Philadelphia 76ers Weekly: Sixers Knock Off Champions; Michael Carter-Williams Is Good At Basketball
The 2013-14 season was supposed to be a write off for the fans of the Philadelphia 76ers. We weren’t supposed to watch, for the sake of our own lives. Double-digit wins are not guaranteed. The word “rebuilding” is one that roughly translates to god-awful at this moment in time.
But, this narrative was torn up on the Sixers opening night, as they welcomed the back-to-back champions, the Miami Heat, to the Wells Fargo Center.
What ensued was one of the greatest nights in recent memory for the Philadelphia franchise. On a night which saw Allen Iverson officially retire from the NBA, the 2013-14 Sixers showed the same effort, courage and resiliency of the former MVP to knock off the Heat in a stunning 114-110 win.
It will be one of the Sixers’ only wins this season, granted, but what a win it was. Philly got out to a ferociously hot start — racing out to a 26-4 lead in the first quarter. What was more surprising was the way in which the 76ers came back after the inevitable Miami rally. LeBron James and company charged into the game after the first quarter and led the game by nine going into the last. This didn’t throw the young Sixers off their game. They outworked and outplayed Miami to snatch the game in a memorable night. Perhaps the only memorable night they’ll have this season.
The former Syracuse guard, Carter-Williams, was a pleasant surprise (NBA.com photo)
Michael Carter-Williams has a PER rating of 48.0 after one game in the NBA. GOAT? Probably.
In all seriousness, what a debut MCW had. After doubts about his jumpshot and general ability, Carter-Williams went some way to doubting his critics with a historically good first game. Twenty-two points, 12 assists, nine steals and seven rebounds, with only one turnover. He was one steal and three rebounds away from a quadruple-double and one steal from a triple-double. What’s more, he sunk the two free-throws to ice the game.
The expectations — fairly or unfairly — will now be sky-high for the kid. Magic Johnson has gone as far as to say that the point guard will win Rookie of the Year this season.
One thing is for sure: Thousands upon thousands will be picking up MCW for their fantasy leagues.
Are Evan Turner and Spencer Hawes playing to get traded? Probably. But that benefits the product on the floor. I’ve been hard on both in the last two years, but they were absolutely fantastic in the win over Miami. Hawes shot 10-of-14, scoring 24 points, while Turner dropped 26 points on better than 50 percent shooting from the field.
Sure, it won’t happen every night, but the aggressiveness and passion on display was just great to see.
Tanking?
Don’t let this win fool you; the Sixers will still be historically bad this season. It’s the first home game, emotions were high; players got hot, Miami rested Dwyane Wade, Spencer Hawes actually looked like a serviceable NBA center … the list goes on. What I’m trying to say is that there were a myriad of factors that had to occur for the Sixers to even be in the game, let alone win it. So to say “THE SIXERS SUCK AT TANKING” is pretty silly. Just wait until they score below 80 in the return game.
And yes, let Philly fans celebrate. As much as the aim is to lose this season, an NBA team has to win a game or two. And what better team to beat than the Heat?
Other Notes
- Andrew Bynum actually played minutes on an NBA team! Shame it wasn’t the 76ers, eh?
- A team with Daniel Orton playing 15 minutes actually beat the Miami Heat. I never thought I would see the day.
- Philly done all this WITHOUT Kwame Brown. Just imagine them with the dominant, game-changing center in the lineup!
- The Sixers are almost definitely winning the NBA title.
Weekly/Yearly Awards
Player of the week: Michael Carter-Williams
Quote of the week: Michael Carter-Williams
2013-14 MVP: Michael Carter-Williams
2013-14 DPOY: Michael Carter-Williams
2014 Slam-dunk Champion: Michael Carter-Williams
2014 All-Star MVP: Michael Carter-Williams
Coach of the Year: Michael Carter Williams
Play of the Year: Anything by Michael Carter-Williams
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