I really thought it would be best to hold on the Sixers season preview until after getting a look at the team they would play first. Yes, the Sixers open the season tonight at home against the future NBA Champion Miami Heat. All buzz surrounds the Heat this season as LeBron James and Chris Bosh, the two top free agents of this summer's class, joined up with reigning King of South Beach Dwyane Wade.
While LeBron was deciding to "take his talents to South Beach" (my own personal euphemism for masturbation), your Philadelphia 76ers made some "big" news. Well... big for them. Hiring Doug Collins as coach and getting the number 2 pick in the NBA draft is always good.
Key Additions:
Getting Doug Collins as coach will hopefully provide some stability on this team. Collins has had success in the past with Chicago, Detroit, and less notably with Washington.
Evan Turner was selected the number 2 pick overall behind Washington's John Wall. Early reports on Turner classified him as one of the most NBA-ready players from the draft. However, stories out of training camp and his preseason performance tell a tale of a lot of work to be done with Turner. Who knows if Turner and Andre Iguodala can coexist? Turner will start the season riding the pine for the Sixers.
While I wouldn't call them "key additions", the Sixers made a couple of moves this offseason to help provide some depth and size across the board. Trying to improve their big men, they sent Sammy Dalembert to Sacramento for C Spencer Hawes and F Andres Nocioni. Nocioni has been known for playing with a large contract and under performing but Hawes may be a nice role player sharing the front court with Marreese Speights.
Key Losses
The aforementioned Samuel Dalembert was traded in June but will not really be missed. The Sixers of course said goodbye to Allen Iverson who just signed to play over in Turkey. Again nothing major.
The one key player that was lost this offseason was Willie Green. Pushed out due to the draft of Turner, Green was the odd-guard out on this team and was traded to New Orleans along with Jason Smith for Darius Songaila and Craig Brackins. Brackins was the 21st overall pick in this year's draft by the Thunder and was bounced to New Orleans before being traded for Green.
Green put up some good years in Philly but ultimately left the team and the fan base wanting more.
The Good, The Bad, The Ugly
The Sixers have a very good, young core to build around. Jrue Holiday, Lou Williams, Andre Iguodala, Evan Turner, and Thaddeus Young all provide some excitement in the back court. However, questions abound with the Sixers up front as the aging Brand looks to shake his "bust" label as a Sixer and we don't possess a game-changing big man in either Hawes or Speights.
It is definitely a rebuilding time and I believe this season could get ugly. I don't think that Turner is the player that everyone thinks he is. He can be a good NBA player at best, but I would never say he's going to be great. I don't think he'll be able to coexist with Iguodala and I think by mid-season, one of them will be gone. My money is on Iguodala as the Sixers can try to move him and acquire some expiring contracts.
The Sixers play in a very weak division but in an ever-increasing tough conference. Besides the Celtics, no other team in the Atlantic is that scary, but I still think the Sixers will finish in 3rd place in the division and 10th in the Conference overall. Which means, of course, they'll miss the playoffs. I don't see this team being able to gel and they'll face tough opponents in the East against the elite (Celtics, Magic, Heat) and against the up-an-comers (Bobcats, Hawks, Bulls, Bucks, Knicks).
It will definitely be a tough first matchup as we'll see if "Miami Thrice" can live up to its billing tonight in the Wachovia Center.
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Monday, October 25, 2010
Free Agents
Now that the Phillies season is officially over, fans everywhere are of course wondering about keeping this core together for another run. While most of the veterans are planning on returning, the Phillies 2011 payroll is already pretty big. The Phillies already have over $135 million committed to just 16 players and several Phillies regulars are on the possible move this offseason. Of course the biggest being Jamie Moyer. Just kidding, I meant Jayson Werth. Here's a look at the six big free agents including my rating of chance of resigning and possible destinations for all.
Jose Contreras, RP
Contreras had a good year and looks to land a gig somewhere in the league in 2011. He's getting up there in age but proved he still has some decent stuff. I was surprised to see him as much as we did in the postseason but obviously Charlie only trusted a handful out of his bullpen and Contreras was one of them.
