The best
#Sixers
offseason scenario starts with signing Paul George. Daryl Morey could ink 34-Y.O. PG to a max and still retain up to $16.7M in cap space, $8M exception, a stack of ~$2.1M vet min deals & STILL splash around w/ 5 1st round picks.
"Joel Embiid, DeMar DeRozan, Ja Morant for me, those are my top three [for MVP] and I'll probably go Joel. Jokic, you can throw throw Jokic in there. But I'll probably go Joel."
-Sounds like Kevin Durant gives his vote for MVP to Joel Embiid.
"I think he broke my face. I'm serious I think he might have broke my face. But it's all good, it's the playoffs."
-Joel Embiid post game. Torn thumb, broken face, concussion. It's gonna take a medical staff to limit this guy.
Arden Key appears to see the ball come out and still drops his full weight on Mahomes ankle. Seasons are decided by plays like these. No foul called. League needs to Protect the games stars better.
“I keep getting disrespected and it’s cool. I’m just gonna try and keep helping my teammates… in the playoffs all I ask is no freak injuries and I think I’m due for a big run.”
😳😳😳
Embiid was asked if he thinks he should be a starting All Star.
"C'mon now puppeteers...there's no guilt that I feel, I'm the only player that has to deal with this in NYC 'because I play there. If I was anywhere else ...then it probably wouldn't be the same circumstances."
-Kyrie Irving on vax mandates.
"I love Steph Man, the guy has completely revolutionized the game....but when he caught fire man, everybody was on notice...you wouldn't be a true student of the game if you're not watching somebody like that."
-Kyrie Irving on the thrill of competing against Steph Curry
playing Gobert “doesn’t necessarily motivate me…. It doesn’t matter who I’m playing…No disrespect to any of them but MVPs, DPOYs, that doesn’t mean anything to me I’m still gonna be the best player on the floor.”
Embiid caught some flack for celebrating this Dec. win. Sixers we’re .500 at the time. But his response feels more appropriate now that they’re tied for the 1 seed. Maybe he knew.
Woj said that the NBA revealed there had been 13 missed calls or non calls favoring Boston *on the road* in Game 6 vs. the Sixers. I wouldn’t be stunned if this one wound up looking similar. Spo has had some legitimate gripes imho.
Charles Barkley a former Sixer thinks Joel Embiid had his “head in his ass” cause of the…MVP vote? But not the fractured face that just got slammed, the torn thumb, or recent concussion? Elite analysis!
“We just respect each other so much,” says Kevin Durant on the jawing with Joel Embiid. Adds the natural competitive fire comes out.
Did anything Joel say cross the line? “Nah, hell no.”
Matisse Thybulle is a +72 in his 921 minutes (many with bench units that clearly don’t work) and also leads the league in defensive estimated +-
He needs at least 9 more minutes per game. Why are we limiting his explosion Halle, Why?
"I asked Jason Kidd 'I said well s--t, you paid Dorian Finney-Smith all that money is he a defender or you gonna rely on this [constant doubles and traps]...."
-Kevin Durant admits he tried to convince J-Kidd to single cover him but it didn't work.
“Thing is, Harden was the VORP king in 2019. Analytics off the charts. Yet whatd we Hear? Giannis is a 2 way player. Now tell me where that energy is for Jokic? Why do we suddenly not care about defense anymore? See Perk and JJ have this debate that….”
Remember the day 7 years ago when Sam Hinkie drafted Joel Embiid 3rd, Jerami Grant 39th (signed for a 4 year $4.2m deal) then traded Elfrid Payton for Dario Saric, plus what became 2 Knicks 2nd Rounders and the Landry Shamet pick?
The Process was so dumb.
"Look if the Sixers could hold the champs to 89, 92, 95, n 101 pts over 4 games w/ REDICK avg. 33mpg how's Shake suddenly gonna crater the Defense? J-Rich plays harder D than Jimmy did, Matisse an Horford coming off the bench!? If Embiid can avoid the s--ts this time it's a rap!"
Joel Embiid tells ESPN “if you go out and you get a bunch of first round picks my history in Philly it hasn’t worked out well for us. That doesn’t get you anywhere… I hope he stays. We all love him. I love playing with him.”
James Harden suggested the Sixers swap Tobias into Dunker spot mnd Tucker into the corner late vs Bos.
Harden also revealed “There’s a lot of frustration as far as where [Tucker] needs to be on the floor. And we’re still trying to work that out.”
Last year 0 of the 6 1st place MVP votes from The Ringer went to Joel Embiid.
And 4 of those 6 didn’t even pick Embiid for runner up either. I think they may have added voters, + as of now, the Ringer doesn’t even list Embiid as a *current top 5 player* in their top 125 rank
Let’s start the “rumblings that Mikal Bridges could be open to a trade to his home town Philadelphia” rumors now and see where it gets us. Maybe we can Speak into existence.
"My basketball life is not that long so I wanna get the most out of it....I'm sure for the rest of the season I'm gonna try to sneak some of those 40 plus minute games in. Cause s--t, I like being out there."
Kevin Durant's love or the game comes out when asked about load mgmt.
Here is the diving play by Nassir Little that Kyrie Irving felt was ‘unnecessary.’ Irving rolled his left ankle but finished the game and said he’ll be available for Chicago.
It was 24-24 when doc decided to bench both harden and Embiid I think. Then they were down 11 before I could blink. Why? Tell me again how overrated coaching is in general.
His health, load management, weight, conditioning, rest and diet all need to become franchise priorities for next year. If he was 50% today they woulda won without much problem.
Have heard that the
#Sixers
recently held internal talks about acquiring Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in a potential Ben Simmons swap. OKC is also a key team to watch as a facilitator in a potential multiteam deal.
