Honestly, I never thought this day would come, but finally, mercilessly, I won't have to watch Willie Green take ill-advised shots and play way too many minutes any longer for the Sixers, as he's been traded to the Hornets along with Jason Smith in exchange for Darius Songaila and Craig Brackins.
Truth of the matter is, Willie Green played hard and had some really good games for the Sixers, but he was the type of guy who deserved to be an 8th, 9th or 10th man at best, not an occasional starter and primary bench option. Yet he was, and that made every Sixers fan get sick and tired of seeing him, myself included. Not any longer, thank goodness.
Jason Smith showed promise as a rookie, but missing all of his second year with an ACL tear has stunted his growth and made him more than expendable. Songaila is a hard-working veteran who can scrap a little bit, but not much more. I know nothing of Craig Brackins other than he was selected in the first round, which is more than either Smith or Green can claim. So I'm completely on board with this. So long, Willie. I'd be lying if I said I'd miss you, but I certainly wish you no harm.
Right now is not the best of times for us Philadelphia sports fans. The Flyers just capped off an exhilarating run to the Stanley Cup Final by getting eliminated on the weakest goal possible. The Phillies are mired in the worst offensive slump of my lifetime, and even Doc got roughed up last night. The Eagles begin mandatory camp with more questions than answers, fresh off back-to-back humiliating losses to the Cowboys of all teams to end last season. And the Sixers, well, they got the No. 2 pick in the draft for a reason — they're terrible.
No one is excited in this city right now. It's almost as if some of us would rather just wash our hands of sports for a while, if only to regain our sanity. Of course, we can't do that. That would go against our very being, our very nature. So instead, we gripe and bitch and moan about players we want to run out of town. With that, here are Philly's Most Unwanted athletes that currently call Philadelphia home.
Sixers Elton Brand
There is no athlete this city wants gone more than Elton Brand, and for good reason. Signed to an obscenely gargantuan five-year, $80 million contract coming off a major, major injury, Brand has done absolutely nothing to alleviate fans' fears of him being damaged goods. In his first season, he struggled mightily to fit in to the Sixers' fast-break style, and the team struggled. Then he got injured … and the team took off. There was no arguing that the Sixers were a better team without him on the floor than with him. He played just 29 games, averaging a very pedestrian 13.8 points and 8.8 rebounds, with 1.6 blocks per game, all while shooting a career-low 44.7 percent from the field and career-low 67.6 percent from the line. Basically, his shortened first year was a disaster.
This past season was supposed to be different. But it wasn't. Brand still struggled with his health, clashed with the incompetent Eddie Jordan, and found himself in limbo. Sure, he had some good games here and there, but he could never embrace coming off the bench and never produced enough to merit a consistent starting gig. Essentially, Elton Brand has become the Sixers' $80 million black hole. Somehow, despite his minutes remaining relatively the same (31:41 per game in 2008-09 compared to 30:11 in 2009-10), his numbers dropped across the board. Brand averaged just 13.1 points, 6.1 rebounds and 1.1 blocks. He shot better, connecting on 48 percent from the field and 73.8 from the line, but his defense and rebounding took another step backward. It's pretty clear that the man who came in with career averages of 20 and 10 is nowhere near that player now. Think Chris Webber as a Sixer, only 10 times worse and stuck here for five years. Elton can't disappear soon enough.
Willie Green
I honestly don't know a single person in the City of Brotherly Love that actually likes Willie Green. Not one. Better yet, I don't know a single person on the planet that can explain how this guy has lasted seven years and counting as a Philadelphia 76er. The guy is the definition of a chucker, one of the most inconsistent, below-average players in the NBA. Don't believe me? Check out his career averages: 9.4 ppg, 1.9 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 1.2 turnovers, 0.6 steals, 0.1 blocks, 42.2 percent from the field, 31.7 percent from three, 85.2 percent from the line.
Ladies and gentlemen, here we have a guy who can do absolutely nothing but score (and play something close to decent defense, at least for a Sixer), but can't score efficiently. Honestly, 42.2 percent from the field and 31.7 from three is the best this team can get from a bench scorer? And Willie, seeing as you are the most streaky (see bad) shooter alive, you'd think you would learn to contribute on the glass or get some steals or maybe even pass the ball once in a while. Hasn't happened. Ever. Seriously, how does this man still have a job? I can't explain it. No one can. Enough is enough. This Willie Green joke has been going on about seven years too long.
Honorable mention: Andre Iguodala
Andre is a really good player. Really, really good. He can score. He can rebound. He can defend. He can pass. What he cant' do is shoot from the outside, yet he does, over and over and over again. He also can't really create his own shot. But man, when he's attacking the rim and throwing down dunks, it's awesome. He's the type of player every team needs and wants … so long as he's the second or third or fourth best player. Unfortunately, the Sixers signed him as if he was a franchise guy, which he is not. Not even close. That makes his $80 million contract incredibly hard to justify, and makes Iguodala think he's better than he actually is and is capable of things he really can't do. I mean, he's never even been an all-star, yet he's paid like a superstar. It's not really his fault, and at times he is truly a delight to watch play, but that fadeaway jumper and those barrages from three are difficult to stomach. Still, the guy is a good player. Just not worthy of lead dog status.
