phrustrated philly phan

• Villanova lost by two at Notre Dame last night. Curtis Sumpter had a three point shot as time expired but it rimmed out. Villanova split the season series with the #21 ranked Fighting Irish.
• Temple fell to Duquense last night. Fran Dunphy has had a tough year with the Owls. Currently, Temple is on the outside looking in for a bid to the A-10 tournament.
• Drexel minus top-scorer, Frank Elegar, fell to the top team in the Colonial Athletic Association, Virginia Commonwealth who is undefeated in CAA play. The Dragons are 15-5 overall and 7-3 in CAA play.
• St. Joes beat Penn last night at the Palestra, 84-74. Penn finishes the City Series at .500 (2-2). St. Joes moves to 2-0 in the Big Five.
• The Sixers claimed their fourth win in six games last night beatin the Atlanta Hawks, 104-89. If not for the meltdown against the Cavaliers it would have been the Sixers fourth straight win. Samuel Dalembert poured in 19 points, grabbed 10 rebounds, and blocked 7 shots.
• The other winter sports team (thats the Flyers if you don't know) lost their ninth straight game despite a strong performance overall and a good effort from Robert Eshe in goal. The Flyers also have not won at home since November.
• In Today's Inquirer, Ed Snider owns up to the failures of the Sixers and Flyers.
• Barbaro suffered another setback in his recovery from his broken leg. Barbaro can no longer put weight on his hind leg that he broke in the Preakness causing his doctors to try riskier procedures to save him.

Labels: Big Five, Flyers, Sixers

• The Sixers won two in a row beating the New Orleans Hornets and the Cleveland Cavaliers before blowing a 17 point lead against the Cavs last night. The Sixers also had won 3 out of 4 moving past the Boston Celtics for the third worst record in the league. Andre Miller pulled a triple double last night (his seventh of his career). Andre Igoudala has also played much better of lately, scoring 34 points in leading the Sixers over the Cavs on Wednesday.
• Simon Gagne partcipated in the all-star game Wednesday night in Dallas. He was the only representative from the Flyers. He was held scoreless.
• The Flyers face the New York Rangers today at 1 P.M. at the Wachovia Center.
• Peter Forsberg denies the trade rumors to Colorado but did admit he would like to sit down and talk to Paul Holmgren when Holmgren returns from a scouting trip. This situation could be resolved in the next week or two.
• The Phillies have officially signed Karim Garcia to a minor league contract and invited him to spring training which is only 18 days away.
• Penn beat Temple by two points in Fran Dunphy's return to the Palestra.
• At 8 P.M. in the Palestra, St. Joes takes on Penn in a Big 5 match-up.

Labels: Flyers, Sixers

Matt Smith came over from the New York Yankees in the trade for Bobby Abreu. He is a left-handed relief pitcher who split time between Triple A and the major leagues last season. He put up very good numbers both places and worked in some critical games for the Phillies down the stretch. He finished 8 2/3 innings pitched in 14 appearances finishing with a 2.08 ERA. He had 12 strikeouts to four walks. He could improve his control as he worked too many deep counts and four walks in 8 innings is too many.

I was very impressed by what I saw from Matt Smith down the stretch. Smith throws hard and has a good slider. I believe he will be a late bloomer (28 years old) ala B.J. Ryan and although not many people may agree with me, I say he is a future closer. He is a big tall guy with intimidating stuff. He stands 6'5" weighing 225.

Matt Smith will be a big contributor for the Phillies and he has my vote to set-up Flash Gordon and succeed him if needed. Smith seems to have put it all together last year and I think he will be the best player from the Abreu trade.

Labels: Phillies

On Saturday, Chase Utley got married then Sunday he signed a deal worth 85 million dollar deal. The deal will last seven years buying out all of his arbitration years plus four years of free agency. The deal will end when Utley turns 33 and probably past his prime. A great deal for both sides. The Phillies sign a cornerstone of their franchise and Utley gets compensated for his tremendous talent. Coming off his first full year, Utley was facing arbitration in a year in which he hit .309 with 32 HRs and 102 RBIs. Utley has quickly become the best second basemen in baseball and will now be compensated that way.

