Friday, December 22, 2006

Iverson's Debut Tonight

The Answer's first game with The Nuggets is still on hold since Andre Miller has not been able to leave Denver due to the Snow Storms. If Miller arrives in time to Philly and passess his physical early enough for AI to dress up for Denver we will get a chance to see what the future brings for the West. Expect AI to be a little passive during the first quarter or so, then this dude will get his.. I predict AI will dish out 9 assists, get 4 steals and score 27 points.

This is the begining of a new era in Denver professional sports. An Era that will soon lead to tittle contention. Good luck AI....You deserve to play for a real team and a real coach.

I read today that the Sixers will brong back Larry Brown for some front office duties. Billy King (the worst GM in pro sports) has finnaly admitted he can't do his work. For the team's sake, I would fire both King and Cheeks and name Larry Brown head coach, GM,Team President and ball boy.

Wednesday, December 20, 2006

SADDEST DAY IN SIXER HISTORY

THE SADDEST DAY IN SIXER HISTORY.

DENVER HAS THE ANSWER.


Yesterday at about 5:30 PM I became a Denver Fan. I went through a roller coaster of emotions. After loving the sixers for the last 11 years, the best little man to ever play the game was traded to Denver and so were my dreams of an Allen Iverson led championship in Philly. As sad as it is, I am feeling better today. AI goes to a real team with real coaching and ownership, team with two superstars that have a chip on their shoulder.

During the Iverson Era, the sixers were my life. The first thing I did every morning including during the off-season, was read the Philly papers online (I’m from Puerto Rico). I know everything there is to know about the sixers. I know a lot of their fans, the media and the organization. Now it’s off to Denver…Let’s see what happens.
A few thoughts on Billy King before I focus on Denver.

Billy King: Worst GM in Professional Sports
You are a liar and seem to not really understand the game. For the past 5 years you have done everything you could do to kill this team. The fans hate you and you will be out of a Job soon. You should have fired yourself a while ago. Thanks for the Huge Dalambert Contract, the Huge Korver contract, The trade for a one legged C-Webb and for signing Kevin Ollie a million times. Thanks for trying to make us Believe Willie Green was the next AI, For bringing the best Assistant Coach Ever Mo Cheeks, For firinf Jim O’brien, For being Larry Browns pet and for doing nothing during last summer when you knew this team sucked. Thanks Billy…Thanks

Now…..
GO NUGGETS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Can you say Western Conference Champs…Maybe not yet. Contrary to what ESPN experts are saying, with AI the Nuggets can compete with the West’s Elite. Amare will get injured soon and Dallas and San Antonio can’t guard both AI and Melo… I will keep you posted.

Wednesday, December 13, 2006

GREAT JOB BILL SIMMONS

ASIDE FROM THE ARTICLES I HAVE WRITTEN ABOUT AI, BILL SIMMONS HAS WRITTEN A MASTERPIECE FOR ESPN.COM...I TOTALLY RECOMEND IT....
HERE IS AN EXCERPT.


There's another aspect to Iverson's brilliance, something the ESPN guys tried to describe last night: Quite simply, he's the most menacing player in the league. There's just something different about him, a darker edge that the other stars don't have. Once I was sitting midcourt at the Fleet Center when Iverson was whistled for a technical, yelped in disbelief, then followed the referee toward the scorer's table and screamed, "[Bleep] you!" at the top of his lungs. The official whirled around and pulled his whistle toward his mouth for a second technical.

GOODBYE AI




THOUGHTS ON THE IVERSON TRADE




END OF MANY DREAMS

AI will be gone soon and so will the dreams of many of us who have loved watching the best little man the NBA has ever seen.
If you are a true Iverson fan you probably feel the way I do. You know how hard it is for him to leave Philly and how much he loves his teammates. If you have been there since day one, you understand that this is much more than a player switching teams.

