Nuggets Trade Iverson to the Pistons

The Pistons have reached an agreement with the Denver Nuggets to acquire guard Allen Iverson in exchange for Detroit mainstays Chauncey Billups and Antonio McDyess.  Young center Cheikh Samb, selected by the Los Angeles Lakers for the Pistons with the 51st overall pick in the 2006 draft, will also be going to Denver in the deal.

Joe Dumars who was reeling after yet another early postseason exit last year promised an off season shake up and he sure delivered.  Not so sure it was a positive shake up though.  Sending away arguably your best player and floor general in Chauncey Billups for a washed up and aging Allen Iverson.  Not to mention one of your grittiest big men in the deal.  Detroit who was picked to be another top contender in the East might have just fallen off of their high horse with this moronic move by their GM.  Hey it helps the Sixers, I’ll take it.

Denver now looks to have a much better shot in the West adding perennial All-Star Chauncey Billups as a true point guard, something Denver has lacked in recent years.  McDyess also gives Kenyon Martin some help in front court.

Iverson Reaction…

Iverson came back last night.  A 15-month wait definitely added to the anticipation, and I would say it lived up to every expectation.  I love how the national issue, on PTI, Sports Center, and if I could stand watching Around the Horn, I’m sure stat boy brought it up.

How would the fans react?

This had to be one of the dumbest, media drawn-up questions ever.  There was no doubt in my or any Philly fan’s mind that the man would get a standing O.  A better question is;

Would the crowd get so emotional, that they all leave the arena to gain composure, then when that didn’t work, would they all go to Billy King’s house and poop on his lawn?

I wonder what Skip Bayless would have prognosticated.

I’m pressed to remember any athlete’s return to his old team being so emotional.  Thank God the announcer began introducing the rest of the Nuggets because A.I. was about to lose it, and frankly, so was I.

I was proud of the crowd for mustering up a powerful booing for the Nuggets after such an ovation.  When A.I. started blowing kisses, I was okay, when he pounded his chest, I was okay, but when he pulled out the old Hulk Hogan ear to the crowd… I had to think happy thoughts.  The Hogan ear was his go to move whenever he realized how sick the show he was putting on was.

What a great game too.  That was the most intensity I’ve seen in a Sixers game since Iverson left.  Not only does A.I. make everyone on his team better, he makes everyone on his old team better.  No basketball player in the league relates to his fans like Iverson.  That’s something 100 years from now, the numbers won’t show, and only the lucky fans that got to see him play will understand.

Iverson understands.  He understands exactly what happened in Philly, and he even takes responsibility for it.   “I had a big hand in me getting traded,” Iverson said. “I always wanted to finish my career here in Philadelphia. The opportunity was there for me to do it. In a lot of ways, I made sure that didn’t happen.”

I wish Larry Brown came into the press conference at this point and pulled a Robin Williams/Good Will Hunting on him.

“Hey Allen, you see this shit, all this.  It’s Not your fault.”
“Yeah, I know.”
“It’s Not your fault.”
“I know.”
“No, no you don’t.  It’s not your fault.  It’s not your fault”
“Don’t fuck with me Larry!”
“It’s not your fault.”
“Don’t fuck with me Larry!  Don’t fuck with me, not you!”

Then they just hug and cry.

Okay, maybe I wish I had done that and not Larry.

Anyone that doesn’t recognize how incredible an athlete, how rare it is for an athlete to have the understanding Iverson has about the way he’s perceived and the maturity to handle it the way he does, is well, I’ll just say it… a racist.  And probably a Nazi.

I think that’s accurate.  Anyone who doesn’t love and appreciate someone like Iverson is very clearly, a Nazi.

On a side note.  The Sixers look promising, very athletic, very young, and seemingly no attitude problems.  If they can land a veteran 3 point shooter, they might actually contend for the east on a yearly basis.  I wouldn’t put it past them to make waves in the playoffs this year, which is a huge surprise.

Iverson is the greatest Philadelphia sports Icon of the last 20 years… hands down.  Eskin can eat a dick up til he hiccups.