Utley quickly became a fan favorite in Philly with his gritty attitude. He has the famed Utley's Uglies and Chase's Chicks fan groups. Utley has a tremendous work ethic and a love for the game. Last year, Chase prepared early to play in the World Baseball Classic then played straight through to October with minimal rests. He played in 160 games this year.

Some players sign big contracts then quit working but I think Utley will go the other way. I think the big contract will lead Utley to work harder and produce better. Utley has improved his defense every year and I expect even better defense this year. I am predicting that Utley will hit above .310 hit around 30 home runs but will improve his RBI production. I could see him getting around 115-120 RBIs if he hits out of the 3-hole all year.

Both the Phillies and Utley's agent had nothing but good things to say about today's contract. Gillick had this to say: "Chase is a pretty special player." With Utley on his honeymoon his agent, Arn Tellem, spoke for him, "When the Phillies came to us with a multiyear deal of this length and magnitude, it made it very easy for Chase to accept, given that he loves Philadelphia, wanted to stay in Philadelphia and is hoping to retire in Philadelphia."

This is a great day for the Phillies and Utley. It shows the Phillies commitment to winning with the current group of players with Utley being a leader (a big change from when Scott Rolen was up for a new deal). For Utley, it cements his place as one of the best players in baseball. Utley has taken the city by storm and it is great that he will spend his next seven seasons giving 110% for the Phillies. Utley is a great guy to lead this franchise back to the promised land.

Labels: Phillies

• Kevin Durant lead his #21 ranked Texas Longhorns into Philly yesterday and lost to a Villanova team that is coming together. This is the second ranked team the Wildcats have defeated in the past week. Villanova sensation freshman, Scott Reynolds, outplayed Kevin Durant. Reynolds outscored Durant, 26-12 and even helped defend Durant even though he gave up six inches. Sophomore Dante Cunningham also helped shut down Durant. If Durant is a future Sixer, he got off to a rough start in the Wachovia Center.
• The Flyers gave one of their best complete efforts of the year but could not upend the New Jersey Devils. The Flyers never trailed all game, but gave up the lead with just 20 seconds remaining the third period and then lost in a shoot-out. Antero Nittymaki played well in goal and Simon Gagne reconnected with Peter Forsberg to score an early goals. The other goals were scored by Kyle Calder and Ryan Potulny.
• In today's Inquirer Steven A. Smith takes Ed Snider to the woodshed.
• And hot off the presses: The Phillies sign Chase Utley to a seven year/85 million dollar extension as reported by ESPN.com. I will have more on this later.

Labels: Big Five, Flyers, Phillies

• The Sixers have now defeated the World Champions twice this season. Andre Miller and Andre Iguodala led the Sixers to an overtime victory last night. Granted Shaq is still out but the Sixers played the complete opposite of Wednesday's game against Memphis.
• Is Larry Brown getting ready to return to the Sixers as head coach next year. When Ed Snider was asked if Brown would coach for the Sixers again, he responded by saying, "I don't know." This is different than all the public denials that Billy King and Brown have given over the past month. In his heart, Brown is a basketball coach not a vice president of whatever he is. I would be surprised if Brown didn't end up on the Sixers bench by the beginning of next year.
• The Peter Forsberg rumors are flying now. The Flyers are reportedly interested in a rental situation in that they would trade Forsberg but then sign him again in the summer. The rumors cite the New York Rangers as the favorite to land him. Forsberg is returning to Sweden to see a doctor about his right ankle and that visit could go a long way in determining his future.
• Next Saturday, January 27th, the Phillies Winter Caravan will be at Park City in Lancaster County. They will be there for autographs from noon to 1:30.
• Today at 1:00, the Flyers travel to the Continental Airlines Arena in East Rutherford to face the division leading, New Jersey Devils. It would be great to see the Flyers hand them a loss. Also today at 1:00 in the Wachovia Center, potential future Sixer, Kevin Durant, leads his Texas squad into Philly to face the Villanova Wildcats.

