Sixers Nation

Not a name Brand

What happened?  I'm watching last night's Sixers/nets game and I kept asking myself, where is our highest paid player?  He played 17 minutes last night.  17.  Is he really this bad?  Is it that bad of a fit?  At this point, i'd trade him for peanuts to allow Speights to play.

I also haven't liked Jordan's rotation.  Our second unit played until 2 minutes left in the second quarter. He brings the starters in 2 minutes before halftime.  What is the point of that?  It's not like the 2nd unit was building a lead...starters should have been back in with 5 to go.  They get all of halftime to rest.

Here's what my starting lineup would be...

PG-Lou

SG-Iggy

SF- YOung

PF-Speights

C- Brand  (if we have him, play him.  and at center, he can afford to be slow)

also, please start playing Jrue.  How is he going to learn the game if he never plays.  Give him Ivey's minutes.

Overmatched last night

After watching last night's exhibition game between our Sixers and Celts, it became even more apparent that this team, as is, will not make a run for the eastern title this season.  That's ok with me though.  When we signed Brand, I said right off the bat that we had to focus on the 3rd and 4th years of his contract.  By then, Iggy would be fully developed.  Young would be at the top of his game.  Lou will have become a leader.  

So we are in the 2nd year of his deal and Sixer fans couldn't be less enthused.  Fans need to re-shift their thinking.  Root for them to get the 4 or 5 seed, win a playoff series, and lose to one of the eastern heavyweights.

Here's how I HOPE the east looks at the end of the year...

1. Magic

2. Cavs

3. Boston

4. 76ers

5. Atlanta

6. Pistons

7. Washington

8. Miami

We got a game against the Nets in a few days, so let's just try and win that one and go from there.  

I remember this series.

Flashback of our current uniforms...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=frYsLt0R0R8

Let the game begin

I finally have a chance to sit, relax, and take in a Sixers game.  Phillies and other life obligations have left me Sixers-less.

Sloppy start to this Celts-Sixers game.  Sixers can't seem to find any offensive rhythm.  Luckily, neither can the Celts.   

On a side note, I'm loving the new uniforms and court display.  Old school.  I hope this team wears the jerseys proud because we had some good years with this look.  

10-4 Sixers, early in the first.  Go Sixers

2-1

Impressive OT win last night.  It really seems as though Speights is going to be a real player.  I like the youth and athleticism of this team.  I really think we might surprise some people in the early going.

Why doesn't Jrue even see the court?  Man, we need him to develop.

Go Phillies!!

0-1

Well, not that I expected a win last night, but a pretty sad performance to start the year. 

I'd like to bring up an old point.....

Lawson vs Holiday.  Last night, Holiday didn't even dress.  Lawson, on the other hand, scored 17 points and LED his team in the 4th.  I was furious when we took Holiday on draft night, but i cooled down after I considered the potential Jrue had.  I'm sticking to my instincts now though....

F#$% potential. 

By the time Holiday gets good, assuming he does, his 4 year rookie contract will expire and we will probably lose him anyway.  I'm getting angry just typing this.

0-1.  no biggie.  let's just try and get the next one.

Honestly, i barely watched last night.  Cliff Lee and the Phils are just a bit more important right now.

3-0

I know it's preseason, but hey, I'll take it.  

Thad playing big, sweet Lou running a nice point.  Speights looking like a monster off the bench.

Can't wait for the start of the season.

What a Phillies game!!!!

Ok, I'm getting ready

It's been a long time since I've posted, or even thought about our Sixers.  Today is the today.  I am ready for some basketball.  I know we don't have one of the elite east teams, but that won't stop me for rooting for a championship, haha.  Ok maybe not a championship, but we got some young exiting players to watch. 

The two main players to watch for this year, in terms of a hopeful development from last  year, is Young and Speights.  Will Young take it to the next level, or has he peaked?  I doubt he peaked at 21 years of age, meaning, we got a really special player blossoming before our eyes.   I am equally intrigued and hopeful of Speights.  He shows a lot of promise and I really hoped he worked on his game.  

can't wait for the start of the year.  I'll be posting a lot more.

Great Phillies win!!! Let's win another title.

The Helicoper

Hakim Warrick turned us down.  I've loved this guy's game/athleticism since his Syracuse playin' days.  I'm shocked and disappointed that he chose Milwaukee (yes, Milwaukee) over Philadelphia, his home town.  He would have been a really nice piece off our bench.  He appeared to be a perfect fit with our already young and athletic team. 

