The NBA has not announced who the contestants will be in the three-point contest, but Sixers guard Jodie Meeks has his hand raised, if they’re looking for people.

“I’ve never really practiced (shooting) off the rack, so I’d have to practice that,” he said. “I’m used to watching them go in. It’s a little different.”

In the shooting contest the better shooters are picking up their next ball off the rack before the previous shot’s result is determined. Meeks is sort of a set-shot type shooter, so he would seem to have the form to do well in the contest. This season Meeks has made 58-of-134 from beyond the arc for 43.3 percent.

“I’ve never done one,” he said. “I’d be glad to be in it if they picked me. For sure, I wouldn’t think twice about it (as opposed to having a couple of days off). I would definitely be honored to come back here to Orlando to be in it.”

Video: Has Lou Williams been the most impressive sixth man in the NBA? Is something wrong with Evan Turner? Bob Cooney of the Daily News provides some insight.

Do you think a professional athlete is ever happy when his playing time has been trimmed? You don’t become an athlete at that level without having a fierce competitive nature.

Evan Turner, the 76ers second year swingman, is sort of in that position now. Heading into last night’s game against the Charlotte Bobcats, Turner had averaged just over 17 minutes in the previous three games. In the team’s blowout win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday, Turner played 22 minutes and 32 seconds, but that included 12 in the fourth quarter, when the game was already out of reach. Sort of meaningless minutes, they were.

“I don’t think that,” responded coach Doug Collins when asked if Turner is slumping right now. “I think what happens sometimes is we get caught with teams, and it’s hard for me to take Dre (Andre Iguodala) off the floor if he’s playing against one of the (opposition’s) key guys. A lot of times he gets matched up with a guy, and I want him to stay on that guy until the other coach rests (the key player) as well. And sometimes what ends up happening is Evan might not get in until the last minute or two of the third quarter or the last minute or two of the first quarter. Sometimes we get caught a little bit like that. I like Jodie out on the court with certain guys because he gives us a lot of space out on the floor and energy with his shooting. A lot of times it gets caught up like that, so I think it’s more of that than anything else.

“That’s what this season is all about. Everybody wants to play, everybody wants to get their minutes. I wouldn’t want anybody on my team that was happy sitting over there on the bench. I want them to all be out there. But there are certain nights where the minutes don’t get there. But the one thing I’ve learned is that you always manage ahead. If you manage behind you’re dealing with crisis. If you manage ahead you’re dealing with people before they get down like that. I’m always talking with our guys, whether via text or face-to-face. I understand the nuances of this game. I’ve been around it for 40 years. I don’t think there’s anything that’s going to surprise me.”

When asked about his cut-back minutes, Turner said: “There’s a recession, baby. We’re like the stock market with playing time.” Then more seriously, Turner said: “I don’t know. It’s just one of those situations, and we have to do what’s best for the team and certain situations coach tries to do what’s best out there, and that’s it.

“You just have to move on with each game. We have so many games coming up. It is how it is. You just have to be professional about it. You have to just be prepared. That’s pretty much what I took from Noc (teammate Andres Nocioni) - you’ve just got to be prepared when your number’s called. Last year it happened to him a few times, but he was always ready. That’s what you have to do.” 

Evan Turner is no different than any other player in the NBA, or any kid playing basketball at any level of competition. Anyone who is playing the game wants to be on the court for as many minutes as possible. Problem is, there just haven't been many minutes for Turner lately as coach Doug Collins has played just over an average of 17 minutes a game over the last three.

"There's a recession, baby. We're like the stock market," said Turner with a laugh, before turning a little more serious. "I don't know. It's just one of those situations and we have to do what's best for the team and certain situations coach tries to do what's best out there and that's it."

Turner spoke this morning after the team's shootaround at Time Warner Cable Arena as they prepare for tonight's game against the Charlotte Bobcats (3-24). When asked if he ever gets explanations as to why he might not be seeing the floor as often as he likes, Turner said: "I don't know. You just have to move on with each game. We have so many games coming up. It is how it is. You just have to be a professional about it. You have to just be prepared. That's pretty much what I took from Noc (little used Andres Nocioni) - you've just got to be prepared when your number's called. Last year it happened to him a few times but he was always ready. That's what you have to do."

On the injury front, Collins said that trainer Kevin Johnson had made a call this morning to Spencer Hawes, who is back home getting treatment on his strained left Achilles.

"He (Hawes) said that when he got up this morning and walked for the first time he said his right Achilles' felt like his left. So I didn't know if the other one was bad now or what," said Collins with a laugh. "I think it was a good sign. Knowing Spencer I didn't know what that meant. We're hoping Friday."

