As the third quarter of Game 6 flipped to Philadelphia’s favor, it felt different. Finally, they’d make it past the second round. Sports are silly. You spend time and money. You exhaust energy. For something you literally cannot control no matter how much you think you can. It’s not my fault I grew up where [...]
I’ve written about his debut before. After back-to-back season-ending surgeries. His first bucket. A midrange turnaround fadeaway. Place erupts. Then he blocks the eventual MVP. Even louder. Looking back on every game I’ve seen in person, at least basketball ones, it’s hard to pick a better one. You saw it almost instantly. This dude. He’ll [...]
It’s been a while since you could feel this confident. Sure, a lot of what “could be” surrounded the past three seasons that portrayed the role of optimist. Oh, on paper this defense might be the league’s best. Yes, perimeter shooting will unlock he who shall not be named. Finally, a legitimate perennial All-NBA guy [...]
I opted against chronicling the end of Philadelphia’s most recent season. In previous years I wrote plenty about the many shortcomings, the misery, the dissatisfaction, but this year I decided to take a break from it. Everything written following that series rung true. There wasn’t any need for additional commentary from yours truly. It’s in [...]
Joel Embiid has been the constant. Through it all. It’s been Embiid. Maybe it means a bit more because of where he’s been. Not one, but two full seasons away from the game because of foot surgeries. Where seemingly every other headline spelled out disbelief. Oft-injured big men typically don’t last long. It’s why Philadelphia [...]
Ben Simmons appeared on the bench last night in the best of spirits. Seen laughing and enjoying himself. It marked the first time he sat so close to an NBA floor in nearly eight months. At some point soon, Simmons will play basketball. He’ll do all of the things he’s known for doing. Finding open [...]
Like Carson Wentz almost a year ago, it wasn’t supposed to end this way for Ben Simmons in Philadelphia. The parallels of the two top-two picks from 2016 are endless. Eventually, Simmons will speak about what went wrong. It’s been reported by many, but Simmons hasn’t publicly spoken since Game 7 of the Eastern Conference [...]
In sixth grade I became an alter server for my school’s parish. Whenever I had to work a funeral or wedding, I’d get a small amount of money. Maybe $10. I remember, vividly, wanting more than anything Bow Wow’s Wanted as my first purchase with this new-found, self-earned money. A compact disc. It was 2005. [...]
Expectations should be tampered. The East is better. Even if Ben Simmons plays this entire year, Brooklyn and Milwaukee remain superior. That’s OK. Boston will be healthier. Atlanta will only improve given how many games Cam Reddish and De’Andre Hunter missed a season ago. It’s tough to know what the real expectations for Philadelphia should [...]
Like every other 76ers fan, I had hoped this situation resolved itself. Long before training camp and the preseason began. Wishful thinking, sure, since every report this summer was more of the same: the reality a trade wasn’t ever close. We’re a weekend away from media day where questions will only be about Ben Simmons, [...]
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