NBA FanHouse

Sixers' Speights Out 6-8 Weeks

Matt Moore — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 02:00:00 EST

Filed under: 76ers

The Sixers have been struggling with a bit of a controversy towards the future of their frontcourt. Elton Brand has been significantly limited this season coming back from his injury. The Sixers have reportedly gone so far as to pursue a trade for the former All-Star, a report Sixers GM Ed Stefanski has denied. Adding to this issue has been the remarkable play of second-year man Marreese Speights, who is averaging 20 points, 9.8 rebounds, 1.4 blocks per 36. He's been electric, and a huge factor in the Sixers' wins.

So, naturally, he's out 6-8 weeks with a MCL tear. Because life is brutish, nasty, and short.

Speights' size isn't phenomenal at 6'10'', but his wingspan is incredible, and his range has been phenomenal this season. Brand on the other hand looks like he has little to no explosion. His numbers are all well below both his career average and even last year's muted performance. Brand has sat in the fourth quarter of multiple close games. So losing Speights who has been a bright spot in what has been as dismal a 4-6 start as you can have is pretty devastating.

Not the best of starts for new head coach Eddie Jordan. That injury bug seems firmly latched to his leg, after last year's MASH unit in Washington and now losing Speights.

Update: Will Speights' injury cause a domino effect of changes? Kate Fagan of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports that Elton Brand spent part of practice working out with the second team on Monday, and Eddie Jordan was non-committal about Brand's status as a starter.

Sixers' Speights Out 6-8 Weeks originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Mon, 16 Nov 2009 02:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Stinkface Chronicles: Back-to-Back

Rob Peterson — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 14:05:00 EST

Filed under: 76ers, Bobcats, Nets, Pistons, NBA Videos

It's rare that we have back-to-back Stinkface. As a matter of fact, yesterday's Stinkface and today's are the first time we've gone back-to-back.

That's fine by us. NBA teams go back-to-back an average of 20 times a season. Far be it from us to complain about it.

Also, we have an excellent reason for our quick turnaround: Detroit's Will Bynum.

Video after the (two-footed) jump.

Young Mr. Bynum, who is generously listed at 6-foot-0 (in three-inch heels, maybe), blew up all over Charlotte's Tyson Chandler at The Palace last night. And when we say blew up, we mean it.

Thanks to Need4Sheed.com for coining a phrase that perfectly fit Bynum's nasty flush: By-num-ite!

(Can someone get J.J. Walker out of mothballs? Wouldn't you love to hear him drop a "By-num-ite!" on the video board in Detroit? Of course you would.)

It all starts with Bynum handling the rock on the left wing and a simple cut to the top of the key by Ben Gordon. Bynum, who was probably supposed to work the ball to Gordon or to Charlie Villanueva, who was to come off Gordon's screen and probably plant himself on the low block.

Only, the play didn't develop because Bynum, who works his dribble at the 28-foot mark, quickly crossed-over Charlotte's Gerald Wallace. With no one in the post, Bynum was cleared for take off.

With that head of steam, and one of the game's better weak-side help defenders in Chandler coming at him, Bynum shows three things crucial for stinkface-age: aggression, athleticism and an absence of fear. Bynum plants his two feet, takes off from the left block and flies. As Bynum starts his ascent, Chandler, he of 767 career blocks, knows he's not going to get this one and draws his hand away for the fear of getting snapped off at the wrist. Bynum then throws down so hard, not only does he let out a little "Ooooh-uh" as he flushes it through, it sounds as if the rim mic explodes. I hope a sound-tech in the truck didn't have that amped too loud. He'll probably need to have his hearing checked. That, and veteran Pistons announcer George Blaha going bat-guano crazy just adds to the festivities.

Of course, a Stinkface wouldn't be complete if we didn't guage the reaction of the bench, which in this case, merits discussion. Moments after Bynum lands, the Pistons bench nearly runs onto the court en masse in search of a group hug. Then, at the 13-second mark, check out the guy with the lanyard behind rookies DaJuan Summers and Austin Daye. Pause it. Now, THAT'S stinkface.

Perhaps the video's most priceless moment comes at 1:30 when Bynum captures his low-Earth orbit on the video screen above. You deserve to smile big, Will. You were epic.

As for the night's other Stinkface dunk, we give you Andre Iguodala for the second Stinkface Chronicles appearance in a row -- and for the second time on the Nets in less than a week -- this time with only two comments. One, Nets coach Lawrence Frank is not pleased. As soon as Iggy throws it down, he pops off the bench and asks for a sub. He's seen this YouTube before. And two, yes, Mr. Ian Eagle, Iguodala is a highlight machine.

Stinkface Chronicles: Back-to-Back originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Thu, 12 Nov 2009 14:05:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Stinkface Chronicles: Iggy Popped

Rob Peterson — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 11:55:00 EST

Filed under: 76ers, Grizzlies, Kings, Nets, Trail Blazers, Warriors, NBA Videos

Rookies. What do they know?

Not much except that, with the per diem paid over the table in NBA instead of under it in college, they need to get the donuts before practice, carry their teammates' bags and stay out of the way of the veterans.

Oh, about that last part? The Nets' Terrence Williams, rookie out of Louisville, may need to work on it a bit.

Video after the jump.

You see, poor Mr. Williams (and to be fair, two teammates) had the misfortune of trying to check the Sixers' Andre Iguodala on a fast break last Friday. And unlike the indignities of fetching fried pastry weathered by rookies off the court, Williams' suffered his inaugural association humiliation on it.

Iguodala, the man who delivered the blow to Williams' self-esteem, unleashed a dunk so furious that Iggy's teammates were moved to hold each other.

Let's look at the dunk itself. Like many of today's bruising, well-built forwards in the NBA, Iguodala tucked the ball in the crook of his elbow as if he were going to plunge into a Lincoln Financial Field end zone instead of emasculating T-Will by sweeping the leg on Williams' Y-chromosome.

But Iggy's tuck served two purposes: one, going one-on-three as he did, Iguodala had to protect the rock, and two, it allowed him to cup it so, as the late, great Chick Hearn once said -- and Sixers announcers Marc Zumoff alluded to -- "rock the baby to sleep." Then again, if anyone rocks their baby like this, I'm calling Child Protective Services, because it's clearly abusive.

Veterans Bobby Simmons, who has never played much defense in his career, and Courtney Lee, who probably had Dwight Howard come down hard on him in practice last season in Orlando more than a couple of times, backed away once they saw Iguodala tuck it. They know you don't pass from that position. But Williams challenged, and the rookie paid the price. Moments after Iguodala sent the Wachovia Center crowd into a frenzy, he nearly sent Williams into the courtside patrons.

Williams will learn. In the meantime, he can always tell his grandkids about the day he gave a piggy back ride to Iggy.

As for the Sixers bench, the dunk was cause for celebration. Because it was early in the game, most of the Philly subs had their warmups on and you can't really tell who's who from the camera angle. But you can see one Sixer get up, run down the length of the bench and embrace a teammate. Very touching.

Yet, the most interesting reaction may be from an assistant coach, who may or may not be Mike O'Koren. Check the video at the four-second mark. Just as Iguodala takes off, the coach two seats to the right of the first Sixer in his warmups, pops up as if his chair were wired for an electric shock. Decorum dictates, however, and he catches himself before he stands up.

Whether the coach was anticipating something great or whether he was just caught in Iguodala's backdraft can be debated. But when a seen-it-all coach does this and gets caught up in a slam, you got stinkface.

