Lakers hold-on, avoid late Sixers surge

Bryant jumper in the final minute put the game away

Kobe Bryant hit the deciding jumper with 1:15 remaining and sank two free throws in the final seconds, as the Los Angeles Lakers edged the Philadelphia 76ers, 102-98, at Staples Center.

Bryant finished with a game-high 33 points, including 10 in the fourth quarter. Pau Gasol added 20 points and Andrew Bynum grabbed a game-high 15 rebounds to go with eight points for the Lakers, who have won two straight on the heels of a three-game skid.

Lamar Odom added 18 points and seven rebounds in a reserve role for LA.

Jrue Holiday led Philadelphia with 19 points and 11 assists. Lou Williams and Thaddeus Young finished with 18 and 14 points, respectively, off the bench for the Sixers, who are 3-4 on an eight-game road trip.

"I am proud of our guys," Sixers head coach Doug Collins said. "We hung in there and battled. Twenty-six assists ... we moved the ball. [Gasol and Bynum] are just so big, that's a load in there."

E.T. Phones Home: Sixers tops Suns without Iggy.

Turner had a breakout night 

Jrue Holiday scored 25 points to go along with seven assists, rookie Evan Turner added 23 points in a reserve role, and the Philadelphia 76ers topped the Phoenix Suns, 123-110, at US Airways Center.

Andres Nocioni added a season-high 22 points and 12 rebounds. Spencer Hawes notched a double-double with 10 points and 11 boards for the Sixers, who are 3-3 on a eight-game road trip.

Elton Brand and Thaddeus Young scored 16 and 15 points, respectively, for Philadelphia.

The Sixers played without swingman Andre Iguodala, who missed his second straight game while dealing with right Achilles tendinitis. Reserve guard Lou Williams scored 10 points in his first game back after missing two games due to the birth of his daughter.

High School Basketball Throwback:

I was always told as a child to never forget where I came from, hell that simple statement 'never forget where you came from' is one of the strongest lyrics and sentiments in the hip-hop community. Well as a short white kid with no rapping ability, this is my way of never forgetting where I came from. Coatesville, PA, the biggest little city and the biggest basketball city that is not Philadelphia.

A brief view of youtube made me a bit nostalgic. So here are some interesting articles from my viewings. The first is called Born to Ball Part. 2.

Sixers even up on the road, Top Nuggets

Meeks' three in the final minute sealed the win

Jodie Meeks hit a deep three with 47.1 seconds remaining to cap strong fourth quarter, and the Philadelphia 76ers topped the Denver Nuggets, 95-89, at Pepsi Center.

Jrue Holiday finished with 22 points, Elton Brand notched a double-double with 16 points and 17 rebounds. Meeks ended with 17 points for the Sixers, who snapped a two-game skid and are now 2-2 on a eight-game road trip.

"Once again our defense gave us a chance," Philadelphia coach Doug Collins said. "We won this game today shooting under 40 percent from the floor, 3-of-14 from three, missing 12 free throws."

Chauncey Billups finished with a game-high 24 points, Arron Afflalo and Ty Lawson both scored 14 and Nene had 13 points and nine rebounds for Denver, which was without superstar Carmelo Anthony. He missed his third game in a row following the death of his sister, Michelle Anthony, who passed away due to a pre-existing medical condition.

Fisher leads 'Nova to romp of Monmouth

Corey Fisher scored a game-high 20 points to go along with five assists and five rebounds as the No. 8 Villanova Wildcats topped the Monmouth Hawks 76-36.

Corey Stokes added 19 points, including five three-pointers, and Mouphtaou Yarou scored 14 for the Wildcats (10-1), who have won five straight and will next face Big 5 rival Temple on December 30.

Maalik Wayns had 11 points and six assists for the victors.

Phil Wait led Monmouth with eight points and Jordan Davis scored seven for the Hawks (4-8), who have lost four of five.

The Wildcats jumped out to an early lead and never looked back.

Monmouth's R.J. Rutledge made the first of two foul shots to tie the game at 5-5 with 16:08 remaining in the first half, but Fisher's jumper on the other end started a 19-2 run for Villanova that put the game away for good.


Stokes followed Fisher's jumper with a layup in the lane, and Fisher added two more jump shots -- surrounding a Davis layup -- to put Villanova up 13-7.

The Wildcats scored a total of 13 unanswered points and the Hawks went 0-for-6 from the field to widen Villanova's lead to 24-7 with 8:32 left in the half.

Fisher and Stokes scored 13 and 11 points, respectively, for Villanova in the first half, en route to a 44-17 lead at the break.
Monmouth would never threaten down the stretch.

Game Notes
Villanova shot 50 percent from the field, while Monmouth shot just 25.5 percent...The Wildcats converted 13 turnovers into 23 points...The Hawks shot 1-for-19 from beyond the arc.

Copyright. The Sports Network

Allen leads the way as Celtics top the Sixers AGAIN

Ray Allen led the Celtics with 22 points and six assists as Boston topped Philadelphia, 84-80, for its league-leading 14th consecutive victory. 

Shaquille O'Neal finished with 13 points and nine rebounds and Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce added 12 and 11 points, respectively, for Boston, which capped a three-game home stand. 

Elton Brand led Philadelphia with 16 points and 12 rebounds, but fouled out late in the fourth, and Jrue Holiday added 15 points for the Sixers, who have dropped two straight. 