Nothing likely, just something to watch.
Scott Foster says Embiid wasn’t in Gianni’s’ path here to draw an offensive foul. (Unrelated but Foster is the same official Foster once received 134 phone calls from Tim Donaghy during the period he was gambling.)
Zhaire Smith almost died, lost 40 lbs, bulked back up and shot about 37% from 3 while fully remaking his shooting form (for the better) before suffering a bone bruise in the knee pre-bubble. Nothing is guaranteed. But a fighter like this deserves a shot.
"Babe I'm doing my interview. I love you. I love you. Alright, I'll call you back...alright go head, sorry bro."
-
#nets
Kyrie Irving took a quick phone call during post-game on the long road trip
The nba is basically yearning for Maxey to work on these tacts in the offseason. -rather than try for a clean look at a middy or floater (as he’s often doing) he should just start to post up towards the wrong end of the court hunting fouls from anyone he’s blown by like Brunson
“I would not be surprised if we see Kyrie wanting to investigate what’s going on in PhilAdelphia if Harden moves out if there’s a window for him to come in. The other name here [for Sixers] is Dame Lillard.”
@WindhorstESPN
The "Joel Embiid finishes as the runner-up for MVP but somehow doesn't even make an ALL-NBA 1st team, then leads his team to the ECF all while the 1st team All-NBA+league MVP gets bounced in the 1st round in part b/c of his defense" world is a distinct possibility
My read on the Durant-Sixers rumors is that KD would be excited, could be most fulfilling title run of his career, etc. And PHI is (of course) motivated.
But the smoke now is much more about BK/KD’s camp leveraging Phi to get a team with a bigger package like BOS to offer more.
"Joel Embiid needs to just acquiesce to whatever plan the sixers medical team has to get him healthy in the playoffs....The MVP chase, all that stuff, it's over... forget the 65 game rule, who cares... it's put up or shut up time for Joel Embiid in the playoffs." - Lowe
Paul George to the Sixers! Looking back at the PG/Kawhi era in LA, what happened b/w PG and the Clips -- and why -- and the dance all parties tried to do with GSW. Sixers loading up! New Lowe Post!
Spotify:
Apple:
Embiid has logged 224 more minutes than Giannis. That’s more than 4.5 full 48 min ballgames. Voters look at total games played but workload should probably matter too
Sources have just informed me that negotiations in the Hamptons with Sixers brass have become ‘heated.’ James Harden was heard bellowing “you f—g need me,” at David Blitzer after dominating Cornhole with all backup players. It was a ‘Tour de force.’
Games 83 and 84 of the regular season cost us Zion and Butler… 65 game min rule may have cost us healthy Joel… the nba band aids to fix load management and tanking aren’t worth this
The Sixers had to win a challenge just to lose a jump ball after Drummond made what could have been a game saving block up by 2. Someone fix this. Thanks
Sixers are partly considering selling SO low on Ben cuz Doc:
-opened a series w/ Green on Trae w/ deep drop
-used all bench units
-used Harris + bench units
-ran out Simmons-Howard units
-Left Ben in dunker spot
-Blew monster playoff leads again
-yet another chemistry blowup
On Fultz, I’m hearing the Sixers are encouraged by the recent clips and maybe even how the shot held up during live action. It’s not perfect and there may be some ups and downs but it’s made steady progress. The plan is for big minutes and a starting role from the jump.
#Sixers
are benching a newly minted $100M 34 year old 5 time All Star Center for a 23 year old guard selected 54th overall. And literally nobody finds this weird. Tells you all you need to know about the front office’s ‘collaborative’ vision.
The shot that brought Tyrese Maxey to Philly…. Delivered by a former Sixer. Would have loved to have seen one of those candid “how did Zumoff react off camera” clips on this
"When you got a 6-7 PG, S--T, it's a good start....somebody that can wreck a whole defensive game plan....They got length and toughness down the line....I can see this team being a force to be reckoned with in the future."
-Kevin Durant on Cade Cunningham,
#Pistons
JJ Redick casually dropping advanced defensive rating splits with Maxey on vs Melton on with starters. Hopefully a new standard for analysis here. We’ve had to listen to super boring, basic, less informed stuff for decades.
Per source: the
#Sixers
front office today found an old gift that wasn’t opened from 4 summers ago. It said “Dear
#sixers
, you may want the
#knicks
2nd rnd picks in 2020 and 2021 one day. I’m trading Guillermo Hernangomez. Don’t worry, you won’t miss him.
- ❤️ Sam”
“Kudos to Serbia but we came through. Chef Curry with a vintage Chef Curry game, Joel was big time for us, and we needed it.” LeBron gives credit after triple double win sending US to Olympic finals
MVP stuff
Joel Embiid - Games: 66, minutes: 2,284
Nikola Jokic - Games 68, minutes: 2,296
Giannis - Games 63, minutes 2,024
So Joker has played 12 minutes more than Joel.
And both Joker and Joel have played at least 260 more min. than Giannis.
“That I love him. I’m proud of him. Yes, yes, yes I still wish I was on this team. I definitely love the Miami Heat though. I’m glad that I’m here but I got so much respect and love for Joel Embiid.”
-Jimmy Butler
The Sixers lost 4 games that series by a total of 17 points. In those games Dwight Howard was a -37 in 36 minutes. Hard to blame Dwight for fighting hard and doing his job. But why didn’t the team foresee that leak in the boat?
Brett Brown (correctly) determining he shouldn’t run with Horford down the stretch or in OT, even in a game without Ben Simmons is a bad look for the sixers whole “collaborative” front office. They appear better at the small scale decisions (like Alec Burks) than the big ones