Labels: Flyer, Sixers

With Spring Training less than a month away, it is a good time to begin taking a player-by-player look at the 2007 Philadelphia Phillies. Today we will start with Shane Victorino. The Flyin' Hawiian will be the opening day starter in rightfield. He finished last season playing centerfield for the injured Aaron Rowand, and proved he deserves the chance to be an everyday starter. He played with flare and hustle and endeared himself to the fans with these characteristics. Many times he gave up his body going for the ball.

Victorino will not be counted only on for defense though. Last season, he hit out of the 2-hole and will probably hit there or leadoff this season. He finished last season with a solid .287 average. The biggest complaint with Victorino is his free swinging. He finished with 54 strikeouts in 415 at bats. This isn't bad but he probably got himself out too many times by chasing pitches. This season Victorino will be counted on to be a solid bat at the top of the lineup as well as taking away hits with his defense. Victorino will need to at least duplicate his .287 average as well as becoming more disciplined at the plate.

Baserunning is where Victorino can make the greatest improvement this season. Everyone agrees that Victorino can fly but that only led to four stolen bases last season. First base coach, Davey Lopez, was brought in partly to help teach Victorino the art of the stolen base. This could add a whole new dimension to a potent Phillies offense. Victorino said his goal is 30 to 40 stolen bases and if Rollins can get the same amount it will increase the RBI oppurtunities for Chase Utley and Ryan Howard.

In a little over a year, Victorino has gone from little used bench player to key cog in a playoff contender. Hard work has been the biggest contributor to this success. Victorino has more hard work to do this spring to increase his steals total but I believe with Lopez help, Victorino can reach 30-40 steals. The Phillies are greatly counting on Victorino's defense, arm, legs, and hitting ability to make the playoffs. He produced well last season and now we will see if he can take his game to the next level.

Labels: Phillies

• The Flyers continue to lose and last night a bad call may be to blame. Read the Daily News for the full story. The Flyers are not only bad this year but seem to not care at all. That is a great way to lose a fan base.
• Dick Jeradi is reporting that there are plans for a in-season tournament to be held at the Palestra. The tournament would likely include at least one Philly team and Jerardi feels that team will be Penn next year.
• Tomorrow afternoon a potential future Sixer, Kevin Durant, will be playing for Texas against Villanova at the Wachovia Center. Should be exciting.
• In a rare high scoring Big 5 game, Penn outscored LaSalle 93-92. The game included 15 lead changes and LaSalle's Darnell Harris lead all scorers with 32 points.
• Sixer's coach, Mo Cheeks, has hinted that line-up changes could be coming. The most likely is Steven Hunter replacing Joe Smith. Not like it will matter much
• Check out this mornings Inquirer for a way to get through the cold winter without a good sports team.

Labels: Big Five, Flyers, Sixers

So I have been focusing more on the two winter sports teams in Philly lately. Both are struggling along and playing the string out. So with Spring Training less than a month away, it is now time to turn my attention to my first love, the Philadelphia Phillies. Everyone knows the big moves, Wes Helms and Freddy Garcia, but now I want to evaulate the mirad of minor moves that Pat Gillick has made over the past month.

Gillick brought in both Rod Barajas and Jayson Werth, who are both basically guarenteed spots on the opening day roster. Barajas could form a solid catching platoon with Carlos Ruiz. Barajas will probably not improve over his career numbers of .240 batting average and .282 on-base percentage. Ruiz has a higher ceiling but pairing those two behind the plate would be adequate. I believe the catching position is going the way of the running back in football. In football more and more teams are using two backs equally instead of one back. The catching position is following the same path. Unless, a team has a great catcher, teams are beginning to split time more evenly between catchers. Chris Coste will compete with both Barajas and Ruiz for playing time.