On the night the 76ers drafter Iverson, a new era began. The Iverson ERA… The small franchise player that took the city and the league by storm did everything from breaking Jordan to having five 40 point games during his “rookie of the year” season. He was known for not loving practice and for shooting a lot but his heart and determination were never questioned. He was almost traded a couple of times; once to the Pistons and a couple of times to the Clippers. He was the League MVP and led his team to the finals in 2001. He fought publicly with Larry Brown and was team USA’s leader in the 2004 Olympics.
That said, Iverson’s departure will mean more to me than people will ever understand. Am I a Philly fan or an Iverson fan? Will I root for the team that trades for AI?



Iverson leaving will mean forgetting the hopes of an Iverson led championship for the City of Philadelphia. It will mean that AI will not retire as a Sixer, something he always wanted to do.
Today I hate the 76ers administration more than ever.
Thanks Billy King for killing this team.
Thanks Billy King for not surrounding AI with enough talent to compete.
Thanks for lying to us about “changing the culture” of the team.
Billy and Ed Snider should fire themselves.

Tuesday, October 31, 2006

THE WAIT IS OVER

Here we go! It’s here! The New season begins today.
Here are my predictions for both conference standings...

East, Top 8.
Cleveland
Miami
Chicago
Detroit
Washington
Indiana
Philadelphia
New Jersey

West, Top 8
Dallas
San Antonio
Phoenix
Denver
Sacramento
Houston
Los Angeles L
Los Angeles C

MVP: LeBron James
Rookie: Brandon Roy
6th man: Kyle Korver
Most Improved: Jameer Nelson
Coach of the Year: George Karl
Assists: Nash
Scoring: Allen Iverson
Rebounds: Dwight Howard
Blocks: Samuel Dalambert

Finals: Dallas vs. Cleveland
Champions: Dallas Maverics

Monday, October 09, 2006

Startin 5

We all know what went down in Barcelona the other day. Not prety at all.
I do want to coment on the sixer's starting 5.

AI
AI2
Willie Green
C-Webb
Dalambert.

If this group could really learn to play together they would be special.
This will be Sammy's breakout season. Trust me on this one. Barring injuries, Dalambert will average at least 10 boards and will lead the league in blocks.
C-Webb looked good on thursday. His shot is in midseason form and moved around well. Willie Green got off to a good start and was benched after stupid fouls.
Iguodala looked like the Iggy of allways. Dunking and taking long shots. He should try to stop stealing the ball from guys and just stop them.
You all know what I think about AI, the best little man ever. His scoring average should drop to about 27pts per game, in order for his cast to be happy and play defense.

I won't bull anyone, I'm not the happiest fan with this team. Billy Queen made no siginificant moves to help the team out. This year's free agent class wasn't amazing but there was everything we needed. Ben Wallace would have made us champs. Al Harington would have helped, Bonzi Wells, Ruben Patterson and others could have improved our team significantly.

To be honest, I have been more than pesimistic about this team. I visit a sixsers forum at philly.com every day and read how "fans" are so down on the sixers that are even hoping they lose. I coud never do that. I think of the Red Sox Fans who never quit on their team. Yes, they suffered many years of mediocrity but they were true fans.
Unless a miracle happens, I don't see a championship in our near future. Our young guys aren't that good and our stars are old. But I am a sixer fan. I will watch everygame this season, including preseason. I will get ulcers, I will feel sick from time to time, but I will live every game... I will enjoy watching AI....

Friday, September 29, 2006

Training Camp Roster...depressing

1. Allen Iverson
2. Chris Webber
3. Andre Iguodala
4. Kyle Korver
5. Samuel Dalambert
6. Rodney Carney
7. Bobby Jones
8. Kevin Olie
9.Steven Hunter
10.Shavlik Randolph
11.Willie Green
12. Allan Henderson
13.Ivan Macfarlin
14. Louis Williams

Thanks Billy Queen for creating this amazing roster. Thanks for giving us fans something to look forward to.

