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Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Two For The National Team Show

This isn't official, because USA Basketball has yet to make a formal annoncement, but sources say the 76ers' Andre Iguodala and Thaddeus Young are on a list of about 24 players to be invited to the U.S. National Team's mini-camp July 22-25 in Las Vegas.

The camp will involve two full days of training and a showcase intra-squad exhibition game at the Thomas & Mack Center.

Toronto raptors coach Jay Triano and NBA assistants Tyrone Corbin, Utah; Dave Cowens, Detroit; Kenny Gattison, New Orleans and Jerry Sichting, Minnesota will work with the players, helping identify talent for future National Team competitions.

 

Posted by Phil Jasner @ 2:07 PM  Permalink | 9 comments
9
Comments   
Comment removed.
Posted 05:28 PM, 06/17/2009
JonKap
No one said Andre was not a good player. The problem is his best role would be like a Trevor Ariza on a good team rather than option # 1 or 2 on the Sixers. Ariza would put up the same numbers as Iquodala if forced to be the man on the Sixers. Those type of players should be great role players on contending teams. And Ariza did his job for $3 mil. Thats how you win big...superstar surrounded by a great role player like Ariza/Iquodala making $3-6 mil, not $12 mil.
Posted 06:18 PM, 06/17/2009
FlySixPhiEagles
I hope Young learns to play some defense while he's at these camps and even in training camp. That was his biggest downfall from last season, just not being able to defend smaller 3 forwards. Iggy, well, he's a defender and a dunker, something USA could use in the future.
Posted 09:19 PM, 06/17/2009
21stCentury
I don't know if Andre can be "option #1," but he is DEFINITELY a second option calibre player (no matter how much the "Iguodala contract haters" express their jealousy). Andre carried the Sixers after Elton Brand went down and after the coaching change and was knocking down last second shots to win games against the likes of the Lakers (IN LA). Haters, GET OVER IT....DUDE CAN PLAY! All he needs is a healthy Elton Brand.
Posted 09:33 PM, 06/17/2009
MD20202020
I guess they don't want to win.
Posted 11:06 PM, 06/17/2009
incog69
Head to head Andre is a far better all around offensive player than Ariza. I think Iguodala's passing gets overlooked. He is an outstanding, yes outstanding, play maker. If here were an outstanding shot maker too, he would be among the top 5 in the league. But, at the moment he is decent shot maker with potential. It was not a group of Third grade fans who invited him to the National Team party. And for that matter, let us not overlook our budding young star, Thaddeus Young. That young man was putting up sparkling offensive numbers for a ten game stretch before the injury (I hope he's OK). He's only 20. I'd have to say thing are looking up for the Sixers.
Comment removed.
Posted 01:31 AM, 06/18/2009
incog69
And if they draft Brandon Jennings (trade to move up 7 spots) they might have another invitee. He's the most exciting point guard in this years point guard loaded draft. A pass first version of Iverson with more defensive potential due to his length. Plus, he learned a lot in Europe that doesn't show up in his DNP-CD stat lines (strange thing for the Italian coaches to do to their most talented player). He could average 10 assists a game in the Sixers line-up.
Posted 12:32 PM, 06/18/2009
FKD215
No matter how you slice it, having a guy on your team who averages 19/6/5, AND is an excellent defender, is a pretty good thing. And congrats to Thad, too. I didn't expect that.
About Sixerville Blog
Phil Jasner joined the staff of the Daily News in 1972. He has covered the 76ers and the NBA on a full-time basis since 1981. He won the 2004 Curt Gowdy Media Award, presented by the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame for outstanding contributions to the sport during his career; he was a finalist for the award in 2001, when he also received a lifetime achievement award from the Professional Basketball Writers Association during the NBA Finals. He is a past president of the Professional Basketball Writers Association and the Philadelphia College Basketball Writers Association. Along the way, he has covered high school sports, the Big 5, the Eagles and the NFL, the World Football League, the North American Soccer League and what was then the Major Indoor Soccer League. He is a proud graduate of Temple University, and spent his early professional days at the Pottstown (Pa.) Mercury, Montgomery Newspapers (Fort Washington, Pa.), the Norristown (Pa.) Times-Herald and the Trentonian.

Bob Cooney has been at the Daily News for almost 20 years, working in the sports department the past 12 years. This is his first season on the Sixers beat. He has covered just about everything, but mostly college basketball, where he has been the La Salle beat writer for the past six seasons.

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