Speaking of which, Rudy Gay, who has perpetrated a few nasty slams in his time, got his on Tuesday night as he fought the Outlaw, but the Outlaw won.

Travis Outlaw, my goodness, you're a bad man. First off, the rebound was one of those man-among-boys reach-back-and-snatch-it-right-out-of-your-grille boards. But to follow up with a windmill off of both feet and in Gay's mug, well, sir, I must stand an applaud as the fans wearing jerseys with your number did at the end of the clip. Well done, and yes, as the announcer noticed, "And look at Rudy Gay. He's stunned!"

As were we all.

And finally, our FanHouse man in Northern California, Tom Ziller, threw this one our way, a sweet, sweet inbounds pass from Donte Greene to Jason Thompson. We'll let him explain.

"Nothing great from either bench (GSW was looking morose at that point). But watch Donte when JT actually throws it down. He mimics it, like he was actually executing the dunk off his pass. It's like a talent-show dad doing the choreography from the audience."

Agreed, Greene's reaction was priceless. But there was a slight bench reaction, not, however, from the Warriors players but Golden State coach Don Nelson. He looks perturbed, miffed and altogether bothered. He smacks his hands, shakes his head and thinks, "Paul Mokeski would have never let that happen. I need to go home to Hawai'i."

Nellie only has himself to blame. The Warriors are a mess of his own making and his stinkface may become permanent.

Stinkface Chronicles: Iggy Popped originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Wed, 11 Nov 2009 11:55:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Cleveland Remains Stephen Jackson's Most Likely Destination

Matt Steinmetz — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 15:45:00 EST

Filed under: 76ers, Bobcats, Cavaliers, Heat, Warriors

We all know Stephen Jackson is a short timer in Golden State. And now, with the Warriors off to a troubling 2-4 start, it looks as if Jackson will be gone sooner rather than later.

When Jackson first said he was "looking to leave" the Warriors, he listed Cleveland, New York or one of the Texas teams as desired destinations. Since then, a few other teams have supposedly expressed interest.

Charlotte, Miami and even Philadelphia are said to have emerged. However, there remains little doubt that the Cavaliers remain Jackson's most likely end-up spot. The reason: compatibility.

Let's take a look:

o. Cleveland Cavaliers: There is no doubt Jackson would be a big help to the Cavaliers. It would give Cleveland a secondary playmaker to LeBron James, and a shot-maker too. Jackson would also be a plus on the defensive end, allowing James the occasional break from guarding the opposition's best perimeter player.

While the remaining three-plus years and $30-plus million on Jackson's contract are a heavy price for the Cavaliers to pay, it's a relatively small investment if it nudges James toward staying in Cleveland long-term.

The Cavaliers are reluctant to trade Zydrunas Ilgauskas because they don't want to lose a big. The Warriors would love to have Ilgauskas' expiring contract, although they know that's likely wishful thinking.

Still, there is a deal here, and it involves some combination of J.J. Hickson, Daniel Gibson, Jawad Williams, Darnell Jackson and Danny Green and possibly Delonte West. The fact Cleveland isn't exactly firing on all cylinders offensively doesn't hurt.

o. Miami Heat: The Heat has recently been mentioned, although that doesn't seem to make much sense. Miami has made it clear they're not interested in taking on long-term money.

Jermaine O'Neal is a coveted player because of his expiring monster contract ($23 million). But the fact remains Miami isn't likely to move O'Neal for just that reason.

Miami believes it has a shot at signing James as a free agent in the offseason, and it is not about to give up on that dream for Jackson.

o. Charlotte Bobcats: Despite Mark Stevens, the agent for Jackson, recently saying he doesn't care where his client ends up, that's not really believable. Can you really envision Jackson in Charlotte, with Larry Brown the coach? Me neither.

There's also the very real issue of the Warriors wanting Boris Diaw, and the Bobcats only wanting to part with Vladimir Radmanovic and/or Nazr Mohammed.

o. Philadelphia 76ers: Philly would be willing to move Samuel Dalembert, whose contract expires at the end of next season. But Dalembert has a trade-kicker in excess of $2 million.

In addition, the Warriors would have to include another player, and the Sixers would surely insist on Speedy Claxton, who's got an expiring contract. The problem with that is such a deal would put the Warriors in luxury tax land, a place they're unwilling to go.

More Steinmetz on Twitter: @matt_steinmetz

Cleveland Remains Stephen Jackson's Most Likely Destination originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Tue, 10 Nov 2009 15:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Steve Nash Goes 20-20, Suns Go to 7-1

Brett Pollakoff — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 22:53:00 EST

Filed under: 76ers, Suns

Be honest: you didn't think that after eight games were played in this young NBA season that we'd be talking about the Phoenix Suns as one of the best teams in the league. But after Monday night's come-from-behind win in Philadelphia to finish a five-game road trip at 4-1, that's exactly where we find ourselves.

Behind 21 points and 20 assists from Steve Nash -- his seventh 20-assist game in his career and his second of this season -- the Suns came from eight points down in the fourth quarter to beat the Sixers in Philadelphia, and claimed a share of the league's top spot in the standings in the process.

Suns 119, Sixers 115: Recap | Scoreboard
Sun Not Setting on Grant Hill

With under seven minutes to play and Philly leading by eight, it seemed as though the Suns might have run out of gas in this, the final night of a five-game road trip over the last seven days. But just when you thought the Sixers might put this one away, back-to-back three-pointers from Jared Dudley cut the lead to one in a heartbeat, and the Suns took their first lead since the first quarter on another three from Leandro Barbosa a few possessions later.

Dudley was fantastic late, scoring 13 of his 18 points in the fourth quarter, while also contributing five rebounds and three steals to his team's winning effort.

Jason Richardson continued his torrid offensive production on this trip, and led the team in scoring with 29 points on 11-of-16 shooting, while also grabbing eight rebounds.

The Suns are one of four teams with just a single loss on the season, and two out of the other three -- the Boston Celtics and the Miami Heat -- saw their loss come at the hands of these Suns.

The fourth team with only one loss? That would be the Los Angeles Lakers, who have gotten their 6-1 record without the services of Pau Gasol all season, who is out with a hamstring injury. Andrew Bynum has also missed the last two games with an injured elbow.

After hosting the Hornets in a nationally televised game this Wednesday, Phoenix will head to L.A. the next night to get a crack at the only other one-loss team that they haven't already beaten.

And judging by the way the Suns have handled the first eight games on the schedule, you have to like their chances.

Steve Nash Goes 20-20, Suns Go to 7-1 originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Mon, 09 Nov 2009 22:53:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Elton Brand No Longer Fits in Philly

Tim Povtak — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 15:40:00 EST

Filed under: 76ers, Magic

ORLANDO -- Elton Brand sure seems like a nice enough guy -- respectful, courteous, thoughtful, engaging. He works hard, too.

Yet he also is beginning to look like an albatross hanging around the neck of the Philadelphia 76ers, the guy with the contract that will prevent them from building a serious contender in the coming years.

Brand, 30, is starting his 10th season in the league, but just the second year of that five-year, $80 million contract he signed as a free agent two summers ago. Although the Sixers were convinced that signing him was wise back then, they are having serious reservations now about the move.

It's one painful decision they would like to have back.

In Philadelphia's opening night game Wednesday in Orlando, Brand looked like a car with too many miles on the tires. Injuries have robbed him of the power and athleticism that once made him so attractive.

