Philadelphia 76ers News

Sixers' revival no help at all
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February 9
Philadelphia Inquirer
 columnist John Gonzalez
"Dear Sixers, You're a modern medical miracle. When word spreads, physicians all over the world will want to study you. After showing no pulse or heart(beats) of any kind for the first few months of the season, you've suddenly and amazingly come back to life to win four straight. Frankenstein didn't hop off the table that abruptly. And because the NBA Eastern Conference is weaker than an octogenarian with clogged arteries and emphysema, you're just 41/2 games off the pace for the eighth and final playoff spot. It's astounding stuff. You're like the NBA's version of Gary Busey - that you're still alive and breathing defies all logic. Which brings us to the point: What the hell do you think ..."
Green likes starting role, but says he is happy doing whatever is asked
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February 9
Philadelphia Daily News
 
"Willie Green has done it all for the 76ers this season – and hasn't complained about any of it. With guard Allen Iverson tending to his sick daughter, and missing the last three games, Green is back in the starting rotation. And the team has won all three games. His numbers when Green is among the starting five show that he plays his best basketball in that role – close to 16 points on 53 percent shooting from the floor in 12 games. And right now, the Sixers are playing their finest ball of the season. They'll be going for their fifth straight win tonight when the Minnesota Timberwolves visit the Wachovia Center. "You know what it is, it's just the consistency of the minutes," Green said ..."
Suns willing to take on Iguodala and Dalembert
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February 8
ESPN.com
 
"The revelation of the week is that Phoenix, forever conscious of the luxury-tax line, is apparently willing to take on both Andre Iguodala (who has four seasons left on his contract after this season worth $56 million) and Samuel Dalembert (scheduled to earn $12 million next season) from Philadelphia in a deal for Amare Stoudemire. Yet it's believed that the Suns would want the Sixers to take back Jason Richardson in such a swap, which would also require Philly to send another player (such as Jason Kapono or Willie Green) to the desert. Stoudemire's loud suggestions this week that he might not opt out of his contract at season's end, as Chad likewise noted, were likely designed to give the ..."
Rumors: Martin, Iguodala, Butler, McGrady
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February 8
ESPN.com
 
"Kevin Martin, Andre Iguodala and Caron Butler continue to be the three swingmen most frequently linked with Mark Cuban's trade-seeking Mavericks, who have been stonewalled in their attempts to pry Martin away from Sacramento and thus have not ruled out a move for Butler. Sources say that Washington and Dallas have maintained a Butler dialogue while the Wizards also continue talks with Houston in a larger deal for Tracy McGrady. As stated previously in this cyberspace, Martin tops the Mavs' list in their search for a dependable second scorer to flank Dirk Nowitzki. Sources say, however, that Dallas would likely have to recruit a third team to present the quality big man presumably needed to ..."
Suns take up-close look at Iguodala
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February 8
ESPN.com
 
"Are the Suns inching closer to a trade with Philadelphia headlined by Amare Stoudemire and Andre Iguodala? Separate sources close to both teams caution that it's too soon to answer that question affirmatively. One source with knowledge of the Suns' thinking, in particular, insisted that Phoenix was still evaluating several potential trade candidates. However . . . You can safely say that the Suns have ramped up their evaluation of Iguodala, whom they've liked dating to the 2004 draft when Iguodala turned pro after two years at Arizona. We know that because the Suns quietly dispatched one of their lead decision-makers – senior vice president of basketball operations David Griffin – to New ..."
76ers should be thinking draft pick
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February 8
Philadelphia Inquirer
 columnist Stephen A. Smith
"With NBA all-star weekend just a few days away, we already know all we need to know about these 76ers. We know the Sixers are young and talented, and that there are a few teams that may like their talent, particularly as the Feb. 18 trading deadline approaches. We also know they are choirboys of an expensive variety, likely to make as little news on the court as they're making off it, which explains why most teams are allergic to them right now - and why the rest of us should consider them a complete waste of our time. Where's the Chairman, Mr. Ed Snider, when you need him most? He was perfect for moments like this once upon a time. Right when it was evident that the Sixers were on a path ..."
Four-game winning streak a bench mark for Sixers
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February 8
Philadelphia Daily News
 