Friday, September 22, 2006

Rodney Carney




I was amazed to see how Rodney Carney believes he is the sixer’s answer to their defensive problems. The funiest thing was that he said he was getting to “really practice his defense” on Kyle Korver. Just for a second...yes Kyle can shoot like no one, but he has no speed, can’t jump, doesn’t drive to the hole and is noones' nightmare on the ofensive end. Mr. Carney...get real, you wanna practice your defense, try running around after Iverson for 48 mins or get Kobe’s address and try stopping him. A report on him by David Aldrige said that Carney played tremendous defense on Reddik and Morison...wiat a minute! two white guys with no athleticism...so that’s why he’s practicing with Korver.
PLEASE... I love my team...but man we are going no where with this kind of fool.

Monday, September 11, 2006

Great Move Billy..

Billy king just signed two players that are probably no better than Shavlik Randolph. These guys will most likely take minutes away from Randolph, thus preventing his improvement.

I think our GM/President is insane. He promised a change in culture and has given us nothing. I can't belive AI or C-Webb aren't going public with their frustration. Unless we get a decent point guard and a solid defensive forward we will not be a great team.

In other News I'm as sad as I could be for Pau Gasol. Pau made me a believer last year and had a great run at the World games. He will miss 4 months due to his injury. I wish him the best and hope he gets well and comes back just as agressive.

Sunday, September 03, 2006

Problem Solving

Team USA didn't win the gold. The Problem...too many ball hogs. You wanna win the gold, you have two options
1. Send the reigning NBA Champs.
2. Sent this team

Starters:
Allen Iverson
Kobe Bryant
Carmelo Anthony
Kevin Garnet
Amare Stoudamire

Bench.
Ben Wallace
Jarred Jeffries
Mike Miller
Tayshaun Prince
Bruce Bowen
Antoine Walker
Andre Iguodala

We need a selfless bench. Comming off the Bench is a gift. You can't expect guys like Lebron and D-Wade to come off the bench and be great. Not gonna happen...

Sunday, August 20, 2006

World Games

My good friend Gaby, an attorney from Mayaguez, PR, called me the other day and told me that I was too biased on my blog, that I should be more open an less direct with my expressions. Well, its my blog… But he does have a point. I shouldn’t try to stick the sixers and team USA down people’s throats. Gaby was referring to my post on team USA. I do think that TEAM USA will win the World Basketball Tournament in Japan. I think it’s the best team and should coast through the tournament with no major problems.
Also watch for Spain and Team Puerto Rico to provide some tough competition.
I was at the Dentist’s office the other day…Rough experience… When I was in the waiting room I began to talk basketball with an old friend of my father. A great guy that played pro ball in Puerto Rico and follows the NBA a little. He said that team USA would not win because it didn’t have good big men. Is he crazy? Elton Brand, Chris Bosh, Dwight Howard and last time I checked Brad Miller was still on the squad. There is no weakness at the 4 or at the 5. Then he said the usual international basketball clichés: Now the world is not afraid of the dream team and international basketball is a different game and bla, bla, bla, bla, bla. Of course the international game is different. Of course there are great international players. Of course there are the Nowitzki’s, the Nash’s and the Stojakovic’s. And yes Gaby…The Carlos Arroyo’s. But let’s face it, Melo, Wade and LeBron will bring home the gold.

USA vs PR.
I gotta say Puerto Rico, one of my Home teams and my favorite team, played a solid game. After loosing to the US in the practice game by 45 points they kept this game close and Mr. Carlos Arroyo, of the Orlando Magic showed he is a great international force. Team US played SORRY defense. The Puerto Ricans scored very easily. I hope coach K had a nice talk about that. Again.

Sunday, August 13, 2006

Billy, Don't do it...

There are some things that I believe even Billy King is not capable of doing. Giving away Chris Webber is one of them. I would be totaly crushed if a rumor I read about yesterday came out to be true. The rumor that is going around is that C-Webb will be traded to the Knicks for Mo Taylor, Malik Rose and Quentin Richardson. Let's break things down a bit.

