Worst case: Goes back to his fouling ways, shoots fewer than 50% and turns the ball over too much.

Worst case stats: 9 points, 8 rebounds and fewer than 2 blocks per game.

PHILADELPHIA 76ERS:

That brings us to the team as a whole. I've already delved into the Sixers schedule and made my prediction on their record, which was 52-30. That being said, the team could be much better than that, or much worse.

Best case: Best case is obviously a championship. It's not very likely, especially with this being their first year together and Elton coming off a serious injury. That doesn't mean it isn't possible though. The Sixers basically have to have EVERYTHING go right for them, but I'll put it like my boy JP from Angels in the Outfield would, "It could happen!"

Worst case: Unless some serious injuries occurr or a trade of Andre Miller, I don't see this team missing the playoffs in the East. I say worst case scenario is 7th or 8th seed, as long as they stay healthy.

Let's hope this image will be in our near future (insert Sammy D and Lou Will in Posey and Walker's place):

Thoughts?

Can the Sixers dethrone the Celtics?

http://sixersoul.blogspot.com/ — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 00:25:17 GMT

The shape of the Sixers team is starting to become more clear. Each piece of the puzzle has been taken care of besides Andre Iguodala, which should be coming soon. Ed Stefanki's first off-season as Sixers GM has been ridiculously good. He landed the big fish/low-post scorer we've been needing in Brand, he got a shooter for cheap in Kareem Rush, filled a roster spot with a tough-nosed third point guard in Royal Ivey and drafted an absolute stud in my opinion, Mo Speights. Not to mention he locked up Lou Williams with a very reasonable contract. With the majority of the off-season moves completed, I thought it would be interesting to look towards next season. The Atlantic and the Eastern Conference are no longer the laughing stalk of the league. Especially with the Atlantic's own Boston Celtics owning the Larry O'brien trophy at the moment. So, with Elton Brand, a year under the core's belt and a couple new role players, can the Sixers compete with the NBA champs? It's been said that to be the best, you have to beat the best, so let's compare the teams.

Point Guard: Andre Miller vs. Rajon Rondo
Rajon looked like a flat out star at times during the finals, especially in the clincher. He's much quicker and flashier than Miller, but I'll take the consistent, durable, savvy veteran over Rondo any day. Not to mention, unless Rajon hits the weight room big time this summer Miller can just abuse him in the post. The numbers speak for themselves. In games played against each other last season, here are the lines:

Miller-23 points, 6 rebounds, 8 assists on 45% and 3 turnovers a game
Rondo-6 points, 4 rebounds, 6 assists on 38% and 2 turnover a game

1-0 Sixers in my book.

Shooting Guard: Andre Iguodala (most likely) vs. Ray Allen
This one's a little tougher to judge. First, Iguodala hasn't played much shooting guard. Second, he'll be the number two option this season, instead of the number one. It remains to be seen how that will affect him, but we all assume it'll be for the better. Ray Allen had a solid regular season with Boston until the last few weeks and the beginning of the playoffs, where people concluded that his career was over. Then, all of sudden the dude played out of his mind in the NBA finals and in my opinion deserved the MVP. So, Iguodala, the young, high-flying player with star potential or Jesus Shuttleworth, the veteran with Hall of Fame-type numbers, the prettiest jumper in the League and newly attained championship ring? Here are the numbers (keep in mind when they played last year, they didn't really guard each other):

Iguodala-22 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists on 49% and 3 turnovers a game
Allen-18 points, 2 rebounds, 4 assists on 51% and 2 turnovers a game

Iguodala wins the numbers, but as of right now, I'd take Allen over Iguodala if I had to win a game. I realize he looked like garbage in the beginning of the playoffs, but the finals left a good taste in my mouth and Iggy didn't look all that great in the playoffs himself.

1-1

Small Forward: Thadeus Young (again most likely) vs. Paul Pierce
Finals MVP vs. second year Thad? No explanation needed. We'll also save some embarrassment by not showing the numbers. Like Andre and Allen, they didn't guard each other much either.

2-1 Celtics

Power Forward: Elton Brand vs. Kevin Garnett
This one's tough. Real tough. On the offensive end Brand is much better in my opinion. On the defensive end, KG is. KG's been known to be famously unclutch. He answered the bell a little bit in the finals, but he'll always still have that reputation. Since they did not face each other last season, let's look at their numbers against each other in 06-07 when Brand was a Clipper and KG was a T' Wolve.

Brand-22 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists on 59% and 2 blocks a game
KG-25 points, 12 rebounds, 4 assists on 56% and 2 blocks a game

KG wins the numbers battle, but this was two years ago and both were on different teams with different offenses. If it means anything, the Clippers also went 0-3 in those games. As much as I tried to look for an advantage for Elton, I just couldn't find it. KG takes this one, hands down.