"For the first time all season, the 76ers find themselves in the middle of a four-game winning streak. The bench is providing a tremendous spark, Elton Brand is performing like the player he was signed to be, and though trade rumors still swirl, the team is playing some of its best basketball. Oh, yeah. And they've done it largely without Allen Iverson, who has missed the past three games while tending to the health of his daughter. Saturday night in Houston, the bench again provided a much-needed lift after the Sixers dug themselves a 13-point hole en route to a 102-95 win over the Rockets. The win improved the Sixers to 19-31. "We're trying to establish the bench situation and it seems ..."
Trade deadline rumblings for Sixers
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February 8
Philadelphia Daily News
 columnist Phil Jasner
"HERE'S WHAT YOU REALLY need to know about the NBA trade deadline: It's Feb. 18 at 3 p.m. Between now and then, you will read and hear dozens of rumors involving the 76ers. Some will have validity, others will not. Remember, there are Web sites devoted to having something different every day. I'd be more inclined to pay attention to ones in which people actually sign their names and take responsibility. That's not to say anyone is inventing anything. It's not unusual for teams or agents to send out trial balloons, just to see how the media and the public might respond. But here's what you really need to know. Teams won't start putting their best offers on the table until, say, 2:30 p.m., ..."
A 4-game winning streak? Oh no?!?!
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February 7
Camden Courier-Post
 columnist Martin Frank
"It seems like the yearly dilemma kicks in right about now, when the 76ers show signs of life and the debate begins anew on whether they're better off making the playoffs or tanking to get that high lottery pick. Well, guess what? The Sixers have won 4 in a row after beating New Orleans and Houston on back-to-back nights on the road. They're 19-31. They're tied for 10th place (Knicks) and just 4 1/2 games out of the final playoff spot in the East. That means they only have to pass the Milwaukee Bucks and the Miami Heat to get into the postseason, most likely as a sacrificial lamb to either Cleveland, Boston, Orlando or Atlanta in the first round. Milwaukee is without Michael Redd for the ..."
Clearance sale only option to unscrew salary cap
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February 7
Wilmington News Journal
 columnist Martin Frank
"The mulligans don't come around very often in the NBA, where a team can escape salary cap purgatory and rebuild again. The 76ers are in such a predicament, which is why rumors are flying that they will trade Andre Iguodala, their best player, by the Feb. 18 trade deadline, in the hopes of getting some flexibility to rebuild quickly. Iguodala seems to know it's coming, hinting the other night that he's either expecting -- or hoping -- to get traded. Teams like Cleveland, Houston, Dallas and Phoenix have reportedly talked to the Sixers about Iguodala. Sixers president and general manager Ed Stefanski is trying to make the best deal he can, knowing that staying the course with a roster that ..."
Trading Iguodala could fix cap woes
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February 7
Camden Courier-Post
 columnist Martin Frank
"The mulligans don't come around very often in the NBA, where a team can escape salary cap purgatory and rebuild again. The Sixers are in such a predicament, which is why rumors are flying that they will deal Andre Iguodala by the Feb. 18 trade deadline, in the hopes of getting some flexibility to rebuild quickly. Iguodala seems to know it's coming, hinting the other night that he's either expecting to get traded or hoping to get traded. Teams like Cleveland, Houston, Dallas and Phoenix have reportedly talked to the Sixers about him. Sixers president and general manager Ed Stefanski is trying to make the best deal he can, knowing that staying the course with a roster that has proven to be ..."
Iverson out vs Houston; misses 3rd straight game
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February 7
Philadelphia Inquirer
 
"Last night against the Houston Rockets, 76ers guard Allen Iverson missed his third consecutive game for personal reasons related to an illness suffered by his daughter. Sixers coach Eddie Jordan said there was "no timetable" for Iverson's return. "We just hope that his family and his daughter gets better," Jordan added. Entering last night's game, the Sixers had won both games without Iverson, starting a backcourt of rookie Jrue Holiday and guard Willie Green. "I don't know that we're learning something without him, just trying to find a way to play and generate what we have to do: good defense, quality possessions offensively," Jordan said. "I just haven't read into what we've done ..."
76ers win fourth in a row
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February 7
Philadelphia Inquirer
 
