76ers News

Jordan sticking with struggling Brand
Comment
November 19
Wilmington News Journal
 
"Eddie Jordan said he did a lot of soul-searching and talking with assistants before deciding to keep Elton Brand in the starting lineup. Jordan had considered having Brand come off the bench now that Marreese Speights is out for the next six to eight weeks with an MCL tear. He was going to replace Brand with the more athletic Rodney Carney and have Brand serve as a center with the second unit. In the end, Jordan called it a "sensitive situation," and decided to keep starting Brand. "We know he's struggling," Jordan said. "We have come to an agreement that it's a process for him to get his legs under him. We see more bursts of energy and more flashes of his offensive post moves. You've got ..."
Brand puts his stamp on a victory
Comment
November 19
Wilmington News Journal
 
"It had been so long that Elton Brand almost forgot what it was like to play in the fourth quarter, or have a significant impact on the game. Brand did both on Wednesday night, leading the 76ers to an 86-84 win over the Charlotte Bobcats. Brand played a season-high 42 minutes, which included playing in the fourth quarter for just the second time in eight games. He reached season highs of 19 points, 11 rebounds and six blocked shots. He capped off the win by deflecting the Bobcats' inbounds pass with 3.1 seconds left. That came just after Andre Iguodala drove the length of the court following a Bobcats miss and dished off to Lou Williams for the game-winning layup. Somehow, Brand managed to ..."
Brand breaks out as Sixers edge Bobcats
Comment
November 19
Philadelphia Daily News
 
"YOU COULD see it mounting on the face of Elton Brand the past few weeks - as the minutes dwindled, the frustration grew. It was a reason two teammates had to leave the practice floor last week courtesy of Brand - one due to a well-placed elbow (Jason Smith), the other because of a swat to the face (Primoz Brezec). It also played a big part in last night's performance that yielded 19 points, 11 rebounds, six blocks and three steals in 41-plus minutes, all season highs for Brand, as the 76ers (5-6) squeezed past the Charlotte Bobcats (3-8), 86-84. On a night when, for the most part, the atmosphere at the Wachovia Center was a cure for insomniacs, Brand's game awoke amid speculation that he ..."
Team explores deal for 76ers' Dalembert
Comment
November 18
Sacramento Bee
 
"An ESPN report Tuesday morning said the Kings are involved in talks for a three-team deal with Philadelphia and Boston that would include sending Kenny Thomas to the 76ers and bringing center Samuel Dalembert to Sacramento. And while a league source confirmed the Kings and Philadelphia have discussed a deal involving Thomas and Dalembert, the deal appears to be dead for the foreseeable future largely because of the Kings' lukewarm interest in the eighth-year veteran, who has two years and a combined $24.9 million left on his contract. Yet if it's up to Marc Cornstein, the talks won't stay quiet for long. Dalembert's agent, who is clearly on the lookout for a better situation for his ..."
Time to look for some help?
Comment
November 18
Boston Globe
 
"With the Celtics having lost three of their past five games, and their lineup struggling with outside shooting, rumors are beginning to surface about potential trades. While the Philadelphia 76ers are looking to rid themselves of the underachieving Samuel Dalembert and the Sacramento Kings are seeking to deal the disgruntled Kenny Thomas, the Celtics have been rumored to be part a three-way deal that would send Tony Allen, Brian Scalabrine, and J.R. Giddens out of Boston and net them the Kings' Andres Nocioni. An ESPN report said there have been discussions to send Allen, Scalabrine, and Thomas to Philadelphia and Giddens to Sacramento along with Dalembert while the Celtics would get the ..."
Carney may replace Brand in 76ers' lineup
Comment
November 18
Philadelphia Inquirer
 
"If you read Rodney Carney's poker face - or lack thereof - it seems as if the athletic swingman might be the 76ers' starting small forward tonight against the Charlotte Bobcats. But maybe because Sixers coach Eddie Jordan has yet to decide, or maybe to preserve the element of surprise, neither Jordan nor his players would confirm a starting lineup switch - Carney in, Elton Brand out - after yesterday's practice at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. Carney, without saying anything, came closest. When asked if he thought he'd be in the starting lineup tonight, Carney, who has practiced with the first team the last two days, smiled what appeared to be a giveaway smile, said, "I ..."
Source: Sixers discussed Dalembert deal before season
Comment
November 18
Philadelphia Daily News
 