3-1 Celtics

Center: Samuel Dalembert vs. Kendrick Perkins
Perkins showed some promise in the playoffs, but so did Dalembert. Dalembert's offense is very underrated, especially his mid-range jumper. Last season it was money from 4 all the way to 18 feet. Perk's post game is probably better. Perkins defense is above average, but Sammy's is one of the tops in the league and I only expect it to get better with Brand playing beside him. They're two completely different players, yet similar. Dalembert became much more consistent this season and Perkins is still learning. Some might think it's a little closer than I do, but I'm giving the edge to Dalembert. Here are the numbers (Again they didn't guard each other all the time, since Sam guarded Garnett a lot.):

Dalembert-8 points, 10 rebounds, 2 blocks on 43% shooting and 2 turnovers a game
Perkins-7 points, 6 rebounds, 2 blocks on 55% shooting and 1 turnover a game

The numbers tell a little different story than my assessment, but Dalembert's offensive numbers were down due to him expending so much energy against Garnett on the defensive end. On the other hand, Perkins was often left wide open due to a double-team or guarded by Thadeus Young, who he outweighs by a solid 60 pounds.

3-2 Celtics

Sixers bench vs. Celtics bench: This match up would be a lot closer had James Posey not left for New Orleans. For the Celtics, P.J. Brown will probably retire, Sam Cassell is as old as dirt and did nothing, but hurt the Celtics during the playoffs, Glen Davis is solid, but is a little undersized to match up with any of the Sixers big men, Eddie House is a flat out stud and Leon Powe is a stud. As for the Sixers, Lou Williams is light years better than anyone on the Celtics bench, Reggie Evans gives the team energy, swagger and rebounding (a la Glen Davis), Jason Smith is a hustle machine and can knock down open jumpers better than most big men, Willie Green can score, but is our version of Sam Cassell, Kareem Rush is a streaky shooter than can play solid defense and if Mo Speights sees the floor I think he can be very effective on both ends of the court. Like I said, throw James Posey back in the mix and we have a close one, but without him advantage Sixers.

3-3

Coach: Mo Cheeks vs. Doc Rivers
Both coaches are very underrated. Doc, not so much anymore now that he out coached arguably the best of all-time in Phil Jackson to win a championship. Still, I haven't heard many give him much credit. Rivers did a fantastic job coaching in the finals with the exception of not playing Eddie House over Sam Cassell. Mo didn't do so bad himself with the Sixers this season. I thought he pushed all the right buttons for the most part, especially in all those comeback wins. Was this a result of good coaching or Stefanksi calling for the young guys? I'm not sure, but either way Cheeks did a fantastic job. I'm going to give Rivers the edge for the simple fact that he has a ring and Cheeks doesn't (as a coach).

4-3 Celtics.

Bottom line is the Celtics look slightly better on paper. None of us know how the new Sixers team will play out, especially in their first year together. In a couple years the Sixers will look like the better team, especially with some valuable playoff experience and team chemistry. Not to mention the Celtics are a lot older. One thing we can't factor in on paper is the C's drive in this upcoming season. After winning their first championship will they play with the same desire they did a year ago? I'm pretty sure they won't. A championship takes a lot out of a team and they'll probably be celebrating into the All-Star break. Back-to-back is the hardest thing to do, so Philly's got that working for them.

The C's won this battle, but I'm as stoked as anyone to see the season play out. It will be a blast going against the defending champs all season.

I also wanted to mention one more thing. Check out the Sixers official website. Does anyone else notice that the colors are red, white and blue? Put that together with Elton posing in the throwbacks, the old poll question on what logo the fans like best and the following header/motto on their website and do we have ourselves a slow evolution back to the old uni's? Ricky from Sixers4guidos might have some answers. Ricky, if your reading, didn't I read something on your website that Ed was addressing this issue on the radio? It'd be awesome if we went back to the old uniforms for good.

http://sixersoul.blogspot.com

Top 10 Sixer Games

http://sixersoul.blogspot.com/ — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 02:28:41 GMT

Since there's not much going on besides everybody and their mother considering Europe and Royal Ivey joining the Sixers, I thought it would be cool to look back at the season that was and count down the top 10 Sixer games. It's been a couple months since the season and my mind might be a little cloudy on some of them, so if I miss a game or pull a Roger Clemens and mis-remember some minor details please correct me. If you think my list is completely whack or just feel like coming up with your own, feel free to do so in the comments section. Without further adieu:

10. New York Knicks vs. Philadelphia 76ers (Feb. 20, 2008)

This game was over before it started. The Sixers were coming in on a terrible loss the night before. Just before the All-Star break Philly was showing signs of life and ended the first half of the season on a five game winning streak. Then, we had a huge letdown game in Minnesota where our win streak came to an end on a 104-88 loss to the terrible T'Wolves. This Knicks game was ultimately the start of a trend for the rest of the season. No matter how big of a letdown the Sixers had, they put it behind them and came out the next night or next quarter like a new team. And after the Minnesota letdown the Sixers came home to play the Knicks. Philly took a 37-17 in the first quarter and the rest of the game was just a party all-around. It was a great game to watch because the crowd seemed into it, I never once worried about a comeback, but rather if we could beat them by 40, and the Sixers did just that. Thad Young had his best game to date and Philly ended up winning 124-84. This was easily the least stressful game of the season and one of the most enjoyable to watch.