"On a night they took 24 three-point shots, trailed by as many as 13 points, and allowed an 18-0 first-half run, the 76ers somehow defeated the Houston Rockets, 102-95, Saturday night at the Toyota Center. They did so by making 22 of 23 free throws, storming the offensive glass in the second half, and forcing Houston guard Aaron Brooks to race from sideline to sideline for his second-half points. The Sixers, winners of four consecutive games, improved to 19-31; the Rockets dropped to 27-23. Early in the third quarter, on a three from Brooks, who finished with 34 points, Houston took a 60-47 lead, its biggest of the game. A few minutes later, Houston guard Kyle Lowry, who had scored 14 ..."
Iguodala's audition drives his price up
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February 7
Houston Chronicle
 
"If it were not enough that forward Andre Iguodala played the Rockets on Saturday with the intention of taking another 76ers win out of Toyota Center, he also planned to drive up the price in trade talks between the Rockets and Sixers. "It means I got to put on a good show tonight," Iguodala said before scoring 14 points and adding 10 rebounds in a 102-95 win. "I'm joking. No, I just think of it as another game. I've been here six years. I still treat these guys (on the 76ers) like my brothers. We got to go out and fight with them and try to win the game." The 6-6 Iguodala has not considered how he would fit in with the Rockets, at least no more so since the Rockets announced they would try ..."
76ers on a three-game win streak
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February 6
Philadelphia Inquirer
 
"Could it be? A three-game winning streak? Yes, it is. Finally, halfway through the season, the 76ers are streaking. Friday night at New Orleans Arena, the Sixers beat the New Orleans Hornets, 101-94. In their last three games, the Sixers have defeated the New Jersey Nets, the Chicago Bulls, and, now, the Hornets. The Sixers improved to 18-31, while the Hornets, losers of three in a row without all-star point guard Chris Paul, dropped to 26-24. Tonight, the Sixers play at the Houston Rockets. Although Friday night's game never looked like a blowout victory for the Sixers, it always looked like a victory. The Hornets were dominated on the boards and working too hard just to stay within arm's ..."
Iguodala trade talk: Phoenix, Houston
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February 6
Philadelphia Inquirer
 
"The latest trade talk circulating around 76ers swingman Andre Iguodala has him going with teammate Samuel Dalembert to the Phoenix Suns for star power forward Amar'e Stoudemire and, possibly, guard Leandro Barbosa. According to an NBA source, the two teams have discussed this and other trade scenarios, although there are a few snags with the potential trade. Stoudemire's contract situation is chief among them. The NBA's trade deadline is Feb. 18. Iguodala has four years and $56 million remaining on his contract; Dalembert will earn $12 million next season, after which his contract expires. Stoudemire's contract expires at season's end, but he has a player option to earn $17 million for the ..."
Trade talk no distraction to Sixers' Iguodala
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February 6
Philadelphia Daily News
 
"If all the trade rumors that are swirling around 76ers forward Andre Iguodala are bothering him, he isn't letting on. Or maybe he's sort of excited at the possibility of a new start. Iguodala's name has been one of the big ones mixed in with a bevy of trade rumors, which have him going to Cleveland or Houston or Phoenix, to name a few. He shook off the speculation again last night and scored 14 points in helping the Sixers to a 101-94 win over the New Orleans Hornets (26-24), who were playing their fourth game without star guard Chris Paul. Paul had surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee on Thursday and is expected to miss 4 to 6 weeks. It was the third straight win for the ..."
Iverson sits out game for personal reasons
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February 6
Camden Courier-Post
 (scroll down)
"The Sixers were again without guard Allen Iverson who sat out a second straight game because one of his children remains ill. The All-Star also sat out the 76ers' overtime win over Chicago on Wednesday."
Iverson out for tonight's game
Comment
February 5
Philadelphia Inquirer
 
