76ers Lineup Shaping Up

The Sixers lineup is shaping up now that the draft is concluded, and the Sixers signed Evan Turner.

I still would like to see the Sixers make one offseason move; that move would be to get rid of Andre Iguodala, obviously via trade. Iguodala makes a lot of money, a bad signing by Ed Stefanski, but still is a good player, just not a #1 option. I think Iguodala makes a lot of sense for certain teams, including the Chicago Bulls, who missed out of signing LeBron. If you can unload Iguodala, it will open up room for Thaddeus Young to start at the #3.

This is the year you need to find out if Thaddeus Young can play or not. Young looked good and showed flashes early in his career, but struggled for the most part last season. This is the year you need to find out in Young can be a starter in this league, or if he is just a serviceable player. In this scenario, Jrue Holiday would start at the point, and Evan Turner at shooting guard. With Thaddeus Young at the small forward, this would give the Sixers maybe the tallest 1, 2, 3 combo in the league. Holiday is big for a point guard, Turner is big for a shooting guard, and Young is big for a small forward. This would allow the Sixers to create a lot of matchup problems for any other team.

If Iguodala stays on the roster, which is probably likely, then Iguodala will probably start at the small forward position, and Thaddeus Young will come off the bench. The Sixers have tried putting Iguodala at the 2, and Young at the 3, but that didn't really work, and Iguodala has said he feels more comfortable at the small forward position.

As for the big men, the Sixers are not great up front. Elton Brand is a natural power forward, but as we have seen the last 2 seasons, is well past his prime, but locked into starting with all the money they are paying him. He is also unfortunately sort of blocking the process of Marreese Speights, who has shown a lot of skill when in the game. He is another guy the Sixers need to see if he can be a long term starter in this league.

Finally, the Sixers do not have to run out Samuel Dalembert at center. It wasn't a very significant trade, but just getting rid of Dalembert is one of the best trades in Sixers history. Basically the opposite of the Cliff Lee trade. In return, the Sixers received Spencer Hawes and Andres Nocioni. Hawes will probably be penciled in as the starting center. Hawes isn't great, but has size, and is decent, and still young.

If the Sixers want to play around, they can put Thaddeus Young at the 4 from time to time, or Speights, and Elton Brand can play center. Jason Smith will also get some time up front this year to see if he can show us something.

Lou Williams will probably be one of the first players off the bench, and even though Williams didn't show much last year as the starting point guard, he can still play, and is a solid backup to Jrue Holiday. Throw in the fact that the Sixers now have a respectable coach in Doug Collins who can help groom the young players, and will make the guys work hard, and the Sixers should at the very least have more wins than last season.

76ers Name Doug Collins Head Coach

The Philadelphia 76ers finally ended their coaching search today by officially naming current NBA analyst, Doug Collins, their head coach.

Doug Collins has been an NBA analyst for better part of the decade, after last coaching the Washington Wizards in 2002-2003. Collins has coached 8 seasons, coaching the Bulls, Pistons, and Wizards and compiling a 332-287 overall record. Collins does have some Philadelphia ties, as he was the #1 overall draft pick in the 1973 draft.

It's hard to say whether Collins is the right guy for this job. It's even harder to say why Collins would want this job. Collins clearly has a very good basketball mind, and is a guy who knows the game well, and is extremely intelligent. It isn't so clear if he will be able to succeed with this group of players. The Sixers, last time I checked are not a very good team, and have a bunch of bad contracts, which doesn't allow them to go after any players, and makes it harder to unload the current bad contracts. This probably means that the Sixers will not be very good for a few years, even with a solid young guy in Jrue Holiday, and the #2 overall pick this year.

Collins always had success where he went, but always also seemed to slightly underachieve. Collins was the Chicago Bulls coach from the middle to the late 80s, and consistently made the playoffs with Michael Jordan leading the team, but the Bulls never took off until Collins was replaced with Phil Jackson. Collins took some time off, and then coached the Pistons in the mid to late 90s, and which point he was fired from that job. He then took some more time off and coached the Washington Wizards for a couple seasons, and was fired again. In between all the coaching jobs, Collins worked as an analyst for NBA games for TNT, and is considered one of the better analysts.

Doug Collins name has surfaced for multiple coaching positions after his final coaching job with the Wizards, but he has never been hired until now. Like I said, I do respect Doug Collins' knowledge for the game, and think he knows his stuff, I am just not sure he is the guy to be the long term coach of the 76ers. The 76ers will not be good for a few years, and Doug Collins tendencies are to get sort of burned out after coaching for a few years. If the Sixers continue to be a bad team for the next few years, I hope that Collins stays motivated to coach the team, and does not bail after a couple of poor seasons.

This Sixers coaching job is not a very good one right now. Due to all the bad contracts, it is not easy to bring in players, and the team is basically handicapped and stuck with the guys who are currently on the team. However, in a couple years, when the Sixers do have some wiggle room, this could a very good coaching job to have. We will just have to see if Doug Collins sticks around long enough, and is able to keep the team motivated, which in today's NBA, is not an easy thing to do.

76ers Jump Up To Pick #2

While the Flyers were busy taking a 2-0 series lead on the Canadiens last night, and the Phillies were busy not giving Roy Halladay any run support, and losing to the Pirates, the NBA Draft Lottery was held, or in the case of 2010, the John Wall Sweepstakes.

The Sixers were sitting in the 6th position, meaning if everything played out by the numbers, the Sixers would have the #6 pick in the NBA Draft. Jrue Holiday was sent to represent the 76ers, which seemed strange since if we got the #1 overall pick, we would be taking another PG in Wall to replace Holiday. The Sixers did not get the #1 overall pick, but instead got the #2 overall pick, which is great news. Not only do the Sixers not have to worry about taking a point guard, assuming the Wizards, who won the draft lottery, take John Wall #1 overall.

Keep in mind that the Sixers do not have a coach currently, but having the #2 pick, and the chance at getting an elite guy might be attractive to some coaches going forward, especially since Jrue Holiday showed some promise last season.

