Sixers Stink Again?!?!?!

If you have watched any Sixers games this season, it looks as though we are seeing just a continuation of last year. Though we are seeing the emergence of new players like Jahlil Okafor, it looks like this season may already be over. The team to be frank does not have it. At this point in time they don’t have the NBA skills to put a winning product on the court. Even though the young talent may be there, they have to play the waiting game. However, this does not mean they can’t be competitive. If the Sixers need to improve anywhere, it would be to play competitively every single game of the season. Even if the team loses their games if they compete it will be a success.

The Sixers as everyone knows started the season at 0-6. Losing their second game in blow out fashion against the Jazz. For any Sixers fan this may feel like “the same thing different year. “ The team may struggle early because of the learning curve. Fans must remember that the starting lineup only has 6 years of professional experience. You must be patient, considering we have only seen one blow out in the first 6 games, I would call it a success so far.

If you had an opportunity to watch this team take on the Cavs, you would have realized that this team could compete. The young team proved that they can go up against some of the best players in the league, and score. Even though they took the losses, I would consider these games successful. They provided me with an opportunity of how the team would play against real competition. In reality the season is still early, but if they play every game like they did against the Cavs I will be happy. As long as the team progresses each and everyday, they will continue to show us potential. The young core of Noel and Okafor has proven to the world that the Sixers will be a force in the near future. Just wait, don’t give up!

-Brett

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The Suxers

Together we build… that’s the Sixers saying this season. However, the real saying is “Together fans wait, as the Sixers profit.” That’s right people if you haven’t realized it yet Sam Hinkie doesn’t care about building a championship winner, nor does he care about putting a good team on the court. All Hinkie and the rest of his boys care about is making the almighty profit. The Sixers organization has become a money hungry team that for all we know may be leaving the Philadelphia area in a few years. The Sixers or should we call them the Suxers have embarrassed themselves on the court every game this season, but Hinkie keeps stating they have a plan.

Though Brett Brown is the protégé of Gregg Popovich and seems to have the capability to actually coach in the NBA and lead the team to a championship one, it may not come for a few years. Like I previously stated, the only thing on the mind of the Sixers is to profit from the revenue sharing and TV contracts the NBA is providing them. They don’t care about fans coming to the games or providing Brown with a team capable of winning a game this season. This team has truly embarrassed themselves almost every game they have played this season, and I don’t see any letting up in the near future. It has come apparent that Brett Brown understands this and that he understands that he will be here when this team has the opportunity to win it all in the future.

So fans as the Sixers have been handed their 10^th loss of the season, don’t expect anything else. The team has to face some decent teams in their upcoming games. Even if they have a chance to win any of their upcoming games, they will choose not to. The Sixers don’t want to win any of these games; they want the opportunity to once again get that top pick. Sixers do not be surprised if the Sixers decide to trade Nerlens for an opportunity for another good pick. Noel has not performed to the ability many people were expecting, and with the draft containing tons of strong, talent Power Forwards, Nerlens time may be up before it began. The Sixers, this season will end up with two picks in the top ten this season, and you can quote me on that. So… Sixers fans “Just, Keep, Waiting…”

The Future for Ron and Lang

Well, Hawk fans it’s time to come to realize that Langston and Ron did not make the cut to play in the NBA. It was a fun ride to watch for all of us from HawkHill to see these guys go after their dreams. SJU fans were pulling for these guys because we all know how much both of these players deserved this opportunity. Though we may not be seeing the former SJU Hawks in any professional uniforms in the upcoming weeks, there is always a chance, a hope that someone will realize and see the potential that both of these guys have. These dreams are not yet done; there is always a chance that we may see one of them in the NBA one day.

As many of us know Langston can shoot, not only can he shoot he can shoot better than a lot of guys in the NBA. We have heard from many coaches and reporters that many NBA scouts thought Lang was actually a better shooter and basketball player then a lot of players on rosters. One team in particular, the Indiana Pacers, said that Langston was a better shooter then 14 of their 15 players. Langston proved several times during both the Summer League and Training Camp, that he can play the game. Langston is the type of player that coaches love, and many think he can help an NBA team, the problem lies in his height. As we all know Langston is too small to play Shooting Guard in the NBA, but he is too much of a shooter to play the Point. Here lies the problem with Langston, where does he fit, what position would he play? In my opinion, it should not matter about his height, if the guy has the ability to play, then he deserves his opportunity.

