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….

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.

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.

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.

Billy, Billy, Billy

Can you believe that the help that BK is getting is Mat Barnes, a guy that came to philly last year with the Webber trade and got no playing time . Unbelievable...Billy king should respect us sixers fans and present a better product out on the court. We have 3 very good players in Sammy, C-webb and AI. Iguodala is still a year from being a year away from being and all star and Korver just isn't as great as advertised. We need to sign Spreewell or trade AI to a good team. He has done alot for this franchise and deserves to have a chance to win it all.

El primer analisis

Ya va casi un mes de juegos y la liga esta llena de sorpresas y decepciones. Tratare de resumir ambas.
Sorpresas.
Cleveland Cavaliers: Muchos pensaran que los Clippers se merecen el primer lugar en las sorpresas de la joven temporada, sin embargo pienso que los Cavs han logrado demasiado en muy poco tiempo. Nunca me gusto mucho la adicion de Larry Hughes. No lo consideraba un buen “fit” como el “Scottie Pippen” de LeBron. Los primeros juegos estuvo un poco erratico pero ha logrado encontrar su rol en este equipo. En estos momentos los Cavs son el 3er mejor equipo en el este. Si Ilgauskas no se lesiona, podran causarle problemas a Miami y a Detroit.
LA Clippers: Aunque este equipo es una Bomba de tiempo, esta jugando muy bien. Elton Brand se sigue llamando Elton Brand (ustedes me entienden). Sam Cassell esta jugando como en sus mejores momentos y todavía Cutino Mobley no ha empezado a llorar como siempre hace. Vamos a ver si pueden controlarse cuando pierdan 2 o 3 juegos.
Chris Webber: Se ha dado cuenta lo bueno que es jugar al lado del mejor jugador de la NBA. C-Webb promedia 21 y 10 y si no se lesiona los Sixers tendran una temporada muy interesante. Tanto que hablaron los SUPERANALISTAS de la NBA y ahora no se atreven ni mencionar lo bien que esta luciendo. He visto todos los juegos de Philly este año y Webber juega muy bien con Iverson. Todavía les falta conocerse un poco mejor pero les adelanto algo. AI permite que C-Webb sea C-Webb y vice- versa.
Detroit Pistons: Sere breve…Muchos pensaban que los Pistons se moririan sin Larry Brown…No saben que Larry Brown no tira una bola hace 30 años…….
T.J Ford: Esta se la regalo a mi amigo Marcos. TJ Ford es muy rapido y tiene a los Bucks jugando un estilo de juego muy interesante. Ford se ha levantado de una lesion muy peligrosa. Los Bucks paracen tener dos #1 picks este año ya que el pasado Ford vio los juegos desde el hospital.

Decepciones

Sacramento Kings: ¿Como pueden jugar tan mal con un cuadro regular tan bueno? A Abdhur Raheem se le olvido jugar como hombre. Como dijo el Great Aristotle (Shaq) Sacramento Kings….or Sac Queens….
Larry Brown: Esta mas confundido que Adan en el dia de las madres. Quiere jugar como los Pistos con un roster tan limitado en talento. Tiene que buscar como utilizar mejor a Stephon.
Kwame Brown: El peor “Big man” que juega regular en la liga. Michael jordan es el pero escucha de talento en la historia de la NBA. A este moron no lo han botado del equipo por respeto a Jordan. Tiene debilidades en todos los aspectos de su juego. Los Lakers deben salir de el inmediatamente.
Yao Ming: Por favor…no se ni como empezar…Cuando juega mal juega malisimo y cuando juega bien su equipo esta 0 y 5. De verdad debe abrir un restaurante.
Lamar Odom: Aceptemos la realidad, ni Phil Jackson lo convertira en estrella. El eterno prospecto

Se me quedo destacar lo bien que estan jugando Pau Gasol, Kobe Bryant y Andre Iguodala….
Allen Iverson esta en otro nivel….
Hay una bomba de tiempo en Miami….Walkershima….(preguntale a j-will)

Hablamos luego…check it…

5 victorias corridas...Primer lugar en el atlantic..