Jayson Werth is signed to play all three outfield positions and an optimistic outlook has him replacing either Pat Burrell or Aaron Rowand in the starting line-up. Werth has been plagued by injuries and missed all of last year with a wrist injury. Werth's health will play a big part of whether he will be productive for the Phillies this year. If nothing else, Werth will provide depth off the bench.

The bullpen has been a problem spot last year and little has been done to improve it. Gillick is hoping on health for Tom Gordon, development by Matt Smith, consistency from Geoff Geary, and a return to his rookie form from Ryan Madson. He is also hoping to catch lightning in a bottle from some minor signings. Rule 5 picks Alfredo Simon and Jim Ed Warden would have to have impressive springs to gain a roster spot. The Phillies than picked Anderson Garcia off waivers from the Baltimore Orioles. He will likely start the season at Triple A, Ottawa. Gillick's latest signing is Dominican pitcher, Antonion Alfonseca (who I met over Thanksgiving when my baseball team traveled to the Domican to play). Alfonseca has been injured and ineffective recently although by all accounts he is performing well in winter ball. Alfonseca would be a wild card if he could put together a productive season for the Phils. That, I believe, is highly unlikely.

The most recent rumor has the Phillies interested in free agent pitcher, Brian Lawrence. Lawrence was injured last year and has been a starter his entire career. Lawrence best year was 2004 when he went 15-14 with a 4.12 ERA. The Phillies could be trying to sign him as an insurance starter or with the notion of moving him to the bullpen.

Aaron Rowand avoided arbitration by signing a one year deal for 4+ million dollars. Right now, he is penciled in as the starting centerfielder. Chase Utley and Brett Myers who are also both up for arbitration have been slower to sign extensions. I have heard rumors of a four year offer to Utley but I'm not sure about how truthful that is. Either way, I would like to see Utley get locked into a long-term contract. Brett Myers on the other hand is an interesting story. The Phillies rejected the Blue Jays offer of Alex Rios. Myers has also been reportedly unhappy with the Phillies one-year offer. I feel that it would be downright foolish to trade Brett Myers for anybody. This team needs pitching not hitting. Myers is developing into a top of the rotation starter (although slower than hoped). He could form a great 1-2 punch with Cole Hamels down the road. Hopefully, the Phillies and Myers can agree on a deal before arbitration becomes nasty. He will be very valuable to the Phillies this season.

Most recently the Phillies signed Greg Dobbs off waivers from the Seattle Mariners. In 27 AB's last year with the Mariners, Dobbs hit .370 with 3 doubles and one triple. He will be an upgrade over Danny Sandoval and could be very important spelling Chase Utley. That would allow Utley to stay fresh for the entire season.

For the Phillies to achieve their goal of reaching the playoffs for the first time since 1993, they will need contributions from some of the players here. Barajas, Werth, and Alfonseca are probably the three most important but contributions from the likes of Greg Dobbs and some other young bullpens pitchers wouldn't hurt. It is almost baseball season. I can smell it in the air.

Labels: Phillies

• The Sixers came through in the clutch last night and got blown out by the Memphis Grizzlies to establish themselves as the worst team in the league. They are now just percentage points behind the Grizzlies now. With the Grizz playing better of late, the Sixers looked to have a great chance at the number one pick.
• The Villanova Wildcats beat their first top-25 opponent this year by defeating Notre Dame last night. The Wildcats have struggled in the Big East so far but this win could go a long way as they build their tournament resume. Freshman star, Scott Reynolds, scored 27 points.
• Staying on Villanova they host the Texas Longhorns this Saturday at the Wachovia Center. This could be a good chance to see a future Sixer playing.
• The Temple Owls broke their 5-game losing streak last night. Fran Dunphy is having a rough first year in North Philly.
• I wrote an entire post praising Drexel and they haven't been the same since. They have struggled in the CAA and will probably have to win their conferance tournament to make the Big Dance.
• The Flyers' lone bright spot, Simon Gagne, was selected to play in the NHL All-Star game in Dallas. Congrats to Simon but other than that there is not much to look forward too. Paul Holmgren is already out scouting the top prospects in North America.
• Coming Up: A Phillies Report. I haven't commented on them lately an with Spring Training merely 27 days away it is time to look at their recent additions and start a player-by-player breakdown.