"Something's changing tonight. Maybe the 76ers' starting lineup. Maybe the substitution rotation. Maybe a couple of players' positions. But apparently not the roster. A three-way trade scenario involving the Sixers, the Sacramento Kings and the Boston Celtic that turned up yesterday on ESPN's Web site turned out to be old news, at least according to a source familiar with the Sixers' situation. The source said the deal, which would have sent Sixers center Samuel Dalembert to the Kings, was discussed before the start of the NBA's regular season. The source said the various contract numbers all worked, but nothing ever came of it. The specifics had the Sixers acquiring Tony Allen and Brian ..."
Is Brand the man?
Comment
November 17
Camden Courier-Post
 
"It will be interesting to see whom the Sixers turn to for help along the front line at crunch time. They had been turning to second-year forward Marreese Speights, but he'll be out of the lineup for six to eight weeks with a partial tear of the medial-collateral ligament in his left knee. The injury occurred during the early stages of the fourth quarter Saturday in the Sixers' 94-88 loss to the Chicago Bulls. He underwent an MRI Sunday, after the team returned from Chicago, and team physician Dr. Jack McPhilemy diagnosed the injury. "It's a shame for him," Sixers president and general manager Ed Stefanski said. "He was playing at such a high level. But this is an opportunity for ..."
Brand may sit as part of Sixers' lineup shuffle
Comment
November 17
Philadelphia Inquirer
 
"Marreese Speights is the one with the partially torn knee ligament, but it looks as if 76ers coach Eddie Jordan will do the tweaking, possibly to his starting lineup.When reporters were permitted to watch the Sixers' practice yesterday at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, power forward Elton Brand was working with the second unit even as Speights walked the sideline, a brace supporting the partly torn medial collateral ligament in his left knee.Seeing Brand in a white practice jersey instead of first-team blue certainly raised eyebrows, but it did not necessarily guarantee that Jordan intended to change his starting lineup.But Jordan's and Brand's words afterward certainly ..."
Speights out 6-8 weeks
Comment
November 16
Wilmington News Journal
 
"The 76ers had started relying heavily on second-year forward Marreese Speights, especially in the fourth quarter. Now they'll have to rely on someone else for the next six to eight weeks as Speights was diagnosed with a partial tear of the MCL in his left knee Sunday. The injury occurred during the early stages of the fourth quarter of the Sixers' 94-88 loss to the Chicago Bulls on Saturday night, when Speights went down on the defensive end. He limped off the court and didn't return. Speights underwent an MRI on Sunday afternoon after the team returned from Chicago. Team physician Dr. Jack McPhilemy diagnosed the injury. Speights, a 6-foot-10 forward, was averaging 13.0 points and 6.4 ..."
76ers will lose Speights until January
Comment
November 16
Philadelphia Inquirer
 
"At least until the new year, the 76ers will be without second-year center Marreese Speights, who was diagnosed yesterday with a partial tear of the medial collateral ligament in his left knee. He hurt his knee in the fourth quarter of Saturday's 94-88 loss to the Chicago Bulls. Playing defense, Speights grimaced and grabbed his left knee. He went to the locker room with the Sixers trainer and did not return. An MRI exam yesterday revealed the partially torn ligament. The Sixers' team doctor, Jack McPhilemy, said Speights would be sidelined for six to eight weeks. Speights' injury is a blow to the Sixers, who next play Wednesday against the Charlotte Bobcats at the Wachovia Center. He was ..."
Sixers' Speights to miss 6 to 8 weeks with knee injury
Comment
November 16
Philadelphia Daily News
 