Here are some other players who the Sixers could take, if John Wall goes #1—

Evan Turner - SG/SF, Ohio State

Some would argue that Evan Turner is better than John Wall, and should go #1. Turner was the best player in college basketball last year, and led Ohio State to a #2 seed in the NCAA Tournament, and a Sweet 16 berth. Ohio State lost in the Sweet 16, but it was not because Evan Turner didn’t play well. Turner is a 6’7” shooting guard, who was a junior last season, and averaged 20.4 point per game, 6.0 assists per game, and 9.2 rebounds per game. Turner can fill up a stat sheet very well, much like Andre Iguodala.

If you project Turner to start at the shooting guard position this season, Andre Iguodala will be the starting small forward, which he likes, and Thaddeus Young will have to come off the bench. This also gives the Sixers a very large backcourt in 6’4” point guard Jrue Holiday, and Evan Turner at the 2. Turner makes the most sense here.

Derrick Favors – PF, Georgia Tech

Derrick Favors was one of the extremely talented freshman in the nation last year, and is a load underneath the basket. Favors is 6’10”, and seems to be very streaky. Favors averaged 12.4 points per game, and 8.4 rebounds a game last season. Favors is a guy who projects as a really good NBA player, and when Favors was playing well, there were few big men who could contain him last year. Being a power forward, there really is no need for the 76ers to pick Favors, as we already have Elton Brand locked up for forever, and Marreese Speights, a solid young player behind Brand.

Wesley Johnson – SF, Syracuse

Wesley Johnson busted onto the college basketball scene last year, and played an extremely important role in Syracuse’s success last season. Johnson is a junior, and was a transfer from Iowa State. Johnson made his mark immediately, and ended up averaging 16.5 points per game, and 8.5 rebounds per game. Johnson is a beast, and a freak athlete who can attack the rim, but also shoot the 3, making 41.5% of his three pointers last season. However, Johnson is not a guy the Sixers really need at this point, as they already have 2 similar players in Iguodala, and Thaddeus Young, and they are struggling finding enough minutes for Young right now.

DeMarcus Cousins, PF/C, Kentucky

Cousins, like John Wall, was one of the heralded freshman on the Kentucky squad this year. The first think you notice about Cousins is that he is a huge body. Cousins is listed at 6’11”, 270 pounds, and thus is a huge man to remove from the middle of the floor. He uses his weight well, and is comfortable going right at people, and throwing his body around. Cousins averaged 15.1 points per game, and 9.8 rebounds per game. In my opinion, Cousins should be the pick by the Sixers if they do not pick Evan Turner. Cousins could end up being a beast on the inside, and guys like that are not easy to find, and do not come along all the time. Cousins could fill a need at center once Dalembert is gone, or even at power forward once Brand is gone. Cousins could actually replace Brand in the lineup if he outplays him, since Brand is past his prime.

NBA Mock Draft (5/19/10)

With the NBA Draft Lottery taking place last night, we now know where certain teams will make their picks. See below for our first NBA Mock Draft of the year--

1. Washington Wizards - John Wall – PG, Kentucky
2. Philadelphia 76ers- Evan Turner – SG/SF, Ohio State
3. New Jersey Nets- Derrick Favors – PF, Georgia Tech
4. Minnesota Timberwolves- Wesley Johnson – SF, Syracuse
5. Sacramento Kings- DeMarcus Cousins – PF/C, Kentucky
6. Golden State Warriors Al-Farouq Aminu – SF, Wake Forest
7. Detroit Pistons- Greg Monroe – C, Georgetown
8. Los Angeles Clippers- Donatas Motiejunas – PF/C, Lithuania
9. Utah Jazz- Cole Aldrich – C, Kansas
10. Indiana Pacers- Patrick Patterson – PF, Kentucky
11. New Orleans Hornets- Xavier Henry – SG, Kansas
12. Memphis Grizzlies- Ed Davis – PF, UNC
13. Toronto Raptors- Hassan Whiteside – PF/C, Marshall
14. Houston Rockets- Ekpe Udoh – PF/C, Baylor
15. Milwaukee Bucks- James Anderson – SF, Oklahoma State
16. Minnesota Timberwolves- Avery Bradley – PG/SG, Texas
17. Chicago Bulls- Daniel Orton – C, Kentucky
18. Miami Heat- Larry Sanders – PF, VCU
19. Boston Celtics- Luke Babbitt – SF, Nevada
20. San Antonio Spurs- Eric Bledsoe – PG, Kentucky
21. Oklahoma City Thunder- Solomon Alabi – C, Florida State
22. Portland Trailblazers- Damion James – SF, Texas
23. Minnesota Timberwolves- Paul George – SF, Fresno State
24. Atlanta Hawks- Armon Johnson – PG, Nevada
25. Memphis Grizzlies- Gordon Hayward – SF, Butler
26. Oklahoma City Thunder- Gani Lawal – PF, Georgia Tech
27. New Jersey Nets- Devin Ebanks – SF, West Virginia
28. Memphis Grizzlies- Jordan Crawford – SG, Xavier
29. Orlando Magic- Willie Warren – SG, Oklahoma
30. Washington Wizards- Stanley Robinson – SF, UConn

Sixers Season Comes to an End

The 76ers season comes to an uneventful end tonight... too bad people are more interested in the Flyers playoff game, the Phillies, and the Jimmy Rollins injury right now. The 76ers will close out their disappointing season tonight in Orlando. With 1 game remaining, the Sixers currently sit at 27-54, bad enough for the 7th worst record in the NBA. The Knicks will finish with a better record than the Sixers. The Sixers can do themselves some favors and not win this game, however it might not be easy as the Magic don’t have anything to play for either having locked up the #2 seed in the Eastern Conference.

The 76ers actually have somewhat of an eventful, strange season that saw ticket prices spike with the return of a fan favorite, and then drop back down to their normal, abysmal level. The Sixers actually entered the season with decent expectations. They had made the playoffs the 2 previous seasons, and pushed 2 teams better than them to 6 games in the first round. They came into this season with Andre Iguodala in his prime, a healthy Elton Brand, Lou Williams supposed to see more time, and youngsters like Thaddeus Young and Marreese Speights supposed to contribute more. Ed Stefanski hired new coach Eddie Jordan to run the team. Unfortunately, the Sixers never quite got on track.

Instead, they faltered as soon as the season started. They never quite grasped Jordan’s “Princeton” style offense. Lou Williams never really fully took over the point guard position. Samuel Dalembert continued to suck. Elton Brand was terrible. Thaddeus Young regressed, but is still young. Speights sat behind an ineffective Brand most of the season.

