Liberty Ballers: All Posts by Roy Burton

Behind The Scenes At The NBA Draft Lottery: Sixers Edition

2013-05-22T13:54:14Z

There was a 90.7 percent chance that the Philadelphia 76ers would wind up with the No. 11 pick at the end of Tuesday night's Draft Lottery... and that's exactly what happened.

Neither of the team's representatives - co-owners Josh Harris and Adam Aron - brought any sort of lucky charm with them to New York last evening, but it probably didn't matter all that much. The Sixers did the most damage to their chances by winning 11 out of their last 20 games - pride is a fool's fortress - and no rabbit's foot, four-leaf clover, or Steve Nash bobblehead doll was going to magically vault them into the top 3.

There typically isn't much to be gleaned from events like this (it's really just a vehicle for owners and general managers from across the league to get together to talk shop), but in between bites of penne pasta and prime rib, both Harris and Aron were willing to speak on the record about the future of the franchise. And while Harris sidestepped a direct question in regards to how close he thought his team is from being a contender - "I'm going to let [new GM] Sam [Hinkie] speak about that" - he and Aron offered a few interesting takeaways:

Aron on Hinkie's role in the search for a new head coach:
"People in the ownership group will certainly interview the serious candidates, but it's Sam's search to run."

Harris on analytics:
"I think people get confused when you talk about analytics... All you're doing is adding data to player evaluation. Seems like it's very logical."

Harris, prior to the lottery results being announced, on whether he believes in luck:
"In my day job (as manager of a private equity firm), I spend a lot of time trying to figure out how to make smart bets, smart investments... but I've never been much of a superstitious person. And obviously in this... this is pure luck. There's nothing you can do to influence this."

(Note: You could have influenced it by not winning those meaningless games in April. But I digress...)

Harris on whether the team has enough information to make a decision on Bynum:
"Diligence is a process - you're always gathering information. But obviously, we've been thinking a lot about that. Certainly, we have more information than... the league at large, having lived with Andrew, and we have an exclusive negotiating period right now, so certainly we're looking at it, and gathering more information every day."

(Note: Call me crazy, but "Living With Andrew" sounds like a fantastic idea for a sitcom - I can hear the laugh track as I'm typing this. Levin: Have your people call my people.)

Harris on his role in major basketball decisions:
"The way it works with something that significant, the basketball people are tasked with developing a viewpoint, and certainly on that kind of decision, I would be briefed... I mean clearly, when there are big, big money issues, certainly we're going to get involved, because we're the ones writing the checks. But I think what we've shown is that if it's kind of important for the team, we think it moves the needle, we think it's a smart risk, we'll spend. We don't want to be dumb about it or stupid about it - the reality is, including the amnesty, our payroll was $84 million last year. So that was... kind of a lot of money."

Harris on coming out of the lottery with the No. 11 pick:
"Expected value. I figured when we came here I had a small probability of being super happy, and a small probability of being slightly sad, and I'm neither, We're right were we expected to be, but it was nice to be here and support the Sixers. It was good."

Again, the Draft Lottery isn't a place where earth-shattering revelations are made. But as is the case with virtually every NBA-sanctioned event, the night belonged to outgoing Commissioner David Stern, who gave something of a "State of the Union" address prior to ESPN's televised proceedings.

Stern may not be the most affable person in the world, but he's almost always the smartest man in the room, and his "G" (read: gangsta) is so unparalleled, it's impressive to watch him in action. For an example, take this exchange between Stern and a reporter last night:

Reporter: Three of the four teams that are in the playoffs are probably from your smallest markets. Is that a concern when it comes to your TV partners in terms of your ratings, etc.?

Stern: Not in the least. I asked Heather Cox (of ESPN): How do you define small?

Reporter: It's not Los Angeles, New York or Chicago.

Stern: Is it the lower half of the league?

Reporter: Well, I think popular TV markets...

Stern: Lower half?

Reporter: OK.

Stern: Good, thank you. We have four teams in the lower half of our TV households. It's not three of four, it's four of four. Miami is 16th. And it just goes to show you that if you have good teams, people will want to watch... Miami wasn't a big market, defined by the media as a big market until it attracted big players, and then suddenly it became a big market.

Reporter: I'm talking about the international market that goes beyond graphs and sizes...

Stern: Really? You should go back and look at some of the numbers. Sorry - it doesn't hold.

The best example of David Stern's G? At the reception prior to the draft lottery, there was an empty table that was literally guarded by a woman for the better part of two hours.