9. Philadelphia 76ers vs. Memphis Grizzles (Dec. 22, 2007)

Unfortunately I didn't get a chance to watch this game, but this makes the list because of the way it ended and the disappointment it caused me for missing it. The game really needs no explanation. All you need to know is the Sixers won on the road and then this video sums up the rest.

8. San Antonio Spurs vs. Philadelphia 76ers (March 15, 2008)

This game was during a month where Philly went 11-4. Of those 11 wins, five were against playoff teams, including Boston, Detroit, Phoenix and San Antonio. This game might have been higher on the list, but at the time it just seemed like another day at the office for the Sixers. The win brought the Sixers to within one game of .500 and made their playoff chances look very possible. My thoughts during this game were, "Are we really going to beat the Spurs in a grind it out game in March, when the Spurs are in their playoff gear?", "Can Sammy really shut down Tim Duncan at the end of the game?" and "Does this mean Philly really has a shot at the playoffs?" The answer to all those questions was yes. The Sixers held a small lead throughout the entire game, until the fourth when the Spurs made their push. Andre Miller had an absolutely ridiculous game, finishing with 32 points (11-14 shooting) , 7 assists, 5 rebounds and ZERO turnovers. They tried defending him with everyone. Mike Finely couldn't stop him, Tony Parker couldn't stop him, Manu Ginobli couldn't stop him, Jacque Vaughn couldn't stop him and even the oh so wonderful Bruce Bowen couldn't stop him. Everybody on the Sixers played near perfect basketball, only turning the ball over a whopping four times. Besides Miller, if I had to single one player out, it would be Samuel Dalembert. Dalembert owned Tim Duncan defensively in crunch time. Cheeks allowed him play one-on-one for the most part and Sammy made it pay off, either blocking or bothering Duncan's shots in the last few minutes. This was one of the most balanced, team effort victories of the season and it came against the defending champs.

7. Phiadelphia 76ers vs. Chicago Bulls (March 14, 2008)

This game was just one night before the Spurs game. It was in Chicago and the Sixers looked completely out of it, down 16 entering the fourth quarter. The Sixers then went on to outscore the Bulls 40-20 in the fourth and won the game 110-106 in Chicago! If I'm not mistaken the lineup Cheeks had out there for the comeback was Kevin Ollie, Lou Williams, Rodney Carney, Iguodala and Jason Smith. I could be wrong on one or two of those players, but I'm 100% sure Rodney Carney was on the floor because he was the star of the fourth. He finished with 18 points, with 12 of them coming in the final quarter. He was 3-3 from downtown in the fourth including one that cut it to a three-point lead and one that gave Philly their first lead of the 2nd half. This was just another one of Philly's great comebacks throughout the season.

6. Portland TrailBlazers vs. Philadelphia 76ers (Nov. 16, 2008)

Speaking of comebacks, this was THE comeback in my opinion. It also doesn't hurt that it was against my good friend Jason's favorite team. Not to mention the fact that it was basically Lou Williams coming out party. Here's the quote from the post-game that I really enjoy:

"The 76ers mobbed each other at midcourt and the fans went wild as confetti made out of programs and scraps fluttered through the air."

Jason mocked me for getting excited about the team getting over-excited for the 9th game of the season, but this team is young and inexperienced and I'm glad they celebrated like they did because I celebrated just the same. The way a team celebrates also shows how much team chemistry they really have. We all knew the Sixers had great chemistry, but this was just a reminder. It was also a reminder of how fun this team is going to be to watch grow into championship contenders over the next few years. For the game itself, the Sixers were down 41-16 at one time. Are you kidding me? They ended up cutting it to 25 in the second quarter and 22 in the third, but all of a sudden the lead was under 10 and the Sixers had all the momentum. The Sixers made 25 of 33 shots to end the game for the highest-shooting percentage in a half in team history (76 percent). In the middle of the comeback, like every other comeback this season was none other than Lou Williams. Lou scored all of his 19 points in the 2nd half. He dropped the final 10 of the third quarter and then started the fourth with the first 4. He was an absolute spark plug. He finished with a line of 19 points (8-13 FG, 2-3 threes, 1-1 FT), 4 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals in 25 minutes. Little did I or anyone else know, these performances by Williams would be a regular occurrences for the rest of the season. Philly had a knack for the comeback this year and Lou was always involved.

Here's highlights.

5. Philadelphia 76ers vs. Phoenix Suns (March 1st, 2008)

This was by far Philly's biggest road win of the season up to this point. They had been playing well as of late and taking care of business at home, but could they march into Phoenix and beat the Suns? They sure could and they did. The Suns were just starting to gel as a team since the Shaq trade. To be completely honest, this was a time during the season where the Sixers put some serious doubts in my mind, but from this game on I believed. The Sixers got off to a fast start, winning the first quarter 28-18, but the Suns came right back and tied it going into halftime. The Sixers played with incredible poise and swagger. Andre Iguodala hit a half court shot at the end of the third that felt like a turning point in the season for me. The Sixers ended up winning the game by a score of 119-114. They stood in there and traded buckets with the Suns in the fourth. They took everything the Suns had and still came out on top. For me, this was definitely the moment I realized this team could actually be really, really good.

