Philadelphia 76ers Weekly: Buckle Up For A Long Season
The Charlotte Bobcats have long been the standard setters when it comes to being the worst team in the league. This week they defeated the Philadelphia 76ers 110-84 in what was a preview for what is to come for the Sixers this season.
"Sixers results for the week: 97-85 W over Boston Celtics, 127-97 L to Brooklyn Nets, 110-84 L to Charlotte Bobcats."
There are an abundance of problems with the 76ers, but the biggest one facing them is their lack of scoring punch. This was clear to see when the Bobcats didn’t even concede a point in the first five minutes of play. Sure, it’s preseason. Sure, the Sixers were without Evan Turner and Thaddeus Young, but it was still a chilling preview of just how terrible this team will be in 2013-14.
Earlier in the week the Sixers played their first game at the Wells Fargo Center this preseason, falling 127-97 to the Brooklyn Nets in a virtually empty arena (less than 4,000 fans showed up!). The Nets outscored the home side in every single quarter and dominated from start to finish. It was a fall back to reality for a Sixers team that had been exciting, bordering on promising, so far in the preseason.
Michael Carter-Williams has had a quietly good preseason. (NBA.com photo)
Michael Carter-Williams did impress, though. The rookie finished with 12 points, four assists and two rebounds. The most impressive stat was his 3-for-7 shooting from downtown. The biggest worry with MCW coming out of college was his jump shot, but the early signs are very, very promising.
The Sixers did actually win a game since the last column; defeating the Boston Celtics 97-85 at the home of the D-League team, the Delaware 87ers. It was a very impressive defensive display by the 76ers – they held the Cs to 36 percent shooting from the floor. It’s not inconceivable to think that this team might be a top-20 defensive team this season.
Other Notes
- Allen Iverson is set to finally and formally retire from the game of basketball at the Sixers’ season opener against the Miami Heat. The report comes from TNT’s David Aldridge.
- The Sixers announced the signing of former Kentucky center Daniel Orton this week, as they waived Tim Ohlbrecht. As usual with Sam Hinkie, upside wins out.
- Royce White played some basketball. Honestly. He scored five points and grabbed three rebounds against the Boston Celtics, before picking up five quick fouls. Let’s hope it’s the start of the road of recovery for White. The dude can play.
Final Thoughts
What I learned this week: That while tanking seems like a great idea, it’s going to be so painful to continuously watch these young men lose. Also, it’s clear that the fans aren’t going to give a damn about this team. And rightfully so: This team isn’t worth paying to go to watch. Let’s just hope it’s all worth it in 12 months when I’m writing this and the 76ers have Andrew Wiggins on the roster.
Weekly Awards
Quote of the week: “I’m not going to sit here and be a loser. … I’m not a loser. Period. Point blank. So I’m not going to sit there and dwell on it. Period.” – Evan Turner.
Player of the Week: Michael Carter-Williams
Worst Player of the Week: Spencer Hawes, as usual.
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