Philadelphia Eagles 2020 NFL Draft Recap

Posted on by jcrosby1315

I MISS SPORTS, WE ALL MISS SPORTS! Even though the Sixers are an emotional roller coaster, I miss them as well. I can’t wait until the NBA is back when things clear up with COVID-19. I know this is normally a blog about Sixers basketball, but the NFL draft was this past weekend and I’m itching to write about sports, so here we are! The 2020 NFL draft was the second live-virtual sporting event since things have been shut down (The WNBA Draft) and it set huge viewership records. Of course, everyone was home watching and so was I. The Philadelphia Eagles had an interesting draft weekend to say the least. Here are my somewhat rational thoughts about the Eagles’ draft weekend:

Round 1- No. 21- Jalen Reagor, WR, TCU

This was the first pick of the weekend that blew up Eagles Twitter. The Eagles stood firm at no. 21 and selected the speedster out of TCU. Reagor is 5’11 and 206 pounds and ran a 4.45 at the combine, which seems to be a little slow for someone labelled as a speed WR. When looking at some highlights and game tape, you can see his straight-line speed and movement within space is outstanding. After watching, I did some digging and it looks like he went to the combine about ten pounds heavier (muscle) than his normal playing weight. After the combine he dropped the ten pounds and during his pro-day, he ran an unofficial 4.35, which is lightning fast.

There are a few reasons why the city almost exploded when he was picked. After Henry Ruggs was taken 12th by the Raiders, the next receiver wasn’t taken until 15th by the Broncos, who selected Jerry Jeudy.  The Cowboys selected WR CeeDee Lamb (Oklahoma) at 17, which wasn’t necessarily a position of need for them. Some scouts had Lamb as the best receiver in the class and the fans believe the Eagles “let” the Cowboys draft him. Many wondered why the Eagles didn’t just trade up ahead of the Cowboys with either the Falcons or Niners to get Juedy or Lamb. The word was the teams in front of the Eagles had a price tag the Eagles refused to pay. Those teams had leverage, as the whole world knew the Eagles needed a receiver and would draft a receiver during the first round. So, the Eagles resisted losing draft capital and waited for their guy at pick 21. With LSU receiver Justin Jefferson on the board, and all mock drafts pointing to the Eagles getting him, they decided to skip out on Jefferson and select Reagor.

Jefferson (111 recs, 1540 yards, 18 TDs) had a tremendous year last season compared to Reagor (43 recs, 611 yards, 5 TDs), but the quarterback play for each team was at opposite ends of the spectrum. Jefferson had Heisman winning, records setting, number #1 pick Joe Burrow, while Reagor had a freshman QB throwing him the ball. He had much better stats in 2018 with an experienced quarterback, catching 72 recs, 1061 yards and 9 TDs. Overall, this came down to what the Eagles wanted and felt each player could bring them. They felt Jefferson would be a slot receiver and may have trouble winning on the outside and they needed a speedy receiver that could win on the outside and stretch the defense vertically.

Round 2- No. 53- Jalen Hurts, QB, Oklahoma

WHATTTTTT?!?!?! Friday Night, the city truly believed Howie Roseman and Doug Pederson lost their minds! After thinking about this all weekend, I still can’t wrap my head around why they would pick Jalen Hurts in the second round. If he would have been picked in the third or fourth round, I don’t think the decision would be as puzzling. But the second round! The second round is for eventual starters. Are you telling me Carson isn’t your franchise QB for the next 8-10 years? It just doesn’t make sense right now. Is this injury insurance for Carson? Are Eagles going to use him as a Taysom Hill/Slash type player? That’s fine but Taysom Hill was an undrafted free agent. Hurts started off at Alabama and transferred to Oklahoma, where he was a Heisman finalist this past season posting amazing numbers (3851 yards passing, 1298 yards rushing and 52 total TDs). The Eagles say they view Hurts as a QB first and if that is the case, they may have accidentally started another QB conversation in Philadelphia. Ultimately, I think he will play WR/RB/Flex in order to get him in space to make plays because he is an exceptional runner. He will obviously be apart of some trick plays, but the coaching staff and organization are truly leaving fans in the dark with this pick. There must be some reason they drafted Hurts in the second round and the entire city of Philadelphia will be awaiting the day when we can see why.

Round 3- No. 103- Davion Taylor, LB, Colorado

I think the Jalen Hurts pick overshadowed this good pick. The Eagles linebacker core has been relatively mediocre for the last two seasons and they drafted a potential future upgrade in the third round. He has an interesting story, only playing two full high school games due to his religion. He enrolled at a JUCO and then attended Colorado and made plays all over the field. Taylor ran a 4.49 at combine and his speed shows up on tape. He was able to make a ton of tackles for loss with his speed but tends to get tricked during play action passes. He also hadn’t created a single turnover in college, so ball skills will have to be something Jim Schwartz works with him on. He is a developmental LB but in a year or two could turn out to be a very good starter.

Round 4- No. 127- K’Von Wallace, S, Clemson

Another defense player added to the roster. Last season, Wallace had 72 tackles and was second on the team in solo tackles with 45. He has a knack for being around the ball and was able to get his hands on 2 interceptions as well. He is aggressive, a hard hitter, and plays zone coverage very well. Even though he was able to get his hands on some interceptions, he drops more than he catches. He also has some issues in man coverage struggling to flip his hips and running with the receiver. Both of those things can be cleaned up with technique and coaching at the next level. Overall, a good pick and will more than likely be the safety of the future for this team. I see him splitting time with Jalen Mills this season and playing special teams.

Round 4- No. 145- Jack Driscoll, OT, Auburn

Eagles drafted another position of need during the 2020 draft. With Jason Peters currently a free agent and Big V signing with the Detroit Lions, some depth was needed on the offensive line. Driscoll was a two-year starter at Auburn and adds some athleticism and versatility to the offensive line. He played right tackle and left guard in college and ran a 5.02 at the combine. On tape, you can see his athleticism when pulling on trap and stretch runs. He can get to the second level and help a running back get into the open field. Driscoll isn’t the strongest player but will be a much-needed addition to the offensive line.

