Was that Really Andy Ried at the 76ers Game last Nite?

The Sixers fall to the Cavs last nite. As we return to the scene of the crime (last year's infamous Show / No Show incident with AI and Webber). I could talk about how the 76ers made amends for last year, or how the Sixers lost to strengthen their draft destiny, or perhaps how the game positioned the Cavs for the #2 seed in the east. But those topics pale in comparison to what I spied as I scanned the arena last nite.

There was this guy seated on the floor underneath the basket. Man that's a pretty big guy I thought. He was kinda slouched in his seat. Dressed in a sport jacket (that didn't quite fit), a turquoise shirt, slacks, deck shoes and no socks. After clearing my eyes, a closer inspection confirmed "Hey, that's Andy Reid". Who dressed him this mornin' I thought. Did he go out to the driveway to get the paper and suddenly get whisked away a basketball game? "Yeah, that's him" my buddy confirmed. Reid subsequently ditched the jacket as he graciously signed autographs for fans at half time. But honestly you think the guy would had a clue what he looked like in public. I hope he had his shirt tucked in if they showed him on TV ... Cheese and Crackers ....

To Dream the Impossible Dream

I was playing with ESPN's NBA Lottery Mock Draft today and after only three tries the Sixers got the #2 pick and selected Greg Oden (The Bucks selected Durant #1). Then reality set in. I hit the "Play Lottery" button 50-60 times and the Sixers moved up only once(to select Durant). Most of the time the Sixers picked 11th and selected Georgetown's Roy Hibbert. The selections were courtesy of ESPN's Chris Ford. Acice Law or Mike Conley were selected the few times the Sixers did not select Hibbert. I think I could live with the Hibbert selection, but I think a point guard selection (both Conley & Law play the point) would be the wrong direction.

Our scrubs can beat your scubs

The Final was 76ers 102 Pistons 91 | but the game meant nothing to either team. At least with regard to the playoffs. So the Pistons starters played sparingly. Iggy, Korver and Carney were out for the Sixers. That meant the game was our scrubs vs. their scrubs. Or you miught have billed it Willie Green's Show Time at Auburn Hills. The hot and cold guard was HOT yesterday in front of his hometown Detroit crowd. Willie had a boat load of people in attendance. So it was Happy, Happy, Joy, Joy all around.

Louis Amundson logged the longest stretch of minutes of his NBA career (23 mins.) and he did not disappointed. His hustling down the floor to block the shot on a Pistons fast break was his most impressive play of the day. He had 4 blocks total. He also tallied 8 points, 11 boards and a steal. Steve Mix commented he could stick on an NBA roster with his hustle if he could learn just 1 or 2 low post moves. But that's pretty much what Randolph does for the Sixers. So I don't seem him sticking with the Sixers if Randolph has a full recovery.

The scrubs win lifts the Sixers to 34-46 and ranks them 11th in the loss column ... Happy, Happy, Joy, Joy?

Thank God the Sixers Playoff Run is Over

Dwight Howard dominated the game from start to finish | It was kind of a surreal day. A 3pm start on a Saturday afternoon. There were a few die hards with beers in hand, but the arena did not have the right feel. It did not feel like an elimination game. More like a matinée for the kids. I took in the spectacle with my young nephew. All of seven years old he told me "The Magic are gonna win". And so a horror flick unfolded. Dwight Howard beat up the Sixers' bigs like a school yard bully. It was another example of how inadequate Sammy the "WunderKind" is at center and how one dimensional Steven Hunter is for a 7 foot tall big. Howard schooled them and the double team was totally ineffective.

The Orlando Magic will make it to the post season. Where they are most likely to be spanked by their opponent. Howard and Nelson are the only real ballers on the team. Head coach Brian Hill is a retread. He wins if he has talent not because he can coach. But talent is enough for the Magic to progress ... for now.

As for the Sixers, Thank God this Playoff talk is over! They are officially eliminated. It was fools gold. There is no solace in making the playoffs with a losing record. Such insanity would not be conceivable had the eastern conference been better. We can take a moment to congratulate them. They have taken the first major step forward in years. The Iverson era is over. The prima donnas are gone. Philly has a pro basketball team ... emphasis on the word "team".

But as painfully as those first steps forward were it is only the beginning. Now that the playoff run is over we can ask "Now What". That's what the Sixers faithful should be talking about. In the past our conversations were of the could-a-would-a-should-a variety. I'm looking forward to more insightful discourse.

Has Louis Williams finally turned the corner?

Louis Williams steals spotlight vs. Pacers Wednesday nite. I have been watchin' him steadily improve with the arrival of Andre Miller and increased playing time. I have come to appreciate his quickness and ability to get his shot off in spite of his size. So it's got me thinkin' ... was his career high 18 points against the Pacers a sign that he has indeed turned the corner? Does Sweet Lou really deserve to be playing in the greatest basketball league on the planet?

The 18 points came against the Pacers (not the Pistons) and he was playing the shooting guard position (not the point guard position he is being groomed for). Mind you his success has come from lowered expectations. Its 2 years later and I still don't like the draft pick (2nd round 45th overall). To my dismay the Sixers did not send him to the D-league that year. More puzzling was their reluctance to give him any playing time. What was the point? Drafting a 2 guard then declaring he will learn the point makes no sense if you are not going to give 'em an opportunity to play. Drafting a high school baller to learn on the job makes even less sense. I am on record as approving of the NBA's 1 year removed for high school rule. NBA teams where just throwing away draft picks in a crap shoot. You can't convince me guys like Al Harrington, Kwame Brown, Darius Miles and the like couldn't have benefited from some time in college. Some might argue the 3 mentioned are still learning to be a grown up in a man's sport. Forget high schoolers like KG, Lebron an Kobi. No one was confusing Louis Williams for any of those guys.

