76ers News
July 4
Philadelphia Inquirer
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In an effort to entice point guard Mike Bibby to join the 76ers, team president and general manager Ed Stefanski offered the Atlanta Hawks' free agent a one-year deal this week, said a source who was close to the situation. But Bibby apparently wasn't interested and ruled out the Sixers on Thursday.With his own free-agent point guard, Andre Miller, apparently shopping his services, Stefanski is seeking a player who can run the team next season while 2009 first-round draft pick Jrue Holiday develops. However, a Miller return is not out of the question.Stefanski spoke with Miller's agent Wednesday, when NBA free agency began, and an"
July 4
Camden Courier-Post
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Atlanta Hawks guard Mike Bibby probably won't be coming either, meaning that the Sixers could make Lou Williams the starting point guard. A source close to the situation said there is nothing new in the talks between Miller, the Sixers' free agent point guard, and his agent, Andy Miller (no relation). The source said the two sides are far apart, with the Sixers not willing to offer more than two years for much more than the mid-level exception, which was $5.6 million last season. Miller, 33, is reportedly seeking three or four years at close to his salary of $10 million last season. Andy Miller didn't return a phone call. The Sixers won't offer Miller that much money because that would put ..."
July 3
Camden Courier-Post
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It's looking like Andre Miller won't be returning to the Sixers. Atlanta Hawks guard Mike Bibby probably won't be coming either, meaning that the Sixers could make Lou Williams the starting point guard. A source close to the situation said there is nothing new in the talks between the Miller, the Sixers' free agent point guard, and his agent, Andy Miller (no relation). The source said the two sides are far apart, with the Sixers not willing to offer more than two years for much more than the mid-level exception, which was $5.6 million last season. Miller, 33, is reportedly seeking three or four years at close to his salary of $10 million last season. Andy Miller didn't return a phone call. ..."
July 2
Philadelphia Daily News
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Andre Iguodala doesn't know how to skate. He doesn't know the first thing about lacing up the skates or taping a hockey stick. But that doesn't mean he wouldn't like to learn. He just needs to wait until his 6-year, $81 million contract with the 76ers expires in June 2014. "If I didn't have a contract, I would probably go out there and skate," Iguodala joked yesterday at the Flyers Skate Zone in Northeast Philadelphia. "That's a lot of money left on the table." Knowing little about hockey didn't stop the Sixers' star forward from sharing life lessons with boys and girls in the Ed Snider Youth Hockey Foundation's summer camp. Iguodala spoke informally and fielded questions from the 40 ..."
July 2
Philadelphia Daily News
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WHATEVER IS destined to happen in negotiations between the 76ers and free-agent point guard Andre Miller, one aspect came clearly into focus yesterday: It won't be quick. That was the sense of a source familiar with the discussion between Sixers president/general manager Ed Stefanski and Andre Miller's agent, Andy Miller, on the first day of the NBA's free-agency period. Stefanski is not free to comment publicly until July 8, the first day deals can be finalized. With that in mind, available information is sketchy, but here's what the Daily News has gleaned so far: Andy Miller, in a best-case scenario, would like a contract of 3 or 4 years, probably starting at a figure similar to the ..."
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A struggling economy, teams gearing up for 2010 free agency and impending decreases in the NBA's salary cap and luxury-tax threshold resulted in the Jazz's Carlos Boozer and Mehmet Okur declining to opt out of their contracts Tuesday. Boozer and Okur, who had been expected to be in demand if they hit the free-agent market, didn't want to try it because they knew signing for less was quite possible under the circumstances. With that in mind, might Sixers' point guard Andre Miller, who became a free agent Wednesday, and agent Andy Miller (no relation) have to adjust what they want? The answer apparently is no. A three-year contract worth close to $30 million - the 33-year-old Miller made ..."
July 2
Philadelphia Inquirer
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While 76ers forward Andre Iguodala did a crossover and talked to a group of campers yesterday at the Flyers Skate Zone in the Northeast, team president and general manager Ed Stefanski began working on a move of his own as NBA free agency got under way.The main priority for Stefanski is to resolve the case of point guard Andre Miller, the 33-year-old, 10-year pro who has started since coming to the Sixers in the 2006 trade that sent Allen Iverson to the Denver Nuggets. To that end, Stefanski spoke with Miller's agent, Andy Miller, yesterday morning."I cannot discuss any negotiations during the period of July 1 through July 8," Stefanski said when reached yesterday afternoon.Miller, who is ..."