Round 5- No. 168- John Hightower, WR, Boise State

You guessed it! The Eagles drafted another speedy receiver. You can see the theme for the draft, the Eagles want to draft players who can stretch the field. Hightower is 6’1, runs a 4.4 and has a large catch radius. His last season for Boise State he put up 943 yards and 8 TDs on 51 catches. How did he fall to the 5th round? Well he’s small, weighing only 189 pounds and his route running is not polished. Some teams believe he will struggle against press coverage in the NFL. The Eagles will have to develop him but if they do, the investment is going to pay off on this late round pick.

Round 6- No. 196- Shaun Bradley, LB, Temple

A nice heartwarming draft pick. Bradley is a local kid growing up in South Jersey and attended Temple where he was a three-year starter. He has great straight-line speed and the ability to avoid blockers to make tackles. He does have some issues once engaged with blockers and his lateral play speed doesn’t match his straight-line speed. He will more than likely make the team as a special teams player with him being a backup middle linebacker.

Round 6- No. 200- Quez Watkins, WR, Southern Miss

Another track speed type wide receiver. Watkins is 6’2, 190 pounds, and ran a 4.35 at the combine. The Eagles are now trying to compete with the Chiefs for the fastest receivers in the league. He has a good number of strengths. He’s athletic, can sprint through zone coverage to get open and has high value as a return guy. He has some of the same concerns as Hightower, which include struggling against good press coverage and not physical enough on contested catches. Not sure if he will make the roster because the Eagles also traded for Marquise Goodwin from the 49ers.

Round 6- No. 210- Prince Tega Wanogho, OT, Auburn

Prototypical project Offensive line who will be a practice squad player. Could make the 53-man roster in a few years if he works hard on the practice squad.

Round 7- No. 233- Casey Toohill, DE, Stanford

Toohill was drafted purely as a developmental pass rusher. He showed great flashes as a pass rusher at Stanford but had major issues with stopping the run.  If he added some muscle mass, he could possibly be a backup edge for the Birds. If he doesn’t make the final 53-man roster, he will be stashed on the practice squad for development.

Overall, I think the Eagles had a good draft weekend including the addition of WR Marquise Goodwin through trade. The Eagles wanted to add speed this draft at multiple position and they have. It was no secret that teams around the league thought the Eagles had the slowest offense in the league. After this weekend they have a 4X100 relay team at receiver. The fans will be critical of the first two selections but we will see how it plays out. I think they will be satisfied with how fast the Eagles offense will be flying this upcoming season.

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Sniper Shake! Who is Shake Milton? A Profile on the Sixers’ Combo Guard Who is Making the Most of an Opportunity

Posted on by jcrosby1315
Shake Milton during his career high performance, where he scored 39 points against the Clippers Sunday

Who is Shake Milton? If you’re a casual Sixers or NBA fan, you may not have any clue. After his 39-point performance against the fully loaded Clippers Sunday afternoon, you know who he is now. Shake straight up dominated Sunday against the Clippers. He shot 14-20 from the floor and 7-9 from three point range. He dominated the first half including a highlight fast break dunk over Patrick Beverly. Even when the Clippers titled their defense toward him in the second half, he did not shy away and continued to be aggressive. The Clippers put Kawhi Leonard, Paul George and Pat Beverly on him, with none of them having much success in slowing Milton down. As I wrote in my last piece, Shake would be one of the Sixers who would have to step up in Ben Simmons’ absence. Now that we know what happened Sunday, how did we get here?

Malik Benjamin “Shake” Milton was born in Owasso, Oklahoma just outside Tulsa. Milton starred at Owasso High School earning Gatorade Player of the Year for the state in his junior and senior seasons. His senior year, he averaged 30 points per game and was Oklahoma Super 5 Player of the Year. He committed to Southern Methodist University (SMU) and was recruited by head coach Larry Brown, the former Sixers head coach. Shake was a four star recruit and chose to attend SMU over University of Oklahoma and Indiana University.

While Shake had a solid career at SMU, his numbers did not jump off the page. Milton’s freshman year saw him receive All AAC Rookie Team honors averaging 10.5 PPG, 3.0 RPG, and 2.7 APG. By his junior year, his production increased to 18 PPG, 4.7 RPG, and 4.4 APG. His season was cut short with a broken hand after 22 games, but was still able to make All AAC second team.

Shake declared for the draft and was eventually picked in the second round with the 54th pick by the Dallas Mavericks in the 2018 NBA Draft. He was traded to the 76ers on draft night for the 56th and 60th picks in the 2018 draft. Milton ended up signing a two-way deal with the Sixers, meaning he would split time between the Sixers and their G-League affiliate, the Delaware Blue Coats. He appeared in 20 games for the Sixers averaging almost 5 points. However, in the G-League, he averaged 25 PPG, 5 APG, and 5 RPG. His scoring average was 4th best in the G-League.

Before the current NBA season, the Sixers signed Shake to a 4 year NBA deal. Early in the season, Milton looked to be in the rotation but after injuring his knee against the Hawks he didn’t return to the lineup. He was buried on the bench only used in garbage time situations. Once injuries started happening, Brett started going to Shake Milton to get a trust worthy ball handler in the game. With injuries to Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid, Shake has stepped up in ways no one predicted. He has started 12 games thus far this season and will likely continue to start going forward. Brett Brown mentioned after Sunday’s game that he told Milton he would not be in the rotation after the All-Star break but it didn’t pan out that way.

You have to give Shake Milton credit for taking advantage of the opportunity that he has been given. Lets see if the former second round pick can continue to shine now that defenses will be preparing for him. This feels like vintage 2016 Sixers, where we are rooting for a little known second round pick to make a difference and honestly its not a bad feeling.