4. Philadelphia 76ers vs. Boston Celtics

Earlier I would have gone into this game expecting the Sixers to lose, especially to the NBA's best team on their homecourt, but after the victory over the Suns I thought differently. I thought the Celtics might be on a slight cruise control and the Sixers could go into Boston and come out with a big win, increasing their playoff hopes, along with a shot of confidence. The game was pretty close throughout, but it still felt like the Celtics were controlling the game, which they were. With 8 minutes and 20 seconds left in the game the C's took an 80-69 lead. If this were a few months earlier, what would've happened? The Sixers would probably have lost all confidence and got blown out. This team was different though. They were confident. They knew they could win. They were lead by Andre Iguodala. Like it or not, this guy is our franchise player and he showed why this night. The Sixers went on a 19-0 run in the next 6 minutes. I couldn't believe what I had just seen. Philadelphia had gone from down 11 to up 8 in six minutes! Against the Celtics! In Boston! Iguodala scored 10 of the 19 during the run and made big shot after big shot against Paul Pierce, then came down to the other end and played lights out defense. If he could learn how to play every game like he played this one, he'd be a perennial all-star. Now that he's a year older and no longer Elton Brand-less this becomes a realistic possibility. The Sixers ended up winning the game by a score of 95-90 and moved a game over .500 and pretty much clinched a playoff berth.

3. Detroit Pistons vs. Philadelphia 76ers (Game 3)

This might be higher on other's list and rightfully so. This was the most fun I had watching a basketball game all season. The Sixers ended up destroying the Pistons in front of the type of crowd I'd been dreaming of for years. My boy Sammy D ended up having arguably the greatest game of his career finishing the game with 22-16. The Sixers led from start to finish and took a 2-1 lead in the first round of the playoffs. The final score was 95-75. The reason this game isn't higher on the list was it wasn't close at all which I can't say about the first two on my list and although it was the best crowd of the season, the best blowout of the season, the best home game of the season and ultimately the last victory of the magical 07-08 season, it does not compare to the top two in my opinion.

Here's highlights, since this game gave Sixer fans such a high:

2. Denver Nuggets vs. Philadelphia 76ers (March 19, 2008)

Allen Iverson's return to Philadelphia. This was a real emotional game for me. I, like most other Sixer fans wanted to see the Sixers win, but also see Allen do well in his return to the Wac. I got everything I wished for. The Sixers won a nail-biter, 115-113. Iverson did well, scoring 32 and dropping eight dimes, not to mention his kiss of the logo and his "THX Philly" shoes. The coolest part of the game was when Andre Miller abused Iverson in the post and scored on an "and 1" to give the Sixers a 3 point lead with a minute to go. Miller is never one to show emotion, but he made it clear he was very pumped to play against his old team and the Sixer legend he was traded for.
This was the most emotional, perfectly scripted game of the season. I don't have much more to say, except watch this:

1. Philadelphia 76ers vs. Detroit Pistons (Game 1)

I could not imagine any other game taking the number one spot on this list. Game 1 of the playoff series with the mighty Detroit Pistons. No one expected the Sixers to be here, let alone win a game. Things were going according to plan in the first half. The young Sixers looked nervous. The veteran Pistons seemed to be going through the motions, yet still dominating the game. They took a 51-38 lead into half time and it seemed irrational to think the Sixers could have any sort of comeback. It seemed especially unrealistic since the Sixers half-court offense was abysmal and their so called "star player", Andre Iguodala was getting locked down by a world-class defender. But just like the rest of the season, when you counted the Sixers out, they came out hungrier than ever. The nerves were gone. They're running attack was back and they fluctuated the lead throughout the third, ending the quarter looking at a mere 7 point deficit. The Sixers ended up outscoring the Pistons in the fourth 27-16 and shocked the world with a 90-86 win to take a 1-0 series lead. The Sixers were led by unlikely hero, Reggie "Shrek" Evans. Evans gave the team the toughness and swagger they needed to compete with the Pistons. For the longest time, he looked like the only Sixer not about to wet his pants. His style of play rubbed off on the rest of the team and they started to believe they could come back and win the game. And they did just that. Evans not only helped by playing hard, but put in an improbable turnaround jumper in the last moments of the game. Now, as a Sixers fan I watched them all season. Not once can I remember Reggie making or even taking a shot like he did in the final moments of the team's first playoff game, but that's just who he is. I'll never forget this game and I'm sure it will be looked back on as a building block for an eventual championship team. One can only hope.

Thoughts?

Your Lists?

http://sixersoul.blogspot.com/

Sixers Summer League: Game 3

http://sixersoul.blogspot.com/ — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 03:47:39 GMT

Well, I just got back from the Summer League and in the Sixers third game they finally got in the win column. Wins and losses aren't that important in the SL, but it was nice to get one out of the way. It was also sweet that it was againt my least favorite team of all-time, the Lakers.