July 2
Camden Courier-Post
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New Sixers coach Eddie Jordan is bringing Mike O'Koren with him. The team announced O'Koren's hiring as associate head coach Wednesday. O'Koren was Jordan's top assistant for five seasons with the Washington Wizards. They previously served together on the coaching staff of the New Jersey Nets. O'Koren was a three-time All-American as a player at North Carolina and was the sixth overall pick in the 1980 draft by the Nets. Team officials also announced Wednesday Jim Lynam and Aaron McKie will return as assistant coaches. Lynam has spent the last three seasons as an assistant under Maurice Cheeks and Tony DiLeo. McKie is going into his second season on the staff. He spent parts of eight ..."
July 1
Camden Courier-Post
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It's no secret that the Sixers would like to trade Samuel Dalembert this summer, just like it's no secret that Dalembert has asked the Sixers to trade him in the past. The Sixers could have a match now that Houston Rockets center Yao Ming might miss the entire season and possibly more with a foot injury that hasn't healed. The Rockets would also like to trade Tracy McGrady, who is entering the final season of his contract worth $23.2 million. According to an NBA source, the Sixers might look into such a deal. In order to make the salaries match within 25 percent, the Sixers would have to include another player or two. Dalembert has two years and $23.6 million left, including $11.4 million ..."
July 1
Philadelphia Inquirer
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It seems funny but sad now that the Los Angeles Clippers were ticked off last July when the 76ers lured free agent Elton Brand away with an $80 million contract. The Clips thought they had Brand's word he would re-sign with them.For the Sixers and their fans, it is too painful to think about how differently things might have been had Brand indeed remained with L.A.'s B team. All the bubbling excitement and anticipation that accompanied the Brand deal congealed quickly into a grim reality: Brand didn't look like a particularly good fit with the Sixers before a shoulder injury ended his season.Because he went all-in last year with the Brand deal and an enormous long-term contract for Andre ..."
July 1
Philadelphia Daily News
columnist John Smallwood
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TODAY WOULD BE one of those days where it would be good for the 76ers if point guard Andre Miller were a little less unusual.Miller has never revealed a lot about himself during his tenure with the Sixers, and it was always hard for fans, management and his teammates to get a read on what exactly was going through his mind.Does he like Philadelphia? Does he want to remain a Sixer? Is he happy with the progress of the program?Yes, no, maybe so. It depended on how you interpreted what Miller might have said on any particular day.And that was fine when Miller was under contract and the Sixers had final say in whether he would stay or go.That all changed at the end of the season when Miller ..."
June 30
Camden Courier-Post
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A year ago, flush with more than $10 million in salary-cap space, Sixers president and general manager Ed Stefanski made a full-court press for free agents Josh Smith and Elton Brand. He later signed Brand to a five-year, $82 million contract. This year, with free agency beginning at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday, Stefanski will be more subdued. Sure, he'll likely be on the phone, but it most likely will be to his own player, Andre Miller, the point guard who is about to become an unrestricted free agent. The Sixers are over the salary cap, so they can't go on a spending spree like they did last summer. The only way the Sixers can go after unrestricted free agents such as Hedo Turkoglu, Ben Gordon, ..."
June 30
Philadelphia Inquirer
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This summer's free agency - like most 76ers possessions the last 21/2 seasons - begins with point guard Andre Miller.And it begins tomorrow, the first day of NBA free agency, when the Sixers are allowed to contact Miller, an unrestricted free agent, to begin discussions about what it might take - how much money and over how many years - to re-sign the team's 33-year-old starting point guard.Although teams may begin negotiating with free agents tomorrow, contracts may not be signed until July 8.Miller, who last season averaged 16.3 points and 6.5 assists, is represented by Andy Miller, who has said his client's No. 1 option is to remain with the Sixers."He's the main free agent, an ..."
June 29
Philadelphia Daily News
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The NBA education of Jrue Holiday begins Friday, the start of a 3-day minicamp before the 76ers share a roster with the New Jersey Nets in the Orlando Pro Summer League.But you can hold off with all those questions about acclimating to Sixers coach Eddie Jordan's Princeton offense."We won't be running it, because we're sharing the roster with the Nets," Sixers president/general manager Ed Stefanski said. "We'll run the regular pro offense, with a lot of pick-and-roll. We'll talk about other things in the minicamp and during our practices when the league starts, but our hope is to get Jrue some playing time at the point, to see him play with and against guys with pro experience."Holiday, at ..."