"Our team is competitive," said Sixers head coach Doug Collins. "Our guys compete every single night. For them to come out and play the Celtics the way we did, they showed me who they are. I knew our guys were going to compete like this." 

Is Jets' head coach Rex Ryan a podophilia

In this video, uncovered by Deadspin.com, a woman that looks like Jets' head coach Rex Ryan is shown and a man with a similar voice to that of Rex's engage in a amateur version of Popophilia, or those who pursue foot fetishes.

Maybe Rex likes feet cause he can't see his...

Luck of the Irish: Celtics top 76ers on Garnetts last second basket

Iconic is was not but Sixers Celtics sure was entertaining

Kevin Garnett's alley-oop layup with 1.4 seconds remaining lifted the Boston Celtics to a 102-101 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers at the Wells Fargo Center.

Rajon Rondo connected with Garnett for the tip-in, finding his teammate with a substantial size advantage in the paint over Sixers guard Jrue Holiday.

"We worked on that last week," said Celtics head coach Doc Rivers of the play. "We tried to run it early and we had bad timing. It's just funny how things work out."

The shot came just seconds after Andre Iguodala gave Philadelphia a 101-100 advantage with a running hook shot.
Garnett stole the inbounds pass after his go-ahead bucket, sealing the win for Boston. He scored 14 points and Rondo added 19 with 14 assists for the Celtics, who have won nine straight.

Ray Allen scored a game-high 23 points and Glen Davis added 16 in a reserve role for Boston.

Jodie Meeks led the Sixers with 19 points on 4-of-4 from beyond the arc and Iguodala scored 14 with 11 assists for the Sixers, who saw their five-game home winning streak snapped.

Hornets Stung: Philly capitalizes on slow NOLA for win

Andre Iguodala scored 16 to go along with 10 rebounds and five assists as the Philadelphia 76ers cruised to an 88-70 victory over the New Orleans Hornets at Wells Fargo Center.

Lou Williams accounted for 17 points and Elton Brand had 15 points and 13 rebounds for the Sixers, who capped a 3-1 homestand with the win. Jrue Holiday added 12 points and four assists.

"The mentality around the team is great. Five out of seven," stated Brand when talking about the team's recent success. "We had a lead out in Atlanta, big lead and the one-point loss the other day [to Boston]. That could have been seven in a row. We would have been one of the most talked about teams in the league, so they know we can play. We are just working hard to get better."

Chris Paul led the Hornets with 25 points but fell well below his 10.4 assists per game average because of a dismal shooting day from his team. David West accounted for nine points and eight rebounds and Trevor Ariza grabbed 10 boards for the Hornets, who have lost two in a row and four of their last five.

"Give them credit. They switched, they're active and athletic," Hornets head coach Monty Williams said of the Sixers. "But we missed a lot of point blank shots and we missed a lot of free throws."

LouWill Shines as Sixers top Magic

Lou Williams scored 24 points off the bench and the Philadelphia 76ers opened an eight-game road-trip with a 97-89 victory over the Orlando Magic at Amway Center.


Orlando made two trades prior to the game, overhauling its roster in the midst of a slump with moves that involved eight players.


Andre Iguodala scored 21 points and dished out seven assists for Philadelphia, which has won two straight on the road for the first time this season. Elton Brand finished with a double-double, scoring 20 and grabbing 13 rebounds.


The Magic acquired embattled guard Gilbert Arenas from Washington for forward Rashard Lewis, then made a six-player deal with Phoenix that netted them Jason Richardson, Hedo Turkoglu and Earl Clark for Vince Carter, Marcin Gortat, Mickael Pietrus, a first-round draft pick and cash consideration.


"We needed scoring and we needed a little bit more punch," stated Magic president of basketball operations Otis Smith regarding the trades. "Looking at our team we were missing a little bit of something. We lost size but we got scorers and that was important for us."

Phil Jasner: Thank You

For those of you that know me you know that I am a basketball fan. Someone that follows the NBA more then is socially acceptable and one of the remaining Sixers fans still brave enough to admit it.

Today the Sixers lost one of their longest standing voices, Mr. Phil Jasner. I don't need to read across his accomplishments because if you know who he is then his years of service to the Philadelphia basketball community are already well known.

I met Phil once and I thought it was a good time to tell my story.

2010-11 New Jersey Nets Preview

 This is an NBA Preview I wrote for my fill time employer SportsNetwork.com... As many of you know I have recently accepted a full time writing and editorial position and will be covering the league on a full time basis this season.

Original Link Here

(Sports Network) - To say that the 2009-10 season was a disappointment for the New Jersey Nets would be an understatement.
It was known that the Nets were looking to rebuild in 2009 but not many on the team, nor in the organization, expected that rebuilding would come with the worst record in the NBA (12-70). The Nets spent most of the season trying to avoid history and finally achieved it on March, 29th as they beat the San Antonio Spurs for their 10th win of the season, avoiding the 1972-73 Sixers (9-73) for the moniker of worst season ever.

Despite a season of lost opportunities the Nets had many things to look forward to coming into this past offseason.
"If things go as planned we hope to bring a championship team in a minimum of one year and a maximum of five years," stated new majority owner Mikhail Prokhorov in his opening press conference.

Those words from the new owner started the beginning of what would be one of the biggest summers in the team's 34-year NBA history, or so they thought.

