Proud Philly | Rollin' on the Delaware River [NBA 2K14 | PS4]

[Deuce2223]

So being how your draft class's will be somewhat of a unknown are you going to try and build your team through the draft or is your goal to clear as much cap space as possible so you can land a bigtime F.A.? It seems from your moves so far its a combo of both. You have cleared potential starting jobs at both SG and PF and could probably even upgrade at Center as well with Noel being you big off the bench unless you think he will get alot better.

If I remember right you have 3 #1's so it will be curious to see if you use all of them or package them for 1 elite player.

[ReidSkee]

Not sure if I'm a huge fan of the Young trade, if only because the Phoenix pick may not be that great (though an extra 1st never hurts), but I LOVE the trade with the Magic. Harkless is secretly a stud in all of the games I've played with the Magic, while Lamb is so dynamite from outside that I'm thinking about trying to get him more minutes, never mind the fact that you also picked up Orlando's 1st in the deal. Man. You absolutely swindled Orlando on that deal.

[WaitTilNextYear]

Quote: Originally Posted by Deuce2223

So being how your draft class's will be somewhat of a unknown are you going to try and build your team through the draft or is your goal to clear as much cap space as possible so you can land a bigtime F.A.? It seems from your moves so far its a combo of both. You have cleared potential starting jobs at both SG and PF and could probably even upgrade at Center as well with Noel being you big off the bench unless you think he will get alot better. If I remember right you have 3 #1's so it will be curious to see if you use all of them or package them for 1 elite player.

Good memory. I actually downsized from 3 to 2 1st round picks (it was mainly to get my own 1st rounder back from Utah, so they got their own 1st rounder back from me as well as PHO's 1st rounder from the Thad Young deal...it's a long story, but the issue here is all the roster juggling I had to do to overcome the lack of 30-team control and keep LeBron in Miami).

So right now I have my own 1st rounder and Orlando's. I expect mine to be late lotto and Orlando's to be ~25. I should get one quality rotation piece from the upcoming draft, but this will be the 2015 draft (Okafor, Towns, Alexander, Jones, Harrison and Harrison) so not the fictional classes quite yet.

I think any rational approach to rebuilding has to (like the Rockets have done) do a little bit of both. Accumulate assets and cash them in when the time is right. If there is a stud FA at a position of need and the cap hit doesn't cripple me, AND I think it's pseudo-realistic for the player to come to Philly, then I would entertain that option as well.

Quote: Originally Posted by ReidSkee

Not sure if I'm a huge fan of the Young trade, if only because the Phoenix pick may not be that great (though an extra 1st never hurts), but I LOVE the trade with the Magic. Harkless is secretly a stud in all of the games I've played with the Magic, while Lamb is so dynamite from outside that I'm thinking about trying to get him more minutes, never mind the fact that you also picked up Orlando's 1st in the deal. Man. You absolutely swindled Orlando on that deal.

Thanks for the perspective. It's always a crapshoot when trying to keep trades realistic because everyone values players differently (hence so many "one-sided" deals in the REAL NBA).

As for the Thad Young deal, I felt that my options were limited in where would make sense. Of a handful of teams, the Pistons were ruled out because they've been bad and already have Monroe, the Spurs (Duncan retired) were ruled out because of the salary cap and I couldn't get equal value. So Phoenix was a good fit of a team in contention that could use a veteran PF and also with assets I could use. I agree their 1st rounder won't be much higher than the late teens, but I am really high on Montrezl Harrell as a gritty, tough Ben Wallace-type (his FT motion even sucks, so the comparison is even better). And might I just add that having not one, but TWO players with high-top fades (Noel and Harrell) is incredible.

The other issue was Thad's player option. He has a ~$10MM player option for next season and I didn't really want to devote that much cap to him...so I am dumping a bit of salary onto Phoenix also.

As for the Orlando deal...thanks? lol

I actually think it's a bit more fair than it might first appear. For one, they signed Melo and with Tobias Harris starting at PF, Harkless was getting 10-15 min per game off the bench. With Lamb, they are crazy stocked with wings/shooters--Afflalo, Stauskas, Nelson, Felton, Dipo, E'twaun Moore. So, Lamb was not playing at all.

In addition, Reggie Jackson is actually a really good player and is even rated much higher than Hark/Lamb. In fact, Jackson will start for Orlando over their washed up PGs of Nelson/Felton.

As for the draft picks, OKC and ORL are both in the top 4 in their conferences. It'll be a matter of, say, picking 25th vs 29th so not really a huge difference.

I am very HAPPY with my return on that trade though, given R-Jax was not feeling Philly (wouldn't extend).