Flyers Jeff Carter
Talk about a case of crazy. Jeff Carter is 25 years old. He has scored 145 goals in five seasons (29 per year). He's been an all-star, has laced up for Team Canada (not this year) and last season, he scored 84 points with 46 goals and 38 assists while finishing a plus-23. This season, he was the Flyers' most consistent forward, arguably the team's best center before he went down with a broken foot. He scored 33 goals in 74 games, added 28 assists for 61 points. The guy truly is a tremendous goal-scorer who has shown he can play good defense at the same time. Ever since Mike Richards went down two seasons ago before the playoffs, Carter has been on the rise, a mainstay on the power play and penalty kill, and one of the NHL's best scorers.
But after suffering another broken foot in the first round (game 4 against New Jersey), Carter came back late in the Montreal series and took the ice in every game of the Stanley Cup Final. That's where things turned sour. He was, honestly, the worst player in the series. He was either completely invisible, or highly visible for the wrong reasons: missed assignments, missing an open net, looking slow and plodding. Now with the Flyers having a surplus of centers once again (Mike Richards, Claude Giroux, Danny Briere, Blair Betts), fans from all over the area are calling for Jeff Carter to be traded for either a goaltender or a defenseman or both. It's really remarkable, considering just how proficient he's been for this team the past three years, how much he's come along, and considering he played in the Final coming off two broken feet and clearly not in game shape.
It would be unwise and foolhardy to trade a talent like Carter simply for the sake of clearing up room up the middle or to cast him off as a scapegoat. I, for one, have been critical of Carter at times in the past, and I especially got on him (and Peter Laviolette for playing him so much) during the final series. And I've taken issue with him in the past, whether it was his choke job against the Penguins or his lack of physicality. But let's be reasonable here, folks. Jeff Carter is a very good player. A very talented player. And he's getting better every year. You can't just give him away. That doesn't mean he should be untouchable. In fact, he's one of the few trade pieces without a no-trade clause, his contract expires soon and he'll definitely be due a raise. And oh yeah, he'll definitely net a great haul in return. But it's still funny to see so many people turn on the guy who was having arguably the best season out of any Flyer forward before he got injured, the same guy who scored 46 goals last year.
Ryan Parent
I'll admit it, I've been a Ryan Parent guy. When he came over from Nashville, I thought he was going to become an excellent defensive defenseman in the NHL. So did the Flyers. But injuries have stunted his progress, and frankly, the guy stunk in playoffs. Parent routinely looked overmatched and overwhelmed. He got beat for puck battles time and time again. He simply didn't look big enough or strong enough to compete with the NHL's best. And fans took notice. All of them.
Trolling the comments on any site dedicated to the Flyers and you'd hear cries of getting Parent out of here. As a one-time proponent of the guy, I can honestly say they've all been warranted. Parent hasn't shown any progress, hasn't given any reason to believe he can become a good defenseman in this league. It pains me to say it, but his days as Flyer may be numbered.
Honorable mention: Riley Cote
I was almost tempted to put Michael Leighton on here after giving up the softest goal in the history of hockey to end the Final — and for playing awful in three games against the Blackhawks — but I just couldn't bring myself to do it. And I shouldn't have, because Leighton deserves a ton of credit for saving the Flyers twice. His heroics during the regular season and playoffs will never be forgotten.
Riley Cote, on the other hand, has already been forgotten. Fans always respected the guy for taking on any and all comers, but the time has come and gone for Cote in this city. He can't actually win a fight, and he can't actually do anything with puck. His only real strengths are hitting people and being able to withstand taking punch after punch. It would stunning if he ever dressed for the Flyers again, unless it was in one of those statement games in which both teams anticipate a ton of fights.
Eagles Sav Rocca
Punters don't normally command a lot of attention, but it's impossible to discuss the Eagles' special teams without Sav Rocca coming up … and often touching a nerve with the fan base. He is, quite simply, the most maddening punter of all time. One minute, he'll boom one 63 yards with no return. The next minute, he'll shank one 26 yards and kill the defense. There's no denying the guy's booming leg, but there's also no denying that every time he drops back to let one fly, no one knows where the hell it's going to go or how far it's going to travel … especially Rocca.
What you want out of your punter more than anything is consistency. Sav Rocca is the definition of inconsistent. And I think all the fans in the city have had just about enough of him. Though he did absolutely kick ass in that playoff game in Giants Stadium two years ago.
Victor Macho Harris
Either Sean Jones or Quintin Demps where supposed to win the starting free safety job last season after the unwanted and unnecessary departure of Brian Dawkins. Neither one could nail down the job. Instead, Victor Harris emerged from the pack, a player that made a name for himself at Virginia Tech as a cornerback.
At first, I was excited for Harris. He played very well in the preseason, and he was a really good player in college. That did not translate to being a quality safety in the NFL. Harris sucked at every conceivable thing you want out of a football player. He couldn't tackle. He couldn't cover. He couldn't do anything. All I can picture when I hear his name is him diving at someone's feet, missing a tackle. Victor Harris sucked complete and utter donkey balls last season, and a player I once was ready to like after a strong preseason became a player I couldn't stand. Neither could anyone else.
Thankfully, the Eagles have moved Harris back to corner. Rookie Nate Allen looks to be the man to take over the other safety spot opposite of Quintin Mikell. If Harris can contribute as a corner and not completely shit the bed like he did at safety, I'm willing to give him another chance. But I shouldn't. He was absolutely terrible last year.
