The Sixers Played the Warriors Better than Anyone Else Recently

The Warriors are still on pace to set the NBA single season record for wins in a season. In other words, they're pretty darn good. But, it's not just that they're beating teams, it's how they're beating teams.

Over the past ten days, the Warriors beat both the Spurs and the Cavaliers, considered by most to be the second and third best teams in the league, respectively, by 30 points. 

Nerlens Noel Absolutely Posterizes Andre Drummond

Coming soon to a bedroom wall near you.

No Sixer has benefitted more from the re-addition of Ish Smith than Nerlens Noel. Dude has just been playing with an increased bounce and confidence, all of which was on display on this play when he decided to put Andre Drummond on the wrong side of a poster. 

For your enjoyment: 

We see you, Nerlens.

Ish Smith Has Transformed the Sixers

This article appears in its entirety on The Sixer Sense.

The Urban Dictionary defines 'ish' as something that is really good.   This definition is fitting, because since Philadelphia's own Ish (Smith) returned to the Sixers, that is exactly what he has been. 

Smith's personal play has been phenomenal since his return to Philadelphia. He is averaging a career high 16.5 points per game since re-joining the Sixers this season, while also dishing out 8.5 assists per game, also a career high. That per game assist output is good for fifth in the entire NBA, even with the Timberwolves' Ricky Rubio. 

76ers Report: Ish Smith is Good

Jeff McMenamin and Michael Kaskey-Blomain are back with a new episode of the 76ers Report. The NBA season has passed the midway point, and Jeff and Michael reflect on what they have seen from the Sixers so far. They discuss the recent play of Nerlens Noel and Jahlil Okafor, as well as the overall [major] impact of Ish Smith on virtually every on-court aspect of the Sixers.

Check out the new episode below, via blogtalkradio:



Listen to past episodes of the 76ers Report here.

Kevin Love a Top 100 Player of All Time?

ESPN recently rolled out a ranking of the 100 best NBA players of all time.

On this list, Kevin Love is ranked as the 99th best player in the history of the NBA.

Kevin Love.

This Kevin Love:




Kevin Love who, after 7 full seasons in the NBA, has been to the playoffs a grand total of once, and was then injured in the first round and didn't play again as his team advanced to the Finals.

While he is certainly a talented player, his inclusion on the list of the 100 best ever is very questionable, to say the least.

P.S. Shawn Kemp > Kevin Love

USA Basketball Announces 30 Finalists for 2016 Rio Olympics

USA basketball released its list of finalist for the 2016 Rio Olympics this week. The list consists of 30 of the NBA's elite, headlined by LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Carmelo Anthony, and Kobe Bryant. Kobe Bryant recently removed himself from consideration.

The final roster will stand at 12, meaning that 18 of the finalists be on the squad.

Check out the full list of finalists below:

(Click to enlarge) 

Nerlens Noel Gets UP

Nerlens Noel has some serious hops.

Don't believe me? Just check out the screen shot of his finish on a lob from his favorite running mate Ish Smith, from the Sixers double-OT loss to the Knicks on Monday:

Seriously, take another look.

Even Lou Amundson was impressed, and he was on the wrong side of the poster. If that rim was 11 feet high, Noel still would have finished it. Pretty impressive. Lucky for Sixers fans, such feats of athleticism from Noel have become a common occurrence since Smith re-joined the team.

2016 Free Agency Options for the Sixers

It’s never too early to talk about NBA free agency. The summer of 2016 protects to be an extremely intriguing one, with a lot of big names hitting the market and a lot of money to be thrown around, especially with the new television deal money coming into play.  For the Philadelphia 76ers, the approaching free agency period may represent a time that the franchise is finally ready to utilize some of the cap space that Sam Hinkie has cleared over the past several seasons.