Webber was traded to the sixers for 3 players, Skinner, Thomas and Williamson. These players are all better than the 3 Billy is willing to take for Webber now. Can someone explain.

Before I continue, I gotta say I'm sick of people saying, especially those gifted ESPN reporters and analysts that C-Webb and AI can't play together. Hello...That was the highest scoring duo in the NBA last year. Some fools, especially those who do not read my blog also say that C-Webb has nothing left. Let me say that I watched every shot C-Webb took last year and he still has a lot of game in him. He can still score on anyone and still gets 10 rebounds a game. How can you say he had a bad season when he managed to put his career numbers, 20 and 10?

The sixers still struggled last year but let me give you a stat. The sixers lost 80% of their games by 5 points or less. The sixers were winning most of those games until the last 2 minutes when Mo Cheeks failed to make key decisions.

The Sixers are a good team that lost a lot of games due to poor coaching. The complete coaching staff sucks. I know a lot of you won't agree but the sixers ARE ONE PLAYER AWAY FROM BEING GREAT. And no I don't mean Jordan in his prime. We need a SF that can play tough defense and score 12 points a night. Korver will score 12 points but the guy couldn't play defense if his mother's life depended on it.

Billy King... Please don't trade C-Webb for "no ones" and "has beens". Get a SF that can play D and we will be set.

Thursday, August 10, 2006

DREAM TEAM

USA Basketball:

Team USA looks as good as it has ever looked. It is beating its opponents the way the original Dream Team in Barcelona 92 did. What has changed? How is this team different from the one that represented the US during the last summer games in Athens?
First, the players are more committed to the TEAM. After being embarrassed by teams like Puerto Rico who does not have an NBA starter on its team, USA basketball has stressed pride and is playing every game like an NBA finals game. Second, many of the players that were on the Athens squad have matured. Melo, LeBron and D-Wade have a lot of NBA games on their backs, including in Wade’s case an NBA championship. Those 3 guys are really giving the team an impressive effort. Third, the coaching has been great. Larry Brown gave us a chance to see how the best coach in the NBA could be the worst coach in international basketball. He began his Olympic quest by punishing Iverson and LeBron for being 5 minutes late for a practice, yes a practice. He was also reluctant on playing the young guys and had many confrontations with other players like Marbury, Okafor and Carmelo.

Everyone who frequently visits this blog knows how I feel about Mr. Collangelo and Coach K. If you have just joined my show, I hate them….They left Allen Iverson out of the team, when the guy said he really wanted to play for the team. As I have said before, AI was the only player to show up during the last Olympics even playing injured. He deserves to play for team USA. He is playing better than ever and even if he was on a wheelchair they should let him play. I can think of many words that can summarize my thoughts such as lack of loyalty, integrity, respect, uprightness and decency etc.

Having said that, I believe that this new team will make us all proud to be Americans****. It will allow us to laugh at teams when they get their assess kicked by 40 or more points. What’s more American than that?

Last week my Puerto Rican team got crushed by the Dream Team. A painful experience for everyone playing for PR and for those of us who watched.

**** For those of you with little knowledge of History, Geography, Civics and Politics, Puerto Rico is a Commonwealth of the United States. Puerto Ricans are Americans since 1917.

