Aug 25, 2010

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.

Aug 24, 2010

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.

(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.

Aug 19, 2010

Philadelphia 76ers 2010-11 Preview: Point Guard

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(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.

Aug 16, 2010

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.

Aug 12, 2010

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.

Aug 11, 2010

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.

Aug 10, 2010

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.

Aug 9, 2010

NBA Jips UK Fans Of Quality Basketball

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(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.

Aug 5, 2010

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.

Aug 3, 2010

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.

Aug 2, 2010

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.