Allen Iverson was re-signed, which brought a sellout crowd to the Sixers game, but not much else. Iverson played pretty well, all things considered, but quickly left the team as personal issued mounted. After Iverson left, the season was a lost cause, and so we got to see the one bright spot this year in rookie Jrue Holiday, who is the youngest player in the NBA. Holiday has been the only person who has even really tried the 2nd half of the season, and has looked good. In fairness, Andre Iguodala has also played well, and is a good player, but is not the guy who should be leading your team. Iguodala is a very good #2 or #3 option on a team, a guy who can do everything well, but cannot be a #1 option on a good team unfortunately.

The Sixers team is put together terribly, but I think you need to give general manager Ed Stefanski some more time to fix it. You have young guys such as Speights and Jason Smith who need to get some time to see what they can do. Speights has shown the ability that he can be a possible solid player, but he is stuck behind Elton Brand. Samuel Dalembert is a clown, but he makes so much money that they have to play him. Thaddeus Young is still very young and has a lot of room to grow, but needs to step his game up. The Sixers won’t be able to do anything this offseason, but should soon get some room to maneuver with Dalembert and Willie Green coming off the books after next season. Unfortunately, for the next few years, the Sixers are flat out a bad team.

Philadelphia 76ers All-Decade Team

The 76ers all-decade team is not pretty to look at to be perfectly honest. I have to imagine it would be one of the worst all-decade teams in the league, especially because the Sixers are one of the worst teams in the league right now, and our all-decade team contains 4 players on the team currently. Besides the very beginning of the decade, the team has been very average. Even the team that went to the finals had a bunch of role players, and 1 big star. Also, the team that went to the finals, the players were not on the team for very long in this decade. Nevertheless, the early part of the decade, and the 2001 team that this city fell in love with is well represented on this team, especially in the backcourt.

It was tough to leave off a guy like George Lynch who was a great team player, but we decided to go with Andre Iguodala at the small forward position. Also, Derrick Coleman came very close to making the team at the starting power forward position, but we chose to go small and go with Thaddeus Young instead, even though his time with the team has been shorter. Samuel Dalembert basically makes the team since he has been the team’s starting center basically all-decade, not because he is actually good.

Here is our starting Philadelphia 76ers all-decade lineup--

PG: Eric Snow
SG: Allen Iverson
SF: Andre Iguodala
PF: Thaddeus Young
C: Samuel Dalembert

6th Man: Aaron McKie

Coach: Larry Brown

MVP: Allen Iverson

Close Calls: George Lynch, Derrick Coleman

Sixers Lose Iverson's Debut

The Sixers lost their 10th straight in front of a sellout crowd, which included Kotite's Corner, at the Wachovia Center. Iverson got a long standing ovation when he was introduced in the starting lineup, but wasn't much of a factor on the court.

Iverson basically chose to pass the ball most of the time when he had it, and ended the game shooting 4-11 for 11 points, 6 assists, and 5 rebounds. Iverson could have taken a lot more shots, and I personally wished he had, but he seemed hesitant at times. I guess that is to be expected in his first game back to get his legs under him. The Sixers were winning most of the game until the Nuggets went on a 22-3 run at the end of the 3rd quarter and beginning of the 4th when Iverson was on the bench. Chauncey Billups had a great game, and went off at the point to put the game away.

At the end of the 3rd quarter, the Sixers lineup of Willie Green, Jason Kapono, Elton Brand, Samuel Dalembert, and Jason Smith just isn't going to cut it. I really do like Elton Brand, but he is horrible offensively. The only shot he can make is an uncontested shot from 15 feet. No question that Elton Brand was a beast in his prime, but he is average to say the best at this point in his career. I'm not even going to comment on Samuel Dalembert, besides to say I hate him. Willie Green played horribly also.

Andre Iguodala and Thaddeus Young were really the two Sixers who kept them in the game and in the lead for most of the game. Unfortunately, with Brand and Dalembert both as the starting 4 and 5, they need to give you something on the offensive end, or the Sixers will not win many games. Iverson didn't do much special, but I do think he provided a spark, and should only get better going forward. Either way, at least there is some Sixers talk in this town, and Iverson was enjoyable to watch.

Allen Iverson Press Conference

Allen Iverson was once again introduced to the Philadelphia media and fans in his return to the Sixers today. I thought the press conference was must see TV, and Iverson spoke most about the special relationship between himself and the Philadelphia fans.

About 3 minutes into the press conference, Iverson had to fight back the tears. I was shocked at the emotion that Iverson displayed during the press conference. Obviously I have already stated that Iverson is one of if not my favorite Philadelphia athlete of all time, but I find him extremely likeable and an incredibly fascinating person. Iverson listened to every question, and usually thinks about his response before he answers, and to me, answers questions extremely honestly and emotionally. He is extremely raw and extremely real. I am a huge McNabb supporter, but could you honestly see Donovan McNabb tearing up at a press conference talking about how he loves the Philly fans?

A lot of his answers always came back to the fans. Iverson called his relationship with the fans something that is like no other between any fan-athlete relationship in all of sports. He also said that every time he put on another jersey, whether it be Detroit, Denver, or Memphis, it never felt right. All Iverson wants to do is win basketball games, and he does everything he can to win. Allen Iverson is like our brother here in Philadelphia. He may make mistakes, but like he says, he's not perfect. He really does try to learn from his mistakes and become a better player, teammate, and person.

And at the very least, at least we are all talking about the Sixers again, if only for a short time.

Allen Iverson Returns

Allen Iverson is a 76er. It’s a great feeling, and gives some energy to a team that is flat out crappy right now. Iverson will make his debut next Monday at home against the Nuggets. This game will probably sell out, which is what the Sixers set out to do in the first place by bringing Iverson back. I don’t think this signing will have the Wachovia Center buzzing like 2001, nor will it make the Sixers a contender in the East, but it was still the right move, and a move that had to be made.

Whether you like Allen Iverson or not, one thing is for sure… he belongs in Philly. We have gone through the rollercoaster ride that is Allen Iverson’s life and career, and it is only fitting that he is back on the team to hopefully close out his amazing career. From scoring 49 in Game 1 of the NBA Finals and stepping over Tyronn Lue to throwing his wife out of the house naked.. allegedly, Iverson has provided me with probably the best memories of any Philadelphia player throughout his career. The Sixers drafted Iverson when I was 12 years old, so certainly I have good memories of players and teams before that, but I was just coming into my own as a sports fan, and Iverson provided some of the best memories for us fans, myself included. The 2001 season and playoff run was absolutely amazing.

