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(02/08/06 12:00pm)
Last week I claimed the that Sixers had to trade Allen Iverson in order for them to be competitive not only now but in the future. Blasphemy? Nearly. Disloyalty at its finest? Absolutely. Beneficial? Definitely. Before you crucify me and sentence me to a fate worse than that of Ben Affleck's career post-"Gigli," hear me out.
I love Iverson. I love watching him. I love how he gives his all every night on the hardwood and I love how he values winning above all else. He's the only Philly athlete that fans have never booed and there's a reason for it - he's unbelievably loyal. The problem is Iverson's style of play. As dominating as it can be, it just does not fit well with the rest of the Sixers team.
When the Sixers made the NBA Finals in 2001, they did it with Iverson as their star and scorer and Larry Brown as their head coach, but what about the rest of the squad? They were role players. The 2001 76ers were filled to the brim with role players, because that's the best way to complement Iverson's game. Let him do the majority of the scoring, take as many shots as he wants and let all the other players do the dirty work. Iverson isn't selfish; that's just his style of play and how he performs best. The role players never grumbled or complained about not getting shots, because they didn't have star egos.
Look at the current Sixers roster - Kyle Korver, Andre Iguodala, Chris Webber, Samuel Dalembert. Which one of these doesn't belong? Not only is Webber past his prime and ridiculously overpaid ($20 million a year, which is, by the way, more than Iverson makes), but he's already whining in the clubhouse like a pregnant woman in her third trimester.
After the 76ers got blown out by the Wizards a few weeks ago, Webber reportedly went off in the clubhouse afterward, yelling at the coaches and players alike, essentially about not getting the ball enough. Shortly after, Iverson sat before the media, questioning his role on the team, clearly demoralized by Webber's antics. Iverson has already said this is the most frustrating season of his career, but questioning his role on the team? I can't ever remember that happening.
Webber and Iverson aren't winning consistently, so what happens when you sprinkle in a further breakdown of team chemistry between the squad's two star players? I think Eagles fans got plenty of that this season. Well, what about money? The argument used to be that Iverson sold tickets and put butts in the seats. I'm sure he still does, but so does winning. Also, have you seen a home Sixers game as of late? The place isn't exactly packed. People are losing interest and something needs to be done about it. Mediocrity does not sell tickets.
This is like a bad high school science class - we've identified the problem and found the error in the formula, but how do we correct it? Why not just unload Webber if he's causing problems with the team's champion? Yeah, have a good time with that. You'll have as much trouble trying to unload Webber for something valuable as Isiah Thomas would have being somewhat competent as an NBA GM.
Like I said earlier, not only is Webber well past his prime, but he has a monster contract that won't expire until 2008, when he'll be making $22 million. If 76ers GM Billy King managed to somehow pull the wool over his eyes and get rid of Webber and his contract (you never know, the Knicks and Hawks didn't get this bad purely by chance), they'd still have to get someone equally or more valuable to be a true contender, and even then it'd be a stretch. If, in that unlikely scenario, that were to happen, you'd still have the problem of Iverson playing with other scorers such as Korver and John Salmons, the former of which couldn't guard an NBA forward with a crowbar. The defensive problems would still go unsolved and Iverson's play would still not be maximized.
This is where I came to the dead end. This is where you have to trade Philadelphia icon Allen Iverson in order to be competitive not only now, but especially down the stretch. Iverson carries an incredible reputation around the NBA and could get great market value in return, as well as freeing up a lot of cap space. If they trade Iverson now, while they could get someone great in return, they could grab a high profile, young point guard in return and a solid additional player or two.
If the Sixers could trade Iverson for a guard and a forward like Chris Paul and David West of the New Orleans Hornets, they would then be in a position to build a team for the future around Iguodala, as well as the other young players on the team, like Dalembert, Salmons and Korver. Iguodala, at 21-years-old, is an absolute physical freak. He's fantastic defensively and has tremendous potential. If he develops his midrange jump shot as he gets older, he could be a devastatingly special player. Iguodala really reminds me of a top-tier player, almost like a Tracy McGrady, before he put it all together and figured it out, minus the ego problem and stupid adidas commercials. If you don't trade Iverson and ride the season out, he gets another year older, Webber gets more frustrated and the team wastes another year of retooling possibilities.
