Sixers Links: Players' Only Meetings and The Basketball Jones

It feels weird to go through an off day because of this schedule, but that's exactly what we Sixers fans went through today. Since there wasn't a Game Thread to post our favorite Natalie Portman pictures or a Post-Game Thread to post the "We Suck Again" gem, a link piece just might be in order. Fear not my little piggies, for that's exactly what we've got here.

We've had a day to digest the Andre Miller experience (a new ride at Dorney Park dontchaknow) and get all the anger out of us that may have been called by Evan Turner's "charge". So today, we discuss the players' only meeting held at Sixers practice today, who they'll play on Saturday, how Doug Collins justifies Thaddeus Young's role to him, and an LB shout-out from a prominent daily video podcast.

#OLETSDOIT

Sixers Hold Players' Only Meeting: Philadelphia Daily News

"We had a meeting of the minds, a little pow-wow just to make sure everybody’s on the same page and to avoid slippage," said guard Lou Williams. "Just to make sure everybody is on the same page. When you lose a game I think it’s important for everybody to sit down and say "OK, are we all right?" just make sure everybody’s on the same page. That was basically it. We had a players’ only meeting just to make sure everybody was happy. Make sure we continue to push forward."

"This is the most success we’ve had in a long time and we’re not planning on letting that go," said Williams. "We can’t afford to lose three or four in a row based on guys not being able to talk out small little things. We lost one, we consider that a losing streak in our building, so we just had to talk it out."

More after the jump.

Can These Sixers Be For Real?: Philadelphia Daily News

They have won 10 of their 14 games this season, and they try hard, night after night. It is enough to beat the many dysfunctional NBA teams out there and become an increasingly tough out for the well-constructed, star-laden ones. But is there enough here to believe it can ever be any more than that?

"I mean, you've got to start somewhere," Collins was saying. "I mean, you don't just wake up and become a championship team unless you get lucky and win the lottery. You have to build. Everybody wants to be a champion. There's only one of those a year. Does that mean people in those 29 other places don't enjoy their teams?"

"I would like to think that we don't have to be like somebody else," said Collins. "That we can create our own path. Sometimes your team is not laden with super-duper stars. That doesn't mean you don't have really good players. That doesn't mean you can't win a lot of basketball games.

Jack (Not Ed) McCaffery on Doug Collins and Thad Young's Role: Delaware County Times

And while his team has more star players than recognized, there is one reason why the Sixers have pounced to such a fortunate start. They have players buying the coach’s pitch.

"When you go to Thad Young and Lou Williams and say, ‘Look, you are one of our best players but I really think you can help us better coming off the bench,’ you’ve got to justify to them why you think it is going to work. From our standpoint, with Thad, we just felt we could get him in a matchup every night that he could win and to help our team and keep him fresh."

Despite Scheudle, Sixers Will Not Play Heat on Saturday: Local 10

On Saturday against the Philadelphia 76ers, the team will transform into the Miami Floridians as part of the NBA's tribute to the (ABA).

The team will wear uniforms from the 1971-1972 season, featuring magenta and orange vertical stripes.

Spencer Hawes Injury Status: Mike Preston

Spencer Hawes said his left Achilles strain feels "better than it did yesterday" but he terms his status as "day-to-day."

J.E. Skeets Shout-out to Liberty Ballers: The Basketball Jones

When discussing the NBA GM survey, J.E. Skeets gives a what's up to Liberty Ballers (occurs around the 8-minute mark). Don't worry, Jordan already brushed the dirt off his shoulder.