She wasn't eating or drinking like every one else in the room - she just stood next to the table with a stoic expression on her face like the guards in front of Buckingham Palace. It soon became clear that the table was reserved for a VIP, but while a simple "This table is reserved for Commissioner David Stern" sign probably would have sufficed, but that's not how Stern rolls. I'm really going to miss that guy.

Hopefully, Hinkie has that same amount of G if and when someone on the basketball side of the house floats a proposal to sign Bynum to a long-term deal. But while Hinkie may or may not have Stern-level G, he definitely has the No. 11 pick. And given the uncertain nature of this year's draft class, we all may want to break out the lucky charms come June 27.

Philadelphia 76ers 2013 NBA Draft Lottery FAQ

2013-05-21T19:00:09Z

The following is everything that you wanted to know about tonight's Draft Lottery, but were afraid to ask...

How does this thing work?

14 numbered ping-pong balls are loaded into a standard lottery machine, and from those 14, a combination of four balls is selected. Each of the 14 lottery teams is assigned a certain number of possible combinations based on their record from the previous season.

The 20-62 Orlando Magic had the worst record this year, so they will be assigned 250 out of the 1,000 possible combinations (actually, there are 1,001 possible combinations, but the NBA ignores 11-12-13-14 because... basketball reasons). The Sixers, meanwhile, will be assigned eight out of the 1,000 combinations. They could have had twice as many had they lost four more games, so blame Doug Collins and/or Damien Wilkins at your leisure.

Four-ball combinations are pulled out of the hopper until each of the first three selections is assigned, and after that, the rest of the lottery picks are given out based on record.

Why does the NBA hold a lottery? Why don't they just assign all of the picks based on record?

It's to prevent teams from purposely tanking (or panking, as some would call it) in order to get the No. 1 pick. Of course, this doesn't prevent teams from losing in order to improve their odds, but a certain franchise that shall remain nameless refused to do that this season for a reason called PRIDE.

So... the Sixers can't really win this thing, can they?

Probably not. Under the current system, no team with odds as bad as the Sixers has ever won the whole thing. However, the last time the draft lottery was held in New York City (1993), the Orlando Magic went from 11th to 1st. So there's that.

So you're saying there's a chance?

Sure. The Sixers have a 0.8 percent chance at the No. 1 pick, a 0.95 percent chance at the No. 2 pick and a 1.15 chance that they'll wind up at No. 3. There's also a 90.7 percent chance that they'll stay right at No. 11, and a 6.5 percent chance that they'll actually fall back to either 12, 13 or 14. Welcome to Philadelphia, Kelly Olynyk.

Who will be representing the Sixers in New York?

While other teams are sending guys like Brad Beal, Damian Lillard and Kevin Love, the Sixers will be represented the dynamic duo of Adam Aron and Josh Harris. Personally, I'd send Sonny Hill and/or one of World B. Free's suits, but it's not my call. In case you missed it, we debated the different possibilities here.

I've heard that the lottery is rigged in order to favor certain teams. Is that true?

Nope. Many people (read: the newly unemployed David Kahn) think that it is in light of the whole Patrick Ewing fiasco in 1985. But small-market teams win just as often as large-market franchises, so it seems as if everything is on the up-and-up.

However, if the New York Knicks miss the playoffs in 2013-14 and somehow wind up with Andrew Wiggins, then we may need to revisit this question next year.

76ers Sunday Morning Shootaround: The Pank Edition

2013-05-19T14:00:07Z

Nice to see 6-year old ML was a Sixers fan RT @michael_levin Note I wrote on 1/19/1996 to Sixers. Do you like it?sbn.to/10EIlL3
— Adam Aron (@SixersCEOAdam) May 18, 2013

Thank you, Adam Aron, for giving me a reason to talk about 6-year-old Michael Levin's letter to the Sixers and/or a man named Vrnan Maxwall.

There's so much to love about this pair of tweets: For starters, Aron probably doesn't agree with most of what's written on this site, but it's nice to know that he reads Liberty Ballers from time to time. Most importantly, it's just plain fun to over-analyze a handwritten note by a 6-year-old, especially when it's related to a team that we all love.

It's safe to assume that Levin was writing about Vernon Maxwell, the gunner without a conscience who played for the 76ers during the 1995-96 season. But sadly, on the day the note was presumably written, the Sixers lost to the Atlanta Hawks (led by a man named Mookie Blalock) 82-77.

