MUST BE DREAMING: TEMPLE IS 9-2?
The 76ers have signed free-agent power forward Rashad Jones-Jennings to the training camp roster. Jones-Jennings went undrafted out of Arkansas-Little Rock in 2007. That year, he led the nation in rebounding. Last season, Jones-Jennings played for FC Bayern Munchen of the German League.
With his addition, the Sixers now have 18 players in training camp at St. Joe's, 13 of those under contract.
Earlier today, the Sixers announced they would hold a free, open practice at the Spectrum at Oct. 10.
The team is currently in their only practice of the day, it began around 10 a.m. and should go to about 1 p.m. More later ...
--Kate
First things first, we'll be doing a Live Chat today at 3 p.m. ... In about half an hour. If you have a few minutes, stop by, we'll be talking about the 76ers' first day of training camp here at St. Joe's. Here's the link: Sixers Chat.
Second thing: DeepSixer is also now on Twitter. I'll be on all things Sixers, all year. And since I'm so efficient with my Blackberry, I'll be posting anything newsy, funny, or interesting. Here's the link: Twitter, DeepSixer3.
Sixers practiced this morning from about 10 a.m. until a little after 1 p.m. The doors opened around 12:30 or so and from then the team worked on some 4-on-0 and 5-on-0 drills as well as a little bit of 4-on-4 stuff. Afterwards, new head coach Eddie Jordan said they did almost entirely defensive work. He said they would work exclusively on offense tonight for about 75 minutes. The second session starts at 6 p.m.
The main takeaway from the first few hours seems to be the discipline with which Jordan ran the practice. At the end of last season -- the very end, the very last game -- the word out of the locker room was the lack of purpose, discipline, and accountability. That does not seem to be the case this season. Guard Lou Williams said after practice that Jordan stopped the practice at one point and forced them all to tuck in their jerseys.
"We don't do anything for no reason," Williams said. "It's going to be great for our basketball team."
As for the most important questions: What's up with Elton Brand, Samuel Dalembert, the point guard position, the new offense ... there are no real answers after three hours. Clearly, this is just the start of finding these answers.
Jordan said he's looking for leadership from Brand, who was pegged along with Andre Iguodala and Willie Green as the leaders of the team. After practice, Brand did take a second to talk about the Achilles injury from two seasons ago and showed the difference in size of one calf from the other. It's obvious his left calf is still much smaller than his right. Brand said the difference was even more pronounced at the beginning of last season. Brand was asked if he's worried about getting hurt again -- after two straight seasons with season-ending injuries.
"That's how the mind works. It's in the back of my head, I don't want to get hurt again ... and I won't."
Sixers have 17 guys in camp, 13 under contract and 4 free agents. One of those free agents, Stromile Swift, strained his left hamstring and missed the last hour or so of practice. He is out for the day and will be re-evaluated tomorrow morning.
We have two Deep Sixer videos from today. They should, sometime soon, be attached below. I'm no videographer, so I promise they (might) get better as the season progresses.
--Kate
Join Kate Fagan for a live Sixers chat at 3 p.m. Tuesday.
The 76ers held their Media Day today at the Wachovia Center. Training camp opens tomorrow morning at St. Joseph's University.
All Sixers were available to the media. The Sixers also announced around mid-day that power forward Stromile Swift would be attending training camp along with Brandon Bowman, Dionte Christmas, and Sean Singletary. That puts the Sixers training-camp numbers at 17, with 13 players under contract and four signed as free agents. Camp runs from tomorrow through Oct. 3.
There should be a couple of videos attached of today's Media Day. One is of Jason Kapono shooting a basketball during a photo shoot op ... the second is of center Samuel Dalembert answering a question about his propensity towards foul trouble/being the team's X-factor.
And one more thing: We're taking this Deep Sixer thing to Twitter: deepsixer3. Tweeting all year. All Sixers, all the time.
--Kate
The 76ers announced today they have signed four free agents in preparation for training camp, which begins tomorrow at St. Joe's.
As previously reported, the Sixers will bring in Brandon Bowman, Dionte Christmas, and Sean Singletary. They will also bring in Stromile Swift, a 6-foot-10 forward, a nine-year veteran who was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2000 NBA Draft. In 547 career games he has averaged 8.4 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.25 blocks in 19.8 minutes a game.
Last season, Swift appeared in 19 total games for New Jersey and Phoenix.
--Kate
This afternoon the 76ers and new coach Eddie Jordan held a Q&A about this upcoming season. The Q&A was followed by an on-court demonstration of Jordan's version of the Princeton Offense. Below are most of the quotes from Jordan as well as a quick-hit video of Jordan during the session. A couple of quotes not to be missed: 1.) Jordan questions the willingness on the defensive end of last season's starting point guard, Andre Miller. 2.) Jordan is asked if he had any interest in bringing back Allen Iverson.