Chance of resigning: 5%
My guess for destinations: You're guess is as good as mine but look for Contreras to land somewhere in the National League.
Chad Durbin, RP
Durbin has been one of the most consistent relief pitchers on the team for the past few years. He provides a solid setup or mop up role and is always depended on for those big outs in innings 6 and 7. I really hope the Phillies can resign Durbin and I have a feeling they might be able to work something out.
Chance of resigning: 60%
My guess for destinations: Phillies, Rays, Angels all need right handed bullpen help.
Jamie Moyer, SP
Jamie Moyer, the oldest dude in the league, is still hoping to pitch in 2011. I'm not sure after the injuries this year and it will be interesting to see if announcers can come up with better ways to describe how old Jamie is. My personal favorite: When Moyer pitches against the Cubs and announcers remark how Moyer started for the Cubs four years before shortstop Starlin Castro was even born.
Chance of resigning: 50%
My guess for destinations: It's either one more year with the Phils or packing it in. I don't think any other team will give him a chance.
J.C. Romero, RP
Everyone needs a lefty out of the pen and the Phillies are no exception. Bastardo may be the only left-handed option as Romero's price may be too high for the Phils in 2011.
Chance of resigning: 10%
My guess for destinations: Like I said, any team could use a left-handed reliever. All 30 teams would benefit from someone like Romero.
Mike Sweeney, 1B
The midseason acquisitions due to Ryan Howard's ankle injury finally made it to the postseason after long stints in Kansas City and Seattle. It might be short lived though as the Phillies have very little need for Sweeney. It's a shame because Sweeney brings a lot of emotion and passion to the bench and every at-bat he seemed to be fully pumped up. I know he's a clubhouse favorite and will look to either retire or bring his leadership to a young club for another year.
Chance of resigning: 0%
My guess for destinations: Look for either retirement or being a DH or backup 1B for a young team in the American League. I can see the Orioles using a guy like Sweeney perhaps.
Jayson Werth, RF
Ahhh, Jayson Werth. Our number five hitter and really the only power threat we have from the right side of the plate. It will be tough not having Werth in the lineup as top prospect Dominic Brown, a left handed hitter, looks to replace Jayson in right field. Jayson has given the Phillies some great seasons and I'm still shocked that he's tied for the all time National League lead in postseason home runs with 13. If you end up going, you will be missed. Is this a case where loyalty outweighs big bucks? Unfortunately, my guess is no as Jayson has seen huge contracts be given to high profile outfielders the past few seasons in Matt Holliday, Jason Bay and also this offseason, Carl Crawford.
Chance of resigning: 20%
My guess for destinations: Phillies, Yankees, Red Sox. Having the Phils on this list may just be wishful thinking but it's a good guess that Werth is leaving the City of Brotherly Love. The Phillies just cannot afford the length and terms of a contract that Werth will demand on the open market. The Yankees seem to be the odds on favorite for Werth's services assuming they don't sign Crawford. The fact that Werth had lunch with Reggie Jackson during the All Star break in New York speaks volumes about what type of recruiting the Yanks could have on Werth. It's not a hard sell. Imagine if Werth hit his 13 postseason homers in Yankees pinstripes. He'd be a household name by now. Just saying. For now, I'll hold a dim light for J-Dub to return but I feel this moth is heading to a bigger flame. (And yes, the Yankees are big flamers.)
Jose Contreras, RP
Contreras had a good year and looks to land a gig somewhere in the league in 2011. He's getting up there in age but proved he still has some decent stuff. I was surprised to see him as much as we did in the postseason but obviously Charlie only trusted a handful out of his bullpen and Contreras was one of them.
Chance of resigning: 5%
My guess for destinations: You're guess is as good as mine but look for Contreras to land somewhere in the National League.
Chad Durbin, RP
Durbin has been one of the most consistent relief pitchers on the team for the past few years. He provides a solid setup or mop up role and is always depended on for those big outs in innings 6 and 7. I really hope the Phillies can resign Durbin and I have a feeling they might be able to work something out.