"Sixers guard Allen Iverson will not play tonight in New Orleans for personal reasons as he continues to tend to an illness being suffered by one of his children. Iverson also missed Wednesday night's game against Chicago. He is listed as a game-time decision for tomorrow night in Houston, but the impending weather could make it difficult for him to get to Houston in time, if he were able to play."
Assigning blame for 76ers mess
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February 5
Philadelphia Inquirer
 columnist John Gonzalez
"Not long ago, I went to a Sixers game with my 10-year-old godson. That's not the beginning of a joke, though it probably could be. So we're sitting there eating nachos and drinking beer (OK, I was drinking beer. He abstained; can't have my designated driver getting all banged up, you know?). He started looking around the largely empty arena, and a curious, confused look spread over his face. He studied the crowd for a while, then turned to me and asked a simple question with a complicated answer: "Where is everyone?" It's equally tough to explain to a kid or an adult - or, in my case, an adult who invariably acts like a kid - how a once-proud franchise has devolved into . . . this. I ..."
Deep into season, 76ers an enigma
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February 5
Philadelphia Inquirer
 columnist Bob Ford
"This evening in New Orleans, a town that is somewhat distracted at the moment and might not be paying close attention, the 76ers will attempt to win their third straight game. If you already knew the Sixers are playing tonight, you are a fan. If you knew the identity of their opponent and the location of the game, you are a big fan. If you knew they have won back-to-back games, you are an incredibly huge fan. And if you knew the Sixers had tried for a third straight win four previous times this season but failed each time, you are probably Ed Stefanski. No one else follows them that closely. The stat is accurate, however, if less than surprising. As the Sixers have drifted along this ..."
Time for Sixers to make a fresh start
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February 5
Philadelphia Daily News
 columnist Bob Cooney
"DO IT, Ed. Just do it. Pull up the lever from the big black box, and lower it fast and with all the strength you can muster and blow up the franchise. The trade deadline is now 2 weeks away. General manager Ed Stefanski has to take a whole new approach than anticipated at this time, since his team has tumbled to a 17-31 record. Before this season started, fans didn't expect to contend for a title. A top-four seeding in the Eastern Conference was probably a reach, too. What was totally unexpected was this: a season of utter disappointment and a team totally void of any type of character. So it's time, Ed. Time to implode. Have a fire sale like no other in franchise history. Ideally, and ..."
Trade not Dalembert's focus
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February 4
Wilmington News Journal
 
"Samuel Dalembert said the earthquake in his native Haiti has taken his mind off of the trade rumors that are revolving around him. Dalembert said he doesn't care about those rumors, which is a drastic change from the trade deadline last season when Dalembert asked to be traded and the 76ers tried hard to accommodate him. Dalembert was upset last season with his lack of playing time, which he resolved not to worry about this season. "I maybe over-talked too much last year, and for that it backfired," Dalembert said. "I learned my lesson. I said, 'Instead of focusing on myself and what I expect for them to give me in time, let's focus for the time I'm on the floor.' " That's not to say ..."
$2.5 million sought from ex-Pistons guard Allen Iverson in Detroit incident
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February 4
Detroit Free Press
 
"An Ohio resident has filed a civil lawsuit against former Piston Allen Iverson that seeks $2.5 million plus damages stemming from an alleged incident at a Detroit nightspot last spring. In an eight-page complaint filed in district court, Guy Walker claims he "suffered severe pain, emotional distress and mental anguish" from injuries suffered during an altercation at the South Beach Pizza Bar on the night of April 11. Walker claims Antwuan Clisey, a Virginia resident, was working as a member of Iverson's security detail when Clisey initiated an unprovoked attack that cleared the bar, and Iverson, who was escorted away from the scene, did nothing to stop the altercation. The complaint says ..."
Sixers Notes: Iverson misses game because of child's illness
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February 4
Philadelphia Inquirer
 