Ron is a completely different story. Many people, reports, experts, and fans thought that Ronald Roberts Jr. was a no doubter. That he would 100% make the Sixers this season and that he may be playing close to HawkHill. As everyone knows Ron has unbelievable athleticism, and that is the main reason why almost every scout thought he was going to be a Sixer. The problem with Ron was that he got hurt, and you can’t do anything about that. Ron was not able to play up to his potential due to his injury, and when you are trying to make a team this is going to hurt your opportunity. Ron proved in several games whether it be his crazy dunk, or his ability to get rebounds, he can play in the NBA. Roberts has always been an effort player. During the Summer League and preseason, the former number 13 also got bigger to take on NBA talent.

It is said to see their journeys of trying to make their respective NBA teams end. But, that does not mean the NBA dream is over for either guy. Langston and Ron both know that they have the ability to play at the highest level. These two individuals just need to be given the opportunity to prove themselves worthy to both coaches and fans. I have a feeling that we will be seeing one of them in an NBA jersey soon enough. 

-Brett

What it means to Live and Breathe Philly Sports

McNabb you suck! Iverson get off the court! You’re a bum Burrell! Lindros you’re a loser! These are phrases every Philadelphia sports fan knows all too well. When you’re ours your ours forever. Anybody else you are the enemy. Our love for our athletes is unbelievable. A Philadelphia athlete has to be a specific type of athlete to play in this city and be successful. But once you do something great here, your name will live on forever. Players that play here can lift up the entire city. They can bring together white collar and blue collar workers. You have to be a unique player to play here, and you have to have the ability to let nothing bother you and play your heart out. Shawn Bradley once said about Philadelphia fans, “The problem with Philadelphia fans is that they want you to play every game like it’s your last one.” So, truly what does it mean to be a Philadelphia sports fan

The City of Brotherly love we don’t show too much love for our players, but when we do, they won’t only know it but the whole world will know it. Here we love our teams, our players, and our sports. In this city we wear our hearts on our sleeves. We yell and scream at the players who have done so much for us. Whether it is Donovan McNabb or Allen Iverson, our way of showing love is cursing, screaming, and freaking out at our players. That is because we do not want the best for them but for our city, that is because these players are our family and our lives. No matter what life has thrown at the City of Philadelphia, we have always had sports; the Eagles, Flyers, Sixers, and Phillies to rest our hopes and dreams on. We might not have the most Championships, we might take the back seat to LA and New York with sports success, but no one can say they try harder every season for their teams then the Philadelphia fans do. Philadelphia fans have had bad seasons and rough patches, but we still have hope. We are able to have hope because of our miracles such as 4^th and 26, the step-over, or a World Series. We are passionate fans. We love our teams and players. We will believe in you until you prove us to be wrong.  As Billy Wagner said about Philly fans, “Those people, it doesn’t matter how successful you are. I don’t get it. They boo you. They scream at you.”

Philadelphia is a town of hard working individuals, and we expect the same out of our athletes. We want the best for not only them but us as well. We expect you to go out every game and play like it was your last game, if you do that, and with stand our hate you will live on forever in this town. Players like Iverson who played his heart out and gave his all to the city of Philadelphia; to take a team of rag tag guys to a championship and to play with so much heart. A guy like Pat Burrell who tried his hardest, dealt with the hate of Philly fans because he didn’t live up to his potential, but brought us a championship. These are guys that will be remembered in this city and guys we love, because they played their hearts out. Guys with the true Philly attitude, the never quit give 110% are the guys we love. I asked what does it mean to be a Philly sports fan? To live in the City of Brotherly Love? It means to love your team so much that you are willing to hate on them, it means to support your guys to the death, and finally it means to give your all to your city and players, and hopefully they will give it back to you. It takes a special type of player to play here, because we are no ordinary fans, we are Philly fans. 

-Brett

Ronald Roberts could be Living a Dream!

Well SJU Hawk fans we told you it was going to happen, and now it looks like it is! Another Saint Joseph’s University Hawk will be playing NBA basketball. Ronald Roberts Jr. is heading to Sixers camp this fall with a 3 year contract, reports staff reporter Tom Moore of the Bucks County Courier Times. We are very excited to hear that the first year of his contract may be guaranteed, which in simple terms means he is going to have an opportunity to play in the NBA. So SJU Hawk fans go out and buy your Ronald Roberts Jr. jersey’s because he is staying in Philadelphia. 