After tonight's game with the Bobcats the Sixers will travel to Orlando for a Wednesday game with the Magic before returning home for a Friday matchup with the defending champion Dallas Mavericks.

More to come... 

The Sixers are one of the surprise teams in the NBA this season. The Los Angeles Clippers are one of the most exciting.

With power forward Blake Griffin throwing down monstrous dunks and Chris Paul, one of the premier players in all the league, running the point, the Clippers have bolted to a 15-8 start. The Clippers are one of the higher-scoring teams in the league, averaging 99 a contest. The Sixers are 0-5 this season when they allow a team to score 100 or more. Los Angeles is coming off a 99-92 loss to the host Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday. It was their first game without guard Chauncey Billups, who hurt his Achilles' the prior game and is out for the season.

"We'd like to end this homestand in a very, very positive way," said Sixers coach Doug Collins, whose team will end a string of 18 of the past 22 games at home. "This is going to be a very difficult game. It reminds me a little bit of when Miami came in here (last Friday). Miami had gone into Milwaukee and blown a big lead, had a very tough practice, guys got together, sort of circled the wagons and came out and played arguably their best game of the season (99-79 Sixers loss). The Clippers went into Cleveland the other night and I thought they were dealing with the Chauncey injury; I thought there was an emotional situation there for them. Cleveland was playing very well. Yesterday they came in (to Philadelphia) and I think they got together and probably did the same thing.

"This is one of our toughest matchups. They have a brilliant point guard. They have four very big athletic bigs who roll to the basket, who play above the rim, and they have 3-point shooting. They're one of the best offensive teams in the league. This is going to be a very, very tough challenge for us tonight."

Collins also said the team will once again be without starting center Spencer Hawes, who will be out again due to an Achilles' strain. Hawes will be missing his 12th game in the last 14. Collins said that there is a chance that Hawes might not go on the road with the team, staying behind and getting rehab. The Sixers play at Cleveland on Saturday, at Charlotte on Monday and at Orlando on Wednesday.

Also, forward Elton Brand admitted that his sprained right thumb was still very sore but that he will push through.

More to come.

Doug Collins can sleep now.

The 76ers coach admitted on Thursday that he woke up that morning a 4, worried about whether one of his players would make the All-Star game, which is scheduled for Feb. 26 in Orlando.

The reserves for the Eastern and Western Conferences were announced tonight on TNT and Sixers forward Andre Iguodala was added to the roster.

It is the first All-Star appearance for Iguodala, now in his eighth season in the league and with the Sixers. He admitted that he thought he could have made the team “maybe twice, definitely one other time.”

This season Iguodala is averaging 13 points, 6.7 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 1.8 steals. Though this is the fourth-straight season in which his scoring has declined, Iguodala is one of the main cogs in Collins’ offensive system that preaches ball sharing. The 6-7 Arizona product also has been dubbed by Collins as a first-team, all-league defender.

He becomes the first Sixer other than Allen Iverson to make an All-Star Game since Dikembe Mutombo in 2002. The reserves were voted on by head coaches in each conference, who each picked seven players (two forwards, two guards, a center and two ‘wildcard’ players from any position) not from their own team.

Iguodala said at the Sixers’ practice this morning at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine that it would be nice to make the All-Star team, but that it wouldn’t devastate him if he didn’t. He said he wasn't even planning on watching the announcements on TNT.

“I’m going to be at Bible study with Jodie (Meeks),” he said. Asked if he was going to watch the announcement on television, Iguodala said: “Probably not. I got a lot of stuff to do, I’ve got a lot of errands to run, so I’ll be running around. And then I’ve got to pack for the week (road trip).

“I think it would be a good experience but it won’t be a heart breaker or like a bomb got dropped on me. Hopefully there will be good news, but there won’t be any bad news.”

However, after the selection, his appreciation was clear.

"The phone is blowing up... Thanks to for the love... Truly a blessing," he tweeted.

Sixers executive released statements to congratulate Iguodala:

"On behalf of the entire Philadelphia 76ers organization, I want to congratulate Andre Iguodala on being named a member of the NBA Eastern Conference All-Star team," said Managing Owner Josh Harris. "My first season here has already provided a number of highlights on and off the court, but Andre receiving this honor for the first time is among the best. We are excited and proud that Andre will be representing our team, our fans and the city of Philadelphia during All-Star weekend."

“Andre has proven time and time again that he is one of the NBA’s elite players and premier defenders,” said CEO and Co-Owner Adam Aron. “He has been an integral part of our team’s success this season. Andre Iguodala has displayed the passion, intensity and pride that is representative of our team and our city. We want to congratulate Andre on this great honor.”

"I feel great that Andre has been recognized by the Eastern Conference head coaches as one of the top players in the league," said Sixers President of Basketball Operations Rod Thorn. "He is certainly one of the best all-around players in the NBA and very deserving of this honor."