Maxwall/Maxwell actually scored five straight points in the fourth quarter to tie the game at 77, but then the Sixers Sixers'd the final 2:41 and went scoreless for the rest of the game. Blalock, meanwhile, was not knocked out of the pank, and finished with 23-6-4.

Lil' Levin's love letter (alliteration, baby) to Vrnan Maxwall ALMOST absolves him from his series of ill-fated tweets while manning the @SBNationNBA account last Tuesday. ALMOST.

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Yooo! Saying what's up to all of my @nbauk fans. I cant wait to playing in Manchester in October. twitter.com/Jrue_Holiday11...
— Jrue Holiday (@Jrue_Holiday11) May 16, 2013

People of Manchester, England: On behalf of all of us here at Liberty Ballers, we would like to apologize for the fact that you have to watch Sixers' preseason basketball this coming October. WE hate to watch exhibition games on this side of the Atlantic, so to peddle that same product to you and actually market it as "professional basketball" is somewhat disingenuous.

You know how excited you all get when Manchester City and Manchester United square off? Consider this the complete opposite of that. On the bright side, you will get to see Kevin Durant dunk on the Sixers for a good portion of the 12 minutes that he'll play that night. And you'll get to learn first-hand why we can't stand Spencer Hawes. By the way, if anyone over there wants to man our Twitter account during the game, just shoot us an email.

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Hahaha RT @jcie0law: @nickswagypyoung vs Mike Tyson in a fight! i think u ready Nick!! youtu.be/D5qaNOz_VsA
— Nick Young (@NickSwagyPYoung) May 15, 2013

Long before he missed nearly 59 percent of his shots in his first (and likely, only) season in Philadelphia, Nick Young took to YouTube to challenge former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson to a fight.

Now before you completely dismiss Swaggy P's 2010 boast (complete with a half-decent Tyson impersonation), let's not forget that Tyson was humongous at the time: Young's assertion that Tyson had a "turkey body" wasn't entirely off of the mark. But since then, "Iron Mike" dropped at least 100 pounds, and if the two were to square off today, Tyson would break Young in half.

Young isn't the first non-boxer to call out Tyson, however: Will Smith did the same thing 21 (!!!) years earlier in the song "I Think I Can Beat Mike Tyson" from the underrated DJ Jazzy Jeff and Fresh Prince album titled "And in This Corner..."

Coincidentally, this was the first full-length album that I ever bought with my own money: 10-year-old me wanted something to play on my new cassette player, but I had to make sure that the album didn't have any profanity. 2 Live Crew's "As Nasty As They Wanna Be" wasn't going to go over well in my house.

(In case you were wondering, the first cassette single that I ever bought was Milli Vanilli's "Blame It On The Rain." Again, I was 10 years old at the time.)

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NBA has approved our throwback uni design starting in '14-'15 season RT @princecapelli when will the team begin wearing throwback jerseys?
— Adam Aron (@SixersCEOAdam) May 18, 2013

ICYMI, the Philadelphia 76ers will be sporting their 1966-67 jerseys as alternates during the 2014-15 season. Between this and the Sam Hinkie news, the Sixers are having one of their best weeks ever. The winner of the "Worst Week Ever" award? Toronto mayor Rob Ford.

(Brief aside: How/why are people still smoking crack cocaine in 2013? Didn't everyone watch "New Jack City" growing up? After watching what happened to Pookie and the people in 'The Carter', "New Jack City" should serve as the best 97-minute "Say No To Drugs" commercial of all time. Except for those scenes with Judd Nelson, of course - he's a terrible actor).

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@mikevick appreciate that bro
— Thad Young (@yungsmoove21) May 16, 2013

One of these players is a world-class athlete who previously starred in Georgia before bringing his talents to Philadelphia. But while that same man isn't necessarily the best player on his team, he is a pretty good left-handed passer who is poised to have a fantastic season this fall.

The other player is Mike Vick.

Go Eagles!

76ers Sunday Morning Shootaround: The Bikini Edition

2013-05-12T14:00:11Z

@sbnationnba awesome article on @justholla22 and what a #winner he is libertyballers.com/2013/5/4/42986... #holidayfordays #justinholiday #sixernation
— Justin Holiday (@JustHolla22) May 6, 2013

We typically aren't ones to pat ourselves on the back Barry Horowitz-style here at LB, but it was great to get a shout out from Justin Holiday for our Justin's "Toot It Or Boot It" piece. Sadly, Justin's (ours, not the Sixers') priapism prevented him from penning those words that the elder Holiday enjoyed, but ~~faux Marcus Hayes~~ The Mainstream Media Sports Columnist knocked it out of the box. Seriously though, Justin Holiday GETS IT, and because he does, he'll forever be a favorite around these parts.