The long changeover to the Russian billionaire Prokhorov from former owner Bruce Ratner was finally approved by the NBA league office. The team left its longtime home of the IZOD center for its new temporary facility at the Newark, New Jersey Prudential Center, until the new Barclays Arena is erected in Brooklyn, and the team was looking for the stars to align with the NBA Draft Lottery in the much anticipated "Summer of LeBron" free agency extravaganza.

"I'm pretty sure I can convince the very best-of-the-best that the Nets is the place they want to be," reiterated Prokhorov when he discussed the free agent summer with the media.

Despite Prokhorov's plans for a summer to remember, many of his and minority team owner Jay-Z's, plans for the revival of the Nets fell way below expectations.

2010-11 Oklahoma City Thunder Preview

 This is an NBA Preview I wrote for my fill time employer SportsNetwork.com... As many of you know I have recently accepted a full time writing and editorial position and will be covering the league on a full time basis this season.

Original Link Here

No team in the NBA's Western Conference did more to secure the future of its franchise during the summer of 2010 then the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Coming into the "Summer of LeBron," the Thunder had one thing on their mind: re-signing their own superstar Kevin Durant to a long-term deal. The move was not necessary, as Durant still had one more year left on his initial rookie contract, but in a effort to put the Thunder faithful at ease, the OKC brass made the move and signed Durant to a five-year deal that will keep the 22- year-old sensation in a Thunder uniform until the 2015-16 season.

Beyond the extension given to Durant the team also secured its front office future as they picked up the option on head coach Scott Brooks and secured general manager Sam Presti to a multi-year contract extension, all of which will allow the young organization to grow with the group of people that created one of the league's most dynamic franchises.

The Thunder were one of the NBA's Cinderella stories last season as the franchise improved to the much coveted 50-win plateau and made a legitimate run at dethroning the Western Conferences big dogs, the Los Angeles Lakers.

They had two of the team's leaders, Durant and point guard Russell Westbrook, spend the summer improving with Team USA at the FIBA World Championships and stacked their Summer League roster with some of their most highly touted young talent in an attempt to begin the 2010-11 season where they left off last year, on the verge of the primetime.

The last time we saw the Thunder was a David versus Goliath playoff series as they pushed the eventual champion Lakers to six hard fought games and proved that the future of the Western Conference is not located in California.

The Thunder will again come into the season as one of the league's youngest teams and an early favorite to possibly dethrone the Lakers as kings of the Western Conference. 

Philadelphia 76ers: Is Their Lack of Defense a Cause For Preseason Panic?

There is a common trend in the NBA about the weight fans and writers should put into the NBA Summer League and preseason performance. Most teams spend their summer league teaching young talents and spend most of the preseason working out their kinks, but the Philadelphia 76ers are already showing signs that the 2010-11 season may not live up to expectations.

With their offseason moves and the evolution of their young talent, a march towards the playoffs is what many writers felt was in their future.

Somewhere around 43-48 wins and a seven or eight seed seems like an expectation that the new look 76ers can achieve, but as someone (and probably one of the only) who pays attention to the NBA preseason, the Philadelphia 76ers may be showing signs that 2010-11 could be longer, and worse than their 27-55 record of last season.

As of Oct. 10, the 76ers are 0-3 in preseason action, including two losses to the New Jersey Nets. The team is averaging only 83 points a game and have yet to have a player finish with a double-double.

They have showed weakness on the defensive end ranking towards the bottom of the league in field goal shooting and defensive rebounds.

I know what you're saying, THE NBA PRESEASON DOES NOT MATTER, and for that you are correct, but consider this. Out of the 30 teams in the NBA, the Sixers will have the youngest back court in the league. The duo of Evan Turner (SG) and Jrue Holiday (PG) ranked with the youngest and least experienced players in the NBA.

Normally these players aren't the first who come to mind when you think about defense, that issue is usually designated for players like Elton Brand, Marreese Speight or Andre Iguodala but when both of these players are going to be crucial in a transition offense their lacks of steals and forced turnovers in the preseason get me a little worried.

Out of the mid and low post players (Brand, Iguodala, Speights), none has averaged over six rebounds a game and are the biggest part of fact that the 76ers are being out-rebounded by over 10 a game, and opposing teams are averaging over 55 percent on second-chance points.

Darius Songaila, Craig Brackens To 76ers For Jason Smith, Willie Green

The Philadelphia 76ers have announced they have made a trade with the New Orleans Hornets that will send center Jason Smith and guard Willie Green in exchange for forward Darius Songaila and rookie Craig Brackins.

The deal was rumored this morning and general manager Rod Thorn made the official announcement just moments ago.

“We made the move for these two players to add additional depth to our front court and to add out-court shooting, which was an area that we felt needed improving,” stated Thorn. "[Darius] Songaila is a hard-working, veteran forward who will give us another option up front and Brackins is a rookie that we feel has a chance to develop into a very productive player at this level."

A.I. Cronicales Part 1: Is China a Legitimate Option For Iverson?

This article is part one of a two-part piece chronicling the Philadelphia 76ers and their history with the A.I. Part one will chronicle former guard Allen Iverson and his future in the NBA and abroad.

By now most NBA fans have heard the news that Allen Iverson has expressed an interest to play in China next season. The move comes on the eve of NBA training camps and the lack of interest teams within the league have expressed in the 35-year-old guard.

Iverson's agent, Gary Moore, spoke with the media about the possibility of the Sixers all-time leading scorer heading to China and the fact that there is a lack of interest in the NBA for the guard.