Labels: Big Five, Flyers, Sixers

The Sixers returned home last night to thousands of empty seats and the awaiting Detroit Pistons. The Pistons promptly beat the Sixers despite impressive performances by Samuel Dalembert and Andre Miller. That really isn't the big news of the day though. The big news is that the Sixers appear ready to buy out Chris Webber's contract. In the deal, Webber would become a free agent and the Sixers would only pay 33 million of the remaining 38 million left on CWebb's contract. Not a great deal but it never is when you just want to make a player go away.

Webber has been hampered by injury most of the year and has missed 10 of the last 13 games. He is now in his 14th NBA season but has not been the same player since he got here from the Sacremento Kings. He is currently averaging 11 points and 8.3 rebounds per game. Way down from his career average. Also he is shooting under 40% from the field. The Daily News' Phil Jasner reports the Sixers are only awaiting league approval before announcing the deal. GM Billy King has still refused to comment on the situation and Mo Cheeks kept quiet. Reportedly, the LA Lakers and the NY Knicks (surprise) are interested in signing Webber.

Webber has really fallen out of favor after last year. Although he and Allen Iverson teamed to be the highest-scoring duo in the league, the Sixers still missed the playoffs. Then he never made it to the bench for Fan Appreciation Night which was a slap in the fans' face. He tried to defend himself over the summer instead of just apologizing.

I am happy to see Webber exit. This team is rebuilding and it is important for younger players to get more minutes and for Andre Miller and Andre Iguodala to become the team leaders. I think that would have been hard with Webber hanging around. This is a necessary move that provides no cap room and very little monetary relief but Webber is serving no purpose and it is better to let him go play on the bench for a contender. There is nothing left in the tank for CWebb and his next employer will find that out.

The Sixers and Flyers are both in action tonight. The Flyers are home against the Montreal Capitals and the Sixers are on the road at the New York Knicks.

And just 35 days until Spring Training.

Labels: Sixers

Bruiser Flint, Drexel's head coach, has a lot to smile about these days. Despite being the sixth team in the Big Five, Flint has the best basketball team in Philly this year. It is a well-rounded team that has beaten three of the four Big Five teams that have played this year. Last night, they beat James Madison for their tenth straight victory. They have also scored victories over Big East power, Syracuse and final four team, George Mason. Currently they are 12-2 overall.

Drexel is lead by the three-headed monster of Frank Elegar, Bashir Mason, and Dominick Mejia. Elegar is a junior center that leads the team in scoring and second in rebounding. He averages 14.6 ppg and 7.2 rpg. Mason is a senior guard. He is second in scoring with a 12.6 average. He leads the team in assists, 48, and steals, 36. Mejia is also a senior guard. He is averaging `11.1 ppg. He is tied for second on the team with 23 steals. These three have lead Drexel to their hot start.

In the Colonial Athletic Association, the Dragons are 4-0 and leading. The CAA is comprised of teams such as Hofstra, George Mason, Delaware, Old Dominion, and Georgia State. Last year, George Mason made a final four run after getting the automatic bid for winning the CAA. This year, that is what Drexel is hoping for. They have served notice with upsets of Villanova and Syracuse. Villanova head coach, Jay Wright, was very complimentary of Flint's team on Daily News Live. They have a bright future this year and if you are going to jump on a college bandwagon this is the team.