"I could not be more proud of Andre Iguodala for being recognized as an All-Star," said Head Coach Doug Collins. "Andre has meant so much to the success of our team this season and he is one of the most talented, unselfish players I have ever had the opportunity to coach - the entire 76ers organization, our coaching staff, his teammates and I are thrilled he will be representing us in this year's All-Star game."

The remainder of the East reserves: Paul Pierce (Boston Celtics), Chris Bosh (Miami Heat), Luol Deng (Chicago Bulls), Roy Hibbert (Indiana Pacers), Joe Johnson (Atlanta Hawks), and Deron Williams (New Jersey Nets). Deng, Hibbert and Iguodala are first-time All-Stars, while Williams earns his third trip, Johnson his sixth, and Bosh his seventh.

Dallas' Dirk Nowitzki, whose 11 selections are consecutive, is joined on the West team by reserves LaMarcus Aldridge (Portland Trail Blazers), Marc Gasol (Memphis Grizzlies), Kevin Love (Minnesota Timberwolves), Steve Nash (Phoenix Suns), Tony Parker (San Antonio Spurs), and Russell Westbrook (Oklahoma City Thunder). For Aldridge and Gasol, this marks their first All-Star selection. It’s the second All-Star selection for both Love and Westbrook, while Parker goes for the fourth time, and Nash, at 38 the oldest player in this year’s game, is an All-Star for the eighth time.

Starters were previously voted on by the fans.

Selected to start in the East were Derrick Rose (Bulls), LeBron James and Dwyane Wade (Heat), Carmelo Anthony (New York Knicks), and Dwight Howard (Orlando Magic). Voted to start for the West were Kobe Bryant and Andrew Bynum (Los Angeles Lakers), Blake Griffin and Chris Paul (Los Angeles Clippers), and Kevin Durant (Thunder).

Tony Parker proved too much for the injury-ridden Sixers, as he scored 37 points for the Spurs and dealt Philadelphia a 100-90 loss Wednesday. Marcus Hayes of the Daily News reports from the Wells Fargo Center.

(Video by Samantha Corrado/Philly.com)

Evan Turner has been selected to play in the Rising Stars Challenge at NBA All-Star weekend, the NBA announced.

In the revised format, 18 rookies and sophomores were selected by the league's assistant coaches, and the two teams will be drafted by general managers Charles Barkley and Shaquille O'Neal in a televised event next Thursday. Previously, the rookies played against the sophomores.

The Clippers' Blake Griffin headlines the sophomore class, joined by Turner, DeMarcus Cousins (Sacramento Kings), Landry Fields (New York Knicks), Paul George (Indiana Pacers), Gordon Hayward (Utah Jazz), Greg Monroe (Detroit Pistons), Tiago Splitter (San Antonio Spurs) and John Wall (Washington Wizards).

No. 1 overall pick Kyrie Irving, from Cleveland, and Minnesota's Ricky Rubio are joined by fellow first-year players MarShon Brooks (New Jersey Nets), Brandon Knight (Detroit Pistons), Kawhi Leonard (San Antonio Spurs), Markieff Morris (Phoenix Suns), Tristan Thompson (Cleveland Cavaliers), Kemba Walker (Charlotte Bobcats), and Derrick Williams (Minnesota Timberwolves).

Turner was not selected to play in the game last year as a rookie.

Sixers' first-round pick Nic Vukevic was not selected.

The game is scheduled for Feb. 24 in Orlando (9 p.m., TNT).

Also on Philly.com Sports: Brand in, Hawes out tonight vs. Spurs.

The Sixers today announced MRIs were negative on the back and Achilles tendon of Sixers center Spencer Hawes, but he will still miss tonight's game against Tim Duncan and the Spurs.

The Achilles' issue has become chronic, and the Sixers worried that a disk problem in his back was the root of it, especially since Hawes battled back soreness earlier this season. The exams, performed Tuesday, showed neither a disk problem nor any tearing of the Achilles'. He is listed as day-to-day.

Forward Elton Brand will return to the starting lineup. Brand missed Monday's win over the Lakers with a sprained right thumb which needs more time to heal -- time the Sixers do not have.

"It's not close to 100 percent," said Brand, after he took part in a shootaround this morning at the Wells Fargo Center. "It's definitely painful. The swelling has gone down. With Spencer out, you've got to find a way. ... Especially against those big guys."

Without Brand, the Lakers out-rebounded the Sixers 55-30 on Monday.

Brand will start alongside first-round rookie Nik Vucevic. Second-rounder Lavoy Allen, the Temple product who has shined the past few games and started in the last two, will come off the bench, coach Doug Collins said.