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Hate hate hate.
— Spencer Hawes (@spencerhawes00) May 10, 2013

Analyzed my last tweet, crunched the numbers and confirmed my last tweet was not related to the hiring of Sam Hinkie. Welcome to Philly Sam!
— Spencer Hawes (@spencerhawes00) May 10, 2013

Just as the news of the hiring of new GM Sam Hinkie broke, Spencer Hawes' "Hate hate hate." tweet sparked a mini-firestorm among the Sixers' Twitter community. On the surface, it appeared as if Hawes wasn't in favor of his employer hiring an "analytic" - not surprising given the fact that Spence isn't the most efficient player known to man (#LongTwosForever).

After further review, it seems as if Hawes was merely reacting to the latest developments in the on-again, off-again, on-again Sacramento Kings-to-Seattle saga (this thread on Sactown Royalty has all of the info you need). And despite all of the grief we give him, we know that Hawes is way too smart to get himself caught up in unnecessary Twitter drama. Unlike Kirk Gimenez.

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Take yo time wit it vine.co/v/b2zMM6IPE9B
— evan turner (@thekidet) May 5, 2013

In this week's edition of "Why The Majority of Vine Videos Are Stupid: Sixers' Edition", Evan Turner gives us on a behind-the-scenes look at him getting his dogs worked on at the nail salon. Nothing for nothing, if your feet are as vital to your livelihood as Evan's are, then it only makes sense to get regular pedicures.

Sadly, this was the most entertaining Vine video that Turner took this past week. There was one of him lying in bed watching the latest episode of "Love and Hip-Hop In Atlanta", but we wanted to save you all the pain of ~~having to see irrelevant, D-level "celebrities"~~ Lil' Scrappy.

Hopefully, the green water that Evan's feet were bathing in contains gamma radiation (ala "The Incredible Hulk") that will somehow improve his jump shot.

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Sippin OJ on the plane, chillin with Mr. Miyagi vine.co/v/b0aVlb6Zx35
— Jrue Holiday (@Jrue_Holiday11) May 10, 2013

Jrue Holiday one-ups Evan Turner on the stupid Vine front with this video of him drinking orange juice on an airplane staffed by a steward who looks nothing like Mr. Miyagi.

I never thought about it until watching this video, but wearing house shoes/slippers while traveling makes all of the sense in the world. Not only are they remarkably comfortable, but I imagine they significantly cut down on the time it takes to get through security.

Sporting house shoes outside was a legitimate thing after Doughboy (government name: Ice Cube) wore them in "Boyz In The Hood", but everyone soon realized that the weather in Compton, CA is far different than the weather in Brooklyn, NY. And besides not being able to wear slippers in the rain, you can't actually DO anything of value in them: It is physically impossible to run more than 12 steps in slippers without at least one of them falling off. You'd have a better chance of eating a tablespoon of cinnamon without choking.

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Ppl just came up 2 me,"hey Carlos Booz can we take a pic w/u?" I kno y'all think we all look alike but c'mon son. So after I took the pic...
— Damien Wilkins (@dwilkins3000) May 9, 2013

This is great for a number of reasons:

1) Damien Wilkins looks NOTHING like Carlos Boozer.
2) He took the picture anyway.
3) We all know that Boozer resembles a grown-up version of Jerryd Bayless, who looks NOTHING like Damien Wilkins.

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Can't forget our @sixers ! We'll have @chefvoyardee lending a hand in the selection of the lovely ladies tonight! #GetWetPhilly #bikinishow
— NorthShoreBeachClub (@NorthShoreBeach) May 9, 2013

In case you were wondering, there are no off days for Lavoy Allen. Mere weeks after learning nothing during his sophomore season, he spent part of his down time judging the North Shore Beach Club bikini team finals.

Allen, along with Matt Kassel and Chris Konopka of the Philadelphia Union, graded the contestants in several categories, including their "swimsuit appearance" as well as the all-important "cocktail dress appearance." A couple of questions:

1) Why does a private pool club need a bikini team? Am I missing something here? Is this just part of the male need to 'Hooterize' everything? Not judging, just curious.
2) How and why was Lavoy Allen selected as a judge? Perception isn't always reality, but he doesn't appear to be the type to pay rapt attention to much of anything.