The Flyers continue to chug along at the bottom of the NHL standings with another embarrassing perfomance against the Ottawa Senators. It was a performance that was reminiscent of their ugly games against the Buffalo Sabres and the Pittsburg Penguins. The Flyers lost 6-1 and had Sami Kapanen questioning his teammates desire. It was only a matter of time. The Flyers started playing better with a three game win streak around the New Years but have gotten back to their losing ways in the last two games with the last one being especially bad. They have an NHL low 26 points by far the worst in the NHL. The next closest is the St. Louis Blues with 33 points and you ask about the Columbus Blue Jackets with Ken Hitchcock as their coach. Well they now have 36 points and when Hitch was hired by Columbus they down in the cellar with the Flyers.

I was glad that Sami Kapanen called out his teammates after their last game. As much as this team lacks the ability to be a good team they also lack the desire. I am only twenty years old, but I never remember the Flyers being noncompetitive. This is the only team in Philly I can say that for. This season has definetly been weird because I can only remember them competing in the playoffs. Kapanen has been a consistent player for three years for the Flyers. This year he has had some struggles scoring only 7 goals and having a -11 in 38 games played. He is a guy that gives his all everytime and pound for pound (5'9, 181) a very tough player.

I also feel very bad for John Stevens. I believe he will become a very good head coach in the NHl but he was forced into a terrible situation unfairly. He is still very yound and only last year was coaching in the AHL. He also was forced to replace a Stanley Cup-winning coach, Ken Hitchcock, who was fired too soon. Stevens has been especially disappointed with the team's performance when they get down. They fell down 2-0 in the first period and basically gave up. Stevens had this to say: "that (when falling behind) is when you dig in." Somewhere that message is getting lost because they Flyers have done the opposite. Look at these stats: 1-22-1 when they trail; 1-18-0 when trailing after first period; and 0-23-1 when trailing entering the third period. That is dreadful and defines the season.

Oh yeah, on a positive note it is only 37 days until Pitchers and Catchers Report.

Labels: Flyers

As the Big 5 teams near their midpoint of the season and have either started or are getting ready to start their conferance games, I figured now would be a good time to look at each five teams individually.

Villanova - Coach Jay Wright's squad lost key players Randy Foye, Kyle Lowry, and Allan Ray who are all performing in the NBA now. Currently they are 10-4 overall but 0-2 in the Big East. They started off the season with a win over Rollie Massimino's Northwood University squad. The Wildcats are 3-0 in Big 5 play with wins over Penn (99-89), LaSalle (64-51), and Temple (83-65). They also have a nonconferance win at Oklahoma but lost to Philly team, Drexel (81-76). Fifth year senior, Curtis Sumpter, leads Villanova with 19.4 points per game and is also pulling down 6.8 rebounds per game. Guard Mike Nardi is also performing well with a 14.4 average. Heralded freshman, Scott Reynolds, is third on the team in scoring averaging 9.2 ppg. Upcoming games include: 1/20 vs. Texas at the Wachovia Center, 2/6 vs. St Joes (for the Big 5 championship), 3/3 vs. Syracuse (Big East finale).

Temple - First year coach, Fran Dunphy, has endured some struggles in North Philly. They stand at 6-7 overall but 0-1 in Atlantic 10 play. They are currently on a three game losing streak including a 83-65 loss to Villanova and a 73-55 loss to Coach K and Duke. They have also lost to Drexel 69-54 but have beaten Big East school, Rutgers, 77-54. Dionte Christmas leads the Owls in scoring with a 19.8 average with Dustin Salisbury playing second fiddle with a 16.7 average and pulling down 5.3 boards per game. Salisbury played in the neighboring school district where I graduated. Quite a high school player. They have some upcoming tests against Big 5 teams. They include 1/10 vs. St. Joes, 1/24 vs. Penn, 2/4 vs. LaSalle, 2/14 vs. LaSalle, and finally 2/22 vs. St. Joes. They have a lot of winning to do if they want to make the Big Dance in March. It will probably require winning the Atlantic 10 championship.