Chance of resigning: 60%
My guess for destinations: Phillies, Rays, Angels all need right handed bullpen help.
Jamie Moyer, SP
Jamie Moyer, the oldest dude in the league, is still hoping to pitch in 2011. I'm not sure after the injuries this year and it will be interesting to see if announcers can come up with better ways to describe how old Jamie is. My personal favorite: When Moyer pitches against the Cubs and announcers remark how Moyer started for the Cubs four years before shortstop Starlin Castro was even born.
Chance of resigning: 50%
My guess for destinations: It's either one more year with the Phils or packing it in. I don't think any other team will give him a chance.
J.C. Romero, RP
Everyone needs a lefty out of the pen and the Phillies are no exception. Bastardo may be the only left-handed option as Romero's price may be too high for the Phils in 2011.
Chance of resigning: 10%
My guess for destinations: Like I said, any team could use a left-handed reliever. All 30 teams would benefit from someone like Romero.
Mike Sweeney, 1B
The midseason acquisitions due to Ryan Howard's ankle injury finally made it to the postseason after long stints in Kansas City and Seattle. It might be short lived though as the Phillies have very little need for Sweeney. It's a shame because Sweeney brings a lot of emotion and passion to the bench and every at-bat he seemed to be fully pumped up. I know he's a clubhouse favorite and will look to either retire or bring his leadership to a young club for another year.
Chance of resigning: 0%
My guess for destinations: Look for either retirement or being a DH or backup 1B for a young team in the American League. I can see the Orioles using a guy like Sweeney perhaps.
Jayson Werth, RF
Ahhh, Jayson Werth. Our number five hitter and really the only power threat we have from the right side of the plate. It will be tough not having Werth in the lineup as top prospect Dominic Brown, a left handed hitter, looks to replace Jayson in right field. Jayson has given the Phillies some great seasons and I'm still shocked that he's tied for the all time National League lead in postseason home runs with 13. If you end up going, you will be missed. Is this a case where loyalty outweighs big bucks? Unfortunately, my guess is no as Jayson has seen huge contracts be given to high profile outfielders the past few seasons in Matt Holliday, Jason Bay and also this offseason, Carl Crawford.
Chance of resigning: 20%
My guess for destinations: Phillies, Yankees, Red Sox. Having the Phils on this list may just be wishful thinking but it's a good guess that Werth is leaving the City of Brotherly Love. The Phillies just cannot afford the length and terms of a contract that Werth will demand on the open market. The Yankees seem to be the odds on favorite for Werth's services assuming they don't sign Crawford. The fact that Werth had lunch with Reggie Jackson during the All Star break in New York speaks volumes about what type of recruiting the Yanks could have on Werth. It's not a hard sell. Imagine if Werth hit his 13 postseason homers in Yankees pinstripes. He'd be a household name by now. Just saying. For now, I'll hold a dim light for J-Dub to return but I feel this moth is heading to a bigger flame. (And yes, the Yankees are big flamers.)
Monday Hangover - October 25, 2010
One might say that the proverbial Philadelphia sports moment was realized this weekend. In one of our darkest moments in recent memory, Philly sports let you down. This hangover...well... will take a while to overcome. The figurative vomit taste that is still on your tongue after this weekend will not subside quickly and this one will sting. As Zach P. would say, "Put this in the heartbreak category." Indeed.
40 ounces to Phreedom
I should pour a 40 for my fallen homey, the 2010 Philadelphia Phillies. A great run. A great team. But overall, everyone knew that anything short of another World Series victory would be a huge disappointment. Remember, this year may have been the only time that a Philly sports team was the odds-on favorite for winning it all when entering the postseason.
