Sixers Notes: 76ers seeking new practice facility
WASHINGTON - The 76ers hope to make themselves more attractive to free agents, and one of the things they will do is move into a new practice facility as soon as possible.
WASHINGTON - The 76ers hope to make themselves more attractive to free agents, and one of the things they will do is move into a new practice facility as soon as possible.
"That's something we continue to look into," said Sixers CEO Adam Aron, who made the train ride with the team for Sunday's game in Washington.
Aron said the Sixers have not decided whether to build a facility or find an existing facility and buy it. The Sixers now practice at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine.
Aron said an improvement is "absolutely necessary." He acknowledged that the team is looking into a few potential sites around the city.
"It goes with being a first-class organization," Aron said of acquiring a topflight practice facility. "If you are going to attract the best free agents, you have to be able to offer the best."
If the team builds a facility, it likely would be two years before it is ready, Aron said. The Sixers hope to have an idea of what they will do by the summer, he added.
Turner on Wall
When Evan Turner was selected with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2010 draft behind the Washington Wizards' John Wall, it became inevitable that comparisons would follow.
It is not, however, something the two discuss.
"I never spoke to John about it," Turner said before the Sixers faced the Wizards at the Verizon Center. "All I try to do, really, is worry about my own career.
"The one thing is that I don't think we have been in the same situation. When he came in, he was given the green light. For me, I've had to take the typical rookie way. I think I've benefited from playing and getting a chance to play in the playoffs. He's had his route and I've had mine. The best way to look at it is that the story is just starting to be written, and it's early."
Wall was averaging 16.0 points per game for his career entering Sunday's game; Turner's career average was 9.9.