Why Hakim?  Why?

Is there anything else going on in the Philadelphia sports world?  Did the Eagles make any recent moves?  I heard they signed someone in the last few days.  I forget his name, oh well.  

What Allen's Answer?

 It's been a fairly uneventful off season for the Sixers.  We lost Andre Miller and Theo Ratliff.  We have a new coach.  We drafted a promising, yet unproven 'point guard of the future' in Jrue Holiday.  Objectively, we have a weaker team than we did at the end of last season, mainly due to the loss of Miller.  With nothing much to think or write about, my NBA focus has shifted to our 'ol friend, Mr Iverson.

Where is this guy going to end up?  I've heard Europe.  I've heard Memphis, Miami, Bobcats, and Clippers. But no matter which option you consider, nothing quite seems right.  

I feel if Iverson was willing to come off the bench and play 25-30 mins a night, he could be extremely valuable.  Have him come off the bench with the mindset of scoring and creating.  Let the offense go through him while he's out there.  With limited minutes of this strategy, opposing teams would be forced to drastically alter their game plan, mid-game.  Although Iverson has lost a step, he can still be a force. He needs to adjust his attitude and reinvent himself.  As the Sixers are and will always be my focus, I can't help but track and root for Iverson wherever he ends up.  

Now what?

So the Sixers didn't resign Andre Miller.  If you read some of my earlier blogs you'll see that months ago I predicted he'd sign with Portland.  This was a strong signing for the blazers who have a very strong, relatively under appreciated basketball team.

I am very confused about what we are trying to do with this team.  Are we building for the future? or trying to win now?  Is Jrue Holiday our day 1 starting point guard?  Is adding Kapono going to be our only off-season move?  Too many questions and not enough answers.

I liked the Holiday pick, mostly because I thought Miller would show him the ropes for a few years.  I'm just not so sure now.  Lawson is the more NBA ready player, but I still believe Holiday has more upside.  It's just a little disappointing to see that it appears as though we are in a minor rebuilding phase, one year into the 5 year Brand contract.

What's the Plan?

I want to start by saying sorry for not posting anything this week.  Can you blame me?  Seemingly every competitive team, except for us, made some sort of move.  It also now seems more and more likely that we are not going  to re-sign Andre Miller.  So what's the plan? 

I'll write more if and when the sixers do ANYTHING.  

Holiday Pick, Part 2

I've been doing a lot of thinking about this pick during the past few days.  It's amazing how the human mind works.  I went from being depressed (the moment we drafted him over Lawson), to angry (the following few hours after we took him), to happy (the next day upon reading about him and becoming objective) to now CERTAIN that we made the right pick.  I'll explain the CERTAIN part.  

I am fairly certain that Ty Lawson will be a very good pro.  He has too much basketball IQ and leadership abilities not to be.  With that said, I doubt that Ty Lawson will become GREAT.  He could, but i doubt it.

Jrue Holiday has the potential to become great.

The Eastern Conference is slowly but surely becoming a power conference, not necessarily as deep as the West, but scary nonetheless.  If Lebron stays in Cleveland, chalk them up them for 8 more great seasons.  Orlando, lead by their 22 year old powerhouse, Dwight Howard, aren't going anywhere anytime soon.  The Celtics, although getting older, appear to be willing to make the necessary moves to stay competitive for awhile.  The Bulls seem to be a team to fear, lead by their Rookie of the Year PG Derrick Rose.  Altanta is young and getting better as well.  My purpose of this rant to point out that the Sixers need to take some risks.  Lawson would have been solid, but solid just ain't gonna cut it.  Holiday might be that pick that helps put us in that elite class of eastern teams, also assuming that Iggy, Young, Speights, and Lou Williams also continue to grow and improve.

We HAD to make this pick, unless you want to be a 5=8 seed in the playoffs for the next 6 years and lose in the first round every year?  Holiday is a bit of a gamble, but it's a risk we needed to take.  To have that kind of talent fall in to your lap with the 17th pick, you just can't pass that up.    

I am CERTAIN we made the right pick.     

The Jrue Holiday Special

Anyone who has been following my blog is well aware that I really, really wanted Ty Lawson.  After the Bulls took James Johnson with the 16th pick, every point guard who was rumored to become a Sixer was still available.  All week, I've been hearing about Ty Lawson, Jeff Teague, and Eric Maynor, all of which were still on the board.  As we all know, none of these players were chosen.  

