Iverson heading to Memphis

 Allen Iverson (alleniverson) on Twitter says he is heading to Memphis. David Aldridge is reporting it on NBA.com. But this seems to be the new thing. Breaking News on Twitter. ESPN has already added it to their “Breaking news” ticker crawl.

“God Chose Memphis as the place that I will continue my career. I met with Mr. Heinsley, Chris Wallace and my next head coach Lionel Hollins” Says AI.

So the answer will be in town February 11th. Not a bad scenario for Iverson. It will be the 1st full year for Head coach Lionel Hollins and the Grizzles are rebuilding their team persona. They have a lot of young talent; Mike Conley, Rudy Gay, Marc Gasol, and O.J. Mayo. And they will now be anchored by some veterans with the likes of AI and Zach Randolph.

Stay tuned …

Iverson wants to return to Philly

It was a casual conversation I was part of with some Sixers fans at the Wac center earlier this week. “What if they brought Allen back? Nope … not gonna happen … You know that would get people excited. Say what you will about ‘em. Iverson puts fannies in the seats. You know there are rumors on the internet that they are talking!”

And why not? This is the city of brotherly love , right? With the Eagles Michael Vick signing it appears that we have become the city of redemption. That final destination for kindred spirits to overcome past transgressions and rekindle past glory.

Then there are the tweets on AI’s twitter page yesterday ..

“Happy for Mike (Vick)! Thanks be to God and the Philadelphia Eagles! Great Fans! Great place to resurrect a great career! Do Great Things”

“I can't help imagining, Vick, McNabb, Rollins and Iverson all playing in the City of Brotherly Love........Picture That!”

“Looking forward to getting back to work myself! I am so ready to return to the NBA! Stronger, Faster and So much Wiser!”

Is this crazy talk? Wishful thinkin’? Perhaps … The Sixers have 12 signed guys on the roster. There is only room for 2 more. After the signing of Royal Ivey, Stefanski stated that they are not targeting anyone else at this point. They will probably fill the last 2 spots during training camp.

But there is always a chance if the right veteran comes available at the right price … right?

I can hear the comments already. Much like the Vick signing, some will say … No way … that shipped has sailed … this is terrible. The teams doesn’t need the drama. Others will say … wow this is great! This makes us a better team. Everybody deserves a second chance!

Still others will say … Huh?

I dunno that I would be terribly opposed to it under the right circumstances. I just wanna see some entertaining basketball. There are too many unknowns right now to get people excited. One thing is certain however … it would get people talking about Sixers basketball.

Allen Iverson a Sixer again … what’s the worst that could happen?

Miller Time No more in Philly

In case you were still wondering, it was made official yesterday.  Andre Miller is not longer in the Sixers fold. Yesterday, he signed a 3 year 21 million dollar deal with the Portland Trail Blazers. Reportedly, 14 million is guaranteed.

Go ahead Andre. It sounds like a good deal for ya. Portland has some amazing talent, but was sorely lacking in point guard experience. No disrespect to Jeff Blake … the former University of Maryland graduate has down well with the limited skills he has, but he lacks the veteran savvy that Miller has.

I have a great appreciation for Andre after watching him play here. Like many I mistook his quiet demeanor for a lack of intensity. But I learned to appreciate the adroit passing skills, the high basketball IQ, the heart that he possesses. He has put on some spectacular shows in a Sixers uniform.

I will miss him, but I’m happy he is gone. Because of his unbelievable streak of consecutive games played ( 500+ games) there is little time for other guards to play the point. And his pride and will to win were so large that he would force things. Try to take over games when the Sixers needed it.

When they needed it most … is was Miller time. But  no one else on this team would step up. Now someone has to step up to fill Miller’s shoes. The young bucks have seen him do it. Now it’s their turn. I don’t know who it will be, but someone’s got to.

Good luck Andre. We will wait and if it works out for you and Portland. Because Portland got handled in the playoffs by the underdog Rockets … No less than a 1st round playoff series win will signal success …. Something that Andre Miller has never done.