"The Friday night home loss to the Utah Jazz hurt the 76ers' pride as they were outmanned, outmuscled, outplayed and thoroughly thumped in a 112-90 loss. Saturday night in Chicago, though armed with a better effort and more determined play all around, the Sixers dropped a 94-88 decision to the Bulls and dropped their record to 4-6. That loss might have ultimately hurt more than the Utah game, though, as reserve center Marreesse Speights, the Sixers' most consistent player off the bench this season, had to leave the game with an injury to his left knee. After an MRI exam yesterday morning, team physician Dr. Jack McPhilemy revealed that Speights has a partial tear of the MCL and will be out ..."
Remember the way Iverson was, not the way he is
Comment
November 15
Wilmington News Journal
 columnist Martin Frank
"It's much better this way. The Memphis Grizzlies are coming to the Wachovia Center on Friday, and Allen Iverson most likely won't be with them. He has taken a leave of absence to deal with some personal matters that might also involve some basketball matters, such as the fact that he's no longer starting. It would have been an awkward return for Iverson, and everyone involved. So it's better that 76ers fans, whom Iverson enthralled and enraged for 10 1/2 seasons before his December 2006 trade to Denver, remember him from the one and only time he came to the Wachovia Center as a member of an opposing team. And it's better that they remember his many highlights during his time as a Sixer. ..."
Brand dilemma requires Jordan to be delicate
Comment
November 15
Wilmington News Journal
 columnist Martin Frank
"When Eddie Jordan became the 76ers coach, he said that his Princeton offense would fit Elton Brand, and that it would enable the Sixers to have three prolific scorers with Brand, Andre Iguodala and Thaddeus Young. Jordan cited his success in Washington with Gilbert Arenas, Caron Butler and Antawn Jamison, as well as in New Jersey when Jordan was the top assistant when the Nets reached the NBA Finals two years in a row with Jason Kidd, Richard Jefferson and Kerry Kittles. It hasn't worked out that way with the Sixers. Brand is averaging a career-low 9.7 points and 5.2 rebounds per game. This from a player who averaged 20.3 points and 10.2 rebounds per game before signing a five-year, $80 ..."
Kirk Hinrich, Luol Deng and Joakim Noah lead charge
Comment
November 15
Chicago Tribune
 
"The next time the Bulls play in the United Center, Ben Gordon will be in attendance with the Pistons. That Dec. 2 game will bring even more questions about the Bulls' offense than this season's slow start already has created. Here's how bad it has gotten: The Bulls downed Philadelphia 94-88 Saturday night at the United Center, shooting 44.9 percent -- and people suggested improvement. But 21 turnovers, including seven from Derrick Rose, and telling postgame quotes from coaches and players suggested otherwise. "I don't know about that," chuckled coach Vinny Del Negro, when it was offered the offense looked better. It did at least from Kirk Hinrich, who hit his first six shots en route to ..."
Work in progress keeps to time line
Comment
November 15
Philadelphia Inquirer
 
"With a coy smile, 76ers coach Eddie Jordan said it would take months - at least until Thanksgiving - before you'd see some rhythm within his systems. In those late-summer exchanges, weeks before training camp had even begun, it was difficult to tell if Jordan was offering the worst-case scenario or if he truly believed his timeline. Now that turkey and pumpkin pie are around the corner, and with the Sixers chilling around .500 with most of their wins against the NBA's worst, it's become darn clear that Jordan was never yanking our chains: We should have believed his timeline. Why didn't we? There are a few reasons. Because the Sixers, excluding point guard Andre Miller, returned their ..."
Sixers show fight but fall to Bulls
Comment
November 15
Philadelphia Inquirer
 
"In front of a sellout crowd at the United Center on Saturday night, the 76ers did something they had not done the night before: They played every possession hard.Unfortunately for the Sixers, the outcome was the same: They lost, outlasted by the Chicago Bulls, 94-88.The Sixers dropped to 4-6. The Bulls improved to 5-4.On Friday night, the Sixers were outhustled and outplayed in a loss to the Utah Jazz. Saturday night's game was fought hard, if not well executed."Night and day from [the Utah game], and if we would have had some shots go down, I think it's a different ball game . . .," Sixers coach Eddie Jordan said. "I liked the way we executed, our defense was into itself, I liked the way ..."
Utah gets physical, rolls over Sixers
Comment
November 14
Wilmington News Journal
 
"It was over so quickly that the 76ers didn't know what hit them.

That's not entirely true. They knew it was the Utah Jazz because the Jazz kept hitting them and hitting them. Much to the chagrin of Sixers coach Eddie Jordan, the Sixers didn't respond in their 112-90 loss Friday. That was reflected in the mood of the half-filled arena as the fans were either chanting the first part of Carlos Boozer's last name or expressing their displeasure over the Sixers' performance. Either way, Boozer ran over them like a truck, with 24 points and 12 rebounds. He was one of seven Jazz players to score in double figures. Utah outrebounded the Sixers (4-5) by 11. "It was ..."