Ron is amazingly athletic, which is why he was a piece that both the Sixers and the Miami Heat went after, inviting him to summer league. During summer league Ron truly showed his college dominance that many of us Hawk fans got to see first sight. Roberts who just turned 23 August 5, averaged 10ppg, 7 rebounds, and 1 block during summer league. Though these games were against D-Leaguers and potential NBA rookies; it truly showed the potential dominance of Ron. Roberts has been showing this ability over the last four years with the SJU Hawks, scoring 14.4ppg, 7.3 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks; during his senior season with the Hawks. Roberts also showed a quality that many athletes do not have during his senior season and that was leadership. Roberts, with the help of other seniors Langston Galloway and Halil Kanacevic; was able to not only get his team to the NCAA March Madness Tournament for the first time since 2008, but also win the A-10 Championship. After SJU lost to UConn in the tournament, Roberts worked on the weakest parts of his game and became NBA ready. 

Ronald Roberts has had his ups and downs as a college player. But, an opportunity like this could not have happened to a nicer person or player. Those who didn’t get to interact with Ron wouldn’t know but everyone who has come in contact with this kid has said he’s kind and soft spoken. Ron took time out of his day after the loss to Creighton this season to talk to us, two SJU radio hosts, to tell us about their performance. This kid deserves everything that comes to him in the NBA, hard work truly pays off. Ron truly played like a star that had a chip on his shoulder during summer league. For a guy coming in as a undrafted free agent to a team that realistically speaking was expecting much, surprised us all. As SJU fans and supporters we aren’t too surprised to see the performances that he gave to the Sixers fans during summer league, but now at least he is getting the recognition he deserves. We as Hawks are proud to see another SJU Hawk getting an opportunity to play in the NBA, and this time with the home town Sixers. Hopefully, we will get an opportunity to see Ron play against Jameer come the fall. Hawks buy your Ronald Roberts Jr. jerseys now! THWND

 

Passionate. Intense. Proud... In Hinkie We Trust

The State of the Sixers

The offseason isn’t usually where a normal NBA team should be making noise, but it is for the Sixers. After enduring a season of D-leaguers, long losing streaks, longer losing streaks, and Byron Mullens, the Sixers knew that the rebuilding plan would start to take form this summer. Over the last year, mastermind GM Sam Hinkie got rid of Jrue Holiday, Evan Turner, Spencer Hawes, and any other part of the past administration while acquiring a wide array of assets in the form of potential stars and an abundance of draft picks. Sam Hinkie has a plan to get this team out of mediocrity and fans are either all in or questioning his sanity. These Sixers players will need time to grow and develop together, but this team isn’t built for now; the rebuilding process is going to take a while. Here are a few things you should know looking forward.

Nerlens Noel will be Rookie of the Year. Noel is considered a rookie after sitting out the entire year last year and showed vast signs of improvement throughout summer league. He made his debut in spectacular fashion in Orlando, averaging 12.2 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 3.0 blocks in 24.7 minutes over four games. He only played in two games in Las Vegas but got comparisons to Anthony Davis with his outstanding shot blocking ability. His jump shot improved and his athleticism will fit great with the Sixers style of play. He still is very lanky and could afford to put on some weight and muscle, but the potential is there. Although he isn’t the best rookie I say he will be the ROY because of the time and touches he will get with the Sixers. As Michael Carter-Williams did last year, Noel will benefit from high paced offense and being a catalyst of a lackluster team which will lead to inflated stats and the second straight Sixers Rookie of the Year.

Dario Saric was a great pick. I know a lot of people complain about the pick because we won’t see this guy for at least two years, but that fits what the Sixers are doing. He will grow overseas into a dynamic scorer and provide pop off the bench. Saric received a lot of praise from analysts predicting that he could be a star. With eyes on the future, the Sixers are in position to swing for the fences on a guy who could prove to be a superstar in this league. Also, we just watched a Spurs team full of foreign players win the championship and that is something the Sixers have never excelled in. Along with Vasilije Micić who they also drafted, the Sixers are smart for stashing some players overseas to save cap flexibility and provide future production. Worth noting is that for trading down to get Saric, Hinkie erased some of the mistakes of the Andrew Bynum deal by getting two picks that we originally lost.

Sixers 2^nd rounder will be great pieces, not All-Stars. As I mentioned before, the Spurs are a great model for the Sixers organization to emulate. They have their big three, but their role players are the reason for their success. That team is like a puzzle with parts that fit to form a collective unit. Jerami Grant has extreme athleticism, KJ McDaniels is a defensive stopper, Jordan Mcrae is a sharpshooter, Pierre Jackson (injured this year) is instant offense, and Micic will end up being a great back-up point guard to MCW. The bench depth is going to be a point of focus moving forward so all of these guys developing is important. None of these players have the potential to dominate this team, but they all should fit roles in building this team.