Brand played only nine games in 2007-08, his last with the Clippers, after tearing his Achilles tendon. He played only 29 last season, his first in Philly, before leaving with a serious shoulder injury that required surgery.

"Sure, I feel like I have something to prove, to our organization, our fans, to my teammates, to myself,'' Brand told FanHouse on Wednesday. "Every night I have something to prove. I feel good, but after 10 years, not everything comes back.''

Before he joined the Sixers, he was averaging 20 points and 10 rebounds during his career, which is why he looked so appealing in the free agent market. The way he looked on opening night, though, he couldn't average 20 points and 10 rebounds this season in his dreams.

With new coach Eddie Jordan, the Sixers are not running the post-up type of offense that Brand once thrived in when he played with the Clippers. Trying to fit Brand into Jordan's Princeton offense didn't look like much of a fit at all.

It's a system that will be great for players like Andre Iguodala, Thaddeus Young and Lou Williams, but not for Brand, who must try to adapt his game to fit alongside the others.

He looked awkward and out of place. He also didn't look as physically strong or as quick as he once was. Always a little undersized around the basket, he looked completely overmatched with Orlando's Dwight Howard in the vicinity. The erosion of his skills now makes him look very average.

He had eight points and six rebounds in 31 minutes, which wouldn't be bad if he were a role player making $3 million this season. But he's not. He is a $15 million player. He is a two-time All-Star and former Rookie of the Year (2000).

His drain on the salary cap wouldn't be bad if he were a dominating player again. But now his long-term contract makes him virtually untradeable, and he will prevent the Sixers from adding other key pieces in the coming years.

"I'm going to be disappointed if I have to look back and say 'man, I didn't accomplish what I set out to do in Philadelphia,''' he said. "That would be a huge disappointment. I still think we can build a contender. I want to be a big part of that.''

After talking to Brand, you want to root for him to succeed. It just doesn't look realistic anymore.

Elton Brand No Longer Fits in Philly originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Thu, 29 Oct 2009 15:40:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Williams Proves Worth in Magic Win

Tim Povtak — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 23:28:00 EST

Filed under: 76ers, Magic

ORLANDO -- When the Orlando Magic signed out-of-work Jason Williams this summer to a one-year, minimum wage contract, they made it sound like he was coming merely to be an insurance policy, giving them a past-his-prime, third point guard in case the bottom fell out on the other two.

He's obviously going to be more, a lot more for a real good team.

Williams, 33, is no longer the flashy, wrap-around-passing entertainer he was earlier in his career in Sacramento, but he looks refreshed and ready to play at a high level once again, adding another strong weapon to the defending Eastern Conference champs.

A year off certainly did him well.

Williams, who retired prematurely in Miami with aching knees after the 2007-08 season, was outstanding in the 120-106 squashing of Philadelphia Wednesday night, leading a second unit that made the Sixers cry for help.

Williams hit four of his five shots -- including three of four from 3-point land -- and added five assists for 15 points in 23 minutes. He was sloppy when he first entered the game, committing two quick turnovers, but he found his rhythm quickly. And it showed.

"He's a game changer for us,'' said Magic power forward Ryan Anderson, who started at power forward in the absence of Rashard Lewis. "He's a point guard who really gets everyone in the game. He looks for you. He finds you. I'm sure everyone here is happy to have him.''

Williams didn't stick around to evaluate his performance Wednesday, leaving the arena without talking to reporters. Magic coach Stan Van Gundy, always the contrarian, praised Williams, but not without noting the turnovers.

"I thought the same thing during the exhibition games. When the game is close and in big situations, he's playing solid basketball,'' Van Gundy said. "But with the lead, he tends to get careless with the ball.''

Williams played for Van Gundy in Miami. He was the starting point guard on the Heat team that won the NBA title in 2006 when he played alongside Shaquille O'Neal and Dwyane Wade. He has said throughout this month that this Magic team is deeper and better than the Heat team that earned him a championship ring.

Starting point guard Jameer Nelson played 21 minutes and finished with seven points and six assists. Although Van Gundy has made it clear that Williams is only a backup, Williams may become the closer if he plays like he did Wednesday.

After the year off, Williams looks strong physically, but his knees may not be able to sustain more than 20-25 minutes a night, which explains why Nelson's status as the starter is not in jeopardy.

"He is playing well. He's really going to help us,'' said Nelson, who missed the second half of last season with a shoulder injury that required surgery. "Guys like Jason, I can learn from. I know that. And I'm not afraid to say it.''

Williams is just the tip of the depth that is expected to make the Magic so good this season. Even with All-Star Rashard Lewis watching from home and serving Game 1 of his 10-game suspension, the Magic easily brushed aside the Sixers. A second team of Brandon Bass, Marcin Gortat, J.J. Redick and Matt Barnes and Williams looked like a luxury for the Magic.

They led by 23 at halftime and by 31 after three quarters. Lewis made more 3-pointers than anyone in the NBA last season, but the Magic still had seven different players make 3-pointers in the first half. They finished by hitting 16 of 29. Center Dwight Howard dominated around the basket with 21 points and 15 rebounds, opening all the 3-point lanes.

"With so many guys able to do so many things, this is like heaven around here,'' said All-Star Vince Carter, who had 15 points. "This is a team that expects to go places.''

Williams Proves Worth in Magic Win originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Wed, 28 Oct 2009 23:28:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Holiday First NBA Player Born in the '90s

Tim Povtak — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 20:40:00 EST

Filed under: 76ers, Magic

ORLANDO -- To many who follow the NBA, it doesn't seem that long ago that Isiah Thomas and Bill Laimbeer led the Detroit Pistons -- the famed Bad Boys -- to their second consecutive NBA title in 1990, cementing their place among the great teams in league history.

It was two days after Jrue Holiday was born.

Holiday, a rookie guard for the Philadelphia 76ers, isn't just the youngest player in the NBA this season. He also earned the distinction of being the first person born in the 1990's to be on an NBA roster.

That makes a lot of us feel old.

The '90s in the NBA were dominated by the Chicago Bulls and Michael Jordan, who won six championships, overshadowing good teams in Houston, Utah and New York who never quite received their due. It also was the Bill Clinton decade, which no one has forgotten.

Today's NBA stars were born mostly in the late '70s and early '80s. Tomorrow's stars will come from the '90s, filtering into the league through the next few years. Holiday was just the first, benefiting from an early start to his schooling.

Holiday turned 19 this summer, following one year at UCLA before the Sixers made him the 17th pick in the 2009 Draft. There are some in the league who believe he was the steal of this draft, giving the Sixers a reason to feel good about their future.

"It's a little weird to think about it (being the first player born in the '90s), but I'm living the life right now,'' Holiday told FanHouse Wednesday before the game began. "I've talked to some of the guys around me, asked if they remember when they were 19, and they say 'it feels like a long time ago.'''

Because the Sixers are a relatively young team, the age difference isn't that great. Holiday, though, is 16 years younger than Magic guard Anthony Johnson, who was sitting on the opposite bench Wednesday night. The league is now younger than it's ever been.

Even the oldest guys in the league this season -- Lindsey Hunter (38), Shaquille O'Neal (37), Kurt Thomas (37) and Grant Hill (37) -- don't seem so old anymore.

"I grew up watching a lot of these guys play, but I'm not intimidated by them. Being at UCLA and growing up in that area, I've been playing against NBA guys for a few years now,'' he said. "This has been great so far."