Philadelphia 81 Los Angeles 73. The Lakers started out on a 10-0 run and led for most of the game, but the Sixers chipped away and pulled away in the end. This game was both similar and different from the first game I watched against the Nuggets. Here's what I saw:

Likes:
-Marreese Speights. Mo responded by my "not hustling" comment by doing the exact opposite. Speights was all over the place, especially in the first quarter. He hustled less as the game went on, but I'll credit that to his conditioning. And I'd much rather him not hustle because he's tired instead of him not hustling because he's lazy. He also responded to the "no heart/passion" comment. He was cheering his teammates on the entire game. He was the first one to stand up and wave his towel while he was on the bench. He was the first one to high five his teammates or tell them "good job". The kid's jump shot is also a thing of beauty. He's going to be something special. He finished the night with 16 points, 9 rebounds, 2 blocks and only ONE turnover! He was 7-11 from the floor. The moment that sums up his night best was when I overheard the Maloof Brothers (Owners of the Sacramento Kings and the Palms casino. They we're sitting right in front of me) ask some guy in their entourage, "Hey, who's this number 16 guy?" At the two games I've been at, he's done nothing but impress me and everybody else watching.
-Thad's jumper. It looked much better tonight.
-Thad's ability to finish around the rim. He still amazes me with the shots he gets off and in around the basket.
-Better rebounding. 31-30 Philadelphia.
-Jason Smith's jumper and his free throw shooting (8-9).
-Obviously the win.

Dislikes:
-Pat Carrol got the start tonight instead of Junior Harrington. I liked that a lot, until I saw him play. He played like garbage. He made some bad passes, traveled, missed open jump shots. The Sixers staff saw what I saw, benching him for most of the game (only 14 minutes after starting the game).
-Jason Smith's lack of finishing around the rim.
-Thaddeus Young's horrible dribbling and lack of control. I'd never thought I'd say this, but he's been playing with less control than Rodney Carney. He had a double dribble tonight, along with numerous wild drives to the basket ending in the ball flying into the defender's hands. He really needs work on his shot and handles.
-Every other player's games except Junior Harrington.

Much better game for the Sixers tonight. It was a little less enjoyable for me since I had just finished working, along with the fact that most annoying kid in the world was sitting behind me, but Marreese Speights made it all worth while. I've seen him play twice and I've officially fallen in love with the guy. He should contend for some serious minutes come regular season, especially if Jason Smith continues to play like he has been.

That's all I have for the game itself, but just for fun here's some of the sights and sounds you might have missed if you watched it on TV.

-The Maloof's and their entourage of guys and beautiful ladies.
-Josh Childress. He created quite the buzz from the crowd.
-A Lakers' player flying into the stands and completely destroying a girl who was standing with her back towards the court. From first glance I thought she was seriously hurt, but she stood up and gave the wave to the crowd.
-One of the Lakers' guards thought it'd be funny to randomly scream and Jamont Gordon while playing defense at the top of the key. Well, he thought right. He scared Gordon enough to jump back a little. I thought it was funny.
-The play right after the girl, Rick Kamla took a ball off the forehead.
-James White asking one of the girls with the Maloofs to hang out after the game.
-A dude walked by Kevin Pritchard (Blazers GM) and said what's up to him. KP than proceeded to smile and take some of his popcorn.
-There were these two guys sitting directly in front of me and they knew every NBA player and exec. that walked by. I didn't recognize either one of them, but I came to the conclusion that they were scouts or former scouts when on NBA exec. said this to one of them, "Oh, so you can tell me why I shouldn't draft a certain guy and then I don't draft 'em and turn out to be a (bleep) up!" The dude proceeded to say, "No one will hire me." Whoever they we're it was cool to see all these NBA players and executives come up and talk to the guys right in front of me.

I'll be back tomorrow with game 3. Later.

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Summer League: Game 2

http://sixersoul.blogspot.com/ — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 09:29:01 GMT

Ahh, the good old Summer League. It's where cheap basketball happens. It's where hot girls happens. It's where expensive food, awkward moments and celebrity encounters happen. This is now the fourth year in a row I've attended the Vegas Summer League. It's the closest thing I can get to professional sports since I was born and raised in Henderson my whole life. Thanks to the basketball Gods, the Sixers are now taking part for the second summer in a row. Today was my return to the Cox Pavilion for my first trip in '08. The Summer League. It's where Lou Williams gets robbed of MVP (Last year by Nate Robinson, who by the way has now officially robbed 2 Sixers if you include Iggy's dunk contest).

Before I get to today's game, I'd like to reminisce about the magical moments I've had at LVSL.

My first Summer League:
-Darko was with the Pistons and got booed every time he touched the ball. It was hilarious.
-I shook hands with every Blazer, including Ha Seung-Jin, the biggest man I've ever seen.
-We screamed Ric Bucher's name as he walked by and he looked up into the stands with the most shocked face of all-time. Someone recognized him in a crowd. I think we made his day.
-Chris Mullen was sitting a few rows back and rejected every fan's attempt to engage with him. The flat-top was also fascinating in person.
-Andris Biedrins came and sat down in the seat right next to me (before he was well-known) and me and my friend Jason came to the conclusion that he was with another dude, since he was flirting with the guy on the other side of him the entire time. Time went by and we didn't think anything of it until a smokin' hot chick came and took the mystery man's seat and hugged and kissed Biedrins. She was definitely his girlfriend, which led to me gaining tons of respect for him. Enough for me to offer the old fashioned knuckle bump. He accepted.
-I Witnessed the nastiest dunk in Summer League history.