Honorable mention: Trevor Laws
This guy was the Eagles' first-round draft choice just two short seasons ago, yet last year, he was deactivated down the stretch. Not good. Not good at all. Laws was slated to be the third tackle in the rotation behind Mike Patterson and Broderick Bunkley. Instead, he lost his job to undrafted Antonio Dixon and may not even make the team this year. Talk about a waste of a draft pick.
Thank god the Eagles took DeSean Jackson right after him in the second round, or we'd be talking about a disastrous draft.
I was tempted to put Joselio Hanson here, because I don't like him or trust him, but he was better than I thought he'd be last year. Still, he wasn't exactly good either, and his size is a detriment, especially in a division with wide receivers such as Hakeem NIcks, Devin Thomas and Roy Williams. There are plenty of Eagles fans that just don't have any confidence in the guy, myself included. The fact that he may challenge Ellis Hobbs for the starting spot opposite of Asante Samuel frightens me to death. Can someone explain to me why they traded Sheldon again?
It could be argued that Quintin Demps deserves a spot here, because plenty of people wouldn't be the least bit sad to see him go following his disastrous NFC Championship game performance two seasons ago against Arizona and an injury-plagued, underwhelming year last season. But at least Demps is good at returning kickoffs, and I actually think he can become a really good player with his size and speed if he can stay healthy and take some coaching. The jury is certainly still out though.
Phillies Greg Dobbs
The Phillies are struggling mightily thanks to a lot people. Greg Dobbs hardly shoulders as much blame as the regulars — guys like Chase Utley and Raul Ibanez and Jayson Werth and Shane and Ryan and you get the idea. However, we all know the kind of players those guys are. They'll hit, eventually. At least I hope. But Dobbs, well, he's the most worthless player on this roster, and the fans know it. He no longer is the guy who broke the franchise record for pinch hits as the Phillies became World Fucking Champions.
With reduced playing time that was to be expected last season and so far this year, Dobbs has struggled. Mightily. He saw his average drop from .301 in 2008 to .247 last year to now an all-time low .143. To go along with his paltry .143 average, his on-base percentage is a ghastly .206, his slugging remarkably low at .238 and his OPS is .444. He has just one home run and five RBIs in 63 official at-bats, striking out 18 times while walking just five times. To make matters worse, he is the single worst fielder in the history of baseball. When he's not booting the ball over at third, he's short-hopping Ryan Howard at first or missing him altogether. And he's not much better in the outfield. The reason he plays less is because he's such a liability in the field. Honestly, I think everyone that lives in my house can field better than Greg Dobbs. I really do. We probably can't, but that's how bad he is.
And now he can't even hit either. I'm sorry, but he's got to go. Has to. Now. Plus, it would send a message to this slumping team and hopefully wake some of the bats up. Because this shit is getting ridiculous.
Ruben Amaro
Technically, Ruben Amaro isn't a Philadelphia athlete right now. But he did play for the Phillies, and he's now GM. So that counts, because I said so. Now, it may be stunning to see him on this list, seeing as he was assistant GM when the Phils won the World Series in 2008, kept that core team together AND added Cliff Lee and Pedro Martinez (not to mention Raul Ibanez, who carried the offense in the first half last season) last year en route to getting back to the World Series, and brought in Roy Halladay, Placido Polanco and Jose Contreras and others this season. But with the Phillies strug-a-ling, Ruben's popularity has taken a hit … and it could have all been avoided.
Bringing in Roy Halladay was a stroke of genius. The problem is, he went right around and traded Cliff Lee for a bucket of balls and some shitty prospects. Phillies fans had visions of Halladay and Lee forming the best one-two combo in all of baseball, and hopes of Cole Hamels recapturing his pre-2009 form (which he's on his way to doing this year), all but assuring another trip to the Fall Classic. But then he traded Cliff Lee for three prospects that are all putting up atrocious numbers in the minors.
It didn't have to be this way. He could have let Joe Blanton walk. He could have not given 100-year-old Jamie Moyer a two-year deal after the World Series. He could have forgone a 3-year deal to an aging Raul Ibanez. Any or all of those moves would have cleared the salary space for the Phils to remain under budget. And don't give me this prospect nonsense, not when all of them are struggling against inferior competition.
You have to give it to Amaro for putting his neck out there and making some truly great moves. But as the Phillies continue to sputter and watch Cliff Lee look like Cliff Lee in Seattle, it will be the move he's forever remembered for … unless the Phils can right themselves and win another championship or two. Of course, that would be a lot easier with Halladay and Lee in the rotation, especially with the bats going silent. It will forever be one of the greatest what-ifs in Phillies history. What if the Phils had kept Lee for one more year, along with acquiring Halladay? Sadly, we'll never know.
Honorable mention: Danys Baez
Opponents are batting 2.80 against him. His WHIP is 1.52. He's walked 13 batters in 27 innings, given up 28 hits and 13 earned runs. His 4.33 ERA isn't horrible, but he is. Danys Baez sucks.