As a fan, I don't want to get rid of Iverson. I think he's the heart and soul of the team, leaves it all out on the floor every night and is one of the elite players in NBA history. I don't think we'll ever see anyone quite like him again. Unfortunately, the heart and soul can't function without the body doing all the other things - something the team just doesn't have right now.
(02/01/06 5:00pm)
The College's men's and women's indoor track and field team put on another solid performance Saturday at the McElligot Invitational at Haverford College.
Improving by leaps and bounds in comparison to last week's meet, the Lions boasted 11 Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Division III qualifying performances, an NCAA provisional qualifying mark and two meet records.
Head coach Eric Mobley continued to emphasize teamwork over individual achievement. "We're definitely improving as a team," Mobley said. "Everybody is starting to really get into a groove."
Senior Jeff Zodda dominated play Saturday, winning his second event in the 400-meter with a time of 50.90, which was not only an ECAC qualifying mark, but also a meet record.
Mobley said he fully expected Zodda to put on performances like this. "Jeff is one of our top athletes, he's a many time All-American, he was runner up in the nation's outdoors in the 800-(meter) and I just continue to see him keep improving as the meets go on," Mobley said.
Senior Brittny Boyd had a huge day, setting a meet record in the 400-meter with a time of 58.50, as well as qualifying for both the ECAC and the NCAA with her time. Boyd also won the 200-meter run with a time of 26.28, an ECAC qualifying mark.
The Lions excelled as a team in the 200-meter, taking second through fifth place behind Boyd. Sophomore Jessica Bonelli took second just behind Boyd with a time of 26.85 and sophomore Carolyn Gray took third in 27.04, both qualifying for the ECAC. Rounding out the pack was senior Tiffany Clark finishing fourth in 27.14 and junior Khristelle Manuyag, taking fifth, with a time of 27.52
Senior Brian Hoffman, a member of the team who Mobley said he expected to put up consistently solid performances, put forth a great effort, winning the pole vault competition with an ECAC qualifying mark of 14 feet.
The Lions have two meets in the upcoming week. They are set to travel to Manhattan for the Armory Collegiate Invitational on Saturday and then come home for a big dual meet against Rider on Sunday.
Mobley hyped the dual meet at Rider. "It's defnitely one of the meets we look forward to and kids really get up for competing," he said. "You'll see a lot of great performances at the dual meets."
(02/01/06 12:00pm)
It kills me to watch the Philadelphia 76ers play the type of basketball that they have been playing. It seriously kills me.
As a self-proclaimed NBA junkie, I can't tell you the number of nights I've been given ulcers due to losses in close games or been threatened with documentations for furious spats of swearing.
Now, it seems that every time I tune into a Sixers' game, I make a checklist of the things I can almost guarantee happening:
1. Mo Cheeks hopping and shuffling along the sidelines, clapping his hands and trying to pump up his team like Larry Brown circa 1970. The classic '70s power mustache only backs up my theory that Cheeks has either watched "Boogie Nights" too many times or likes Burt Reynolds in a way beyond manly appreciation.
2. Samuel Dalembert getting in foul trouble. Again. Is it just me or does Dalembert look like a beaten dog every time Cheeks pulls him because of foul trouble? What really gets me is the "stunned" look he shoots the referees every time he rips off another man's arm. Seriously, why even bother?
Dalembert fouls out of 20 percent of his games and he continually appeals to the refs. Sammy, it isn't exactly the ending of "The Crying Game" every time you foul out of a game -- don't look so shocked.
3. Chris Webber limping down the court like a crippled gazelle. I understand that Webber isn't the player he used to be. I know that injuries happen and that you're never quite 100 percent again, but it's absolutely painful to watch him move around the court. Is this a geriatric home or an NBA game?
Here's the tragedy within the 76ers organization - they're a team too good to get a lottery draft pick and therein build for their future, but they're not nearly good enough to be contenders in the Eastern Conference.
Right now it's almost a "damned if you do, damned if you don't" type of scenario. If the Sixers play great basketball for the rest of the season, win the weak Atlantic Division and secure a three seed in the playoffs, they still won't go far.
They'll probably take the first round but drop the second because they're not as consistent as the probable number four seed, the Cleveland Cavaliers - and that's saying something.
