Philadelphia 76ers Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Sixers’ G League Affiliate Gets New Identity

March 28th, 2018 at 10:47am CST by Arthur Hill

The Sixers’ G League affiliate will have a new name next season, the team announced today in a press release.

The franchise will be called the Delaware Blue Coats in honor of the 1st Delaware Regiment soldiers who fought in the American Revolution. Formerly known as the Delaware 87ers, the team’s uniforms will be the same blue color as Philadelphia’s with red and white trimming. The logo will depict Founding Father Caesar Rodney, who made a famous horseback ride in 1776 to cast a tie-breaking vote for independence.

The Blue Coats will play in a new, state-of-the-art field house located on the Wilmington riverfront. It will open later this year and can hold 2,500 people.

“It really puts the team in a more proper light to Delaware as well as 76ers fans,” Chris Heck, the Sixers’ president of business operations, told Rob Tornoe of The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Community Shootaround: Markelle Fultz’s Return

March 27th, 2018 at 12:34pm CST by Luke Adams

After months of uncertainty about his status, Markelle Fultz returned to action for the Sixers on Monday night, with head coach Brett Brown making the surprise announcement just a couple hours before opening tip. Fultz’s night got off to a shaky start when he committed a quick turnover and air-balled his first jump shot, but he finished with 10 points and eight assists in just 14 minutes, contributing a few clips to the game’s highlight reel.

It was a long road back for Fultz, who appeared in just four games at the start of the regular season before being shut down due to shoulder issues — and to rebuild his jumper. For a time, it looked like the Sixers may just keep Fultz on the shelf for the rest of the season, playing it safe as they’d done in past seasons with key players like Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid.

However, after last year’s No. 1 overall pick visited the University of Washington during last month’s All-Star break, he returned to Philadelphia focused on getting back on the court this season, according to Michael Lee of Yahoo Sports. When he told Brown before Monday’s game that he was ready to go, the 76ers head coach was thrilled to get him back in the lineup and was a little emotional when he made the announcement, as Derek Bodner of The Athletic details.

Fultz’s return is exactly what was needed not just for Fultz himself but for team president Bryan Colangelo, writes Sean Deveney of The Sporting News. As Deveney outlines, a segment of Sixers fans attribute the team’s current success solely to former GM Sam Hinkie, rather than assigning any credit to Colangelo. Considering last summer’s trade for Fultz was the biggest risk Colangelo has taken during his tenure in Philadelphia, he had a lot hinging on the point guard’s recovery. Monday night’s performance in Denver looked like a solid first step toward that move paying off.

Still, with the Sixers set to open the postseason in less than three weeks, it remains to be seen whether they can count on Fultz to play a major role during those playoff games. Philadelphia’s roster is somewhat short on playmakers, so in the view of David Murphy of Philly.com, Fultz is someone who can help. But the extent of the rookie’s role down the stretch remains a question mark.

What do you think? Is it a risk to count on Fultz in the postseason? Will he hold his own as Simmons’ backup at the point? Will he be ready to take on an even larger role by the time the playoffs begin? How has his unusual rookie season affected your view of his long-term potential?

Jump into the comment section below to share your thoughts!

Markelle Fultz To Be Active For Monday’s Game

March 26th, 2018 at 4:44pm CST by marksuleymanov

Sixers point guard and 2017 first overall pick Markelle Fultz will be available off the bench tonight, head coach Brett Brown told reporters, including Gina Mizell of the Denver Post (Twitter link).

Fultz, 19, is available to play for the first time since October 23, missing 68 games in that span.

“He’s put in a lot of work,” Brown said, per Derek Bodner of The Athletic (Twitter link). “I’m thrilled to be able to offer him the opportunity to come join his teammates at this exciting time of the year.”

Fultz will not have a specific minutes restriction, but the team will monitor his play and the situation of the game, tweets ESPN’s Chris Haynes.

Fultz’s first NBA season has been hampered by injury and shrouded in mystery. Just four games into the year, the No. 1 pick was sidelined with a scapular muscle imbalance in his right shoulder. The ailment forced Fultz to alter his shooting motion, which was causing him discomfort.

In those four games, Fultz posted averages of 6.0 PPG, 2.3 RPG, and 1.8 APG.

