May 2013
2 posts
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ICYMI: The 76ers' Sunday Morning Shootaround
For the uninitiated, the 76ers’ Sunday Morning Shootaround is a weekly feature on Liberty Ballers in which I take an irreverent spin around the various Sixers’ social media accounts. Below are the most recent posts - enjoy:
http://www.libertyballers.com/2013/4/28/4278714/76ers-sunday-morning-shootaround-the-sevens-edition
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Jason Richardson: Should He Stay Or Should He Go?
When the Philadelphia 76ers took their team picture last month, Jason Richardson was nowhere to be found.
Of course, very few people noticed and/or cared because Andrew Bynum - both hilariously and appropriately - also happened to be a no-show for the aforementioned photo session.
Despite both players’ legitimate excuses for their absences (both were rehabbing their surgically-repaired...
April 2013
6 posts
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Will Clippers Maintain Their Defensive Showing...
Don’t be fooled by the Los Angeles Clippers’ strong defensive showing during in the first round of the playoffs: Their day of reckoning is coming soon.
That day won’t come during their series against the Memphis Grizzlies, however. For whatever reason, the Grizzlies have failed to find an answer for the Clippers’ defensive puzzle. Including the postseason, the Clippers...
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Why Kawhi Leonard Is Key to Spurs Playoff Push
Rarely in NBA history has a 21-year-old been the key to a team’s playoff chances. Even rarer are those cases where that same young player has a green light to shoot on a team that boasts three future Hall of Famers.
That’s the situation in San Antonio these days, however: Tony Parker, Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili may get all of the press, but without an exceptional effort from...
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Help Wanted: Sixers Searching For New Media...
Lost in the midst of yesterday’s public feting of Doug Collins, the Philadelphia 76ers are apparently looking for a New Media Manager.
For better or for worse, this person would be in charge of the team’s online initiatives and digital marketing strategies. All things considered, it sounds like a pretty sweet gig: Few among us wouldn’t enjoy working for a professional sports...
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Would Duncan Be Greatest Power Forward Ever with...
Unlike the positions of shooting guard and center, there’s a legitimate debate as to which player is the best power forward of all time.
Tim Duncan’s resume sparkles thanks to his four rings, two MVP awards and perennial appearances on the All-NBA team. But a case can be made for a number of others, including Karl Malone (second in NBA history in total points with 36,928), Charles...
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76ers vs. Cavs Preview: Bone (on Bone) Thugs and...
In some ways, the Cleveland Cavaliers are the team that many want the Philadelphia 76ers to be.
On the surface, the previous sentence may appear to be a mistake. After all, the Sixers have a better record from the Cavs, and are (sadly) only a few wins removed from playoff contention.
But as history as shown us, mediocrity is akin to a death sentence in the NBA. Under the league’s...
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Playoffs Will Reveal Ray Allen's True Value to...
Chris Bosh referred to the members of the Miami bench as “the best supporting cast in the business,” and the leader of the Heat’s second unit will be an extremely valuable figure come playoff time.
It’s strange to think of Ray Allen as a role player: The 37-year-old shooting guard is a sure-fire Hall of Famer who helped lead the Boston Celtics to the 2008 NBA title. But...
March 2013
6 posts
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Are Heat and Spurs on Collision Course for NBA...
It’s almost inevitable at this point.
The San Antonio Spurs and the Miami Heat are set to meet in the NBA Finals this June, and there’s little that anyone can do about it.
Prepare to witness a battle between the old guard and the new era. The most successful franchise of the past 15 years will go head-to-head with a team that could be the league’s next dynasty. A coach with...
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When Will NBA Fans Give John Wall What He...
Not only is John Wall the best player on the Washington Wizards’ roster, but he’s a franchise-type playmaker who has the tools to be a perennial All-Star.
Yet Wall’s name is often omitted whenever there’s a debate as to who the best young point guards in the NBA are—an odd circumstance for a man who put up 47 points, eight assists and seven rebounds against one of the...
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A Systematic Timeline of Gregg Popovich's Road to...
During most in-depth discussions of San Antonio Spurs’ head coach Gregg Popovich, there is at least one reference to “the system.”
Because of “the system,” Popovich—who just notched his 900th career victory—can get away with benching most of his starters and still come close to upsetting the defending champion Miami Heat. But more importantly, it also happens to...
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Do L.A. Lakers Need Pau Gasol to Be an All-Star or...
With power forward Pau Gasol fully recovered from a torn plantar fascia, Mike D’Antoni now has the unenviable task of integrating the four-time All-Star back into the Los Angeles Lakers’ rotation.
Fortunately for D’Antoni, he doesn’t need his 7’0” center to play the role of savior. The Lakers went 13-7 during Gasol’s absence, and the team broke the...
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Are Fans Short-Changing Spoelstra as an Elite Head...