Note to Ed Stefanski ... stop tinkering already

The Sixers signed Donyell Marshall yesterday. I thought Ed Stefanski was done after the inevitable signing of Andre Igoudala. You can say what you will about Iggy, but everybody knows the Sixers would re-sign 'em. Perhaps they did pay too much as a result, but that's just the way the NBA is nowadays.
Then the Sixers brought back Theo Ratliff. Undoubtedly to compensate for the loss of Jason Smith for the season. Okay I said to myself. Its the NBA minimum. We know what Theo is. Rebounding ... shot blocking ... maybe he can run the floor with the young bucks in spurts.

But now the Marshall signing is just tinkering. Stefanski is in danger of becoming the mad scientist. Unable to constrain himself in his quest to construct the perfect team. Marshall does not fit the identity the Sixers created last year. Sure he adds perimeter shooting ... but at what cost. He is not really known for his hustle or his open court play or his rebounding or his defense (gulp).

Now the Sixers are tossing around cliches like "consummate veteran" to mentor the young bucks. That should be a warning sign Eddie. Those cliche's lead to the dark side. You start telling yourself how much smarter you are then the rest of us. You start to develop blind spots.

My argument for re-signing Iggy had much more to do about chemistry than it did about his skills. The Sixers bloomed last year because the same core group of guys returned from the previous season. They grew up together ... they became a team ... Chemistry 101. But now the 76ers have 13 players under contract and they are tapped out in the salary department. The addition of Brand can't be questioned at this point. Adding Rush & Ivey has to be a wait and see, but admirable. At least they fit the mold and address some weaknesses. Swap in Theo for Smith ... okay. But Marshall ... he makes them old and slow and soft. That's the wrong direction. When you add in the rookie Speights you have turned over more than 40% of the squad. I just hope the chemistry doesn't suffer.

Please Ed ... stop tinkering. I liked what I say last season. I am truly excited about next season. But I got to keep a grip on reality. I am enthusiastic about the upcoming season ... albeit nervous enthusiasm. Is it just me or is anyone else feeling this?

Sixers off-season nearly complete ... looking ahead

With the Sixers' Williams ready to sign officially next week | Philadelphia Inquirer | 08/02/2008 the off-season is nearly complete. Yes, Iggy still needs to be signed and ... no I don't wish to weigh in on whether he's worth the MAX or weather he will every get any better. Nor do I care about your arguments as to whether he's really a 2 guard or if his outside J will every improve.

I am taking it for granted the 76ers will resign Andre Igoudala ... for better or worse.

After the signing of Elton Brand, Royal Ivey, Kadeem Rush and the impending Williams signing, I think Stefanski's about done. There's the knee jerk tendency to want to fix everything that ails the 76ers in a single off-season. But to do so would change much of the team chemistry that has fueled this gang of over achievers.

Andre Igoudala is a significant part of that team chemistry. So the deal will get done ... for better or worse.

Looking ahead ... expectations have been raised. For everyone .... the GM, head coach, Brand, Iggy, Williams et al. They must improve over last years record. They will be expected to be competitive in November not March. They will be expected to put an exclamation point of their "new" style of play.

But things change when you are expected to do well. Teams won't be flat or play down to your level anymore. The Sixers have come a long way these last few years. But I fear they will find it more difficult to advance further or ... perhaps (worse) backslide because of injury or bad chemistry (sigh).

Last year I was cautiously optimistic ... this year it's more like .... nervous enthusiasm.

Hawks guard Childress is going to Greece

Hawks guard Josh Childress has signed with a Greek club. Take that David Stern. The global door swings both ways. Childress got a sweet deal. $20M and the team pays his taxes. So its truly $20 million! Much more than he would be offered in the NBA.

Childress is no superstar, but the egress of good players to Europe for a better payday is not a trend the NBA wants to see. NBA rosters are already filled with guys with potential but need "On the Job Training" (OJT). A player like Childress is not a luxury. The game could be gutted of good players and we'd be left with superstars vs the JV team.

And what if the dollars in Europe get just too attractive? Players like D. Wade (who already has a championship ring) or Jason Kidd (who has no shot at one) opts out of the NBA for the money.