As the dust begins to settle after this very tough loss, many will look at a particular person to blame. Well I can't answer that question directly, but I can tell you who not to blame. Don't blame rodeo clown and NLCS MVP Cody Ross. Don't blame Tim Lincecum or that bearded crazy person of a closer Brian Wilson. Don't blame offensive lineman Juan Uribe for the game winning blast in Game 6. And you can never blame anyone referred to as Panda because you know... Pandas are endangered or something. Don't blame Ryan Howard for taking the last pitch. You can't blame Brad Lidge or Ryan Madson and you can't fault H20 for this one. Cholly made some head-scratching moves this series but nope... can't blame him either.
In the end, baseball is a collective effort. When a team wins, the team wins collectively. All pieces must go together to create a product. The same can be said when they fail. And this failure, was a collective effort. Every single player on this club has partial blame. Every coach in the dugout and every suit in the office is somewhat to blame for the disappointing and premature end to the 2010 season.
With the World Series set to begin Wednesday night in San Fran, there will be a lot of familiar faces. Cliff Lee and Pat Burrell look to be major factors for their respective teams. Still, it will hurt to watch these games, thinking about what could have been and having arguably the two best teams in the league being ousted in their respective LCS.
And this is why I think that for just the 2010 season, the MLB should go all ECW. Let's give fans what they really wanted to see in a Yankees-Phillies rematch complete with loud intro music for each player and have Jayson Werth come out in a Yankees jersey only to rip it off and a have Phillies jersey underneath. Have Mike Schmidt parachute into the stadium and use a tire iron upside the head of Reggie Jackson or something. It would be great, but unfortunately, it was only in my dreams last night. And that's where the Phillies will reside until February 2011. Only in my dreams...
TKO
For those who don't know what a TKO is, it's tequila, Kahlua and Ouzo and a lot tastier than it sounds. But on Sunday it also meant what just potentially happened to the Eagles season. Yeah this one hurt. Heading into a bye and having a very difficult schedule after the said bye makes this loss tough to swallow, unlike the delicious TKO mentioned above. Ok, I need to remember that it's 8 am on a Monday before I start thinking about drinking. But the Eagles loss almost forces me to drink in complete despair.
TKO may also be wide receiver Kenny Britt's new nickname (Tennessee Knock Out) as Britt exploded against the Eagles and almost beat them single-handed. Britt caught three touchdowns and had 225 total receiving yards. And this was after not entering the game until a little before halftime. Why you might ask? Because he was being disciplined for having an altercation in a nightclub on Friday night.
Anyway, this is the second loss for this team in a game that should have been winnable. The game was all but won in the fourth quarter with 13 minutes left to go. The Eagles were up 19-10 and Chris Johnson looked more like Moose Johnston running the ball. Sure the offense looked shaky but the defense had done its job.
That's when Britt exploded. An 80-yard touchdown here. Another 16-yard touchdown snag there and just like that, it was 27-19 Titans with less than 5 minutes remaining. The rest of the game got even uglier as a Jorrick Calvin muffed punt put the nail in the coffin for the Eagles and lowered their record to 4-3 heading into the bye week.
The mistake filled game may have also cost Kevin Kolb the "starting" job (of course the definition of starter may change week to week), as Michael Vick is expected to start after bye against Indianapolis.
The Eagles have been tough to watch at times this year. Piling on points to Detroit only to have the Lions almost come back was nauseau-inducing. Tough losses against Green Bay, Washington and Tennessee have overshadowed the blow outs against Jacksonville and Atlanta. For three quarters of play, the Eagles put a little bit of hope into this city after the Phillies defeat the previous night. But no... the Eagles loss caused an even heavier Monday Hangover.
Of course it could have been worse this Monday. At least the Flyers won 5-2 on Saturday. Go Fly Boys!
40 ounces to Phreedom
I should pour a 40 for my fallen homey, the 2010 Philadelphia Phillies. A great run. A great team. But overall, everyone knew that anything short of another World Series victory would be a huge disappointment. Remember, this year may have been the only time that a Philly sports team was the odds-on favorite for winning it all when entering the postseason.