Tuesday, August 08, 2006

06-07 schedule

The Philadelphia 76ers will tip off the 2006-07 campaign on Wednesday, Nov. 1, at the Wachovia Center against the Atlanta Hawks (7 pm). The Sixers 82-game, regular season schedule features 15 nationally televised games, including eight on ESPN and seven on NBA-TV.The Sixers nationally televised games on ESPN include road match-ups at Phoenix (Nov. 17), at Chicago (Dec. 6), at Dallas (Dec. 15), at Boston (Dec. 22) and home games versus Cleveland (Jan. 26), New Jersey (March 4) and Houston (March 18). The 2006-07 schedule includes 22 sets of back-to-back games, including five sets in the month of December. The 76ers will travel out West twice for at least three games. The longest road-trip of the year takes place during December’s holiday season when the team heads West for a seven-game, 11-day road trip as Disney On Ice presents Princess Wishes at the Wachovia Center from Tuesday, Dec. 26 through Sunday, Jan. 7.Among other highly anticipated match-ups throughout the regular season:
The Sixers host defending 2006 NBA Champion Miami Heat twice at the Wachovia Center (Nov. 5 and Jan. 19).
The Cleveland Cavaliers and LeBron James visit Philadelphia twice, including a nationally televised game on Friday, Jan. 26 (ESPN) and the 2006-07 regular season home finale on Tuesday, April 17.
The 76ers host a 2 p.m. matinee against the Toronto Raptors in celebration of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day (Jan. 15).
Philadelphia will welcome Western Conference powerhouses San Antonio (Jan. 21), Dallas (Feb. 11), Phoenix (Feb. 28), and L.A. Lakers (March 9). Of the team’s first 33 games in 2006-07, 22 will be played on the road. The Sixers will enjoy a seven-game home stand from Feb. 2-21, part of a 15-game stretch that includes 13 games at the Wachovia Center. Each season the Sixers play an Eastern Conference opponent from outside the Atlantic Division only three-times. In 2006-07, the Sixers will face the Central Division Chicago Bulls (2 home/1 road) and the Southeast Division Washington Wizards (2 home/1 road).

Courtesy of www.sixers.com

Thursday, August 03, 2006

I smell something


I really don't know what it is, but something is going down in Philly soon. There is no way Billy King will keep his job if he doesn't make a significant move to make the team relevant again. The schedule just came out for next season. I have heard many complain about the sixers schedule. I understand that most of the first 30 games are on the road but other than that...Does it really matter? The east has gotten even stronger this off season. The Bulls are certainly something to watch and yet our GM hasn't made a significant move to improve the team.
What moves can he still make?
1. Zach Randolph: The Blazer forward is not happy in Portland and Sixer coach Mo Cheeks loves his game. The sixers should try something that could involve Dalambert and Korver.
2. Carlos Boozer: There have been rumors all summer about the Jazz trying to trade Boozer. This guy is exactly what we need. Rebounding and Defense.
3. Drew Gooden: He wants out of Cleveland and is also a solid rebounder.
4. Bonzi Wells: We have a lot of talent at the 2 but Bonzi has also played the 3. He is a solid scorer and has said he will not sign with sacramento. A Starting 5 of AI, AI2,Wells, C-Webb and Sammy D, doesn't look bad on paper...

I have also read about the posibility of a Webber for K-Mart trade but i don't see it happening. Some people on the sixers fan forum also say that they don't believe that AI is off the trading block.
Again, something must go down or many jobs will be in jeopardy.

Thursday, July 27, 2006

THE PROBLEM IS MO!