Esa victorias se las dedico a todos los incredulos.... y ese donqueo es para ti...si..para ti,

GO SIXERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sixers go to spread offense, and defenseBalance brings 4th win in a rowBy PHIL JASNERjasnerp@phillynews.com
THE 76ERS are 4-3, riding a four-game winning streak. Spread it around.
That's what the Sixers did last night, placing six men in double scoring figures en route to a 113-108 victory over the better-than-you-think Los Angeles Clippers.
That's what they did at the other end of the floor, too, forcing the Clippers into a season-worst 21 turnovers that led to 20 points. They even did it off the glass, with four players taking at least six rebounds.
"That's basketball," Chris Webber said after the Sixers moved into first place in the Atlantic Division. "It's a young season and the main thing is we're winning, because we can only get better if we concentrate and make it that way.''
It was that balance that allowed the Sixers to win while Webber was shooting 4-for-17 and Allen Iverson was committing seven turnovers. Iverson put up 28 points, and was followed in sequence by Lee Nailon (21), John Salmons (14), Webber (13), Andre Iguodala (13) and Kyle Korver (11).
That effort matched the six men who reached double figures against the Atlanta Hawks in the final game of last season. Had Steven Hunter (eight points) managed two more, seven men would have equaled what happened Nov. 10 of last season, in an overtime victory over the New Jersey Nets. Hunter sat out from 10:54 to 7:58 of the third quarter after getting inadvertently poked in the eye by the Clippers' Quinton Ross.
"Me and [Iverson] have been trying to tell the younger guys to set small goals,'' Webber said. "Keep on winning the small ones, we'll be OK. One of the goals needs to be to make sure we try and stay consistent; we're going to be a really good road team. When you protect homecourt, teams don't want to see you, don't want to play you in the playoffs.''
What, a reporter wanted to know, makes Webber believe this early that the Sixers will be so good on the road?
"We like being booed on the road,'' he said. "There's not a feeling like trying to shut 20,000 people up. I've always loved that. And I'm saying that [about this team] as the best compliment, because a lot of guys can only play good at home.
"We weren't, in everybody's eyes, supposed to win that game in Indiana [after an 0-3 start]. That really showed me we had that attitude. I saw it even in the playoffs last season, the way we played against Detroit, the disappointment I saw in guys' eyes when we lost. I thought that was a good thing.''
Spreading the wealth this time wasn't by design, which probably makes it even more impressive.
"I think it just happened in the flow,'' coach Maurice Cheeks said. "We talked about getting Andre and Kyle and everybody more touches in the flow... we were more conscious of trying to get to the rim, to force play on screen-and-rolls, which opened up a lot of foul-line jumpers.''
It's a fact of NBA travel that teams playing the final game of a trip sometimes are more focused on heading home, but the Sixers deserved a solid share of credit as Clippers point guard Sam Cassell shot 1-for-10 and shooting guard Cuttino Mobley was able to muster just three second-half points, finishing with 23.
Cassell said, "I just put, offensively, too much pressure on my guys. I can't go 1-for-10 and expect us to win; 1-for-10 is inexcusable.''
"This is how we have to play,'' said Salmons, continuing to fulfill his preseason promise to be more aggressive. "We've got to take a page out of the Pistons' playbook; every time we play them, their stat sheet always shows five guys in double figures, or somebody off the bench in double figures.
"That's the best way to play. When everybody touches the ball, they'll want to play defense, they'll want to go rebound. We don't want to force anything, but when people are being unselfish that makes it even better.''
Case in point: Even though Iverson scored 10 points in the fourth quarter, he said, "I can't remember in the fourth quarter where I didn't have the ball as much going down the stretch. John had the ball in his hands, and was making things happen. All I was waiting for was the opportunity for my man to leave [me] so that I could help somebody make an easy play. You can tell we're getting better as an all-around team because so many people are doing so many things.''
Spread it around

76ers are for real

To all the haters that were calling me to make fun of our 0 and 3 start..take a look we just beat two of the top five teams in the league....Pa que masquen!!!