Short-handed Jazz fly past Sixers
Comment
November 14
The Deseret News
 
"From behind closed doors, screams and shouts were heard. And when they opened shortly after the Jazz's 112-90 win Friday night over the Philadelphia 76ers, it sounded like a frat party inside the visiting locker room at Wachovia Center here. Understandably so, too, as 4-5 Utah — without starting point guard Deron Williams, who returned to Salt Lake City earlier Friday to be with an ailing daughter — won despite starting two rookies and going most of the way with just seven players. "We just had a lot of fun tonight," forward Carlos Boozer said. Did they ever. All five starters scored in double figures — topped by Boozer and his 24-point, 12-rebound double-double — and so did Andrei ..."
Jazz bang out victory over Sixers
Comment
November 14
Camden Courier-Post
 
"It was over so quickly that the 76ers didn't know what hit them. That's not entirely true. They knew it was the Utah Jazz because the Jazz kept hitting them and hitting them. Much to the chagrin of Sixers coach Eddie Jordan, the Sixers didn't respond in their 112-90 loss Friday. That was reflected in the mood of the half-filled arena as the fans were either chanting the first part of Carlos Boozer's last name or expressing their displeasure over the Sixers' performance. Either way, Boozer ran over them like a truck, with 24 points and 12 rebounds. He was one of seven Jazz players to score in double figures. Utah outrebounded the Sixers (4-5) by 11. "It was obvious, and it has been obvious, ..."
Sixers fall to Jazz, 112-90
Comment
November 14
Philadelphia Inquirer
 
"You had to think that no matter how large the Utah Jazz lead grew tonight, it would shrink again. It had to: Utah was without all-everything point guard Deron Williams, entered the Wachovia Center with a losing record, and started an all-rookie backcourt. But it never shrank. It expanded. It went from a bucket or two - no big deal, plenty of time - to a dozen buckets. Tonight, the 76ers were badly beaten by Utah, 112-90. The lead was 26 points during the fourth quarter; it dropped to 14 for one possession in the fourth before bruising forward Carlos Boozer, who finished with 24 points and 14 rebounds, hit back-to-back buckets for Utah. The Sixers slipped to 4-5; the Jazz improved to 4-5. ..."
Sixers overwhelmed by the Jazz
Comment
November 14
Philadelphia Daily News
 
"THEIR CAPTAIN, All-Star point guard Deron Williams, had left the team earlier in the day for what was described as personal reasons. In his place was point guard Eric Maynor, the 10th overall pick in this year's draft. It was Maynor's first start, necessitated by the sprained left big toe of backup point guard Ronnie Price. Maynor's running mate in the backcourt last night was fellow rookie Wesley Matthews, who went undrafted out of Marquette. The Utah Jazz was hurt, shorthanded and in disarray as it limped into Philadelphia following a blowout loss in Boston on Wednesday night. And the Jazz knocked the Sixers out of the Wachovia Center with physical authority on both ends of the floor in ..."
Topic of Brand frustrating to Sixers
Comment
November 13
Philadelphia Inquirer
 
"It's a jump ball over who is more frustrated, 76ers coach Eddie Jordan, who has answered about as many Elton Brand questions as he can stomach, or Brand himself, whose early-season struggles are the team's en vogue topic. After yesterday's practice at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, a few hours removed from Wednesday night's nip-and-tuck 82-79 win over the New Jersey Nets in which Brand, again, did not play in the fourth quarter, both answered the questions, but neither seemed particularly enthused about the topic.The Sixers (4-4) play the Utah Jazz (3-5) tonight at the Wachovia Center.Also forced into the Brand discussion was Sixers president and general manager Ed ..."
Brand an early concern for Sixers
Comment
November 13
Philadelphia Daily News
 columnist Bob Cooney
"IT'S EIGHT GAMES into the season, hardly enough time to have a full grasp on this 76ers team. We all know it has a new coach, a general manager about to celebrate only his second anniversary with the team, and a roster devoid of an upper-echelon player. Yet, the first subject that pops up through e-mails, phone calls and text messages is the same: Elton Brand. The generously listed 6-9 forward was brought in here, courtesy of an $80 million, 5-year contract, as the biggest free-agent signee in the summer of 2008. He wasn't thought to be the missing piece that, say, Moses Malone was to the 1982-83 team that won 65 games and strolled to the NBA championship. But it was assumed that Brand ..."
Nets fall late, stay winless
Comment
November 12
New York Post
 
"They were all set to chill the champagne, ready the confetti and prep the Canyon of Heroes. V-NJ was about to arrive. Victory in New Jersey Day. Get that famous picture of the sailor kissing the young lady in Times Square ready. But then the Nets and their horribly depleted roster managed just four points in the final 5 minutes, 31 seconds and blew four different chances to either claim a lead or force overtime in the final 61 seconds. "It's starting to get frustrating and hurt because we're right there in the last three games until the end and we just can't get it done," said Trenton Hassell, who missed one of the shots late that could have altered the Nets' fortunes. So the Nets -- ..."
Sixers hang on in last minute to top winless Nets
Comment
November 12
Wilmington News Journal
 