Because of the rule change in 2005 that requires players to be at least a full year out of high school before they could be drafted, Holiday isn't close to being the youngest player ever on an NBA roster.

Lakers center Andrew Bynum was 18 years and six days when he started with the Lakers. Kobe Bryant is the youngest to appear in an NBA game, playing his first at 18 years, two months and 9 days.

"I don't think twice about how old he (Holiday) is, or when he was born,'' said Sixers coach Eddie Jordan. "I know it's been a joy coaching him so far.''

Holiday First NBA Player Born in the '90s originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Wed, 28 Oct 2009 20:40:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sixers' Eddie Jordan Tough to Impress

Brett Pollakoff — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 19:45:00 EST

Filed under: 76ers, FanHouse Exclusive, NBA Coaches

PHOENIX -- The Sixers almost came back from an 18-point deficit in the final eight minutes on Friday against the Suns, but the guys usually on the end of Phoenix's bench -- Dan Dickau, Carlos Powell, et al. -- were able to hang on just enough to secure a two-point victory.

Marreese Speights, a second-year player who averaged just under eight points and four rebounds a game last season, was a big reason for the Sixers' strong comeback. He scored 15 of his game-high 32 points in the fourth quarter, while also finishing with 12 rebounds and two blocked shots.

Even though this is the preseason, it was still a career game for Speights, and one that you'd think his new head coach, Eddie Jordan, would be excited about. But that wasn't exactly the case.

When asked if Speights might be able to produce like that during the regular season, Jordan didn't gush over his performance, and in fact, he didn't even seem all that pleased by it.

"We want people to produce while we win," Jordan told FanHouse. "That's what we're looking at. We're not just looking at guys who get stats. We're looking at, are you making winning plays? Are you helping your teammates?

"You know, a lot of guys can go out and get a lot of numbers and not help their teammates and do things to win. So, we want him to grow as a team player, and yet, be productive individually."

Wow, coach. How about throwing the kid a bone? Speights played a really solid game on both ends of the floor, and a little praise for a player entering his second season in the league -- from his new coach, no less -- might not be a bad way to go here, despite the (completely meaningless) preseason loss.

Then again, there might have been something else going on with Jordan and some of his players.

Andre Iguodala, Samuel Dalembert and Elton Brand combined to shoot 0-for-12 in the first half, and their collective scoreless effort got all three benched to start the second. Only Brand returned -- mainly to try to get his conditioning and feel for the game back after missing most of the last two seasons -- while Iguodala and Dalembert sat for the rest of the game.

Philly's last preseason game was three days earlier, so it's not like these guys needed the extra rest. This is pure speculation, but could Jordan have been upset with their effort, and used the rest of the game to send a message?

For the record, when Jordan was asked if there was anything wrong with Iguodala, or if he was just trying to get him some extra rest during the preseason, Jordan responded curtly with a "yes."

But it wasn't all that convincing.

Look, it's very possible that everything is fine and dandy between Eddie Jordan and his new players -- after all, the team was undefeated through four preseason contests before Friday's loss. But if things end up going south at some point this season in Philadelphia, you'll be able to say there were signs very early on -- you know, like not praising a player when he has a career game, or benching two starters for a half to send some kind of unnecessary message.

Sixers' Eddie Jordan Tough to Impress originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Sat, 17 Oct 2009 19:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Player to Watch: Louis Williams

Tom Ziller — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: 76ers

FanHouse previews a player to watch from each NBA team in advance of the 2009-10 season.

When Philadelphia took just about the most raw point guard possible (Jrue Holiday) in the June draft, then declined to make a strong play to retain incumbent point guard Andre Miller, then declined to cash any other middle tier free agent point guards on the market ... that's when Louis Williams became a starting NBA point guard.

Up until now, Lou has been a bench fireplug for the 76ers, playing both guard positions. It's the classic combo situation: he's a shooting guard with slight point guard tendencies who happens to be the height of a point guard. He's a Bobby Jackson, a Leandro Barbosa. And like Jackson and Barbosa, Williams to this point has been a bench player exclusively.

But with Miller gone and Holiday wrapped in nori, that's about to change.

Williams has never started one game. Part of that, surely, is to be owed to Miller's ironman status. Miller hasn't missed a game due to injury in six years, and has only come off the bench once during that span: his first game as Sixer after being traded by the Nuggets during the 2006-07 season. Williams has played behind Miller the past 2-1/2 seasons. There has been no opening at starting point guard for Williams to get an audition.

Given Philly's trouble filling the starting shooting guard -- Willie Green has started there 134 games over the past two seasons -- you wonder why Lou hasn't gotten a jump there. But he has been vital (at least in theory) as the megascorer off the pine, the bench force who attacks and attacks some more. Williams has been fairly good in that role: his efficiency is poor, but he can create shots from himself and others easily, and he rarely turns the ball over. He's also a solid ball hawk, vital for Philadelphia's usual swarming defense.

There's also (again) the fact that Williams isn't a typical point guard. He takes about four shots for every assist; Miller, by contrast, took about two shots per assist last season. Williams is a star when it comes to creating shots. But most of them happen to be created for himself. It's a bit like Allen Iverson, who always averaged a bunch of assists per game ... but averaged many, many more points.

Point guard purity, thankfully, is overrated. There's no correlation between team offense and team assist rate, and recent history has shown extraordinary success for teams with impure point guards running the show. In fact, Bibby's Kings in the early part of this decade provide a solid example. Jason Williams had been considered much more likely to pass than shoot in comparison with Bibby ... but the Kings enjoyed their greatest successes once the swap had been made. Chauncey Billups has never been mistaken for John Stockton, yet he has an NBA Championship. Tony Parker is a scoring point guard ... and he has three NBA Championships.

Now, Lou Williams is not Chauncey Billups and he is not Tony Parker. But the lesson applies: if a team has players who can create shots effectively, they don't need a priest at the point guard position. A little sinful shooting can be tolerated. Mix in that new coach Eddie Jordan has imported the decentralized Princeton offense, and ... hey, Lou Williams: you're a point guard in my book.

This season will come down to Lou playing within himself, making the right decision (whether it's shoot or pass) and providing consistency in the absence of Miller, who was Mr. Consistency for 2-1/2 years. Last year, Williams tried to do a little too much off the bench. He soaked up 27.7% of all Philadelphia possessions while on the floor -- a rate comparable with Brandon Roy and Chris Paul. As Lou's deflated efficiency (.513 True Shooting, 105 offensive rating) showed, it was too much.

Lou and Coach Jordan seem to understand this, with Iguodala expected to share in ball-handling duties as the newly minted two-guard. (Due to a lack of a suitable power forward, and then the injury to Elton Brand last season, Iguodala has been forced to play small forward. This season, Thaddeus Young should primarily fill the SF role while Brand returns at the four.) And given that Williams will be in the game with solid scorers like Iguodala and Brand, the Sixers won't need him to break down the defense every possession. As a bench scorer, playing with fellows like Reggie Evans, the Sixers needed Williams to be a top option. No more.

Whether it will all come together remains to be seen. But it seems assured the Lou Williams experiment will get a full opportunity. Holiday has a big learning curve and Philadelphia has few easily tradable assets and no ability to take on extra salary. Lou's first chance as a starter is here, and it's up to him to ace the audition. If it works, he won't lose his gig any time soon.