The Time is Now

The Sixers had the night off last night as they prepare for their upcoming match against a very hot Nuggets squad.   Denver comes off a 168 point output against Kevin Durant and Sonics on Sunday night.  Allen Iverson’s return comes at a pivotal point for the 76ers as they are right in the middle of a heated playoff race in the lowly Eastern Conference. 

Even though the Sixers did not play last night they gained an all important 1/2 game as the Washington Wizards and Toronto Raptors both lost last night.   Mike Bibby had a coming out party as the Atlanta Hawks downed the Wiz 105-96 and Toronto straight up got smoked by the Utah Jazz 96-79.  As of last night’s games here are the current standings.

	Eastern Conference
		W	L	GB	STRK
1	y-Boston	53	13	–	Won 2
2	x-Detroit	48	18	5	Won 2
3	x-Orlando	45	24	9 ½	Won 5
4	Cleveland	38	30	16	Lost 1
5	Toronto	34	33	19 ½	Lost 5
6	Washington	33	33	20	Lost 1
7	Philadelphia	33	34	20 ½	Won 3
8	Atlanta	29	38	24 ½	Won 3

Some key points that stand out to me after taking a look at some box scores and the standings:

• Toronto is hurting right now without Chris Bosh and it shows.  Not the time to lose 5 in a row and could very well play themselves out of the 5 seed.
• Washington’s team is not that good.  Their bench is awful and Caron Butler is struggling in his return so far.  Perfect time for the Sixers to blow by them.
• Sixers are playing great basketball right now and could not pick a better time to hit their stride.  A lot of the young guys are stepping up and contributing during quality minutes.  Let’s keep the streak alive.
• Mike Bibby seems to be settling in nice down in the ATL and has this young group of guys playing consistent basketball.  If we don’t keep up our winning ways, the Hawks could be nipping at our heels if we drop a few.
• I know we need to get over Washington first, but …. Can you say 5 seed?

The time is now Sixer fans.  Our schedule is tough in the coming weeks and should be a true test as to where we rank among some of the leagues best.  I will be in attendance Wednesday night for the return of Allen Iverson to the Wachovia Center where I expect him to receive a warm welcome.  I am a huge Answer fan as you can tell by our Top 10 AI Countdown and I expect him to play well but I am also expecting an incredible effort by the Sixers and hopefully a win.  Hey, if they can take down the defending champs, we can sure as hell take down the current 9 seed in the West. 

A Melting Pot of Thoughts

What’s with the Pat Burrell Pic? 

Apparently the Phillies came out to the first day of camp wearing shirts with this picture of Pat the Bat and beneath the pic it says, “Man or Machine?” and on the back of the shirt it says, “Winning Starts Now.”

If your not a fan of the Phillies, you have to be a fan of this move. If I found a picture like this of anyone I knew I would definitely make shirts.

These guys are Philly’s best chance at a championship. I feel good about it. Great group of guys. Not one guy on the team was on the Mitchell Report. We had one dirty player, Abraham Nunez, but we shipped his ass out before the report came in. He was the weakest part of the infield. So either we’re the cleanest team in baseball, or we’re the best cheaters because no one has gotten caught. Either way, respect it. If it weren’t for the Phillies I wouldn’t watch baseball at all. They seem to be immune to all the bullshit and commentary surrounding the game. They’re too busy dealing with the bullshit that comes with being in Philly.

It’s funny, the Phils make me watch baseball, and the Sixers make me want to stop watching basketball. Although, since Billy King got fired there has been hope. For example, dumping salary like Kyle Korver. Kyle was great for the team’s sex appeal, but no where near worth the money he’s getting. Since Korver was traded though, the Utah Jazz have been the best team in the league. (Go check out who the GM for Utah is that orchestrated this trade. I’m basically famous.)

Oh and I’m a Nuggets fan until Iverson gets traded, retires, or dies on the court from his giant heart exploding. Go Nuggets!

In case you didn’t know, I’m pro-steroids in professional sports. Bigger, stronger faster. Sounds like a better show. I also think every sport should allow fighting like hockey does.

You see the new American Gladiators?

