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.