My second/third Summer League:
-The Sixers joined the League which was magical.
-Ron Artest came up to us and said, "Was up fellas?" It was a lot better than Kevin Martin giving us the cold shoulder the year before. This was also before he became famous.
-My friend Mike dropped his gummy worm on two of the most attractive women I've ever seen. He then had to the nerve to say, "Hey can you get my gummy worm." One of the greatest moments of my life.
-Petteri Koponen half court shot.
-We sat next to D.J. Strawberry's mother during one of the games and a big group of people were talking crap about D.J. She then proceeded to turn to the lady she was with and said these words, "I'm goin' have to choke me a white boy."
-I ordered Chili Cheese Fries, Chicken Tenders and 2 hot dogs during half-time of one game and was called a "fatty" by two some girls who saw me carrying the food and then putting it down to pull 2 more hot dogs out of my pockets. It was a low moment in my life.
-Had this conversation with one of my idols, Rick Kamla,
"Hey Rick, what's up man? I love your show."
"Thanks bro. Did you just see the game I did play-by-play for?"
"Yeah, good stuff!"
"Pshhh, it was Bull----! Nothing but a bunch of dunks and turnovers!"
"Yeah, I know man."
"It was like a broadcaster's wet dream though. Keep watching the show man. Catch you later."
I could not believe what I had just heard, but I'll never forget it.
-I came home and watched one of the Sixer games on NBA TV and who's face was on there? Mine. That's right I was on TV and didn't even know it. Good times.

Alright, now that we have that out of the way let's get to today's game.

Game 2-Denver 99 Philadelphia 85:

Since it's just Summer League I'm really not too worried about the wins and losses, so here's what I gathered from the game.

Things I liked:
-Marreese Speights showed glimpses on both the offensive and defensive end. His jump shot was beautiful and he finished around the rim with authority. He needs to teach Sammy and Jason Smith a few things about that.
-Thad Young attacked the basket with ease, getting to the line 12 times. He looked so much more poised than he did last Summer League.
-Jason Smith's jumper.
-Jamont Gordon looked pretty solid.
Things I disliked:
-Thad Young's lack of control. He had a handful of his patented "dribble wildly down the court and turn the ball over" moves. I thought we'd be over those by now, especially in the Summer League.
-Thad Young's jumper. He didn't just miss, he was way off on every single jumper. He aired at least three uncontested shots. That's not a good sign.
-Speights lack of hustle. He was the last man down on both sides of the court for the majority of the game.
-Jason Smith's 19 combined fouls in the first two games. A bunch of them were horrible calls. Every screen he set was a foul. There's a reason these refs are reffing the Summer League.
-The horrible rebounding by every Sixer. Smith and Speights refused to box out. That explains the 41-29 rebound differential.
-The lack of defense.
-The lack of heart. I know it's just Summer League, but Young and Speights looked uninterested at times.
-The eight attempted three-pointers. We aren't going to find a shooter when we don't see them shoot.
-Everybody else was pretty much garbage.
-We have no decent guards on the team.
-We got blown out.

Obviously there were a lot more things I disliked than I liked. In the Summer League though, every positive thing is important, so we have something to build on. After watching him for the first time and in person, I really think Speights is going to be an absolute stud. I just hope he starts hustling more and playing with a little more passion. I know it's just Summer League, but Smith and Young hustlted their butts off last year, so Speights better step it up. One last encouraging thing I saw was Andre Iguodala looking on from the tunnel. It's always good to see your "star" player supporting his guys.

Check back for game 3 thoughts. I hope the Sixers starting playing some defense and rebounding. Good night.

http://sixersoul.blogspot.com/

Brand's a Sixer: Right move?

http://sixersoul.blogspot.com/ — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 02:53:38 GMT

Elton Brand is officially a Sixer. Up until a couple of hours ago I was still questioning whether he was best for the team. Or if Josh Smith was the answer. I've slept on it and have officially been cured from the "Josh Smith or Bust" disease. Elton's a much better fit. Josh is Darius Miles all over again. It's amazing what a good night sleep and seeing Elton Brand hold up a Sixers uniform will do for you.

As of right now, the Sixers will be fielding this lineup to start the season:

PG-Andre Miller
SG-Andre Iguodala
SF-Thad Young
PF-Elton Brand
C-Samuel Dalembert

Add a solid bench to that, along with the young guys development and the possible addition of an outside shooter and I see an immediate contender, not just this year, but for years to come.