Taking a casual look at the Oklahoma City Thunder and Philadelphia 76ers, on the surface it appears these are two fairly similar teams, at least in makeup. Both have very young rosters with some extremely intriguing pieces, and both are not yet near the point of competing toward a championship. They're young squads looking to build for the future. So then, why are the Thunder currently sitting at 10-8 on the season after last night's 117-106 victory over Philadelphia, tied with Houston for the 8th and final playoff spot at the moment in the loaded Western Conference, while the Sixers are a pathetic 5-14 and in sole possession of 13th place in the East? There are several reasons, sure, but the simplest explanation starts and ends with one Kevin Durant.
Durant is everything the Philadelphia 76ers wish Andre Iguodala could be, and then some. He was the second overall pick in the 2007 after earning player of the year status in his lone college season at Texas. Everyone knew he was destined for greatness, and the young, rail-thin superstar has done nothing to disappoint. Currently, he ranks fourth in the NBA in scoring at 27.7 points per game, trailing only some guys named Carmelo, Kobe and LeBron. Did I get those right? Never heard of any of them.
As impressive as that is, watching KD do his thing last night made it abundantly clear: the NBA needs more nationally televised Oklahoma City games right now. Durant is a joy to watch, and last night, he clearly stood out above everyone else. Early on, Andre Iguodala, who had a very fine game in his own right (28 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, 8-15 from the field, 3-5 from three, 9-9 from the line), did a good job covering Durant and keeping him in check, but then Durant got him in foul trouble, smelled blood, and that was all she wrote. Every time he touched the ball, I felt like he was going to score or do something special to get his teammates a good look. For the most part, he pretty much did. And at one point during the game, Adam EatShit walked through the front door, sat down and asked, "What's up with Durant?" I turned to him and said, "Well, he's got the ball, and he's about to score." Then he did this:
I'm pretty sure that was Durant's way of letting Mr. EatShit know he's all sorts of good. Durant finished the game leading all scorers with 33 points on 10-21 from the field, 5-7 from three, 8-8 at the line, and chipped in with 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals and a block. He was the difference in the game, and he is the key difference between these franchises. Iguodala is very good player. Durant is a franchise player, a superstar. That's what the Sixers are lacking, and that's why they're struggling. Yes, help is on the way in the form of one Allen Iverson, but his tenure is coming to an end, while Durant's has only just begun. That's the kind of player these Sixers need. Thanks to overspending Eddie inking Iguodala to an insanely inflated deal and then crippling the team's cap space by making the worst signing of the 2000s in Elton Brand, they won't be getting that guy anytime soon. Maybe Mr. Stefanski isn't as smart as we all thought.
You see, there are many more differences between the Thunder and Sixers than just Durant, even though that's the key one. The Thunder are made up of exclusively young talent, all players with excellent potential, while also being a cast of players that fit very specific roles. And they're an unselfish bunch to boot. Durant is the headliner, the superstar that every team needs to really compete in the long run. He's 21 years old. Russell Westbrook is a hybrid point guard who's shown he can run a team in his young NBA career thus far, and his potential is limitless. He can jump out of the building, makes fairly sound decisions and gets his teammates involved. He's 21 years old. Thabo Sefolosha, once upon a time drafted by the Sixers, is a rangy, lanky player who fulfills the role of bothersome defender and energy guy. He's 25 years old. Nenad Krstic is European and 26, so yeah. Jeff Green is a versatile forward, able to play the three or four, and contains such an array of talents that he's a difficult matchup for anyone. And He's an insanely intelligent player. Last night, he scored 19 points, including 3 threes, and gave the Sixers fits. He's 24 years old. James Harden is a lot like Green. He's not flashy, doesn't look overly impressive, but he can do just about anything, be it pass, score, defend, or rebound. He was their first-round pick this year (third overall), and he's just 20 years old. Then there's Nick Collison, the elder statesman of the regular rotation, a true power forward who has plenty of talent, but has been limited in his career due to injury. If he can ever stay healthy, he can be a pretty big piece, as he was last night, scoring 18 points on 8-9 shooting and grabbing 7 boards off the bench. He's the old man at 29.
That's a core of young, talented players that should be able to grow and develop together, the way the Atlanta Hawks have the past few seasons. Compare that to the Sixers, who have 25-year-old Iguodala playing the poor man's version of Durant, 21-year-old Thaddeus Young showing his extreme potential along with youngsters Marreese Speights (22) and Louis Williams (23), and the Sixers have some nice pieces of their own. But beyond that? Not so much. Samuel Dalembert is a 28-year-old albatross of a contract that the Sixers are just waiting to get off the books. Elton Brand is old (relatively) at 30, broken down, doesn't fit the team's plans, sucks, went to Duke so he's an asshole, sucks, has an enormous contract that is weighing this team down from getting better and sucks. Jason Kapono can hit threes and nothing else. Great skill, but he should be a specialist on a team that can actually win something. Jason Smith is young (23) and a fine bench player, but nothing more. Royal Ivey is not good. Neither is Rodney Carney, but again, young. And Willie Green, well, Willie Green does not belong on this roster. At best, the 28-year-old should be the 10th man on a team, at best, yet here he is starting for the Sixers until Monday. Last night, he got 40 minutes and 46 seconds of playing time. The Sixers lost. This is not a coincidence. Willie Green does not belong anywhere near the court for anything beyond 15 minutes, maybe 20 when he's playing well. In the second half of last night's game, he made two terrible turnovers that really turned the tides of a close game into the Thunder's favor for good. Willie Green is terrible.