The Sixers have had ample cap space over each of the past couple summers, but with the team firmly entrenched in rebuilding mode and not looking to add any veterans, the space went largely unutilized, at least in terms of needle-moving additions.  However, with a plethora of young assets already acquired (and more to come in the ’16 Draft), ownership feels ready to move the rebuild forward – signified by the addition of Jerry Colangelo – and the summer of 2016 may be the first big example of that.  

Kobe Bryant's Production Parity

Kobe Bryant is set to retire after the completion of his 20th (!) NBA season, all of which were spent with the Los Angeles Lakers. During those 20 seasons, Bryant put up a lot of numbers, and attained a whole lot of accolades.

Bryant also endured his fair share of controversy during his highly-decorated tenure in Tinseltown. Some of that off-court controversy led Bryant to a number-switch midway through his career.

76ers Report: First Episode of 2016

Happy New Year! Jeff McMenamin and Michael Kaskey-Blomain return with the first 76ers Report of 2016. On this episode, Michael and Jeff discuss the return of both Ish Smith and Elton Brand to the Sixers, as well as the recent play of Nerlens Noel and Jahlil Okafor, the power dynamics in the front office with the addition of Jerry Colangelo, and much more.

Listen to the new episode below, via blogtalkradio:




Catch previous episodes of the 76ers Report here.

The Sixers are Paying Guys a Lot of Money Not to Play for Them

With Sam Hinkie at the helm, the Sixers have avoided signing players to hefty annual salaries in order to ensure flexibility in the short term. However, the team has no problem paying players not to play for them.

Of the two players that the Sixers will pay the most money to over the course of the 2015-16 NBA season, neither is actually on the roster.

The team is paying JaVale McGee $12 million this year, and they're also shelling out another $10 million to Gerald Wallace. McGee and Wallace together will make more from the Sixers this season than the team's entire starting five combined (Smith, Stauskas, Grant, Okafor, Noel), despite not playing a single second for the Sixers.

Shane Battier to Join the Sixers?

Will Shane Battier be the next veteran presence added to help stabilize the Sixers?

After the recent additions of experienced players in Ish Smith and Elton Brand, Sixers GM Sam Hinkie was spotted meeting with Battier in Philadelphia on Thursday.

Image via Twitter

Battier retired from the basketball after his Heat fell to the Spurs in the the 2014 NBA Finals, and the former Duke Blue Devil has since worked as a commentator for ESPN. If Battier were to join the Sixers, his role would likely be that of a veteran mentor and locker room presence, rather than that of an on-court contributor; much like Brand.

The push to add experience to a previously veteran-bare roster is spearheaded by Jerry Colangelo, who has not hesitated in altering the structure of the Sixers since his surprise arrival in Philadelphia a month ago. Even though it is Hinkie who met with Battier, the potential move has Colengelo's fingerprints all over it.

If the past month is any indication, there will be a lot more movement for the Sixers in the coming year, as Colangelo is likely just getting started. 

2016 an Important Year for the Sixers

This article appears in its full form on The Sixer Sense. 

2016 is underway, and while the Sixers remain stationed at the bottom of the NBA’s current standings, this year has the potential to be pivotal for franchise’s future. There are several factors to consider throughout the calendar year as the Sixers continue to build back up into a contender.

Development of Current Pieces

The first thing to look for from the Sixers in 2016 is the continual development of the team’s future pieces. At this point, it is becoming increasingly clear which players on the current roster have a potential future with the franchise, and which don’t. While this season is largely a lost one in terms of win-loss record, the development and on-court improvement of guys like Nerlens Noel, Jahlil Okafor, Jerami Grant, Richuan Holmes, and Robert Covington can make the remainder of the season positive and productive, outcomes aside.

While the firs part of the season may not have been an ideal learning environment for some of the younger players, as it was devoid of veterans and a true NBA-caliber point guard, the team has taken serious strides as of late to add some structure and veteran presence to the roster in order to aid in the development of their younger players. Playing with a real NBA point guard, who can effectively operate an offense, in Ish Smith has been a tremendous experience for some of the young guys; most noticeably, Nerlens Noel.