"76ers guard Allen Iverson was excused from last night's home game against the Chicago Bulls because one of his children is sick, the team said.Iverson, who also missed Tuesday's practice for the same reason, is expected to return for tomorrow's game in New Orleans against the Hornets. In 22 games with the Sixers, Iverson has started every game and is averaging 14.7 points on 43.5 percent shooting. In place of Iverson, Sixers coach Eddie Jordan elected to start a backcourt of rookie Jrue Holiday and Willie Green, choosing Green over combination guard Lou Williams, who has started 27 games this season. Why Green instead of Williams? "Recommendation from the coaching staff," Jordan said. ..."
Sixers fight past Bulls in overtime
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February 4
Philadelphia Inquirer
 
"In a season in which the 76ers have seemed to find ways to lose, tonight they found a way to win.It took a seemingly unnecessary overtime session - the Sixers had two very good chances to win in regulation - but when it was over, they had defeated the Chicago Bulls, 106-103, at the Wachovia Center.The backbreaker came with about 1 minute, 19 seconds left in overtime when Sixers swingman Andre Iguodala made a three-pointer to give his team a 101-98 lead. A few seconds later, Willie Green's baseline jumper pushed the lead to 103-98 and forced Chicago to call a time-out.Iguodala's driving, lefthanded lay-in with 27.9 seconds remaining all but sealed it at 105-100.Iguodala finished with 25 ..."
Iguodala beats Bulls, talks trade
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February 4
Camden Courier-Post
 
"There are nights like these when Andre Iguodala shows just what the 76ers could be missing if they trade him, and what a championship-caliber team could be getting if they trade for him. That's because Iguodala scored 25 points to go along with 8 rebounds and 8 assists in the Sixers' 106-103 overtime win over the Chicago Bulls. Afterward, Iguodala had this to say about a possible trade, hinting that he thinks it's going to happen by the Feb. 18 deadline: "I feel like I'm one of the top players in the league and I can give whatever team I'm on a whole different dimension. Thinking in that perspective alone gives me that added confidence. It shows a new team what I can bring to the table." ..."
Sixers' Speights happy about success of former Florida mentor Noah
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February 4
Philadelphia Daily News
 
"Marreese Speights could mostly just watch and learn during his freshman season at the University of Florida. The 76ers center had a lot of good basketball to watch as the Gators won the second of their consecutive national titles during his first year there, and there was one player Speights looked up to and emulated. "People don't realize how good of an offensive player Joakim [Noah] is," said Speights of the Chicago Bulls' starting center, who is averaging 11.3 points and 12.1 rebounds, second in the league. "He has a pretty good hook shot and he's gotten better and better on offense since college. "He and a lot of the other guys were really good at watching out for me when I first got ..."
Iguodala scores 25 as Sixers win in OT
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February 4
Camden Courier-Post
 
"If Andre Iguodala is, in fact, playing his final games for the Sixers, he's showing them what they might be losing and what a championship-caliber team might be gaining. That's because Iguodala made clutch shots at the end of regulation and in overtime Wednesday, grabbed eight rebounds, collected eight assists and led the Sixers to a 106-103 win over the Chicago Bulls. Iguodala knows well that the NBA trade deadline is Feb. 18 and that he is mentioned in many rumors. He seemed to hint afterward that he expects a trade to happen. "I feel like I'm one of the top players in the league, and I can give whatever team I'm on a whole different dimension," Iguodala said. "Thinking in that ..."
Brand powers Sixers to victory over Bulls
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February 4
Philadelphia Daily News
 
"THIS TIME, 76ers fans were happy to watch their team play more than the usually allotted time.The Sixers turned in a fine all-around performance on the offensive end and won their second consecutive game with a 106-103 overtime victory against the Chicago Bulls at the Wachovia Center last night.Elton Brand paced the Sixers with 26 points, nine rebounds and three blocks in 39 tough minutes, and Andre Iguodala sliced and diced his way to 25 points, while still managing to grab eight rebounds and deal eight assists.The duo offset a magnificent performance by Bulls second-year guard Derrick Rose, who finished with 30 points and nine assists.For Brand, it was another performance reminiscent of ..."
Noah quick recovery
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February 4
Chicago Sun-Times
 