Philadelphia for the most part loves Allen Iverson. I was present at the Sixers game against the Nuggets, when Iverson first came back as member of the opposing team. The 1 minute standing ovation was amazing, and well-deserved. Even most people who don’t like Iverson will agree that he belongs in Philly. He may not always be perfect, on the court or off, and may have his problems, but he is our problem, and we like having him around.

While I am gushing over Iverson, I figured I would also write about his infamous “practice” press conference, and how he was dead right in that press conference. The year was 2002. The Sixers were coming off a disappointing 1st round playoff loss to the Celtics that went all 5 games (It was best of 5 at that time). This was disappointing in itself losing in the first round as the year before the Sixers were in the NBA Finals. Iverson scored 20, 29, 42, 28, and then 31 points in the deciding Game 5, a game in which the Sixers got blown out, and the 2nd leading scorer had 12 points; a game in which Eric Snow was 2-12 from the floor. I understand Iverson controls the ball and takes most of the shots, but would you want anyone else? I can remember watching those games, and if the Sixers would have 2 straight possessions where Iverson didn’t touch the ball, even the Iverson haters would be calling for Iverson to start shooting. Would anyone rather have seen stone hands Mutombo throw another old school line drive towards the basket? Or Eric Snow take his mid-range jumper and clank it off the back rim? I’m not trying to hate on the rest of the team, but the fact is Iverson was really the only consistent threat on that team, and you wanted him to have the ball in his hands, whether you complained about it later or not.

Anyways, just a couple days after this game, Iverson is forced to hold a press conference to talk about his practice habits. We’re talkin’ bout practice… I know it’s a joke now, but it’s absolutely true. Why didn’t Eric Snow, or Mutombo, or Derrick Coleman have to hold press conference to talk about how horrible they are. Iverson had spent his whole career, and the previous series going all out, and trying to do everything he could to help the team win, and being the best player out on the floor, and instead of trying to figure out a way to surround him with more talent, he had to hold a press conference to talk about how he doesn’t practice enough. That is absolutely ridiculous, and was set up by the phony Larry Brown, and Iverson was 100% correct at his press conference. He didn’t ignore the point of the press conference; he even stated that he knows that is something he needs to work on, and he was not shoving that aside, but that it was ridiculous to discuss practice habits at a time like that… and he was correct.

So, whether you like him or not, Iverson is back for his 2nd tour of duty with the Sixers, and let’s hope he retires a Sixer this time. At the very least, let’s hope for Ed Stefanski’s sake that the Sixers can sell some tickets… we at Kotite’s Corner have got our “Guys Night Out” tickets, and will be there with a beer in one hand, and a cheerleader in the other.

Sixers Meet With Allen Iverson

The Sixers met with Allen Iverson today in Dallas for 2 hours to discuss the possibility of Iverson returning to the team. After the meeting concluded, no decision was made, but both sides are keeping their options open.

Ed Stefanski, Eddie Jordan, Tony DiLeo, and Aaron McKie met with Iverson and his agent to feel out where both sides are at. The Sixers released a statement after the meeting which said that the meeting went well and that there will be future talks in regard to this.

The Sixers actually do need to sign a guard, and Iverson seems to be the best choice out there. The Sixers started Jrue Holiday and Willie Green at the two guard spots yesterday against the Spurs. For some reason, Willie Green took 17 shots, and Jrue Holiday shows flashes, but looks lost a lot of times. Iverson could move right into a starting role on this team, and give the team and the fans a much needed shot of adrenaline.

10 Things the Sixers Need To Do

1. Sign Allen Iverson. Listen, he is past his prime and somewhat selfish, but the Sixers attendance is extremely low, and that is something Iverson can help with. Iverson will put people in the stands. Most intelligent Sixers fans love Iverson, or at least support him. I've been to 1 Sixers game in the past few years, and it was the first game Iverson was back in town as a member of the Nuggets. This may stunt the growth of our young core, but something needs to happen. This team is not exciting and it feels like a minor league atmosphere. You can give him a 1 year deal, and probably get him at the veterans minimum. It is only a band-aid, but at least it stops some of the bleeding for this year.

2 . Make the trade that has been reported happen. The trade would send Nocioni to Boston, Kenny Thomas, Tony Allen and Brian Scalabrine to Philadelphia and Dalembert and J.R. Giddens to Sacramento. This trade isn't done to help this current Sixers team, because Thomas, Allen and Scalabrine all have expiring contracts. This trade is harder to make with the Speights injury, but it needs to be done today. If I never have to see Sammy D again, I will be a happy man.

3. Play rookie Jrue Holiday more. I was watching the Sixers play the Jazz the other day and they were down 25 and Holiday was not in. Why would I want to watch Royal Ivey play at that point? If the game is close, I understand not playing the 19 year old rookie, but if you are down 25 in the 4th quarter, Holiday should be in.

4. Run more plays for Thaddeus Young. Right now Andre Iguodala is the best player on the team. My problem with him is he is not the star of a team. He has the potential to be a triple-threat monster, especially in the Princeton Offense, but I just see him as a Scottie Pippen type player. Iguodala is great as a #2 option, but average as a #1 option. Thaddeus Young has a ton of talent. I think we have just scratched the surface on what Young is capable of, and Young is too unselfish. Young needs to demand the ball, and the Sixers need to start running some of the offense through Young to see if we have a star, or another above average role player. Thaddeus Young might never be as good as Iguodala, but we need to find out. He improves every year. He is tall and athletic with a nice shooters' touch.

5. If we are bringing Iverson back, I think it is time to think about trading Lou Williams. I know Lou is young, and gets opponents big men in foul trouble with his slashing abilities, but obviously what we have now is not working. When you look at the Sixers roster, nobody wants Brand or Dalembert (lets hope they pull off the deal with the Kings), Iguodala seems to be untouchable in Stefanski’s eyes, and he gets paid a lot. That leaves you with Speights, Young, Williams, and Holiday as young chips that other teams will have interest in. I think Speights and Young are untouchable and you need to see what you have in Holiday. That leaves Williams. He is not a true 1 and is too small to be a 2. Williams ideally is a 6th man. He has good energy coming off the bench. I think a championship caliber team would trade an expiring contract or a late 1st rounder for Lou.

