Archive: November, 2008
Last night was disturbing, if you're a 76ers fan.
You know the numbers: 23-point loss, 37.5 percent shooting, 26 turnovers, 32 Miami points off 26 turnovers, 1 for 7 shooting for two points from Andre Iguodala, 1 for 3 shooting for 2 points from Samuel Dalembert (that's two starters with a combined four points on 2 for 10 shooting).
What happened? Can they win tonight against (supposedly) a better Orlando team?
Sixers (2-2) vs. Miami (1-2), game tips at 7:30 p.m.
Sixers Starters: Andre Miller, Andre Iguodala, Thaddeus Young, Elton Brand, and Samuel Dalembert.
Miami Starters: Shawn Marion (12.0 ppg), Michael Beasley (17.0 ppg), Udonis Haslem (17.7 ppg), Mario Chalmers (8.7 ppg), Dwyane Wade (21.7 ppg).
Sixers just finished shootaround at American Airlines Arena. Not much happens at these shootarounds. A little bit of shooting -- as you may have guessed -- some discussion of the Miami Heat, most likely. After the shootaround, Sixers head coach Maurice Cheeks said the Sixers are concerning themselves with, mostly, two players tonight: Dwayne Wade and Michael Beasley.
Wade: We know his deal. I would expect to see Andre Iguodala on Wade.
Beasley: Cheeks said Sam Dalembert would start on Beasley. Cheeks made a point to say Beasley's game is versatile, inside-outside. We might see some Elton Brand on Beasley, if things don't go well for Sam.
The big talker today was backup point guard Lou Williams.
Lou said there is one thing, only one -- just one -- that's it ... one thing that the Sixers must improve to win: Shoot the ball better.
No mention of turnovers (17.5 average), improved cohesion (the Sixers have looked out-of-sync at times), better defensive rotation (all those 3-point shooters with too much daylight), stopping the ballhandler off the pick-and-roll (more defensive confusion).
Clearly, the big news in the NBA is the trade between Denver and Detroit. Allen Iverson leaves the Rocky Mountains for Michigan ... Chauncey Billups returns home with Antonio McDyess. Billups is a former University of Colorado hoopster. A legend in Boulder, one might say.
The story, though, is what this means for the Eastern Conference. And what it means for the former 76ers, Iverson.
Here's the reaction for the Sixers locker room:
Below is a breaking story from the AP, saying that forward 76er Allen Iverson has been traded from Denver to Detroit for point guard Chauncey Billups and Antonio McDyess:
ASSOCIATED PRESS
DETROIT — A basketball official says the Denver Nuggets have
traded former MVP Allen Iverson to the Detroit Pistons for Chauncey
Billups and Antonio McDyess.
The official spoke Monday to The Associated Press on the
condition of anonymity because the trade had not been announced.
Detroit was determined to shake up its core last summer following a
third straight exit from the Eastern Conference finals, but never made a
major deal. Two games into the season, the Pistons have pulled off a
blockbuster many expected months earlier.
Pistons spokesman Kevin Grigg declined to confirm the trade, and
messages were left for a Nuggets spokesman as well as for the agent
of Billups and McDyess.
Obviously, if this story is eventually confirmed, that shakes things up in the Eastern Conference ...
We'll be having a Live Chat this afternoon at 2 p.m.
Topic: Sixers loss to the Hawks, tonight's game against Sacramento. If you have a few minutes and want to join, click here: Sixers Chat.
Be back later ...
Keith Pompey has been an Inquirer reporter since September 2004. He takes over the Sixers beat after covering the Temple men’s basketball team for the past three years and Temple football the past two seasons. Pompey also previously covered the Penn and Drexel men’s basketball team and Villanova football team after initially focusing on high school sports.
Pompey is a native Philadelphian and a University of Pittsburgh. Follow him on Twitter @PompeyOnSixers or reach Keith at kpompey@phillynews.com.
ABOUT MARC NARDUCCI
Marc Narducci has served in a variety of roles with the Inquirer since beginning in 1983. He has covered the 76ers as a backup and a beat writer. In addition, Narducci has covered everything from the Super Bowl to the World Series and a lot in between. Narducci also has a true passion for South Jersey scholastic sports, which he has covered for many years.