THE 24-SECOND shot clocks above both backboards in the Wachovia Center didn't work all night. The 76ers' defense, on the other hand, worked as efficiently as it has this season. You could argue that the Sixers' bench worked even better than that.
When the Sixers, you should pardon the expression, clocked out, it was with an impressive 112-97 victory over the Dallas Mavericks. Most impressively, the Sixers won at home for the first time with a frenetic 10-0 finish to the third quarter and a 19-5 start in the fourth.
Don't look now, but they recorded the decision with Allen Iverson shooting a struggling 8-for-21 in a little more than 38 minutes. He seemed to favor his right side in the late stages and visited with the team's medical staff afterward; he did not address reporters.
The backups, though, more than addressed the job at hand. John Salmons and Kevin Ollie were effective in up-the-court pressure, James Thomas had seven rebounds and five points, and Lee Nailon contributed eight points, including a layup on a clutch steal.
Not that the starters were exactly AWOL. Iverson finished with 25 points, Andre Iguodala matched his career high of 22, Kyle Korver dropped in nine of 11 shots for 20 points, and Chris Webber fought off a 3-for-12 first half to manage 19 points and 11 rebounds.
After neither team led by more than eight through three quarters, the Sixers bolted a 19-point advantage at 95-76 with 6:22 remaining. The Mavs, who lost star forward Dirk Nowitzki toward the end of the first half with a strained back, then lost sub guard Devin Harris late in the third period with a sprained left ankle, climbed as close as nine, but never really threatened.
It would be too easy to say the clock ran out on them. This had far more to do with the work of four guys - Salmons, Ollie, Thomas and Nailon - who took maximum advantage of their opportunities.
"We just tried to bring energy, to play with reckless abandon, try and change the tempo; that's what we have up on the board, 'Change the tempo,' " said Ollie, who handed out five assists in a little less than 19 minutes. "We stayed up on defense, and that got us a lot of easy buckets. We're just not an offensive team that's going to outscore you. We've got to work our offense off our defense; that's what we did. That allows us to get out on the break, to use our athleticism a little bit. That's how we're going to have to win. We can't win any other way."
Most observers have thought all along that a lack of depth has been a problem; the guys filling those roles belied that theory against the Mavs.
"I don't read the newspaper, I just play basketball, stick with my teammates and coaching staff," Nailon said. "Whatever they write in the newspaper, that's their job. That's to get them happy. As long as we're playing together on the court and getting W's, then we make them look foolish."
This is how the subs looked to coach Maurice Cheeks:
"I thought everybody who came in the game for us did a good job. I thought our bench was real good. I thought our bench really changed the game for us. Those guys were big for us, particularly in the second half. Their pressure up the floor and ability to move the ball from side to side was huge for us. Those guys really gave us the cushion to win this game, and Kyle making shots makes it a lot easier for everybody. But I think this was about our bench. I think our bench was as good as we have been; the bench was good in Indiana [Saturday night] and was a factor in winning the game; our bench tonight was a major factor in winning the game."
The 29-5 run was largely the result of that effort.
"All night, they were playing into our hands until the end of the third," Mavs guard Darrell Armstrong said. "Then, it seemed like the momentum shifted in their hands and they just kept rolling. When you let a team build up a [19-point] lead, every once in a while, you're going to come back from it. If you do, you're going to die down at the end. I felt like we had a chance. They just made the right plays at the right time."
After which, they clocked out.
Six shots
As far back as Opening Day, when most people were praising the Sixers for their adherence to the NBA's new "business casual" dress code, president/general manager Billy King was also getting messages from the league about some of the players' uniform shorts being too long. The result? The fashion police have fined the Sixers... Last night's announced crowd of 13,392 was the lowest since 10,976 saw a 9-92 loss to Milwaukee Feb. 16, 1999.