"Before the game against the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday night at the Wachovia Center, Derrick Rose said he was happy the Bulls were playing so quickly after squandering their recent momentum with a flat home performance. ''I'm glad we have a back-to-back, so we can get right back out there,'' Rose said. Of course, the bounce-back factor only works if you actually play better. The Bulls didn't, losing even more steam with a 106-103 overtime loss to another team with a record well below the .500 mark. After winning five straight against teams with winning records in the tough Western Conference, the Bulls (23-24) now have dropped consecutive games against teams with losing records. ''We ..."
Bulls fall 106-103 in OT
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February 4
Chicago Tribune
 
"As the final seconds ticked down in the Bulls' 106-103 overtime loss to the 76ers Wednesday night, Joakim Noah sat on the bench staring skyward, shaking his head. Noah's frustrations moved past the Bulls dropping back-to-back winnable games after their five-game winning streak. Anyone who has watched the Bulls' energetic and emotional leader move — or, more accurately, not move — the last two games knows the obvious: Plantar fasciitis has robbed Noah of his sprinting and his spirit. That's why the Bulls might consider shutting Noah down for the final four games before the All-Star break. "I haven't spoken to anybody about that, but it's very frustrating," Noah said. "That's not me. I'm not ..."
76ers' Iverson to miss tonight's game
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February 3
Wilmington News Journal
 
"Allen Iverson will miss the 76ers' game tonight against the Chicago Bulls for personal reasons related to an illness suffered by one of his children, the team said in a statement today. The Sixers expect Iverson to be available for the Sixers' game Friday in New Orleans against the Hornets. The illness was undisclosed, and the statement added that Iverson's family requested that their privacy be respected during this time."
Iverson to miss tonight's game
Comment
February 3
Philadelphia Inquirer
 
"Guard Allen Iverson will miss tonight's game against the Chicago Bulls because of an illness to one of his children, the Sixers said today. The team did not release any further information and asked that the Iversons' privacy be respected."
Benched Sixers don't like sitting
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February 3
Camden Courier-Post
 
"Allen Iverson is the starter for the Sixers at guard in part because coach Eddie Jordan said it's harder for him to get loose coming off the bench with his arthritic left knee. That means Lou Williams is relegated to coming off the bench as long as rookie Jrue Holiday is starting at point guard. Jordan said he likes that lineup because Holiday is bigger than both Williams and Iverson and he plays better defense. Williams said he doesn't like the new arrangement, which began Jan. 22, but that he's dealing with it. "It's been a little different," Williams said after practice Tuesday as the Sixers prepare for their game tonight against the Chicago Bulls. "For me, it's territory. I just try to ..."
76ers' Young works to regain shooting touch
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February 3
Philadelphia Inquirer
 
"Yesterday afternoon, 76ers forward Thaddeus Young explained his season succinctly when he said, "This is just not a good shooting year for me." Last year, Young was one of the NBA's best second-year players. This season, he has looked mostly lost, sometimes found, but rarely consistent. None of those struggles changed when coach Eddie Jordan moved Young to the bench Jan. 22. Scanning the game logs of Young's season is a lesson in peaks and valleys: 20-point games followed by four-point games, and 3-for-12 shooting performances followed by 6-for-6 showings. "Minutes played" has become another of Young's inconsistent numbers. In two of the team's last three games, Young played for under 20 ..."
Sixers' Young aiming to improve jump shot
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February 3
Philadelphia Daily News
 
"In a little over 4 months, 76ers forward Thaddeus Young will turn 22 years old, having just completed his third season in the NBA. A good gift might be a GPS system for the 6-8 Georgia Tech product, because he certainly has seemed a bit lost this season. For much of the season, coach Eddie Jordan has shuffled Young between the big and small forward spots. Young's size and athleticism makes him a nightmarish matchup for opponents when he plays the small, but his lack of bulk hurts him defensively at the four. Six games ago, he was removed from the starting lineup for the first time this season, and after starting 71 of 75 games a year ago. Some kind of shakeup was clearly needed as, at the ..."
76ers breathe a sigh of relief
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February 2
Philadelphia Inquirer
 