And that brings me to Eddie Jordan. I don't like this guy so far. Not one bit. I know he's trying to institute a new, confusing offense. I know he's just 21 games into his tenure and still trying to get a grip on his team, find the right rotations. But damn, this guy is jerking his players around. Jrue Holiday went from averaging less than 8 minutes a night to playing 35 minutes a night when Lou Will went down. Unsurprisingly, Holiday has struggling since moving in the starting role because he wasn't getting enough minutes to get fully adjusted to the NBA before Lou went down. Now he's cast in a role he's not ready for, at least until Monday. Though Jrue did play very well last night, scoring a career-high 15 points, playing suffocating defense on Westbrook to limit him to 1-11 from the field, and showing no fear.
Makes you wonder how much better he'd be right now if he was getting, oh I don't know, 15-20 minutes a game before Lou got hurt. But that's not all. Eddie has toyed with a struggling Brand, which certainly hasn't helped the underperforming forward. Some games he plays Jason Kapono more than 20 minutes, like last night. Other times he gets a DNP coach's decision. Ditto Rodney Carney. And the matchup really has nothing to do with it. Royal Ivey still gets minutes, and he goes out and does something as stupid as play Willie Green for 40 minutes against the Thunder. What I'm trying to say is I don't think Eddie Jordan has any idea what the hell he's doing with this roster. Just wait until Iverson gets here Monday.
This is all a long way of saying that while it appears that the Thunder and Sixers may be similar on paper, they are not. The Thunder have direction, a superstar and a coach who doesn't seem to be batshit crazy. The Sixers don't have any of that. And they don't even have someone as dynamic and fun to watch as Durantula. At least not until Monday.
Allen Iverson can't get out on that court soon enough as far as I'm concerned. I never thought I'd be so eager for a Monday to get here.
P.S. Someone please tell Ed Pinckney that Oklahoma City is not on the West Coast. Oklahoma is in the middle of the United States. Thank you.
Last night, I met Joltin' Joe and his roommate at the Wachovia Center to take in the Sixers-Pacers game, and I have to say, I can't remember the last time I've seen the Wachovia Center so depressingly empty.
I mean, it was just sad. Here we are, in the beginning of February, with football finished and baseball still more than a month away, and there was virtually no one there. It certainly wasn't what the Sixers had in mind after a great run at the end of last season and making a big (awful?) splash this summer. But that's what happens when an underachieving team is hosting one of the worst teams in basketball I guess.
As far as the game went, it was an underwhelming performance by the Sixers. Perhaps they were tired coming off the heartbreaking loss to the Celtics, or maybe they were depressed by the news that the $82 $80 million man was gone until next year. Who knows? What I do know is that the Sixers' three-point defense was simply atrocious last night, which Joltin' Joe pointed out has been a perplexing problem for the Sixers the past decade. Different players, different coaches, same horrible three-point defense.
After jumping out to an early lead, Tony DiLeo decided to put in a lineup completely lacking of offensive firepower, pulling 4 of the 5 starters for Reggie Evans, Marreese Speights, Lou Will and Royal Ivey, and keeping in Thad. That's when the Pacers flipped the script and took the lead, led by Mike Dunleavy's mustache and Troy Murphy's whiteness.
The Sixers did come back in the second, but they were letting a terrible team play with them entirely too long. Many of the few fans in attendance were getting restless, especially with DiLeo's coaching. However, as Joltin' Joe pointed out, no one who was actually sitting behind or next to DiLeo yelled anything. At all. It was maddening. Especially considering Tony insisted on keeping Reggie Evans in the game when he was completely ineffective. People were clamoring for Theo, for his defense if nothing else, but the long arm of the law remained seated with his nice view next to Kareem Rush.
Andre Miller did decide to sort of take over in the second half, attacking the rim and getting to the line, which certainly helped the Sixers get the lead back. And Andre Iguodala was once again the best player on the court, continuing to impress since Brand went down the first time.
I also have to give some love to Willie Green and Sammy Dalembert. I've never really been a huge Willie fan, but the guy has played really well this season, and last night, he hit some big shots for the Sixers. In fact, the guy led everyone with 23 points. And somewhere along the way, Willie has developed into a pretty good defensive player. He's the sole reason Kareem Rush has been M.I.A. And Sammy, for all the hits he takes from fans and media alike, has been playing some damn fine basketball over the past month. Last night, the Haitian Sensation was pretty awesome, going for 18 points on 6-13 shooting, 6-6 from the line and pulling down a ridiculous 20 boards.
It was nice to see him have an impact in the 99-94 win. What wasn't nice to see was the number of wide open looks Indiana had from three, which ultimately led to them staying in the game. Thankfully, the Pacers cooled off, and being the bad team they are, continued to jack. They took 34 threes last night. I'm not making this up. Thirty freakin four. The Sixers took 12. That's an astounding number of threes to take in a game, and it kind of lets you know why Indiana is 12 games under .500. The Sixers, meanwhile, got back to that .500 mark yet again, pulling to 24-24 with 34 left to play.
After getting dropped off graciously by Joltin' Joe, I planted myself on the couch to watch the end of the Lakers-Celtics game. If you like basketball, do yourself a favor and watch these two teams any time they're on TV. Sure, they're both hateable jerks, but they are damn good basketball teams.