Changing the Culture
Unlesss I see Kevin Garnet or Carmelo Anthony suiting up with AI this season I will not call Billy King a genius. But, by no means will I call the President/ General Manager of the Sixers stupid. After two months of wondering where Allen Iverson would end up, the expectations are over and we can know get back to the 76ers reality: The roster, the way it is right now will probably mean another trip to Draft Night as a lottery team.
Billy King has decided not to trade the best little man that has ever played this game. Not that he had a strong change of heart or that he realized how idiotic that idea was. Billy was simply not stupid enough to pull the plug. Iverson was on the trading block, BK publicly stated that he would change the culture of the team. He made the mistake of sounding desperate and when other GM’s figured that out, they offered him garbage for a future Hall of Famer. Billy didn’t bite, but…does it matter.
When almost being traded during the 2000 off-season, AI came back with a ridiculous vengeance. The sixers had their best season in over a decade and the team won most of the player awards. (MVP, Coach of the Year, Defensive Player of the year, sixth man, and all star game MVP) Is Billy expecting this now that AI has been publicly embarrassed? Has BK noticed that his culture changing subtractions only include, Barnes, Salmons and Bradley? Does Billy Queen think that Rodney Carney is THAT good? I know I won’t see Aaron Mackie, Eric Snow or George Lynch coming out of the locker room on opening night. I do know I will see a confused Sam Dalambert, an overpaid Korver, a shy Iguodala, a Diva in Chris Webber and an Allen Iverson who will have no choice but to score over 30 a game again for the sixers to have a shot.
If the sixers’ management wanted a change of culture they began with the wrong foot. Hinting about trading your best player wasn’t the way to go, especially when the best player they almost got was Carlos Boozer.
I agree with a change of culture that enhances your assets and basically improves what you already have. The reality of this is that the Sixers are not far away from improvement, they are just lost. For over half of last season the Sixers had a good team, a team that could score on anyone but did not have a defensive hair on their heads. Maurice Cheeks, as beloved as he once was in Philly is nobody’s head coach. He probably is the best assistant coach in the universe but he’s no head coach. No head coach in the league can win without discipline. By no means could he get through his players when Chris Webber makes decisions for him. There is no way in the world that he can lead his team when he can’t get Sammy D to play hard every night. I know that the Sixers are paying millions to coaches that are not with the team but why stop now. You want a change of culture, start with Mo.
I expect next season to be about the same. A lot of scoring, a lot of AI2 monster dunks, new Carney Highlights and some C-Webb prima Donna outbursts. In the end, no culture change, no coaching change and no post season….

Sunday, July 16, 2006

Why him? Why not?


Allen Iverson has given a press conference in which he states to not understanding why the team needs to get rid of him. Personally, I wouldn't trade the best little man the league has ever seen but as you all might guess, I'm a little biased.

I really want him to be traded. My first choice would be the Denver Nuggets. Denver has an amazing rising star in Melo. A hard working small forward (name 5 who are better) that just came off a great season. Carmelo and Iverson have something else in common. They have both been under-appreciated. I also believe that George Karl will be a great coach for AI.

I don't know if I still want to be a Philly fan once Iverson is gone. I have followed the team for so long that it will be very difficult to not do so but damn Billy King, you must be the worst GM in sports. I hate the direction this team is headed. BK has made no significant moves. His best off season move was getting rid of Salmons.

The sixers need to blow it all up and I have a feeling that it will not happen. Billy could have sent AI to the Celtics on draft night but didn't have the "cojones" to pull the plug. He also is hesitant to take in Kenyon Martin and his questionable knee. So Billy is just being Billy.

Wednesday, April 19, 2006

End of season thoughts

Never had a Cheesteak


People in Puerto Rico have never understood why I love the sixers so much. Only a few guys care when something I write about the team gets published on our top newspaper. My friends wonder why I’m so Iverson crazy and my wife hates the fact that I can’t be spoken to during the games. In this Baseball Island most people care about the NBA when something is said about our Carlos Arroyo and whatever team he is playing on, but not me and a few of my close friends. We love and live the NBA. In law school, we had a corner in the schools main hallway where we would skip Torts or Corporate Law classes just to discuss the NBA. A spot where only NBA could be spoken about and where people who walked by wondered “How did these loud people get into law school?” and hated the fact that most of us would spend ours talking about the NBA instead of reading cases.
I became a Philly fan during Iverson’s third season and haven’t looked back ever since. The year my sixers went to the finals I became possessed and obsessed with this team. Allen Iverson became my favorite athlete of all time and I began to write about the team, the players and the league.