Contrary to what Bill Simmons thinks (I'm the biggest Bill Simmons fan there is, but to say Elton Brand is not a low post scorer, SHOULD be averaging 20-10 since he plays 40 minutes a game and isn't even a great NUMBER 2 option is ridiculous. These are all exact quotes from his mouth and if you want to hear them for yourself listen to his newest podcast dated 7/9. Apparently if an NBA player plays 40 minutes a game he should be a 20-10 guy. That's the reason only 5 guys have averaged that for their career in the past 20 years. Sorry Bill, you've lost your mind.) Elton is a stud low post scorer and a viable number 1 scorer. Throw in a very underrated veteran point guard, two up and coming studs in Thad and Iggy and a freakish defender in Sammy D and I'll take that starting 5 against most teams in the league. Not to mention he's only 29 and has been as consistent as anyone could be throughout his career. One more thought on Brand; many have said Elton isn't athletic enough to run with the Sixers. 1) Let's not forget we ran with Reggie last year and 2) as for Elton's athleticism, watch this video.

I did love the Smith fit for this team, but after thinking about it, this was the right move. Someone on a Sixers board put it best when he said, "We took the sure thing over potential". I don't know about you guys, but I don't want to wait another 5 years for this team to develop into a contender, I want to see it now.

I'm glad I got all of that off my chest. I went from one extreme to another, but that's the magic that happens when a guy puts on your team's uniform. I'm still realistic however; and the Achilles injury does worry me a little bit, but as of right now I'm just going to celebrate. Thank you Eddy! There's only one thing left to do, add Elton to my NBA 2k8 Sixers. Yes!

Summer league starts Friday. Look for a brief preview tomorrow and coverage of 4 out of the 5 Sixer games. I won't be able to make Friday's game against the Warriors because I'll still be working, but the rest of 'em I'll be there and have post-game thoughts for each game and the players. Until then, later.

http://sixersoul.blogspot.com/

Brand Agrees with Philly

http://sixersoul.blogspot.com/ — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 00:53:15 GMT

Apparently it's a done deal.

The LATimes has it here.

I'm in some shock right now. My comments will come later.

Your thoughts?

sixersoul.blogspot.com

Elton Brand: Still a possibility?

http://sixersoul.blogspot.com/ — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 02:39:33 GMT

Man, oh man. My advice to all people who don't enjoy feeling miserable all day and dozing off during everyday activities like eating, is NOT to go to the strip till three in the morning on a work night. I'm just throwing that out there. From a basketball standpoint it's been a real slow day. The only remotely interesting Sixer news is the story that we will re-establish ourselves in the Elton Brand sweepstakes.

Here's the story from the LAtimes.

Elton, who's buddy Baron Davis just reached a verbal agreement with the Clippers, seemed like a lock to re-sign after the deal. Interestingly enough, Baron's old team, the Warriors have offered Elton a contract worth roughly 20 million dollars more than anything the Clips could offer. That, along with the reports about the Sixers planning to make a move makes this Elton Brand situation very interesting. 24 hours have passed since the Davis signing and Elton still hasn't re-signed with the Clips. I guess he didn't expect 20 extra mill to be thrown his way. All bets are off on where he'll go now, but I've personally talked myself into him and the Sixers not being a good fit. Now I truly believe Josh Smith is so much better for this team. I'm sure I'd be happy if we found a way to acquire EB, especially since I've been pushing for him for the past few months, but I would probably have to spend an entire day watching Elton Brand highlights and Josh Smith bloopers in order to re-sway my opinion. It's all interesting nonetheless.

Check back for more updates and hopefully they'll be good news. I'll also throw in a couple feel-good posts from the season that was, just to prepare for a possible free agency let down. Hope everybody has a safe 4th. I am now going to eat some ice cream and fall asleep on my "SuperSac" for 30 straight hours. Goodnight.

http://sixersoul.blogspot.com/

Josh Smith was a better option anyways

http://sixersoul.blogspot.com/ — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 01:51:29 GMT

The debate has been going on since yesterday when Elton Brand decided to opt out of the final year of his contract with the Clippers. Are the Sixers better off pursuing the polished veteran, with great character and post presence or do they go after the Hawks restricted free agent, Josh Smith; the young, raw, talented, athletic, inconsistent player with attitude problems? For me it's too close to call right now, but ultimately I'd be happy with either one.

Update [6:11 pm]: I started this post right before Baron agreed to sign with the Clippers. It's not yet official, but it's probable that all hopes of the Sixers acquiring Elton are over, but here's why Josh is a better option anyways. Thank you the Clippers for making Ed's decision (and mine) that much easier.

Here's a look at the pros and cons of each player, brought to you by Depressed Fan.

Here's what I think. Elton Brand is a stud. There's no doubt about that, but he is 29 years old and coming off Achilles Tendon surgery. Elton's always been an injury prone guy and looking at his numbers, they aren't as impressive as I thought. If the Sixers ended up signing Brand, there's no doubt they would instantly become a top 4 team in the east, but is that what we want? Would Elton be enough to make us championship contenders? I say no. And the message you send by signing Brand is "Win now" and essentially proclaiming the rebuilding process as over. Elton is the exact player the Sixers desperately need, but considering the circumstances, I think he would have ultimately push the franchise's championship hopes back a few years. I hope I don't have to eat my words when the Clippers screw things up and the Sixers end up signing Brand. I'll just have to take my chances.