June 28
Philadelphia Inquirer
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Before Jrue Holiday struggled through a mediocre freshman season at UCLA, he was a can't-miss prospect, a Parade first-team all-American, the Gatorade National Player of the Year. He was a do-it-all kind of guy who scored, rebounded, passed and defended.At Friday's news conference introducing the 76ers' draft pick, Holiday's brother Justin - a hoopster at the University of Washington - said that the strength of Holiday's game was "everything" but also that "everything" could be improved.So we're left with a picture of a 19-year-old point guard who can shoot but could do it better, who can grab rebounds but certainly could add some strength, who can handle the basketball but could handle it ..."
June 28
Philadelphia Inquirer
columnidt Bob Ford
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Fourteen trades in the NBA coincided with the league's draft last week. The deals included everything from the glitzy transfer of big names - the trades of Shaquille O'Neal to Cleveland and Vince Carter to Orlando - to the more mundane shuffling of future second-round picks or wads of cash for current second-round picks who might or might not ever see the court.The 76ers stayed out of the flurry of swaps, which featured 21 teams, although they considered trading up in the first round to ensure the selection of UCLA guard Jrue Holiday. Later, they attempted to trade into the second round in order to pick off a targeted player.With an uncertain economic environment in general, a sizable core ..."
June 27
Philadelphia Inquirer
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After the 76ers officially introduced Jrue Holiday - the No. 17 pick in Thursday night's NBA draft - Holiday walked from the make-shift stage, spotted Sixers forward Andre Iguodala and walked over for a half-handshake, half-hug.Iguodala smiled at Holiday, asked him how he was doing.Holiday made his eyes big as if to say, this whole thing has been wild.And it has been.Holiday, the 19-year-old point guard out of UCLA, was supposed to be a top-10 pick, a guy long gone by the time the Sixers selected at 17.But on Thursday night, Holiday, from Mission Hills, Calif., was the last player out of Madison Square Garden's green room."I wish I could have gone higher," Holiday said. "I don't really ..."
June 27
Philadelphia Inquirer
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Andre Iguodala and Thaddeus Young have accepted invitations from USA Basketball to participate in the 2009 minicamp of the men's national team. Iguodala and Young, the 76ers' starting forwards last season, are two of 25 "rising NBA players" the governing body has invited. USA Basketball chairman Jerry Colangelo announced the selections yesterday. The minicamp will be held from July 22 to July 25 in Las Vegas, and will include practice sessions on July 23 and July 24 and the USA Basketball Showcase, an intrasquad game to be held July 25 at the Thomas"
June 27
Philadelphia Daily News
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The 76ers' choice was Jrue Holiday, and they got him with the No. 17 pick Thursday night. But if Holiday had been gone . . . The choice would have been between North Carolina's Ty Lawson and Wake Forest's Jeff Teague. Sixers president/general manager Ed Stefanski revealed that much yesterday on "Daily News Live" on Comcast SportsNet.The way the first round played out, Lawson went No. 18 to Minnesota and was subsequently traded to Denver, and Teague went No. 19 to Atlanta. Virginia Commonwealth point guard Eric Maynor landed at No. 20 with Utah, and Darren Collison - Holiday's UCLA teammate - went at No. 21 to New Orleans."
June 27
Camden Courier-Post
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Sixers general manager Ed Stefanski raved about Jrue Holiday's defense, saying that he had to play it in order to get on the court at UCLA under head coach Ben Howland. He said that was one reason why the Sixers made Holiday the 17th pick in the NBA Draft Thursday night. But in order for Holiday to get on the court during his one season at UCLA, he first had to play defense against his brother, Justin, 14 months older, three inches taller and with a wingspan that is even longer than that. And if Holiday could survive the fistfights that often ensued when they played, then he had to survive the intense workouts that his father, Shawn, would put his boys through. And that was before they ..."
June 26
Camden Courier-Post
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Fans wanted to see a direction, a future, from the 76ers. So far, they're still looking. It has nothing to do with Jrue Holiday, the Sixers' draft pick Thursday night. Maybe one day he can be a great point guard. But those maybes don't always come through, especially at No. 17. For every Danny Granger and Josh Smith, No. 17 picks in the past, there are a dozen Juan Dixons, Zarko Cabarkapas and Cal Bowdlers. Never heard of them? That's the point, no pun intended. Even if Holiday does become the Sixers' point guard of the future, does it make you any more excited about the upcoming season, knowing that the Magic just traded for Vince Carter and the Cavaliers just traded for Shaquille O'Neal? ..."