The sad reality is that Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra will never truly get the respect that he deserves.
It’s unfortunate, really. After all, Spoelstra is a self-made man whose meteoric rise all but epitomizes the American dream. But the lack of credit that he’ll receive for leading the current iteration of the Heat is an unfavorable by-product of the situation.
The...
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A Day in The Life: Rhea Hughes, WIP →
A piece that I wrote on a day spent behind the scenes at the 94 WIP Morning Show…
February 2013
5 posts
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L.A. Clippers Will Seriously Regret Not Trading...
The Los Angeles Clippers made a strong play for Boston Celtics forward Kevin Garnett, but the 17-year veteran refused all overtures to waive his no trade clause.
According to Mark Murphy of the Boston Herald, Chris Paul even offered to pull some strings behind the scenes, but Garnett stood firm.
Unfortunately for the Clippers, the lack of a proven center may come back to haunt them this...
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Bryant Channels Inner Phil Jackson to Deliver...
On February 21, thousands showed up to the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles to pay their respects to former Los Angeles Lakers owner Jerry Buss, who passed away on Feb. 18 after an 18-month battle with cancer.
The Nokia Theatre crowd was filled with former Lakers players and coaches, and many of them took to the stage to express how much Dr. Buss meant to them personally.
One of those who shared...
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Did Lakers' Implosion Make Teams Hesitant at...
In the NBA (much like every other professional sport), most franchises take their cue from the teams at the top of the proverbial mountain. Finding someone to admit to it may be something of an arduous task, but there’s no shame in trying to follow the lead of the Miami Heat and the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Last summer, the Los Angeles Lakers made a few moves that appeared to vault them to...
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Why Bosh's Rebounding Isn't Heat's Biggest Problem
The Miami Heat are dead last in the league in rebounding (46.8 per game) and 23rd in the league in total rebounding rate (48.9 percent, per Team Rankings), leaving many to point the finger squarely at the third wheel of the infamous South Beach trio.
“I’m my own toughest critic,” said Heat forward Chris Bosh in an interview with Tom D’Angelo of The Palm Beach Post in...
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Why the Rajon Rondo Trade Rumors Are Here to Stay
While some Boston fans may not want to embrace reality, the recent Rajon Rondo for Dwight Howard rumor is just the tip of the iceberg. If Rondo isn’t dealt before the trade deadline, don’t be surprised to hear his name bandied about quite a bit over the coming months.
While the Los Angeles Lakers have vehemently denied the original report from Ken Berger of CBS Sports, it appears...
January 2013
5 posts
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Is Dwyane Wade Still In His Prime?
Dwyane Wade is the best shooting guard in the world whose name isn’t Kobe Bryant.
Furthermore, not only is Wade a perennial All-Star, but he’s also one of the 10 premier talents in the NBA—even at the age of 31.
However, is it fair to say that D-Wade is past his prime?
This much is certain: The days of Wade averaging 24 points per game—which he did for seven consecutive seasons...
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Jrue Holiday: The Once And Future All-Star
This was supposed to be about Evan Turner. This was originally designed to be an ode to a player who took his game to the next level in his third NBA season. A man who lived up to his “Villain” moniker every time that he stepped out onto the court.
But Turner isn’t quite there yet. Every now and then, we catch glimpses of him displaying that killer instinct inherent in all...
Rockets' Patience Will Pay off with Lin and Harden
Patience is indeed a virtue, and it’s also something that the Houston Rockets will need in spades over the next few years.
While James Harden has been everything that the Rockets wanted (and perhaps more), he alone cannot lead an otherwise mediocre Houston team to playoff success.
His supporting cast is led by one Jeremy Lin, a player who was shooting a mere 33.3 percent from the floor...
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John Wall's Return Won't Save Wizards from NBA's...
According to Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated, league sources have stated that Washington Wizards’ point guard John Wall is expected to make his 2012-13 debut at some point within the next two weeks.
Wall, who has been sidelined all season with a stress injury to his left patella, was originally scheduled to miss eight weeks after he was initially diagnosed at the end of September....
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Mike D'Antoni's Use of Pau Gasol Will Kill Lakers'...
Los Angeles Lakers power forward Pau Gasol is one of the most versatile big men in the NBA. He’s an exceptional passer, has a plethora of low-post moves and can finish with either hand around the basket.
However, you wouldn’t know that if you were only introduced to Gasol this season. Under the watchful eye of head coach Mike D’Antoni, Gasol now spends most of his time...
December 2012
1 post
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Can an NBA Team Win a Title Using a Moneyball...
With every NBA general manager desperately searching for an advantage over his counterparts, a new wave of thought is quickly gaining traction in the world of professional basketball.
Sabermetrics—commonly referred to as “Moneyball”—is a quantitative approach used to evaluate baseball players with the help of advanced statistics. Moneyball was pioneered by legendary historian Bill...