¿Confundido?

¿Como es posible que los sixers pierdan sus primeros tres juegos, incluyendo uno el viernes contra los Bobcats? ¿Como es posible que el sábado le ganaran a los Pacers, un serio candidato al campeonato?Pienso que si los sixers se mantienen saludable y logran organizarse un poco mas defensivamente pueden ganar su división y probablemente llegar a la segunda ronda de los Playoffs.(si Webber se mantiene saludable)El sábado lucieron muy sólidos contra los pacers. En el tercer cuarto estaban ganando por 20. Steven Hunter lució muy fuerte contra O'neal y Webber parecia estar en sus mejores tiempos.Creo que mi sixers fueron victima de un itinerario mal hecho. Solamente ellos y Denver han jugado 4 juegos en 5 noches.Entre sus oponentes para esos 4 juegos tuvieron a Detroit y a Indiana.Diagnostigo..Comienzo TemblorosoREmedio....Mejor DEfensa e intensidadPronóstico...Ganamos el AtlaticPASION, PRIDE....SIXERS

They are really gonna miss O'brien

Mo Cheeks is a nice guy, cool personality, sixer hero..but damm...Can he coach?
I got three possible answers to what has happened these first two games of the season.
1. Bucks have gotten good. (the also beat NJ)
2. Detroit is still the Beast of the East.
3. The sixers just suck. Give Ai a month of this crap and he will ask for a trade..Everyone made significant changes. MY sixers just blew money away(62million Dalambert, 30 million to Kyle "Steve Kerr" Korver) We need a legitimate SF and some real tough defense..This will probably be a long season.

Por FIN...

Se acabo la espera...Mañana comienza la temporada y todos estamos sumamente ansiosos. Gracias a los que frecuentan mi pagina, espero que me visiten mas a menudo durante la temporada. Saludos a los del fantasy que siempre nos proponemos perder el mayor tiempo posible. A continuacion mis predicciones por cada division. Apuntenlas y luego veremos quien es el "true baller" en estos asuntos. Posteen sus favoritos por cada division tambien.

En el este

Atlantic Division: Philadelphia 76ers
Central Division: Detroit Pistons
Southeast Div: Miami Heat

En el oeste:
Northwest Division: Denver Nuggets
Pacific Division: Phoenix Suns
Southwester Div. : San Antonio Spurs

Miami Ganará el Este
San Antonio Ganará el Oeste
San Antonio en 7 juegos repite

CUIDENSE TODOS, Dios los Bendiga

Stern and his code....more AI bashing

It's plain ridiculous. What pissess me off is that the league and ESPN are putting Iverson in the Middle of this controversy. They all say that AI is protesting the code. Those fools should buy a freakin dictionary and look up PROTEST. AI is only answering their questions Most players don't agree with the code but, as usual AI haters like ESPN folks tend to place the heat on AI so they can get nice quotes. I'm so sick of the AI bashing, it's so old. Why don't they mention that he is helping and motivating his teamates like never before or how no other player in the pre-season games has scored more than AI. Don't get me started RIC BUCHER and Co. I spent all of last season fighting with you guys about this and I don't mind doing it again.

Just a little something something!