(BTW, this is by no means my way of campaigning for said judging position. If I told my girlfriend that I was headed out on a Thursday night to judge a bikini competition, my clothes and all of my other worldly possessions would be greeting me on the front lawn when I returned. They may or may not be on fire.)

Philadelphia 76ers Stay Or Go Series: Arnett Moultrie And His Arrested Developement

2013-05-07T14:00:06Z

Arnett Moultrie's rookie season was, by and large, uneventful.

Most of it was spent wearing a furry seal backpack on team charters and making sure that the 76ers' veterans had warm donuts waiting when they arrived to practice. During games, Moultrie's prime responsibility was ensuring that that the seat on the end of the Sixers' bench wouldn't fly up and accidentally hit someone.

After being selected with the 27th pick in the 2012 NBA Draft, Moultrie appeared in just 47 games this past season, a surprisingly low figure for a team that was (and continues to be) desperate for big man help. With a straight face, team advisor Rod Thorn said that the Sixers considered Moultrie a top-10 talent, yet head coach Doug Collins thought it best to keep his rookie locked in the attic next to George Bluth.

There are those who banged the drum for Moultrie harder than others, but it was clear to anyone paying attention that the Sixers didn't give their first-round pick a fair shake last season. There was even a point where Collins himself stopped pouring over Maurice Harkless' box scores long enough to note that Moultrie should play more.

If Collins is as introspective as he loves to tell us that he is, there will be a moment this offseason where he thinks about how he used Moultrie, and then say to no one in particular: "I've made a huge mistake."

Happy Arbor Day, #Sixers fans! twitter.com/Sixers/status/...
— Philadelphia 76ers (@Sixers) April 26, 2013

The blame doesn't lie entirely with the former 76ers' coach, however. Moultrie's conditioning, or lack thereof, was often offered as an excuse as to why there wasn't enough time in the rotation. An ankle injury suffered over the summer kept the 6'11" rookie out of the Orlando Summer League, and Moultrie was noticeably out of shape during the first two months of the season.

So while the Sixers headed out West last December to get pummeled by the likes of the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs, Moultrie was sent to ~~Army~~ Sioux Falls to benefit from some much-needed playing time. A presumably in-shape Moultrie returned to the team in January, but much like Tobias Funke's time as a standby for the Blue Man Group, the calls to the bench came few and far between.

Collins' aforementioned epiphany came in early February, and from that point on, Moultrie was a semi-regular member of the Sixers' rotation. He didn't always get run, but when he did, he proved to be fairly effective.

The box scores tell most of story: There were a dozen games during his rookie year in which Moultrie logged at least 18 minutes. He managed to grab at least seven rebounds in half of those contests, and he scored at least 10 points in five of the 12 games.

What makes those figures even more impressive is the fact that Moultrie never played more than 28:50 in any game this season. We still don't know whether he's more Ann/Annabelle (George Michael's relatively non-descript girlfriend) than Annyong (a seemingly bit player who was the mastermind behind a much bigger plot), but there appears to be at least a faint glimmer of potential there.

Moultrie worked the offensive glass like a champ as a rookie: His offensive rebound rate of 15.4 was the fifth-best mark in the league for players who averaged at least 10 minutes per game last season.

And while there's plenty of room for growth on the other end of the court (neither his block rate nor his defensive rebounding percentage is commensurate with someone who is nearly seven feet tall), Moultrie isn't a horrible defender, either. According to Synergy Sports, Moultrie allowed just 0.72 points per possession in 2012-13 (though, admittedly, many of his minutes came in garbage time).

Jordan Sams' pre-draft preview of Moultrie was startlingly prescient - the same strengths and weaknesses that were on display during his career at Mississippi State have pretty much followed him into the NBA:

Unfortunately - despite athleticism suggesting he should - Moultrie is an underwhelming shot-blocker and defensive rebounder. However; he's a very good offensive rebounder and can finish at the basket via cuts, offensive rebounds and alley-oops - things Jrue Holiday and Evan Turner would immediately benefit from.

He has a decent shot for a big man, and his drastic improvement in free throw percentage at Mississippi State suggest there's still room for improvement in that aspect of his game.

At a total cap hit of just $4.3 million over the next three seasons, the Sixers would be foolish to part ways with their 22-year old big man. It's a stretch to assume that the new head coach will give him the starting nod next year, but there's little reason to believe that Moultrie can't replicate what he did this past April (6.3 PPG and 4.8 RPG in 18.0 minutes per night) as the first or second big off of the bench.