Player to Watch: Louis Williams originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Mon, 12 Oct 2009 12:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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FanHouse Preview: 76ers

Matt Steinmetz — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: 76ers, NBA Preseason, NBA Previews

FanHouse previews all 30 NBA teams in advance of the 2009-10 season.

The Philadelphia 76ers have a new coach, a new system and even a new player, kind of.

What they don't have, however, is a point guard to bring it all together.

The Sixers' most significant offseason move was hiring Eddie Jordan, who will bring along with him an offensive philosophy less about isolation and more about movement and flow.

It's possible the Sixers can improve on their .500 season from a year ago. But the responsibility for that happening will fall largely on power forward Elton Brand and guard Louis Williams. That's where the skepticism comes in.

Brand missed most of last season with a shoulder injury, and quite frankly, the vultures are beginning to circle around his career. His game has always been the subject of debate, with his supporters citing his impressive individual numbers and his detractors pointing out he's played in one playoff series in 10 years.

The more tangible issue is what Brand really has left and how effective he'll be in Jordan's offense, one that doesn't necessarily stress dumping the ball into the low post. For sure, Brand won't have the kind of role in Philly that he thought he'd have when he signed last offseason for $82 million. Nor should he.

Williams is also going to have a big say in the 76ers' season. The hope was that last year Williams would embrace the point guard position while splitting time with Andre Miller. That happened to a lesser degree than many had hoped, and now this season there is no Miller to lean on.

In some ways Williams is like a poor man's Monta Ellis -- a scoring guard through and through and not ideally equipped to concern himself with all the things successful point guards usually concern themselves with. But Williams is well ahead of rookie point guard Jrue Holiday so there's really no choice in the matter.

Still, there's a roster to work with here, and Jordan can coach. Andre Igoudala isn't perfect, but he's pretty good. And the hope is that Thaddeus Young, who took a nice step last season, continues to do the same in 2009-10.

Trading for Jason Kapono was an under-the-radar move but should help a team that was awful -- last in the league -- from beyond the three-point line a year ago. Samuel Dalembert is sometimes maligned, but he's more solution than problem.

The one thing Philadelphia did this offseason was hold the line financially. After committing big money to Brand with little return, and also having re-signed Iguodala and Williams, it's been about getting the money under control. That's why re-signing Miller was never seriously considered.

More was less in 2008-09 for the Sixers. This year they'll try for less is more.

Last Season By the Numbers

Record: 41-41 (9-14 under Mo Cheeks, 32-37 under Tony DiLeo). Finished 2nd in the Atlantic Division, tied for 6th in the Eastern Conference. Eliminated by Orlando (4-2) in first round.

Offense: 107.9 points per 100 possessions, 19th in the NBA. 24th in shooting, 20th in turnover rate, 2nd in offensive rebounding, 4th in free throw rate.

Defense: 107.8 points per 100 possessions, 13th in the NBA. 19th in shooting defense, 3rd in opponent turnover rate, 26th in defensive rebounding, 9th in opponent free throw rate.

Top Performers: Andre Iguodala led the team in scoring (18.8 points per game) and steals (1.6). Andre Miller was the top assister at 6.5 per game. In limited play, Elton Brand led the team with 8.8 rebounds per game; Samuel Dalembert played all 82 games and averaged 8.5 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game.

All statistics via Basketball-Reference.com.

Player to Watch

FanHouse's Matt Moore and Tom Ziller preview one player to watch from each team. Here's a snippet of Ziller's post on Sixers guard Louis Williams.

Chauncey Billups has never been mistaken for John Stockton, yet he has an NBA Championship. Tony Parker is a scoring point guard ... and he has three NBA Championships.

Now, Lou Williams is not Chauncey Billups and he is not Tony Parker. But the lesson applies: if a team has players who can create shots effectively, they don't need a priest at the point guard position. A little sinful shooting can be tolerated. Mix in that new coach Eddie Jordan has imported the decentralized Princeton offense, and ... hey, Lou Williams: you're a point guard in my book.

See Ziller's full post on Williams.

Offseason Tracker

IN: Jrue Holiday (draft), Jason Kapono (trade).

OUT: Andre Miller (free agency), Reggie Evans (trade).

FanHouse Preview: 76ers originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Mon, 12 Oct 2009 11:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nate Robinson, Andre Iguodala, Brook Lopez Celebrate NBA 2K10 Release

Ariel Helwani — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 09:45:00 EST

Filed under: 76ers, Knicks, Nets, NBA Videos, FanHouse Exclusive

The start of the NBA season is right around the corner, and that means the much-anticipated release of NBA 2K10. The video game hits stores nationwide on Oct. 6.

FanHouse attended the 2K10 launch party in New York City on Thursday, and spoke to Nate Robinson about re-signing with the Knicks, Andre Iguodala about the greatest moment in NBA2K history, and Brook Lopez about his new boss. Check out the video below.

Nate Robinson, Andre Iguodala, Brook Lopez Celebrate NBA 2K10 Release originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Fri, 25 Sep 2009 09:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tip-Off Timer: Barkley Made It Fun to Watch No. 34

Tim Povtak — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: 76ers, Suns, NBA Fans, NBA Media Watch

Tip-Off Timer counts down the days until the first game of the 2009-10 season. On Wednesday, there are 34 days remaining.

He wasn't the best No. 34 who ever played the game -- that probably belongs to Hakeem Olajuwon or Shaquille O'Neal -- but he was the most controversial. And maybe the most contradictory.

Charles Barkley, who wore his 34 with both the Philadelphia 76ers and the Phoenix Suns, stood alone when it came to polarizing basketball fans.

Through his 16-year playing career, he had fans who absolutely adored him and the way he played the game. He had fans who absolutely hated him, for the way he played, the way he acted, and for the things he said.

It's the same path he travels today as a television analyst. For every fan who thinks he's hilarious, there is one who finds him tasteless. Some find him compelling to watch. Others can't stand the sight of him.

He can be insulting, yet comical, happy to make fun of himself, yet arrogant in his stance. He is confrontational yet compassionate. He would give you the shirt off his back, then knock you down to take it away when he changes his mind.

He did it as a player, and he does it today as an analyst. It's not easy to top a Hall of Fame playing career that included two Olympic Gold Medals and an NBA Most Valuable Player Award. But he has done it in television, becoming the biggest attraction on an Emmy Award-winning basketball show. He is unrefined, yet clearly defined in his style.

He was unique from the day he arrived in the NBA. He looked too short and too overweight to be the No. 5 pick in the 1984 Draft out of Auburn University. He didn't have the body for the things he could do, proving to be one of the most versatile players in basketball history, always too big for the little guys to guard and too quick for the big guys who tried to guard him.

He led the league in personal fouls, but he also led it in rebounding. He told jokes on the court, then got into fights, undeterred when it came to battling bigger guys like Shaquille O'Neal and Bill Laimbeer. He was praised for his honesty, often generous with his time to a fault, yet criticized for being so outspoken.

He loved to entertain the fans with his play, but he bristled at those who wanted him to be a role model for their kids. He loved mingling with fans who adored him, yet he often got out of hand. The fan who threw a cup of ice at him in Orlando once found himself being thrown through a plate-glass window.

He would smile and kiss babies in the stands, yet he was suspended by the league when he tried to spit on a heckler but hit a little girl instead.

There were those who still think of him as a racist, yet others who believed he helped break down racial barriers in society with his often humorous comments on the issues. His conversation is usually peppered with political incorrectness, yet he expects soon to be involved in politics, eventually running for governor of Alabama.

