Turnovers are limiting Michael Carter-Williams' development

Check out the original article, from Philly.com, here.
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“My bad,” Michael Carter-Williams mouthed to his teammates, tapping his chest and turning around to get back on defense after he had inadvertently directed the ball out of bounds on a drive to the basket.

The Sixers were facing the struggling Charlotte Hornets on a Friday night in Philadelphia, a game they would eventually drop, and it was Carter-Williams’ third turnover of the first half. While that particular turnover, in the first half of a game in mid-December, wasn’t particularly important, it was representative of a larger issue.

Throwback Evan Turner towel

The Sixers once gave these away at a game. I kept it as a reminder of what could have been, or something.

Sixers teaching leadership lessons to Joel Embiid

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There is only so much that Joel Embiid can do physically as he rehabs his right foot following surgery to repair a broken navicular bone. He can’t put pressure on the foot, he can’t run, and he of course can’t yet participate in any sort of contact activities.

In other words, the young center from the University of Kansas has a lot of time to fill while he is unable to play the game he has grown to love. Luckily, his head coach, Brett Brown, has no shortage of ideas of worthwhile things for his prized pick to do in his down time to help him prepare for professional play.

“We’ve been showing him tape of Al Jefferson, Tim Duncan, some of the great post players, getting him familiar with the rules, and working on his shot,” Brown replied excitedly to TrueHoop’s Henry Abbott when asked what they had been doing with Embiid short of on-court activity.

If you remember, Nerlens Noel spent a huge chunk of his sidelined time last season working on his shooting touch; before games, during practice, after practice. Noel was constantly trying to improve upon his touch, and the work has been evident in his shooting stroke this season. Embiid, who already has a more polished shooting stroke and offensive arsenal than Noel, will benefit from similar work.

Complete list of NBA players that have torn their ACL since 1970

If seems like several times a season we are subject to prominent NBA players injuring their ACL's, and missing a chunk of time as a result. The player's ability to get back to full-form after such an injury is always a concern, especially in older players, and it can be a scary sight to see.

Now, thanks to The ACL Recovery Club, we have a complete compiled list of all NBA players that have torn their ACL since 1970.

Check out the list below:

Image via @ACLrecoveryCLUB

Rookie of the Year award now Andrew Wiggins' to win

Check out the original article from Philly.com, here.

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These young guys can't catch a break. 

The 2014 NBA Draft was one of the most highly-hyped drafts in recent memory. The depth of its talent pool drew comparisons to the famed ’84 and ’96 drafts as it seemed to be bursting with potential stars. There were several players who could have been the top pick in other drafts, scouts said, as there were several worthy candidates.

With so much young talent bursting onto the scene, the Rookie of the Year race was sure to be a memorable one, with a pack of young players battling it out throughout the season to get their hands on some inaugural hardwood, or so we assumed.

Almost two months into the 2014-15 NBA season however, the reality is slightly different, as injury issues have ravaged the 2014 draft class.

K.J. McDaniels block causes a concussion

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Fans attending NBA games have relatively little to worry about. They don’t generally have to be concerned with objects flying at their face like in baseball, and they aren’t subject to Mother Nature as most attending NFL games are.

Aside from another Ron Artest-like event, NBA fans haven’t had too much impinge on their live enjoyment of the game. Then came K.J. McDaniels.

Image from Yahoo.com

McDaniels, who was selected by the Sixers in the second round of the 2014 NBA Draft, is quickly becoming a fan favorite in Philadelphia, due largely to his ability to block and alter shots as a perimeter player. 

McDaniels leads all rookies with 1.57 blocks per game, and he is able to energize a crowd with the sheer ferocity of his blocks. This is good news for the Sixers, who were happy to secure someone so defensively dedicated in the second round. It may not be great news for those attending Sixers games however, as McDaniels’ blocks apparently cause actual injury.

On one particular play in Toronto in November, McDaniels found himself as a weak-side help defender as Raptors’ point guard Greivis Vasquez drove down the lane to the basket.

McDaniels came across the paint as Vasquez went up with the shot and volleyball-spiked it out of bounds. It looked cool, but apparently the block caused a concussion upon impact!

“I surprised myself,” McDaniels told Sports Illustrated’s Rob Mahoney of the block. “There was a lady who got hit by the ball who got a concussion, I believe,” McDaniels said.

 Ouch. Imagine that. You’re just sitting there minding your business, catching some casual NBA basketball on a Sunday, and next thing you know you get the ball spiked at your head with such velocity that is causes a concussion.

Upon hearing of the result of his highlight-reel block, McDaniels sent flowers to the woman.