Spencer Hawes and Kwame Brown don't (or, at least, shouldn't) figure in the Sixers' long-term plans, so it makes little sense to give them extended playing time at Moultrie's expense next season. Every minute Hawes spends on the court botching dribble handoffs, shooting long twos and setting "screens" is a minute taken away from Moultrie's development. And since neither Hawes nor Brown them exactly exude veteran leadership (or even "Caged Wisdom", for that matter), the best way for Moultrie to learn how to play in the post is by actually stepping out onto the court.

Who knows? There may be money in the banana stand, after all.

Poll

Arnett Moultrie: Yea or Nay?

Toot It

261 votes

Boot It

12 votes

273 votes | Poll has closed

76ers Sunday Morning Shootaround: The Skills Edition

2013-05-05T12:00:06Z

Nick young (swaggy P) Camp dates. June 17-21 and June 24-28. Camp is at Sierra Canyon school. Go here to sign up cbcwolfpack.com
— Nick Young (@NickSwagyPYoung) May 2, 2013

Nick Young is hosting a basketball skills camp this summer. Seriously. From the official Web site:

"This CAMP is designed to provide all players an opportunity to demonstrate their talents/skills and learn new concepts while working individually and in team settings."

Nothing says "teamwork" like a basketball camp hosted by a man who has a career average of one assist per game. But to be fair, from what I've been able to find from different places, Swaggy P is a very gracious host who frequently interacts with the campers. The kids attending probably won't gain many useful skills (unless learning how to shoot contested 21-foot jumpers while falling out of bounds is considered a "skill"), but they should have a good time.

If nothing else, they'll enjoy the Swaggy P experience more than they'd like these other three camps:

- Jordan Crawford Basketball Camp: "This is the place to be if you want to learn how to trash talk your opponent even when there's a DNP-CD next to your name in the boxscore."
- DeAndre Jordan Basketball Camp: "For those out there who want to make the least out of their superior athletic ability. Please note: There are NO low-post moves taught at this camp."
- Kendrick Perkins Basketball Camp: "Ever wanted to know how to purposely foul someone, yet bark at the ref every time the whistle blows? The Kendrick Perkins Basketball Camp is for you."

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Nick Young is routinely praised for the more flashy, ostentatious articles of clothing in his wardrobe, but this shirt may be the best thing in his closet.

The main image on the shirt is a screencap of Spike Lee's "He Got Game" - specifically, the scene in which ~~Ray Allen~~ Jesus Shuttlesworth takes his official visit to Tech U (where Rick Fox - who looks NOTHING like a college athlete - serves as his chaperone) and is... warmly greeted by two Tech U co-eds who bear a startling resemblance to Chasey Lain and Jill Kelly.

Aside from the ambiguous ending, "He Got Game" was actually a pretty decent movie (except for the whole Denzel/hooker sidebar) and enough of a cult classic that Allen is STILL referred to as "Jesus Shuttlesworth" 15 years later. So whenever Swaggy P holds the "clothes and shoes give away" he mentioned last week, I hope this shirt is included. By the way, Kobe Bryant's mother has already agreed to sell whatever clothes Nick Young is unable to unload.

(FYI: Allen Iverson was actually up for the role of Jesus Shuttlesworth. That would have been the worst casting decision in a sports movie since Brian Dennehy's "portrayal" of Bobby Knight in "A Season on the Brink.")

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@voicemline Assuming past @menshealthmag internship experience is a plus? bit.ly/SfhvpY (cc: @thekidet)
— Michael Preston (@preston76) April 30, 2013

Sixers' PR director Michael Preston posted a link to a highly entertaining video of Evan Turner doing the intern thing at Men's Health magazine.

We mentioned the video here on LB back in November, and it serves as a nice pick-me-up for those of you who wrote Turner off at some point this past season (read: all of us). He comes across as a very likable guy in the clip as he dominates the office pick-up game, and even pitches an idea for a story about his jumper. Unfortunately, the video was made before Turner shot a career-worst 41.9 percent from the floor this season. If Men's Health were to publish a piece on Turner's jumper now, they could fit the whole thing on their Twitter feed.

"Evan Turner's jump shot? It sucks. He needs to get his money back from Herb Magee. Full stop."

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Damien Wilkins doesn't just lead the Sixers in veteraness - he's the team captain when it comes to the smell goods as well.

His sink ledge holds no fewer than 14 bottles of cologne, including Gucci and multiple versions of Bond No. 9. For as old as Wilkins is, I would have expected to see a bottle of Brut and/or Old Spice in the mix. By comparison, Justin Holiday owns just two brands of cologne: a travel-sized bottle of Ed Hardy and an unopened Curve gift set.