To some degree the Childress signing is a symptom of the NBA player bargaining agreement. Childress is a restricted free agent. The Hawks hold the trump card. They can match any offer and let it be known they intended to do so. Why would any other team bother to offer him anything. This is akin to collusion to keep free agent salaries down. Atlanta was not interested in a sign and trade for him. What choice does Childress have ... sign a one year contract for peanuts in order to become a free agent next year or go to Europe and get paid.

Brand New Day in Sixers town

My phone rang instantly when it was announced Tuesday nite on Comcast Sports Net. "The Sixers are working out a deal to get Elton Brand ... what do ya think?" Dude .... are you fricking kidding me? Elton Brand! The thought seemed so remote when free agency started that I had not seriously considered it. Elton Brand adds 10 games a year to the Sixers record (at least). That's a huge leap in NBA terms.

Just think about the match difficulties the Sixers had last season. Slammin' Sammy has to be ecstatic! Eton Brand solves the Sixers match up problem in the post with Boson( Garnett), Orlando (Howard), Toronto (O'Neill), Detroit (Wallace). Elton Brand means you can post up when playoff time comes. Elton Brand means you don't have to sacrifice your new fangled identify of play defense, force turn overs, and run the floor. Elton Brand can do all those things.

Elton Brand is not a head case. He's a 20-10 career guy who has played with the Clippers for 7 years without cryin' about it. He's fits the mold of the players we are looking for in the post Iverson era. He's a Duke grad ... former #1 draft pick ... a two time all-star ... a veteran ... what's not to like?

The local media has been a buzz with this latest move by Ed S. His stock as the Philly Golden Boy GM keeps rising. But the first fan comment I heard on WIP yesterday was ... "Big Whoppee". I think all of us Philly fans can be a bit jaded at times.

Yes, the injury could comeback to bite you. But you could lose a player on any given play. You can't grow up overly concerned about what might happen.

Yes, I know I said I coveted Josh Smith. But I realized it was improbable after the euphoria wore off. He's a restricted free agent. I just can't believe that Atlanta would every dream of not matching any offer. Brand was the best power forward on the board and I was sure he would go for the max money at golden state. This is his last shot at a fat contract. You know his agent wanted to milk it for all he could get.

Yes, I know this deal puts the Sixers up against the cap. But what's the point of having cap space if you don't use it. That makes you the Charlotte Bobcats. The lowest payroll in the league and a record to match.

Yes, I know the Sixers still need a shooter and maybe Iggy is a odd fit for the #2 spot. But we all know that everyone's shot will improve when they have a legit low post presence. When you know the post won't become a black hole because that legit post guy is also an excellent passer. When you don't have somebody in your jock strap like Iggy did because you HAVE to double team Brand.

Maybe you're reluctant to cheer this move because you just don't know enough about Elton Brand. He's played on the west coast for most of his career and we only see him once a year. He played for the Clippers a second banana in there own town. So he's not on TV much. OR maybe you just don't know much about basketball.

Dude ... this guy can play!

Come people ... let up a little. Give the Sixers some credit. This was the best move that could be had. We won't win it all this year because of this move, but we are past just making the play-offs. We're winning a playoff series or two. The glass is less than half empty or its more than half full. We gotta a winner!

Wouldn't Josh Smith be a nice 76ers addition?

Adding Atlanta Hawks forward Josh Smith to the 76ers squad has been a day dream of mine for months. Smith has been the only free agent that I know of they you can say is absolutely the right fit for the 76ers game.

He got the size ... shot blocking ... defensive and post-up game the 76ers are in dire need of. This kid is a flat out stud. So you gotta give Ed S. the thumbs up for making the run at him right from the start of free agency. What's the worst that could happen ... he goes back to Atlanta. Maybe there a sign and trade in the mix?

Not sure I get how Josh Childress fits in. The 76ers may just be puttin' the pressure on Atlanta. The Hawks are constrained by the salary cap and will be hard pressed to sign both Josh C. and Josh S.