He was once criticized for a tasteless remark when Magic Johnson retired because of contracting the AIDS virus, yet it was Barkley who changed his number in Philadelphia to 32 for one season to honor Johnson.

As a player he never won a championship, yet he won the hearts and the attention of many along the way, and he continues to leave an indelible impression on the game.

Tip-Off Timer: Barkley Made It Fun to Watch No. 34 originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Wed, 23 Sep 2009 09:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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94 Feet and Rising: Playing With Magic Johnson and Charles Barkley

Matt Watson — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 15:20:00 EST

Filed under: 76ers, Lakers, Suns

Greg Grant was a short player who overcame long odds: standing just 5-foot-7 and playing college ball in Division III, he was drafted in the second round by the Phoenix Suns in 1989, lasting seven years in the NBA.

Earlier today, FanHouse featured the first chapter of Greg's autobiography, 94 Feet and Rising, written with the help of Martin Sumners and released in July. In the following excerpts, Greg recalls what it was like to play against Magic Johnson and share a locker room with Charles Barkley, two of the brightest stars the NBA has ever seen.

*****

1989 - Phoenix Suns

[One] of the funniest things to happen on the court occurred the next time we played the Lakers and Magic [Johnson]. In early December, we played them at the Forum, and I got my Magic moment. As a backup, I was usually matched up with the other team's backup point guard, which at the time for the Lakers was Larry Drew. But sometimes the rotations of benches don't match up precisely or due to quick foul trouble on one of the starters, the backup could be matched up with the number one guy.

Somehow this happened, and I ended up guarding Magic. I was all up under the greatest point guard ever as he was over a foot taller than me. But I used that to my advantage and stripped him from underneath. Magic went ballistic at the ref, screaming that I fouled him. We converted on the other end for a basket, and a time out was called. As we crossed paths going back to our respective benches, Magic leaned over and said, "Good play Greg."

This was one of the best players in the world acknowledging me out on the court. But that's what makes a player who is very good rise to greatness. Magic knew everybody on the opposing team and how they played, all the way down to the twelfth man.

*****

1992-94 - Philadelphia 76ers

One time before a Bulls game, Coach Jim Lynam was doing a pregame chalk talk in the locker room while Charles [Barkley] was taking a dump in the nearby bathroom stall.

Jimmy starts yelling instructions to Charles saying, "Chuck you got Horace [Grant]."

Charles yells back, "Alright."

Manute [Bol] was a playful guy, but he took his basketball seriously and would often try to unite the team. So he spoke up about Charles getting special treatment.

He said in his thick Sudanese accent, "Jimmy, I think that's messed up that he take a sheeeet while we sit here."

Jimmy response was to try to let it slide and say, "Aw Manute, come on."

Manute was still upset and said, "No way. That's bullsheeeet. He does this all the time. He takes a sheeeet and we have to listen to him in there. How we going to win a game when out best player takes a sheeeet every game."

Then we all hear the toilet flush and the water running. Charles comes out and walks over to the board and erases everything. While he's doing that he's saying, "Forget all that stuff, Jimmy. Just give me the ball."

Jimmy just said, "That's right Chuck; none of that matters. Just go play hard."

We couldn't believe it. But you know what, we actually won that game. We beat the defending champs, which was one of the just the thirty-five we won that season.

*****

94 Feet and Rising was released on July 17, 2009 and is available online at Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

94 Feet and Rising: Playing With Magic Johnson and Charles Barkley originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Wed, 02 Sep 2009 15:20:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tip-Off Timer: Wilt 'The Stilt' Chamberlain Finally Drafted in '59

Matt Watson — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: 76ers, NBA Videos

Tip-Off Timer counts down the days until the first game of the 2009-10 season. On Saturday, there are 59 days remaining.

Without hyperbole or exaggeration, we may never see another individual dominate team sports that way Wilt Chamberlain did over his 14-year career.

And yet, as strange as it sounds, Chamberlain's career almost feels incomplete, at least when you consider he was robbed of two seasons before his NBA career even began. Just like how archaic NCAA rules kept him from joining Kansas' varsity team as a freshman in 1955-56, NBA rules prohibited him from being drafted immediately after he left college early in 1958, prompting the best basketball player in the world to spend his first year as a pro barnstorming with the Harlem Globetrotters.

In the video after the jump, a young Chamberlain is interviewed shortly after he was finally drafted by the Philadelphia Warriors in 1959, explaining why he turned down more money to stay with the Globetrotters for the chance to play in the NBA.

The Globetrotter's loss was the NBA's gain: Chamberlain burst onto the scene as the league's most dominant player, averaging 37.6 points and 27 rebounds a game while capturing Most Valuable Player, All-Star Most Valuable Player and, of course, Rookie of the Year honors.

His career started with seven consecutive scoring crowns and finished with 11 rebounding titles and 13 All-Star game appearances. By the time he left the game, he was the NBA's all-time leader in points -- had he played in an era that allowed him to join the NBA immediately after high school, it's likely he'd still have a lead over Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Karl Malone and Michael Jordan -- and he remains the league's all-time leader in rebounds.

Tip-Off Timer: Wilt 'The Stilt' Chamberlain Finally Drafted in '59 originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Sat, 29 Aug 2009 09:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tip-Off Timer: Loughery Survived 73 Losses with '73 Sixers

Tim Povtak — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: 76ers, Bulls, Hawks, Nets

Tip-Off Timer counts down the days until the first game of the 2009-10 season. On Saturday, there are 73 days remaining.

Kevin Loughery doesn't think about it much - he had plenty of success in his career -- but he usually gets reminded every few years when a team really goes into the dumper, and people start opening the reference books to find the worst record in NBA history.

That's when his phone starts ringing.

He may never escape the season of 73 losses, his Philadelphia 76ers of 1972-73, the worst team in league history endured. There are 73 days before next season begins, so his phone rang again this week.

"Every once in a while, people still bring it up," Loughery told FanHouse. "It was a frustrating season, that's for sure. It was tough, but it was such a long time ago. And for me, it actually turned into the start of something pretty good."

There have been some bad teams in this league -- the Heat lost 67 games in 07-08; the Hawks lost 69 in '04-05; and the Nuggets lost 71 games in '97-98 - but never has one been as bad as those Sixers.

"A lot of things went wrong for us, but we just didn't have the players to win games," Loughery said.

They lost their first 15 games before the first victory. They lost their last 13 games. They also trudged through a 20-game losing streak in the middle. Other than those three stretches, they weren't all that bad. Loughery laughs.

He had a unique role on that infamous team. He started the season as a player, his 11th season in the NBA, but he finished it with the title player-coach after blustery Roy Rubin was fired after 51 games (the team was 4-47). Loughery never played after midseason because of a knee injury. His coaching record was 5-26 that season.

"There were times I actually enjoyed that season," he said. "I had always thought I wanted to coach, but I never thought I'd get into it so quickly. It turned into a big break for me. People started thinking of me as a coach."

It was a team that was set up to fail. The Sixers had drafted horribly in the previous few years. Veteran coach Jack Ramsay had won only 30 games the season before, and left for Buffalo. The Sixers hired Rubin, who had been coaching Long Island University. He didn't know the league or the players, and he didn't know that leading scorer Billy Cunningham had just left the team for the ABA.

The team was so bad that ownership was giving away hundreds of tickets every night just to put bodies in the seats. It was chaos in the front office and on the bench at times. Forward John Q. Trapp was so mad at Rubin for taking him out of one game that he asked a friend to stand behind the bench and flash the hand gun he was carrying as a way to intimidate Rubin. Trapp was waived a few weeks later.