The Cavs have "Mr. Clutch" himself, LeBron James, and as long as he doesn't have to make a potential game-winning basket (which, we know by now, he'll miss), he'll lead his team to a victory. (About LeBron for a second, did anyone see the game against Denver where he missed the game-tying free throw? Poor guy looked like a little girl with a skinned knee after just finding out she was adopted.)
Defensively, the Sixers have more holes than Shawn Kemp has illegitimate children. Lord knows the 76ers don't play defense (they allow 102 points per game, third worst in the NBA) and against a team that rebounds as well as the Cavs do, they'd most likely be torched nightly on second chance points.
Rebounding is a lost art in Philadelphia, as they consistently get beaten on the boards. Kyle Korver, who can shoot the three with the best of them, can't defend worth a lick and makes even the simplest things, like boxing out, seem like he's figuring out where Jimmy Hoffa's body is buried.
On the other hand, they could possibly continue down their miserable path of inconsistency, miss the playoffs entirely and qualify for a lottery pick, although it's not likely. This can help them build for the future, but, seriously, what fan wants to watch his team drop game after game?
This is probably the worst of all the scenarios, as Sixers fans not only lose out, but Allen Iverson and Webber also get another year older. Iverson may be able to hold up for a few more years playing at the level he does, but Webber is losing his wrestling match with Father Time, and he'll quickly become even less mobile than he is now. He already looks like a wounded animal trying desperately to get away from a predator when he's driving into the lane. What's going to happen when he adds on another few years of abuse and strain on his bum knee?
So far, both scenarios seem less inviting than Kobe Bryant at a Girl Scouts meeting, so what's left? There is a third option, and with the trade deadline slowly creeping up on us, this is a perfect time for them to start evaluating their assets.
What I'm about to suggest, from a fan's point of view, I hate. I'm disgusted that I've even allowed myself to come to this conclusion, but I really don't see any other way.
The Sixers have to trade Iverson.Why do the Sixers need to trade Iverson? Is there another way around their problems? Pick up next week's Signal as I delve further into the Sixers' woes and answer all the questions raised here.
(01/25/06 5:00pm)
The College's men's and women's indoor track and field teams had a strong showing against Division I schools last Saturday at the Maryland Invitational. Because it was an invitational meet there was no scoring, but the Lions pulled together as a team and contributed qualifying times while building for the postseason.
"I think we're right where we want to be," head coach Eric Mobley said. There wasn't one real stand-out performance, but I think for this time of year there were some real solid performances that we can definitely build on."
While mainly stressing team accomplishments, Mobley did mention a few individual performances, namely those turned in by junior Angela Tecco and senior Jeff Zoda.
Tecco placed third in the 800- meter race with a provisional time of 2:17.42. Tecco was also a part of the 4 x 400 relay team which placed fifth in a provisional time of 4:00.02.
Zoda gave the top individual performance of the meet for the Lions, as he not only won the 800 meters in 1:56.52, but also qualified for the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) meet.
Senior Jenna Fasulo also had a strong sixth place finish in the 3000 meters which qualified her for the ECAC meet.
Mobley stressed the quality of the competition at the event, citing Division I schools such as Georgetown and Maryland, and said he was satisfied with the Lions' performance. "I think it was a very solid meet and as the season goes on and our team gets stronger and faster, we'll only improve on our prior performance," Mobley said.
Overall, the Lions turned in six ECAC qualifying performances on the day.
The Lions will continue their quest for nationals on Jan. 29 with their next meet at the Haverford College Invitational.
(12/07/05 5:00pm)
The College's women's basketball team had a brutal week as it dropped three straight games, two against New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) opponents. After dual NJAC losses to Richard Stockton College and Kean University, the Lions dropped to 2-4 overall, with a 1-2 record in the NJAC.
The much-hyped game against Stockton, the same game that senior guard Tiara Simpkins said was "the game (she) is circling on her calendar" last week, turned out to be a bit of a one-sided affair, with the Ospreys leading the Lions after the half 38-28 and holding a 24-14 advantage on the boards. Stockton pulled away after the half, going on a 10-0 run and holding a 20-point advantage, which led to a 70-55 win for Stockton.
Despite the Lions' multiple attempts to come back, the Ospreys ultimately held them off, thanks in large part to the efforts of Stockton senior forward Lisa Zak who had a game-high 14 points and junior forward Alicia Morris who dominated the boards, pulling in 13 rebounds.