At the time of injury, Fultz was shooting just 33% from the field and did not attempt a single three-pointer. That was out of character for the young guard, whose field goal percentage (47.6%) and three-point shooting (41.3%) was solid as a freshman at Washington.

The Sixers issued a statement in early December that Fultz’s shoulder injury had healed and he was not in pain. However, confusion about his status lingered as he did not play and multiple videos of him shooting showed a hitch in his release.

Fultz will back up Rookie of the Year candidate Ben Simmons at point guard.

76ers Release James Young

March 26th, 2018 at 4:31pm CST by marksuleymanov

The 76ers have released two-way guard James Young, tweets Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports.

Young appeared in six games with Philadelphia, averaging 2.8 PPG in 10.2 minutes per contest. As part of his two-way deal, Young suited up for 39 G League games, averaging 20.7 PPG, 5.6 RPG, and 2.0 APG in 33.4 minutes per game.

The 22-year-old is a former first-round pick (17th overall) of the Celtics from 2014.

Injuries forced Young to shuttle between the Celtics and the G League during his first three professional seasons as he logged between 29 and 31 NBA games in each of those seasons.

Markelle Fultz Will Decide If He Can Play This Season

March 24th, 2018 at 9:03pm CST by Arthur Hill

Sixers rookie Markelle Fultz will have the final say in whether he plays again this season, according to Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. The first overall pick in last year’s draft has been limited to four games because of a shoulder injury and difficulties with his jumper. He sat out his 68th straight game tonight, but his shot has looked better in pre-game warmups and there is speculation that he might see some action before the playoffs.

Atlantic Notes: Embiid, Postseason, McCarty, Mudiay

March 22nd, 2018 at 8:15pm CST by marksuleymanov

Joel Embiid‘s extensive injury history forced the Sixers to get creative with his playing schedule, which included not playing in back-to-backs for much of this season. But as the 76ers gear up for the postseason, Embiid wants no part of resting and wants to play in every game, Jessica Camerato of NBC Sports Philadelphia relays.

“We didn’t come this far to rest me,” Embiid said. “I mean, I was always complaining about playing every game and playing back-to-backs. I’m sure the fans were, too. Now that we’re here, I can understand maybe the last game before we get ready for the playoffs, but other than that, I want to play every game because that’s my first time I get the chance to do that.”

Embiid is averaging over 31 minutes per contest as the Sixers occupy the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference. A healthy Embiid is imperative if Philadelphia wants a deep postseason run. Head coach Brett Brown indicated that the team will look to give its young center rest whenever possible, despite his competitive nature.

Check out more Atlantic Division notes:

The Sixers have played well down the stretch and are in a prime spot entering the postseason. In Brett Brown‘s own words, the Sixers hope to maintain this pace for the 11 games the team has left after Thursday, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer writes. “We respect the journey,” Brown said, “and we don’t intend on letting what we built so far go easily. We are of where we’re at. We want to hold on to where we’re at. And we want to play good basketball.”
Celtics assistant coach Walter McCarty will assume the role as head coach of the NCAA’s Evansville Purple Aces, sources tell Jon Rothstein of FanRag Sports. McCarty spent most of his NBA career as a player with the Celtics but he is an Evansville, Indiana native. Adam Himmelsbach‏ of the Boston Globe tweets that the Celtics will not look to immediately replace McCarty.
Emmanuel Mudiay has been the Knicks‘ starting point guard since the All-Star break but he has struggled with all facets of the game. A visibly frustrated Jeff Hornacek said the team needs to see what Mudiay is capable of over a prolonged stretch, Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News writes. “We’re not just going to have (13 games with Mudiay starting) and make a judgment call on a guy,” Hornacek said. “We’ve seen the other guys. The other guys are coming off the bench. Trey continues to prove that he’s a guy that can really give us something. We’re trying to see and see if he can get used to our guys and we just go that way.”

And-Ones: Playoff Format, Billups, Future Power Rankings

March 21st, 2018 at 3:59pm CST by Luke Adams

Don’t expect LeBron James to be among those lobbying on behalf of a potential play-in tournament for a postseason berth. The NBA has reportedly kicked the idea around in a couple different variations, but James said today that he’s not a fan of the concept, as Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com details.