Jordan on Elton Brand's health:
This afternoon at the Wachovia Center, the 76ers unveiled their new uniforms. They look very similar to the retro ones the team wore for a handful of games last season: red, white, and blue with the re-launched retro logo.
We're going to be adding video to Deep Sixer this season and in honor of the beginning of the year -- or at least one week from the beginning of it -- I attempted to take a video of today's uniform unveiling. I'm confident I captured about a minute of video, but whether it actually offers anything is another matter. But we're going to be doing it all year, so we must start somewhere (really bad video taking) and build it up (just kind of bad video taking). Even so, for those of you unable to attend, it's an idea of today's event. You can check it out in the video player along the side of the page. There are a few from last year's training camp, as well.
More than just seeing the uniforms, today was a chance to talk with forwards Elton Brand, Thaddeus Young, and Sixers General Manager Ed Stefanski. Sixers open camp next Tuesday at St. Joseph's University. There are a number of questions, none of which were answered at today's uniform unveiling, but it was a good warm-up to at least get some basketball talk going.
Brand looked healthy and said he felt healthy. He admitted he was not 100 percent entering last season, but said he believes both injuries are behind him (Achilles and shoulder). I believe he said he was healthy entering last season, too, so take from that what you will. When asked if he thought this season was a "do-over" year, he agreed. Last season was, for Brand, close to a disaster. He said the Sixers were flying under the radar, which was fine with him. Is there a way to be flying even below the lowest level of the radar? Because -- with the Phillies and Eagles on everyone's minds -- that's exactly where the Sixers currently are.
Young was also at the unveiling, modeling the red away uniform. He had a scar under his left eye from an Atlanta summer league, so it seems Young has been working on his game. He also commented about Brand's status -- they've been working out together at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine -- saying that Brand has been playing like "a monster" during their workouts. Young said he felt Brand was much stronger, in better shape, and more ready than when entering last season.
As the time before the start of camp dwindles, the questions are all the same: Will Elton Brand be as effective as he's always been? How will Eddie Jordan's new offense fit this team's pieces? Will Lou Williams excel as the team's starting point guard? How will Young and Andre Iguodala and Brand mesh on the court?
Those are just a few. But, yesterday, at least one was answered: The uniforms are cool. Check out the video if you get a second (and, of course, if it's posted correctly ...)
--Kate
The 76ers have invited four free-agent prospects to attend their training camp, which begins Sept. 29 at St. Joseph's University.
Shooting guard Dionte Christmas, guard Sean Singletary, and forward Brandon Bowman are all confirmed for the camp, while Sixers director of player personnel Courtney Witte said center Jared Reiner "should be there," and said there is a 99 percent chance he will be.
The Sixers currently have 13 players under contract for the 2009-2010. The NBA allows 15 players under contract, so there are two open roster spots if the Sixers so choose to fill them.
Christmas, a 6-foot-5 shooting guard, graduated from Temple University, averaging 19.5 points per game during the 2008-09 season, his senior year with the Owls. Christmas, from Philadelphia Lutheran Christian, went undrafted, but participated on the Sixers/New Jersey Nets combined summer league team at the Orlando Pro Summer League in July.
Singletary, a 6-foot-0 guard, attended Penn Charter and starred at Virginia. Last NBA season, he appeared in 13 games with both the Charlotte Bobcats and Phoenix Suns. Singletary was the Sacramento Kings second-round pick in the 2008 NBA Draft.
A 6-foot-9 forward, Bowman graduated from Georgetown University in 2006. He played in the NBA Development League for two seasons before spending last season with Telekom Baskets Bonn in Germany.
Reiner, a 6-11 center, attended Sixers camp last season, but was eventually waived. Reiner went undrafted out of Iowa in 2004, but played 19 games with the Chicago Bulls during the 2004-05 season and played the last 2 months of the 2007-08 season with the Milwaukee Bucks.
76ers President and General Manager Ed Stefanski announced today that the Sixers have officially signed free agent swingman Rodney Carney.
Carney, who will start his fourth year in the league, played his first two seasons with the Sixers before being traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves as part of the deal that freed cap space for Elton Brand. Last season, Carney, 6-foot-7, averaged a career-high 7.2 points in 67 games for Minnesota.
"Rodney Carney is a player that we feel will mesh extremely well with out current personnel and in the up-tempo style of play that Coach Jordan will continue to implement this season," Stefanski said. "We think that Rodney is one of the most athletic players in the league who has the ability to stretch the floor and we are happy to have him back."
Carney's signing gives the Sixers 13 players under contract, training camp opens Sept. 29 at St. Joseph's.
--Kate
