Wait...Sixers...Wait

                Wait… Just wait, is what Sixers fans are now being told after this year’s draft. This will be another year of the Sixers drafting a guy that will sit out the whole year because of injury. The Sixers are saying they are in this for the long term, but how long is the long term? Will 5 years be enough to finally bring a championship to Philadelphia? This team looks to be in the tanking mode again for next season however the projected top 5 picks are all big men. So it will now be decision time for the Sixers. Here are our thoughts on some of the top picks in the draft. Now let the waiting game begin… Again

  

Joel Embiid 3^rd Overall: 

                What can be said about Joel Embiid except him being the biggest question mark coming into the NBA Draft. Before breaking his foot, and injury that many say is the death of a big man in the NBA; Joel Embiid was expected to be the first overall pick to the Cleveland Cavaliers. This would have set up Andrew Wiggins right in the hands of the Sixers. However, injury concerns had Embiid the quote on quote best player in the draft fall right to the Sixers. This could be a blessing in disguise for the Sixers, if and only if Embiid is able to return to his star form. Embiid can reach stardom in the NBA, and he has the abilities to score, play defense, and rebound like no one to play on the Sixers before. However, this all depends on if he can get back to his college form. We will have to wait another long year to see “the best player in the draft” play for the Sixers. With Nerlens Noel now back in action with the Sixers, him and Embiid could be a dynamic duo for years to come. Even if Embiid cannot reach that star form, but Nerlens does all Embiid really needs to be is an above average NBA player and he will be able to help this team to a championship in 5 or so years.

Dario Saric 12^th Overall (Trade with Oralndo): 

                If you thought Embiid was a question mark, this is an even bigger one. Dario Saric is a Croatian basketball star, and that’s right folks we won’t see him for two years. Saric has signed a contract to play in Croatia for the next two years and could be even longer. Honestly, this is a pick the Sixers might lose if he decides to stay in his home country. Saric will be coming into Philadelphia with a lot of hate to begin with, not due to the fact of him or his personality or his ability. Simply, he was the guy they wanted and took over highly talented college superstar Doug McDermott. McDermott is one of college basketball’s leading scorers, and Saric is a basic no name out of some foreign country. Let’s be honest again with Saric, no real foreign player who has decided to spend extra years over in Europe after being drafted have ever really been successful. Ricky Rubio is probably the most successful in recent years, and he really hasn’t been a star for the T-Wolves. When Saric gets to Philly, he won’t have to be the star, nor will he have pressure on himself. Saric will just need to be above average and most Philly fans will say he was a good pick. We just need the guy to be a couple time All-Star and put up above average numbers for him to be a piece to this possible championship team.

KJ McDaniels 32^th Overall and Jerami Grant 39^th :               

                These two picks actually may have been two of the NBA Draft steals of the night. Both guys are very talented players coming out of their respected schools. Grant knows how to win, coming from Syracuse and one of the greatest coaches in college history. Grant understands the game at a level that many kids coming out of college to the NBA would not. He is a strong Small Forward with an outstanding 7’2 Wing Span and has the potential to be a big piece to the defense as well as bringing points off the bench for a team that desperately needed that. Grant has expectations to live up to as well, with him being relatives with NBA legend Horace Grant. Jerami Grant has already made himself know in the Philadelphia media, and has the potential to be huge pick-up by the Sixers. KJ McDaniels is another great sleeper for Sam Hinkie. McDaniels is a work in progress on the offensive side of the basketball, however he will receive a lot of playing time next season due to the fact his defense is spectacular. He was one of the best defenders in this year’s draft and could’ve been a top 20 pick. These two guys are sure to get some action next season.

Overall:

                This year’s draft I would rate a B-, due to the fact we will have to wait 3 years to see the Sixers top to picks on the court together. However, the Sixers made it up with their two selections in the second round. Scoring two guys that can help on the defensive side of the ball as well as Grant who can score. The Sixers also picked up Pierre Jackson a pure scorer out of Baylor, though undersized he can potentially be a key scorer on this team, and can put up numbers as well. Vasilije Micic and Jordan McRae were the last two picks for the Sixers in this draft, and honestly they are both NBA ready with the potential to produce for this team. Micic is a big point guard who is worth taking a chance on, and McRae is a guy that needs to beef up but has potential on this team as well. All in all this draft was one that was mainly the second round for this Sixers team. In my opinion the biggest mistake made will be not picking Doug McDermott. The 76ers will regret not picking McDermott for the rest of their lives, but Embiid will be a very productive piece to this team.