Jrue Holiday, one of, if not the most recruited high school player a year ago, was taken with the 17th pick.  Holiday, played one year at UCLA before making the leap to the NBA.  In mock drafts leading up the draft, I saw him going as high as 4, and as low as 13.  Honestly, I didn't think about him much because I never really thought there was a chance of us actually getting him.  I spent all week reading about Lawson, Teague, Maynor, even BJ Mullins (who I was praying we didn't take).  Holiday, probably even to the Sixers surprise was still on the board.  When their 5 minutes began, I suspect that the Sixers board room, lead by Stefanski, looked around at each other and simply couldn't refuse Holiday.  I truly believe that they wanted Lawson, they just never thought Holiday would slip this far.  He was on sale, and we took him.  This kid could be great and I must admit that I'm actually a bit excited now.

Resigning Miller should be the teams top priority.  Give him a 2-3 year deal where you can let Holiday learn the game the right way, while still getting his minutes.  In 3 years, he's your starting point guard with Young, Iggy, Speights, Sweet Lou, and Jason Smith (hopefully) all coming into their prime.  That team could be really, really fun to watch.

  

     

What a Crazy Day, already.

Shaq to the Cavs.  Vinsanity to the Magic.  Lakers sold their pick.  

My Mock draft might be in trouble.

The Draft is about the start!  Get ready.  Go Sixers!!

2009 NBA Mock Draft

I've been doing NBA mock drafts since I was 8.  Today is one of my favorite sports days of the year.  When i was making this year's mock, i realized how unpredictable tonight is going to be.  I suspect a few trades (The Wolves have 4 picks...they almost have to trade at least one of those).  The Knicks want Curry but I don't suspect him to be there at 8.  After #1, it's like throwing darts.  I did my best, but had fun as I do ever year.

1.  Clippers- Blake Griffin 

2.  Grizzles- Hasheem Thabeet (this pick might get traded)  

3.  Thunder- Ricky Rubio

4.  Kings- James Harden

5.  Wolves- Stephen Curry

6.  Wolves- Tyreke Evans (The Wolves will take 2 guards with the 5,6.  If the Kings take Curry, they'll take Harden).

7.  Warriors- Jordan Hill

8.  Knicks- Brandon Jennings (The Knicks want Curry.  They might have him by the end of the night). 

9.  Raptors- Terrance Williams

10. Bucks- Johnny Flynn

11. Nets- Gerald Henderson

12. Bobcats- Earl Clark

13. Pacers-Jrue Holiday

14. Suns- Demar DeRozan (Could be the next Shawn Marion)

15. Pistons- BJ Mullins (get 'Sheed back to the PF position)

16. Bulls- James Johnson

17. 76ERS- TY LAWSON (Please make this happen)

18. Wolves- Sam Young (an absolute steal at the 18th pick.  He's 24 years old though).

19. Hawks- Tyler Hansbrough (I think he'll be a solid pro, he works too hard not to be).

20. Jazz- Chase Budinger

21- Hornets- Dejuan Blair (It's either Daye or Blair.  Blair is NBA ready, and the Hornets need production now).

22. Mavs- Jeff Teague (great pick at 22.  Kidd is getting old).

23. Kings- Austin Daye (they'll take Hansbrough or Blair if they slip here).

24. Blazers- Eric Maynor

25. Thunder- Dejuan Summers

26. Bulls- Taj Gibson

27. Grizzles- Derrick Brown

28. Wolves-Omari Casspi (they'll probably trade this pick, possibly to the Rockets).

29  Lakers- Darren Collison (drafting the local kid)

30. Cavs- Wayne Ellington (this would be an amazing pick up for the Cavs)

There you have it.  Honestly, the only sure thing I'm POSITIVE about is Griffin.  Other than that, we'll just have to wait and see.  I suspect a lot of teams will be drafting players for other teams.

Who knows, maybe our Sixers will do something to crazy.  Rubio?!?  

 

Pre-Draft Workouts?

Every year, in every sport, you hear about a player or two whose stock soars because of an impressive pre-draft workout.  I have two words for my fellow Eagle fans out there.....Mike Mamula.  We passed on Warren Sapp to take this undersized defensive end, almost purely based on his mini camp performance.  How did that work out?  The minicamp/pre-draft workouts should simply be used if a team is completely on the fence about a few players.  