The ending to last night's battle was pretty awesome. Immediately when I began watching, Kobe and Rajon Rondo were jawing at each other, with Kobe pointing his finger right in Rondo's face. Minutes later, KG and Odom were going at it. The game was intense, and the hatred was very evident between the two teams.
In a back and forth fourth, Kobe, who had been shut down most of the half by Paul Pierce's defense (I still can't believe the guy played zero defense his entire career, then all the sudden tries once he gets two HOFers on his team. Stealin money for years), remembered he was Kobe and hit some absolutely ridiculous contested three-pointers to bring the Lakers back and force overtime. I mean, Pierce was completely blanketing Kobe, and it didn't matter. Mamba was making those shots no matter what.
And, when the Celtics had a chance to win it with one last shot in regulation, Kobe didn't let that happen. Right as Pierce was about to go for a shot, Kobe knocked the ball away to prevent even a shot attempt. Lamar Odom was also a beast for the Lakers in the 4th, and Ray Allen was all sorts of clutch in overtime for the Celtics. But ultimately, with Garnett fouled out in the 4th, the Laker prevailed in OT with Pau Gasol getting the game-winner from the line. It was a crazy game though. Pierce and Allen were hitting big shots, and Paul played incredible D. Kobe was Kobe and Pau came up big in OT.
It gave the Lakers the 2-0 regular season edge against the C's, and it once again could be the finals matchup for the second straight year. Unless, you know, LeBron has something to say about it.
So on consecutive days, Tuesday and yesterday, I received wedding invitations from friends. That's right, two of my friends, both of whom I've known since I was in elementary school, are getting married. You know what that means? I'm getting fucking old. And while people around me are getting married, I'm lucky if I can take my focus away from sports long enough to finish an entire conversation with a female. Needless to say, I won't be getting married any time soon, but I hate the fact that this makes me feel old. And hate seems to be a theme here today.
Today, my brother-in-law emailed me the 100 players you love to hate, a list that is from September 2007. While it is a bit too long to touch on in its entirety, I would like to address two things: Andre Ware and the Philadelphia section.
Andre Ware is on this list under quarterbacks, and he should be. Know why? He's a fucking moron.
And here is the Phillies section:
PHILLIES DIVISION
26. Dick Allen, Philadelphia Phillies and elsewhere: The Albert Belle of his era, Allen was a fearsome power hitter who was still hated in Philly. Some of the abuse, including a stream of racial epithets from fans, was unwarranted. But Allen often came across as immature and selfish: He once missed a doubleheader against the Mets because he went to see a horse race that morning and got caught in traffic on the way back, then walked out on the White Sox with two weeks to go in the 1974 season.
27. Mike Schmidt, Philadelphia Phillies: Yes, they even hated the greatest third baseman in major league history. Schmidt's reserved demeanor on the field gave some the perception that he was aloof, a trait Phillies fans hated most when Schmidt would walk back to the dugout after striking out. In related news, Philly fans, while incredibly loyal to their teams, are also insane.
28. Scott Rolen, Philadelphia Phillies: Hated because he wasn't Mike Schmidt.
29. Von Hayes, Philadelphia Phillies: Another former Phillie who lacked passion, Hayes also carried the twin burdens of being a good, but not great player, and of being acquired in an infamous, lopsided traded with the Indians. In reference to the trade, Hayes earned the unflattering nickname "Five-for-One."
30. Bobby Abreu, Philadelphia Phillies: Perpetually underrated offensive player who derives a lot of value from his great batting eye. Or from Phillies fans' perspective: lazy, good-for-nothing albatross who couldn't get out of town fast enough.
31. Pat Burrell, Philadelphia Phillies: Why do Phillies fans hate him? Let's see: No. 1 overall pick, signed to a $50 million contract, terrible defender, who strikes out more than almost anyone else in baseball. On the other hand, Burrell's also one of the baseball's most dangerous power hitters when he's on his game. Watching Phillies fans figure out how to deal with Burrell's recent hot streak has been a rare treat.
I can't speak for Dick Allen, or even for Mike Schmidt because I was too young (although I know I loved him when I was little), but Rolen deserved it because he was a baby and an underachieving hitter here. Great fielder, but a pussy. Von Hayes, I was also young, but garbage. As far as Bobby goes, I always loved Bobby. He was a great hitter and had a cannon. I'd take him back in a second. Sure, he was a terrible fielder and scared of the wall, but I always liked the guy.
And Pat, well, I think we all know how public perception has changed since becoming World Fucking Champions.
Anyway, all this got me thinking about some of the players who have played in Philadelphia that I absolutely hate. This won't be a complete list I'm sure, as I'm guaranteed to leave a few guys out, but here's my airing of the grievances.
Flyers:
1. Karl Dykuis.
Dykuis was one of the worst defensemen in the history of hockey. Honestly. This guy turned the puck over more than anyone ever. And I hate him. I hate him so very much.
2. Eric Desjardins. I know this is a strange choice to many of you. Desjardins was a longtime Flyer who had very good offensive skill. But what people fail to realize is that he never hit anyone, anywhere, ever. He was the softest of the soft. And what people really fail to remember is that he, more than any player I have seen before or since, let playoff pressure get to him. He made many tremendous passes in the playoffs … right to the other team. Look up "turning over the puck in the playoffs (especially in your own zone)" and you'll find a picture of Desjardins. You were overrated. No one else will admit it, but you were. And I hate you.