Iverson on Iverson: "I had a lot of growing up to do, and a lot of times I learned the hard way. I think those experiences helped me be the way I am right now mentally. I went through hell here, with the media, coaching situations, even times with fans... everything. I really feel that I am a man. I feel that being here in Philadelphia helped me become just that. I wouldn't trade it for the world, because I think it made me a better player, it made me a better person, it made me a better father, it made me a better husband, a better teammate. I took my bumps but I've had my great times here."
Put your average NBA fan back-to-back with Allen Iverson, and they'll surely identify with him. At 6-0, Iverson doesn't tower over anyone like your typical superstar would. At 165, he might even give up a few pounds. Yet A.I. has managed to carve out an implausible career in the league that his pedestrian size makes us admire.
A career 27.4-point per game scoring average 16,738 total points Most Valuable Player of the 2000-01 regular season All-Star MVP in 2001 and 2005 Three-time First Team All-NBA (1999, 2001, 2005) Owner of three scoring titles Rookie of the Year in 1996-97 NBA Finals appearance in 2001
A.I.'s résumé has all of the things that we dreamt of accomplishing every time we took jump shots on our driveways as kids. When we watch him, we get to live out those fantasies, as well as draw strength from his incredible toughness.
Knocked around by opponents every time his slight frame and unrestrained style of play hits the floor, Iverson always gets back up. His penchant for playing hurt teaches us to get back up when life knocks us around.
And that's why we love Iverson. He inspires us with something even the little guy can have a lot of.
Heart.

WEBBER SEEMS HAPPY

Webber is excited early about Sixers' fresh startBy Joe JulianoInquirer Staff Writer
DURHAM, N.C. - Three days of the 76ers' training camp have been completed. There are still three more days of camp, plus practices and eight preseason games, before the Sixers start playing for real Nov. 1.
But if the smile that lit up Chris Webber's face yesterday means anything, things under new head coach Maurice Cheeks are off to a rousing start.
"You see me smile last year?" Webber asked reporters after practice at Duke's Cameron Indoor Stadium. "It feels good. It's a great environment and a great atmosphere, so I couldn't be happier right now."
Smiles from Webber were rare last season. He struggled to find his game in former coach Jim O'Brien's system after his Feb. 23 trade from Sacramento to the Sixers, and his sore left knee didn't help matters any.
Webber worked hard to strengthen his knee in the off-season. Before the start of training camp, he said, Cheeks met with him and clearly outlined his role on the team. Cheeks did the same thing with Allen Iverson, and "we're both happy with that," Webber said.
Webber gave credit to Cheeks for fostering a positive camp atmosphere.
"I'm not speaking against anyone else," he said, "but with Mo, when you're so confident and you know that you've done what you've done, you don't have to prove anything.
"It's almost like, 'Guys, you want to listen to me and you want to win, you'd better listen. If you don't, I'll find somebody else.' I think that helps the role players. I want what Mo has, and that's a championship. I admire what he's done. He's been a man first and a coach second. If you're a good man, it's easy to be a good coach."
As he tries to find ways for Webber and Iverson to mesh, Cheeks is similarly complimentary toward Webber.
"Chris and Allen were very good [yesterday] the way they were mixing together," Cheeks said. "That's one of the things we're trying to do in camp, getting everyone used to playing with each other. You can see when you put the ball in Chris' hands, the things that he can do getting guys easy shots. He just makes our offense so much better when you put the ball in his hands."
Cheeks said Webber "seems to be running fine."
Webber said the style of offense introduced by Cheeks is "something that I'm a little more accustomed to," giving him the ball in a position where he can find cutters or an open man spotted up.
Naturally, the question everyone asks is whether Webber and Iverson can coexist in the lineup, whether they're ready to make the sacrifices that will help the strategy succeed.
Webber said it's a matter of each player stepping up his game instead.
"We've got to lead these guys," he said. "Energy without experience isn't always the best combination. You have that combination of energy and experience, youth and experience, so I think if anything, we're going to raise our games to a level to make sure we get to where we need to be."
Of course, a season goes on for more than three days. There will be frustration and conflict and some rough patches between now and the end of the regular season April 19, seemingly 1,000 days from now.
But for Webber, it's been a lovely start.
"I'm very encouraged, very encouraged," he said. "It's been nothing but positive. It's nothing but hard work, and that's all you can ask for. It feels great out here."

