Author Archives:
March Madness: Scouting for the Sixers
Image via http://www.ramblingsofasuburbanmom.com
The madness is upon us! No, I’m not talking about the coma-inducingly stupid idea of resigning Andrew Bynum’s dismembered kneecaps. I’m talking about the 19 day, 64 team sprint of delirium that is the NCAA tournament.
Buzzer-beaters, upsets and poor basketball will abound[1] but that’s not the important thing. No, the important thing about the tournament is the opportunity it affords us to scout for future pro talent.
And boy if you’re a Sixers fan you know how badly we need talent. There are few positions we don’t need to upgrade. Unfortunately, this is a thought to be a relatively weak draft by recent standards. There are no “sure-fire” stars. Hell, there’s not even a sure-fire first pick yet.[2]
Double-unfortunately, the Sixers, soon to be mathematically eliminated from a playoff race they’ve been out of for a month, don’t know how to lose strategically. Their scant but nonetheless painful Pyrrhic victories have them set to draft somewhere in 8-11 range this June.
Stuck in that veritable lottery no-man’s land[3], it’s unlikely the 7-6 will be able to land a truly transformative player to build upon, but that won’t stop me from hoping.
Here are some players to keep an eye on, to kindle the imagination for a brighter 2013 Sixers season[4]. I’ve taken the liberty of breaking them down by tournament region.
Midwest Region
Image via http://www.zimbio.com
Mason Plumlee, Duke Blue Devils – 6’11, 245lbs, 23 years old
NBA Comparison: Older, more loathsome, Meyers Leonard
First tournament game: 3/22 vs. Albany
God I hate the Plumlees. They would be a small step up from the Winklevoss’ but there are three of them, which more than makes up the difference. Plumlee, like his older brothers is a hyper-athletic big man that is someone light on the actual skills and heavy on overwhelming college level players. He’s put up arguably better college numbers than the other Plumlae[5], but I don’t think that much changes his rather modest pro outlook. There’s not a good track record of drafting big, raw, white dudes. Nor is there a good track record of drafting old (relatively) college players. I don’t think Mason Plumlee will buck either trend. Also he went to Duke…so there’s that.
More after the break… Read the rest of this entry
Bynum’s return delayed, may miss February goal, world reeling from shock
Well the headline kinda says it all, even I couldn’t bury this lead. It looks like flareups of pain in his left knee are back and limiting his practice and weight-loss (yeah…) goals.
But don’t take it from me, here’s the official word from ESPN.com Rumor Central:
More thoughts and some video of Andrew actually moving after the break…
Spencer Hawes gets Mozgov’d, Sixers host dunk contest early [Video]
*Note: this post contains graphic content, unintentional comedy and morbid comedy*
If you didn’t catch the Sixers vs. Clippers game last night…GOOD. The following clips (no pun intended) are all you missed. And you’ll notice they are not Sixers-centric.
Oh god Spencer…I’m so sorry. A quick chemical wash and, god willing, you could may make a full recovery…
As if that wasn’t bad enough, there’s more, so much more. After the break:
More good news for the 76ers…
Looks like we should all start getting used to a little bit more Nick Young this season as Jason Richardson will be sidelined for the rest of the reason with a cartilage tear in his left knee that will require surgery.
As bad as the injury bug has hurt the Sixers this season (See: Bynum, Andrew and Young, Thaddeus), it can always get worse. And, it appears it has. Just days after losing Thaddeus Young for extended time due to a strained hamstring, we lose out intended starting SG for the year.
Official report and more after the break: Read the rest of this entry
Climbing the Charts: Two Sixers top 25 under 25
Think the Sixers’ season and future is completely derailed by Andrew Bynum? Think again! ESPN released their list of top 25 NBA players under the age of 25 and wouldn’t you know it, there are two 76ers on that list.
Despite how hard I tend to be on the hometown hoops team (I do it out of love, I swear) this is actually a pretty big achievement, especially for a team as down in the dumps as ours currently is.
The rankings are based on current stats, natural potential, projected wins above replacement player (WARP) over the next 3 seasons and, well, age (duh).
In case you hadn’t been able to guess the two yet, the big unveil:
Video: Thaddeus Young…’Nuff Said
The Sixers may have lost last night to the Golden State Warriors, but THIS HAPPENED!
That might have been the dunk of the year. Think so? Leave a comment. Got a better dunk from this year, let us know in the comments.
Video: A Former Sixer Did What!?
THIS!
That’s Moe Harkless. Short-time Sixer draftee from this past summer. He was shipped out as part of the Bynum trade and, well, now he’s doing this…allll over Sideshow Lopez’s hair. Now, Harkless may only be averaging 4 pts and 4 rebounds per. But, he’s only 19, he’s already earned a starting spot on the 12-17 Magic with his defense, and, well you saw the video.
More former-Sixer Mayhem, after the break.
Read the rest of this entry
Wooder Cooler Play of the Week [Poll]
It’s that time of the week again! I know you were all so excited. Without further adieu, the plays of the week:
Jrue Holiday Spin Cycle to the Hoop
Wooder Cooler Play of the Week [Poll]
It’s a been a while, but back by popular demand: the weekly Philly play of the week poll. Check out our choices for top plays from last week and pick the one you’ll be talking about ’round the cooler this week:
J-Rich with the in-game 360 against the The Bucks:
