Sixers falter in Webber's Debut

I hate to be a Debbie Downer but the Sixers have lost three straight games after reaching the .500 plateau. The were spanked by the Pistons before the All-Star break. Since the break they have wilted in the fourth period to the lowly Knicks and the honorable Kings. Besides loosing to 2 team with names beginning with the letter 'K' the game had many similarities. But I digress. The story everyone but me is talking about is C-WEBB.

The Wac Center was sold out. The arena was a buzz. The crowd showed Chris Webber their appreciation f or his arrival. The city of brotherly luv was givin' it up for C-WEBB. The first period played out like it was scripted. Webber hit his first 2 shots. Korver jacked up some 3 pointers. AI sliced and dished. Iggy (sporting his new number 9) lead all scorers. The Sixers lead by 5 after 1 period. The starting 5 looked good. The crowd was intoxicated with joy. Then the adrenaline wore off. Both teams struggle to score only 19 points in the second stanza. The Sixers did not start the 3rd period with intensity. By its end the clung to a 1 point lead. There was no rhythm in the fourth and back to back turn-overs leading to fastbreak lay-ups by the Kings sealed the Sixers fate.

This is a coaching problem. Coach O.B. cannot allow this to continue. The Sixers need to take the division by force, not wait for others to falter. There are too few games left. He looked exhausted after the game. Struggling to find the right rotation. Somethin' that he has struggled with all season. This can't continue. Webber and AI will be okay together. But the Sixers still have to be a team to win ... I do sound like Debbie Downer don't I? Nothin' beats the blues like winning. Let's see some of that Coach.

But wait! That's not all - Sixers Acquire Rodney Rogers and Jamal Mashburn from the New Orleans Hornets

"Sixers Trade Glenn Robinson for Rodney Rogers and Jamal Mashburn" : - All I can think of is one of those Ginzu Knife commercials. You know, the one where they tell you how amazing the product is ... it slices, it dices, it scales fish with ease. Then they bring in the closer ... But wait! That's not all! you also get the cheese grater and the potato peeler for the low .. low .. low price of 19.99. How can you beat that? How can you be more excited?

... Well that's what Billy King did today. I'm lickin' my chops at the possibilities of AI and C.WEB and later in the day I hear ... But Wait! That's not all! ... The Sixers have found a suitor for the Big Dogg, Glen Robinson! Now that's better than a cheese grater. There has not been a peep out of Robinson since lil' AI was named as starter at the beginning of the season. B.Dogg has been hoggin an injury list spot with "Tendinitous" all season. So what did we get for dumping Robinson's salary? Rodney Rogers and the injured Jamal Mashburn. Now its not a Ginzu Knife, but I'd rank that up with the potato peeler. Rogers is a former player for Coach O'Brien, so he knows the system and he can shoot the 3 ball. Personally I think he's an over weight dog that plays bulldozer defense and has a propensity to not hussle when he should. The Mash has spent more time on the injured list than in uniform the last few years. But if he every got healthy. Wow, the fire-power you'd have in your pocket!

The new additions may not amount to much. But the move is clearly one of addition by subtraction. I am already excited about the Ginzu knife. The Cheese grater has me beaming. Who cares if the potato peeler doesn't work.



Many major moves as NBA trade deadline passes

Are you kidding me!

Are you kidding me! (to coin a phrase often employed by the Sixers radio play-by-play man, Tom McGinnis) "Are you kidding me!" is what I said when told of the news. The Sixers have traded for Chris Webber. "The" CWeb I queried again. "Yes" I was told. The next question comes out without a second thought, "Who did we give up for him?". It's a natural question for a Philly fan. Remember we traded away Moses Malone (simply known as "Moses", the one who took us to the promised land). So the wild thought of the franchises trading superstar AI for superstar C-Web is not far of field. The reply was "Skinner, Williamson and Kenny Thomas. And the 76ers get 2 other guys".

Are you kidding me! Somehow I am still not sure that I should believe my ears. Why would the Sacramento Kings do something like that? Salary Cap? Are you kidding me!


Small Ransom for a King: Webber Dealt to Philly

I blasted Billy King just a few days ago. And for that I apologize. This trade is a statement to the fans that this organization wants to win, not just compete. This Sixers needed a superstar to pair with AI. The Sixers needed a bona fide scorer to complement AI. The Sixers needed Big Men. The Sixers needed rebounding. Billy King went out and got Chris Webber to fill those needs. And to give up Skinner (certified stiff), Willimanson (good player, but not great) and Kenny Thomas (fish out of water in coach O'Brien's system). I am impressed. Heck I'm ecstatic! The other two Kings in the deal; Matt Barnes and Michael Bradley are BIGS. Bradley is the former Villanova star who opted to enter the NBA early. That move may not have served him well, but my guess is the he can become a good role player. Given the state of the Atlantic Division, you have to think the Sixers have upgraded their play-off potential.

But it's not all gravy for Billy King. Team chemistry is an elusive ingredient and then there's the size of the team's payroll. The Sixers already have the 3rd highest payroll in the NBA. Now they have 2 superstar players with long term contracts. If AI and C.Web don't blend, we could end up like the New York Knicks. But if you ask me if I would make this trade my reply would have to be;

"Are you kidding me?"

and then I would sign the deal before the Kings came to their senses.

All-Star Weekend Wrap-up

The 76ers were well represented in Denver for the 54th NBA All-Star Weekend. Allen Iverson had all of the answers, earning MVP honors as he posted 15 points, 10 assists and 5 steals in the East's 125-115 win over the West. On Saturday, Kyle Korver advanced to the finals of the Three-Point Shootout, but his 18 points in the championship round placed him in second behind Quentin Richardson of the Phoenix Suns. Andre Iguodala may have had the play of the game in the Rookie Challenge, but Korver got the bragging rights after the sophomores 133-106 win on Friday over the rookies. Korver finished with 21 points.

All-Star Break 2005

The All-Star break. The showcase weekend for the NBA, the traditional half way point of the season. A time to rest. A time to reflect on the season and a time to ponder what the 2nd half will bring.
Lets look at the standings shall we.
The Eastern Conference Division leaders; Atlantic - Celtics, Central - Pistons, SouthEast - The Heat. The Heat have won 40 games so far. Shaq appears primed to bring at least a conference championship to Florida. I still think the team is a bit overrated, but you can't fault a team for beating the opponents the eastern conference as put in front of them. No surprise here. The Atlantic division was anybodies guess. So the Celtics are as good as any pick. I would have to say that the Wizards are a mild surprise.
In the Western Conference the division leaders are; NorthWest - the Sonics, Pacific - Pheonix, SouthWest - San Antonio. Surprises abound in the west. I think it's the result of a mixture of events. Primarily the demise of the Lakers and the reshuffling of the divisions. Storied franchises on the decline and small markets on the rise. It's a good story for the NBA, but without the rivalry between dominant teams its not a salacious story for the media.

AI makes this weekend his 6th straight appearance in the All-Star game as a starter. Allen is performing at a higher level than his MVP season. On one of those basketball talking head shows on ESPN someone made note of that. They declared that AI deserved the MVP, but had no shot because of the supporting cast. That remains to be seen, but the veteran guard has been the consummate professional this year. And he does something that other teams relish. He puts fannies in the seats. His 60 point game this year had playoff electricity. There have many exciting games this year. There have also been many forgettable ones as well.

Looking at the Sixers report card thus far, I would have to rate Coach O'Brien a C+. He's considered a high priced coach and I think he should have a winning record. 26 up and 27 down is encouraging, but not much to boast about. AI A+. Lil' AI B+. Iggy is arguable one of the best rookie in the league, but there is not much to trumpet this year's crop. He's a solid pick. That is one of the few compliments I can give the GM. Billy King has been less visible this year. The Big Dog debacle has to be part of it. I give Billy a C- (and I am being kind). Korver gets a B- for stepping up his game in many ways, but I still see him as a liability in the closing moments. The rest of the crew gets an E for effort. They have the rest to the season to make the grade (yes that was a pun).

Knicks have no answer for Iverson

No answer for Iverson: sixers 106, knicks 105 - The Sixers dodged a bullet on this one.

I watched the game with one eye as the Knicks appeared to be doing thier normal routine ... sleep walkin' thru a game with no life, no heart, no desire to win. Just collecting a paycheck. By the 3rd period the Sixers were up 15. I actually thought to myself "They're gonna beat a bad team easily, Just like they should". But the 4th quarter swoon came. As hot as Korver was in the 3rd period, he was equally off balance in the 4th. Rushed shots, turn-overs, Korver and the rest of the Sixers went cold. The Knicks comeback to take the lead. Reminiscent. of a recent Sixers/Knicks home game. But fear not, AI dropped a dime to save the game. Still the Knicks got a good shot with 1 second left to win. They beat the Sixers on the exact same play a year ago!

Minnesota Timberwolves fire coach Flip Saunders, Kevin McHale takes over

InsideHoops.com - Minnesota Timberwolves fire coach Flip Saunders, Kevin McHale takes over Hey, what do ya know. Another NBA head coaching change. That's four (or is it five) before the all-star break! We have already surpassed the NBA average. Hmm ... I smell a record breaking year.

As for Flip, my only surprise is that it has taken so long. IMHO, his teams have under achieved for years. It took too long for the Timberwolves to make the play-offs. It took too long for them to win a play-off series. They should have gone to the NBA finals last year. There is only one thing that I can attribute those failures to ... coaching.

Bye,Bye Flip. Let's make way for the latest GM turned coach to fail ... Kevin McHale.

Sixers win on Super Bowl Sunday

76ers 106 Clipper 104 The Sixers start of Super Bowl Sundy with a close win at home. They lost to the Clippers on the road, after mounting a furious comeback. On a sunny winter afternoon with the philly crowd chanting E-A-G-L-E-S, Eagles! The Sixers managed to win. Let's hope the Eagles can do the same.