76ers Report: A conversation with The Starters' Tas Melas

Tas Melas from NBATV's The Starters joined the 76ers Report's Michael Kaskey-Blomain to discuss the current state of the 76ers, how far they are from true contention in the NBA's Eastern Conference, and what potential moves they may make this summer. Tas and Michael also discuss The Staters' 10-year anniversary, and the development of the podcast as a medium.

Check out the full conversation below:


Be sure to follow the 76ers Report on Twitter @76ersreport.

Listen to past episodes of the 76ers Report here.

Moves Coming for Sixers, Just Not Yet

This article appears in its original form on The Sixer Sense.
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No one was quite sure what to expect from the Sixers on trade deadline day 2016. Sam Hinkie had set quite a precedent for himself during his first two deadline days in charge of the team’s personnel, as he traded former lotter picks like stamps for future assets.

The moves made in 2014, which included shipping out Evan Turner, Spencer Hawes, and LaVoy Allen, were expected. The last minute move that sent reigning Rookie of the Year Michael Carter-Williams to the Milwaukee Bucks in 2015 was less expected. Hinkie has proven time and again that he is unafraid to make a move if he feels it is in the franchise’s best long-term interest, and has, over the course of the last two seasons, used the deadline to facilitate such moves. Thus, it is easy to understand why anticipation was elevated among the Philadelphia faithful heading into the deadline.

Kemba Walker is Clutch

Kemba Walker is enjoying a career year with the Hornets, despite his lack of an All-Star selection.

Walker is certainly in All-Star company with it comes to clutch scoring however. In fact, Walker leads the entire NBA in clutch points - points scored in the last 2 minutes of a game with the score within four points.

His strong play, especially in late-game situations, has been central to Charlotte's success this season, and will continue to be necessary if the team hopes to make a real playoff push.

The Sixers Almost Traded Jahlil Okafor

Prior to the NBA's trade deadline, Around The Arc reported that the Philadelphia 76ers had received several calls inquiring about the availability of rookie big man Jahlil Okafor.

As it turns out, the Sixers were not only receiving calls about the former Duke Blue Devil, but they were also actively engaging in trade discussions involving their most recent lottery pick.

The Hornets Control Their Own Playoff Destiny

This article appears in its entirety on Queen City Hoops.

Heading into the season’s second half, the Hornets are in an interesting position. With 29 games remaining in the regular season, they sit at 27-26 overall; just four games back from the fourth spot and home court advantage in a playoff series in the Eastern Conference’s playoff picture, but also just half a game out of landing in the lottery, again – a destination the organization is clearly trying to avoid.

The ironic thing is, neither outcome would be incredibly shocking. The Hornets have looked like a legitimate contender at times this season, capable of competition with about anyone. However, injury issues and inconsistency has plagued the team, and kept them hovering around .500 throughout the first portion of the season.  

Several Teams Have Inquired About Jahlil Okafor

The Philadelphia 76ers have received several calls inquiring about the availability of their prized rookie Jahlil Okafor, according to a source with knowledge of the calls.

Leading up to the trade deadline, it is the job of [good] GM's to monitor the market and gather information, for both short-term and long-term usage. Dozens of inquires are made league-wide, but only a select few actually materialize into trades. Thus, it is not surprising that teams are doing their due-dilligance and inquiring about Okafor, who currently leads all rookies in points per game, especially considering the Sixers recent willingness to make trade deadline day deals.

What would be surprising is if the Sixers actually move Okafor, who has displayed near-limitless potential on the offensive end, despite some early-season off-court issues. While there are concerns about his long-term fit, especially alongside defensive stalwart Nerlens Noel and the potential that is Joel Embiid, Okafor has demonstrated a willingness to adapt his game to the needs of the team, as he recently embraced a shift to the four-spot, and has made in-season strides from the foul line as well as defensively.

These factors combined with Okafor's age - he should be a college sophomore - and the fact that he is on a team-friendly contract for the next couple of seasons, make a deadline day departure seem unlikely, albeit not impossible. The Sixers front office is listening to any and all offers for Okafor, as they should, but there is a big difference between 'listening to offers' and 'actively pursing a trade.' In other words, unless the Sixers are blown away by an offer, the inquires into Okafor won't materialize on Thursday.