As the dust begins to settle after this very tough loss, many will look at a particular person to blame. Well I can't answer that question directly, but I can tell you who not to blame. Don't blame rodeo clown and NLCS MVP Cody Ross. Don't blame Tim Lincecum or that bearded crazy person of a closer Brian Wilson. Don't blame offensive lineman Juan Uribe for the game winning blast in Game 6. And you can never blame anyone referred to as Panda because you know... Pandas are endangered or something. Don't blame Ryan Howard for taking the last pitch. You can't blame Brad Lidge or Ryan Madson and you can't fault H20 for this one. Cholly made some head-scratching moves this series but nope... can't blame him either.
In the end, baseball is a collective effort. When a team wins, the team wins collectively. All pieces must go together to create a product. The same can be said when they fail. And this failure, was a collective effort. Every single player on this club has partial blame. Every coach in the dugout and every suit in the office is somewhat to blame for the disappointing and premature end to the 2010 season.
With the World Series set to begin Wednesday night in San Fran, there will be a lot of familiar faces. Cliff Lee and Pat Burrell look to be major factors for their respective teams. Still, it will hurt to watch these games, thinking about what could have been and having arguably the two best teams in the league being ousted in their respective LCS.
And this is why I think that for just the 2010 season, the MLB should go all ECW. Let's give fans what they really wanted to see in a Yankees-Phillies rematch complete with loud intro music for each player and have Jayson Werth come out in a Yankees jersey only to rip it off and a have Phillies jersey underneath. Have Mike Schmidt parachute into the stadium and use a tire iron upside the head of Reggie Jackson or something. It would be great, but unfortunately, it was only in my dreams last night. And that's where the Phillies will reside until February 2011. Only in my dreams...
TKO
For those who don't know what a TKO is, it's tequila, Kahlua and Ouzo and a lot tastier than it sounds. But on Sunday it also meant what just potentially happened to the Eagles season. Yeah this one hurt. Heading into a bye and having a very difficult schedule after the said bye makes this loss tough to swallow, unlike the delicious TKO mentioned above. Ok, I need to remember that it's 8 am on a Monday before I start thinking about drinking. But the Eagles loss almost forces me to drink in complete despair.
TKO may also be wide receiver Kenny Britt's new nickname (Tennessee Knock Out) as Britt exploded against the Eagles and almost beat them single-handed. Britt caught three touchdowns and had 225 total receiving yards. And this was after not entering the game until a little before halftime. Why you might ask? Because he was being disciplined for having an altercation in a nightclub on Friday night.
Anyway, this is the second loss for this team in a game that should have been winnable. The game was all but won in the fourth quarter with 13 minutes left to go. The Eagles were up 19-10 and Chris Johnson looked more like Moose Johnston running the ball. Sure the offense looked shaky but the defense had done its job.
That's when Britt exploded. An 80-yard touchdown here. Another 16-yard touchdown snag there and just like that, it was 27-19 Titans with less than 5 minutes remaining. The rest of the game got even uglier as a Jorrick Calvin muffed punt put the nail in the coffin for the Eagles and lowered their record to 4-3 heading into the bye week.
The mistake filled game may have also cost Kevin Kolb the "starting" job (of course the definition of starter may change week to week), as Michael Vick is expected to start after bye against Indianapolis.
The Eagles have been tough to watch at times this year. Piling on points to Detroit only to have the Lions almost come back was nauseau-inducing. Tough losses against Green Bay, Washington and Tennessee have overshadowed the blow outs against Jacksonville and Atlanta. For three quarters of play, the Eagles put a little bit of hope into this city after the Phillies defeat the previous night. But no... the Eagles loss caused an even heavier Monday Hangover.
Of course it could have been worse this Monday. At least the Flyers won 5-2 on Saturday. Go Fly Boys!
