What is going on with the Sixers?? In one day, the 76ers organization traded their 23-year old All-Star point guard away, named a head coach, and received one of the most sought-after centers in the 2013 NBA Draft.
Brett Brown was the Spur assistant coach and served under Greg Popovich for almost a decade. He also coached the 2012 Australian Olympic basketball team. I know absolutely nothing else about him. I’ll wait a few days to let this sink in and form my opinion, but if he’s anything like Pop, I’m on board.
Jrue Holiday was traded in the first round of this year’s draft for Noel Nerlens and a first-round 2014 pick. They followed that by drafting 6’6″ point-guard Michael Carter-Williams as the 11th pick, to whom I also know very little about.
This is a huge day for the 76ers and for new general manager Sam Hinkie. It shakes up the team quite a bit and it really leaves some pretty big question marks around the team.
The first that comes to mind… can we start building a team around people without huge question marks surrounding their health?
Noel Nerlens is coming off of an ACL injury which tends to be pretty disastrous for an NBA athlete. We traded away our only All-Star, a very young one at that, for a center that may have injury problems for his entire career. If it works out, great, but like that Bynum trade, this move can look really foolish in retrospect.
That also makes me believe that the chances of resigning Bynum have dwindled to nothing. This pleases me. Maybe for good measure we can give him a huge deal, though, and have two centers with knee problems.
Sam Hinkie has made some interesting moves in his short span as GM and they do not follow the conservative route. I guess I’m happy about that. The 2013 April team looks nothing like the team now and he’s probably going to make a lot more moves before the season starts. Something had to be done.
Let’s just see how it pans out. Btw, if you search the site for Doug Collins, you’ll find a post written by Adam from 3 years ago when Doug Collins was hired. Scary.
It’s been an unbelievably brutal season for the 76ers and their fans this year. It seems like forever ago I was sitting directly behind Iguadala on opening day as the Nuggets came to town for our season opener. Those were wonderful times. There was so much promise and hope for the season. I remember seeing Andrew Bynum that night, feeling anxious and uncertain about his future here. There was a bit more excitement back then, but the uncertainty and confusion is about the exact same.
Now that the All-Star break is over, things look completely different, and I’m trying to figure out what’s going to happen next year. Some players worked out, some players didn’t. It already seems like the season is over, so let’s get to figuring out who’s worth keeping…
Jrue Holiday
8/
10. No question that Jrue has been filling the role of a starting point guard. Earning his first All-Star appearance (which was awesome by the way), Holiday’s numbers have been way up and he’s transitioned into the ‘leader’ of this team quite nicely. I had questions of how well Jrue could manage the game, and although there were some shaky moments in the first leg of the season, he’s been quietly carrying the load throughout the season. Almost too quietly, if you ask me.
Evan Turner
7/
10. There’s no doubt that Turner has been more efficient in scoring this season. He’s averaging over 4 more points a game, a higher shooting percentage, a higher 3-point percentage, free throw attempts, rebounds-per-game, steals, blocks, assists, the list goes on. It seems as though the chemistry between him and Jrue are great, so breaking up this young core (ala trade rumors) would probably be a mistake. There is no question, at this point in the season, however, that Jrue is the leading man.
Lavoy Allen
6/
10. Lavoy has been consistent, averaging almost identical numbers from last season, even with the transition from power forward to center. Just as quietly as he switched roles, Lavoy managed to bring his rebound average almost a full 2 points this season, along with points per game. Allen set his career high for rebounds this year in a loss, but it was nice to see the young man assert himself so well.
Spencer Hawes
4/
10. If 10 points a game and 4 rebounds makes you an MVP (as Philly fans have been guilty of cheering), then Spencer Hawes would be the 5 year reigning champion. Problem is, it doesn’t. I would probably love having Spencer Hawes as our back-up center, but with the way things are right now, he’s getting a majority of the minutes and I’m not satisfied with the production. Nikola Vučević is doing what he’s doing, with less minutes and worse teammates. It’s not Spencer’s fault that he’s been forced to be our big man full-time this season, but for once, young man, can you just box out under the glass??
10. This man is an absolute waste of space and everyone fretted him joining the roster since day one. Not only did was waste $6 million on this waffle-handed wash-up, but rumors have it that he is a pretty difficult teammate as well. He clogs up no lanes, and may God have mercy on your soul.