St. Joes- Phil Martelli's team is 8-5 overall with a perfect 1-0 record in Atlantic 10 play. They have been lead by do it all sophomore forward, Ahmad Nivins. Check out I've Made a Huge Tiny Mistake. It is posted under Philly Sports on Dec. 30. He is currently averaging 15.9 points and 7.2 rebounds per game. They had a big nonconferance win against Big Dance cinderella team, Bucknell (63-53). They have also lost to Drexel (72-56) and Big East competitor, Louisville (74-64). They have upcoming tests against Big 5 opponents including 1/10 vs. Temple, 1/27 vs. Penn, 2/6 vs. Villanova, 2/10 vs. LaSalle, and 2/22 vs. Temple.

Penn - First year coach, Glen Miller, leads this perenial Ivy League contender. They have yet to start conferance play but stand at 7-6 overall. Miller comes from seven years at Brown University where he turned around a terrible basketball program. He does not have nearly that tough of a job at Penn where all he has to do is keep the winning going. This is the only Big 5 team to beat Drexel doing so by a 68-49 margin. They have lost to Big East teams, Syracuse and Villanova, as well at North Carolina. The Quakers are led by two seniors. Forward Mark Zoller is averaging 19.2 points and 8 rebounds per game. Guard Ibrahim Jaaber is averaging 16 ppg. Upcoming games include 1/18 vs. LaSalle, 1/24 vs. Temple, and 1/27 vs. St. Joes.

LaSalle - This is a very young team being led by a freshman and a junior. They have struggled early going 6-8 overall and 0-2 in the Atlantic 10. They have a loss to Villanova and one to UMASS. Junior guard, Darnell Harris is averaging 14.2 ppg while sidekick freshman guard, Rodney Green, is averaging 13.1 ppg. They have four more games against Big 5 opponents including 3 games in 10 days. The games are 1/18 vs. Penn, 2/10 vs. St. Joes, and 2/14 vs. Temple.

Labels: Big Five

• Finally, the Sixers officially announced the return of Larry Brown as executive vice president. A nice fancy title for Brown but as we all know a title doesn't stop Brown for overstepping his boundaries. Refer to my December 22 post (filed under Sixers) for my opinion of Brown returning. No matter what Mo Cheeks says, know that his seating has begun heating up immensely. It is only a matter of time until Brown has the itch to coach again.
• The Sixers lost again Friday night to the Minnesota Timberwolves and Randy Foye. Foye really began to come into his own in December even winning the Rookie of the Month. Last night he scored 11 points, 6 rebounds, and 11 assists. He played 30 minutes coming off the bench. On the year, Foye is averaging 8.5 points per game in only 18 minutes.
• The Sixers released La Salle product Steve Smith. This move reduced their roster size to only 14. The Sixers also avoided having to pay Smith his entire contract. I was sad to see him go because I was hoping Smith could make it with the hometown Sixers.
• The rumors are swirling regarding a buyout of Chris Webber's contract. Webber is making 20 million this year and 22 next year. I would love to see him go. He has missed 9 out of the past 12 games and is three years past being a productive player. He only slows down this offense and provides very little defense.
• If nothing else, Pat Gillick is adding quantity to the bullpen. The Phillies added Anderson Garcia from the Orioles' organization. He was added to the 40-man roster but is a long shot to make the team out of Spring Training. He will likely begin the year in Ottawa.
• To add to my December 27 post about Ed Snider (posted under Flyers), the Columbus Blue Jackets are an impressive 11-8-2 since Ken Hitchcock took over after being well below .500 before.

Labels: Big Five, Phillies, Sixers

Now I present prospects three and four in my ongoing series. First I presented Greg Oden, the consensus number one pick of the draft, and Kevin Durant. With the Sixers still owning the second worse record in the league, only behind the Memphis Grizzlies, chances are good they will own a top pick in the draft. Here I look into Brandan Wright and Joakim Noah.

