Location: Philadelphia, PA | Arena: Wachovia Center (20,310) | Main Owner: Ed Snider | General Manager: Ed Stefanski Head Coach: Maurice Cheeks | Titles: 3 (1955 - Syracuse; 1967, 1983)
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MOST VALUABLE PLAYER Andre Miller by a wide margin. Although Andre Iguodala averaged a team-high 19.9 points, Miller averaged a career-high 17.0 points and shot a career-best 49.2 percent from the field. He had a knack for picking up the offensive slack at key times, especially when others were struggling, and continued to find open teammates for easy baskets.
MOST DISAPPOINTING PLAYER After a pretty good regular season, Andre Iguodala learned in the playoffs that he has a lot of work to do if he wants to be an elite player. He averaged just 13.2 points, shot 33.3 percent from the field and led the NBA in turnovers with 4.3 in six games against the Pistons. Tayshaun Prince forced Iguodala to become a jump shooter, which is not his strong suit, especially when the shots are contested by a long 6-9 player like Prince.
FREE AGENT FOCUS G Kevin Ollie, F Shavlik Randolph and F Louis Amundson are unrestricted free agents not likely to be back. C Calvin Booth could be unrestricted if he declines a $1.14 million player option, but probably won't do that. F/G Andre Iguodala and G Lou Williams are restricted free agents who played essential roles in 2007-08. Iguodala already turned down a five-year, $57 million extension, which president/GM Ed Stefanski does not have to offer him. It'll be interesting to see how much money Williams, who earned the third-year minimum of $800,000, is seeking. Rookie F/C Herbert Hill, who missed the season because of two knee surgeries, is restricted, thanks to a partial guarantee for next season.
PLAYER NOTES
--G Andre Miller's contract will pay him $10 million next season, which is the final year of the deal. When asked if he'd be interested in talking about an extension this summer, he didn't seem overwhelmed with the idea.
"I don't know," Miller said. "It's hard to tell right now. I'll just sit back, watch the playoffs and see what happens from there."
--F Thaddeus Young admitted to being worn out after an 88-game rookie season (regular season and playoffs) following one 31-game collegiate season at Georgia Tech. He emerged in the second half of the season, then averaged 10.2 points (fourth on the team) in starting all six playoff games out of position at power forward. While he hopes his future is at power forward, he's not planning to take any chances this summer.
"I'm trying to get a little bit bigger because those guys are big," Young said. "They're a little bit too big. Sometimes I'm like, 'Look, you don't need to be playing basketball, you need to get another job playing football or something.' Those guys live and eat basketball. I just have to come back stronger next year."
--G Lou Williams said he wants to spend some offseason time in the weight room to get a little stronger and combat opposing guards who had success taking him down low and overpowering him.
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Okay maybe I'm being a little dramatic but they are beating teams who nobody would have dreamed of with line-up we have but the young guys are stepping up and playing ridiculously well. We beat the Piston, Suns, Spurs, Bulls
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What are some of your ideas for fixing the Sixers for next year? Would you get a power forward and bench Evans and Young? Would you try trading either player with a draft pick for a dependable veteran? What to do with Jason Smith and S. Randolph? Is it time to say thanks and good-bye to
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I can see that sman1965 bothers almost every team on their message board. While trash talking is fun, just seeing this guys posts makes me fell like I am back in the 3rd grade.
I am proposing a boycott of any thread he starts, and to any posts he makes on other threads as well...
Maybe he will start to talk smart sports conversation or maybe he will jus
I'd just like to say that the Sixers had a helluva series, props to the young guys.
After game 3 i was scared, because we just had no answers for you guys. Then in game 4 we started doing to you what you were doing to us, and it worked. Keep it up, and I hope we don't play you guys next year cuz you'll only get better.
We took a predicted 20 win team and doubled it to 40 wins and getting the 7th seed in the playoffs, which no one expected us to do. On top of that we managed to win 2 games against one of the top 5 teams in the league in the playoffs. If you compare our team with the SunsNugget
This is why I said game 2 was a must win for Detroit. The Sixers are up 2-1 we have home court, and this is the real Piston team. They aren't sleeping, you could see it in the eyes of Sheed and Billups, They are shocked. It's not like they are amused. Game 4 is a Pistons must win because if we win Game 4 there is no way we lose
Watching the sixers and the playoffs has been pretty encouraging for the future of philly basketball. Our stregnths and weaknesses are pretty obvious, a young athletic low post force to add to this team. Move Iggy to the 2, Thad to the 3 and sign a free agent this year...
I gotta ask since that was only the 4th game I have seen all year on TV (i'm in florida and invested in the flyers (hockey package) over the basketball package)...have the sixers had any half court game whatsoever this year? if so who?
I wish I was in Philly to buy the gas for D sixers ,but I will still cheer for and hope they win this series. I think Mo and the tea has a little luck now and I wish it last for another round because it has been awhile since we had something to celebrate about BBall in Philly.
Has anyone noticed how weak Sam Dalembert has been playing lately? All he wants to do is shoot 15 ft jumpers as if he is the 2nd coming of Chris Webber. The 76ers need a strong presence in the post from their