6. Bring back Pat Croce in some capacity. Obviously Croce will want a lot of power, which is what was not given to him in the first place, and why he left. Ed Snider really only cares about the Flyers anyways, and thus he should bring in Croce to be what Snider is to the Sixers. Snider needs to get over his huge ego and realize that Croce is a talent, and a person that is a positive influence on an organization. The fans love Croce, and Croce can put people in the seats, and eventually build a successful team. Croce is a guy who understands the Philly mentality and who can get the fans and players motivated.

7. Treat Elton Brand like a normal player. Unfortunately, we have to realize we paid Brand way too much money, and Brand is not the same guy as he was in his prime. I know he makes so much money that it doesn’t seem worth it to play Speights over him. However, bottom line, Speights has been better than Brand this season. When Speights comes back from injury, if he continues to outplay Brand, Speights needs to be on the court as a starter. If Brand is playing poorly, bench him. Ed Stafanski made a bad signing. I hate saying that, because Stafanski is a friend of Kotite's Corner, but the team should have gone after Josh Smith. It’s a shame because Elton Brand is a really good, intelligent guy who works real hard.

8. The Princeton Offense is great if you are student of the game. In the NBA today, not many players are students of the game. The Sixers were exciting and won a lot the last 2 seasons while running the ball. This does not fit Brand’s style nor Jordan’s offense. Both need to adapt and they need to find a middle point. Right now they are not there and they need to be for the Sixers to be successful.

9. Have more ticket promotions. The Guys Night Out is a good idea. The Holiday Pack they just announced is average at best. Good job marketing! You need to get people in the seats. Have giveaways. Do something; Nova draws more fans when they play in the Wachovia Center. That should not happen.

10. If all else fails, start tanking.

Sixers Lose Opener

In the big Philadelphia sports news of the night............. the 76ers lost their opener to the Orlando Magic 120-106. Marreesse Speights led the way with 26 points for the Sixers, while Elton Brand, Andre Iguodala, and Thaddeus Young had 8, 8, and 8 respectively. What a great start.

Sixers relaunch brand

Today the Sixers announced that they would relaunch the classic Sixers logo. There are back to the red, white and blue. This is long overdue, the uniforms they have been wearing are not the Sixers and last year when they wore the 82-83 jerseys, they looked stylish and classic. Here are some jersey that we have had since 82-83.

This is classic Sixers

Shit went bad here. I was at the West Oak Lane Jazz Fest this weekend, and I saw someone selling a warm-up suit from this era. It would be unreal to rock that. Who thought of this jersey?

Short-lived Iverson/Stackhouse era, back to a classic feel.

Sixers intelligently marketing to the urban hip-hop culture that came with their superstar Allen Iverson. These jerseys are alright, but they don't feel like the Sixers.

Last year the Sixers wore this throwback on occasion, and it seems like they will be back to these this year.

NBA Mock Draft (6/12/09)

FIRST ROUND
1. Los Angeles Clippers - Blake Griffin PF Oklahoma
2. Memphis Grizzlies – Hasheem Thabeet C UConn
3. Oklahoma City Thunder – Ricky Rubio PG Spain
4. Sacramento Kings – Tyreke Evans PG Memphis
5. Washington Wizards – James Harden SG Arizona State
6. Minnesota Timberwolves – Jrue Holiday PG/SG UCLA
7. Golden State Warriors – Jonny Flynn PG Syracuse
8. New York Knicks – Stephen Curry PG/SG Davidson
9. Toronto Raptors – Brandon Jennings PG Italy
10. Milwaukee Bucks – Jordan Hill PF Arizona
11. New Jersey Nets – DeJuan Blair PF Pittsburgh
12. Charlotte Bobcats – Gerald Henderson SG Duke
13. Indiana Pacers – DeMar DeRozan SG USC
14. Phoenix Suns – Earl Clark SF Louisville
15. Detroit Pistons – James Johnson PF Wake Forest
16. Chicago Bulls – Austin Daye SF Gonzaga
17. Philadelphia 76ers – Eric Maynor PG VCU
18. Minnesota Timberwolves – B.J. Mullens C Ohio State
19. Atlanta Hawks – Terrence Williams SG/SF Louisville
20. Utah Jazz – Tyler Hansbrough PF UNC
21. New Orleans Hornets – Sam Young SF Pittsburgh
22. Dallas Mavericks – Ty Lawson PG UNC
23. Sacramento Kings – Gani Lawal PF Georgia Tech
24. Portland Trailblazers – Chase Budinger SG/SF Arizona
25. Oklahoma City Thunder – DaJuan Summers SF Georgetown
26. Chicago Bulls – Jeff Teague PG Wake Forest
27. Memphis Grizzlies – Omri Casspi SF Israel
28. Minnesota Timberwolves – Nick Calathes PG Florida
29. Los Angeles Lakers – Patrick Mills PG St. Marys
30. Cleveland Cavaliers – Wayne Ellington SG UNC

SECOND ROUND
31. Sacramento Kings - Darren Collison PG UCLA
32. Portland Trailblazers – Marcus Thornton PG/SG LSU
33. Washington Wizards – Taj Gibson PF USC
34. Denver Nuggets – Curtis Jerrells PG Baylor
35. Memphis Grizzlies - Jerel McNeal SG Marquette
36. Detroit Pistons – Dionte Christmas SG Temple
37. San Antonio Spurs – Lester Hudson SG Tennessee-Martin
38. Portland Trailblazers – A.J. Price PG UConn
39. Detroit Pistons – Toney Douglas SG Florida State
40. Charlotte Bobcats – Derrick Brown SF Xavier
41. Milwaukee Bucks - Damion James SF Texas
42. Los Angeles Lakers – Wesley Matthews SG Marquette
43. Miami Heat – Stefon Jackson SG UTEP
44. Detroit Pistons – Jerome Jordan C Tulsa
45. Minnesota Timberwolves – Jeff Adrian PF UConn
46. Cleveland Cavaliers – Goran Suton PF/C Michigan State
47. Minnesota Timberwolves – Tyrese Rice PG Boston College
48. Phoenix Suns – Craig Brackins PF Iowa State
49. Atlanta Hawks – Ben Woodside PG North Dakota State
50. Utah Jazz – Jonas Jerebko SF/PF Sweden
51. San Antonio Spurs – Danny Green SG/SF North Carolina
52. Indiana Pacers – Jeff Pendergraph PF Arizona State
53. San Antonio Spurs – Josh Heytvelt PF/C Gonzaga
54. Charlotte Bobcats – Jermaine Taylor SG Central Florida
55. Portland Trailblazers – Jack McClinton SG Miami
56. Portland Trailblazers – Jon Brockman C Washington
57. Phoenix Suns – Dante Cunningham SF/PF Villanova
58. Boston Celtics – Josh Akognon PG Cal State Fullerton
59. Los Angeles Lakers – Chris Johnson PF/C LSU
60. Miami Heat – Robert Dozier PF Memphis