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Ben Simmons Sidelined with Lower Back Injury- How will this affect the Sixers’ Playoff Push

Posted on by jcrosby1315
PHILADELPHIA, PA – FEBRUARY 20: Ben Simmons #25 of the Philadelphia 76ers talks to head coach Brett Brown against the Brooklyn Nets at the Wells Fargo Center on February 20, 2020 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The 76ers defeated the Nets 112-104 in overtime.

Sixers’ All-Star Ben Simmons left Saturday night’s game against the Bucks in the first quarter after re-aggravating a back injury. According to sources, Ben Simmons was “emotional” leaving the arena after getting a X-Ray. He received a MRI Sunday and will be re-evaluated Monday after a second opinion. Ben “originally” injured his back in Wednesday’s practice and sat out Thursday’s overtime win against the Nets. Some truly think Ben injured his back in the second half of the All-Star game after he fell when he completed an alley-oop. I’m far from a doctor but a second opinion in sports always sounds bad, normally because the first diagnosis the player received isn’t the best news. I’m hoping for the best but I’m thinking Ben will be out at least 6-8 weeks and returning for the playoffs. Whatever the timeline is, there are some questions that I have in regards to the Sixers and their playoff push without him.

Why Would the Sixers Play Him if He was Still Injured?

This is the question that really stands out in my mind. I know the game was against the Bucks on national TV, but we are in February. If this team is a “flip the switch” team, then this game didn’t mean as much as it was made out to be. The Sixers have had issues in the past with their young stars returning before they were ready. Embiid played with a torn meniscus against the Rockets in his rookie year because the game was flexed to national TV. There has been talk of the Sixers’ medical staff negligence and fans will riot if Simmons shouldn’t have been playing. I know Simmons is normally the Sixers’ ironman, having played 214 out of 221 career games, but you have to protect the player from themselves.

Who Will have to Step Up ?

IT’S OBVIOUS that Joel Embiid, Tobias Harris, and yes Al Horford will have to step up in Ben’s absence. They all will have to step up their scoring, defense, and hustle. Ben brings defensive intensity and hustle every night, so there will have to be a collective effort to replace that. The offense will have to be more post oriented and pick-and-roll dependent. I expect Embiid to up his scoring average to about 27 PPG and Tobias to up his average to about 23 PPG.

Who Will Push the Pace and Handle the Ball?

The most obvious answer most would think would be Josh Richardson. Josh will have to step up and handle the ball, increase his scoring and make more plays for others. JRich is currently averaging 14.3 PPG, 3 RPG, and 3 APG. Those assist will have to increase to about 6 a game. Brett has used Josh as a back up PG in the past this season with mixed results. Shake Milton is someone who I think will come in and be a solid contributor and will most likely be inserted into the starting lineup. In recent weeks, Shake has come in and really helped this team. He shoots the three well and is an above average playmaker. Brett will most likely give him the duty of the primary ball handler and pace-pusher. The other ball handler will be Alec Burks. His pick and rolls with Embiid and Horford should provide scoring off the bench. Alec will have to score 14-15 PPG off the bench each game to help with the scoring load. He can push the pace and is one of the few Sixer players that can get their own shot repeatedly. One thing that worries me about the possibility of Ben’s extended absence is who will create three point shots for this team? Ben’s pace and pass first mentality has him leading the league on assists on 3-point shots made (223 made three pointers).

Can a Buyout Player Help?

The buyout market can really produce a player that can help your team and in this case, the Sixers need a guard. There are only two players currently on the market that could POSSIBLY help the Sixers. The two names that come to mind are Dion Waiters and Tyler Johnson. So far this season, both have had issues with the teams they were on. Waiters was in the dog house as soon as the season started and then had an episode where he got too high on the Miami team plane after eating edibles. He hadn’t been in the rotation, and when Tyler Herro and Jimmy Butler had injuries, he stepped up and helped the team stay in games by scoring double digits in the three games he has played. You know what you get with Dion Waiters, scoring and no defense. Maybe playing at home in Philly would help Waiters’ play but I don’t know if Sixers would take that chance. Tyler Johnson hasn’t been in the Suns’ rotation this year but is a career double digit PPG scorer and average three point shooter. He could help with ball handling and pushing the pace but isn’t known as a great defender.

Ultimately, I think Sixers will stay with in-house talent but will have a hard time finishing the season if Simmons is out for an extended period. I just think he does so much for this team making it difficult to plug the hole he will leave on the court.

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Sixers’ Trade Deadline Deals, 4-Game Skid, Fan Panic Meter and More

Posted on by jcrosby1315
76ers bench during a 31 point loss against the Miami Heat

Whew! What an emotional roller coaster the Sixers have been thus far this season. Sitting at underwhelming 31-21 record and 6th in the Eastern Conference, there are many questions about this team and how good they truly are. There’s so much to talk about, but I’ll start on a positive note….

Sixers’ Trade Deadline Deals

All year, we’ve seen the Sixers’ weaknesses. Shooting and Ball-handling/ Shot Creation (we will talk about roster construction later on). Without much to offer to make a big splash, Elton quietly made a deal that could tremendously help the Sixers balance out the roster and rotation. In my trade primer piece, majority of trades included Mike Scott, Zhaire Smith and picks. Those pieces weren’t enough to land them some top notch shooter or ball handler. Elton also was not going to give up anyone in the starting lineup, as he still believes this team is built to beat the Bucks in a seven game playoff series.

Brand was able to trade three low value second picks to the Golden State Warriors for SG Alec Burks and SF Glenn Robinson III. It’s not the big splashy move but its exactly what the Sixers needed.