“No, no, no,” James said. “That’s wack. That’s wack. Why? You got to earn your spot to be in the postseason. No consolation for finishing last. That’s corny. That’s corny. That’s wack. To play for what? What are they playing for?”

While there’s a belief in some league circles that a play-in tournament at the end of the regular season to determine the seventh and eighth seeds in each conference would generate some drama, James is a firm believer that the eight teams with the best records in each conference deserve to make the playoffs.

“[Make the playoffs by winning the tournament], even if my record is better than yours? Nah, that’s wack,” James said.

Here are more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

Appearing on ESPN’s The Jump on Tuesday, Chauncey Billups called a report about the Pistons expressing interest in him for a front office role “100% false,” per Rod Beard of The Detroit News. “I haven’t spoken to anybody with the organization about the possibility,” Billups said. Still, this isn’t the first time Billups has been linked to a front office job — if the former NBA guard does land somewhere as an executive, former Pistons assistant GM George David would be a candidate to potentially join him, tweets Vince Ellis of The Detroit Free Press.
Nine NBA teams have been officially eliminated from the postseason. While the 2017/18 season has been a fairly forgettable one for those clubs, Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer highlights some silver linings worth mentioning.
Over at ESPN.com (Insider link), Kevin Pelton and Bobby Marks have updated their future NBA power rankings, which consider each team’s outlook through the 2020/21 season. Unsurprisingly, the Warriors, Celtics, and Rockets still top their list, with the Sixers and Raptors jumping into the top five.

Fultz Should Play If Able?

March 20th, 2018 at 9:44pm CST by clarkcrum

In an opinion piece for The Philadelphia Inquirer, David Murphy writes that the Sixers should play Markelle Fultz this season if and when he is healthy enough to return, even though there is an argument to be made for shutting Fultz down for the remainder of the 2017/18 campaign.

Murphy opines that the Sixers often struggle to find an offensive dimension that allows opportunities for guys to create their own shots, the need for which increases during playoff time as defenses more readily prepare for the opposition. As veteran Ersan Ilyasova put it, “In the playoffs, when you play a seven-game series, you have to execute and kind of always bring something unique, because everybody’s studied each other.”

The Sixers had scored just 251 points on isolation plays this season, the fewest in the NBA, and they also rate poorly in pick-and-roll efficiency, scoring on drives, and getting fouled on drives.

Enter Fultz, who could be the type of player to possibly add this needed dimension to the Sixers’ rotation. “He can make us better,” head coach Brett Brown said. “… Just what he does in open court, what he does with a live ball. I think he can be different from any player that we already have. What I see in practice sometimes, you understand completely why he was the first player chosen in the NBA draft.”

Fultz Improving, But Not Guaranteed To Play This Season

March 18th, 2018 at 12:59pm CST by Arthur Hill

Markelle Fultz has made progress in fixing his shot, but the Sixers are uncertain if he will play again this season, according to Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Fultz is looking better in pre-game shootarounds and his release point is almost back to where it was in college and summer league. However, conditioning is a concern for a player who hasn’t appeared in a game since October.

Simmons Prefers To Remain Point Guard

March 16th, 2018 at 7:49pm CST by marksuleymanov

Markelle Fultz missed his 64th game of the season on Friday, which means time is running out on the possibility of his return this season. The Sixers‘ first-round pick (first overall) has missed most of the season with a shoulder injury that seems to have inhibited his shooting ability.

Sixers head coach Brett Brown gave his most definitive answer about Fultz’s status for the remainder of the year, saying he is unsure if the young guard will be able to return, Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer writes.

While Fultz is out with a shoulder injury, the specific reason for his absence is to relearn how to shoot. Either way, the Sixers likely will not get a significant contribution out of Fultz until next season at the earliest.

The Sixers have Ben Simmons listed as both a point guard and power forward and head coach Brett Brown can see a path for the Australian to play at the four exclusively. While Simmons does not mind playing the power forward, he prefers being a point guard, Pompey writes in a separate story. “Nah,” Simmons said. “I don’t want to play the four. I mean I’ll play the four, but I don’t want to be predominantly in the four position. I feel like I can do a lot more from the point-guard position as you’ve seen.”

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