After Rubin was fired, he left coaching, using his savings to buy an International House of Pancakes franchise in South Florida.

"It was clear we were the league's universal health spa,'' leading scorer Fred Carter said a few years ago when discussing the team as a television analyst. "If teams had any ills, they got healthy when they played us."

Loughery retired as a player after the season, and the Sixers didn't ask him back to coach. He went to the New Jersey Nets of the ABA as head coach, and won championships in two of the next three years.

Instead of Manny Leaks, Jeff Halliburton and Mike Price on the Philadelphia roster to coach, Loughery had Julius Erving, Larry Kenon and John Williamson in New York with the Nets before they moved to New Jersey.

"I didn't get smart overnight. I just got better players to coach. Players make the coach. It's that way in any sport," he said. "You're only as good as your players. I wasn't very good that first year in Philadelphia."

Loughery went on to coach three years in the ABA and 17 years in the NBA with stops in Atlanta, Chicago, Washington and Miami.

"It was no fun losing that season, but it wasn't all bad," Loughery said. "When you think about it now - no, I really don't think about it much unless somebody asks."

FanHouse's Matt Steinmetz offers another anecdote from the infamous '73 Sixers:

Perhaps there is some urban legend to all of this, but Fred Carter supposedly uttered one of the all-timers regarding his place on that Philadelphia 76ers team of 1972-73.

Carter, known as "the best player on the worst team in NBA history," led that Sixers team, which finished 9-73, in scoring and assists and ended up earning the team MVP award.

Upon receiving the award, Carter supposedly said: "I don't know whether this is an honor or an insult."

Tip-Off Timer: Loughery Survived 73 Losses with '73 Sixers originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Sat, 15 Aug 2009 09:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bouncin' Around: With This Schedule, Magic Won't Need Lewis To Start

Tim Povtak — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 08:30:00 EST

Filed under: 76ers, Lakers, Magic

Bouncin' Around is NBA FanHouse's weekly insider notebook.

There is a good reason the Orlando Magic don't seem too concerned over losing Rashard Lewis for the first 10 games of the regular season because of his suspension for violating the NBA's Anti-Drug Agreement.

They won't need him.

Of those 10 games, only two will be against teams with a record last season that was better than .500. Yes, it would have been great to have your best shooter in the lineup for that one ESPN game against the Cleveland Cavaliers, but they could beat New Jersey and Oklahoma City with Dwight Howard and four Summer League players.

Another interesting note in their schedule is that they are on national television 32 times in an 82-game regular season. Yet they were scheduled for national TV just once in those first 10, which makes you think the television decision makers were warned ahead of time that the suspension was coming last week.

The Magic obviously won't be as good with either Brandon Bass or Matt Barnes starting in place of Lewis, but they still should win at least seven of the first 10, leaving them near the top with the Celtics and Cavs, the only other serious contenders in the East.

Next Lakers Coach?

The fact that Kurt Rambis was willing to leave Los Angeles for Minnesota, to go from heaven to hell both on the court and off, tells you that Lakers owner Jerry Buss made it clear to him that he would not be succeeding Phil Jackson as Lakers coach.

Jackson, 63, likely is going into his final season, and Rambis was his top assistant and expected successor. There even was talk a month ago about Rambis coaching the team on the road because Jackson's health issues might restrict his travel.

If he had any indication he could get the job the following season, Rambis would have stayed as Jackson's assistant rather than go knock his head against the wall as the head coach in Minnesota, where he surely will get fired after two or three losing seasons.

With Rambis out of the picture and Kobe Bryant sure to push the issue, don't be surprised to hear the Mike Krzyzewski rumors soon start to swirl again. The Duke coach still would be perfect for the job.

Doesn't matter how many times he says he will retire at Duke, or how adamantly Krzyzewski denies any interest, the fact is that big money changes minds. And the Blue Devils haven't been in the NCAA Final Four in five years.

He turned down the Lakers job and a $40 million contract in 2004, but with the Olympic gold medal from 2008, his price tag could reach $50 million. There won't be anyone else out there who could make half the splash that Krzyzewski could.

Iverson unwanted in Philly?

The 76ers management has made it clear they have no interest in bringing back Allen Iverson, but there is a fan base there that still believes it would be a good idea. It's hard to disagree with those fans.

After all the thrills Iverson provided Philly for 10 years -- including a season where he took them almost single-handedly to the NBA Finals -- it's a little surprising the Sixers won't take him back. For all the disruptions he caused, he also taught teammates how to put their hearts into the game.

"We don't see him in our plans with the age of our kids,'' Sixers GM Ed Stefanski told reporters recently. "We're going to go with youth at the point guard position.''

Instead of Iverson, the Sixers will start the season with a group of guards that still can't hold a candle to him. It's just hard to get too excited about a guard rotation that will include Lou Williams, Willie Green, Royal Ivey and rookie Jrue Holiday.

Iverson must be chuckling.

Brian Hill in Detroit

The hiring of assistant coach Brian Hill in Detroit this week is a good example of just how tight the fraternity of coaches really is in the NBA. After being fired as the head coach in Orlando after the 2006-07 season, Hill worked as an assistant in New Jersey under Lawrence Frank and now will work in Detroit under head coach John Kuester. Frank once worked for Hill when he was head coach in Vancouver and Kuester worked for Hill when he was head coach in Orlando. Both guys, in their first year as head coaches, wanted Hill by their side for experience.

Bouncin' Around: With This Schedule, Magic Won't Need Lewis To Start originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Wed, 12 Aug 2009 08:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tip-Off Timer: Are 82 Games Too Many?

Tim Povtak — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: 76ers, Celtics, Knicks

Tip-Off Timer counts down the days until the first game of the 2009-10 season. On Thursday, there are exactly 82 days remaining.

The number 82 wasn't always the magic number in the NBA. It just seems that way.

Although the length of the playoffs and the number of teams has grown dramatically in the last 42 years, not since the Philadelphia 76ers won the NBA title in 1967 has the NBA schedule (aside from the lockout season) had anything other than 82 games.

"Not sure the significance of the number, but everyone has just gotten used to seeing 82 on the schedule,'' said Matt Guokas (pictured), a rookie forward on that 76ers championship team that played only 81 regular-season games that year. "It makes for a long season, but everyone is compensated so well, you don't want to be out there complaining about it.''

How many times have you heard that the 82-game regular season -- described as a marathon -- is too long? The physical strain of playing on back-to-back nights, of playing four games in five nights, is often what leads to injuries that leave the stars in street clothes, or leaves players two steps slow getting back on defense.

"In a perfect situation, maybe going to 72 games, not playing so many back-to-backs, you'd probably get better quality through the course of a season,'' Guokas said. "But 82 has worked pretty well.'''

With the league and the union beginning negotiations on a new collective bargaining agreement, the timing might be perfect to examine shortening a season that now starts in October and doesn't end until the NBA Finals nine months later.

The problem is that neither the players nor the owners -- especially not in these economic times -- will voluntarily give up the revenue that would be lost by losing games. A typical NBA team makes an estimated $1 million in ticket revenues alone for each home game. An average NBA player, based on a $5 million annual salary, makes $61,000 per game.