[WaitTilNextYear]

Sixers Outlast Undermanned Grizz

by Tom Sunnergren

Memphis Grizzlies 107 | 112 Philadelphia 76ers



PHILADELPHIA - FEBRUARY 9: New Sixer Maurice Harkless loads up for a deep jumper.

Memphis Grizzlies (16-36) at Philadelphia 76ers (21-31)
Feb 9, 2015 1 2 3 4 Final Memphis 18 36 25 28 107 Philadelphia 26 24 28 34 112 Top Performers Memphis Grizzlies Evan Turner - 34 PTS | 5 REB | 3 AST | (-14) Noah Vonleh - 14 PTS | 14 REB | 2 STL | (-14) Philadelphia 76ers Michael Carter-Williams - 22 PTS | 18 AST | 5 REB | (-3) Andrew Wiggins - 27 PTS | 10 REB | 4 BLK | (+8)	Team Stats Comparison MEM PHI FG Made-Att 41-93 (44%) 44-87 (51%) 3PT Made-Att 8-22 (36%) 9-23 (39%) FT Made-Att 17-31 (55%) 15-21 (71%) Rebounds 43 51 Assists 21 28 Turnovers 8 13 Steals 11 7 Blocks 1 10
Memphis Grizzlies STARTERS MIN FG 3PT FT REB AST STL BLK TO PTS PG Mike Conley 34 2-15 0-7 4-4 5 7 3 0 2 8 SG Tony Allen 32 5-7 3-4 0-2 0 3 1 0 1 13 SF Evan Turner 37 12-24 2-4 8-9 5 3 0 1 2 34 PF Noah Vonleh 36 6-17 1-4 1-6 14 0 2 0 2 14 C Ed Davis 35 2-7 0-0 0-2 6 0 2 0 0 4
Philadelphia 76ers STARTERS MIN FG 3PT FT REB AST STL BLK TO PTS PG Michael Carter-Williams 37 9-21 0-3 4-7 5 18 2 1 2 22 SG Doron Lamb 32 3-12 1-9 0-0 2 1 0 0 0 7 SF Andrew Wiggins 35 9-13 4-5 5-6 10 0 1 4 0 27 PF Montrezl Harrell 23 3-3 0-0 0-0 6 2 2 1 1 6 C Nerlens Noel 24 4-6 0-0 3-4 6 0 0 0 1 11

By the Numbers: 18. Michael Carter-Williams recorded a career-high 18 assists.

Quote of the Game: “Once upon a time, I dreamt I was a butterfly, fluttering hither and thither, to all intents and purposes a butterfly. I was conscious only of my happiness as a butterfly, unaware that I was myself. Soon I awaked, and there I was, veritably myself again. Now I do not know whether I was then a man dreaming I was a butterfly, or whether I am now a butterfly, dreaming I am a man.”
-- Zhuangzi

Parting Shots: At 16-35 coming into this game, the Grizzlies have fallen far short of expectations. Losing PF Zach Randolph for the season to injury and C Marc Gasol to a midseason trade has not helped. It's a completely new team.

The star of the new Grizzlies was Evan Turner who was extremely aggressive on offense and scored 34 points while fighting double teams for most of the 2nd half. Rookie F Noah Vonleh took 17 shots and double-doubled with 14 points and 14 boards.

The rest of the team played poorly.

Mike Conley had a terrible shooting game, 2-15 and missing all seven 3-point attempts. Ed Davis was a non-factor in the post.

For the Sixers, MCW continued his strong sophomore campaign with 22 points and a career-high 18 assists. Andrew Wiggins played a massive game as well, double-doubling with 27 points and 10 rebounds. Wiggins hit an impressive 9-13 shots and 4-5 from beyond the arc. The rookie continues to score efficiently and is shooting 50% from the field for the season.

Philadelphia continues to be hot and cold, with a 17-14 record after a dismal 4-17 start to the season.

Both teams drove to the lane regularly and shot a combined 52 times from the charity stripe.

[WaitTilNextYear]

76ers Blast Short-handed Cavs

by Anthony Calabro

Philadelphia 76ers 113 | 94 Cleveland Cavaliers



CLEVELAND - FEBRUARY 10: Young, star point guards Kyrie Irving and Michael Carter-Williams match up.

