Liberty Links: Markelle Fultz vs. Lonzo Ball is the NBA’s next rivalry

Markelle Fultz vs. Lonzo Ball is the rivalry the NBA needs right now - The Step Back

The current Markelle Fultz vs. Lonzo Ball rivalry will be amplified even more by the fact that each probably ends up in a big market on opposite coasts.

Rivalries carry sports to new realms of fandom because people inevitably have to choose a side. In the social media world we live in, it’s tough to be Switzerland and remain neutral. These rivalries can be real or fictitious. In eras past, for example, we had Magic Johnson vs. Larry Bird or Michael Jordan vs. the Pistons. Right now, we have the Cavaliers vs. the Warriors.

The Perfect Spiritual Fit for Every Projected NBA Lottery Pick - The Ringer

This piece is a bit tongue-in-cheek, as it takes a look at which franchises would be the best landing spots for the top prospects for both on and off-court reasons. The choice for the Sixers? OG Anunoby.

OG is a wing who should be a big with a 7-foot-2 wingspan and an ACL injury. Which is to say, OG is a Sixer. The Process is dark and full of minute-sharers.

Wilt Chamberlain secretly dominated professional basketball at age 16 - r/nba

This comes from Reddit, sure, but the post itself is from user dantheman9758, who runs the irreplaceable Wilt Chamberlain Archive on YouTube, so I’m taking this with sincerity. The evidence is pretty overwhelming that Chamberlain actually played in some low-level professional leagues while in high school in the 1950s, doing so under the alias “George Marcus” to protect his amateur status before playing under the NCAA’s regulations.

Not only did “Marcus” play, he straight up dominated grown men while at 16:

Calculated averages for 17 year old Wilt as a Quakertown Fay:

40.5ppg in 9 regular season games (according to one of the articles)

74ppg in 6 playoff games (according to the math... not sure it's even possible but who knows)

53.9ppg in 15 total games (according to a Quakertown book)

Worth mentioning he won the MVP award in that league

Donovan Mitchell’s offensive talents are being overlooked - The Step Back

Fresh off an appearance on Spike Eskin’s YouTube big board and with Michael Levin’s apparent love for him, some hype is building around Donovan Mitchell in the Sixers blogosphere. I’m with it. He is a sophomore and will turn 21 come September, but he seems like the ideal guard to pair with Ben Simmons. Here’s a description of Mitchell’s physical attributes from writer Chris Reichert:

Mitchell’s measurements are immediately appealing. He stands 6-foot-3 with a pterodactyl-like 6-foot-10 wingspan, which he uses to his advantage on both ends of the hardwood, but mostly to terrorize opposing players and passing lanes with his covert length. Add a 36.5 inch standing vertical at the NBA draft combine and Mitchell has the makings of the next Avery Bradley. Bradley’s measurements at the 2010 NBA draft combine had him at 6-foot-3, with a 6-foot-7 wingspan and a 31.5 inch standing vert.

I’m obsessed with finding an Avery Bradley-type player, and, well, maybe just Avery Bradley in general, and getting him on the Sixers. Why not just take the Next Bradley? I wouldn’t do so with the third-overall pick, but if the Sixers were to acquire another lottery pick somehow? He should be in the mix.

The Worldwide Leader in Schadenfreude - The Ringer

Bryan Curtis is the leading sports media critic. Curtis isn’t as hyperbolic as the consensus regarding the “fall” of ESPN, as he provides some rebuttals to frequently cited reasons for the network giant’s current lull period.