A word with Reggie, Jason
News blogs, sports blogs, entertainment blogs, and more from Philly.com, The Philadelphia Inquirer and the Philadelphia Daily News.
A word with Reggie, Jason
Here's the latest from the Air Canada Centre where the 76ers played the Toronto Raptors at noon today.
1.) The Sixers started a lineup of Jrue Holiday, Lou Williams, Andre Iguodala, Thaddeus Young, and Elton Brand. Usual starting center Samuel Dalembert was out of the lineup for disciplinary reasons. Sixers announced the move after Eddie Jordan's pre-game availability, so specifics about the reason for Dalembert's benching will be asked of Jordan sometime after the game. We do know that the Sixers had a team meeting this morning at 8 a.m., but no word on whether that had anything to do with Dalembert's status. Update: Dalembert was penalized for arriving late to this morning's 8 a.m. meeting. Dalembert said he awoke at 6:30 a.m., but then forgot to re-set his alarm and fell asleep again. Dalembert said he was about 10 minutes late to the meeting. Jordan said the benching would only last that one game, he would return Dalembert to the starting lineup on Tuesday against the Indiana Pacers.
Before today's game, spoke with former Sixer forward Reggie Evans, who was traded to the Toronto Raptors for shooter Jason Kapono this past summer. Here's what Evans said about all things Sixers ... from why the team was good after the All-Star break in the past two seasons, about the leadership while he was there, etc ...
"We just had a great leadership, good work ethic, even with me and Andre Miller there, I thought we were a big help to the team," Evans said. "Now they have a lot of new faces there with the coaching staff and even some of the players. Things just look different over there now, players are so offensive minded, there’s no defensive discipline. When were there, an Andre Miller would be like, ‘OK, Iguodala, you haven’t had the ball, I’m going to give you the ball.’ Or, 'Reggie, you’ve been working too hard, I’m going to give you one of these balls.’ It was a balance out there with defense and offense. We stayed focused, we stayed poised. We never got too high, we never got too low. We had faith and stuff like that.
Interesting comments from Reggie. I think it is clearly evident that they miss Andre Miller. The comments on defensive discipline sum up this season perfectly.— edeberardinis- They let Miller go for nothing and traded Evans for a guy that doesn't play. Jordan may not be a very good coach, but Stefanski put him in a no-win situation. Combined with all of the money spent on Brand who doesn't fit into the team's style of play, this team was doomed from the start of the season. If you had Miller and Evans back on the team and had signed Ben Gordon with the Brand money and maybe another solid role player, this would be a completely different team.— JimG
- The single DUMBEST thing the Sixers did was trade away a monster rebounder and super hustle guy like Evans (a guy that every player liked and respected) without replacing him with another big, front court player that could do the same. The Sixers have been KILLED ON THE GLASS whenever they've played a team with a strong front line. Last year (when they had Reggie Evans and shot blocker Theo Ratliff), they were a 41-41 team that could compete with Orlando in the playoffs. This year, they have too few big front court players and get DESTROYED on the glass, which is why they've already lost 39 games. GREAT JOB ED STEFANSKI!— 21stCentury
- Good points, JimG. Of course, if Jordan would have pushed to keep Miller, I think the Sixers would have tried to sign him. Still, all those moves you point out fall on Stefanski.
Comment removed.- Kate, I'm fairly certain nobody cares about the sixers and even more sure nobody cares what reggie stinkin evans has to say.— dontruna
- thanks for the blog, Kate. interesting to hear reggie's input, especially on miller's style of court leadership. oppressed, you are so right: how can you justify holding onto a general manager who thinks that basketball teams can play better without point guards.— rzzzzz
I was OK with Miller's departure as they were trying to do what the Sixers haven't been able to do in decades - spend wisely and keeping themselves out of maxx deals (See contracts of Kenny Thomas, Dalembert, Iguodala, Brand, etc...). I thought trading Reggie Evans for Jason Kapono would work out, too, however, Kapono doesn't get on the court and we lost a lightning rod and on-court presence in Reggie. Reggie Evans and Philadelphia were perfect together - I'll never forget the nights where he'd go out there, make some HUGE defensive stands, and go out with the crowd on its feet chanting his name. Who on this team would you want to cheer in similar fashion? Who shows the intensity that Reggie Evans did? Toronto won in that trade...— dpcoz- oppressed restored... you vault to the top of my "moron power rankings"...... is it the players, the coach, front office?? it can't be all three! what "name" coach would WANT to coach this team. and what is a more attractive situation next year? the Nets, with Lopez, Harris, a HIGH pick, and cap space, or the Sixers, with locked in Brand, Iggy, Dalembert, Green, MIDDLE pick, and NO cap space?? I'm sure Avery Johnson or whatever other coach you nitwits are talking about is gonna jump all over that...— vandy123
- I don't care about the sixers or what reggie evans has to say BUT I will take the tiem to read the blog and post that no one cares about either - -— buff1
- A coach will go where the money is the highest, just like most players, and in fact some coaches love a challenge. Before Jordan was hired, Jeff Van Gundy was out there, as were Avery Johnson and Doug Collins, for starters. Show one of them the money. Instead, Stefanski hired his retread old pal, Jordan, for whom nobody was knocking down the door and who they could get cheaply. As for whether the players, coach, GM, or owner are to blame, why not all of them in varying degrees? For once, Oppressed Restored is right on the money.— chuckw
- Chuck and OR, you both make good points. One question: why are the 76ers floating the same names this year as they were last summer(minus Jordan's). If Ed Stefanski isn't floating them, who is? DiLeo? Courtney Witte? The decision process that failed last year(and before, with Billy King) is going to work now? Shouldn't Jerry West's or Mitch Kupcheck's names be floated instead?— 76erfn
John Mitchell is in his second year covering the 76ers for the Inquirer after joining the paper in November 2011. He covered the Washington Wizards for the Washington Times from 1998 to 2008. He's also worked at the Philadelphia Tribune, the Wilmington News Journal, Courier-Post, Trenton Times and Elmira Star-Gazette.Born and raised in West Philadelphia - not too far from Will Smith - he graduated from Overbrook High School the same year the 76ers won their last championship. He's a proud graduate of Howard University and the proud father of two sons, Jared and Jordan.
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.