I've been hearing a lot about Eric Maynor, the point guard out of Virginia Commonwealth.  Apparently, he has had great work outs, propelling his name up the Mock Draft boards.  I just don't get this.  Without high school players allowed to enter the draft now, every player has played in at least 30 games at a competitive level.  Seasoned college veterans have obviously played in a lot more, giving NBA scouts seemingly all they should need to make a decision on who to draft.  Look at the REAL games!  Pre-draft workouts puts players in this little bubble that has very little relevance.  Have you ever had a great week where you were just "on" ?  Bad week?  It's no different.

Just a quick rundown. Virginia Commonwealth's basketball team, lead by Eric Maynor, played one, yes ONE, ranked team this year.  They lost to the #4 ranked Oklahoma Sooners by 11.  Maynor had 8 turnovers.  They also lost to teams like Delaware, East Carolina, Old Dominion, and North Carolina-Wilmington (not the Tar Heels).

If you read my previous blog, you know who I want the Sixers to draft.  Ty Lawson was the best player, on the best team in the country.  

Mamula or Sapp?  

Maynor or Lawson?

My Mock Draft is coming on Thursday, just making a few final touches.

Draft Ty Lawson

I want Ty Lawson.  This guy is a proven winner and is a TRUE point guard.  My gut tells me that Andre Miller is not going to resign with us.  As much as I would like to have him back, the NBA has become a point guard driven league. His stock is rising.   Andre is a unselfish veteran who is hungry for a ring.  I wouldn't be surprised to see him end up with a team like the Cavs, Lakers, or Trailblazers.  Even if we end up keeping Miller, i would still take Lawson.  Miller would probably sign a 2-3 year deal, giving Lawson just enough time to learn how to play the point position at the pro level by one of the game's truest point guards.  He'd still be getting his minutes during this time as well.    

If Ty Lawson was 6'2 or 6'3, he'd be top 10 pick.  Yes, he is a little undersized, but he plays big.  He's a strong guard, both mentally and physically, and his leadership reigns above all in this draft class.  He reminds me of the former St Joe great Jameer Nelson.  A great college player who was passed up by many teams because of his size.  

Nelson was an NBA all-star last season.  

How's Sebastian Telfair doing? Luke Jackson? Dorell Wright?  All of these players were taken ahead of Nelson. If Lawson is on the board at 17, I really hope they don't let him slip by.   

We are all in this together

I am currently sitting in the French Quarter, located in the heart of New Orleans, which is seemingly light years away from Philadelphia.  For those of you who haven't been down here, it feels like its own country with its own set of rules.  I've been reading the local papers, and its no surprise that I usually go right to the sports section.  The Hornets had high expectations this year.  Chris Paul is a top 5 player in the league with a very strong supporting cast, including the newly acquired James Posey.  These fans really felt like they had a shot to win it all.  As we all know, they came up short, yet again.

Unless you win the title, ultimately, the fans/media/organization are not going to be satisfied.  Change is probably needed, and expected.  The Sixers have a lot of work to do, just like every other team not called the Lakers.  

The NBA draft is coming up, so stay tuned.  For now, I am going to find some shade.  

NBA Finals

After watching the Lakers close out the series last night, I couldn't help but think about our Sixers.  First off, watching them celebrate on the Magic's home court eerily reminded me of Shaq and Kobe hoisting up the championship trophy on OUR Wachovia Center court in 2001.  The difference is, no one really expected our Sixers to win in 2001, given the fact that seemingly every player on our team was missing a limb.  Plus, that Lakers team was simply better.  The Magic left a lot on the court during this series.  What if Courtney Lee hits that layup?  Dwight Howard hits his free throws?  I was crushed when we lost that Finals series, but not in the way that these Magic fans must be feeling.

I know everyone is disappointed how we finalized this season.  We had a game 6, at home, against the Howard-less Magic, yet we displayed the littlest amount of effort I've seen from them all year.  Certainly disappointing.  But hey, we took the Eastern Champions to game 6 in the first round.  We are a young team that played without what we hoped would be our best player in Elton Brand.  Try not to dwell on how last season ended, as hard as that might be.  

The NBA draft is coming up, which is my favorite time of year, besides March Madness.  I'll be providing some insight on potential Sixer draft picks, trade ideas, and a full 1st round mock draft.  Stay tuned.    