Thad Young won’t be on this team for long. When Lebron went to the Cavs, you immediately knew that more than likely they would also get Kevin Love. Not only because they are in win-now mode, but because they have the most to offer the Timberwolves. Although I believe the Sixers should have been trying to do this all offseason, this is the perfect opportunity to use our cap space and help facilitate this trade. The Timberwolves have shown interest in Thaddeus Young as he remains one of the only veterans on the team. Rumors indicate we would be getting the Cavs Anthony Bennett back. After watching him in summer league, Sixers fans should be ecstatic. He lost a lot of weight and showed glimpses of his days back at UNLV where he dominated. He would be a great project to add to this growing team. I’m hoping we also take on some of the bad contracts from both teams in hopes of getting some draft picks that we know Hinkie loves.

Fans should expect a similar season to last. The Sixers have exciting pieces but they are not ready for a title run now. With Embiid sitting out this year, this season will be used for Noel and MCW’s growth as well as seeing if players like Hollis Thompson and Tony Wroten are long-term pieces for this team. We still have no legitimate shooting or scoring on this team which will make points hard to come by. People argue Doug McDermott would have solved that problem at the 10 pick but like I said the plan is not to be good. McBuckets would have made us a good team this season and ultimately too good to get another lottery pick that we strongly desire. The lottery system may be changed but in the end the Sixers will still end up in the top five. Next year’s prospects are mostly big men, but there are a few guards and wingmen that will be there, we just have to hope we lose enough to guarantee that. The term tanking is very fair as I see this team winning around 20 games this year.

Joel Embiid will be a fan favorite. Joel Embiid is receiving lots of attention even though it is unlikely he will step on the court this year. He has blown up Twitter with his attempts to lure Lebron to Philly and his persistent pursuit of both Kim Kardashian and Rihanna. He has been to Philadelphia, got a cheesesteak, and went to Mitchell & Ness to buy an Allen Iverson jersey. He’s entertaining us off the court and will eventually dominate for us on the court. 

-Jeremy

Ronald Roberts Jr. is NBA ready

Since Ronald Roberts Jr. did not get drafted, he is forced to take the long road to the NBA. Every player in the summer leagues is trying to prove that they are worth having on the team and scrapping for that last spot. During Roberts Jr. senior year with the Hawks, his production was never consistent throughout his senior year. Even if NBA scouts did take notice of him, he did not keep their attention. Everybody, including NBA scouts wonder if he is more than just a freak athlete. It is already known that he plays hard, rebounds, and dunks. Not too belittle what he is great at, but that might not be enough.

Throughout the six games of the Orlando Summer League the NBA is seeing what Saint Joes fans have seen for past four years: one handed dunks, put back dunks, and a rebounding machine. During those games he consistently showed his high energy effort. It is also evident that he was a four year college due to his maturity and smartness. It did look as if he had it easy because he was playing alongside Nerlens Noel. But then he played center in place of him for two games and dominated. During the title game which Noel was on bench for, Roberts had a double-double of 12 points and 11 rebounds. Ronald Roberts Jr. helped the 76ers to win the Orlando Championship League with an average of 10 points and 6.8 rebounds.

It was strange watching him in a uniform other than a Hawks’. Because the Sixers want to develop young promising players, Roberts has a great chance of making the team. The athleticism that Philadelphia 76ers like is there for Ronald being 6’8” tall, 225 pounds, possessing a 7’1” wingspan. The 76ers are a fast pace team, which Roberts is able to run the court with ease. He also does not have a good outside shot which another standard of theirs. But one reason they may not be so high on him is that he is able to play right away because he is not injured nor has a contract overseas.

During the two summer leagues everybody is fighting for a roster spot on an NBA team. With that being said he played harder than every player on the court. His high energy effort and play made him a fan favorite quickly. He is this year’s Khaliff Wyatt. Let’s just hope the Sixers stick with him. Ronald Roberts Jr. could join the long list of 6’8” strong and physical effort players that play a key role of dominating skinny 6’10” kids around. He would give an NBA team toughness, energy, and athleticism off the bench at the 4. If he does not end up on an NBA team’s final roster he will definitely be able to make 6 figures overseas.

The former number 13 for SJU Hawks proved that he can play at the NBA level on a regular basis. After his showing during the Sixers’ championship run during the Orlando Summer League Roberts should be invited to 76ers training camp. There are other teams interested in Ronald if the Sixers are not as he is now suiting up for the Miami Heat in Las Vegas Summer League.

-Glen