Tag Archives: Philadelphia 76ers

Kwame Brown’s Undeserved Contract

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In all sports, watching a bust is neither fun nor entertaining, it’s sad.  You feel for the person, they dedicated their life to the sport and just couldn’t cut in on the big stage.  Their best years are behind them, and that’s a hard thing to settle with, so usually I empathize with these figures.  I feel their struggle like its my own, I identify with their shortcomings.

Meeting expectations isn’t easy, and a lot of the time it’s not even their fault, but just a few days ago Kwame Brown signed with the Sixers, and I do not feel bad for him.  He signed a two-year, $6 million contract.  Yes, that’s right 6 MILLION DOLLARS for Kwame Brown! Did the Sixers watch the last ten years of basketball?  Do they think he suddenly became motivated and will be a major part of their team?  He’s averaged 22.4 minutes in his career, and that’s just because he played a lot after being the first draft pick in the 2001 draft.

You know the story, Kwame Brown always looked disinterested before he was drafted, and his disillusioned melancholia grew even murkier as his NBA career began.  He never succeeded, but even worse he was the image of failed high school players in the NBA.  So now the Sixers will reward this type of player with a cool 6 mil.  This is the type of bust that angers me, Brown hasn’t shown one bit of desire to be great, or one bit of play that demonstrates he can be great, yet he’ll make $6 million while people struggle to get minimum wage.  Of course, that’s a cliché and hypocritical.

I’m lying in bed, writing this on a new Mac in my efficiently air-conditioned house in northern New Jersey. I’m the farthest thing from roughing it, but Brown just appears so disinterested and ungrateful that I can’t give him the benefit of the doubt.  Kwame Brown doesn’t deserve the $6 million he got.  Maybe if someone didn’t give it to him, he’d learn his lesson.

Lou Williams and Possible Fits

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There are so many free agents this summer that it’s tough to keep track of.  With the focus on big names, fans can occasionally forget about the minor signings that make a team work.  In the case of the Celtics, their main pursuit was Ray Allen.  He’s the superstar that they focused on signing but missed out on.  In the meantime, they signed Brandon Bass, Jason Terry and are close to a deal with Jeff Green.  These two huge moves give the Celtics size and comfort, especially because Bass’ return gives them their starting five back.

While moves like the Nets re-signing Deron Williams were the main focus of the off season, it’s one like signing Lou Williams that can turn a team into a championship contender.  Lou walked away from the Sixers after averaging 14.9 points off the bench last year, he was the team’s leading scorer.  He can shoot and drive, and his versatility as a bench player gives you the option of putting a scorer in the game at any time.  He’s the perfect addition for a contending team that needs some youth in their backcourt.

A possible fit for Lou Williams is with the Mavericks, who let both Jason Terry and Jason Kidd go this off-season.  Another destination could be the Bulls, who are in need of a back court star with an injured Derrick Rose.

Williams seemed to fit in Philadelphia, where they were discovering success with a group of youngster’s who didn’t know any better than to play their hearts out.  He gave them instant offense after droughts where they struggled to put the ball in the hoop, but those days are gone now, and whoever picks up Lou Williams is making a very smart decision.

Doug Collins Comeback

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Doug Collins has always been known as a nice guy.  He’s affable and kind, which made him a good announcer in between coaching position.  He’s had a solid coaching career, but nothing special.  He led a young Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen to the Eastern Conference Finals, but was eventually was replaced by Phil Jackson, and the rest is history.  Collins then went to Detroit where he improved their record by 18 games, but eventually was fired and replaced by Alvin Gentry.  After Detroit, Collins headed to Washington, where he reunited with Jordan and once again improved the team’s record by 18 games.  Yet again it wasn’t enough, and Collins was fired from his third head coaching position.  At this point, he had established himself as a quick fixer-upper who would improve your team immediately but not take them to a championship.  Everybody liked him, but there was a strange pity that followed him around.  He went before Phil, worked with MJ twice, and still couldn’t win a ring.  He wasn’t a bad guy or a bad coach; he just wasn’t built to win.