"No NBA team has ever lost all 82 games, and chances are the New Jersey Nets are going to win a game sometime. It could have happened Wednesday, except the 76ers made just enough big plays of their own when it counted for an 82-79 victory. The loss dropped the Nets to 0-8 and continued their worst start in franchise history, while the Sixers went to 4-4, two of those wins -- each by three points -- coming over the Nets. "It was winning time on the road against a desperate team," said Sixers coach Eddie Jordan. "We just kept digging. ... It wasn't pretty, but we knocked down a lot of jump shots and that was a good thing to see." The game came down to the final seconds, and it wasn't sealed ..."
Nets fall to 0-8
Comment
November 12
New York Daily News
 
"Preseason lineups don't work well in the regular season. The Nets found that out again Wednesday night when they lost to the 76ers, 82-79, in front of 10,714 at the Meadowlands to extend their franchise-worst start to 0-8. Since the start of training camp, the Nets have won once in a total of 15 preseason and regular-season games, beating Philadelphia in their final exhibition tune-up on Oct. 23. The Nets' lineup that night may have been more imposing than it was Wednesday night, when Devin Harris and three other regular starters sat out because of injury or illness. And with Harris not likely back from a strained groin anytime soon, things aren't looking up for the Nets, who face a ..."
Williams settling in at point
Comment
November 12
Camden Courier-Post
 
"Seven games do not make an NBA season, but 76ers guard Lou Williams seems to be on the way to calming some of the fears that have been expressed about how well he can handle the point. When the Sixers played Phoenix on Monday, Williams played 33 minutes without being charged with a turnover. It would be one thing if he achieved such notoriety for just one game, but it was not an isolated incident. Going into Wednesday night's game against the New Jersey Nets at the Izod Center, Williams had played 30 minutes or more in three games with no turnovers. He had more steals (11) than turnovers (8), and an assist-to-turnover ratio of 4.25-1. "I guess you can say I'm doing a pretty good job taking ..."
Close Sixers' victory keeps Nets winless
Comment
November 12
Camden Courier-Post
 
"No NBA team has ever lost all 82 games, and chances are the New Jersey Nets are going to win a game sometime. It could have happened Wednesday night, expect the 76ers fought off a comeback after going up by seven early in the fourth quarter, and then made just enough big plays of their own when it counted for an 82-79 victory at the Izod Center. The loss dropped the Nets to 0-8 and continued their worst start in franchise history, while the Sixers went to 4-4, two of those wins -- each by three points -- coming over the Nets. "It was winning time on the road against a desperate team," said Sixers coach Eddie Jordan. "We just kept digging. We did it was a really great effort. It wasn't ..."
76ers hold off winless Nets
Comment
November 12
Philadelphia Inquirer
 
"In a young season already filled with some not-so-good moments, a loss to the winless New Jersey Nets Wednesday night would have been the worst for the 76ers. It would have been bad because New Jersey's bench looked like a brokerage firm: lined with suits. The Nets were missing four key players from a team that, even with its starters, isn't all that competitive. And still, on the game's final possession, New Jersey had a chance. But on its final inbounds play, New Jersey committed a scratch-your-head turnover that secured the Sixers' 82-79 victory at the Izod Center. The Sixers improved to 4-4; the Nets are 0-8. The Nets were without all-star point guard Devin Harris, and regulars Chris ..."
For a spell, dynamic duo was effective
Comment
November 12
Philadelphia Inquirer
 
"For a few minutes in the second quarter of Monday night's game against the Phoenix Suns, the 76ers' backcourt was rookie Jrue Holiday at the point and starting point guard Lou Williams at shooting guard.For those few minutes, it was effective.That's not to say we'll be seeing much more of it.Before last night's game against the New Jersey Nets at the Izod Center, Sixers coach Eddie Jordan said he knows he likes Holiday with reserve Willie Green, but he doesn't remember the Holiday-Williams combo."I thought Jrue was really good," Jordan said of his rookie, who scored eight points in the second quarter.Entering last night's game against the winless Nets, Jordan had yet to play Holiday in a ..."
Speights, Young lead Sixers over winless Nets
Comment
November 12
Philadelphia Daily News
 