"After an 83-79 victory over the host New Jersey Nets on Sunday, 76ers coach Eddie Jordan and his players were not gloating. With a record of 4-42, the Nets are threatening the NBA record for fewest wins in a season, established when the Sixers had only nine in 1972-73. The current Sixers seemed to be more relieved about not being embarrassed by the worst team in the league than they were happy about snapping their three-game losing streak. "It would have been a tough loss," said swingman Andre Iguodala, who had 14 points and nine rebounds against New Jersey. "In the second half, we didn't have good execution, but we did enough to win the game. "Every loss is a tough loss, but we got the ..."
Benching starters works for beleaguered Sixers coach Jordan
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February 2
Philadelphia Daily News
 
"During this dismal 76ers season, blame and excuses have varied. One constant that has drawn the fans' ire is the rotation of coach Eddie Jordan. Start typing those e-mails because here goes - On Sunday night it worked. Granted, the Sixers were playing the lower-than-low New Jersey Nets, who have somehow managed to win four of 46 games this season. And certainly, the game was uglier than a Charles Barkley golf swing. But what Jordan did Sunday was what needed to be done in order for his team to win. And maybe should have been done a long time ago. In the first half, he pulled a lifeless starting five and inserted substitutes who were hungrier than, uh, Charles Barkley. Rodney Carney, whose ..."
If there's truth to the trade rumors, Iguodala may get chance to thrive
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February 1
Wilmington News Journal
 columnist Martin Frank
"Now that the trade rumors are flying fast and furious around 76ers swingman Andre Iguodala, it's a good time to wonder just how good he would be on a legitimate championship contender. Quantcast It has always been said, even by those who have known Iguodala the best, that he's an ideal second scorer on a team with a superstar, a Scottie Pippen type to a Michael Jordan. If the Sixers go through with any of these rumored deals, Iguodala could get the chance to prove it. That will probably never be the case with the Sixers, at least in the next few years, because they probably won't get that superstar by trade or free agency as long as Iguodala is still on the team. His contract, which has ..."
76ers beat lowly Nets, but just barely
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February 1
Philadelphia Inquirer
 
"For anyone who missed the 76ers' 83-79 victory over the truly awful New Jersey Nets last night, here's the CliffsNotes version: It was bad, ugly, and hard to watch. But, at least temporarily, the Sixers averted disaster. Leading up to the game, the chatter was that a loss could be the straw that would break coach Eddie Jordan's back. A franchise can absorb plenty of disappointing losses, but one to the Nets - a team averaging a win a month - would have been the exclamation point on this poorly written season. "No disrespect to the Nets franchise, but they've won four games, and we're trying to make a run," said Sixers power forward Elton Brand, who scored 10 points. "We couldn't lose this ..."
Sitting is big swing for 76ers' Williams
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February 1
Philadelphia Inquirer
 
"Guard Lou Williams played only 8 minutes, 44 seconds Friday in the 99-91 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers. He sat the entire second half. A little more than two months ago, Williams was playing the best basketball of his five-year career. Now he's a reserve among reserves. Does he think Friday's stretch of sitting was a one-time occasion? "It'll happen again. Definitely, it'll happen again," Williams said. But it didn't last night. Against the New Jersey Nets, he was the first reserve off the bench and logged 28 minutes, finishing with 11 points and a team-high five assists. Williams, who entered last night averaging 14.5 points and 4.0 assists a game, said Friday's bench time had surprised ..."
Sixers win one for their 9-73 brethren
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February 1
Philadelphia Daily News
 
"In the throes of their own disappointing season, the 76ers are doing their part to possibly erase a legendarily bad franchise predecessor from the NBA record book. With last night's plug-ugly, 83-79 squeaker over the New Jersey Nets at IZOD Arena, the Sixers improved to 16-31 and, perhaps more important, plunged the host team to 4-42. Three of the Sixers' 16 wins are against the Nets. The 1972-73 Sixers stumbled and bumbled to a 9-73 record, the worst in NBA history. With their most recent loss, the Nets matched those Sixers, the 1997-98 Denver Nuggers and 1993-94 Dallas Mavericks for the worst 46-game record ever by an NBA team. At their present rate, the Nets would finish 7-75. "Nobody ..."
It wasn't pretty but Sixers beat Nets
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February 1
Philadelphia Daily News
 