Friday, October 22, 2010
Up Against It
The Phillies found themselves in an unenviable position Wednesday night after Juan Uribe, one of the starting offensive linemen for the San Francisco Giants, popped a game winning sac fly in the bottom of the ninth to win Game 4. Down 3-1 in the LCS, and looking like a team whose resolve had been zapped by the clutch performances of an energetic, confident Giants team, the Phillies looked all but done. However, just like the middle of the season when they fell to 7 games behind the Atlanta Braves in the NL East, I couldn't give up on them. I thought, why not? Why couldn't they beat the Giants 3 games in a row? All it would take was one win in San Fran, and they could bring it back to Philly with what will be an absolutely insane crowd for Game 6 (and hopefully 7). Sure enough, they did what they had to do. Roy Halladay, groin injury and all, gutted it out to lead the Phillies to a 4-2 victory in what was essentially the biggest start of his career with the season on the line.
The Giants had a chance to end it at home, but they didn't. Now, the Phillies have momentum. They still have Roy Oswalt and Cole Hamels. They still have a lineup who CAN heat it up at any moment and light up the scoreboard, even though they've struggled. But who says they can't turn it on at any moment? If the Phillies win Game 6, you can bet those Giants players will be sweating. They don't want this to come down to a Game 7 in Philadelphia. Watching the Phillies on the field after the game last night, I saw a team that's ticked off that this series has even gotten to this point, and is ready to take care of business at the Bank. Coming back from a 3-1 deficit in a series sounds like an extremely unlikely task, but something inside tells me the Phils might have what it takes to pull this one out.
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Can't Let "That" Guy Beat Us!
Fear not, loyal blog followers, for I am back from my annual Galapagos Island Trip. As fellow contributor Zach P. pointed out, I make my annual journey down there to watch the monarch butterfly migrate. This trip unfortunately did not include my friend who got me hooked onto the migration: Austin Kearns. As you may know, Kearns is for the first and probably last time, playing in a League Championship Series for the New York Yankees.
I missed ya, buddy. Doesn't he just look like he likes monarch butterflies? Anyway, I'm back and after a lovely Monday Hangover post by Zach P., I have something to just complain about it. And it comes down to just one thing: Cody Ross. I hate him. I don't want Cody Ross to be the reason why the Phillies do not win the World Series. Just like Austin Kearns looks like a guy who enjoys a butterfly or two, Ross looks like a typical San Francisco hobo who collects change from a diaper. Trust me, I've been to San Francisco. And although it is a beautiful city, you will see more homeless people there than any other place on Earth. To top it off, most look like Ross:
I mean just look at him!
The straggly beard and bald/shaved head doesn't work for many people and I would prefer if a more beautiful person beat the Phillies. Like Pat Burrell. He really hasn't done too much to hurt the Phillies. Instead it's been Smurf Ross above. Seriously, paint him blue and he'll look less like a character from Avatar and more like Papa Smurf.
It's probably because I consider myself a terrible person, but sometimes I dislike people based on the way they look and that's it. I know, pretty awful. I'm not saying that when I see an ugly person, I immediately dislike them. But when they look like Ross and when Ross is absolutely just coming through with the clutchest hits that his face has no business making, I take offense.
For example, I'm in a large minority that just can't stand Peyton Manning. I mean he's a great quarterback and all, but I just hate him. Why? Because he looks like an idiot hillbilly and like he could be his own bobblehead doll. Google him and you'll see what I'm talking about. I don't think they changed the scale of his head for a Peyton Manning bobblehead.
Maybe I'm so hostile because I'm nervous about this series. It might stretch to seven games now which is going to be tough. Big Joe Blanton is on the mound tonight and it's essentially a must-win game. And I want "our" guys to succeed, even despite some of their looks. I want Jayson "I Look like a Goat Sometimes" Werth to jack another bomb. I want Chooch "Turtle" Ruiz to keep the clutch hits coming. And I'd much rather see the light goatee of Brad Lidge close out a game rather than the Just-For-Men beard madness of Giants closer Brian Wilson.
I still feel good about the series and maybe I'm just projecting my own insecurities on Mr. Ross. Because, even I, R. Scott, Mr. Heartbreak, was told that I resemble another baseball star recently:
Mark Teixeira "Tex"
And I just don't see it.
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