Here is video of the block:

Michael Carter-Williams left off of ESPN's top 25 under 25 list

Check out the original article, from Philly.com, here.
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Recently, ESPN released a list ranking the top 25 players in the NBA under the age of 25. The list was chalk full of young studs and franchise cornerstones like Anthony Davis, Demarcus Cousins, John Wall, Kyrie Irving, and Paul George, as well as up-and-comers like Andrew Wiggins, Dante Exum, and Julius Randle.

Even Sixers center Joel Embiid, who has yet to suit up this season, cracked the list. He was featured fairly highly, number 14, for someone yet to play professionally. ESPN supported their placement of Embiid by pointing to his potential.

                “Embiid projects to be a tremendous two-way player with great size and agility combined with genuine passion to compete. He has all the markings of a true franchise center, though long-term health is an issue.”

Injury issues aside, Embiid’s play during his short stint at Kansas earned him a lot of respect. Also from ESPN:

Image from slamonline.com

                “He hasn’t played a game and is recovering from injury, but his placement this high should speak to how respected his talent level is. I’ve never seen a player improve as much in as short a time as Embiid did during his short collegiate career.”

Such high praise for the young man is a solid sign for the Sixers.

Embiid however was the only Sixer represented on the list. Noticeably left off of it was reigning Rookie of the Year, Michael Carter-Williams, as well as Nerlens Noel. 

Noel, only 21 games into his career may not have yet shown enough to solidify a spot. 

Carter-Williams however is coming off of an impressive rookie campaign that highlighted the versatility of his game, and is continuing his solid play into his second season. Carter-Williams is currently sixth in the NBA in assists per game, despite not having the world’s most talented teammates to dish it off to.

At 23 with only a single season under his belt, Carter-Williams is a bit older than some others on the list. Like the others however, he also has a lot of time for improvement, and in a little over a season he has proven to be one of the league’s top young talents, list or no list.

Andrei Kirilenko trade smart for Sixers

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Regardless of if Andrei Kirilenko plays a single second for the Sixers this season, the trade the team made to acquire him from Brooklyn was a smart move.

For Brooklyn the move was all about shedding salary. The Nets are desperately trying to trade away some salary and potentially gain back some assets, as the franchise’s immediate future looks bleak at this point. Kirilenko, 33, is in the final year of a $3.3 million contract, and the Nets save close to $12 million in luxury tax by unloading him.

In return, the SIxers also received Jorge Guitterez, a 2020 second round pick, cash considerations, and the right to swap 2018 second-round picks. That is a pretty sizable haul, and all it cost the Sixers was a fringe-NBA player in Brandon Davies.

Sixers/Nets discussing trade involving Andrei Kirilenko

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The Sixers have a lot of salary cap space, and according to Yahoo’s Adrian Wojnarowski they are trying to use some of it.

Image from rt.com

According to Wojnarowski, the Sixers are working on a deal with the Nets that would send forward Andrei Kirilenko, who is in the final year of a $3.3 million contract, to Philadelphia.

Unloading Kirilenko’s contract would save Brooklyn close to $12 million in luxury tax, as the team is desperately trying to shed some salary. 

Kirilenko, 33, would be waived by the Sixers.

For the Sixers, the deal would be all about what else they would get in return for taking on Kirilenko’s contract. Wojnarowski reports that the Nets would send a second-round pick along with Kirilenko, and we all know Sam Hinkie is a fan of those second-round picks.

Who the Sixers would send back to Brooklyn is still being discussed, although it would likely be a player on a non-guaranteed contract.

Robert Covington is emerging for the struggling Sixers

Check out the original article in its entirety from Philly.com, here.
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One of the biggest benefits of the Sixers’ current approach to rebuilding is the team’s ability to try out talent for future fit. By taking the emphasis off of individual game results in the present, the Sixers can use their 240 minutes of allotted court time each game to test out and evaluate players; a luxury that contending teams with set rotations cannot afford.

The evaluation through experience allows players an opportunity to show their stuff in the guts of games, not just against backups in the fringe minutes allotted to some young, developing players. Although not all players are able to take advantage of the opportunity. Some play, aren’t seen to be a franchise fit, and are sent on their way. Remember Lorenzo Brown? Dewayne Dedmon? Darius Morris?

Joel Embiid and Steven Adams make a normal-sized man look really small

Joel Embiid and Steven Adams are tall. The man standing directly between them while they were having a post-game chat after the Thunder bested the Sixers in Philadelphia, is not.