"When you stop and think about it, sports and the military have much in common. The similarities struck 76ers coach Eddie Jordan yesterday - Veterans Day - as he sat in the visiting coach's office at the IZOD Center and watched an ESPN feature that posed the question: Who was the best Army coach? Was it basketball's Mike Krzyzewski or Bob Knight, or football assistant Bill Parcells? The correct answer for those whose sense of history predates, well, ESPN, probably is the late, great Earl "Red" Blaik, who helped develop Heisman Trophy winners Doc Blanchard, Glenn Davis and Pete Dawkins for the Old Gray Line. But Jordan nonetheless was intrigued by the idea of how precision and tactics in the ..."
For Some N.B.A. Players, There's No Such Thing as a Slam Dunk
Comment
November 12
New York Times
 
"Jason Kapono doesn't dunk. That fact would be unremarkable were it not for his occupation and his height. Kapono plays for the Philadelphia 76ers and is 6 feet 8 inches. He is in his seventh N.B.A. season, but the only dunks he has thrown down in all that time have come during practice. Not all tall athletes are created equal. Kapono began the season with 1,182 field goals in his career, nary a jam among them. In comparison, the athletic 6-7 rookie DeMar DeRozan notched his first dunk in just his second N.B.A. game with the Toronto Raptors."
76ers' Brand frustrated with his playing time
Comment
November 11
Philadelphia Inquirer
 
"Although Elton Brand is no longer injured, he's on the sideline nearly as much as if he were. Expecting him to complain, publicly, about such a thing is a lot like asking him to miss a box out: He's spent a career trying not to.But there are hints. Frustration exists. You'd be crazy to think it didn't.Listening to Brand talk about this season - and listening to 76ers coach Eddie Jordan talk about his lineup - is a lesson in reading between the lines. Through seven games this season, in which the Sixers are 3-4, Brand is playing 27.6 minutes a game. He's fifth on the team in scoring with a 10.1 average, shooting 45.2 percent. "Of course there's a level of frustration creeping in, being ..."
Sixers coach Jordan still experimenting
Comment
November 11
Philadelphia Daily News
 
"THE STARTING lineup is set.For now.The substitution rotation is, well, a work in progress.The team is 3-4, the coach is new, and a lot of the players are very young - so in a nutshell, pretty much nothing is rock solid as far as the 76ers are concerned.Not yet.That doesn't mean that coach Eddie Jordan's team is in a state of confusion. Nor does it mean that anything else is a given. It just means, well, everyone will have to wait and see.Jordan's substitutions throughout the young season have been about as predictable as the play of the local professional football team. It's partly due to the ineffectiveness of some starters, partly to the effectiveness of some subs. As much as Jordan ..."
Suns cap trip with win over 76ers
Comment
November 10
Arizona Republic
 
"The NBA standings state that the Suns are the best team in the Western Conference, if not the NBA, considering they have defeated the only other 7-1 team in the league, the Boston Celtics. More evidence is needed to support that superlative, but the Suns' 119-115 victory over the 76ers on Monday night put an end to their weeklong road trip, and some onlookers' doubts. This team is out to change opinions after they missed the playoffs last season, when Steve Nash said the actors in the ensemble were "making a different movie." This might be the rare occasion when the sequel is better, especially with the superlatives that can be stated: • The Suns are 7-1 to start a season for the first ..."
Speights' stats stellar on road
Comment
November 10
Camden Courier-Post
 
"8 of 13 shots Monday. What gives? Is it the turn-down service at the team hotel? The mints left on his pillow? "I don't know," Speights said. "There's no reason. It just comes like that. I was telling my mom that, too. I just don't really know." Some of it might have to do with the opponent. The Sixers played the defensively challenged Knicks on the road, and their season-opener was a blowout loss in Orlando where little defense was played in the fourth quarter. But that doesn't explain everything. Milwaukee and New Jersey aren't the best defensive teams in the league, and the Sixers played them at home and Speights didn't do very well. The Boston Celtics blew out the Sixers at home, but ..."
Sixers do almost everything right
Comment
November 10
Camden Courier-Post
 
"Phoenix Suns guard Steve Nash looked across the court at the 76ers and saw a young team with a lot of potential. For 3 1/2 quarters, the Sixers had the Suns on the ropes. They led by eight points with 7:40 to go behind young players like second-year forward Marreese Speights and even a solid contribution from 19-year-old rookie Jrue Holiday. Here was the difference, as Sixers coach Eddie Jordan told his players at halftime about the Suns: "This team is smart. They're going to make a run, and they're going to try to control the game. We have to play smarter and harder for 24 more minutes." The Sixers couldn't quite do it, falling 119-115 Monday. Few players are smarter than Nash, who ..."
Speights keeping his reserve role
Comment
November 10
Philadelphia Inquirer
 