-Brett 

Do Y’All Really Believe?

Belgium defeated United States 2-1 to send USA home from the World Cup. It was an exhausting and sad way for it to end. They were eliminated by a country that is barely a country. Belgium could not have even thought of an original flag. It looks just like a modified German flag. Belgium waffles don’t even taste good. Let’s invade Belgium!

Everybody in the world saw Belgium’s goal in the 93^rd minute coming. There was no realistic chance for USA after that point. It appeared that USA’s strategy was to attempt to tire Belgium out by allowing them to play as much offense as they could. If so it was a successful attempt, but a poor strategy. They barely hung on throughout the game but could not gather any offensive momentum. Even though there was a clear winner, they did not quit. The United States had minimal offense until the 110^th minute. The main reason why is because of their lack of quality midfield play. Their wing midfielders were too slow.

The United States will never be known for having sturdy hamstring by the world. They will continue to be known for their overweight citizens. Jozy Altidore played in less than twenty minutes of the World Cup due to pulling his hamstring. Altidore was supposed to command attention by being a physical sole forward up in front of the American attack. Altidore was healthy for Tuesday’s game but was not part of the starting lineup. USA had to use one of their three substitutions on their right defensive back, Fabian Johnson who was also pulled his hamstring. Johnson helped USA’s attack to be more creative and dangerous play. Both Altidore and Johnson’s play was a huge loss. 

American soccer is just like their beer. They are both weak and watered down. Both their beer and players are imported from Germany. I cannot imagine rooting for a soccer team that consistently plays well. A good soccer team almost seems un-American. I am sure all of the Americans who plastered face paint on their face are now regretting it. This amount of love for a team that has a 25% winning percentage throughout their four games of the World Cup. This is great news for the Sixers and Cowboys. USA soccer is Charlie Brown and the rest of the world is Lucy. Hope the world is happy that they beat our low tier athletes. USA should teach soccer to Lebron, Desean Jackson, and Adrian Petereson and dominate the world’s game. The World Cup would then be a breeze. America does not care as much as the rest of the world about soccer. USA beat nations that are obsessed about it. Since we moved onto the round of 16 and do not care, United States is like the spoiled rich bratty girl that gets a car for her Sweet Sixteen. USA does not care. In fact they are just pretended to.

Jesus, I mean Tim Howard saved 16 shots and deserves a purple heart for the most saves in a World Cup game. Howard is the first bald guy with a beard anybody should trust. Without his efforts USA could have easily lost the gamee 6-0. This game was not USA vs BEL it was Tim Howard vs BEL. Tim could not do it all. He had more shots to him than any alcoholic. Howard had more blocks than the Lego Movie. Hockey goalies have had games with less saves than Howard did. It was evident that Timmy executed what the team practiced. Belgium outclassed USA but not Howard. 

That Tim Howard might be a keeper, but his age does not guarantee he will stay around for the next World Cup in 2018. At least USA can guarantee they will be able to be even more competitive during the next World Cup. They have young talent that was being developed this year. 19 year old, Julian Green scored USA’s only goal to keep the game interesting by keeping hope alive with less than 10 minutes remaining in overtime. Julian not only kept USA’s hopes alive in the final minutes but made everybody feel less accomplished. Green is one of many young rising stars. The future is bright. Before the World Cup they were on a 12 game winning streak. America did great getting the round of 16. The United States Soccer 2014 World Cup team is not who the world thought they were. They exceeded expectations and are in the right direction of improving. They got out of a group with teams of Fifa rankings of #2 and #4 in it. USA soccer is bigger than ever. Americans now cannot wait for 2018.

Hawks in NBA Summer League

                The NBA draft came and went without any of the St. Joe’s players being selected. However, summer league signings have come around and the three starting seniors from the A-10 tournament winning team have become undrafted free agents. Each of the three guys has something they need to prove in the summer league games if they want to make the NBA team or their respected D-league teams. The Summer Leagues are a pair of a week of games. European basketball is definitely more lucrative than the D-league. This is their opportunity to make it to the NBA and complete their dreams. The last Hawk to play in the NBA was Dwayne Jones in 2006. Whether it is for the team they are playing for in the Summer League or other; Langston, Roberts, and Halil hope to impress. Each one still has a great deal to overcome. After all, being selected to play in the NBA Summer Leagues is like being drafted in the seventh round of the NFL draft. This summer got much more interesting for some recent Saint Joe’s Alumni.

