Posted: Tuesday, September 30, 2008, 8:29 PM | 8 comments |
 

Nightcap
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The 76ers just finished their night practice, which was closed, for the most part, to the media.

We spoke with head coach Maurice Cheeks afterwards.

Most importantly, there were no injuries. Cheeks said it was a good, hard practice with a lot of running. While there was no official scrimmaging, there was plenty of 5 v. 5 in controlled settings.

Of note: Kareem Rush, who looked to be on the "first team" during the morning session, also played with that same unit tonight. When asked if Rush was out there "with the four starters," Cheeks said there "are no starters yet."

When asked if Cheeks had relayed that messaged to Elton Brand, Cheeks relented, smiling, and said, "Oh, Elton is a starter."

That's not breaking news, by any means, but Rush playing with that first group is a good indication that the coaching staff is seriously evaluating his potential within this roster.

Other than that, Cheeks said, the team went through plays, a few revolving around Brand, a couple incorporating center Sam Dalembert.

If you're looking for more detailed info from Day 1, posted below is a video, the chat transcript from earlier today, and quotes from the morning session.

Now I'm going to go eat a steak at Outback. Until tomorrow ...

-- Kate

 
Posted by Kate Fagan @ 8:29 PM  Permalink | 8 comments
8
Comments   
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 9:29 PM, 09/30/2008
    Thanks Kate, keep the posts coming. We do appreciate them. As much as I love a bigger lineup to start the game, bringing Thad off the bench along with LW(those two already have a terrific chemistry) along with Reggie Evans or Speights is very appealing. Thad would have a ton more opportunity and responsibility with the 2nd unit, which I think will greatly benefit him and the team in the long run.....we shall see.
    — jessalba
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 11:08 PM, 09/30/2008
    wow, so kareem could be the two. i like that, a good shooter in the line-up, and the kid can play. i look forward to the rest of your training camp recaps. i wish i could be at penn state right now to watch them. cant wait til october 8th
    — fatdarren
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 9:22 AM, 10/01/2008
    kate: the video really provided a good visual to complement the reporting. even though there was no actual scrimmaging shown, it's fun to get a glimpse and whet the appetitie for the real thing (especially if your baseball and football teams tank...). perhaps all skills you and others saw in rush in college may have a chance to flourish here. what a potentially exciting development. liked the touch of humor about brand starting. jessalba/fatdarren: agree with both your comments about rush and bringing young off the bench & young/williams chemistry, although if young continues to improve he'll get major minutes either starting or coming in early/often.
    — 127sixer59
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 9:40 AM, 10/01/2008
    Even if Thad starts the season coming off the bench, he'll still see the court plenty, as you all have pointed out. We'll see what's happening with Rush today -- see if he is still running with the "first team." We're also doing another video. And don't forget the Live Chat at 1 p.m. - 127, I know I'll see you there?
    — Kfagan
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 10:11 AM, 10/01/2008
    Great job with all the content you posted yesterday, Kate. You're a natural on camera too. So I'm wondering, even though there are no 1st/2nd teams yet, who was running as the "second" team? I'm thinking Ivey, Reggie, Theo, Lou, Willie? Hope your steak was good ...
    — Statman
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 10:34 AM, 10/01/2008
    Seems like the 2 & 3 spots are pretty much up in the air at this point. I bet we see a good bit of Thad at the 4 when mo does his small lineup thing...unless they plan on playing Speights right out of the gate (or unless if they do, he's playing behind Sammy). I'm kind of wonding what will happen with Speights, actually. While Thad sat most of the first half of last year, Smith got pretty steady playing time throughout. It will be interesting to see which direction this year's #1 goes...and i guess it should be acknowledged that competition for PT will be much stiffer this year. All in all, seems like we've got a pretty deep squad this year.
    — K,M
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 2:08 PM, 10/01/2008
    Statman, let me check my notes, I wrote down that second team ... Okay, so the second team was Lou Williams, Willie Green, Thad Young, Reggie Evans, and Donyell Marshall. The steak was very good, and thanks for the comment about the video. And thanks for posting on the blog, it makes it more fun when people comment.
    — Kfagan
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 2:16 PM, 10/01/2008
    K,M: That was the first thing Elton Brand said after yesterday's practice, this team has depth. And it really does. It's hard to see how Mo Cheeks is going to get everyone minutes. My feeling is Speights won't see much time. He'll make an impact occasionally, but there will be games and stretches where he doesn't play at all.
    — Kfagan


8 comments
About John Mitchell
John Mitchell is in his first 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.

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