"Marreese Speights seems as if he might soon enter the starting lineup, but as of last night's game against the Suns, he was still coming off the bench. In the second half of Sunday's loss to the Pistons, coach Eddie Jordan started Speights at center in place of Samuel Dalembert. But before last night's game at the Wachovia Center, Jordan said that he would not change the starting lineup and that Sunday's move was merely an in-game tactic."I liked the fact Marreese played well in the second quarter," Jordan said. "He was doing some things that allowed us to be good, and I wanted to continue that in the third quarter."Speights played 29 minutes, 37 seconds in the 119-115 loss to the Suns, ..."
Sixers battle but fall to Suns
Comment
November 10
Philadelphia Inquirer
 
"The 76ers' lead drifted away slowly, setting like a sun. With each Steve Nash assist, each Amar'e Stoudemire floater, each Jason Richardson trey, the home team's advantage became smaller and smaller until, at the final buzzer, the Phoenix Suns had won, 119-115. Tonight at the Wachovia Center, the Sixers played their best basketball of the season. They led by as many as 16 points and were ahead by 66-54 at the half and 86-84 after three quarters. The sequence on which this game pivoted came with 2 minutes, 30 seconds left. On what looked to be an easy fast break conversion, Sixers reserve Rodney Carney missed a contested layup. Teammate Thaddeus Young grabbed the rebound and overshot the ..."
Nash sparks Suns' rally over Sixers
Comment
November 10
Philadelphia Daily News
 
"IF DONOVAN McNABB had the passing accuracy with a football that Phoenix Suns point guard Steve Nash has with a basketball, multiple Super Bowl trophies probably would be adorning the Eagles' NovaCare Complex.Nash sliced and diced through the 76ers last night, dealing a Wachovia Center-record 20 assists to go with 21 points in leading the Suns to a 119-115, come-from-behind win in a thrilling game in front of 10,205 fans.Mostly because of the 13-year point guard, the Suns shot 41-for-77 (53.2 percent) from the floor, including a stellar 15-for-30 from three-point range. The Sixers led by as many as 16 during the game, and by as much as eight in the final quarter, but couldn't hold off the ..."
McKie can only imagine what Iverson is feeling
Comment
November 10
Philadelphia Daily News
 
"Aaron McKie was a teammate of Allen Iverson's with the Sixers for 8 years, their best season in 2000-01 when the team reached the NBA Finals, losing in five games to the Los Angeles Lakers.McKie is now an assistant coach with the Sixers, having last played in the league in 2007 after a 13-year career.Iverson is on his third team since being traded by the Sixers in December 2006 and has now left the Memphis Grizzlies for personal reasons, amid speculation that he might retire. In three games for the Grizzlies, Iverson is averaging 12.3 points in a little more than 22 minutes a game.The toughest decision an athlete has to make is to stop playing a game that, in most cases, has brought fame ..."
Pistons' Wallace kicks Sixers in the glass
Comment
November 9
Philadelphia Daily News
 
"Now in his second stint with the Detroit Pistons, some observers might think that center Ben Wallace is simply riding out the rest of his career with the team he won a championship with in 2004. He proved yesterday against the 76ers that he is still capable of much more than some courtesy minutes during a farewell tour. Wallace snared 16 rebounds, including seven off the offensive glass, blocked three shots and collected three steals to help the Pistons to an 88-81 win over the Sixers at the Palace of Auburn Hills. Mainly due to Wallace, the Pistons were able to outscore the Sixers 27-13 on second-chance points and limited the visitors to just 26 points in the paint, compared to the ..."
Depleted Pistons rally past 76ers
Comment
November 9
Detroit News
 
"The Pistons are missing some experience and leadership without Tayshaun Prince (disc) and Richard Hamilton (sprained right ankle). This is a different team without the two mainstays, but they showed some definite poise Sunday afternoon in an 88-81 victory over the 76ers at The Palace. The 76ers (3-3) took a 77-73 lead on a Willie Green (Detroit) jumper with more than five minutes to play. But the Pistons (3-4) roared back, scoring eight consecutive points, including a pair of Ben Gordon jumpers, and played shutdown defense in the final two minutes to clinch the victory. Gordon had 23 points and Charlie Villanueva scored 16 for the Pistons. Ben Wallace had 16 rebounds. Andre Iguodala ..."
Wallace keys Pistons victory with 16 rebounds
Comment
November 9
Detroit News
 