"Maybe the Liberty Bell wouldn't be the landmark that it is if it weren't for that big, ol' crack. Same thing for the Leaning Tower of Pisa. If the engineers had gotten it right during construction, it wouldn't be an international tourist attraction. Make no mistake, the 76ers' 83-79 victory over the dreadful New Jersey Nets last night won't be turning up on ESPN Classic any time soon. It not only wasn't a thing of beauty, it might have set the NBA back 50 years in terms of offensive execution. All that was missing was a center jump after each made basket. But beauty is in the eye of the beholder, according to the old proverb, and from where Sixers coach Eddie Jordan was sitting, all those ..."
Cavaliers haven't given up yet on pursuit of Philadelphia's Andre Iguodala
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January 31
Cleveland Plain Dealer
 
"Since the season started, the Cavaliers have been linked to a seemingly endless string of names in the trade market, the below-the-surface entity that dominates front offices these days and obsesses fans. First there was Stephen Jackson, a player the Cavs tried and failed to acquire from Golden State in November. Then it was Troy Murphy and Antawn Jamison, two good-shooting big men who are still very much in play but seem increasingly unlikely. It was followed by Amare Stoudemire, where the teams had talked but the interest wasn't true. Now comes the next, Andre Iguodala, the current Philadelphia 76ers franchise player who was regarded as untouchable just a year ago but is now the ..."
Lakers' Ron Artest feels, and plays, better
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January 31
Los Angeles Times
 
"Ron Artest weighed the question, chewed on it mentally before answering. Was this his best game with the Lakers? "Maybe," he said after pausing several seconds. "It's not the best I've ever had, but probably as a Laker, it might be." Artest had 18 points, four rebounds and three steals in the Lakers' 99-91 victory Friday night over the Philadelphia 76ers. It was enough to draw praise from Coach Phil Jackson, who noted Artest's increased aggressiveness after a week filled with jabbing the starting small forward. Jackson had poked fun at the shoes Artest was wearing, calling them "Frankenstein" shoes. Artest had anof his own after the game: The painful swelling on the underside of both his ..."
Plenty of good fits out there for Iguodala
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January 31
Camden Courier-Post
 
"Now that the trade rumors are flying fast and furious around Sixers swingman Andre Iguodala, it's a good time to wonder just how good he would be on a legitimate championship contender. It has always been said, even by those who have known Iguodala the best, that he's an ideal second scorer on a team with a superstar, a Scottie Pippen-type to a Michael Jordan. If the Sixers go through with any of these rumored deals, Iguodala could get the chance to prove it. That will probably never be the case with the Sixers, at least in the next few years, because they probably won't get that superstar by trade or free agency as long as Iguodala is still on the team. His contract, which has four years ..."
Inside the Sixers: Ready to pull the trigger on a deal?
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January 31
Philadelphia Inquirer
 
"One year ago, the 76ers watched the trading deadline pass. The reason was as simple as a foul shot: Sixers general manager Ed Stefanski believed in his young nucleus. The belief made sense. His team - the core of which was that young nucleus - was on its way to making its second straight playoff appearance. The Sixers seemed to be one of a handful of young NBA franchises with better days ahead, not in the rearview mirror. A year later, that vision has been tossed into a blender. This season's Feb. 18 trading deadline is rapidly approaching, and chatter within the league has the Sixers as one team likely to make a move. On Thursday, Stefanski said: "We're very active in talking to teams ..."
Jordan rests core starters at practice
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January 31
Philadelphia Inquirer
 
"As a result of extended minutes during Friday night's loss to the Los Angeles Lakers and in anticipation of tonight's game against the New Jersey Nets, 76ers coach Eddie Jordan rested his core players yesterday at practice. Jordan gave a day off to guard Allen Iverson, forwards Andre Iguodala and Elton Brand, and center Samuel Dalembert. All four played 37 minutes or more. "The rotation was a little bit skewed because Allen had it going and we didn't bring Lou [Williams] back, we didn't play Rodney [Carney]," Jordan explained after yesterday's practice at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. "So I wanted those guys to get some practice time, some scrimmaging in. They ..."