Sixers have to make more moves

The Sixers enter an off-season filled with many questions marks. On the one hand, they are an above average team, with a good mix of veterans and improving young players. On the other hand, they are in that area where they are too good to get into the lottery, and too bad to make a serious run in the playoffs. Therefore, many things need to happen before we head into next season. First, we need to shake up the starting lineup a little bit. We need to go into next season with a new starter at the shooting guard and center position. Willie Green and Samuel Dalembert just cannot cut it in the starting lineup. Willie Green is a great guy, and does a lot for the community, but he is not a starting 2 guard in this league, especially for a team that wants to make it past the first round of the playoffs. The Sixers should be able to get rid of Green, he is a serviceable player. Green and Kapono are both not starters, and since Kapono is the sharp shooter, Green has to go. Samuel Dalembert is a typical basketball punk who is over-paid and will never live up to his potential. One night he will give you 20 and 20, and the next night he gives you 8 and 8 (his career average). He requested a trade, yet no team in the league would take him because Billy King gave him a 15% trade kicker... and cause he sucks. Sometime during this season, Dalembert announced that he should take more 3 pointers. He cannot even make a 10 foot jump shot. He was kicked off the Canadian National Team for being a jackass. Basically, Dalembert is a joke, and cannot be the starting center on the Sixers. I think the only way to solve this problem is to offer him a buy-out.

Next on the Sixers radar is the upcoming draft. If the Sixers do not make a move on draft night and stick with the 17th overall pick, 3 point guards come to mind: Ty Lawson, Eric Maynor, and Jeff Teague. You never know what will happen on draft night or leading up to the draft, but Stefanski is already on record stating that the Sixers will be looking for the best available guard. As the draft gets closer, we at Kotite's Corner will give an in-depth analysis on each of those three point guards and our recommendation to Stefanski. Right now, I will discuss the possibility of trading up. I believe that Ricky Rubio is going to be a great player, a player that only comes around every 3-5 years in the draft. To get him, you will have to trade up somewhere in the 2-4 pick range. As the Sixers currently stand, you have two pieces of trade bait: Andre Iguodala and Thaddeus Young. After Brand (if he ever returns to form), these are your next two best players. Problem is, they play the same position. One has to go at some point in the near future to improve this lineup for the long term. I am not sure which player currently has move value in a trade. Thaddeus Young is still raw, has an amazing upside, and is still on his rookie contract. Andre Iguodala has proven to be a great player in this league, but has a max contract. The Memphis Grizzlies expressed an interest in Iguodala last year during the free agency period, and they have the cap room to take on Iguodala's contract. Memphis also has a bad reputation with Spanish players, with Pau Gasol and Juan Carlos Navarro not working out there. Rubio has already made it known that he does not want to play in Memphis. I say we offer the 17th pick and Andre Iguodala for the 2nd overall pick and select Ricky Rubio. Rubio has the chance to be the best point guard in this draft, which is loaded with point guards. Even though Iguodala gives you the best chance to win right now, the Sixers need to shake things up, so we don't stay in the position of "middle of the pack" for years to come.

NBA Mock Draft (6/05/09)

FIRST ROUND
1. Los Angeles Clippers - Blake Griffin PF Oklahoma
2. Memphis Grizzlies – Hasheem Thabeet C UConn
3. Oklahoma City Thunder – Jordan Hill PF Arizona
4. Sacramento Kings – Ricky Rubio PG Spain
5. Washington Wizards – James Harden SG Arizona State
6. Minnesota Timberwolves – Tyreke Evans PG/SG Memphis
7. Golden State Warriors – Jrue Holiday PG/SG UCLA
8. New York Knicks – Stephen Curry PG/SG Davidson
9. Toronto Raptors – Brandon Jennings PG Italy
10. Milwaukee Bucks – Jonny Flynn PG Syracuse
11. New Jersey Nets – DeJuan Blair PF Pittsburgh
12. Charlotte Bobcats – DeMar DeRozan SG USC
13. Indiana Pacers – Gerald Henderson SG Duke
14. Phoenix Suns – Earl Clark SF Louisville
15. Detroit Pistons – James Johnson PF Wake Forest
16. Chicago Bulls – Austin Daye SF Gonzaga
17. Philadelphia 76ers – Eric Maynor PG VCU
18. Minnesota Timberwolves – B.J. Mullens C Ohio State
19. Atlanta Hawks – Ty Lawson PG UNC
20. Utah Jazz – Tyler Hansbrough PF UNC
21. New Orleans Hornets – Terrence Williams SG/SF Louisville
22. Dallas Mavericks – Jeff Teague PG Wake Forest
23. Sacramento Kings – Sam Young SF Pittsburgh
24. Portland Trailblazers – Chase Budinger SG/SF Arizona
25. Oklahoma City Thunder – Omri Casspi SF Israel
26. Chicago Bulls – Nick Calathes PG Florida
27. Memphis Grizzlies – Gani Lawal PF Georgia Tech
28. Minnesota Timberwolves – DaJuan Summers SF Georgetown
29. Los Angeles Lakers – Patrick Mills PG St. Marys
30. Cleveland Cavaliers – Wayne Ellington SG UNC