Now, the 76ers have advanced to the second round of the playoffs, a feat that hasn’t been accomplished in Philadelphia since 2003,  and he did it with a questionable roster.  He’s forced to squeeze out points from Louis Williams and Spencer Hawes while relying on stellar defense.  Collins has turned Philly into a top three defensive team in the league.  They gave up just around 89 points per game in the regular season, which is the third best in the league, but more than lineup challenges or X’s and O’s, Collins has changed the culture in Philadelphia.  They care, with every fiber of their beings, about winning games, other teams just look lackadaisical against them.  Opponents seem to be bothered by the constant effort of the 76ers.  It’s like that defender in the pickup game that presses full-court and goes harder than every other player.  Except instead of annoying a college student balling in his spare time, the 6ers are annoying professional basketball teams.  And they’re winning games because of it.  The 76ers love going on the court and giving all they have for Collins.  He motivates them.  Collins has coached with his signature defensive style and ability to produce playoff appearances with a limited roster, but his stint in Philadelphia feels different. It feels like a much-needed landing spot for a good coach and even better guy.  It feels like Doug Collins’ team

The Atlantic Division: A Fight for First Place

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Now that the basketball season is coming to a close, possibly the largest postseason question left unanswered is the Atlantic Division.  The Celtics and Sixers are tied for first, while the Knicks are 2.5 games behind.  The Sixers started strongly and have trailed off, but truthfully they deserve credit for staying relevant with a team that only sent one player to the All-Star game.  Doug Collins has worked his team into a defensive juggernaut that ranks first in opponents’ points per game.  The Celtics are third in those rankings, but average a meager 91 points per game.  New York, whose recent defense has put them in the 12th spot for opponents points per game, is averaging a higher point differential than the Celtics.

What does all of these defense statistics mean?  It means that Philly has put together the best combination of offense and defense of all the Atlantic teams, yet the Celtics and Knicks have found ways to stay competitive in a division that looked lost a couple months ago.

What’s at stake?  Home court advantage and the blessed fortune of not having to face the Heat or Bulls in the first round of the playoffs.  Essentially, it means your playoff life.  If the season ended today, the Knicks would play the Bulls, the Celtics would play the Heat, and the Sixers would play the Pacers.  Ratings gold for TNT and ESPN.

Both New York and Boston are the quintessential “dangerous” postseason teams.  The Knicks have a starting lineup with a star at every position except shooting guard, and even more threatening is their depth.  The Celtics are the wily veterans who know what it’s like to win a championship and know how to beat good teams.  The truth is though, that it’s a self-fulfilling prophecy.  Whoever wins the division deserves the home court and will probably win their opening series, and the other two teams might make entertaining storylines. A hesitant finish to the regular season would show the same true colors that will be brightly displayed verse the powerhouses Heat and Bulls.

Jeremy Lin is Putting up Legendary Fantasy Basketball Numbers in his First Four NBA Starts

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In the history of the NBA, not since the 1976 NBA/ABA merger, no player has scored more points in his first 4 starts than Jeremy Lin of the New York Knicks. Lin has averaged 27.3 points per game, scoring 109 points over his first 4 NBA starts at point guard, for a Knicks team which was struggling up until the insertion of Linsanity into the rotation. New York has won all 5 games Lin has been seeing real playing time.  What is even more remarkable is to consider his best game as a starter, where he scored 38 points, and did so against none other than Kobe Bryant, the best all around guard in the NBA, and the always dangerous Los Angeles Lakers.

Even more impressive about Jeremy Lin’s extreme and extraordinary NBA success is how he stacks up against some of the greatest players of all time, especially comparing to unquestionably the greatest player in NBA history, Michael Jordan.  Jordan, the Chicago Bulls Legend, his “Air-ness”, who is a 6-time NBA Champion, 6-time NBA Finals MVP, 5-time NBA MVP, 10-time NBA scoring leader, all-time NBA leader in points per game at 30.1 ppg, needs no introduction.  Surprisingly Air Jordan only averaged 24.8 Points per game in his first four NBA starts

Big “SHAQ” Diesel actually slightly outscores Michael Jordan in his first four NBA starts for the Magic.  The Big Diesel scored 25 points per game in his first four starts down in Orlando. Shaq’s 100 points in his first four NBA starts is third in NBA history since the merger.  Allen Iverson is second all time with 25.3 points per game in his first four NBA starts for the Philadelphia 76ers.  A.l., cited most recently for serious financial troubles, was at one time the most feared scorer in the NBA.  Iverson was a prolific explosive scorer, with a hell bent drive to the basket, a fearless pull up jump shot, a nasty ankle breaking crossover and had the ability to knock down three point shots in cold hearted fashion. Air Jordan, SHAQ Diesel and The Answer were all incredible scorers right from the start, however they fail to match of Jeremy Lin’s miracle run.

To recap, Jeremy Lin has averaged 27.3 points per game in his first four NBA starts. That’s 2 more points per game than the rest of the Hall of Fame quality pack, and 2.5 points per game higher than the greatest player in NBA history, Michael Jordan.  Be a winner.  Be bold.  Be a leader.  Pick Jeremy Lin. Lin’s legendary numbers will pay off big time.  Tonight, Tuesday (2/14/2012), the New York Knicks take on the Toronto Raptors and Jeremy Lin’s dominance will continue.  For daily fantasy basketball Jeremy Lin is a legend already.