Alec Burks is a combo guard that can handle the ball, create for his teammates, shoot and get to the line. He’s had an average NBA career due to his early injury history, but he’s just what the Sixers need off the bench. So far this year his stats are:

12 20+ point games
Shooting 38% from 3-point range (47% over the last 10 games)
5 FTA per game with 90% FT percentage
16.1 PPG


Video Courtesy of The Painted Lines

Glenn Robinson III, who will now be known as GR3 hereafter, is a three point specialist with some bounce. GR3 has been on a few teams in career thus far and was actually a “Process” Sixer in 2014-15. Before this season in Golden State, his best year was in Indiana (2016-17), where he started 27 games and won the Dunk Contest during all-star weekend. GR3 is bringing much needed shooting and spacing, as well as a great off the ball movement. This year his stats are:

41% 3-point percentage
42% Corner 3-point percentage
40% Catch & Shoot 3-point percentage
12.9 PPG

Video Courtesy of The Painted Lines

These guys will balance out the roster and provide much needed scoring and depth. I honestly can’t wait to see lineups of Simmons-Burks-Korkmaz-GR3-Al Horford. This should be a deadly line up of scoring. Also the lineup of Simmons-Richardson-Burks-Harris-Embiid should provide a lot of PNR options to get to the bucket.

*Side Note* To make room for these acquisitions, James Ennis was traded to the Orlando Magic, and Trey Burke/Jonah Bolden was waived.

Current State of the Sixers

The Sixers are 31-21 and have lost 4 straight, which all happened to be road games. The Sixers are now 9-19 on the road and 6th in the Eastern Conference. Honestly, I don’t know where to start and I feel like I’m one of the most optimistic people in the city about the Sixers. The city’s panic meter level is at a 14 on a scale of 1-10. They lost to the Hawks, Celtics by 21, Heat by 31, and Bucks. There are multiple reasons of why the season has gone the way it has.

The first reason is roster construction. Elton Brand and the owners signed Al Horford this summer as Embiid insurance and to help beat the Bucks. Well, the Sixers have to make it to the ECF in order for this strategy to work. The spacing has been bad and having Al shoot 6 threes a game is not his strength. With Ben not shooting and Tobias’ up and down shooting, this team doesn’t have the players to make Brett Brown’s free flowing scheme work. It’s on Elton Brand to take ownership on the way the roster is constructed but its on Brett to scheme these guys into better shots and have a more complimentary rotation.

Another reason the Sixers look like crap is because they don’t play with effort as a collective group. Ben Simmons and Josh Richardson are the only two players that bring effort and defensive intensity every night. Matisse Tybulle shows flashes but his shooting ins’t consistent enough to keep him on the floor. I love Joel Embiid, but his effort and attitude has been atrocious all year and has only gotten worse. Tobias and Horford turn the effort on and off when they want to. These guys have to dive for loose balls, run through screens, and get offensive rebounds. There was a sequence in Atlanta at the end of the third quarter where Vince Carter shot a three and missed. Embiid just thought the clock was going to run out and showed no effort to get the rebound. Hawks center Damion Jones just jumped over Embiid and put back the missed three at the buzzer. Momentum killer as Sixers would have had the lead down to three going into the fourth quarter instead of five.

All in all, my panic meter for this team is at a 7 out of 10. Hopefully these new guys can come in and help provide better shooting and attitude. The Sixers have the Grizz, Bulls, and Clippers all at home before the all star game. There is no reason why this team shouldn’t go into the All Star break with 3 straight wins at home. I still believe this team can get to 3rd seed with them being only 5 games back with the tie-breaker over the Celtics. They have the 4th easiest schedule remaining according to tankathon.com but 17 of the remaining 30 games are on the road. I hope the Sixers can prove me right.

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Sixers Trade Deadline Guide

Posted on by jcrosby1315

As the NBA Trade Deadline approaches, plenty of rumors have been floating around about the Philadelphia 76ers. There has been a lot of discussion about “fit” for the Sixers. Whether Joel Embiid, Al Horford, and Ben Simmons can fit together? Do the Sixers have enough perimeter shooting? Do they have enough shot-creating or play- making? All of the questions above have been floating around. Shoot, I have been asking those same questions! The Sixers will be without Joel Embiid for at least 4-6 weeks (my guesstimated timeline) with a hand injury, so we will see what this team will look like with Ben running the show but they need some help! I am not sure if there will be a major trade before the deadline, but here are my opinions on who is “most tradedable” and some possible trades that Elton Brand could make:

UNTOUCHABLE: Ben Simmons, Joel Embiid, Tobias Harris

Embiid and Simmons are franchise cornerstones and as much as the national media and NBA Twitter wants either of them to be traded, it will not happen this season. Tobias Harris’ deal is what makes him untouchable, 5 years, $180 million is a tough contract to trade in the first year. He’s had a pretty good season in my opinion but needs to be more consistent as the second scoring threat.

UNLIKELY TO BE TRADED: Al Horford, Josh Richardson, Matisse Thybulle, James Ennis

Sixers signed Al Horford as Embiid insurance and it seems with Embiid out for an extended period, they made the right signing. I don’t see Elton trading Horford unless its a big deal that they could not pass up, i.e Jrue Holiday, Bradley Beal. Josh Richardson is a budding 2- way guard who will only get better. He’s cheap at $10 million a year and the Sixers only other main perimeter creator. I can only see him being thrown in a large trade but very unlikely. Matisse is really really good on defense and becoming a better 3-point shooter. Teams will surely ask for him in trade deals, but I KNOW Elton is a smart enough GM not to include him. James Ennis has a no trade clause and one of the Sixers best bench guys. He can’t be traded unless he wanted to.

PACK YOUR BAGS: Mike Scott, Zhaire Smith, Jonah Bolden, Kyle O’Quinn, Raul Neto, Shake Milton

I’m sorry, but all these guys mentioned above will be traded if the deal right. Let’s start with Mike Scott. I’m sorry to the Mike Scott Hive, he’s one of my favorite Sixers. He brings toughness, attitude, and shooting but that’s the thing, he hasn’t brought much shooting this year. He’s actually been terrible this year as one of our shooters, shooting only 34% from 3 over the season thus far. I hope he isn’t traded because I am also a member of the Hive, but we expect more from Mike Scott. The Sixers would have hoped Zhaire could be contributing by now but he has not. He’s been playing with the Sixers’ G-League affiliate most of the year still adjusting to NBA style basketball. A lot of teams were high on him in the 2018 NBA draft, so I expect him to be in majority of the deals. Jonah Bolden, Kyle O’Quinn (I’m confused on why he doesn’t play), and Raul Neto will all be included in any outgoing trade packages.

