Philadelphia 76ers

Season in review...

2005-05-10T12:12:00.000-04:00

Coming into the 2004-2005 NBA season the 76ers had a lot of question marks regarding their team. Would Allen Iverson's body be able to hold up after another season of constant pounding? Would new Coach Jim O'Brien be able to bring this team together? What young players would step up and provide this team with some much needed youth? Is Andre Iguodala the steal we thought he was with the 9th pick? Would we be lottery bound again?

In short, this past season provided many surprises as well as some optimism for the future with the emergance of young players such as Iguodala, Samuel Dalembert, and Willie Green. Allen Iverson more than proved that he is still a superstar in this league, adding another scoring title to his resume. If Chris Webber chooses to stay in Philly, the 2005-2006 season could be very interesting.

A full review of the season can be found here: http://www.nba.com/sixers/features/year_in_review_050509.html

Iguodala Honored

2005-05-09T13:42:00.000-04:00

Sixers rookie Andre Iguodala was recently honored by the league by being named to the All-NBA Rookie First Team. The athletic Iguodala, the ninth pick of the Philadelphia 76ers, ranked eighth in the league in steals per game (1.68), sixth in total steals (138) and steals per game (0.99). He averaged 9.0 points and 5.7 rebounds while playing in all 82 regular-season games and helping the Sixers reach the playoffs.

Iguodala was a nice addition to the 76ers and we look forward to seeing big things from him in the future.

Officially Eliminated

2005-05-08T21:08:00.000-04:00

The 76ers were officially eliminated from the playoffs on Tuesday when they lost 88-78 to the Pistons on Tuesday. It was the end of an up and down season in which the Sixers saw their fair share of successes as well as failures. The grumblings have already started and expect to see changes in the organization for next season. Many critics have come down hard on Coach Jim O'Brien as well as the General Manager, Billy King. Since the Sixers season is now over I have to give my predictions for the finals. I am predicting the Miami Heat to come out of the East and the Spurs to represent the West with the Heat winning 4 games to 2 in the finals.

Down 3-1...

2005-05-01T16:10:00.000-04:00

Despite having a 9 point lead in the 4th quarter the 76ers lost to the Pistons 97-92 in overtime. The game was close throughout, but the Piston's experience was evident as the Sixers had questionable shot selection at the end of the 4th quarter and overtime. The Sixers were once again led by Allen Iverson who had 34 points, 8 assists, and 4 rebounds. Detroit was led by Chauncey Billups who had 25 points, 6 assists, and 5 rebounds, including several clutch shots in the games final moments. The series heads back to Detroit for Game 4 on Tuesday, May 3rd at a time to be determined.

The 76ers find them himself in a 3-1 hole now, but I am sure they will give it their all and do their best to climb their way out.

Iverson wills team to victory

2005-04-30T20:50:00.000-04:00

In Game 3 of the Series Allen Iverson showed why he is an NBA superstar and MVP candidate. He had a great game with 37 points and 15 assists leading his team to a 115 - 104 victory. Game 4 is on Sunday, May 1st at 1PM.

Down 0-2

2005-04-28T15:23:00.000-04:00

My beloved 76ers find themself in a 0-2 hole against the Detroit Pistons in the Eastern Conference. They were trounced in Game 1, 106-85 and came out flat in Game 2, losing 99-84. Although they may be down two games, anything can happen in the NBA Playoffs. Game 3 is on Friday night at 8pm.

Playoff Bound

2005-04-19T20:48:00.000-04:00

The 76ers recently officially clinched a playoff berth with a recent 122-106 win over the Milwaukee Bucks. The Sixers record now stands at 42-39 with a stronghold on the 7th seed in the East. This poses an interesting first round matchup with former coach Larry Brown and the Detroit Pistons. Sixers star Allen Iverson had a much publicized feud with Brown during his years in Philly. Iverson is playing his best basketball at the right time and is on pace for his 3rd scoring title. The Sixers wrap up the regular season with a home game against the lowly Atlanta Hawks on April 20th. Stay tuned for regular season grades and analysis.

On another note, Allen Iverson has been my favorite player in the NBA since his debut in 1996. I find him to be an interesting person on and off the court. I came about this website that has a lot of interesting information about him.

http://www.alleniversonlive.com/

Impressive Win...

2005-04-10T16:45:00.000-04:00

With star players Allen Iverson and Chris Webber sidelined with various injuries the Sixers posted a very impressive road victory over the Washington Wizards by a score of 112-106. the 76ers rallied from a 13 point 4th quarter deficit to post the victory.