"We're very astonished, to say the least, that not one team has contacted us with any interest," Moore said. "I just don't understand it."

Really Gary...

If recent history has taught us anything about the careers of aging athletes, heading to a foreign land seems like the next logical step for A.I.

We saw Stephon Marbury wear out his welcome within the league and make a quick exit to China. The former all-star Tracy McGrady may be right behind him too.

When a player in the league reaches the end of their career they only have a few options and most of those are non-options for Iverson.

NBA Youth Movement May Help The Philadelphia 76ers Into The Playoffs

Most of this year's offseason has been centered around the growth of super teams in Miami and the potential for others in Chicago and New York. The focus of all of these talks are the big names of the NBA and their potential for long-term success with their new teams.

Players like LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and A'mare Stoudemire have been discussed as shaping the future of the NBA, yet in some circles the real future of the league is shaping elsewhere.
With the success of the U.S. National team at this summer's FIBA World Championship, a team who has three players under the age of 23 and seven of 12 players under the age of 25, the growth of the next generation of NBA starts has begun.

Young players like Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and Kevin Love have pushed the spotlight of the league towards balanced teams of young players and away from one-superstar spotlight rosters that have fueled the league since the Jordan Era.

Is Li-Ning the Next Shoe Superpower? Evan Turner Thinks So

(Philadelphia, PA)—LeBron James has Nike, John Wall just signed a deal with Reebok, and Sixers rookie Evan Turner has Li-Ning? 

That's right, the former Big Ten Player of the Year is the second NBA player to sign with the fastest growing shoe company in China.

The formal announcement was made yesterday by people within Turner's camp. The Sixers rookie will wear shoes already in Li-Ning's roster this season, with a player-specific shoe and clothing line to come next season.

"Adding a supreme young talent like Evan Turner sends a message to the global basketball community that Li-Ning basketball is committed to being a player on the global stage," said Li-Ning basketball director Brian Cupps.

With Rondo Out Iguodala Makes Team USA

(International) - Rajon Rondo of the Boston Celtics has officially announced his resignation for the USA National Basketball team just days before the team was set to make their final cuts. Before Rondo's decision head coach Mike Krzyzewski had dwindled the roster to 13 players and was set to make his final cut before tomorrow's exhibition game against Greece.

Many in the basketball community saw this move coming as Rondo was absent from the teams most recent game against Spain, where the U.S won 86-85. Rondo played in the teams opening three games but has seen his on court time diminish.

It was expected that the last cut would be from the guard position, as the current roster is back court based with Kevin Love, Lamar Odom and Tyson Chandler as the teams  low post players.

This move also achieves a milestone for Sixer Andre Iguodala who makes his first Team USA rosters after three failed attempts. Iguodala has played well for coach K and has started all three games of international play.

Philadelphia 76ers 2010-11 Preview: Starting Lineups.

BEGIN SLIDESHOW

(Philadelphia, PA)- 2010-11 is going to be a rebuilding year for the Philadelphia 76ers.

With a new head coach in Doug Collins as well as a new team president in Rod Thorn, the team hopes to take steps forward and leave their 27-55 season behind them.

The Sixers are also looking into cashing in on what they believe is good luck. The Sixers were the real winners in the NBA draft lottery, grabbing the second overall spot, where they took potential starter Evan Turner from Ohio State.

Philadelphia 76ers 2010-11 Preview: Point Guard

Google Images

(Philadelphia, PA)—When you think about the history of the Philadelphia 76ers guard position you often think of a few names. If your between the ages of 16-30 you mostly think of the name Allen Iverson, if you reside somewhere between the ages of 30-55 the name Maurice Cheeks comes to mind.

In the case of the new-age Philadelphia 76ers roster the team is hoping to replicate that history as they begin to develop their newest cast of a backcourt for the future.

Just like the shooting guard the position the Sixers are looking at a possible three-to-four man rotation at the point with multiple options off the bench. This does not necessarily lead to depth as three of the players listed are either in their first or second seasons in the league.

The Sixers will have a group of first round picks (Holiday & Turner) as well as a duo of second round after thoughts (Williams & Meeks) that will platoon at the point position.

Philadelphia 76ers 2010-11 Preview: Shooting Guard

"The biggest gap we have in the roster is at the shooting guard position."—Head Coach Doug Collins before the NBA Draft.

(Philadelphia, PA)—Just as a bad trade can set a franchise back for years a solid draft pick can do the opposite, and that is what the Philadelphia 76ers are hoping happens with their shooting guard position.

After last seasons 17-55 record the Sixers secured a coveted top 10 position in the NBA draft lottery.

As the lottery balls shuffled the team made a dramatic upgrade from their pre-lottery seventh selection to the second overall pick. Seeing as the team did not have a second round pick they pushed all of their chips on Evan Turner, the consensus all-American from Ohio State, with their second overall pick.

Philadelphia 76ers 2010-11 Preview: Small Forward

"He [Iguodala] can be very tough and he can bring a toughness to this team. To me, if he's an all-league defender at that three spot, that means we're going to be able to get out and run and that's what we do best" -Head Coach Doug Collins

(Philadelphia, PA)- This week has turned out to be a very active time for the Philadelphia 76ers. Today the team announced the hiring of Rod Thorn as the teams new president and from reports Sixers forward Andre Iguodala will be invited as a member of the 2010 USA National Basketball Team.