Andrew Bynum
0/
10. Maybe I should do negative numbers? What a disaster this entire season has been, but the icing on the cake will be when Bynum plays the last 10 games of the season when all of the results are futile, simply to audition for another team. We gobbled up this man’s contract, but as the 700 level so correctly suggests, maybe the Magic weren’t so crazy for giving up Howard in this 3-team trade for almost nothing in return. Maybe they knew something that we simply didn’t. Bynum updates have almost gotten so redundant that there is not much point in listening to them. Oh, he’s day-to-day you say? Could practice in a couple of weeks? Looking and feeling a lot better? Great… all of that does me no good until I see Bynum at Wells Fargo Center WEARING a Sixers jersey. In the meantime, I don’t care about his hair. Who gives a shit? Bynum would be wise to tread lightly going forward, as the tide is turning in the city of Philadephia.
Not mentioned, but Thaddeus Young and Jeremy Pargo are interesting highlights in the season as well. Jason Richardson, however…. is another story.
There doesn’t look to be much light at the end of the tunnel for the 2012-13 season. Hopefully, our young core of Holiday, Turner, and Young can continue to grow and carry the load. Plus, you know, the Flyers are doing a lot better…
I leave you with Jrue Holiday stealing the show at the All-Star game by singing Rihanna…
Well the Flyers won yesterday, advancing to the 2nd round of the playoffs. The Sixers… well… they have a lot more work cut out for them if they hope to reach the same accomplishment.
Last Sunday, the Sixers were able to something they haven’t done all year… beat the Miami Heat. Tonight, Philly fans are hoping they accomplish another goal not yet achieved… win in Miami.
If they do win tonight, the flood gates will open up. The lashing the Heat received from the media after their Game 4 loss probably irritated them, so if Philadelphia actually does manage to win, look for it to get even worse. On the flip side of that, Miami has had 72 hours to basically stir their emotions into something productive. They are probably going to come out very aggressive tonight and keep the 76ers on their toes the entire game.
The 76ers need nothing short of a miracle again. The younger players that received praise for Philly’s victory last Sunday are going to have to produce better stats. Not to say they weren’t deserving of said praise; I’m saying they need to play even better to handle a team that’s going to play with much more determination.
I’m hoping Turner and Iguodala get almost identical minutes. Evan Turner was the breakout star in Game 4, and in contrast, Iguodala became the villain (more-so than ever.) You’re looking at a veteran with 7 years experience who has never won a playoff series attempting to lead a team without averaging more than 10 points a game. People just aren’t buying it. His defense is great, his assists are amazing, but people are fed up with the somewhat lethargic offense he produces. He’s a vital factor to this team’s chances of staying afloat, but he shouldn’t be the main factor. It’s hard to believe that Iggy is only 27 years old.
I’m looking forward to Spencer Hawes, Elton Brand, and Tony Battie establishing some presence in the paint. In order for the Sixers to have any chance, they need to equal or out-rebound the Heat throughout the game. We need the big boys to step up, and maybe while they’re at it, start some shit talking as well.
Tip-off starts at 7pm ET at American Airlines Arena. This can be our greatest accomplishment of the season or a humbling experience for our youthful team to grow on. It’s going to be a tough game for sure. Here’s hoping the best 76ers show up. Bring the king…. mother fucker.
Man it feels good to be writing this post. The Philadelphia Phillies swept the San Diego Padres in 4 games. The Flyers somehow brought the Sabres to OT and won, forcing a game 7. Aaaaaand….
After 7 very long, very strenuous games with the Miami Heat this season, the Philadelphia 76ers have finally walked away with a victory. Every game was within reach and followed the exact same pattern, except this one.
Typically, the 76ers start the game off well and outscore the Heat. Then, through fouls and amazing shots, the Heat climb back in and make a final push in the 4th quarter. Every game it seemed like the “Big 3” were demoralizing the efforts of our younger players and it was keeping the game out of reach. It would happen on cue with about 5 minutes left in the game. You could set your watch to it.