That show is super gay.

Television has evolved since the last Gladiator was on. The audience has been exposed to much more violence, extreme videos, and assholes who eat buffalo testicles for Joe Rogan. We need more out of this show. More blood, actual danger, and some mean motherfuckers who do a whole bunch of coke and hallucinogens right before they fight.

We can go on Youtube and watch low quality street fights. If they just took the savage beating element of a shitty street fight and up the production level to that of a network show, who wouldn’t watch?

If there is a possibility a guy could lose an arm trying to win a
million dollars and become the next American Gladiator… I’m not missing an episode.

But if you parade around these f@g$ in wrestling unitards and have them hit each other with the thickest padding ever, and the worst thing that happens is they fall 8 feet into a pool of water… then I’m sorry I don’t have a reason to watch.

At least make the joust higher than a high dive. And fill the pool with sharks or a few piranha. I want to see fear in their eyes.

You know damn well it wouldn’t be hard to find contestants for this. People will do anything for money or T.V. exposure. We exploit dumb people all the time… it’s what we do. Why can’t we just take it up a notch, put their lives in needless danger?

This is America! We’ve got the biggest balls in the world. Lets show all those other fuckers how crazy we are. This is all I’m saying.

Also, this has got to be a low point for Hulk Hogan. His son is facing vehicular manslaughter charges. His big boob wife is divorcing him (Although I heard it was a big hoax, so when they sue Hulk for his son’s crime, they can only take half his estate. They can’t sue his wife too. I don’t know how valid that is).  His only daughter is basically making a B-line to Playboy. And to top it all off he’s the co-host, not the host, of a show he probably despised in his prime.

I mean, he had to hate the original American Gladiators, right? They were a direct competition on Saturday morning television. What were the gladiators if not a poor man’s WWF wrestler? Those who can’t fake wrestle… gladiate?

(That gladiator Wolf is like if Kevin Nash and the Ultimate Warrior had a retarded child.)
 

By Kevin O’Connor (Guest Author)

Trade Deadline Looming

With the trade deadline only 36 hours away the Sixers could still be poised to make a monumental move.

Yesterday, 610 WIP broke the news that the Denver Nuggets, the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Houston Rockets are all seriously interested in trying to acquire the 76ers PG Andre Miller. It’s no surprise that Andre wants to get out of Philly, and who can blame him. The Sixers might be in the hunt for the final playoff spot, but they are nowhere near they need to be to make a run at a title shot anytime soon.

So I took some time and visited the old ESPN Trade Machine to see what we could work out with the three teams mentioned as having interest in Andre Miller.

Nuggets: Obviously we are not going to get A.I. back for Miller, but the Nuggets could be the best for the Sixers in terms of getting some talent back. Using the trade machine, I proposed Andre and Willie Green for Nene Hilario and JR Smith. This worked out for both teams as the salary numbers came very close and it’s something I can see both teams being interested in. Denver gets Miller and can move A.I. to shooting guard. Nene who is overcoming some health issues, could be seen as expendable on a Nuggets team that has seen improved inside play from Marcus Camby (phenomenal season) and Kenyon Martin (seems to back from his knee injury).

As a Sixer fan, I truly dislike Willie Green, not to mention his contract, which has him locked up for four more years. I would love to get rid of him in any trade and I feel JR Smith in return for Green, is a definite upgrade. Given the opportunity to receive more PT and take more shots (which he does not get in Denver) JR Smith could be a serious player. Who knows, maybe get a pick back in this deal as well.

Cavaliers: Chris came up with this trade between the two teams via the trade machine. Andre Miller to the Cavs and in return the Sixers would receive Boobie Gibson (only brightspot), Damon Jones, and Donyell Marshell. Personally, I dont like it at all, and dont know why the Sixers would do this trade. Damon Jones and Donyell Marshall are washed up and Boobie for Andre isnt exactly equal in my book.