Philadelphia 76ers (22-31) at Cleveland Cavaliers (27-24)
Feb 10, 2015 1 2 3 4 Final Philadelphia 27 31 25 30 113 Cleveland 20 29 24 21 94 Top Performers Philadelphia 76ers Nando De Colo - 15 PTS | 9 AST | 5 REB | 4 STL | (+27) Andrew Wiggins - 20 PTS | 6 REB | 1 BLK | (+14) Cleveland Cavaliers Kyrie Irving - 23 PTS | 6 AST | 4 STL | (+1) Tristan Thompson - 12 PTS | 16 REB | 6 OREB | (-3)	Team Stats Comparison PHI CLE FG Made-Att 43-89 (48%) 38-99 (38%) 3PT Made-Att 12-28 (43%) 9-38 (24%) FT Made-Att 15-26 (58%) 9-14 (64%) Rebounds 59 50 Assists 28 25 Turnovers 17 14 Steals 8 12 Blocks 6 2
Philadelphia 76ers STARTERS MIN FG 3PT FT REB AST STL BLK TO PTS PG Michael Carter-Williams 27 7-20 2-7 3-6 4 7 2 0 5 19 SG Doron Lamb 26 2-4 2-4 0-0 1 2 0 0 1 6 SF Andrew Wiggins 32 7-13 3-7 3-6 6 2 0 1 3 20 PF Montrezl Harrell 30 4-7 0-0 1-4 12 0 0 1 0 9 C Nerlens Noel 25 3-7 0-0 2-2 8 2 1 0 2 8
Cleveland Cavaliers STARTERS MIN FG 3PT FT REB AST STL BLK TO PTS PG Kyrie Irving 36 10-20 3-7 0-0 1 6 4 0 3 23 SG C.J. Miles 35 7-23 4-13 2-2 6 6 1 0 1 20 SF Luol Deng 39 6-16 1-8 1-1 9 3 1 0 2 14 PF Tristan Thompson 35 6-10 0-0 0-0 16 1 2 0 0 12 C Spencer Hawes 27 2-3 1-1 2-4 6 3 1 1 2 7

By the Numbers: 7. New Sixer starting PF Montrezl Harrell claimed 7 offensive rebounds.

Quote of the Game: “Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach him how to fish, and he will sit in a boat and drink beer all day.”
-- George Carlin

Parting Shots: It appears that the 76ers are starting to gel after a flurry of roster moves. They continue to dispatch the bad teams. Make no mistake, Cleveland, despite their winning record, is a bad team.

With Dion Waiters out and nursing an injury, it was the Kyrie Irving show, but despite Irving's 23 points and 6 assists, the Cavs couldn't get enough from the rest of the team.

C.J. Miles started in place of Waiters, but 7-23 shooting and 4-13 from deep resulted in a very inefficient 20 points. Luol Deng wasn't much better and missed 7 of 8 3's. The Cavs as a team shot 38% from the field.

Philadelphia got another solid game from MCW (19 points, 7 assists, 4 rebounds), but it was backup PG Nando De Colo who stole the show in leading the bench to a huge effort. De Colo (+27) had his best game as a Sixer with 15 points, 9 assists, 5 rebounds, and 4 steals. The bench unit also got a rookie-season-high 13 points from combo guard Markel Brown and 10 and 8 from backup C Henry Sims.

The starters were equally good, and Andrew Wiggins reached 20 points again, while Montrezl Harrell cleaned the glass with 12 boards (7 offensive).

Philadelphia will travel to San Antonio for their last game before the All Star Break.

[WaitTilNextYear]

Sixers Drop Game, Lose MCW For Season

by Tom Sunnergren

San Antonio Spurs 106 | 97 Philadelphia 76ers



PHILADELPHIA - FEBRUARY 12: Teammates Andrew Wiggins and Markel Brown check on an injured Michael Carter-Williams.

San Antonio Spurs (25-29) at Philadelphia 76ers (22-32)
Feb 12, 2015 1 2 3 4 Final San Antonio 31 19 30 26 106 Philadelphia 24 26 17 30 97 Top Performers San Antonio Spurs Tony Parker - 34 PTS | 6 REB | 6 AST | (+16) Kawhi Leonard - 18 PTS | 8 REB | 3 AST | (+18) Philadelphia 76ers Henry Sims - 13 PTS | 11 REB | 1 STL | (+6) Doron Lamb - 18 PTS | 6 3PT | 1 BLK | (-15)	Team Stats Comparison SAS PHI FG Made-Att 41-97 (42%) 38-95 (40%) 3PT Made-Att 8-26 (31%) 14-30 (47%) FT Made-Att 16-18 (89%) 7-18 (39%) Rebounds 62 55 Assists 23 19 Turnovers 7 10 Steals 9 4 Blocks 3 4
San Antonio Spurs STARTERS MIN FG 3PT FT REB AST STL BLK TO PTS PG Tony Parker 38 13-22 0-1 8-9 6 6 1 0 5 34 SG Manu Ginobili 32 5-12 1-1 3-3 3 3 4 0 0 14 SF Kawhi Leonard 39 7-19 4-12 0-0 8 3 0 0 0 18 PF Boris Diaw 33 3-4 1-2 0-0 12 4 0 0 0 7 C Tiago Splitter 31 3-7 0-0 1-2 7 4 1 1 1 7
Philadelphia 76ers STARTERS MIN FG 3PT FT REB AST STL BLK TO PTS PG Michael Carter-Williams 28 6-16 1-5 3-5 4 8 1 1 5 16 SG Doron Lamb 30 6-10 6-9 0-0 0 1 0 1 1 18 SF Andrew Wiggins 38 6-19 5-7 0-0 8 2 0 1 1 17 PF Montrezl Harrell 33 4-7 0-0 1-4 14 1 1 0 1 9 C Nerlens Noel 28 4-11 0-0 1-2 6 2 0 1 0 9