Brandan Wright is a 6’10 power forward for the North Carolina Tar Heels. Wright was a McDonald’s All-American in high school and is part of the highly rated freshman class at UNC. He is not as highly touted as either Greg Oden or Kevin Durant but would provide a great potential for the Sixers to build around. Currently he is averaging 15.4 points per game and 6.5 rebounds per game. He has drawn comparisons to Kevin Garnett. He runs the floor well and also uses his large wingspan to grab rebounds and block shots. Wright is very athletic with both incredible talent and potential.

Joakim Noah is a junior at defending National Champion Florida Gators. He passed up a chance to come out last year when his stock was very high and could to the same again this year. Noah is a very good defensive force but has a limited offensive game. He has a lot of untapped potential but did not develop as much as anticipated coming into this year. Noah is a very aggressive player that gives 110% all the time and played very well in last year’s tournament. Along with teammate, Al Horford, Noah dominates the paint with his 6’11 frame. I am not as high on him as I am on the first three prospects I presented but has adequate potential.

The Sixers will have a chance to reshape their future this June in the draft and by landing any of these players they will be in terrific shape. By the way don't forget the the Flyers play tonight and are on a three game win streak. Also the Sixers defeated AI and the Denver Nuggets.

Labels: Sixers

This is the first installment looking at some of the top prospects available in next June's NBA Draft. I present Greg Oden and Kevin Durant.

Greg Oden has gotten considerable publicity for a couple years now. He was the consensus number one pick last summer in the draft but the new age limit kept him from entering the draft. He is now a freshman at Ohio State University. He missed a few games at the beginning of the year because of injury but has put up impressive numbers since his return. He has all the skills to be a star. He is quick for his size and dominates the middle both offensively and defensively. So far he has appeared in six games. He is averaging 14.5 points per game and 9.3 rebounds per game. He is also averaging 3.7 blocks per game. All very impressive numbers for a freshman playing on the #6 ranked team in the nation. He is the considered the prize of the draft. He has been compared to Patrick Ewing, David Robinson, and Tim Duncan. A player of his ability comes along only once a decade. I would be thrilled if the Sixers could land him in the draft. He will be an impact player for over a decade. He is a player that could lead this franchise to the promised land.

Kevin Durant is a freshman for the University of Texas. He is also a top-rated prospect. He is a 6-10 small forward/power forward. He has a ton of potential and has only begun to scratch the surface. Scouts believe he needs to add muscle to his body but have compared him to Tracy McGrady or a pre-injury Grant Hill. Durant has almost as much potential as Oden and is rated as the second best prospect. He plays with great quickness and explosion in getting to the hoop and also has the ability to hit a three-pointer. He can truly be a special player. I would have no regrets if the Sixers were to land Durant in the 2007 draft. He would be a great player to build a championship team around. He is only a freshman so obviously he would have the option of returning to Texas but that would be surprising. Durant would be a great franchise player to replace Allen Iverson.

Labels: Sixers

I want to wish everyone a Happy New Years. The Flyers celebrated by beating the defending Stanley Cup champions, Carolina Hurricanes. The Flyers won 5-3 and Simon Gagne scored his 20th goal of the year. Kyle Calder continued his hot streak by contributing another goal.

On the other hand, the Sixers celebrated by getting blown out by Lower Merion product, Kobe Bryant and the LA Lakers. The Sixers have played better lately with Andre Iguodala finally asserting himself offensively. Andre Miller has also been a great addition for a young team.

In other news:
The Flyers claimed Dmitry Afanasenkov off waivers from the Tampa Bay Lightning. Not a great player but will be a solid addition to the Flyers.

The Flyers finished 2006 with back to back wins.

Ryan Howard dumped his agent and may hook up with Leon Rose, Allen Iverson's agent. Howard would be Rose's first baseball client.