Maybe this background can explain a little why this season hurts so much. Since I became a fan the only games I could watch were those shown on ESPN, ABC and TNT. The satellite service I had did not carry the league pass and I really hated to follow up on games via the internet. But this season was different, I found out that another satellite service would offer the league pass and was finally able to watch every game. I did watch every game including preseason and even though I hate the fact that we aren’t going to the playoffs and that we were the season’s biggest underachievers, my love for this team has grown and I loved every second of this roller coaster ride. I have never been to Philadelphia, and probably won’t be able to go during the Iverson Era since I just graduated law school and need to work my butt off to pay bills, but man this season I felt the pain and cried as much as any Philly fan ever has.

The night after that first loss against the Bucks I couldn’t sleep. I had so many expectations for this team. I spent the whole summer dreaming of an Iguodala breakout season and of Sammy getting some respect around the league. I hoped the Kyle would become the NBA’s best shooter and help us get back into games on a nightly basis. I wanted to see what Willie Green could really do if he was given the chance, and most of all I wanted to watch Iverson tear the league up while playing for the coach he always wanted.

I had to settle for a lot less. Disappointment disenchantment and discontent are just a few of the feelings that lived within me during this season. I had to find out the hard way that Mo is the greatest assistant coach ever, just not good enough to be the leader this team needed this year. I had to watch C-Webb cry over not getting enough touches on nights were he missed 12 shots and made 4. I had to try to sleep after loosing to the Bobcats, Lakers, Knicks and Magic. I had to wake up in the morning and face the reality that it was over before it all began.

During the summer I spent hours writing a blog about the sixers. Midway through the season I gave up. I began to think about writing to ESPN analysts asking them to forgive me for all the hate mail I sent when they said before the season that the sixers were probably a lottery team. Ric Bucher must be laughing at me since the Bulls and Wizzards eliminated us. I had not so friendly email conversations with him about the sixers. He was right all along. Again, he’s the analyst, I’m just a fan. I acted like a protective father when someone is saying something negative but true about his child and is later on proven wrong.

At one point in the season we had the leading scorer, the leagues best shot blocker, the best PF in the east, the best 3 point shooter in the league and the leagues next big thing in AI2. What the hell happened here? How can teams like the Buck, Bulls, Lakers, Wizzards and even the Nets be better than the sixers? Why do we suck? Everyone is yelling Defense but that can’t be enough. Something bigger is going on here. It can be lack of effort, lack of caring or lack of leadership or all of the formerly mentioned. Someone…please do something….

When I woke up this morning I had to read about Billy King saying that he will fix everything. He says that no one is untouchable for trades and that he will begin immediately. I hope he does, we deserve better. But please Mr. King, don’t lie to the fans. Don’t tell us you are committed to a championship when your best move this season was to give us the same team that got killed in the first round last year. Don’t tell us that you are committed to defense when you didn’t try to get Ron Artest. Don’t tell us you are doing your job when Steven Hunter and Lee Nailon are your upgrades. Don’t tell us you are doing your job when you fire head coaches and bring in “buddies” for players that cry when they are told they are not giving it all.

Every time I watched a home game I couldn’t understand the empty seats. How can the fans only support the team when it is winning? When you call yourself fan, you are a true fan and maybe the lack of fan support caused some of the “non-action” by the sixer administration. I have never had a cheesteak; I have never been to Philadelphia. I know about the history of the city and Rocky is one of my favorite movies. But I would shave my eyebrows for a seat at the Wachovia Center and I would kill for a sit down chat with AI. I’m just a fan, I love this team. The season is over… unbelievable.

Sunday, January 15, 2006

TODAVIA HAY ESPERANZA...THERE'S STILL SOME HOPE...