“I am really proud of the way we got off to a big start, got down 11, but then played a tough minded brand of basketball down the stretch to get a really very important victory. I am so proud of the effort of our players.” -Coach Jim O'Brien

This is solid win for the Sixers who are now 39-37 and now battling it out with the Cleveland Cavaliers for the 7th seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs. Next up for the team is the Atlantic Divisin rival Boston Celtics who are currently 2 games ahead of the 76ers.

Down the stretch...

2005-04-06T15:17:00.000-04:00

As season winds down to a close the Sixers are hanging on to the 8th and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. With a record of 36-37 they remain a game ahead of the New Jersey Nets. With only 9 games remaining the Sixers must hang tough if they expect to make the playoffs. While 6 of their final 9 games are at home, 5 of the 9 games are against playoff caliber opponents. In their last 10 games the Sixers posted a respectable 6-4 record, but went 0-3 on a miserable west coast swing where they faced worthy opponents such as the Dallas Mavericks, Phoenix Suns, and Sacramento Kings. Despite their struggles, the Sixers defeated Atlantic Division Rival and leader, the Boston Celtics on April 3rd to remain in the hunt for the division crown.
Team captain and bonafide superstar Allen Iverson has molded this team into his own and carried them on his back the last two months. He has led the team in scoring in 29 of their last 30 games and has a firm grip on the league scoring title with a 30.4 PPG average. A note of concern for the team is still Chris Webber's inability to fit into Coach Jim O'Brien's offense. While with the Kings, Webber was averaging 19.8 PPG and 7.8 RPG. While his rebounds have gone up with the Sixers, Webber's point production has decreased by 4 PPG. These next 9 games are critical for both Webber and the rest of the team has they must gain momentum for the playoffs. If they secure the 8th spot in the East they Sixers are rewarded with a first round matchup against Shaquille O'Neal, Dwayne Wade, and the rest of the Miami Heat who are arguably the best team in the NBA. The Sixers posted a 1-2 regular season record against the Heat, and the Sixers may be able to steal a game or two away from them in a 5 game series. It will be interesting to see where the season goes from here.

Just when things couldn't get worse...

2005-03-23T19:33:00.000-05:00

Okay, so the Chris Webber trade that I was so excited about has been looking pretty dreary. The Sixers are missing the consistancy of departed veterans of Kenny Thomas and Corliss Williamson. Webber's play has been stagnant and inconsistent mixed in with his constant bickering with head coach Jim O'Brien regarding Webber's lack of playing time.

While it looks as if the Sixers have been doing okay since my last update at a respectable 4-4. There are many other things that are causing some pessimism throughout the organization. Besides Webber's concerns over playing time, Iverson recently chipped a bone in his thumb, and then was fined $10k for a confrontation with a referee. In addition, the Sixers are headed on a West Coast road trip later this month.

As of today, the Sixers are hanging on to the 8th seed by 1/2 a game in the Eastern conference playoffs. I will try to be positive but the Sixers have a ways to go if they would make some noise in the Eastern Conference.

LeBron visits Philly

2005-03-14T19:01:00.000-05:00

On Friday, March 4th I had the privelage to attend the Sixers vs. Cavaliers game at the Wachovia Center. This was a much anticipated matchup as phenom LeBron James was facing off against the new look 76ers who had just acquired Chris Webber from the Sacramento Kings. The Sixers looked very good as Allen Iverson had 31 points and the newly acquired Webber had his best game as a Sixer with 24 points and 12 rebounds. The Sixers ended up defeating the Cavaliers 99-89 in a very exciting game. It was awesome to see the highly touted LeBron James live. I am a now a believer and really think this young kid has a chance to change the game. It was a great experience and I encourage everyone to watch a live 76ers game. Their staff makes enjoyable even if you are a not a huge basketball fan.

All-Star Weekend Recap/Let's Make a Deal!

2005-02-28T19:08:00.000-05:00

Allen Iverson made his 6th consecutive start in the NBA's annual All-Star game held in scenic Denver, Colorado. Iverson garnered MVP honors for the 2nd time in his career, with a solid all around game. Kyle Korver also had a strong performance with a 2nd place finish in the 3 point shooting contest.

In other news, the Sixers made a 6 player deal right at the deadline acquiring troubled superstar Chris Webber from the Sacremento Kings. Although the Sixers had to give up proven veterans Kenny Thomas and Corliss "Big Nasty" Williamson, team captain and superstar Allen Iverson was extremely pleased with the deal. The Sixers are looking very optimistic at the 2nd half of the season and believe they can make a deep run in the Eastern Conference Playoffs. Stay tuned as I will be recapping the Sixers vs. Cavaliers as Philadelphia welcomes the young superstar LeBron James to the Wachovia Center.

http://www.sixers.com

First Post

2005-02-20T23:57:00.000-05:00

This blog will detail the Philadelphia 76ers 2004-2005 season and their run through the regular season and playoffs.