SECOND ROUND
31. Sacramento Kings - Darren Collison PG UCLA
32. Portland Trailblazers – Marcus Thornton PG/SG LSU
33. Washington Wizards – Taj Gibson PF USC
34. Denver Nuggets – Curtis Jerrells PG Baylor
35. Memphis Grizzlies - Jerel McNeal SG Marquette
36. Detroit Pistons – Dionte Christmas SG Temple
37. San Antonio Spurs – Lester Hudson SG Tennessee-Martin
38. Portland Trailblazers – A.J. Price PG UConn
39. Detroit Pistons – Toney Douglas SG Florida State
40. Charlotte Bobcats – Derrick Brown SF Xavier
41. Milwaukee Bucks - Damion James SF Texas
42. Los Angeles Lakers – Wesley Matthews SG Marquette
43. Miami Heat – Stefon Jackson SG UTEP
44. Detroit Pistons – Jerome Jordan C Tulsa
45. Minnesota Timberwolves – Jeff Adrian PF UConn
46. Cleveland Cavaliers – Goran Suton PF/C Michigan State
47. Minnesota Timberwolves – Tyrese Rice PG Boston College
48. Phoenix Suns – Craig Brackins PF Iowa State
49. Atlanta Hawks – Ben Woodside PG North Dakota State
50. Utah Jazz – Jonas Jerebko SF/PF Sweden
51. San Antonio Spurs – Danny Green SG/SF North Carolina
52. Indiana Pacers – Jeff Pendergraph PF Arizona State
53. San Antonio Spurs – Josh Heytvelt PF/C Gonzaga
54. Charlotte Bobcats – Jermaine Taylor SG Central Florida
55. Portland Trailblazers – Robert Dozier PF Memphis
56. Portland Trailblazers – Jon Brockman C Washington
57. Phoenix Suns – Dante Cunningham SF/PF Villanova
58. Boston Celtics – Josh Akognon PG Cal State Fullerton
59. Los Angeles Lakers – Chris Johnson PF/C LSU
60. Miami Heat – Jack McClinton SG Miami

Sixers Hire Eddie Jordan

Sixers hired Eddie Jordan as their next head coach. This is no surprise, because he is Stefanski's boy from their days at the Nets. Eddie Jordan has a head coaching record of 230-288 (Sacramento and Washington).

"I saw firsthand the immense impact Eddie Jordan had in helping the Nets reach two NBA Finals and as the head coach in Washington he consistently put his teams in a position to win on a nightly basis," Stefanski said Friday night. "He embodies all the qualities I was looking for in the next head coach of the Sixers and we are very excited to have him in Philadelphia."

It has been rumored that Jordan signed a multi-year deal worth about 4 million per season. The Sixers will have a news conference to announce Jordan as the next head coach sometime on Monday.

NBA Draft Lottery Re-Done

With the NBA Draft lottery tonight, we decided to go back to the years 2000-2005, and re-do the lottery picks of each of those drafts. Meaning that if the teams were to pick players today knowing what we know, who would they pick. There was one really bad draft (2000), and a really good draft (2003). There was a month long argument about who would go first overall in 2002, Yao Ming, or Amare Stoudemire. It came down to multiple tiebreakers to decide the winner of that 2002 draft. We have listed 1-14 who the teams actually should take now, with what pick that player actually was in that draft in parentheses. Current Sixers players Andre Iguodala and Lou Williams are in bold. Find out the results of our new lotteries below--

2000

Actual Top Pick: Kenyon Martin, Cincinnati

1. Michael Redd, Ohio State (43)

2. Kenyon Martin, Cincinnati (1)

3. Hedo Turkoglu, Turkey (16)

4. Jamal Crawford, Michigan (8)

5. Jamaal Magloire, Kentucky (19)

6. Mike Miller, Florida (5)

7. DeShawn Stevenson, Washington Union HS (23)

8. Quentin Richardson, DePaul (18)

9. Morris Peterson, Michigan State (21)

10. Keyon Dooling, Missouri (10)

11. Eddie House, Arizona State (37)

12. Desmond Mason, Oklahoma State (17)

13. Stromile Swift, LSU (2)

14. Eduardo Najera, Oklahoma (38)

2001

Actual Top Pick: Kwame Brown, Glynn Academy

1. Tony Parker, France (28)

2. Pau Gasol, Spain (3)

3. Joe Johnson, Arkansas (10)

4. Gilbert Arenas, Arizona (31)

5. Mehmet Okur, Turkey (38)

6. Richard Jefferson, Arizona (13)

7. Tyson Chandler, Dominguez HS (2)

8. Jason Richardson, Michigan State (5)

9. Zach Randolph, Michigan State (19)

10. Shane Battier, Duke (6)

11. Eddy Curry, Thornwood HS (4)

12. Jamaal Tinsley, Iowa State (27)

13. Troy Murphy, Notre Dame (14)

14. Gerald Wallace, Alabama (25)

2002

Actual Top Pick: Yao Ming, China

1. Yao Ming, China (1)

2. Amare Stoudemire, Cypress Creek HS (9)

3. Carlos Boozer, Duke (34)

4. Tayshaun Prince, Kentucky (23)

5. Caron Butler, UConn (10)

6. John Salmons, Miami (26)

7. Nene, Brazil (7)

8. Luis Scola, Argentina (55)

9. Udonis Haslem, Florida (Undrafted)

10. Drew Gooden, Kansas (4)

11. Mike Dunleavy Jr., Duke (3)

12. Matt Barnes, UCLA (46)

13. Roger Mason, Virginia (30)

14. Ronald Murray, Shaw (41)

2003

Actual Top Pick: LeBron James, St. Vincent-St. Mary HS

1. LeBron James, St. Vincent-St. Mary HS (1)

2. Dwyane Wade, Marquette (5)

3. Carmelo Anthony, Syracuse (3)

4. Chris Bosh, Georgia Tech (4)

5. David West, Xavier (18)

6. Josh Howard, Wake Forest (29)

7. Mo Williams, Alabama (47)

8. T.J. Ford, Texas (8)

9. Boris Diaw, France (21)

10. Leandro Barbosa, Brazil (28)

11. Mickael Pietrus, France (11)

12. Kirk Hinrich, Kansas (7)

13. Chris Kaman, Central Michigan (6)

14. Kendrick Perkins, Ozen HS (27)

2004

Actual Top Pick: Dwight Howard, Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy

1. Dwight Howard, Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy (1)

2. Al Jefferson, Prentiss High School (15)

3. Josh Smith, Oak Hill Academy (17)

4. Ben Gordon, UConn (3)

5. Devin Harris, Wisconsin (5)

6. Luol Deng, Duke (7)

7. Andre Iguodala, Arizona (9)

8. Jameer Nelson, St. Joes (20)

9. Emeka Okafor, UConn (2)

10. Delonte West. St. Joes (24)

11. Kevin Martin, Western Carolina (26)

12. J. R. Smith, St. Benedict’s Prep (18)

13. Andres Nocioni, Argentina (Undrafted)

14. Anderson Varejao, Brazil (30)

2005

Actual Top Pick: Andrew Bogut, Utah

1. Chris Paul, Wake Forest (4)

2. Deron Williams, Illinois (3)

3. Andrew Bynum, St. Joseph HS (10)

4. Danny Granger, New Mexico (17)

5. Monta Ellis, Lanier HS (40)

6. Marvin Williams, UNC (2)

7. Jose Calderon, Spain (Undrafted)

8. David Lee, Florida (30)

9. Raymond Felton, UNC (5)

10. Hakim Warrick, Syracuse (19)

11. Charlie Villanueva, UConn (7)

12. Andrew Bogut, Utah (1)

13. Lou Williams, South Gwinnett HS (45)

14. Jason Maxiell, Cincinnati (26)

Philly 4 Pack

The Eagles have been off since the mini camp, and we will next see action starting on May 20, when the rookies come in for Rookie Camp. The Eagles did announce the start of training camp, which will be July 26. Everyone is anticipating training camp, and the Eagles season to begin. The big battles this year for starting positions seem to be the following: Sean Jones vs. Quintin Demps at the safety position opposite Quintin Mikell. I know Mikell is a strong safety, and emerging as one of the best in the league, but he came into the league as a free safety, and could probably slide over there without missing a beat. However, it makes sense that you don't want to move Mikell, in which case, Jones could probably learn the free safety position by the time the season starts. Victor Abiamiri vs. Juqua Parker at the left defensive end spot should also be a good battle. Also look to see if Akeem Jordan can hold off Omar Gaither for the outside linebacker spot to start the season. On offense, it will be interesting to see how Reid lines up the Andrews brothers on the offensive line.

The Flyers are still watching the postseason from home, which is not acceptable for them. They need to make some changes this offseason. Take a look at some of things the Flyers need to do to turn things around here.

The Sixers, much like the Flyers got bounced in the 1st round of the playoffs early, but aren't in as good a position as the Flyers. The Sixers don't have much money, and are locked into some players for a lot of money and years. The Sixers also need a new coach, as interim coach Tony DiLeo stepped down, leaving the position vacant. Ed Stefanski will interview Eddie Jordan today to the spot. Doug Collins is the other name being thrown out as a serious candidate, along with Avery Johnson and Jeff Van Gundy as fringe candidates. They also need to focus on a draft, and will probably need to draft a PG that is available, as the draft is very deep in point guards.

The Phillies have not had a good week, losing two of three to the Braves and Dodgers. The pitching staff, while getting better, has still been subpar, however, the offense has gone cold. After scoring 10 last Friday, the Phillies have scored only 14 in the five games since then. The offense goes through good stretches and lulls throughout the season, and should bounce back from this. Chan Ho Park has put together two straight solid pitching performances, and Cole Hamels has looked to regain his form. However, Jaime Moyer is getting absolutely lit up every time he takes the mound. We all love Moyer; he is a Philly guy, and he finally broke through and won the World Series last year. However, it has been batting practice for the opposing team lately hitting off of him. The bullpen has not been that great either lately, and will need to get better, especially Brad Lidge, who has been giving up a lot of runs this year. The Phillies play four this weekend against the Nationals, with Happ getting his first start of the year on Saturday during the double-header. The Phillies are 16-16, two games back of the first place Mets.

Philly 4 Pack

Let's start with the Eagles, who as we have mentioned had what seemed like a very good draft. Right now, the Eagles are better on paper than they were at the end of last season. Not only that, they put themselves in a good situation for next year's draft by having a lot of picks to work with, which you know they love. Time will tell if the draft pick's and acquisitions actually work out, but it seems like most are happy with the moves. I am a little nervous about Jeremy Maclin, and his ability to contribute right away, and learn the offense. Since he played in a spread offense in college, his numbers are a little inflated, and he has never done a lot of the stuff he will be asked to do on the Eagles. The Eagles just completed a successful mini camp, and the next thing on the horizon for them is Rookie Camp, which begins on May 20.

The Flyers are watching the rest of the NHL playoffs from their TV's, and the golf course. Recently, the Flyers have shown some interest in goaltender Ray Emery, formerly of the Ottawa Senators, and most recently playing in Russia. Emery is a little bit of a head case, but is only 26 years old. The Flyers definitely have some decisions to make at the goaltender position this offseason as both Biron and Niittymaki are free agents. Biron is a little bit above average, but nothing special, while it seems like the Flyers do not have the same high hopes they once had for Niittymaki. The Flyers also need to add a good, young defenseman like Joy Bouwmeester of the Panthers. Look for the Flyers to dangle Danny Briere and Simon Gagne as trade bait to see what they could get for them.

The Sixers, much like the Flyers are watching the NBA playoffs from home. The Sixers are in a bad situation right now, with a lot of money tied up in certain players, and thus not much room to make any moves. They have a lot of money and years invested in Iguodala, Brand, and Dalembert. Dalembert really should not be a starter for this team, and I would love to see him not on this team. Willie Green should also not be a starter. Lots of rumors going on right now about trading Iguodala, possibly for Tracy McGrady. Andre Miller, who may have been the best player down the stretch for the Sixers, will most certainly not be on the team next season, which means the Sixers need to address a point guard for the future, along with a big man.

The Phillies are in first place in the NL East, but are not really winning conventionally or easily. The pitching staff, mostly the starters have continued to struggle. Chan Ho Park finally had a very good outing last night in a 1-0 loss to the Mets. Let's hope he can build off of that good start. Brett Myers has flat out not been very good. Jaime Moyer is what he is, which is an average starting pitcher. Cole Hamels, despite leaving the last two games with minor injuries, looks like he is getting better with each start. The offense has been strong, and is the main reason that the Phillies are in first place. The Phillies have scored the 3rd most runs in the NL, and are doing it without much contribution from leadoff hitter Jimmy Rollins. Once Rollins gets going, look out. The Phillies sit at 14-11, with a 1 game lead over the Marlins in the NL East.