Here’s some of the differences I saw in this game :
1) Altercations. For 6 games you could see the Sixers deflate after Lebron James and Dwayne Wade put on a spectacle. For game 4 of this playoff series, you finally saw the 76ers show some teeth. Thaddeus Young and Evan Turner both got in the face of Jones in the 2nd quarter, and it had to be broken up. Spencer Hawes wrapped up Lebron James during a drive and he was livid. And Spencer Hawes got right back at him. You could finally see some anger when we used to just see despair. It showed resilience.
2) Fouls and points in the paint. We all know the insane amount of calls the Heat were getting nearly every time they drove in the paint. The Sixers weren’t getting those calls, but that’s mostly due to the fact that they weren’t even driving to the basket. Lou Williams, Evan Turner, and Jrue Holiday all drove in the paint consistently in the 4th and kept pushing to keep the intensity up. Yes, most of those got blocked, but it’s more the principle at that point. For the previous 3 games in this series when the lead would get out of hand, the Sixers fell back on making poor jumpers from outside, and a miss would result in an immediate rebound and score for the Heat. Driving helped keep the rebounds alive for us and established some presence where it hadn’t been before.
3) Miracles. Two back to back 3-pointers in the final 40 seconds of the game really made the difference. We finished the game 10-0 which is an absurd stat. The end-of-game stats were also much more favorable for the 76ers (which means they were actually even.) Team fouls were practically tied at 17 (MIA) and 18 (PHI.) Offensive rebounds, the stat that destroyed the Sixers, were dead even at 9 a piece. We actually out-rebounded them as a whole 18-16.
Even if we lost this game, I still would walk away with a great sense of accomplishment. We had 14 more wins than last year. We have a solid young core of great basketball players led by an amazing coach. The upcoming years in Philadelphia are going to be great.
It’s a great day to be in Philly. Happy Easter everybody.
Well, in case you haven’t seen it, this is footage of Dwight Howard dunking all over Jrue Holiday at the Wells Fargo Center on Monday, April 11th, 2011. Please excuse ESPN’s weird taste in music.
To add insult to injury, this is Dwight talking about the dunk after the game.
Man, that sucks. Nice way of taking the high road Dwight. You’re never going to win an NBA Championship though, so… fuck you. How’s that?
Well, it’s Friday. 6 days to go until opening day, and things have gotten worse. Chase Utley has officially been moved to the DL, Brad Lidge has been moved to the DL, Cole Hamels got lit up yesterday, Roy Oswalt got beaned in the head with a ball and is recovering…. It wouldn’t be a typical Phillies season without some drama. The Braves look amazing, and although people have been doing nothing but talking shit on the Mets (like me), they look pretty good so far too.
Every analyst keeps showing concern for the offensive voids in the lineup, and now, I am too. Maybe we are really gonna feel the burn from Jayson Werth signing elsewhere. Rauuuuuuuul ain’t getting any younger and Rollins has looked like shit all spring. I expect a slow start from him, followed by a slow finish. Dominic Brown hasn’t done a thing to make me feel he’s truly ready for a starting role, and if the Mets don’t want Castillo, I can’t fathom why we would. Somebody better get Howard a whoooooole mess of Subway Feasts.
It’s really heating up in theheadrush.com March Madness competition. I have the lead right now, but it’s thin. Adam’s bracket has basically busted because of Syracuse, although with some pretty extreme circumstances, I believe he can still win. Duke lost last night, in very poor fashion, not only making Brendan elated, but also giving him a pretty good opportunity to win this little competition of ours.
He has Ohio State winning the whole thing, and 32 points would be a huge boost in the standings for him. I can’t have that. Here’s to praying that they choke. That’s basically the only way he’s gonna win, and I simply can’t have that. YOU can’t have that. The universe will collapse.
I know I don’t talk about the Sixers much, but I think I should note the importance of tonight’s game. The 76ers travel down to Miami to face the Heat, a team we are most likely to face in the play offs. The Sixers actually have a good chance to win this game. Jrue Holiday will probably be guarding Dwayne Wade, a daunting task for anyone. That’s my main concern. Iggy will be on James most likely, and I’m never disappointed in Andre’s defense. We have the big men so Bosh will have some trouble. Our bench is 10x deeper than theirs. It gives us hope and a great way to gauge ourselves going into the playoffs.