SKILL SET NEEDED BUT COULD BE SALARY FILLERS: Furkan Korkmaz, Trey Burke

Korkmaz is the only pure shooter the Sixers have currently, and I don’t expect him to included on any deals. He’s gotten better on defense as well, so I think he will be here past the deadline. Trey Burke can be a spark off the bench, and one of the few players on this team that can create for themselves in the Isolation or PNR. He’s penciled in as Ben’s back up right now and has shown he can play with him. Trey won’t be traded unless they are getting a shot creator back and they need his salary in the trade.

Take a look at some trade possibilities below:

Sixers trade Al Horford, Josh Richardson, Mike Scott, OKC 2020 1st round pick, 2020 NYK 2nd round pick, 2020 ATL 2nd round pick to the New Orleans Pelicans for Jrue Holiday and Derrick Favors

This is the one of two trades that I could see Al Horford and J-Rich moved in. Getting Jrue would be amazing, as he could assume ball handling duties for Ben in the 4th quarters and actually initiate offense for himself and others. Derrick Favors would just be Embiid’s back up and a major downgrade from Al Horford playing PF or C.

Sixers trade Mike Scott, Zhaire Smith, Jonah Bolden, Raul Neto, OKC 2020 1st round pick, NYK 2020 2nd round pick, ATL 2020 2nd round pick to the Detroit Pistons for Derrick Rose and Luke Kennard

This would be ideal for the Sixers, receiving much needed ball handling, shot creating, and shooting back. Derrick Rose would be aggressive on offense with the second unit and could play crunch time 4th quarter mins in certain situations. Kennard would be the knock down shooter the Sixers desperately need to pair with Korkmaz. He can also create for himself and run JJ Reddick action types with Embiid.

Sixers trade Zhaire Smith, Kyle O’Quinn, ATL 2020 2nd round pick to the Denver Nuggets for Malik Beasley, DEN 2020 2nd round pick

Malik Beasley is averaging 6.9 PPG in 16 MPG but has recently fell out of Denver’s rotation. He is shooting 39% from behind the arc and has the skills to take people off the dribble. He would be an upgrade and could play alongside Simmons because of his shooting ability. He has some defensive issues that could be a problem but could easily come to Philly and average 10 PPG off of the bench.

Sixers trade Al Horford, Zhaire Smith, Raul Neto, 2020 OKC 1st round pick, 2020 NYK 2nd round pick, 2020 ATL 2nd round pick to the OKC Thunder for Chris Paul

Sooooooo…initially I hated this trade, but after reading about this trade a few times, I’ve been convinced that this could work. Chris Paul is a HOF point guard but he’s been known to be a bad locker room guy. The Sixers’ two young stars don’t need any more negativity in the locker room. After watching CP3 these last few weeks, I’m convinced his ball handling and PNR prowess would help the squad tremendously. Also, in the 4th quarter he could handle the ball and initiate offense for everyone. He shares the ball with two other guards in OKC, so he wouldn’t mind deferring to Ben in early situations here.

Sixers trade Mike Scott, Zhaire Smith, Jonah Bolden to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Robert Covington

RoCo! Many hated to see RoCo go in the Jimmy Butler trade in November 2018. This trade would bring him back on a cheap deal and allow the Sixers to add another “3 and D” wing. He helps with spacing but doesn’t help in shot creation. Many contenders will be in the running for Cov’s services and it will likely take more than the package you see here to trade for him.

Sixers trade Mike Scott, Zhaire Smith, 2020 OKC 1st round pick to the Sacromento Kings for Bogdan Bogdanovic

This trade would give the Sixers what they need without giving up too much. It allows them to have other trade chips in their pocket if they are buying close to the trade deadline. He’s shooting 38% from three and averages almost 4 APG. He is shooting 45% on pull up jumpers and 39% on catch and shoot shots. He could be an asset in the PNR and possibly put the ball in his hands in crunch time. If you get rid of Mike Scott, you could go after Jeff Green as a free agent since he was waived by the Jazz.

Sixers trade Mike Scott, Jonah Bolden, Zhaire Smith, Kyle O’Quinn to the Washington Wizards for Davis Bertans, Isaiah Thomas, 2020 WAS 2nd round pick.

Sixers have been linked to Davis Bertans a lot recently and if the Sixers can get him, expect the Wizards to up the price. Some combination of this trade with or without Isaiah Thomas would work. Bertans would be the lights out shooter the Sixers need and could run the same action they ran with JJ Redick and Joel Embiid. Thomas would give the Sixers a back up point guard with experience that can get some buckets. Thomas would be a defensive liability and would have to play with a good group of defenders to make up for his size.

Overall, the trades above are all scenarios that could help the Sixers right away. Elton Brand will make a move in the near future and hasn’t been afraid to shake things up. I look forward to seeing what Elton has up his sleeve.

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2020 Wish List/Resolutions for the 76ers

Posted on by jcrosby1315

The Sixers ended 2019 with a horrible road loss in Indiana on New Year’s eve ushering in 2020 with a 23-13 record. As fans, we expect so much more from this squad, but with so many new faces, it has taken longer to gel than the fans thought. Brett Brown has said that he didn’t expect the Sixers to develop more cohesion until Christmas but, on some nights we have seen what looks like the best team in the East, while other nights this team STRUGGLES. I still believe this team will get it together one way or another, but until then, here is a 2020 Wishlist of hopes for the Philadelphia 76ers:

1. Exert more effort against opponents on the road

The Sixers are 7-11 on the road and tend to play down to competition in the first three quarters, until they decide to turn it up in the 4th and almost always, it is too little too late. Sixers have road losses in DC, OKC, Orlando (2X), Phoenix, and Brooklyn. All those games should have been wins. Joel Embiid and company need to find some inspiration against lesser teams on the road or they will find themselves stuck in a precarious situation where they are continually ranked in the middle of the pack in the Eastern Conference.