With these announcement as the release of the teams 2010-11 schedule the Sixers season will be here before we know it. As I stated in the Center and Power Forward previews the Sixers will have multiple options at every position when the season begins, and that statement is no truer then at the small forward position.

If you look at almost every line-up in the NBA you will see an influx of players that are classified as either SF or a G/F combo. We have also seen in recent years the statements of the new point-forward position that has evolved in the NBA with players such as LeBron James and Kevin Durant. When it comes to the Philadelphia 76ers that have at least four players that can claim that designation.

Report: Sixers Hire Rod Thorn As Team President.

The Philadelphia 76ers have reportedly agreed to terms to bring on Rod Thorn as the organizations new team president. Thorn is a career basketball man and has most recently spent time with the New Jersey Nets.

A formal announcement is expected to be made later this week.
Thorn was the Nets team president since 2000, but left the organization this summer after reports that he was not interested in working for new majority owner Mikhail Prokhorov.

With this move, Ed Stefanski will now take over the sole responsibility as the teams general manager. This will be a comfortable position for both men, as Stefanski was acting general manager of the Nets under Thorns tenure.

Villanova's Corey Fisher reportedly scores 105 points in a game

In the game of basketball, the number 100 has become a milestone.

With the evolution of the game, we often see teams averaging over 100 points a game and the stigma with Wilt Chamberlain's 100-point effort for the Philadelphia Warriors is still the stuff of legends.

If all accounts are true, we may have reports that another Philly player has broken that mark. Villanova guard Corey Fisher has reportedly dropped 105 points in a NYC Summer League Game.

The Bronx native was participating in a Watson Basketball Classic Summer League game where his team allegedly finished with a whopping 138 points en route to a 138-130 win.

For The Sixers A Rough Schedule Could Lead to A Rougher Season.

Philadelphia.com

(Philadelphia, PA)- The NBA released their 2010-11 regular season schedule today. For the Philadelphia 76ers the powers that be were not so nice giving the team one of the hardest roads to the playoffs in years.

The Sixers are looking to improve from their 27-55 record in 2009-10 where they only won 12 games at home and went a terrible 15-26 on the road.

Not only do the Sixers have to begin their season against two returning playoff teams (Miami Oct 27th, Atlanta Oct 29th) they have 11 occasions in their 2010 portion of their schedule where they will play on back-to-back days.

The Sixers will have three extended road trips, two of them in the first half of the season, one of them five games the other eight game to end the year.

Herremans quick to apologize after Twitter mistake.

(Bethlehem, PA)- If seems as if a right of passage for professional athletes:

1. get a twitter account,
2. gather thousands of followers,
3. makes an idiotic comment,
4. make a public apology.

The most recent slip of the keys was by Eagles offensive lineman Todd Herremans. While resting his injured foot, and missing out of most of the Eagles training camp Herremans has apparently become a fan of HBO's hit series True Blood. Herremans seemed pleased with the series until this gaff came across his twitter account.

@toddherremans- "So.. caught up on Trueblood las nite.. Not a fan of how they get u hooked with the 1st 2 seasons then bring on a barrage of homosexuality"

Sixers Preview 2010-11: Power Forward

Real GM

"I'll tell you what we're lacking: toughness, both mental and physical. I think you can develop it, but it also helps to have a couple of tough guys on your team." -Head Coach Doug Collins

Out of any position on the 2010-11 Philadelphia 76ers the power forward position is a spot where the word underachievement resonates the most. In the past, people tend to begin their arguments with the massive contract Elton Brand signed with the Sixers and the fact that he still has three years and $51 million left in that deal.

This is a factor in the Sixers underachievement at the power forward position but it is not the entire issue.

When the Sixers signed Brand they had very high expectations for him. He came to the Sixers after only playing eight games in 2007-08 but in those games he showed signs he was on his way to his fifth consecutive 20 point, 10 rebound a game season. The only problem was his injury.

When a player is touted as a primary rebounder and they suffer a ruptured Achilles tendon you tend to loose parts of your vertical leap. Match that with the fact that he suffered a severe right shoulder separation upon joining the team the chances are 20 points and 10 rebounds a game is highly unlikely.

Sixers fans have accepted the fact that he is not the player he used to be, and with the young talent the team is growing, the goal is that they will not have to rely on Brand for much more than a bench-style role player.

Sixers Announce Preseason Schedule

(Philadelphia, PA)- On the verge of the NBA Schedule announcement the Philadelphia 76ers made an announcement of their seven game preseason warm-up schedule. The Sixers will spend most of the schedule on the road before they host two teams and the newly names Wells Fargo Center (Formerly Wachovia Center).

The Sixers will start the seven game schedule against the Atlantic Divisions New Jersey Nets at the Roanoke Civic Center in Roanoke Virginia. The team will then head to Boston to take on Shaquille O'Neal and the Big Three Celtics at the TD Bank Center.

After a visit to the New Jersey Nets at their new Newark arena they will host their first game at Wells Fargo when the Boston Celtics come to Philadelphia for a matchup on Tuesday Oct. 12th.

NBA Jips UK Fans Of Quality Basketball

Getty Images

(New York, NY)- The NBA has announced that in March, the league will hold their first ever regular season in Europe.

The New Jersey Nets and Toronto Raptors will play two games on March fourth and sixth at London's O2 Arena, thus increasing the NBA as a global brand and a commitment that the league wants to make before the 2012 London Olympics.