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Former UCLA point guard Darren Collison had nothing but time to kill, so as he reminisced earlier this week about his multitude of NBA workouts, several times the conversation turned to the New Orleans Hornets. Chris Paul is one of the NBA's top point guards, but Collison talked about New Orleans' penchant of being outscored when Paul went to the bench. It is now Collison's job to make sure that doesn't happen. While Collison moved closer to the middle of the draft and was selected 21st overall by the Hornets, former Bruins teammate Jrue Holiday slipped out of the lottery and landed in Philadelphia, which snatched him with the 17th overall pick in Thursday's NBA draft."
June 26
Camden Courier-Post
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The Sixers weren't expecting to get very sexy with the 17th pick of the NBA Draft on Thursday night. Instead, they were searching for dependability, which meant a solid guard - either shooting or point -- that can adapt quickly into new coach Eddie Jordan's Princeton offensive philosophy, which stresses backdoor cuts, spacing on the floor and interior passing. The Sixers hope they found a player that can help shape their direction for the future when they drafted Jrue Holiday, a 6-foot-4 guard out of UCLA, with the No. 17-pick overall at New York City's Madison Square Garden. NBA commissioner David Stern approached the podium at 9:15 p.m. and announced the team's selection of Holiday in a ..."
June 26
Philadelphia Inquirer
columnist Bob ford
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The 76ers came out of the draft last night confident about the identity of their point guard five years from now.As for the coming season, that's a bit more uncertain."We're still a work in progress," assistant general manager Tony DiLeo said.DiLeo had his head under the hood of this repair job on a nightly basis last season, so he knows better than most how far the team is from being really road ready.As much as the Sixers say they like Jrue Holiday of UCLA, taken with the 17th pick of the first round, they don't think the 19-year-old will make much of a difference immediately.Holiday, whose first name is pronounced "Drew" - it's a long story - becomes the first member of the team to be ..."
June 26
Philadelphia Inquirer
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Andre Iguodala and Thaddeus Young have accepted invitations from USA Basketball to participate in the 2009 minicamp of the men's national team.Iguodala and Young, the 76ers' starting forwards last season, are two of 25 "rising NBA players" the governing body has invited. USA Basketball chairman Jerry Colangelo announced the selections yesterday.The minicamp will be held from July 22 to July 25 in Las Vegas, and will include practice sessions on July 23 and July 24 and the USA Basketball Showcase, an intrasquad game to be held July 25 at the Thomas"
June 26
Philadelphia Daily News
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THE 76ERS don't see Jrue (pronounced Drew) Holiday as an immediate impact player. They don't see him as a starter in the coming season. But they made it clear last night that they see him as their point guard of the future.For all the people who thought North Carolina's Ty Lawson or Virginia Commonwealth's Eric Maynor was the right choice at No. 17 in the first round of the NBA draft, the Sixers' boardroom gang secretly was hoping Holiday might slip through the cracks.And once Brandon Jennings went No. 10 to Milwaukee and Indiana opted for big man Tyler Hansbrough of North Carolina rather than a guard at No. 13, they began to think they had a chance.This was somewhat similar to last year's ..."
June 26
Philadelphia Daily News
columnist John Smallwood
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IT WAS deja vu all over again.A year ago, the Sixers watched as their NBA draft board keep shifting in an unexpected direction.Florida big man Marreese Speights wasn't supposed to be there still when the Sixers drafted 16th. They hoped he would be ,but didn't expect it.Last night, the winds of an unpredictable draft again were blowing favorably for the Sixers.In virtually every scenario, UCLA freshman point guard Jrue Holiday was not going to be there at the 17th pick - many had him going in the top 10. But for whatever reason, Holiday started to fall.The Sixers reacted to the situation, tried to move up but couldn't.Then fortune stepped in, just like a year ago."It was very similar," ..."
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The 76ers have shopped Elton Brand. ... Other teams "very aggressive" in pursuit of Tracy McGrady, according to Rockets GM Daryl Morey. ... The agent for Rajon Rondo, the subject of trade rumors, is unhappy with Celtics boss Danny Ainge. ... The Knicks are close to acquiring Darko Milicic. ... The Lakers have contacted Houston about acquiring Jordan Farmar or buying their first-round pick."