November 2012
4 posts
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How Joe Johnson Can Get Back on Track for Brooklyn...
What’s wrong with Joe Johnson?
With his myriad issues so far this season, perhaps asking “What’s right with Joe Johnson?” would be the more appropriate question. The Brooklyn Nets’ shooting guard is averaging just over 15 points per game, and his shooting percentage (39.2 percent) is lower than it has ever been since he became a full-time starter back in 2003.
And...
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76ers Sunday Morning Shootaround - Recent Links
Every week, I take a look back at the week that was on the Sixers’ social media scene. Here are few links to the articles posted so far this...
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WatchHere’s my most recent appearance on Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia’s Lunch Break program where we talked about the Sixers’ early season struggles.
Below are links to three other recent appearances:
http://www.csnphilly.com/sportsnetPhiladelphia/search/v/64561069/lunch-break-roy-burton-10-10.htm
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How the Los Angeles Lakers Will Struggle With,...
The 2012-13 season is barely a week old, and the calls for Mike Brown to lose his job are almost as intense as the death stare Kobe Bryant gave him on Wednesday night.
However, it’s a bit unfair to point the fickle finger entirely at the Los Angeles Lakers’ embattled head coach. At the end of the year, Brown will be little more than a co-conspirator in the team’s eventual...
October 2012
9 posts
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Dreams and Nightmares: A Preview Of The 2012-13...
Less than three months ago, it was always sunny in Philadelphia.
The fact that the calendar read August at the time had something to do with it, but the cloud hanging over the city suddenly lifted when the Philadelphia 76ers acquired center Andrew Bynum in a four-team trade that – due in large part to Dwight Howard being sent to the Los Angeles Lakers – shifted the landscape of the entire...
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Why Greg Monroe Is the Next Star NBA Center
Early in his first term, former President James Monroe helped to usher in the “Era of Good Feelings” nearly 200 years ago. Detroit Pistons center Greg Monroe is looking to do much of the same for a franchise that hasn’t won a single playoff game in the past four seasons.
Although it has only been eight years since the Pistons last won the NBA championship, the...
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Why Derrick Favors Is the Next Star NBA Power...
One of the best young big men in the NBA averaged just over 21 minutes per game last season.
Derrick Favors could easily start at the power forward position for a number of teams around the league. Unfortunately for him, he happens to be on a Utah Jazz squad that has a pretty decent incumbent at the 4 spot by the name of Paul Millsap.
But while Millsap’s production in 2011-12 (16.6 PPG,...
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Call Me Moultrie
Who is Arnett Moultrie?
At face value, the 6’10” rookie out of Mississippi State appears to be the last big man on the Sixers’ bench.During an interview at training camp last week, head coach Doug Collins rattled off the names of the top nine players in his rotation. Prior to that, he mentioned a few others - Maalik Wayns, Royal Ivey and Kwame Brown - that he plans to use as...
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Jason Richardson: The Invisible Man
Lost in the hoopla surrounding Andrew Bynum this summer was the Sixers’ acquisition of a man who has made more three-pointers than all but 14 men in NBA history.
Jason Richardson has a good chance to start alongside Jrue Holiday in the 76ers’ backcourt on Opening Night, yet there has been very little discussion surrounding him this offseason. Richardson, an 11-year veteran who...
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Why Ray Allen's Ankle Issues Will Impact His...
Shortly after the Boston Celtics lost in the Eastern Conference finals, Ray Allen underwent surgery in June to remove bone spurs from his right ankle. The purpose of the procedure was to relieve the pain that caused the shooting guard to miss 15 of the Celtics’ final 20 regular-season games.
Four months later, the sharpshooting Allen is now a member of the Miami Heat, but the same ankle...
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Why Kawhi Leonard Is the Next Star Small Forward...
78 games.
It only took head coach Gregg Popovich a total of 78 games to boldly proclaim that Spurs’ small forward Kawhi Leonard is destined for greatness.
“I think he’s going to be a star,” wrote Popovich in response to a question submitted by a fan on Spurs.com. “And as time goes on, he’ll be the face of the Spurs, I think.”
Under most circumstances,...
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Would Boston Celtics Ever Consider Using Paul...
Paul Pierce is the greatest player that the Boston Celtics have had in the post-Larry Bird era. But despite his place in Celtics’ lore, the team may not be totally opposed to having Pierce come off of the bench as he rapidly approaches the end of his career.
While the idea may sound ridiculous at face value, it’s something that the Celtics’ front office has considered for...
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The Return of King George
King George III ruled over Great Britain and Ireland for nearly 60 years during the late-18th and early-19th centuries. During his reign however, there was a little something called the Revolutionary War, and because of that, George III will forever be known as “The King Who Lost America.”