Training Camp Opens

My SIXERS had their first practice today and New head coach Mo Cheeks was very satisfied with what he saw. He said that Webber was healthy and that most guys looked in shape. Go SIXERS!!

Toronto traded Rafer Alston to Houston.

I think that the Eddy Curry trade is a win win situation.

More details later...gotta go now!!!

AI Bigger than YAO

Iverson In Asia

THANKS TO SIXERS.COM FOR THIS PIECE...GREAT POST!!!!!!!!!
Here in Shanghai, you often can’t tell the media the location of a news conference. If you do, word might leak out that, say, a famous person is involved in the event. If somebody snitches, thousands of fans are virtually guaranteed to mob the scene and your news conference might never be held. And so with Allen Iverson visiting this teeming city of some 20-million people, similar precautions had to be taken. Media members who knew of his coming were not told where the day’s events were being held. Instead, they were asked to board a caravan of buses at a rendezvous point. The buses then furtively took them to wherever the events took place. Shanghai is a large city, and Allen Iverson is large among its inhabitants. One Reebok executive said today Iverson “is like a god here.” A Chinese journalist told us Iverson is bigger here than Yao Ming, the 7-5 center for the Houston Rockets. Ironically, Yao spent many of his formative years here in Shanghai. The love became apparent today when Iverson tipped off the Chinese portion of his “I am what I am” tour for Reebok. And it was no more palpable than during a visit to an orphanage, the Shanghai Children’s Home. For it is among children that Allen is often at his best. These kids had obviously prepared a long time for Iverson’s visit. Many of them, dressed in ceremonial clothing, sang and danced for him. They also presented him with a number of gifts exhibiting their own, artistic handiwork, a gesture that appeared to have touched Allen deeply. Later, there was Allen again, as he had in Tokyo, removing his watch and other jewelry so he could play basketball with the kids. Truly an amazing experience for many of those who were clearly Iverson fans, demonstrated by their various wrist and armbands which were very much a la Allen. Iverson took the stage at a Shanghai theatre at the day’s first event, greeted by wild applause from the crowd and a throng of well over 100 media members. Helped by a translator, Allen answered questions, then graciously participated in a number of ceremonial events. One that was particularly touching for the Chinese was seeing Allen imprint is last name in Chinese using a stamp similar to ones used by this country’s ancient emperors. Then, media members were led into an adjacent room in much smaller groups. Iverson patiently answered more questions for about the next hour and honestly, these questions were more incisive then those he had fielded in Japan. Tomorrow, Allen and Yao in an outdoor event that’s sure to draw quite a crowd. The media? They’ll all be arriving by bus.
Allen Iverson shoes off one of his signature shoes at an event in China. Iverson faces the excited crowd.

The Heat Add Gary Payton

How many balls can be used at one time during a game????????
us
The Dallas Mavericks are close to signing International Star and Puerto Rico Native Elias "Larry" Ayuso. A three point specialist.

Adding some depth!!!!

Looking to improve their depth, the 76ers agreed to a contract with veteran forward Lee Nailon.
Terms of the agreement were not released Thursday. As a five-year NBA veteran, Nailon is entitled to at least the league minimum of $835,810.
The 6-foot-8, 240-pound Nailon is coming off his finest season as a pro. The 30-year-old averaged 14.2 points and 4.4 rebounds - both career highs - in 68 games last season for the New Orleans Hornets. He shot nearly 48 percent from the field and better than 80 percent from the free-throw line.
In five NBA seasons, Nailon has career averages of 8.9 points and 3.1 rebounds while shooting 47.3 percent from the field and 78.4 percent from the line.
In his career, Nailon has played for the Charlotte Hornets, New York Knicks, Atlanta Hawks, Orlando Magic and Cleveland Cavaliers as well as New Orleans.
The acquisition of Nailon, a free agent, is designed to help the Sixers' depth at both forward positions.