June 25
Camden Courier-Post
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The uncertainty is everywhere in the NBA Draft tonight, beginning right after the Los Angeles Clippers, as expected, make Blake Griffin the No. 1 pick. The ramifications could trickle all the way down to the Sixers, who pick 17th. They have repeatedly said they want to draft a guard, whether it's a point guard or shooting guard, and this draft appears to be top-heavy with those players. The prevailing wisdom is that the Sixers will choose between North Carolina point guard Ty Lawson and Virginia Commonwealth point guard Eric Maynor when their pick comes around. But the volatility of the draft can change all of that. Wake Forest's Jeff Teague, for example, could go anywhere in the top 10 or ..."
June 25
Philadelphia Inquirer
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Here is the simple truth about tonight's NBA draft at New York's Madison Square Garden: It's unpredictable.After forward Blake Griffin goes to the Los Angeles Clippers as the top pick, nothing is certain. Some guys - like UCLA point guard Jrue Holiday - have been slotted anywhere from fourth to 20th.Sure, 76ers general manager Ed Stefanski has said the team will likelya guard with its 17th pick, but Stefanski has also kept open the door for other scenarios such as taking Ohio State big man B.J. Mullens if he falls, trading up if the demands drop, trading down if something promising is offered in return.Right now, the safe bet is the Sixers will stick at No. 17,a perimeter player - North ..."
June 25
Philadelphia Daily News
columnist John Smallwood
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YOUR NEW 76ERS with the old-school look need a guard - a savvy point or a sharp-shooting two, either will do.The good news about tonight's NBA draft is that it is top-heavy with guards - point guards, shooting guards, combo guards, crossing guards.The bad news is that the draft is so top-heavy with guards that only a handful of big men are projected to be picked in the top 20.That means that with 17th pick, the Sixers are still probably going to have to pick from the fourth- or fifth-rated point, shooting or combo guard.The good news for the Sixers is that there isn't a lot of difference between any of these guards.In the long run, a highly rated prospect like Spanish point guard Ricky ..."
June 24
Philadelphia Inquirer
columnist John Gonzalez
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The Sixers are trying to change. You have to give them that much. Yesterday at the Comcast Center, the Sixers held their "brand relaunch." That's marketing jargon that means the team is mercifully scrapping the black uniforms and hideous late-90s logo in favor of returning to the classic, clean, red-white-and-blue retro versions from back in the day. All three Eds were on hand for the ceremony - Snider, Stefanski, and Jordan. Sonny Hill was there. So was World B. Free. You couldn't miss him. He was decked out in a Technicolor zoot suit. And, of course, Jason Smith was in attendance. They bring that guy everywhere these days. He hasn't seen much game action, but I'm pretty sure he leads the ..."
June 24
Camden Courier-Post
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The Sixers have a new coach in Eddie Jordan, who's installing a new offense. It would stand to reason that Jordan would have significant input into the kind of player the Sixers will take in the NBA Draft Thursday night. He could have more say than any Sixers coach since Larry Brown left in 2003. Sixers president and general manager Ed Stefanski had Jordan speak to the team's scouts when he first got hired June 1 so they can get an idea about his philosophy. The Sixers pick 17th overall, and they have said often they're looking for a guard, whether it's a point guard or shooting guard. "I brought Eddie in front of all the scouts and asked Eddie to give his philosophy on what kind of coach ..."
June 24
Camden Courier-Post
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The Sixers went back to their past in unveiling their new logo, which isn't really new at all, during a gathering for fans in the lobby of the Comcast Center. The red, white and blue color scheme is the one they had from 1963 through 1997. It revolves around a "76" in red and royal blue, and a star configuration below the number seven. "It's tradition," Sixers president and general manager Ed Stefanski said. "I don't see the Flyers or Eagles changing their wings, and I don't think we should have changed ours. The red, white and blue, those are our colors. I don't see the Boston Celtics changing their (logo)." The Sixers will unveil a secondary logo, a new court design and uniforms later ..."
June 24
Philadelphia Inquirer
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The NBA draft is tomorrow, and the 76ers are remaining steadfast: They still plan toa guard with the 17th pick."We are looking still for a perimeter player - a one or a two," said Ed Stefanski, the Sixers' president and general manager. "We have nothing on the board but guards."Stefanski hedged his bet a little, saying that if a trade messed with the draft board, "things could change," but otherwise expect a point guard or a shooting guard to be added to the Sixers' roster by tomorrow night.Point guard is the team's more pressing need, with none on the current roster. Last season's starter, Andre Miller, is an unrestricted free agent. But shooting guard - specifically outside shooting - is ..."