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Happy bday my white brotha @spencerhawes00 my bad I no it was yesterday I dnt need yo corrections lol
— Nick Young (@NickSwagyPYoung) April 29, 2013

We still have some work to do as part of our move to a truly post-racial society: Nick Young used an unnecessary, color-specific adjective (white) in front of a noun (brotha) while sending some birthday love to his white brotha Spencer Hawes. Perhaps Swaggy P didn't want to come across as being too familiar with his teammate, and I, for one, don't blame him.

Typically, this would be an appropriate place to wish Hawes a belated Happy Birthday on behalf of the crew here at Liberty Ballers. Instead, I'll use this space to report that a committee of NBA owners unanimously voted against the relocation of the Sacramento Kings to Hawes' hometown of Seattle, Washington.

Be well, Spence.

Jason Richardson: Should He Stay Or Should He Go?

2013-05-03T14:05:06Z

When the Philadelphia 76ers took their team picture last month, Jason Richardson was nowhere to be found.

Of course, very few people noticed and/or cared because Andrew Bynum - both hilariously and appropriately - also happened to be a no-show for the aforementioned photo session.

Despite both players' legitimate excuses for their absences (both were rehabbing their surgically-repaired knees), the picture day fiasco (henceforth known as the "Glamour Shots By Deb Incident") fits perfectly into the "Richardson as invisible man" narrative. Not only was the 32-year-old shooting guard largely ignored in the trade that bought Bynum to Philadelphia last August, his January knee injury was an afterthought in the midst of Bynum's cornrowed, bowling-for-dollars, cartilage-grown-in-Petri-dishes, flamenco-dancing hilarity.

Unlike Bynum however, Richardson played in actual NBA games last season. Yet save for an encouraging stretch early in the year, it was clear that we were witnessing the slow decline of a man whose athleticism was - once upon a time - literally jaw-dropping.

Richardson's mind may be willing, but his body is clearly weak. The 12-year veteran dealt with knee, chest and ankle injuries during his final season with the Orlando Magic, and he missed 49 games this past year with similar ailments.

We'll see glimpses of the old J-Rich going forward, but they'll only serve to remind us of what once was. The 360 dunk against the Milwaukee Bucks in November may ultimately be Richardson's finest moment in a Sixers' uniform, but even the optimists among us believe that similar feats are sure to be fewer and farther between.

The 33 games that Richardson did appear in this past season isn't a huge sample size to draw from, but it still paints a sobering picture of what to expect in the future. When he wasn't stepping on cameramen, Richardson shot a career-low 40.2 percent from the field, and he knocked down just 34.1 percent of his attempts from beyond the arc.

To his credit, Richardson did manage to earn the coveted "Ace of Spades" Award three times last season. And while he grabbed rebounds at a fairly decent clip in 2012-13 given his position - Richardson finished with a Defensive Rebound Percentage of 13.4 - the knee injury that he suffered in January will rob him of a fair amount of his already fading explosiveness going forward.

In a perfect world, we'd be able to bottle up the J-Rich we saw at the beginning of last season. Richardson averaged 13.4 PPG in November while shooting nearly 47 percent from three-point range. He rarely strayed from his role as the Sixers' designated spot-up shooter, and served a fine complement to the emerging Jrue Holiday.

Sadly, that may have been the last shining moment for Richardson prior to his denouement. The above-mentioned knee surgery will keep him out at least until late January, and even when he returns to the lineup, expecting him to play more than 15-20 minutes per night may be unreasonable at this point.

But barring a major setback, J-Rich will (and should) be back in a Sixers' uniform, primarily because buying him out simply doesn't make sense.

In a world without consequences and repercussions, Richardson would have received a firm handshake thanking him for services rendered shortly after his exit interview last month. However, the NBA has certain rules and regulations that teams must adhere to, and since his contract was signed under the previous collective bargaining agreement, the Sixers would be on the hook for the full note salary cap-wise if they let him walk ($6.2 million in 2013-14 plus a $6.6 million player option in 2014-15). So, for better or worse, the Sixers are married to Richardson for at least one more year.

And while the two parties aren't staying together just for the kids, the youth of the team will be the ones who should benefit the most from Richardson's presence. For what it's worth (and it's worth something) Richardson has twice as much experience as every other player under contract next season with the exception of Kwame Brown. And as we learned from the @Sixers Twitter account back in March, you "can't put a price on veteraness."

