Posted: Wednesday, October 21, 2009, 5:44 PM | 15 comments |
 

What's Next For Christmas?
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There was a theory circulating that, if the 76ers were going to carry a 14th man, Dionte Christmas might fit the bill.

The theory suggested that a 14th guy should have a special skill, and Chrstmas is a good shooter, something the Sixers have lacked in recent seasons.

Nice theory. Didn't work. The Sixers waived Christmas, the undrafted rookie from Temple, and forward Brandon Bowman, leaving them with 13 players. Teams can carry as many as 15 players, with 12 eligible to play in any given game. And the Sixers had already improved their shooting by trading for Jason Kapono and, to some degree, by trading for Rodney Carney.

But if Chrstmas was crushed by the news, he hasn't shown that to Andre Buck, his agent.

''I told his father that Dionte's the best I've ever seen at handling a situation like this, in terms of the process,'' Buck said. "It's tough, because it's not a friendly process; there are always guys out there that teams are looking at. And there are guys who were in the NBA last season that are looking around.

''We're not sure yet about what we're going to do. The 'D' League is an option, and if the right offer were to come from Europe, that would be an option, too. We plan to be patient, to take a few days.

''All the feedback I've gotten says Dionte is more than good enough, but more teams are carrying fewer players, and teams don't always want to carry an (extra) rookie who might not contribute right away. All of those factors come in to play.

''But as I said, he's really handling this well. In that respect, he makes my job easy.''

 
Posted by Phil Jasner @ 5:44 PM  Permalink | 15 comments
15
Comments   
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 6:28 PM, 10/21/2009
    To be honest, I would definitely take Christmas over Carney. That's not to say that I think Christmas is an all-star in the making, but they already know what to expect from Carney. He's never justified being a first round draft pick and he's been hurt for practically the whole preseason. When will he even be able to contribute this year? I realize that Christmas would spend most of the season on the bench or on the injured list, but it looks like he has more long range potential and it isn't like the 76ers are going to win anything this year anyway.
    — catnameddomino
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 10:19 PM, 10/21/2009
    Cheapo Snider doesn't want to pay for a 14th man on the roster. No surprise here. And no surprise that the fat bald slob, aka Eddie Stefanski, makes a boneheaded move. This team can never have enough shooters. Carney has shown jacksquat since being in the NBA that he can shoot. If you have below average people running the show, you're going to get below average results. Hope Christmas catches on somewhere and succeeds.
    — jpeters
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 12:43 AM, 10/22/2009
    Come on , Dionte deserved a chance with the 76ers. They'll probably call him back at some point his year when Carney gets hurt yet again . . . but let's focus on the Phillies for now! Woo hoo!!!!!!!
    — petergou
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 12:50 AM, 10/22/2009
    I guess we won't have a merry Christmas this year.
    — eroger
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 3:01 AM, 10/22/2009
    Christmas will be back with someone. Carney won't make it through the season. A submarginal ballplayer.
    — Throwback
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 8:32 AM, 10/22/2009
    He was worthy of the 14th spot. What would he cost 500K? Imagine if he were to contribute. Good Luck Dionte we will see you in the NBA soon.
    — phillyfaninbeantown
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 5:05 PM, 10/22/2009
    It would of been nice watching a home grown kid get some playing time, instead we get to watch a reject first rounder make the team. You know they'll barly make the playoff. I did not watch them for 2 or 3 years now I guess I won't miss nothing this year again.
    — anvil22
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 5:05 PM, 10/22/2009
    It would of been nice watching a home grown kid get some playing time, instead we get to watch a reject first rounder make the team. You know they'll barly make the playoff. I did not watch them for 2 or 3 years now I guess I won't miss nothing this year again.
    — anvil22
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  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 10:05 AM, 10/23/2009
    Drive around with a loaded weapon - great way of coping!
    — Irish Frank
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 10:28 AM, 10/23/2009
    Whats Next for Christmas. Meetings with a P.O.
    — cuso20
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 11:14 AM, 10/23/2009
    it's so easy for ppl to point the finger and not know the truth. as the article read it wasn't his car and not his gun!! get a clue...haters...better yet get a life and let this young man cope with his mistake w/o the uneccessary drama. At least let the story marinate and play out before judgement/prosecution be casted. Ugh!
    — NISL83
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 11:41 AM, 10/23/2009
    Hopefully this issue with the arrest can be explained and he doesn't suffer consequences. He is not the type of person that would do this. Anything but. As for making the Sixers, he should be on the team. But we have Ed Stephanski who is one of these GM's who thinks they're brilliant in judging talent then thinks they're brilliant when they finally unload the talent. Rodney Carney? Please. another "talented" guy that the mediocre GM's fall in love with. He's now failed to produce twice. So our genius brings him back. You're brilliant Ed. Keep up the mediocre work.
    — Ballgame
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 12:07 PM, 10/23/2009
    Lets not prejudge. Christmas could have easily been lent Speight's car and was driving erratic as he was not used to the car. He might have had no clue about the gun. Also, maybe his license was just left at home, big difference than driving without having a license to begin with. Also, could have been driving just fine but was profiled in a fancy car. We have no details yet.
    — JonKap


15 comments
About Bob Cooney
Bob Cooney has been at the Daily News for more than 20 years, working in the sports department for the past 15. This is his third season on the Sixers beat. He has covered just about everything, but mostly college basketball, where he was the La Salle beat writer for six seasons. E-mail Bob at cooneyb@phillynews.com and follow him on Twitter.

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