Kemba Walker Having a Stellar Season

This article appears in its entirety on Queen City Hoops.
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Kemba Walker won’t be participating in the All-Star game on Sunday evening, though the argument can be made that he should be. (An even bigger argument can be made that Walker should at least serve as Jimmy Butler’s injury replacement instead of Pau Gasol, but that’s another story). However, since a similar argument could be made for all those selected to the Eastern Conference All-Star team, it is fair to say that Walker failing to land a selection spot in the ’16 ASG isn’t so much a snub, but rather just a result of the very deep and talented pool of players currently manning the point guard position across the league’s landscape.

Still though, All-Star selection or no All-Star selection, Walker is having a stellar season and a  career year, and deserves recognition for keeping the hobbled Hornets in the thick of the Eastern Conference playoff picture. While he has had more than his fair share of help – thanks largely to the team’s offseason additions – injury issues has caused inconsistency for the Hornets, and more often than not, Walker is relied on heavily to propel the team to success; a situation he is familiar with.

76ers Report: Trade Deadline Discussion

Jeff McMenamin and Michael Kaskey-Blomain discuss potential trade deadline deals for the Sixers, as well as the Sixers' rumored interest in Blake Griffin, and much more on a new episode of the 76ers Report.

Check out the new episode below, and be sure to follow the 76ers Report on Twitter @76ersreport:




Listen to past episodes of the 76ers Report here.

The Sixers Will Wear Special Stance Socks to Honor Darryl Dawkins

The Sixers will honor the late, great Darryl Dawkins on Saturday night, and the honoring will extend all the way to the team's socks.

The Sixers will sport special Stance socks with an image of Chocolate Thunder in action on them. The socks can be seen below, via the Sixers:

Pretty cool.

For Darryl Dawkins Tribute Night this Saturday, @Sixers players will wear these socks pic.twitter.com/lAF8Gp8WAR

— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) February 5, 2016

Michael Carter-Williams on the Trading Block Again? `

Michael Carter-Williams' stay in Milwaukee may not be a long one, according to a report from CBS Sports, which states that the Bucks have placed the third-year point guard on the trading block.

The Bucks have basically regressed since they acquired Carter-Williams from the Sixers in a trade last February that simultaneously shipped Brandon Knight out of town, and they may now be looking to move on from the former Rookie of the Year. If they do, they would be the second team to have done so in as many years.

Ironically enough, the Sixers took a lot of flak for trading the promising young point for a protected lottery pick last year, but it seems they may have been ahead of the curve. The Bucks will not see such a return if they do move Carter-Williams. According to the CBS report, the current market for Carter-Williams is dismal:

"MCW's trade value is at an all-time low. There's no real gain to be had by dealing [him], you're not going to find good deals for [him] at this point with MCW looking like an offensive computer virus."

Ouch.

Carter-Williams is a decent guard with good size, but he has major defencies, and they have not been much improved upon since he entered the league. Milwaukee basically giving up on him after less than a single season would not reflect greatly on him, especially after Coach Jason Kidd was so eager for the partnership.

With a deep talent pool of point guards spread across the league's landscape, Carter-Williams may be destined for a career as a backup.

Brett Brown's Out-of-Timeout Production Needs Improvement

Granted, any statistics regarding Brett Brown's coaching efficiency need to be taken with a teaspoon of salt, considering the talent pool he has had to work with in his first three years at the head of the Sixers' sideline.

Still though, the Sixers are often unsuccessful in scoring directly out of a timeout; something that has been long evident to the consistent observer. Brown currently ranks dead last in the NBA in terms of producing points out of a timeout. Kevin McHale produced less, but he was relieved of his duties earlier in the season.

Image via Twitter

Again, some of this lack of out-of-timeout production certainly has to do with the team's talent, as well as its overall (lack of) experience level in professional play execution. However, as the team continues to add and develop talent, and build back into a contender moving forward, their ability to produce out of a timeout must improve.