Actually, you can put a price on it, and $6.2 million is a big, lottery-sized check to write for veteran savvy alone. Hopefully, Richardson can serve as a solid rotation player upon his return, and maybe even impart some of the wisdom that he's picked up over the past dozen years in the interim.

If nothing else, the man still owes the 76ers a picture.

Poll

J-RICH: YEA OR NAY?

Toot It

87 votes

Boot It

67 votes

154 votes | Poll has closed

76ers Sunday Morning Shootaround: The Sevens Edition

2013-04-28T16:02:14Z

Full disclosure: I didn't plan on doing a Shootaround post today, but then Mike Levin sent this Vine of Adam Aron, and, well... just watch (make sure to turn your speakers all the way up for maximum effect).

If you're ever feeling down, this video will serve as an instant pick-me-up - I think I've watched it 87 times so far. It's the second-most enjoyable thing that you can do that only takes six seconds.

BTW, for those interested, Evan Turner posted some nonsensical Vines on his own Twitter feed. Enjoy.

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S/O @bwrentacar for alway hooking me up with the dope cars everytime I come home to LA.They have everything you need twitter.com/NickSwagyPYoun…
— Nick Young (@NickSwagyPYoung) April 26, 2013

This probably has to do with the limitations of my middle-class sensibilities, but I'm thoroughly confused by Nick Young's Twitter post.

Swaggy P is from LA, so why does he rent cars when he's in LA? I would assume he has something that he tools around in while he's on the West Coast, so I don't understand the need to frequent such a high-end place.

That said, this Black and White Car Rental has just about anything that you would want, from the miniest of Mini Coopers to a Ferrari 458 Spider. And since we know that Young isn't about that ZipCar life, he probably sees this as his only option for transportation. Gonna miss you, Swaggy.

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I'm putting together TJ car room furniture and it's taking forever and @mrs__young21 won't help.... #daddylovehisson twitter.com/yungsmoove21/s…
— Thad Young (@yungsmoove21) April 25, 2013

Here is Thaddeus Young doing the diligent father thing by putting together his son's Cars-themed furniture. But sometimes, discretion is the better part of valor... and that's why he should have just paid someone to assemble it for him.

I must say, he's a better man than me. There are independent people who will come to your house and put things together for you for a reasonable fee - it's really no different than having someone as your personal chef. Besides... if I were Young, I'd use the crutch of being a professional athlete as an excuse for not doing any sort of work around the house.

"What? You want me to nail these two boards together? What if I accidentally break my thumb with this hammer? Then what? Ain't nobody got time for that!"

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So Lavoy Allen went to In-And-Out and claimed that "it didn't live up to the hype" (you're a man after my own heart, Chef Voyardee). On to the comments:

mindofai9 Tell @jrue_holiday11 that. Overrated (Andre Iguodala)

ih8naes @mindofai9 come back to Philly bro

daddylee76 @chef_voy_ardee Five guys is better...

thomas_342 @mindofai9 i got a ton of respect for u man, thank u for some amazing years of sixers basketball. I was at game 6 vs bulls and celtics in 2012, u motivated me to work harder and get better

danielhoy3 Lavoy Allen, you straight stupid!!!!!! Ask for it #animalstyle next time #rookiemistake

d_ross1189 Just like how you didn't live up to the hype

(BTW, SmashBurger is now the No. 1 overall seed in the unofficial Liberty Ballers fast-food burger rankings).

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A great honor that @governormarkell @senatorcarper @chriscoons all spoke at launch press conference for the new Delaware 87ers. Go @sevens!
— Adam Aron (@SixersCEOAdam) April 27, 2013

Let me get this straight: The new Philadelphia 76ers D-League team will be called the Delaware 87ers (strange, but understandable on some level), but they'll be known as the "Sevens." Wait... what?

I find it hard to believe that no one involved in this noticed the blatant disconnect between "87ers" and "Sevens", so it troubles me that they just rolled through the oversized stop sign like none of us would notice. If you're so hard up to refer to the team as the "Sevens", why not just call the team the 87s? (By the way, FINE job on the logo - I can hardly tell that it's a hastily Photoshopped version of the Sixers' one).

Going from "Delaware 87ers" to "Sevens" is like the San Francisco 49ers referring to themselves as the "Nines": IT DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE.

I could continue, but Brandon Lee's comment following yesterday's announcement is absolutely spot-on...

So Sixers. So Sevens? They Sevens'd this.