Afterward, head coach Dawn Henderson commented on the loss to Stockton and its alleged status as the "team to beat," saying "Stockton is the defending conference champion, so I guess it has an edge as the team to beat. However, if you have seen the early scores around the NJAC, it seems as though every team is the team to beat."
The Ospreys offense was clicking on all cylinders in the second half, as they shot 48 percent from the field and 44 percent from beyond the arc. The Lions defense was playing well and sticking to its defensive assignments, but the Ospreys got hot and kept hitting shots despite the solid defensive effort.
Kean freshman guard Melissa Beyruti was nearly unstoppable in the women's loss to the Cougars, as she scored a career-high 26 points and hit seven out of 11 from downtown in the College's 75-68 loss to Kean. Beyruti did not go unchallenged, however, as sophomore guard/forward Sara Best also put up a career-high in points, scoring 17 on 8-15 shooting.
Best said she didn't expect to perform as well as she did, but that she's "doing everything she can to help the team." When asked if she thought she could keep up this level of production throughout the season, Best said "I think I can and I'm going to try my hardest."
After Best's breakout game, Henderson said, "(Best) has done a great job (and) will be moving into the starting line-up due to an injury to (Simpkins) on Saturday. That is unfortunate, because Sara has been a great spark off the bench."
The Lions defense, again, was solid in the first half, yet couldn't stop the ball from going in the net in the second. Kean shot 47 percent from the field in the second half and drained four out of six from three-point range.
Senior forward Erin Frank had a solid all-around game and just missed a double-double, as she contributed nine points and 11 boards, seven of which were defensive rebounds.
The Lions also dropped a non-conference game to Dickinson College on Monday in a 58-41 decision. This is Dickinson's second straight victory over the Lions, dating back to last season's 64-55 victory over the Lions, which ended up snapping their 11-game winning streak.
The Lions again had to dig themselves out of a hole, as they found themselves down 27-23 at the half. The Lions weren't able to respond in the second half, however, as Dickinson continued to build a lead, going up by as much as 20.
Despite the 35-34 advantage the Lions held in rebounds, they were crippled by their shooting, as they managed only to hit 31 percent of their shots and dropped the game 58-41.
Despite the three consecutive losses, Henderson displayed optimism, saying that the team is already responding to the losses, noting great practice efforts and improved play versus Kean. She went on to say, "We can only hope to learn from our mistakes, continue to work hard in practice and take care of business in our next game."
The next opportunity for the Lions to "take care of business" will be today at 8 p.m. in Packer Hall against NJAC opponent Rutgers-Camden.
(11/30/05 5:00pm)
The College's women's basketball team ended a solid week of play with a crucial 78-52 victory over Rowan University in a New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) game.
Senior guard Tiara Simpkins dropped a career-high 21 points in the winning effort over Rowan, surpassing her previous best of 20 points. Simpkins managed to shoot an astounding 80 percent (4-for-5) from beyond the arc, while also adding a game-high four steals.
The victory, along with Sunday's 68-38 win over Cazenovia College, boosted the Lions' record to 2-1 overall and 1-0 in the NJAC, with the sole blemish on their record coming from a 45-35 loss against Capital University in the season opener.
Senior captain Erin Frank also contributed heavily to the conference victory, as she shot 7-10 from the field, totaling in 14 points, while pulling down nine boards.
The Lions controlled the flow of the game with their stifling defense, as they managed to hold the Profs to an abysmal 31 percent (17-55) from the field. The Lions, on the other hand, worked the perimeter effectively, shooting 40 percent from downtown, as they fed the hot hands of Simpkins and senior guard Alexa Shields.
Junior guard Megan Hueter spoke about the Lions' stunning defensive performance against Rowan saying, "We have been working hard since day one to be in condition to perfect our team defense. Our defense is going to really help us pull through and take over some games this year."
Simpkins went on to say it was vindicating after the Capital game to beat Rowan like they did, but said, "We can't be satisfied with just beating Rowan because, this year, they're not the team to beat." When asked who, in her mind, was the team to beat, she said Richard Stockton College. The College faces Stockton at home tonight at 6 p.m.
The Lions' loss against nationally ranked Capital in the opening round of the Betty Abgott Invitational tournament was competitive, despite the Lions falling behind 24-12 at halftime. The College outscored No. 7 Capital 23-21 in the second half, yet the first half deficit was too much to overcome, as Capital never let the College within five points.