               

Langston Galloway – New York Knicks:

                Langston is a pure shooter, and this was seen during the NCAA tournament as well as every work out that he attended. However, the one thing with shooters is that the NBA is full of them. The NBA was guys with unbelievable mid-range games as well as amazing 3-point shooters. Langston will have to set himself apart during these summer league games. To make a team like the Knicks or their summer league team they Langston will have to up his defense. That is a skill set that he lacked during his college career. He will have to overcome his lack of height as well. Langston probably has the most to overcome during these summer league games. But if Galloway can succeed anywhere it would be with Phil Jackson’s offense because of revolves around a 3 point shooting. Galloway will be in Las Vegas between July 7th and 21st. Who wants to go on vacation to Vegas?

Halil Kanacevic – Denver Nuggets:

                Halil has the least amount to lose through this whole summer league process. Halil already has a deal overseas, so he already has a team in place for him. All Halil has to do to make the NBA scouts see he has the ability to score. Halil naturally has a strong and powerful NBA body. The type of body that Halil has is one NBA scouts dream of, and his passing ability makes it even better. Scouts know he can play a strong defense, and pass better than most point guards; he just has to prove he can score. Denver is looking for a guy like Halil to fit into their defensive program. Halil has nothing to lose in this summer league process.

Ronald Roberts – Philadelphia 76ers & Miami Heat

                Roberts amazed NBA scouts with his athleticism. He earned a spot on the Sixers summer league team from July 5-11 in Orlando and Heat from July 11-21 in Vegas. The NBA scouts are not able to measure his vertical because it is over 46 inches. I do not know why that is as high as their vertical can measure. Ron worked out for 15 NBA teams. At the very least he can join the Sixers Flight Squad with the trampolines. In all seriousness the 76ers need to get better at rebounding. That is not Roberts’ specialty but hopefully with some NBA coaching it can improve. He has a good chance of impressing both the Heat and Sixers’ coaches by doing better than each team’s big men.

USA's Loss is a Win?

Germany attacked United States early as if they wanted revenge from getting crushed in two World Wars. The Germans should have also won an Oscar for Thursday’s performance. The movie would have been called How to Fake a Shin Injury. The Germans dominated the game so much it looked like they were playing with more men on the field. They got to every ball first and won every challenge. Wherever USA passed it there was a German waiting for it. They made us weak with rapid aerial attacks. It was like a modern day Blitzkrieg. 

Once again Michael Bradley shows how terrible he is. The bald pasty white midfielder for United States has some of the worst first touches out of anybody in the World Cup. While watching a USA match there a few things you can expect: goals, injuries, and Michael Bradley screwing up. He leaves the defense open and vulnerable for attacks. Poor midfield play is what makes the United States defense look worse than it actually is. Even though Germany is one of the fastest teams in the World Cup, both the defenders and the midfielders need to stop watching the ball. Instead of watching the ball they should get back and help their goalkeeper Tim Howard. 

While Bradley is playing poorly, One of the players that came into his own on the national level is Kyle Beckerman. His club team is Real Salt Lake and now plays a pivotal role for USA. Even though he is 32 years old this is his first chance at the national level. Some people believe Beckerman should get a red card for his wild dreadlocks. If he was not wearing the United States uniform you would think he crashes on a different friend’s couch every week without paying rent. No matter what he looks like, he is a player on the American team that should have more of a name than he does. Kyle plays the holding midfield position.  A holding mid-fielder is a mid-fielder who makes the middle of the field stronger while bolstering the defense. He is well disciplined and a sound tackler.

The United States only were playing soft and were unable to get into Germany’s half before it was too late into the game. USA needed a bit more bite to their attacks. Maybe USA could have used Luis Suarez’s assistance to put some teeth into our attack. Their attack would have been more feared and ferocious. But I am sure Suarez took a bite of the Italian player because he was just craving some Italian food. Everybody loves some good Italian food. Part of the reason Suarez was so hungry was because he ate Chinese food before the match. We all know that an hour after eating Chinese food you are starving again. He has had two other instances of biting other players before. Suarez looks like a donkey and thinks he is a zombie (or Vampire). Luis already missed 32 games due suspensions. He is clearly deranged and needs help. But the bizarre part is that the national media in the United States is acting like this is a common occurrence because is soccer and a typical foreigner. 