June 23
Philadelphia Inquirer
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The latest rumors have the Sixers in talks with the Charlotte Bobcats, sending C Samuel Dalembert and the 17th overall pick in the Thursday's draft for F Vladimir Radmanovic, C Nazr Mohammad, and the 12th pick in the draft. Though I'd love to see Sammy go, this trade wouldn't help cap-wise, since both Radmanovic and Mohammad have another two years remaining on their deals. In actuality, the team would take on approximately $2 million more. In addition, the jump to 12 in the draft really doesn't seem to offer that much value, unless the team is really high on Ty Lawson and don't want to risk that they'll be able to nab him at 17."
June 23
Philadelphia Inquirer
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Right now, the 76ers have no point guard. What they do have, and what could change that status, is the 17th pick in Thursday's guard-heavy NBA draft. Will they pick one? Will theya true point guard, a guy who's spent at least a few years in college not just scoring for a team, but running one?If they do, keep an eye on North Carolina's Ty Lawson and Virginia Commonwealth's Eric Maynor - both should be available after higher-ups Ricky Rubio, Tyreke Evans, Jrue Holiday, Brandon Jennings, and Johnny Flynn have already shaken hands with NBA commissioner David Stern.Sixers president and general manager Ed Stefanski has said for two months that the Sixers would likelya guard, either point or ..."
June 22
Newark Star-Ledger
columnist Mark Eckel
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Unless Sixers president Ed Stefanski is going Buddy Ryan, circa 1986, on us, his team willa guard with the 17th pick in Thursday night's NBA draft. Stefanski has said publicly more than once that he and new head coach Eddie Jordan willthe best guard on the board, whether it be a point guard or a shooting guard, when their pick comes just past the midway point of the first round. Now the question beckons is just who will that guard be? Over the past few weeks the Sixers have entertained over a dozen-and-a-half potential 17th picks, most of whom fit the team's criteria and who they hope will have the same first-year impact 2007 first-rounder Thaddeus Young and 2008 first-rounder Mareesse ..."
June 22
Philadelphia Daily News
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In the days leading up to Thursday's NBA draft, 7-1 center B.J. Mullens has been launched around the country like the shots he was firing from long distance last weekend.Saturday's visit with the Sixers at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine was his eighth workout in 9 days.It just happened that Mullens' last workout might be his biggest head-scratcher in terms of a roster fit. The Sixers, who have been focused on a guard, don't have much need for a big man with Elton Brand, Samuel Dalembert, Jason Smith and Marreese Speights on the roster."We don't expect him, from a probability standpoint, to be there at No. 17," said Courtney Witte, the Sixers' director of player personnel. ..."
June 20
Philadelphia Daily News
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Trying to read something into the 76ers' putting Ohio State center B.J. Mullens through a predraft workout today?Don't.A source familiar with the situation told the Daily News that the Sixers remain focused on using the No. 17 pick in the NBA's June 25 draft toa perimeter player, either a point guard or a shooting guard.The workout for Mullens appears to be a case of the Sixers' honoring a long-standing commitment. At this point, there seems to be no reason to believe Mullens could be part of a trade scenario. The Sixers expect him to be off the board before No. 17.Mullens averaged 8.8 points and 4.7 rebounds in 20.3 minutes for the Buckeyes, starting two of 33 games. The belief seems to ..."
June 20
Philadelphia Inquirer
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The 76ers said yesterday that Ohio State center B.J. Mullens and Notre Dame guard Ryan Ayers, who is the son of former Sixers coach Randy Ayers, would have a predraft workout today at 10 a.m. at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. The NBA draft is Thursday at Madison Square Garden. The Sixers hold the 17th pick in the first round.Today's workout will be the Sixers' fourth announced predraft workout and the first involving a center: Mullens, 20, is a 7-footer who played one season at Ohio State and averaged 8.8 points in 20.3 minutes per game. Mullens is projected as a middle first-round selection because he might need at least a couple of seasons to develop. Ayers, a 6-7 ..."