Crusader senior guards Kati Todd and Sara Heitkamp plagued the Lions with their shooting, putting up 14 and 12 points, respectively. Todd shot over 40 percent from three-point range with Heitkamp delivering a complete game, hitting five of nine from the field, as well as grabbing a game-high seven steals and dishing out seven assists.
Despite the season opening loss against the Crusaders, the Lions managed to pull off a decisive 68-38 win over the Cazenovia Wildcats in the consolation game at the invitational.
The Lions fell behind early, trailing 11-10, but proved their worth as they fought back and held a 15-point halftime lead over the Wildcats. The Lions were led by Frank and Simpkins who, coming off a bad game against Capital in which she shot 1-for-13 overall, again led the team in points and steals.
Frank shot 6-for-6 from the free throw line and tallied up 10 total points as well as eight rebounds.
Simpkins said head coach Dawn Henderson spoke to her after the Capital game, saying two points weren't going to cut it and that she needed to be more offensive-minded.
Frank also grabbed All-Tournament Honors for her efforts in the Invitational. "I wasn't expecting it at all," Frank said. "I didn't feel as though I played (well enough) to deserve anything." The judges obviously felt differently, as Frank was the only Lion to earn the honor.
(11/09/05 5:00pm)
The men's swimming team is still perfect as it added to two wins at this weekend's dual meets. A heavy-handed 142-99 victory over Franklin & Marshall College (F&M) on Friday and a nail-biting 121-120 victory over heated conference rival South Connecticut State University (SCSU) on Saturday to boosted the team's record to 3-0.
The men had been defeated by the strong F&M team in their last two tries. Senior captain Scott Foglyano called the victory "absolutely amazing."
"(Head coach Brian Bishop) told us before that we were not really expected to win and that they were better on paper and in raw talent, but we never counted ourselves out. We knew we could do it out of sheer emotion," he said.
The men won six out of 13 events against SCSU, receiving a strong performance from senior captain Steve Swenson, who won the 200-yard breaststroke in 2:11.57 and was a member of the first place 400-yard medley relay team.
Sophomore Liam Gallagher also contributed with a major victory over senior Mike Ferraro and sophomore Denny Shupe, two of SCSU's top swimmers, in the 200-yard Individual Medley (IM) with a time of 1:59.83.
"We beat SCSU once, we'll do it again," Swenson said. "Our squad is bigger, badder, and much more talented. We're taking back conferences this year." Swenson then went on to personally guarantee a victory over SCSU this year in conferences.
Bishop said he didn't expect to win every event against F&M. But that's exactly what the team got, as the men dominated, winning all 14 events and again getting strong performances from Gallagher and Swenson as they took first in their respective events.
Gallagher won the 200-yard freestyle in imposing fashion with a time of 1:48.64 and an almost full seven-second lead over the second place swimmer, F&M senior Pat Godfrey.
The girl's team was less successful, as it lost both meets by scores of 153-109 and 126.5-104.5 to F&M and SCSU, respectively, in what senior captain Jen Lyon called "moral victories."
Still, moral victories don't show up in the standings, as the girls dropped to a 1-2 record as a result of the meets over the weekend. Despite the losing record, Lyon denied any claims that the team was struggling. "Our meet schedule is really competitive," she said.
The girls received strong outings from both senior captain Erin Stutz and senior Beth Hurley. Stutz came in second in the women's 200 yard IM on Friday and in first on Saturday, with times of 2:16.26 and 2:16.06 respectively. Hurley won the women's 100-yard freestyle in 56.29. Stutz also won the 1,000-yard freestyle race on Friday with a time of 11:09.38.
Sophomore Ava Kiss also had a strong outing in both meets, as she won four events over the weekend. Most notably, Kiss dominated in the women's 200-yard butterfly against SCSU, winning by almost six seconds with a time of 2:12.66.
Senior divers Lee Swanson and Greg Lloyd also both qualified for the NCAA Tournament in March in the men's and women's three-meter dive on Saturday. "I didn't go into the meet thinking (of qualifying for the NCAA Tournament), but after I found out I was surprised. It was nice," Lloyd said. "I'm just aiming to be able to put up my best come March."
Both the men's and the women's teams will be swimming next at the Princeton "Big Al Memorial" Invitational on Friday, Nov. 11 at 5 p.m.