2. Tobias Harris improving consistency

When Tobias inked the 180-million-dollar contract in June 2019, people wondered if he “would be able to live up to being a max contract player”. Tobias started the season a little rough with a dreadful 0-23 from “3-point Land” streak. He has since become more reliable as a scorer and increased his PPG to just under 20 PPG. Since mid-November Tobias has low key played at an All-Star level with three 30 point games. All we wish for him is to attack every game and get more shot attempts. Nine shot attempts in Indy on 12/31 is not acceptable.

3. Joel Embiid to stop “Saving himself” for the Playoffs

I get it, we need a healthy “JoJo” for April and May but it’s obvious he only gets up for certain match ups. Yes, he’s had bad luck with injury in the last two playoff runs, but if he doesn’t play his best, and the Sixers lose games they shouldn’t, they could find themselves in the 4/5 spot. And as a result, this could land the Sixers in a matchup against the Bucks in the second round instead of the ECF. We also know that Embiid could be a Top 3 player in this league if he gives maximum effort on a nightly basis.

4. Better Spacing

Spacing in the NBA determines how well an offense works. Spacing determines how teams get open shots in the half court and you usually need players to space the floor to allow one on one post play, pick and roll or isolation. We all knew this lineup had the potential to be the best defensive team in the league. We got a surprise with how good defensively Matisse Thybulle is and how good he has been from 3-point range. As we sit here at the beginning of January, the spacing issue hasn’t been figured out. Ben, Al, and JoJo all like to be in the paint. Tobias and Josh like PNR ,which is something Brett is just starting to run. For this to work, they need better spacing which includes having “shooters” on the court at all times. Furkan Korkmaz has been a surprise, but he’s not enough with Mike Scott having a down year. My two ideas for space creation would be either changing the starting lineup to something like Ben, J-Rich, Furkan or Thybulle, Tobias, and Joel. Horford would be a glorified 6th man and could get starts when Embiid doesn’t play. He could also play the 4th quarter clutch minutes as well but it’s just not working. Asking Al to shoot seven 3’s a game is a bit much. The other idea would be to make a trade for some shooters. If that occurs, you may have to trade Horford, Zhaire Smith, Jonah Bolden, or Mike Scott (Sorry to the hive). A combo of any of those players would have to be traded for some shooting. According to the insiders, Sixers have their eyes on David Bertans (Wizards), Bogdan Bogdanovic/ Buddy Hield (Kings), Josh Hart/ JJ Reddick (Pelicans). They need to do something to fix the spacing issue and it’s on the coaches and Front Office. P.S. Elton Brand won’t trade Ben Simmons or Joel Embiid, so you guys can stop wishing for one of them to go to build around the other.

5. Fans accepting that Ben Simmons will not shoot

As much as we all want Ben Simmons to shoot jumpers and 3’s, it’s clearly not going to happen. After all the summer workout videos, we have only watched Ben take two real 3’s in the half court this year (2/2). He may have taken a total of only 10 jumpers thus far this season. He’s not going to shoot them for whatever reason and the Sixers are going to live with it. Brett wants him to shoot, and teammates want him to shoot… but he just won’t. At this point, we need to accept Ben for the player he is and give him credit for what he does well now. He is having an all-defensive first team type season and is a phenomenal passer and rebounder.

6. Brett Brown to figure this thing out

It is evident that Elton Brand is loyal to Brett and wants him to see the fruits of the years of the “Process”, but if they can’t advance past the second round this year, he will be fired. If Colangelo was still the GM, he would have worked with the Owners to fire Brett, and Jay Wright would have been the Sixers coach. Brett needs to figure it out, forget the egos, and do what is best for the team. If he does not, he could find himself unemployed after this season. It doesn’t help that after every loss, #sixertwitter is filled with “Fire Brett Brown” tweets.

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Around the NBA: Sixers/ NBA Playoff Preview

Posted on by jcrosby1315

First let me start by saying, work has been killing me so I haven’t had much time to write…BUT I’m back! With the NBA playoff match ups set and the playoffs beginning on Saturday 4/13, a whirlwind 82 game season has come to an end. Below I will be previewing and giving my prediction on the Sixers’ playoff first round series and the rest of the match ups around the NBA.

(3) Philadelphia 76ers (51-31) v. (6) Brooklyn Nets (42-40)

The Sixers come stumbling into a first round playoff match up with the “upstart” Brooklyn Nets. The Nets have overachieved this season due to the play of 1st time all star D’Angelo Russell. He’s grown into a leader that his team rallies around. The Nets come in with a 12-10 record since the all star break and a trendy upset pick for the first round of the playoffs. I mean if we’re being honest here, I could see why Media and “Twitter basketball experts” expect for this to be a 7-game series or the Nets getting the series victory. The Sixers have played like crap for the last 2-3 weeks. They have struggled to stop anyone from scoring and this team is supposed to be defensive first with potentially 3 top 15 defenders in the NBA on one roster. We can also attribute the Sixers issues and crappy play to the absence of Joel Embiid. He has played in only 10 of the last 24 games due to left knee soreness. The team also hasn’t had any continuity due to other starters being in and out of the line up as well. The starting 5 has only played 10 games together so they will have to learn on the fly in these playoffs (8-2 in those games).
The Nets are a team with athletic guards who can create for others and get their own shots. For some reason this kills the Sixers and one can only be worried that this will haunt them in this playoff series.
Even through all of the Sixers slumping and late season issues, talent should trump all, especially in this series. The Sixers have 4 all star level players in their starting line up and JJ Redick is having his best season as a pro. They should be able to handle the upstart Nets and send them packing before Cinco de Mayo. Prediction: Sixers win series 4-1