On nearly every website, reports have surfaced that Smith is the Sixers main man. Unlike Brand, Smith is only 22 years old and wouldn't disrupt the rebuilding process at all. Smith also wouldn't make the Sixers instant championship contenders, nor would it even guarantee them a playoff spot. The thing would make this signing spectacular is the thought of Lou, Iggy, Thad, Josh and Speights growing together and potentially gelling into a top 2 Eastern Conference team in the coming years. Josh isn't the prototypical power forward, but him along with Sammy D would make it extremely difficult for opponents to get a shot off in the paint and Smith alongside Iguodala would make the Sixers the most entertaining team in the League. Opposed to Brand, who's potential has been maxed out, Smith has a chance to become a top 20 NBA player. Oh, the possibilities. Below are two videos of Smith and Iguodala to give you an idea on what it would be like to watch them dunk on people's skulls while wearing the same uniform. It's orgasmic. Updates as the come. Later.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VfTeZ4r3Srw

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Sixers: 5 buring questions

http://sixersoul.blogspot.com/ — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 22:03:17 GMT

With the draft behind us and free agency less than a week away, here are five questions that are in need of answers within the coming months.

1. Who will be the starting power forward at the beginning of the season?
The answer should be clear cut in a couple weeks. Free agency begins on the 1st, as we all know and Philly is expected to either sign or trade for a star power forward (EB please). If all goes according to plan, our starting power forward is currently on another team. If Stefanski somehow fails to bring in the big name player, the Sixers might be in trouble. Does anyone feel safe with "Shrek" Evans, Jason Smith, Marreese Speights and possibly Thaddeus Young as the options at the four? I know I don't. In my mind are only be two acceptable answers. Elton Brand and Josh Smith.

2. What will happen with Andre Iguodala and Lou Williams' contracts? And what does the future hold for the both of them?
This question has already been partially answered. Both were given qualifying offers, meaning they are allowed to sign an offer sheet with any team, but the Sixers have the right to match any offer. I don't see either one of them signing with other teams. Andre worries me with his nonchalant answers and lack of passion to remain a Sixer, but if he leaves it'll be next year. If an extension can't be reached he'll make roughly 3 million this season and become an unrestricted free agent next summer. That scenario is looking more and more likely. As for Lou, he's not leaving anytime soon. I just hope these guys don't get too greedy and expect ridiculous money and if they do, I hope Stefanski won't take a page out of BK's book by paying role players ridiculous amounts of money.

3. How will the young guys develop?
Lou Williams was the player who took the biggest step this season. He went from an unpolished bench warmer to spark plug off the bench. Iguodala took a small step forward, but was tainted a little with his playoff performance. Dalembert finally put it all together and Rodney Carney showed signs that he could be have a solid NBA career. This season I expect those players to at least maintain, if not improve upon their success. Thad and Jason Smith should also develop nicely. Our playoff chances really rely on Thad's development. I truly believe he'll have a monster year. He has a great work ethic and caught on really quickly last year. With a full season under his belt, along with some playoff experience, I expect nothing, but stud performances from Thad Young. Everyone will obviously be monitoring Speights development as well.

4. It's the Sixers' first off-season with Stefanski at the helm, will he be the anti-Billy King? Drafting Skills? Smart free agent signings?
I took some heat for criticizing Stefanski for not being more active in the draft. I was pretty harsh on the regime for not being more like Kevin Pritchard and Co. over in Portland and for not making a Miami type offer (Two 2nd rounders and cash) for Mario Chalmers or DeAndre Jordan. I still feel the same way, but I still think Stefanski had a solid draft, just not spectacular. Speights was the right pick. No complaints there, but he could have come up with a better excuse for not trading than "we tried hard". That being said, it was the man's first draft as the head honcho. For that I'll cut him some slack. The verdict is still out on his ability to sign free agents and budget money. The Korver trade was brilliant. Let's hope he keeps it up. July 1st Ed, it could be your coming out party.

5. Will Andre Miller be awarded a contract extension? Does he want to remain a Sixer?
Neither the Sixers nor Andre Miller seem too excited about getting an extension done. Miller has said numerous times that he'd like to return to the west coast. He's coming off arguably the best year of his career, but he's not getting any younger. The way I see this whole thing panning out, is both parties avoiding an extension this off-season and waiting until the trade deadline to make a decision. If the Sixers are somehow, out of contention by the deadline, I see them trading him for a couple of young guys and some picks. They should be able to get great value for him, considering he's been incredibly durable throughout his career, he fits on almost any team and he'd be an expiring contract. Essentially a rent-a-player to help a team get over the hump. If everything goes according to plan, the Sixers will be contending in late February and they'll either extend Miller then or wait till the off-season. Of course this all depends on Andre giving up on his west coast dreams. Throw Elton on this young team though and I don't see Miller going anywhere.

5a. How much is it going to take for us to send Willie Green packing?
There's not too much to say about Willie Green, except that nothing would make me happier than to see him cut/traded from the team. If nothing else, reduce him to a smaller role. Please!

How do you think these questions will be answered?

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