3. John Vanbiesbrouck.
Man, did you suck as a Flyer. What made matters worse was how fucking good you were against the Flyers before you came to Philly. You suck.
4. Roman Cechmanek. One of the most insane goaltenders ever. You were also awesome in the regular season, and then imploded in the playoffs every God damn year. Hell, you even skated off the ice on your own teammates. I hate you so much. The Flyers should have kept Boucher.
5. Jiri Dopita. You were heralded as the best player not in the NHL. Yeah, that's like being called the tallest midget in the world or the smartest woman in the world. In the end, you're still short and dumb. Dopita sucked donkey balls, and for a guy who was huge, never hit a fucking thing. You weren't in the NHL for a reason: You are garbage, and I hate you.
Sixers:
1. Kyle Korver.
You were a fan favorite when you were here … except with this fan. A blind, retarded ape could play better defense than you. And sometimes you refused to set your feet on your shot, and that's when you missed. If you were off shooting, you were worthless. Utah is a much better fit for you.
2. Willie Green. DO. NOT. WANT. Please, DiLeo, just bench this bum. Please.
3. Tryone Hill. Or as I like to call him, Skeletor.
Not only were you the ugliest player in the NBA, but you had bricks for hands and nothing in that decrepit skull. I once witnessed you in the playoffs, live, against the Pacers, turn the ball over on three straight possessions. Then you jacked a three, when you never made a three in your life, with tons of time left on the clock. You suck, Tyrone Hill. You suck so very much.
4. Shavlik Randolph. You went to Duke, which is already a strike against you, as a heralded recruit. And then you underachieved and completely sucked when you were a Blue Devil. Somehow, you made the Sixers. And while you hustled, you had no skill. You are poor man's Jason Smith, and I mean Jason Smith right now—hurt. Go to hell, Shavlik.
5. Matt Harpring. Worst. Free agent signing. Ever. You were pretty good before you came to the Sixers. Then you sucked when you got here. Couldn't shoot, couldn't defend, couldn't rebound. You head off to Utah and become serviceable again. Fuck off.
Phillies:
1. Adam Eaton.
I would rather be forced to cut my own eyes out of my head, eat them, puke them back up and eat them again than have to watch Adam Eaton take the hill for the Phillies. He was awful before he got here, and somehow, he has been even more awful here. Take your $9 million this year and disappear. You are literally the only Phillie from this World Fucking Champion squad that I despise completely. I will never say a kind word about you ever.
2. Mitch fucking Williams. You are fuckface. I hate you. You ruined my life once. Thank God it's been restored, no thanks to you. You were the worst closer ever, and you suck as an analyst, too. People who forgave you and enjoy your work with Comcast are fucks. I mean this from the bottom of my heart. Fuck you, Mitch Williams. Fuck you right in the ear.
3. David Bell.
Sweet Jesus, where do I begin here? You couldn't hit. You couldn't field. You couldn't run. You didn't walk. What the fuck did the Phillies sign you for again? You were the worst third baseman I've ever seen for the Phillies, and that's saying something if you think about the years between Charlie Hayes and Scott Rolen. Charlie Hayes wasn't even good.
4. Travis Lee. Now, Travis Lee was definitely one of the best fielding first basemen I've ever seen. I mean that. He was right up there with Rico Brogna. But man, he couldn't hit worth a shit. The guy was huge, yet he hit less home runs than fucking Tommy Green, or so it seemed.
He also called us low class for booing Scott Rolen on Harry Kalas bobblehead day, when the Phillies were playing Cardinals at the Vet (I was there). And what made me hate him even more: I went to a Phillies game at Camden Yards with the charles. In BP, Travis Lee hit every single pitch out of the park. I swear to God. This made me furious. You couldn't leave my life soon enough, Travis.
5. Jose Mesa. Joe Table, as they say, was the right-handed Mitch Williams. He was on shitty teams as the shitty closer. Somehow he racked up saves, even though he sucked. Although I do respect the fact that he said he'd hit Omar Visquel every time he faces him (although I love Omar, oddly enough), and that Joe Table video at the Vet was tits.
Eagles:
1. Chris Boniol.
Fuck this guy. Before he came to the Eagles, he was a Cowboy, and he was awesome. He set the NFL record for most consecutive field goals made. Then he came to Philly and couldn't make a God damn chip shot. What a worthless pile of shit—good for the Cowboys and horrible for the Eagles.
2. Todd Pinkston and James Thrash. Now, some of you may be saying, "That's two players." In body, yes, but when you combine the production of Stinkston and Trash, you get almost not quite one full, competent receiver. Basically, these two guys, who were Donovan's two main targets for the first three runs to the NFC Championship game, were terrible. They couldn't get open. They couldn't catch. They weren't overly fast. And they caused the few interceptions McNabb threw by their sheer incompetence. I hate them both so very much.
3. Mark Simoneau.
You're slow. You're white. And you suck. The Eagles signed you because you were supposed to be an athletic, quick linebacker. In reality, you were slow, horrible in coverage, and terrible at tackling. The only athletic ability you had seemed to be running straight into blockers. You routinely took the wrong route to the ball and rarely came up with a big play, except that one time you took the ball from Eddie George. That was sweet.