(1) Golden State Warriors (57-25) v. (8) Los Angeles Clippers (48-34)

There has been so much talk of the Warriors Dynasty falling apart, Kevin Durant to the Knicks, Draymond Green drama but these guys are still really really good at basketball. They have looked bored all season and only get up for the games they want to prove something in. They look like a team that thinks their finals berth is a formality and they may be right.
The Clippers didn’t tank after trading Tobias Harris to the Sixers and actually played very very well. Lou Williams will have the Sixth Man of the Year award named after him some day and Danilo Gallinari got in shape and actually started playing good basketball again. Montrezl Harrell is a beast off the bench and they have baby JJ Redick with Landry Shamet. With that being said, the Warriors have arguably the best team and starting line up in NBA history (we can debate that if you want) and should win this series sleep walking. Prediction: Warriors win series 4-0

(1) Milwaukee Bucks (60-22) v. (8) Detroit Pistons (41-41)

Personally, I think this series will be a snooze fest and the only reason to watch would be for the Giannis to solidify his MVP campaign. The Bucks are fun to watch but it won’t be fun watching them play the Detroit snoozefests in a 4 game series. The snoozefests might be able to get a game at home if Blake Griffin is healthy but he didn’t play the last 3 games of the season and was seen in a walking boot. Don’t care to analyze this one anymore than I have. Prediction: Bucks win series 4-0

(2) Denver Nuggets (54-28) v. (7) San Antonio Spurs (48-34)

This match up is a very intriguing one to me. The Denver Nuggets have been really good all year led by Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray. Their offense is ran through Jokic effectively as he is the best play maker on the team. Besides him, you can’t key in on another guy to stop because it can be someone different every night. It could be Gary Harris, Paul Milsap, Will Barton, or Torey Craig that could go off. I also believe Pop will have the Spurs ready and have his guys believing they can upset the Nuggets. LaMarcus Aldridge has been playing lights out this last month of the season and Demar Derozan is still in all star form. I feel like we say Pop has done his best coaching job each year but I truly believe it this time. This could wind up being a hard fought series because the Nuggets have no playoff experience and the Spurs have a ton of experience. Prediction: Nuggets win series 4-3.

(2) Toronto Raptors (58-24) v. (7) Orlando Magic (42-40)

The Terrance Ross revenge series! Nah, only people who care about this series are the people of Canada and Sixers fans because they want to see how vulnerable the Raptors look. Kyle Lowry has historically played bad in the playoffs but I think this is the year that he plays well especially with a good chance Kawhi Lenard leaves and the Raptors start their real rebuild. He wants a real shot at a Finals berth.
Kudos to the Magic for making a late push for the playoffs and should thank the Sixers for trading someone to them with playoff experience…Markelle Fultz! Fultz hasn’t played a minute for the Magic and is taking his usual place on the bench in a suit. He must be telling them all the playoff secrets he’s learned from the Sixers (being really sarcastic here if you can’t tell). This is a good experience for the Magic and Nikola Vuecevic, who will be auditioning for a Max contract. Prediction: Raptors win series 4-1.

(3) Portland Trailblazers (53-29) v. (6) Oklahoma City Thunder (49-33)

I DON’T BELIEVE IN THE BLAZERS IN THE PLAYOFFS. NEVER HAVE AND NEVER WILL. Prediction: Thunder win series 4-2.

(4) Boston Celtics (49-33) v. (5) Indiana Pacers (48-34)

This playoff series has some very intriguing story lines, starting with the Celtics turmoil. All eyes will be on Kyrie “Holla at me July 1st” Irving as he tries to lead this team that he says doesn’t want to be lead. The Celtics should be a heavy favorite in this series against the Pacers without Oladipo. The Pacers tried their hardest to hold on to the 3rd seed but ran out of gas with a tough schedule at the end of the season. The Pacers are top 10 in team defense and that could be their saving grace in this series. How will Tatum, Brown and Rozier play? What about Gordon Hayward? The Celtics said they aren’t having fun this season and aren’t playing for one another so will selfishness do them in this series? This has a potential to be a grueling 7 -game series but talent should win out. If it doesn’t and they lose, Boston will burn down in racist flames. Prediction: Boston Celtics win series 4-1.

(4) Houston Rockets (53-29) v. (5) Utah Jazz (50-32)

This series should be entertaining with reigning MVP James Harden most likely averaging 40 plus points per game. The Rockets hopes rest on the health of Chris Paul in my opinion and if he doesn’t stay healthy in this first round series they can be beat. The Jazz have a really good defensive team with Rudy Gobert blocking everything that comes to the rim. I think ultimately Donovan Mitchell’s shooting can win them some games and he can shoot them out of some games (He averages 23 points per game on 21 shots per game, bad efficiency). I look for the Rockets to get out of this round in a victory. Prediction: Rockets win series 4-2.

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Weeks in Review (2/21-3/4), (3-2)

Posted on by jcrosby1315

The 76ers (40-23), came out of the All Star break with news that it’s All Star Center Joel Embiid would be out with left knee tendinitis. The games still had to be played and with 3 all star caliber players lets see how Philly fared without Joel in the last 5 games.

The first game, which was briefly mentioned in my last post, featured the Sixers vs. their playoff rivals of last season, the Miami Heat. The Sixers came away with a 106-102 win with Tobias Harris leading the way with 23 points and Boban Marjanovic dominating most of the first quarter. As usual, Dwayne Wade was a menace to the Sixers as he has been throughout his career. Side note: I know Wade is on his “farewell tour” but it looks like this guy can play another year or two if he’s playing only 20-25 mins a game off the bench. He’s averaging 14 points a game and still hitting game winners. Carmelo, take note. You could be a key contributor off the bench for a contender and still be respected as an all time great. But nooooooo, you have to start on every team you go to. Sorry for the soap box moment.