"The Pistons are missing experience and leadership without Tayshaun Prince and Richard Hamilton. This is a different team without the two mainstays. A team that's still finding itself, but one that showed admirable poise and toughness Sunday afternoon in an 88-81 victory over Philadelphia at The Palace. "It speaks volumes for our players," said a pleased coach John Kuester, whose team didn't buckle after Philadelphia took a 77-73 lead with six minutes left in the game. "They're realizing they're never out of a game. It's another step for us to being a good team." Not that it was a must-win, but Kuester placed a bit more emphasis on this game after losses to Toronto and Orlando. In those ..."
Sixers soft on boards in loss
Comment
November 9
Philadelphia Inquirer
 
"Yesterday afternoon, the Detroit Pistons beat the 76ers not by making shots but by rebounding the shots they missed. The Pistons did it again and again - sometimes a few times in one possession - clearing space under the rim like fullbacks through a line. Led by the headbanded rebound-grabber known as Ben Wallace, Detroit defeated the Sixers, 88-81, at the Palace of Auburn Hills. The Pistons outrebounded the Sixers, 51-39. Detroit grabbed 21 offensive rebounds, scored 27 second-chance points, and accumulated 42 points in the paint. The Pistons, missing injured veterans Tayshaun Prince and Rip Hamilton, improved to 3-4. The Sixers dropped to 3-3. The Sixers will play the Phoenix Suns (6-1) ..."
Sixers defeat Nets, 97-94
Comment
November 7
Philadelphia Inquirer
 
"You're losing to the Nets. That was the challenge to the 76ers, coming from a red-faced fan midway through the third quarter. An extended hand, pointing toward the depleted New Jersey bench, accompanied those words. Last night at the Wachovia Center, the Sixers spent much of the night losing to the winless New Jersey Nets, but eventually pulled out a 97-94 victory. The win, seen by an announced crowd of 10,054, was uninspiring. Because of injuries and illness, New Jersey was without all-star point guard Devin Harris, starting forward Yi Jianlian, and guard Chris Douglas-Roberts. And still, with a few ticks on the clock, the Nets had the ball and a chance to tie the score. With 11 seconds ..."
Sixers manage to squeak past mighty Nets
Comment
November 7
Philadelphia Daily News
 
"HAD THE 76ers been able to play their second unit against the New Jersey Nets' second-teamers last night at the Wachovia Center, it wouldn't have been a contest. The Nets had only four subs on the bench to begin the game, and three to end it, as they are depleted by sickness and injury. The Sixers finally outlasted the visitors, 97-94, in front of 10,052 uninspired fans. This game had about as much zip as a Game 6 Pedro Martinez fastball. But the Sixers did get the win, and it is a far better way to start a six-games-in-9-days stretch than the alternative. It also kept New Jersey winless, and their 0-6 record to begin a season is the worst in franchise history. "I want to give a lot of ..."
Injury-riddled Nets lose sixth straight
Comment
November 7
New York Post
 
"There are matters in life that defy belief. Like the Nets losing another player to injury last night. Courtney Lee exited early in the third quarter with a strained left groin and did not return. That left the Nets with eight players, one of them Sean Williams who, suffice to say, played as much as Buck and Jayson Williams. Hard to believe, right? But then, there are matters that are completely believable. Like the Nets losing again. It happened, but this one, a 97-94, down-to-the-last-play defeat to the Sixers that gave the Nets the worst start in their NBA history, 0-6, had a different feel. Make no mistake, the Nets weren't giddy but they knew they gave effort. OK, a losing effort but ..."
Rainy night Phillies blog Why is Brand playing just 18 minutes?
Comment
November 7
Camden Courier-Post
 columnist Martin Frank
"That's the first question that came to mind when Elton Brand, whom the Sixers signed to a 5-year, $80 million contract in the summer of 2008, sat out the final 17:23 of the Sixers' 97-94 win over the New Jersey Nets on Friday. Brand finished with 8 points and 5 rebounds, with all the points coming in the 1st quarter. He played just 1:48 in the 2nd quarter. When asked why Brand didn't play at all in the 4th quarter (the Nets were without 5 players, including 3 starters) even though the Sixers were trailing by 8 points after Bobby Simmons started the quarter with a 3-pointer, Sixers coach Eddie Jordan responded: "I'm looking to find out the group that's going to get it done. Guys who are ..."