This is the announcement that commissioner David Stern made to the media: "The staging of regular-season games in Europe is a milestone for the NBA.

"By bringing these two young and exciting teams to London, we are fulfilling our commitment to schedule a regular-season game in the UK prior to the 2012 Olympics."

Sixers Preview 2010-11: Centers

Washington Post

"My focus will be defense, defense, defense. That's what I want to do to make us a winner again. And I think it can happen now.'' ~ 76ers Center Marreese Speights.

(Philadelphia, PA) - I know that it was Vince Lombardi that said "The best defense is a good offense" but for the case of this article and in the game of basketball its in our best interest to switch that around a bit.

Defense is the key to a solid basketball team and the ability to shut down an opposing force will always open up your chances. Coming into the 2010-11 season the Philadelphia 76ers will need to rely on that adage if they plan on improving from their 27-55 mark last season.

The Sixers remained inactive in the off-season but the moves they did make were all relative to the low-post and center positions. The major move the team made was sending long time Sixer Samuel Dalembert, who was the teams starting center for the last 7 years, to the Sacramento Kings for F Andre Nocioni and C Spencer Hawes.

Philadelphia Phillies Add Depth With Veteran Mike Sweeney

(Philadelphia, PA) - With Ryan Howard on the 15-day disabled list and the Phillies still without a viable right handed bat off the bench general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. made a move yesterday acquiring veteran Mike Sweeney from the Seattle Mariners.

The Phillies acquired Sweeney for a player-to-be named or cash consideration, the teams have yet to agree, and Sweeney will fill in at first base until Howard returns from the DL.

Phillies manager Charlie Manuel seemed pleased with the deal telling reporters. "He can hit...and help us right now".

Sweeney, 37, is in his 16th season in the majors and is hitting .263 with six home runs and 18 RBI in 30 games. He has been on the disabled list with back spasms but was removed upon the trade to Philadephia.

Howard sent back to Philly to meet with team doctors.

delawareonline.com

Philadelphia, PA- Just when you thought it could not get worse for the Philadelphia Phillies the injury struggles increased and, pending results, could send another Phillie to the overloaded disabled list.

What was thought as a minor sprain for Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard could turn into something more severe as Howard was sent back to Philadelphia yesterday to meet with team doctors.

Howard suffered the sprain in the first inning of the Phillies game three extra-innings-win against the Washington Nationals. Howard was taken for an MRI and X-Ray immediately and neither test showed a fracture.

After the teams off-day Monday the decision was made to send Howard back to Philadelphia to meet with team physician Michael Ciccotti to address the situation.

Nocioni Injured in FIBA Practice.

Sixers forward and Argentinian National Team player Andres Nocioni injured his ankle on Saturday while practicing for the upcoming FIBA World Championships. His status for the tournament is unknown.

Nocioni was one of the key pieces in this summer's trade with the Sacramento Kings that sent Samuel Dalembert to Sacramento for Nocioni and center Spencer Hawes.

Reports from the Argentinian training camp state that Nocioni injured his left ankle during a team scrimmage. Nocioni was seen later with an air cast boot on the left ankle and walking with the assistance of crutches.

"We expect there to be developments in the first 72 hours and then after 10 days, and those interest me most," said team doctor Diego Grippo. "For now, he is out of all the training with Argentina."

Phillies Look To Gain Ground With Three Game Set In Florida.

Getty Images / Greg Fiume

(Coral Gables, FL) - After a disappointing 1-2 in a three game set with the Washington Nationals the Philadelphia Phillies are heading on the road for a three game set with the Florida Marlins.

For the Phillies a three game set with the NL East third ranked Florida Marlins is coming at the worst time. The Phillies are 25-31 on the road this season and with the Marlins only 4 games back of the Phillies for second place in the division the Fightins will need to gain ground in Florida if they want to catch up to the Atlanta Braves.

As I mentioned a week ago the Phillies have become the walking wounded. The team is still weeks away from getting Chase Utley back from a surgically repaired thumb, Shane Victorino is on the 15-day DL and to top it all off the Phillies are now putting Ryan Howard as day-to-day after he rolled his ankle as second base in yesterdays 6-4 extra inning win against the Washington Nationals.

Philadelphia's Top Headlines Have Become a Battle for Attention

PHILADELPHIA, PA—Lately, the media scene in the city of Philadelphia has become as common as taxes.

Just as one team makes an acquisition for a new star, another team makes a bold move to steal the spotlight. As one team makes a run towards the post season, another makes a questionable contract extension.

In the city of Philadelphia, the sports media culture has been in a constant tug-of-war match for the attention of their two favorite franchises: The Phillies and the Eagles.

This is no disrespect to the cities other two franchises, the Flyers and 76ers.

With the recent struggles of the Sixers and their dismal 27-55 record in 2009-10, they have remained out of the spotlight accept for on small occasions. In the case of the Flyers they must be commended for their run towards the Stanley Cup, but because of the fact that hockey is still a relative niche sport in America, they remain with a strongly secular and specific fanbase.

For decades now, the Philadelphia Eagles have been the major ticket in town. Their constant runs towards the playoffs and their high-profile moves have made for some of the largest crowds and media controls in the city.

Andre Iguodala Making Strides To Join Team USA

(Las Vegas, NV)- Every child dreams about one day becoming a professional athlete, and when that is achieved many further dream to one day represent their country or homeland on a international stage.
For Sixers forward Andre Iguodala the road to that dream has been a tough one.