So what does this emergence mean for Williams? The season has been a long tryout since Iverson's departure. The unspoken reality is that many players will be gone at season's end. If you're not good enough to be part of a rebuilding team ... how are you gonna make it anywhere else? Williams is clearly a player on the bubble. He's still very raw. To say he's turned the corner and belongs in the NBA is still uncertain. But he appears to have passed the audition. He's earned at least one more year to learn the point under the tutelage of a pure point guard. It's the last year of the 3 year rookie contract. next year he's got to do more than show potential. To get a new contract he has to turn the corner.

Stephen A. Smith | Wasting license to lose | Give us a break

Stephen A. Smith | Wasting license to lose | Stephen A. has mailed another one in. Sure his argument has merit. Some of us agree others don't. They just hate losing under any circumstances. The real tragedy is he could have written this story last most or the month before that. Perhaps he did (I didn't check). He just sprinkled in a few recent events to make it sound current.

Stephen ... you told us your television career wouldn't stop you from writing about sports in the city of brother love. Where's the love in mailing in recycled material?

Sixers erase big lead by Hawks for an overtime win ... but Why?

The Sixers erase a big lead by Hawks for an overtime win ... but Why? Down by 17 in the 3rd ... they could have rolled over on this one, But Nooooo ... the Sixers force overtime and win the game. There are a pack of teams with 44, 45 or 46 loses (Seattle, Sacramento, Portland,Minnesota, New York, and Philly). One game will make a huge difference in the 76ers draft position. I don't really have a problem with trying to win, but would it have hurt so much to let this one go?

What's Next for the Sixers?

Raptors' Bosh believes Sixers can rebound. After all The Raptors were 27-55 last year and won the division this year. So the Atlantic division has not changed much. In any given year anyone could win it. A fact that has been the 76ers downfall. The bar has been set so low for so many years Billy King felt he just needed to tweak a few things. Now Iverson and Webber are gone. Something akin to open heart surgery. So I am wondering how long it will take to recover from the operating room. What's next?

The Raptors have GM Bryan Colangelo. Who came to Toronto to prove his stay in Phoenix was not a fluke. Yes, they got the number one pick, but no one will tell you #1 draft pick Andrea Bargnani propelled them to the top of the division. No one is talking about head coach Sam Mitchel in the hall of fame (not even coach of the year). No ... it's about the back office. It's about management saying this is the kind of team we what to be and finding away to build that team. Like Colangelo's move to get T.J. Ford. It's about having a plan.

So what's next? What's the plan? Lose and hope for the best is a prayer not a plan (hear that Danny Ainge). The dream of Oden or Durant is a distant one. The Sixers can still get lucky like Toronto. But it takes more than luck don't it? Do you take the best player available or draft on need? I think it depends on the circumstances. I wouldn't pass on Micheal Jordon 'cause I needed a center. But you can't start next year without addressing your weaknesses ... defense, rebounding, shooting guard.

They Sixers have shown some heart since Webber departed. They are not the gang who couldn't shoot straight we pined about during the AI era. But are they Suns or the Pistons? Are they an offensive or defensive team. Are they building a team to compete with Toronto and a division title. Or are they building to beat the Heat, Bulls and Pistons for the conference title? Cheeks has coached the Sixers to learn how to win. GM Billy King has been playing against the Salary cap. I don't know if I have seen a real philosophy about winning.

What's next for the Sixers? It is clear they are rebuilding. The path they will take it not so clear.

Sixers Dash Knicks Slim Playoff Hopes

Sixers 92 Knocks 90 | Its fun to watch the Knicks lose. It has been painful to think they might actually make the playoffs. But as luck would have it the Knicks are imploding right on cue. They have lost their last 3 and are 2-9 since Isiah Thomas got his new contract extension. At the season's offset conventional wisdom said he had to make the playoffs to keep his job. I think Knicks owner James Dolan give 'em that vote of confidence just a bit too early.

So the Sixers are still in the running to hit Jon's magic number of 35. Tomorrow brings another day and another challenge ... the Toronto Raptors. The Sixers catch them on the last game of a road trip. Bosh had a monster game last nite in Orlando. I guess we'll just wait and see what happens.

Too Much VC for the Sixers

76ers 82 Nets 86 | That about sums it up ... Too Much Vince Carter! And Vince only played 25 minutes because of foul trouble. But he was the difference in the game. The Sixers played good defense holding the Nets to 86 points, but not good enuff. You gotta get STOPS on a nite when you are not shooting well. You gotta get stops to comeback in the fourth period. The other telling stat was free throws ..ah 11-22! That's 50% that's near the Shaq line ain't it? An average shooting nite would net 5 more points. The margin of victory was 4.

Let's face it fans ... the Nets are a crummy team with a few star players that know how and when to turn it up. Rod Thorn should have broken it up a year ago. Perhaps he's waiting for their new digs in Brooklyn (Gotta have a star attraction for the NYC fans). Whatever the reason ... nobody expects much from a Nets team that will limp into the playoffs most likely with a losing record .

But the Sixers won't catch them. We saw the reason last nite.