June 19
Philadelphia Daily News
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The 76ers' stated NBA draft plan has been to take a perimeter player at No. 17. That, of course, makes perfect sense. They have only two full-fledged guards on the roster: Willie Green and Lou Williams. They have no way of knowing whether point guard Andre Miller, arguably their most important player last season, will re-sign. We're not even totally sure that's what they want. So, they need guard help. Maybe it's Ty Lawson from North Carolina, or Eric Maynor from Virginia Commonwealth. Maybe it's Jeff Teague from Wake Forest, or Darren Collison from UCLA. Maybe it's someone we haven't even considered. But if that's their most pressing need, why has there been speculation in the last couple ..."
June 19
Detroit Free Press
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Two interesting items we spotted about the Detroit Shock's coach of the past (Bill Laimbeer) and present (Rick Mahorn). The first one has been widely speculated, but the St. Paul Pioneer Press confirmed that Laimbeer is pursuing the Minnesota Timberwolves' vacant head coaching job. Here is part of Charley Waters' story: As the Pioneer Press reported last week, one candidate already seeking the Wolves' coaching job is Bill Laimbeer. The highly competitive former star for the Detroit Pistons last week abruptly resigned as coach of the WNBA champion Detroit Shock, whom he coached to three championships in six seasons. ... "There is absolutely no list, there is no candidate lined up, we ..."
June 19
Camden Courier-Post
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Trades are a part of sports. Often, players don't have a choice as to which team they're traded to."
June 19
Philadelphia Inquirer
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You can't accuse Jason Kapono of not understanding his role. Yesterday, Kapono, the 76ers' brand new designated shooter - acquired from the Toronto Raptors last week in exchange for rough-and-tumble power forward Reggie Evans - spoke about how he might help the Sixers.Although clearly an exaggeration, Kapono said he realized he was a shooter when he was 6 years old - because he "couldn't really run, dribble or dunk."Of course, Kapono's skills are more polished than that, but it will be his precise outside shooting the Sixers most covet.Kapono said his outside shot should spread the floor for a Sixers team that finished the previous two seasons as the worst three-point shooting team in the ..."
June 19
Philadelphia Inquirer
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Sixers star Andre Iguodala is being sued for child support by a South Jersey woman.Clayanna Warthen, 23, of Clementon, delivered the baby, London Iguodala, on May 7. Warthen alleges that she has no income and has been compelled to obtain medical coverage through the state of New Jersey, and seeks temporary support of $12,000 to $15,000 a month, according to the suit filed in Camden County court yesterday by attorney Richard C. Klein of Spector Gadon"
June 19
Philadelphia Daily News
columnist John Smallwood
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SOMETIMES revelations come at an early age.Jason Kapono was just starting to get into basketball when he discovered something about himself and the game that would ultimately lead him to the NBA."It first dawned on me when I figured out that I could not really run, dribble or dunk," said Kapono, the long-distance shooting specialist the Sixers recently acquired from the Toronto Raptors. "That was when I was about 6 years old. "I figured that if I wanted to be able to play ball, I'd better be able to shoot. So that's what I worked on - pull-up jumpers on the break, catch and shoot."In an MTV Generation league where the only way to get a highlight on ESPN is with a rim-rattling dunk or a ..."
June 18
Philadelphia Daily News
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Donyell Marshall has sponsored an AAU team for 15 years, has coached it himself the last couple of seasons. Now, the 76ers' unrestricted free agent is in Charlottesville, Va., helping coach young athletes during a National Basketball Players Association camp that focuses as much on life skills as on basketball."I've kind of been preparing for this moment, whenever it comes, whenever I do retire as a player," Marshall, 36, said on the phone yesterday. "I've never said I wouldn't keep playing. In fact, I'd definitely like to do that, but we'll have to see what happens with teams' plans."I've played 14 years, and normally there might be teams that would keep a player like me to help work with ..."
June 16
Philadelphia Inquirer
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The people wanted a white knight, an above-the-marquee name, a coach for the 76ers who'd ride into town on a fat paycheck, sparking interest among the uninterested - of which, unfortunately, there are many. Instead, the people got Eddie Jordan. Many seemed disheartened, skeptical. Some sounded downright angry.This Jordan guy, what has he done, anyway? Get fired, twice? Accumulate more losses than wins? This is the coach who will take the Sixers from mediocre to contending?Yes . . . No . . . Maybe . . .We're months away from knowing, from watching the Jordan-coached Sixers, with his high-IQ motion offense, either dance or stumble down the Wachovia Center floor.What we do know, what has been ..."
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