The next game was a Saturday afternoon slacking by the the Portland Trailer Blazers 130-115. Even though the loss was “only” a 15 point loss, it was more of a 25, 30 point deficit the entire game. The Blazers are 19-5 against the eastern conference this season and it showed that they have the East’s number. Ben Simmons (29 pts, 10 ast, 7 rebs) and Tobias Harris (20 pts, 8 rebs) seem like they were the only ones who got up for this early start game. Nurkic and Kanter dominated Sixers even with Boban at center. By the way, have you guys watched Amir Johnson on the court. He’s like a living corpse out there when he’s playing. All of the Trailblazers took advantage of Amir on pick and rolls and on the offensive/defensive boards. I’m giving him the benefit of the doubt because he’s had a ton of DNP’s this season and he could be rusty. With a little foreshadowing, hopefully injuries won’t have Amir Johnson out there getting cooked like BBQ chicken on the grill.

Next, the Sixers eked out wins on a 2 game western conference road trip. They defeated the New Orleans Pelicans 111-110, in a game that looked to be a blow out but turned into a game that the Sixers had to hold on dearly to win. New Orleans had a chance once Jonathon Simmons missed both his free throws with 9 seconds remaining (The Simmons on the team you would expect to hit free throws). We were saved by Jimmy Butler’s game saving block on E’Twaun Moore’s desperation three point attempt at the buzzer. The Sixers did lose something that game, the presence of Boban Marjanovic. In the final minutes of the game he injured his knee going for a loose ball. Luckily it’s not serious and he will be back in a few weeks.

The second game of the two game roadie was against the “rival” OKC Thunder. How did this become a rivalry? I think all the Embiid/Westbrook bad blood has turned these games into must see TV. This game was on TNT with no Embiid or Paul George (shoulder soreness) but still turned out to be a good game. Tobias and Jimmy lead the way on this one with the Sixers controlling the game for the majority of the 48 minutes. Sixers won a rough one in a hostile environment 108-104. Btw, paging J.J. Redick, paging Mr. Redick. J.J. has been on the side of a milk carton since the all star break and Embiid’s absence. His dribble hand off action with Embiid frees him up so much that maybe he is just out of sync. Hopefully he will get out of his slump soon because they will need him.

Finally, the Sixers ended with a Saturday night primetime game against the Warriors. This game had a great effort from Ben “Not a Rookie” Simmons, who had a triple double to lead the way. Jimmy Butler and Tobias Harris had great games as well but some suspect coaching and missed shots down the stretch did the Sixers in. The Warriors left Philly feeling like they stole a game and they should feel like that. Hopefully the next time the Sixers play them, it will be in June.

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After the All Star Break: An Outlook of the Sixers’ Stretch Run

Posted on by jcrosby1315

The Sixers return to action after the All Star break at 37-21 (Now 38-21 after Thursday night’s win against Miami Heat) and 4th in the Eastern Conference. This team is obviously not the same team that tipped the season off in October but still endure the same issues that plagued them last season. Some games they look like the best team in the Eastern Conference and some games they look like a middle of the pack team committing 25 turnovers. There has been a total roster makeover orchestrated by GM Elton Brand netting them Jimmy Butler and Tobias Harris to go along with All Stars Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons. The Sixers have sharpshooter J.J. Reddick to go along with some valuable bench pieces that will come in handy when the playoffs begin. They are now ALL IN.

Now that we are caught up to how we got here, lets look ahead at the final 24 games. Out of the final 24 games, the Sixers only play 9 team with winning records (Portland, OKC, Golden State, Houston, Indiana, Sacramento, Boston, Milwaukee (twice)). That should play in the Sixers’ favor when looking at the Eastern Conference standings going forward. They are only .5 game behind the 3rd seeded Indiana Pacers with the current tie-breaker (leading season series 2-1). They can position themselves for the 3rd seed by taking care of business and winning at least 5 of the games against above .500 teams. If the Sixers were able to get to the 3rd seed, they would more than likely face the Brooklyn Nets or Charlotte Hornets. On paper, those match ups seem like a first round sweep but for some reason Kemba Walker, D’Angelo Russell (1- time all star), and Spencer Dinwiddie are all Sixer killers. They average 42.3 ppg, 23.6 ppg, 27.3 ppg respectively against the Sixers this season. With that being said, I believe the Sixers would still take care of business in a 7 game series against these teams. If the Sixers stay at 4, they could face either Indiana or Boston in the first round with both being tough outs. Boston has had the Sixers’ number the last two years even though it seems as though the Sixers have a late game lead and fold in the final two mins of the 4th quarter. Indiana on the other hand does not have its best player, All Star Victor Oladipo, but they play hard every night.

Now on to the players. Flat out, the Sixers have the second best starting line up in the NBA next to the Golden State Warriors. Simmons, Reddick, Butler, Harris and Embiid are a plus 27 and an offensive rating of 112.8, top 10 in the NBA. With Joel Embiid having a monster MVP type year, he can lead this group down the stretch to more than enough victories to position themselves where they feel necessary. We also need to see how Brett Brown integrates Jimmy Butler and Tobias Harris even more. More PG mins for Jimmy in the 4th quarter? More Point forward minutes for Tobias? More Ben Simmons at the 4? All these things need to be experimented and worked out before the playoffs arrive. The Sixers lacked depth all year finally have some with the pick ups of Boban, Mike Scott, James Ennis and Jonathon Simmons. Important because the latter three being switchable wing defenders that can help alleviate what killed them during the Boston series last year. We also have TJ, a stall worth for this Sixers team whether you like it or not. TJ bring defense and energy the team needs most nights and will definitely be playing some clutch minutes during the final 24 games. If this team stays healthy (Embiid out for at least a week with knee soreness) down the stretch, they can really make some noise and position themselves for a postseason run. I expect them to give it their all and more, remember WE ARE ALL IN.

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