Photo taken by Michael Kaskey-Blomain

In reality, the man, who looked very surprised to have his picture taken, was probably of average height. He was just dwarfed by the two NBA big men.

Michael Carter-Williams is putting up some big numbers

Check out the original article from Philly.com, here.
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After a shaky start to his sophomore season, Michael Carter-Williams has been playing some much better ball as of late, and he has been posting some solid statistics.

Image from USAtoday.com

The reigning Rookie of the Year missed the first seven games of the season after being sidelined all summer following shoulder surgery, and his slow start can likely be attributed to rust and getting acclimated to new teammates. Whatever the reason, the Sixers, winners of two out of their last three games – yes you read that right – have been benefiting from Carter-Williams’ return to form and his improved play.

Over the past five games, Carter-Williams set a career-high in assists with 16, had a triple-double once, and flirted with another four times. Over that span he averaged 19.6 points, 12.2 assists, nine rebounds and two steals per contest, while looking much more comfortable on the court and in control of the offense. 

“I’m getting that feeling back,” he stated after a game last week, before crediting his teammates for his increasing assist numbers.

“[My teammates] are doing a great job,” he explained. “They’re getting to the rim, finishing, knocking down shots.”

The emergence of Robert Covington has helped. Covington, who was the top pick of the most recent D-League Draft, has averaged 21 points per over the past three, and shown himself to be a legitimate offensive option.

“They’re in the right position,” Carter-Williams continued. “My job is just to find them when they’re open.”

Carter-Williams makes it sound easy, but pioneering the struggling Sixers has been a challenge, especially for someone that ‘hates losing’ like Carter-Williams often says he does. 

Check out the rest of the article here. 

The Sixers love narrowly avoiding the history books

On March 30th, the Sixers defeated Detroit for their first win in 27 attempts.

Had the Sixers lost that Saturday game to the Pistons, they would have broken the record for the longest losing streak in NBA history. Instead, with a win, the Sixers only tied the record for longest losing streak and thus are not all alone in bad NBA-team history books. 

Image from thesportsquotent.com

At the start of this season, the Sixers appeared to be well on their way to setting the NBA record for most consecutive losses to start a season. However, after starting 0-17, the Sixers took down Minnesota in the game that would have tied them for the most consecutive losses to start a season in NBA history. 

That's two seasons in a row that the Sixers have been able to narrowly avoid ending up on the wrong end of the NBA's history books. Pretty impressive. 

The best part about it is that in a few years when the Sixers have climbed back into contention, the won't hold the distinction of being historically terrible; just regularly bad. 

Kemba's killer crossover

Kemba Walker possess one of the best crossovers in the NBA today. Hands down. There's no debate. You could argue about his ability as a pure point guard, or squabble about his shot, but when it comes to his crossover, there is no argument. The thing is lethal. Just ask Nikola Mirotic.



Cold.

Kemba's cross is one of the few good things the Hornets have going for them this season, as the newly-named Charlotte squad is struggling mightily with the addition of Lance Stephenson.

Walker's crossover on Mirotic gave me terrible flashbacks of a certain Big East Tournament game a few years back (Pitt fan over here).

Ironically enough, I watched this go down while in Charlotte to catch a Bobcats vs. Bulls game. Four years and a higher level of competition later, nice to see that Walker is still crossing cats, and that Gary Mcghee, poor Gary Mcghee, was far from the only victim.

2015 NBA All-Star jerseys unveiled

The 2015 NBA All-Star jerseys were released by Adidas today, and they are.. simple. 

2015 NBA East All-Star Jersey

2015 NBA West All-Star Jersey

The jerseys have a nice, crisp look. I'm a fan of the minimalist approach. 

Running down the side of the jerseys are five separate stars, each representing one of New York City's five boroughs: 

Last but not least, the jerseys will feature the full name of each player on the back, both above and below the number. The back of the jerseys will look like this: 

Not bad. They're no '96 All-Star uni's, but they are an improvement over recent years. 

*All images from Adidas & the NBA. 

Philadelphia 76ers become first NBA team to partner with DraftKings

Via the Sixers: 

PHILADELPHIA, PA – DECEMBER 2, 2014 – The Philadelphia 76ers today announced that DraftKings, Inc. is the team’s Official Daily Fantasy Game Partner. DraftKings, a United States-based company, offers fans a variety of daily and weekly fantasy sports contests for cash prizes, with awards immediately following each game.

With the announcement, the Sixers become DraftKings' first NBA partner.

Sixers Chief Executive Officer Scott O’Neil and DraftKings Chief Executive Officer Jason Robins will formally discuss the partnership and announce an interactive contest for fans during a press conference on Tuesday, December 2 at The Center (arena bowl) starting at 11:15 a.m. Sixers legend Darryl Dawkins will also attend and participate in the announcement.