"Cutting revenues is not something that anyone will agree to,'' said former NBA player Danny Schayes, whose father Dolph Schayes played from 1948 to 1963 and reached the Basketball Hall of Fame. "In my dad's day, they usually played around 72, but that's because the travel was so difficult then. What they do now isn't that bad. We played 82, and sometimes played on three consecutive nights. They don't have to do that anymore.''

For a historical perspective, the NBA (then the Basketball Association of America) opened with a 60-game schedule for the 1946-47 season. By 1958-59, it was an eight-team league with a 72-game schedule. By 1961-62, there were nine teams and an 80-game schedule.

The league went from 81 to 82 for the first time in 1967-68 because the league had expanded to 12 teams after adding Seattle and San Diego. With so few teams and so many games, it was easy to create rivalries. The Celtics played the Knicks nine times in the regular season.

In an earlier era, when travel was tougher and the game was more physical, coaches used their reserves more than they do today. Everyone was getting paid and most everyone played, which lessened the wear and tear on the stars.

Today there are 30 teams, still 82 games, and no one play anyone more than four times in a season, which lessens the chance of a rivalry developing.

"A lot of veterans today artificially make the schedule shorter by taking nights off,'' Schayes said. "I just don't think it's feasible from a business standpoint to cut out games. That won't happen. If the season seems too long, then the coaches just need to use their benches a little more."

Tip-Off Timer: Are 82 Games Too Many? originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Thu, 06 Aug 2009 10:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tip-Off Timer: '86, the Most Bizarre Draft in NBA History

Tim Povtak — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 05:00:00 EST

Filed under: 76ers, Cavaliers, Celtics, Knicks, Magic, Mavericks, Pistons, Warriors, NBA Draft

Tip-Off Timer counts down the days until the first game of the 2009-10 NBA season. On Sunday, there are exactly 86 days left.

When you talk about the NBA in 1986, it's not the Boston Celtics winning their third and final championship in the Larry Bird era that history will remember most.

It's that '86 NBA Draft class, the most flawed, notorious, bizarre class in league history, that will be remembered -- for all the wrong reasons.

It's just so tough to forget. It wasn't a draft. It was a disaster, ranging from tragic to terribly unfortunate, turning sour so quickly that it was stunning.

"It's a draft that you hope could never happen again,'' said longtime NBA executive Pat Williams, who traded away the top pick that year as the GM of the Philadelphia 76ers. "It will go down in history as the most scarred draft we've ever had. It was haunted.''

It started with Len Bias of Maryland, who died of a cocaine overdose two days after being chosen with the No. 2 pick by the world champion Celtics.

It continued with Chris Washburn of North Carolina State, William Bedford of Memphis State and Roy Tarpley of Michigan, all big and strong, taken third, sixth and seventh respectively, who washed out of the league quickly because of drug and alcohol problems. Seven of the top 14 picks in '86 eventually were linked to drug use that scarred their careers.

It was 23 years ago that the NBA received a wake-up call like never before, changing the way it does business, a horrible reminder of everything that can go wrong in the annual race to uncover the most athletic basketball players in the world. We learned in '86 that it's not always the biggest and strongest athletes who succeed.

"It was the drug draft,'' Williams said. "Going in, there were some things that made us uncomfortable with it, so we just got out.''

Of the top nine picks that year, only two (Chuck Person at No. 4 and Ron Harper at No. 8) lasted 10 years in the league. No. 1 pick Brad Daugherty became the only All-Star from the first round of that class, but his career was shortened significantly by injuries.

"Some of the stories that came out of that draft were scary,'' Daugherty said eight years ago. "So many different people had so many different bad things happen to them. It was almost like a curse. I feel fortunate that nothing bad happened to me.''

There were some wonderful success stories in that upside-down draft, but they were unexpected. Mark Price, Dennis Rodman, Nate McMillan, Jeff Hornacek, Johnny Newman -- all second-round picks -- carved out great careers.

"There wasn't much hoopla for the guys in the second round, but I've always thought that drafting is not a science,'' said Magic general manager Otis Smith, a second-round pick in '86 whose career was cut short by knee problems. "It still is kind of amazing how that draft fell out.''

It wasn't just drugs that cursed that '86 draft. Many others picked high in that first round just failed to live up to expectations, either from a lack of talent, desire or good judgment.

Kenny Walker of Kentucky went fifth to New York, but he averaged only seven points and four rebound in his seven seasons. John Williams of LSU went No. 12 to Washington, but he ate his way out of the league. Dwayne Washington (No. 13 to New Jersey) and Walter Berry (No. 14 to Portland) were great college players who just couldn't survive in the NBA.

Washburn (Golden State), Bedford (Phoenix) and Tarpley (Dallas) combined to start just 89 NBA games, fewer than Anthony Bowie, a journeyman who wasn't picked until the third round.

Dell Curry, whose son Stephen Curry was drafted No. 7 last month by Golden State, was one of the lucky first-round picks. He was taken 15th by Utah in '86, and he played 16 years in the NBA, earning a reputation as one of the greatest 3-point shooters in history.

Williams had the rights to the No. 1 pick in '86, but he thought Daugherty was too soft to play in the NBA, and he didn't like the whispers he was hearing about so many of other top talents. He traded the pick to Cleveland for proven veteran Roy Hinson, whose career then nosedived.

"It was a different world then,'' Williams said. "You didn't know everything about players like they do now. Mistakes were made. And once you did, you didn't get a second chance.''

Tip-Off Timer: '86, the Most Bizarre Draft in NBA History originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Sun, 02 Aug 2009 05:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Andre Miller Heads for Blazers

Tom Ziller — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 18:21:00 EST

Filed under: 76ers, Trail Blazers, NBA Transactions

The Oregonian's Jason Quick reports the Blazers will sign 33-year-old point guard Andre Miller to a deal. The terms look like $22 million over three years, with only the first two guaranteed. By the numbers, it's a good deal for Portland and Miller -- the PG wasn't getting more elsewhere, and the Blazers get away with a good playmaker at a fair rate for a short time.

But the opportunity cost of signing Miller is quite high for the Blazers.

Prior to bringing Miller aboard, Portland was one of desperately few teams with extant cap space. Cap space is a tricky resource, with scarcity having a disparately enormous effect on its value. If a dozen teams have cap space, well, then it's not really worth too much. But when no one has it, everyone needs it. It's a market in and of itself, really, and Memphis has quite honestly done alright for itself by serving as the league's trade facilitator. (Or perhaps I should say, Memphis would do well for itself if it had, you know, a cogent plan.)

In facilitating a Carlos Boozer trade, Portland could have ended up with a good cast-off -- a Kirk Hinrich or Udonis Haslem or whatnot. That's gone now. It probably won't matter: Miller is better and cheaper than Hinrich (though Miller doesn't fit team needs -- defense -- as well). But it seems plausible that another, more lustrous piece could have come available in the next, oh, seven months.

Further, a host of good restricted free agents remain available. Ramon Sessions. David Lee. Marvin Williams. Sessions's value won't be set until he signs an offer sheet. Lee is at the mercy of the Knicks at this point. Williams should have gotten a deal worked out by now. He is a great small forward prospect. Portland could be in play for any of the three it wants, but that's gone now. It will remain to be seen whether that's a mistake or not.

The key point here is not that Portland screwed up, because again, Miller is good and the deal is fair. I just implore fans to understand Portland's costs in this deal will be far greater than $22 million. The Blazers are taking the sure thing over the chance for something spectacular.

Andre Miller Heads for Blazers originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Fri, 24 Jul 2009 18:21:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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