Los 76ers son el equipo que mas puntos anota en la liga, tienen el power forward que mejores numeros tiene en el este, tienen el lider en tapones de la liga, tienen el mejor tirador de 3 en la liga, estan segundos en menos turnovers en la liga, oh...y la ultima vez que verifiqué... todavia tienen a Allen Iverson....No pierdan esperanzas todavia queda mas de la mitad de la temporada.
Leanse este articulo por Steven "el bocon" A. Smith.
Stephen A. Smith Sixers must correct flaws before they become fatal
By Stephen A. Smith
Inquirer Columnist
To some, Allen Iverson is an assassin without a sniper's rifle. A winner, a true champion, devoid of the requisite hardware to validate this worth.
After all these years he's still the mercurial 6-foot star, the offensive juggernaut capable of leading the league in scoring virtually anytime he feels like it. And if that were enough to transform his frustrations, and those of this city, into a celebration rife with confetti and celebratory speeches sometime in June, perhaps we would care just a little bit more than we do.
Except 76ers fans don't care. At least not now, not as much as they would if they knew this team had a legitimate shot at competing for an Eastern Conference crown this season.
A .500 record will sour most moods in the midst of a season once alive with hope and expectations. And so will a defense recognized as one of the league's worst.
Even in the aftermath of a thrilling 125-124 triple-overtime victory over the Boston Celtics on Friday night, accentuated by stellar performances from Iverson and Chris Webber and a game-saving trey by Kyle Korver, you can't help but notice what Iverson needs to do - instead of what he's done.
It's fine that Iverson is averaging 33.7 points per game. That his 45.6 shooting percentage from the field is his best since 1997-98, his first season under the tutelage of Larry Brown. But what he did at halftime of Friday night's game, motivating his team after it surrendered 65 points in the first half, is what he'll need to do more of if this team is going to achieve any success this season.
"I told them we had to play defense," Iverson said following Friday night's win at the Wachovia Center. "That it would start with me pressuring the ball up the floor, trying to lead by example."
Whether he clapped, spewed profanity, or slapped some teammates upside the head is not something we're aware of. But considering the way both Iverson and the Sixers have played defense this season, no one could blame him if he did.
Talent-wise, this Sixers team should be able to compete with any team in the East, outside of Miami and Detroit.
Iverson is Iverson. Webber barely has any legs left, but his 19.8 points per game and 10.3 rebounds prove he's still one of the most intelligent players in the game. Plus C-Webb deserves a boatload of credit for chugging out 40 minutes a night.
Korver is one of the best pure shooters in the game. Samuel Dalembert (seven blocks on Friday) continues to prove he's one of the premier shot-blockers in the game. When focused, Andre Iguodala is a flat-out stud, capable of being a star. And the Sixers' bench, if nothing else, is committed to giving a strenuous effort.
Those ingredients, along with having a coach in Maurice Cheeks who spurs no threats of mutiny, should swell into something productive.
Except, obviously, they haven't.
When you're surrendering 102.9 points per game and 46 percent shooting, how can anyone expect anything from you? Team president Billy King can put on sweats and average 30 a night against these Sixers.
"There's no question our defense has not been good," King said before Friday night's game. "I can't even deny it. It's not one, two or three guys. It's every single person on this team. For some reason, we just haven't played anywhere near good defense for a vast majority of this season."
Everyone knows Cheeks tried earlier in the week when he held a team meeting. Some may not know that in that meeting, when asked to speak up, guys such as Kevin Ollie and Matt Barnes, according to sources, opened their mouths to speak before anyone else had the courage to do so. They claimed Cheeks needed to have more faith in his bench, as he did earlier in the season, and vowed the team's defensive intensity would improve.
That was validated on Friday at one point, when Cheeks actually had Iguodala in the lineup with Ollie, John Salmons, Michael Bradley and Shavlik Randolph, providing Iverson, Webber and Korver with what would prove to be necessary rest.
Call it Step 1.
Step 2 involves Iverson recognizing that the trio of himself, Webber and Korver average just a little more than six fouls per game combined, which means whatever defense they're playing isn't good enough, and something needs to be done about it.
Now. Preferably while Iverson is still a candidate for league MVP. While he's in a position to lead the league in scoring again. Before the Sixers are officially on the outside looking in once more, having refused to do something fundamental, something they're fully capable of, with everyone wondering why they didn't.