It does not get any more American than losing and still being a winner. This is like a romantic comedy where a star high school sports athlete loses the championship but gets the girl at the end of it. When you believe you can win, you do. Even when you lose. The tie with Portugal felt like a loss for the United States. However, the loss against Germany feels like a win. The United States believed that they could win. What actually happened was that they won from a mathematical advantage. There are not many times that people can feel this great after losing something in their lives. The United States were shutout on Thursday, but they still advance. The postgame speech by the United States coach, Jurgen Klinsmann, must have been a bit unorthodox. Do you talk about how poorly the team played or about how it does not matter because the team is moving onto the next round?

Coach Klinsmann could not have said, “Great job guys! A few more close losses like this one and then we can win this thing.” Because it is elimination time.  Every game has to end with a winner and a loser. There will also no longer be a game ending in a tie.

Of course the United States did not advance because of a loss. They advanced because they had a 1-1-1 record and 0 goal differential. This is the 2^nd straight World Cup the United States have advanced to the knockout stages, which is the first time it was accomplished. It is also their 3^rd time in the last 4 World Cups. Their only knockout win in those years was 2-0 over Mexico in 2002. When it is a World Cup tournament that Spain, Italy, and England do not advance, it represents how difficult it is to move forward. These nations wish they could be where USA is right now. The United States did not back into the next round with ease. United States will be going against Belgium next. Belgium is just as good, if not better than Germany. It is hard to tell because there has to be a team that tested them yet. Hopefully United States will give them a fight on Tuesday 3:30. Until then it is not okay to eat Belgium waffles.

USA still has a chance

With a minute left to play Michael Bradley could have booted the ball downfield and run down the clock. Instead, Bradley gave the ball away in a crucial moment. Michael Bradley is the  soccer equivalent of Tony Romo. And now everybody in America knows how it feels to be Dallas Cowboy fans. There is a lot of blame to go around, but it starts with Bradley. Geoff Cameron, the same defender who made the hideous blunder in the first five minutes of the game, made another mistake by not properly marking his man. His man headed Ronaldo’s beautiful cross into the back of the net. Ronaldo should have never had the opportunity to make that world-class cross. It was the mistakes of Bradley and Cameron that led to the Portugoal and the tie. Zero excuses for USA choking. 

It does not matter that Cristiano Ronaldo crossed the ball into the center of the penalty box. Yes he is a great player and great players always make a difference seem to make a difference, especially when it matters most. I do not know what is worse letting the goal in or Ronaldo’s haircut. America was confused whether Cristiano was trying to support Harry Potter with a lightning bolt shaved into his hair or if it was just a bad haircut. The worst part about it is that a poor kid that does not know any better that was watching the game might think that he is cool. Ronaldo epitomizes what American sport fans do not appreciate. He cries, whines, and flops. Even further he is an anti-blue collar guy. Ronaldo makes double the amount of money that the entire starting U.S. team makes. The United States head coach, Jurgen Klinsmann, wanted to put Ronaldo in his place, however that was not accomplished. 

Americans are not going to love a sport that gives extra time after regulation so the favored team can tie. Everybody seemed to be enjoying soccer until it ended in a tie. Maybe some of them were confused. I know Donavan McNabb was. Since the game ended in a tie, Americans are going to pretend this game meant little to them. This past game might not mean much to them, but Portugal means even less. Most Americans probably could not even locate it on a map. 

Bottom line is that USA still has a favorable chance of advancing and it is hard to be too upset about that. With a win or draw on Thursday against Germany USA can still advance to the next round. For the sake of throw a number out there, they have a 76% chance of moving onto the elimination rounds. Some people believe both teams should fix the game and decide to tie. This is so nothing would change in the group standings and both Germany and USA would be able to move on. This is moronic because the first place team in group G plays the second place team in group H. And vice versa. There is a big difference between Group H's first and second place team. USA still has hope to beat Germany. If you look at history, USA has a history of defeating Germany.  If United States does move forward we will have to start calling the head coach Jurgen CLlINCHmann.