Iguodala is present this week at the invitee training camp for the USA National Basketball team. This is the third year Iguodala has attended the camp in hopes of securing a spot of the coveted team USA.

Yesterday in a moment of, what can only be described as anxiety, Iguodala made the first round of initial cuts and is now one of 15 players vying for the 12 roster spots for the upcoming FIBA world championships, which begin August 28th in Turkey.

Philadelphia Eagles Training Camp Drama: Prodigal Son, Unwanted Rebel

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(Bethlehem, PA)—It was an eerie scene at the opening of Eagles' training camp. The welcome signs of the upcoming season were all around, yet one thing seemed out of place.

For the first time in 11 years the familiar face of Donovan McNabb was missing from the Lehigh University practice field, and the dichotomy of the Eagles' quarterback situation took center stage.

It was only fitting of the road ahead that embattled backup quarterback Michael Vick entered the field for opening warm-ups alone.

Walking with his head down and his fist in the air, he was riddled with comments and boos from the Eagles' faithful. The ovation was a positive upgrade from the protesters of last season but the tense ovation is still prevalent every time Vick took a snap.

MLB: Even With Walking Wounded, Phillies String Together Win Streak

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It seems as if injuries are the storyline of the season for the Philadelphia Phillies.

Chase Utley is still a few weeks from returning from the disabled list with his surgically repaired thumb, Jimmy Rollins was benched yesterday with a foot injury, and to top it all off, outfielder Shane Victorino was pulled in the seventh inning with a strained muscle in his left side.

Weeks ago, I preached to the Phillies collective that the describing word for the Phillies was inconsistency, and it still may be, but in this recent six game winning streak, the buzz word must be resilience.

The resilience of a roster that has not been whole in months. The resilience that had one of the best pitchers in the league, Ubaldo Jimenez, running for the showers. The team did this on the back of a pitcher just who was demoted to the minors just days before. J.A. Happ, who hadn't pitched in the majors since April, scrounged for a victory on Sunday just days after replacing Jamie Moyer in the starting rotation.

Are The Phillies' Recent Headlines Just a Badly Played Bluff?

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Philadelphia, PA—Oh, how quickly tides and public opinion can change in just four short games.
Last week, it was all hands on deck panic with the Philadelphia Phillies, who had just dropped six of seven to the Cubs and Cardinals. Yet now, just days after the firing of hitting coach Milt Thompson, the Phillies are playing like a team possessed.

Entering tonight's game against the Colorado Rockies, the Phillies are on a four-game winning streak and showing signs of production not seen in months. They have outscored their opponents 22-5 and chased one of the game's best pitchers, Ubaldo Jimenez, from the mound in a morale-boosting 10-2 drubbing.

On top of all of that, the team has done it all without making the major move that many expected just days ago. The question is, will the morale-boosting offense last, or is this all just a quick fix to an even larger problem?

Every Phillies fan is optimistic that the team of players currently in the lineup will rebound and make a charge towards the playoffs, but most, if not all, understand that pitchers like Kyle Kendrick and J.A. Happ make that surge a little more then a gamble.

Corey Fisher Looking To Lead Villanova in 2010.

(Philadelphia, PA) - Last season was not the ending the Villanova Wildcats were hoping for. After falling to Marquette in the Big East Tournament and their crushing loss to St. Mary's in the second round of March Madness, Jay Wright's squad is looking to leave the past in the past.

With their less-than-stellar ending to the season and the inevitable loss of Scottie Reynolds to the NBA, Villanova is now looking for a new on the court leader to help the 'Cats return to their 2009 Final Four form.

Any team that loses the school's second all-time leading scorer is expected to take a step down, but in the case of Villanova, the transition may be quite simple with a new leader and many agree that they will not have to look any further than current guard Corey Fisher.

Was Milt Thompson's Firing the Phillies Scapegoat?

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It is quite obvious the Philadelphia Phillies are in a slump. A team riddled by injuries and inconsistency without an ignition towards change.

Despite getting an extra innings 2-0 win in St. Louis yesterday, where Cole Hamels shined, the team still showed the overwhelming stress that comes from being back-to-back National League Champions.

The Phillies have been plagued by non-existent bats that have turned consistent players like Jayson Werth searching for a way to right the ship.

The legendary preseason beard Werth was rocking during his early hot streaks has been reduced to a whimsical and mildly scary goatee in an attempt to fix his batter's box issues.

Moyer Headed to DL, Weekend Pitchers Leaked

(Philadelphia, PA) -  Just minutes after the Phillies salvaged game three of their recent Cardinals series 2-0 the team announced that 47 year-old pitcher Jamie Moyer is out indefinitely with a sprain of the ulnar collataral ligament and a strain of the pronator tendon. He will be put on the disabled list on Saturday.

Moyer injured the elbow and forearm in the first inning of Tuesdays loss to the St. Louis Cardinals. The timetable for Moyer is not set but it would likely mean the end of his season and possibly his career.
Moyer is 9-9 with a 4.84 ERA and a 1.10 WHIP in 19 starts this season.

Weekend Pitching Starters Leaked


Phillies beat writer Todd Zolecki announced via his twitter page just minutes after the Moyer injury news that the Phillies will fill their open weekend pitching spots internally.

An NBA Draft Story: Tony Battie Comes Full Circle With Sixers.