“There is incredible opportunity emerging in the fantasy gaming market, and we are proud to be the first NBA team to align with DraftKings,” said Sixers Chief Executive Officer Scott O’Neil. 

“DraftKings is on the cutting edge of the industry, boldly moving their business forward while taking intelligent risks – philosophies that embody the work we strive to accomplish every day at the Sixers. Today marks yet another step forward for us as we continue to revolutionize our partnerships, online offerings and fan engagement.”

”DrafKings is pleased to be aligned with one of the league’s flagship franchises, the 76ers, as our first NBA partner,” said DraftKings CEO Jason Robins. “They are a remarkably well-run organization with incredibly entrenched fans, whom we are looking forward to exciting with our daily fantasy contests, experiences, and awards."

Through the partnership, DraftKings becomes the presenting partner of several of the team’s digital platforms, including the Sixers’ official website,SIXERS.COM; Sixers Sixth Man E-News (SIGN UP HERE); and mobile application (DOWNLOAD HERE).

DraftKings will also present the Sixers Radio Broadcast, featuring long-time Sixers voice Tom McGinnis on flagship station 97.5 The Fanatic (WPEN) and additional radio partners 97.3 ESPN South Jersey (WENJ), Sports Radio 1470 AM Allentown (WSAN), ESPN 1050 AM in Williamsport, WPDC AM 1600 in Elizabethtown, The Voice 830 AM (WEEU) and 103.1 FM State College.

For more information, contact Sixers Public Relations at 215-339-7666 or draftkings@famapr.com.

Carmelo Anthony should have signed with the Chicago Bulls

Carmelo Anthony was apparently very close to signing with the Chicago Bulls this past summer. He eventually ended up staying in New York, but a case can be made that he should have signed with Chicago.

The Bulls as currently constructed, even without Carmelo, are one of the East's top teams, and along with the Cavaliers, are the favorites to represent the Eastern Conference in the NBA Finals. The Knicks on the other hand, aren't.

Image edit from balloverall.com

The Bulls' biggest issue remains consistent perimeter production. Jimmy Butler has emerged as a on-the-verge All-Star this season, and has greatly helped with the perimeter production. Still though, Anthony's offensive output would provide the Bulls' with an aspect of attack that they haven't had since the arrival of Derrick Rose. If 'Melo had signed with Chicago, the Bulls starting lineup would likely look like this:  

PG: Derrick Rose (when healthy)
SG: Jimmy Butler
SF: Carmelo Anthony
PF: Pau Gasol
C: Joakim Noah

That is an extremely formidable five. Throw in the Bulls' bench, which is decently deep, and you have one heck of a team with both ends of the floor accounted for. Butler and Noah could be the defensive dynamos, while Anthony and Gasol got buckets on the offensive end.

You can't fault a player for wanting to stick with his city or squad, as Anthony did, but you also can't fault fans for wondering just how good the Bulls could have been with the addition of Anthony.

Dario Saric named Euroleague MVP for the month of November

Some good news for the Sixers, sort of. At least their lottery pick is playing well.. elsewhere.

Image from standingosports.com

Saric was named Euroleague MVP for the month of November with averages of 15.5 points and 7.7 rebounds per contest. He is the youngest player ever to receive the monthly Euroleague award.

Saric isn't expected to come over to join the Sixers for at least two seasons, despite the fact that they could certainly use his on-court contributions.

Check out some more coverage of Saric's award from the Sixers, and from Philly.com.

Sixers force and commit a lot of turnovers

Check out the entire article, from Philly.com, here.
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The Sixers are far from one of the NBA’s best teams on paper, but they have also been sabotaging their own best efforts at competing with tons of turnovers.

It is often believed in basketball that the team that controls the turnover battle puts themselves in the best position to win the game, and the Sixers have been doing the exact opposite.

15 games into the second season of their rebuild, the Sixers, who remain winless on the season, lead the league in turnovers per game with 17.3. On the opposite end of the spectrum, the New Orleans Pelicans commit the fewest turnovers per game league-wide with only 10.5 per game. Considering how much the Sixers struggle to score, they cannot afford to waste so many possessions.

Although the Sixers’ struggles don’t end with their turnovers, they certainly don’t help the cause. In addition to committing the most turnovers per game, the Sixers also possess the league’s worst assist-to-turnover ratio at 1.16. In other words, for every turnover they commit, the Sixers are averaging only 1.16 assists. 

Check out the rest of the article here.