Happy monsoon day in eastern Pennsylvania and a happy sunny, 71 degree day for all of you in Los Angeles! Day 3 of training camp is upon us, although morning practice is out of the question (mostly because there isn't one).
Yesterday, Jordan gave us some insight on what to expect from Andre Iguodala and also posed the question of who will be the Sixers' leading scorer. If you haven't check these out or voted on the poll (Diddy wants you to), you are missing out on all the fun.
What do we have for you today in the wonderful world of links? I'm glad you asked, Cory Matthews. We've got Reggie Miller the teacher, Lou the content role player, a recap of last night's scrimmage, quotes for the Noce faithful, and Elton on Twizzlers.
Intrigued? Excited? I thought so. Get it all after the pmuj (backwards).
Fagan Recaps Last Night's Intrasquad Scrimmage: Deep Sixer
It wasn't much, but we watched about the last 15-20 minutes of the team’s night scrimmage on Wednesday. We’re just beginning to form answers to some major questions – will Evan Turner make an impact? What kind of offense is Collins running? Who looks good right now?
McKie said Turner is exactly where the coaching staff wants him. In the section we watched, Turner did not score and he had trouble with Holiday defending him. He just could not shake Holiday, either while he had the ball, or in trying to get a handoff back on the elbow, or in trying to free himself on the wing.
The good thing with Meeks is his long-range shot is difficult to stop because his release is quick, he can jump, and his range is so deep. Realistically, Meeks isn’t battling for a starting spot, but he looked very much like a guy who could play solid minutes and drain shots like he did at the end of last season.
On the "Cluster" Offense:
It appears the cluster is a three-man read for the point guard, with the action happening between a post and two wings/guards.
You could see how with a complementary pair running the cluster set (i.e. a shooter and a slasher) it could work quite nicely. If Kapono is making the first read off of EB, he’s going to force EB’s defender to help in one way or another. Then, right off his heels, Thaddeus or Iguodala can take advantage. If the order is reversed, same thing happens, except it’s Kapono freeing himself for a nice jumper.
Sixerville Blog Says Jrue and Kapono Were Last Night's Best: Philadelphia Daily News
Kapono drained three long jumpers last night, and looked good finding his open spots on the floor. That could help this team big time if Kapono can consistently hit his outside shot. It will be interesting to see how many minutes Collins will find for him.
Holiday continuously drove the lane, either finding open teammates or going to the basket himself. He was also very disruptive on the defensive end.
Brand Speaks About Weight Loss, Biking, and Twizzlers: Philadelphia Daily News
"I gave up Twizzlers, gave up fried foods. I like all types of good meals, so yeah, I had to give up a little bit. It was hard at first, but after a while you know you have a goal, so the urges start to dissipate a little bit," Brand said.
"I went out and got a Specialized bike, with a 64-inch frame. I never biked before, except with the kids, but not for training. I enjoyed it.
"This is a different level of biking. There's a heart-rate monitor, you have to keep up your speed, you're doing hills. I did a time limit. I'd have 2-, 2 1/2-hour rides. I'd ride in Santa Monica. I've ridden on the East Coast a little and I've looked for parks, but you have to look out for cars a little bit more."
Lou is Content with a Bench Role: Philadelphia Inquirer
"I think Jrue's earned it," Williams said after Tuesday's morning practice at St. Joseph's University. "He's earned the right to be the starting point guard. He did an incredible job last year at the end. There are no problems with that."
"He's not asking me to do anything outside of my comfort zone," Williams said of new coach Doug Collins. "He told me from day one, 'This is what I want you to do.' There's no confusion on our parts. And that's all we ask is communication, for us to know what's expected of us. And Coach has done that, so I'm all good."
"I don't know who's going to start, but if he comes off the bench . . . I think he would be in the mix to be sixth man of the year," Collins said.
Nocioni Talks Winning, Collins Has More to Say About Lou: CSN Philly
"I want to play, I want to compete," said Andres Nocioni, who played for the Sacramento Kings last season and won just 25 games.
"I want to win, this is the most important thing for me. "It was really tough for me in Sacramento, because we couldn’t win. And I don’t like to lose. All my life I try to win, in Argentina with the national team, every time I play for teams, we win games before that."
"Lou maybe scores more easily than anyone on our team," Collins said. "And so I have to put him in position to do that. But he also knows he just can’t play one end of the floor. He has to guard. And he has made a conscious effort to do that."
Collins Talks Reggie Miller: Deep Sixer
It looked like he was shooting some video for NBATV and Collins had Miller teach a few pointers for an offensive set that Miller ran effectively and Collins is hoping his guys can run effectively. Collins said he had Miller come onto the court to teach.
"We have a couple little sets that we’re going to use that he thrived in," Collins said. "So I asked him to talk to our guys about how he played with that offense, the different things he did. I thought he was really great for Dre, and Thad, and Evan, and Lou, and guys who are going to be playing out of that set."
Now, the gut reaction to such a play -- and a guy like Miller teaching it -- is, 'But do the Sixers have anyone you'd actually want coming off a screen for a jumper?" Maybe not someone like Miller, but Lou is effective in that roll, Turner should get better and better at reading the situation, and Young and Iguodala can make the most of the to-the-basket options.
Same Article: A New Nickname on the Horizon for Lou?
"He’s asking me to do something that’s very natural for me, that comes second nature: score the basketball. I think the term was, ‘hired assassin,’ something like that, so I’ve been there before. I’ve been one of those before ... It’s understood from Day 1.
Turner Receives Tips from Reggie Miller: The Trentonian
When Miller took to the floor, Jrue Holiday and Andre Iguodala were in the backcourt. And while both impressed Miller with their inquisitiveness, it’s impossible the ignore the fact that Miller’s greatest asset as a Hall-of-Fame talent was in an area that Collins wants his prized rookie to learn and perfect.
"Coming out of college I had the ball in my hands about 90 percent of the time, so I think once the system gets put in, players get put in and I have the options to read which way to go and which way not to go, I’ll learn it pretty well," Turner said earlier. "It’s going to take time to learn and be great without the ball."
"He’s a true friend. I respect everything that he has done," Miller said of Collins. "And this is a great situation for him. The Philly fans love him. He’s a teacher and a father figure first and foremost. I think this young, upstart team can relate to that. They need a voice.
"He’s going to be very demanding, and I think this team needs that — attention to detail. A young team needs that."
Another NBA 2K11 Commercial, Featuring Genghis Kahn
"I'm standing right here." -- Rajon Rondo
Completely Un-Sixer-Related News of the Day: Stephen Jackson is Dubious
Remember back in July when it was reported that armed men broke into Stephen Jackson’s house, locked his wife in a bathroom, and took off with a gun and some luxury items?
"To this day, there’s been no proof of anyone breaking in, so my attitude is it didn’t happen," Jackson said. "I was going through a divorce situation with my wife at the time, so there were a lot of emotionally different things going on."