(Philadelphia, PA) -This summer was a big offseason for the Philadelphia 76ers; laugh if you may, but the team will look drastically different than last season, although they stayed completely inactive.


Despite being non existent in the free-agent fiasco, the Sixers made major changes with the acquisition of new head coach Doug Collins and the trade of long-time Sixer Samuel Dalembert.

The Sixers also saw an upside in their 27-55 record last season, with the pick of Evan Turner, second overall, in the NBA Draft. With all of these moves, the Sixers most likely capped off their summer with the signing of veteran center Tony Battie to a minimum contract.

Although Battie is new to the Sixers and the organization, he was a key player the last time the Sixers were in this situation.

Sixers add depth with center Tony Battie.

(Philadelphia, PA) - The Philadelphia 76ers acquired free agent center Tony Battie to an undisclosed contract. Battie is a 12 year pro and has played most recently with the Orlando Magic and New Jersey Nets.

This move will add more depth for the Sixers in the front court and could trigger another offseason trade as the Sixers have 14 players under contract (including free agent Willie Green).

There have been rumors throughout the league speculating the team is in discussion again with the Sacramento Kings for forward Jason Kapono. Kapono is in the final year of his contact and is schedule to make a little over $6 million this year.

Sixers GM announced the acquisition via teleconference with select members of the Philadelphia media and stated:

Phillies hint at possible pre-weekend trade?

(Philadelphia, PA) - With todays move optioning Kyle Kendrick to Lehigh Valley and the addition of Andrew Carpenter from the Iron Pigs there have been many rumblings that the Phillies are preparing to make a move before this week is over.

Phillies GM Ruben Amaro told the media the Carpenter will not move into Kendricks scheduled starting spot for Satuday and that he will be sent to the bullpen for middle relief. This move now leaves the Phillies without a fifth starter and in a desperate need to make a move before the July 31st trade deadline.

Amaro also stated that former starter J.A. Happ, who is working a rehab assignment, may be another possibility. Chances are this is false due to Happ's recent struggles in the minors.

Until a move is made there will be rumors and intense speculation surrounding the Phillies as their have been multiple reports the Phillies have made calls to the Diamondback, Royals, Cubs and Pirates but at this time no names or possibilities have yet to be announced.

(The photo was intended as a joke, noone wants Pedro, even Ruben knows that)

Has Andre Iguodala Accepted His Mediocrity?

(Las Vegas, NV) - This week the USA National Basketball team is holding a five day minicamp for prospective NBA players in hopes they will be invited to fill out the USA Roster for the upcoming FIBA championship and hopefully 2012 Olympic roster. One of those players invited to the camp was Sixers forward Andre Iguodala.

This is the fifth time Andre has been invited to these camps and has yet to be invited... Maybe the mood in the room caused Andre to reflect on his career.

When media interviews commenced at the completion of the days camp Iguodala told the media he is excited about the direction the team is headed.

Phillies look to rebound with four get set in St. Louis.

(St. Louis, MI) - The Phillies entered the All-Star Break on a high note.

The swept the then NL Central leading Reds and were looking like the men of steel. The break came and went and a wake up call commenced over the weekend as the team went 1-3 in a four game set against the Chicago Cubs. The same Cubs that are currently 10 games back in the same NL Central.

The Phillies have suffered from the bug of inconsistency as of late. Sloppy play in the field, issues manufacturing runs and struggles from the starting pitchers have been keys but overall the team is suffering from a lost sense of identity.

Sometimes it takes a long road trip to fix mistakes but if the Cubs series was an indication things may get tougher this week in St. Louis. The Cardinals are not only on a hot streak, completing a four game sweep of the Dodgers over the weekend, but they are statistically one of the strongest teams in the league at home.

Panic On Broad Street & Are Fans to Naive To Realize It?

This article is a long time coming. I know the team is only 5.5 back in the division, but with the strength of the NL East and the National League in general, things may become very bleak on Broad Street.

This city of Philadelphia talks about 2008 like it was yesterday, the season where everything was perfect and the Phillies were kings of the world…guess what, it's not and they are slipping HARD.

Phillies fans have been sold a bill of goods from management with two promises about this season:

1. The team would walk into the playoffs...

2. They would pretty much spend the entire season leading the NL East…

The team has walked with a certain sense of entitlement, believing these things, and if certain parts of their performance don’t change soon, it's looking like neither will happen.

Just like many Phillies fans, I watched tonight’s Game four of the Cubs series with a sense of urgency. Halladay was on the mound and after stealing a win yesterday, I was hoping tonight would be a sign of brighter days, a refresher toward the team's potential.

Like the rest of Philly, I watched as the game came and went, seeing much of the same inconsistent play that has haunted the team this season.

Nets Hire Billy King, Is Prokhorov Confused?

(Somewhere in NJ) -- Its a well known fact that throughout the world certain countries receive U.S. imports later then others. There are still some countries that have not yet received Michael Jackson's Thriller. Countries full of Members Only jackets and Jordache Jeans.

I never thought it would be the world power of Russia but from what I can gather their sports news is around five years late, who else can you rationalize hiring former Sixers GM Billy King to run your franchise.

Mikhail Prokhorov, I understand your still mad you didn't get a sniff during "The Decision" but there is no need to give up already. Avery Johnson was a smart pick as a coach but Billy King as GM... not so much. I think Bill Simmons summed it up best.