My First Entry

Hello Everyone,

My name is Ben Lieberman and I am now the official blogger for Sixers Nation.  I have been a die hard Sixers fan since i was born (Yes I cheered when they won their last title in 1983.  I was 2).  It has certainly been a bumpy ride being a Sixers fan during my lifetime.  The late 80's were fairly good for us.  We were a perennial playoff team lead by Charles Barkley, Johnny Dawkins, Rick Mahorn, and many more.  After the Barkley for Hornacek/Perry/Lang trade, the dark ages began.  With lottery picks used on Clarence Weatherspoon, Sharone Wright, Shawn Bradley, Larry Hughes, and Keith Van Horn, it's pretty obvious why were so bad.  

Then came our Answer.

After the Sixers took Allen Iverson with the #1 Overall Pick in the 1996 NBA Draft, our culture started to change.  With the hiring of Larry Brown, and an ensemble of defensive minded players, we made the NBA finals in 2001 for the first time in a long time.  Cut to the present....

I like our current team.  Thaddeus Young appears to be a rising star.  At age 20, I'm amazed at how good his 'feel' for the game is.  He can finish around the rim and has been improving on his outside shot.  Some even speculate that he is still getting taller (crazy, I know).  Marresse Speights also seems to be a steal in last years draft.  I'm hoping for a bigger year out of him during this upcoming season.

With a healthy Elton Brand coupled with a continually improving Iguodala, Sixer fans have reason to be optimistic about this upcoming season.  Don't be down on the 'Elton Brand Experiment', because it was NEVER conducted.  Let's hope he stays healthy.

Admittingly, we have many question marks and concerns as well.  Do we resign Andre Miller?  Is Kapono enough to cure our 3 point shooting problems?  Is Eddie Jordan really the answer? Will Dalembert ever truly learn to play?  I don't have these answers.  But I''ll provide some of my insight and opinions in my next blog.

Sometimes Close Does Count

They say close doesn't count except for while playing Horseshoes, or using hand grenades.  But last night's Sixers game is living proof that this brilliant saying is just not always true.

Let the record clearly show that the fact that Kevin Garnett did not play should not detract from a very good Sixers' performance.  Offsetting Garnett's absence was some friendly officiating that the Celtics benefitted from, particularly in the first half.  The Champs got away with several travelling violations, and fouls called on the Sixers seemed to be overlooked on the other end of the court.  Otherwise, a one point deficit could have been a double digit lead at the half.

The fact is that from midway through the second quarter, the Sixers out played, and out hustled the defending World Champions.  Reggie Evans led the way with his energy in the second quarter, and Speights contributed a couple of key buckets in the fourth quarter.  Iguodola and Miller combined for 43 points.

Yes, the defensive lapse at the end, leaving Ray Allen open for the game winning basket was brutal. But that is not the way to remember this game.  We should remember it as the game that the Sixers went toe to toe with the World Champs, and fell short by one defensive stop.

There Are Bad Fourth Quarters And Then There Was Last Night

It was not the Phillies collapse of '64,  nor was it the Flyers coughing up a 3 games to 1 lead against the Devils in 2000.  You could not compare what happened last night at the Wachovia Center to any of the infamous events in Philadelphia sports history.  

Life in today's NBA is full of teams losing after leading by 15, 20, or more points.  It is a game of runs.  Last night, the Sixers took the meaning of cold streak to a new level.  This was not a game that allows us to point the finger of blame at one or two players.  No, when an NBA team only scores 8 points in the fourth quarter, and 25 total in the second half, that has team effort written all over it.

The Sixers led by 17 last night in the third quarter.  A game that seemed like  a win ended up in the 'L' column.  Let the record show that the Nets, to their credit, tried to do everything they could not to overtake the Sixers.  They only scored 35 in the second half themselves.  But they could not duplicate the Sixers' futility of going 10:38 without a point.

Unfortunately, this also serves as a reminder of two weaknesses this team has.  The lack of consistent half court offense and the lack of the sharp shooting outside threat came back to haunt the home team.  The two problems have a way of feeding into each other.  Even when the Sixers are getting production from the inside game, and Dalembert, Speights, and Brand are playing well, the thought occurs that they would have even more room to operate with an outside threat preventing a total collapse of the defense inside.  Likewise, with better ball movement in the half court offense, the perimeter players could get better looks at the basket, making our perimeter players more effective, and opening up more space inside.

Unless a premier shooter falls out of the sky and climbs into a Sixers' uniform between now and Tuesday night,  this team had better be prepared to live and die with the fast break, or they may be nothing more than roadkill for the champion Celtics.

Of course, they could start moving the ball around better in the half court offense.  But they have not shown that as part of their game yet.  Tuesday night would be a great time to start.

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