But overall, you were pure garbage. You were slower than Dhani Jones, dumber than Barry Gardner and worse at coverage than Chris Gocong. In the Super Bowl, you were the single worst player on the defense. I hate you, much like I hate the majority of white linebackers. Call me racist.
4. Reno Mahe. Better known as Fair Catch, which was the only thing he was good at.
5. Sean Morey. I have no idea how or why you are in the NFL. You sure as shit aren't a receiver. You're too slow to be a return man. And really, you aren't good at anything. Did I mention I hate white people?
Well, there you have it. Those are the 5 players I hate for each team that came to mind while I was airing the grievances. So to all those highlighted above, go get fucked. And Happy Festivus!
We're just four games into the season for the Sixers and Philadelphia's new look currently sits at 2-2. Not bad. Admittedly, I didn't catch a whole lot of the first two games, but I watched a pretty decent amount on Saturday and the entire game yesterday.
I know it's extremely early for both the players and the coaches, but I'm going to try to just give a few of my early season observations. Front and center is not Elton Brand believe it or not. At least, not in my book. No, the early show stopper has been virtually everyone's pick to have a breakout year: Thaddeus Young.
Through 4 games, this kid has shown he's no joke. All summer long, we heard about Thad working on his outside shot and ball handling. But shit, no one could have expected this. In this young season, Thad is a legit three-point threat, shooting lights out from beyond the arc and actually looks natural doing it. Not to mention the guy showed last night he can absolutely put the ball on the floor and get to the rim. He's developed a nice tear drop and seems to be developing more and more confidence with each game.
Last night, Thad led all scorers with 18 points. Add this newfound offensive versatility to his tremendous defense, excellent rebounding and insane athleticism and you have the makings of a potential star. The kid is the real deal.
In fact, he's been stealing the show from the Sixers' biggest free agent signing of my lifetime. Elton Brand has been exactly what you'd expect—a very good scorer, excellent rebounder and a guy who is clearly going to make this team better.
Even though he went to Duke, I'm still excited he's a Sixer. I'm almost certain I know exactly what I'm going to get from the guy every night, and in his second game, he showed he can be dominant when need be: 24 points, 14 rebounds and 3 blocks.
And while Brand has been everything I expected him to be, he isn't even the second most impressive player to me this season behind Thad. Let me rephrase that. He hasn't blown me away as much as this next guy.
Yeah, that's right. Willie Green. I can't believe I just typed that either. But damn, the guy has played well, and it's surprised the hell out of me. With the acquisitions of Kareem Rush and Royal Ivey, I thought Willie Green would have a tough time just making the team, let alone getting playing time. Boy was I wrong.
Willie has combined with Louis Williams to form a potent, explosive backup backcourt. This duo has provided the Sixers virtually no dropoff when Andre Miller and Andre Iguodala leave the floor. It's been fun to watch both these players score at will, and even more fun to see Willie take the challenge defensively and step up. I thought he had no shot with those additions of Rush and Ivey, but he's proving he deserves the pt Mo Cheeks is giving him.
And speaking of Rush and Ivey, where exactly have they been? Maurice, can you please explain this to me? I know Ivey was serving a suspension for the first two games, but why was last night his debut? Isn't he supposed to be a pretty darn good defender that you could really use against 2 guards? And why the hell hasn't Rush been playing? When he finally got in last night, Rush did exactly what the Sixers signed him to do: drain all sorts of shots. He went 4-for-4 from the field and 2-for-2 from three. The guy can shoot, and he should get in the rotation here pretty soon.
As far as other surprises are concerned, consider the playing time of Speights this early on as surprising to me.
Don't get me wrong. I'm happy about this. The kid is a physical specimen and has played well. I just didn't think he'd get this much run this early. I'm glad he has. First off, he's been tremendous defensively. Last night, he completely embarrassed Sacramento rook Bobby Brown when he tried to dunk on him, sending it back with authority. Speights is the real deal. He's gonna be a stud. He already has a nice outside shot, can run like a gazelle, has rebounding skills and can protect the rim. And learning behind Brand can only help.
As far as the starters go, Andre Miller is Andre Miller. An underrated point guard who just simply gets the ball to players where they can do something with it. It's truly a joy to watch the way he runs the point. I feel privileged to do so.
Iguoadala is showing already that he is overpaid. I like the guy a lot, and I want him to be a Sixer for a long time, which he will. But he's not a go-to scorer. He doesn't have a great shot, and he takes a lot of really, really bad shots. In fact, in the Sixers losses, he was the biggest reason why, taking awful shot after awful shot. But, last night, he noticed he wasn't getting his shot and after the first quarter, he stopped forcing it. As a result, Thad and company flourished, and the Sixers looked potent. Iguodala is good at a lot of things, and the Sixers need him. But he needs to play like he did last night every night, no forcing bad shots. We don't need him to score 25 points per game. This team has a ton of players that can fill it up.
I have a feeling Sammy will lead the league in rebounding, and Reggie Evans' new free throw technique shows some tentative signs of being effective. Once Mo Cheeks can get his rotation down properly, keeping everyone on the court throughout the year, this team has the potential to be very, very good. Through 4 games, they are where you might expect, trying to feel each other out. But before long, this team could be a beast. And I'm excited about that.