There’s a new “King George” on the scene these days, one whom eventually may...
September 2012
3 posts
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Why Kyrie Irving Is the Next Star NBA Point Guard
Kyrie Irving is the next great NBA point guard.
The above sentence isn’t an opinion, but rather a statement of fact.
Fifty-one games into his professional career, there isn’t much that the 20-year-old Cleveland Cavaliers star can’t do on the basketball court. Irving is a deft passer and ridiculously adept ball-handler, and few players in the league are more efficient in...
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Breaking Down What Makes Paul Pierce's Game so...
Even when the NBA isn’t in season, Paul Pierce’s game is on display 12 months a year.
There’s no need to hunt for clips of old Boston Celtics games on YouTube—a trip down to your local YMCA, CYO or L.A. Fitness is all that’s needed. In any game that is at least mildly competitive, there will invariably be someone who isn’t the tallest, fastest or most athletic...
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Andrew Bynum's Maturity and Consistency Are Key to...
Physically, Philadelphia 76ers center Andrew Bynum has few peers in the NBA. Quite simply, he is a 7’, 285-pound manchild who is poised to wreak havoc on the Eastern Conference next season.
In terms of his maturity, however, it’s clear that the 24-year-old Bynum still has plenty of growing to do. And provided that he does so, Bynum may very well be the franchise-defining big man...
August 2012
5 posts
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What a Second Title Would Mean for LeBron James'...
League MVP. Finals MVP. NBA champion. Olympic gold medalist.
Over the past nine months, LeBron James has had one of the most remarkable stretches in the history of basketball. Yet unless he captures another NBA title next season, his time in Miami—and quite possibly his entire career to this point—may ultimately be seen as a disappointment.
Not everyone believes in legacies, but those of us...
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How Dwight Howard Propels the L.A. Lakers into...
Los Angeles Lakers head coach Mike Brown is well-regarded in NBA circles as a defensive specialist. However, in Brown’s first year out in Hollywood, the Lakers weren’t much to write home about defensively, allowing nearly 96 points per game during the 2011-12 season.
Dwight Howard is set to change all of that.
The three-time Defensive Player of the Year is the most intimidating...
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50 Shades of Dre: A Postscript on the Andre...
All-Star. Olympian. Overpaid. Overrated.
Aloof. Enigmatic. Polarizing. Underappreciated.
Andre Iguodala has been called all of those things - as well as other, unprintable things - ever since he arrived in Philadelphia in the summer of 2004. So perhaps it was only fitting that the city’s most mercurial athlete was five time zones away when the Sixers decided to trade him last week.
The...
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What Andrew Bynum Means for the Sixers' Offense
The Philadelphia 76ers entered the Dwight Howard sweepstakes back in July with the hopes of acquiring the former Orlando Magic superstar.
But while they weren’t able to land this summer’s ultimate reward, the Sixers still wound up with one of the two best centers in the NBA.
For a young 76ers squad that was overly reliant on jump shots last season, Andrew Bynum’s impact...
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Kevin Durant vs. LeBron James: A Study
Miami’s LeBron James already has three MVP awards, and if his 2012-13 campaign is anything like his performance from this past year, he’ll need to clear space on his mantle for a fourth trophy.
Oklahoma City’s Kevin Durant has yet to capture the NBA’s highest individual honor, but some believe that he should have taken home the hardware last season.
With James and...
July 2012
5 posts
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Roller Derby Redux
The sport of roller derby is in the midst of a worldwide revival, and a large part of that renaissance is occurring each month on the campus of Temple University.
The Liacouras Center is the new home for the Philly Roller Girls, a skater-owned and operated league with the tagline: “Derby is back in the City of Sisterly Shove.” Since its inception seven years ago, PRG has grown to...
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The-BALL Above All?
More than 1,000 collegiate and international basketball players are eligible for the NBA Draft each year, yet only 60 of them actually hear their names called on draft night.
What happens to everyone else?
Well… there are the fortunate few who are able to snag training camp invites, and perhaps 100 more attempt to make a living playing basketball either overseas on in the NBA’s...
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Exclusive Interview with Jameer Nelson
While many of the top high school basketball players in the nation were doing battle at the Reebok Breakout Challenge at Philadelphia University, Orlando Magic point guard Jameer Nelson and newly minted Boston Celtics point guard Jason Terry were going one-on-one on a side court with only a handful of people watching.
The Nelson/Terry matchup was actually part of a video shoot for Reebok’s new...
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One-on-One with Jason Terry
At last week’s Reebok Breakout Challenge in Philadelphia, Bleacher Report landed an exclusive interview with one of the newest members of the Boston Celtics: former NBA Sixth Man of the Year Jason Terry.
Unlike many NBA stars who take an extended break from conditioning once the season is over, Terry has been hard at work getting both his mind and his body right for next year.
“Whether you’re...