The trade that I came up with and would go for in a heartbeat would be as follows; Andre for Drew Gooden, Boobie Gibson, and Ira Newble. Ira Newble makes or breaks this deal for me. HAA, kidding, he sucks, BIGTIME, but needed him in there to match up salaries. Obviously the Cavs need a PG so the 76ers need to take control and be in the drivers seat in this deal, or any for that matter involving Andre. I will not be happy if we give him away for nothing and get shafted like we usually do in every transaction we made (at least under Billy King, Stefanski – your on a short leash). Newble however, does have an expiring contract, and Drew Gooden is a very solid bigman. Well, a definite upgrade from Reggie Evans in my mind at the 4 spot. This is a trade I would condone as a fan and would actually be happy with.  Boobie “has tremendous upside” (always wanted to say that) and could be a great 2 guard in a few years.  Sam-U-EL, Drew Gooden, Iggy, Carney/Gibson, and Lou Will ain’t a bad starting five.

Rockets: Judging by my troubles getting a decent deal done on the trade machine, Houston looks to be the worst team to try and make a deal with for the Sixers. I don’t really like that many players on this team, especially in exchange for Andre. The best deal I could come up with was Andre and Willie for Luis Scola (PF), Shane Battier (SF), and Skip to My Lou, Rafer Alston (PG). I’d be very surprised if Houston would bite on this deal though. The only way I would consider doing a deal with the Rockets would be if we could dump a few contracts (Willie Green included) and we would have to receive picks in return.

Don’t get me wrong, I like Andre a lot and with the departure of Jason Kidd to the West, he could be the second best (active) PG in the East behind Chauncey Billups (Gilbert Arenas is better, but injured). Andre has been a team player and has played his heart out for this team but it is a fact he wants out, and it’s most likely in the best interest of the team.  

So the questions remain: 

What should the Sixers do with Andre Miller?

What do you think the Sixers will actually do?

To Make the Playoffs, or Not Make the Playoffs?

As the 76ers start their unofficial second half of the season tonight in Minneapolis, we seem to have deja vu about how the Sixers should approach the final 29 games of the NBA season.

Last year, the dust was still settling from the Allen Iverson trade to Denver, and the Sixers found themselves within punching distance of the 8th and final playoff spot in the East. However, the census around the city was the Sixers should play their young talent extensively and try to position themselves for the best LOTTERY pick possible. In other words; TANK.

They finished the season playing hard and inspired basketball and ended up 35-47.  This landed them five games out of the final playoff spot, gave them very few balls in the lottery drawing, and knotted them the 13th overall pick in the 2007 NBA Draft. Not quite what the ferocious Philly fans (myself included) had in mind.

Coming off this years All-Star break the Sixers are 23-30 and are in a three-way tie for the 7th seed in the pathetic Eastern Conference at the moment.

So what to do this year???

After landing two additional first round picks last year, people were foaming at the mouth at the chances of a top 7, or 8 pick, a mid-first rounder, and a late first rounder. They ended up with the13th pick and the 21st pick after the lottery and a couple draft day deals.

This year, the Sixers need to build for the future going forward.  The best way to do this in my mind is to do all they can to get that into the playoffs and gain some experience (however short it will be) that is so valuable to a young and growing team.  The Sixers have been sort of stuck in sports hell; that being mediocrity. And once again,  the Sixers are on pace (even if they don’t make the playoffs) to be assured an 11th, 12th, or 13th pick again. However, a team full of Lou Williams, Thaddeus Youngs, Andre Iguodalas, and Rodney Carneys; gaining playoff knowledge from most likely the Pistons or Celtics over four games, is something that could potentially be extremly valuable to the growth process of these young players and could pay off huge dividends down the road. 

Back in heyday of Larry Brown, when Allen Iverson was running the team with a flurry of randoms and in-experienced guys at his side, playoff disappointments were a normal conclusion to the end of a few boring, middle of the pack seasons.   They were swept back to back years by the Pacers, but they continually matured and grew together as a team and eventually put it all together and made that memorable 2001 Finals run.

In order to have that the same growth and learning curve  like the ’01 Sixers had, a playoff berth for this years version (no matter if it is a 4 game sweep) will definitely be more beneficial to this group, then falling out of the playoff picture and into another lottery debacle like last year.