By the Numbers: 54. Michael Carter-Williams played in 54 games during the '14-'15 season before a season-ending ACL injury.

Quote of the Game: “Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened.”
-- Dr. Seuss

Parting Shots: The 76ers go into the break on the worst possible note in losing the game and star PG Michael Carter-Williams to a season-ending ACL injury.

Tony Parker was excellent in a game that lost most of its importance when MCW went down (non-contact) late in the 3rd quarter. Parker had 34 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists. Parker was supported by an aggressive Kawhi Leonard who scored 18 points and contributed 8 rebounds.

Philadelphia got good games from new starters Doron Lamb (18 points, 6 threes) and Montrezl Harrell (9 points, 14 rebounds), and Henry Sims chipped in a double double off the bench with 13 points and 11 rebounds.

But, losing Carter-Williams coupled with an uncharacteristic poor shooting night from Andrew Wiggins (6-19) hurt. Shooting a terrible 38% from the free throw line (7-18) proved to be the difference in the game.

MCW will not be able to participate in All Star weekend after being voted into the All Star game as an Eastern Conference Reserve. MCW was also set to take part in the Rookies vs Sophomores Rising Stars Game. He was injured in the final game before the All Star Break.

Carter-Williams played in 54 games and will end the season averaging 20.6 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 6.4 APG, 1.8 SPG, and 1.0 BPG. MCW also saw increases in his shooting efficiency compared to his rookie year. MCW raised his FG% from 36.3% to 41.8%, elevated his 3PT% from 27.9% to 32.3%, and increased his FT% from 6.6% to 75.5%.

Nando De Colo and the newly signed Roddy Beaubois are expected to take over PG duties as operation hardcore tank-mode gets underway.

[WaitTilNextYear]

Simmed Games, Feb. 19-26


Philadelphia 76ers (22-33) 62 | 113 Los Angeles Clippers (29-24)

PHI POG: Nerlens Noel 31 min | 10 pts | 13 reb | 0 ast | 0 stl | 2 blk | 3 TO

LAC POG: Blake Griffin 40 min | 30 pts | 16 reb | 8 ast | 2 stl | 1 blk | 0 TO

KEY STAT: PHI shot 24% from the field, outscored 66-21 in 2nd half

Philadelphia 76ers (22-34) 53 | 99 Golden State Warriors (32-23)

PHI POG: Nando De Colo 31 min | 15 pts | 4 reb | 2 ast | 3 stl | 0 blk | 4 TO

GSW POG: Stephen Curry 38 min | 35 pts | 2 reb | 6 ast | 4 stl | 0 blk | 4 TO

KEY STAT: PHI shoots 24% from field in 2nd straight game

Philadelphia 76ers (23-34) 98 | 97 Phoenix Suns (26-29)

PHI POG: Andrew Wiggins 33 min | 28 pts | 7 reb | 1 ast | 0 stl | 1 blk | 2 TO

PHO POG: Eric Bledsoe 39 min | 21 pts | 7 reb | 8 ast | 1 stl | 0 blk | 5 TO

KEY STAT: PHI shoots 88% from FT line

Philadelphia 76ers (23-35) 89 | 100 Portland Trailblazers (39-17)

PHI POG: Andrew Wiggins 34 min | 26 pts | 4 reb | 2 ast | 1 stl | 2 blk | 1 TO

POR POG: Damian Lillard 35 min | 27 pts | 4 reb | 7 ast | 1 stl | 0 blk | 3 TO

KEY STAT: POR 18 fastbreak points, PHI 0 fastbreak points

Miami Heat (38-19) 82 | 84 Philadelphia 76ers (24-35)

PHI POG: Andrew Wiggins 35 min | 29 pts | 7 reb | 3 ast | 0 stl | 1 blk | 3 TO

MIA POG: LeBron James 41 min | 31 pts | 9 reb | 2 ast | 1 stl | 0 blk | 0 TO

KEY STAT: James/Wade scored 55 of MIA’s 82 points, PHI 3-0 against the Heat

[WaitTilNextYear]

Congratulations...

...to February Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month, Andrew Wiggins