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Shawn Long

Atlantic Notes: Long, VanVleet, Marks, Porzingis

March 25th, 2017 at 2:50pm CST by Milo Taibi

Shawn Long has seized his opportunity with the Sixers; most recently scoring 18 points with seven rebounds in Friday’s win over the Bulls. Coach Brett Brown spoke with Jessica Camerato of CSN Philly about Long’s emergence in the absence of Joel Embiid and Nerlens Noel.

“I think that Shawn Long has really grabbed his brief opportunities and been more than serviceable,” Brown said. “He’s shown reasons why he should be considered a genuine NBA player. Opportunity uncovers different qualities in people.”

While Long’s contract is partially guaranteed over the next two seasons, the 24-year-old has asserted his role in the league over the last nine games.

More from around the Atlantic…

  • Fred VanVleet‘s season with the Raptors has affirmed his self-belief. VanVleet, who was disappointed to go undrafted following a successful career at Wichita State, worked his way from Toronto’s summer league squad to their regular season roster. “As a young player, any experience you get is beneficial – even if it’s learning from mistakes,” VanVleet told Alex Kennedy of HoopsHype. “It does give you some personal satisfaction, proving [you belong in the league] when you’ve known you’re good enough for your whole life and you know all the work that you put in and everybody counted you out. It’s good to know that I wasn’t crazy for believing in myself. It’s nice confirmation.”
  • While Milos Teodosic appears unlikely to sign with the Nets– the Serbian standout cited “competitive ambitions” among his NBA requirements- Brooklyn GM Sean Marks continues to search for Euroleague point guards. NetsDaily detailed Marks’ activities during the GM’s recent trip to Barcelona (article link).
  • Kristaps Porzingis‘ transition to the Knicks‘ primary scoring option has been an “ugly work in progress,” Marc Berman of the New York Post writes. As coach Jeff Hornacek has reduced Carmelo Anthony and Derrick Rose‘s minutes, Porzingis has faced significant expectations in running the offense. “Porzingis is a helluva player, but he’s young,’’ Clippers coach Doc Rivers said after Monday’s match-up with New York. “You just don’t walk into the league and change. He’s going to be a superstar. There’s not any doubt. But there’s not a lot of patience from what I remember when I played in New York. We’re going to have to allow him to be great.’’
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Sixers Sign Shawn Long To Multiyear Contract

March 16th, 2017 at 10:38am CST by Luke Adams

10:38am: The Sixers have officially re-signed Long, the team confirmed today in a press release. The announcement didn’t reveal the terms of the contract, but it’s believed to be a three-year deal, as noted below.

9:28am: As expected, the Sixers will re-sign Shawn Long after his first 10-day contract with the team expired overnight. In fact, Long won’t merely receive a second 10-day deal from the club. According to Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter links), the 76ers are expected to sign the young power forward to a contract that runs for an additional two years after this season.

Over-the-cap teams are generally limited to tacking on one extra year to rest-of-season deals at this time of the season, since the minimum salary exception doesn’t allow deals of more than two years. However, the Sixers can take advantage of having leftover cap room by signing Long to a longer-term pact. According to Pompey, Long’s new deal is expected to include a partial guarantee for 2017/18.

After spending training camp with the Sixers in the fall, Long was waived and landed with Philadelphia’s D-League affiliate, the Delaware 87ers. The Louisiana-Lafayette alum was one of the D-League’s most productive players in Delaware, averaging 20.3 PPG and 11.2 RPG with a .538 FG% and earning another look from the Sixers. In four games with the NBA club so far, Long has averaged 4.8 PPG and 3.3 RPG in just 7.8 minutes per contest.

With Long back in the mix, the Sixers will once again have a full 15-man roster. The team could be eligible for a roster exemption to add a 16th man, since four players on the roster have long-term injuries. However, recent reports have suggested Tiago Splitter is getting closer to returning to the court, so Philadelphia may be content to stand pat with 15 players.

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Sixers Notes: Long, Brown, TLC, Anderson, Embiid

March 14th, 2017 at 3:35pm CST by Milo Taibi

Shawn Long is likely to stick with the Sixers after his 10-day contract expires, Jessica Camerato of CSN reports. Long, whose contract expires Wednesday, has earned the respect of coach Brett Brown.

“I think we’re going through that,” Brown said of making a decision on Long’s contract. “It wouldn’t surprise me. I have no desire, personally, to look elsewhere. He’s a part of what we’ve been doing.”

“We feel like he’s ours. His ability to step out and make a three, his ability to have a finesse move at a post, he does have length, he does play hard, he is fluid in his movements. All those things give you hope that maybe there is a place for him. He’s young, he’s a good young man, he works. There’s really nothing but positives that come to my mind when you mention his name.”

As Camerato mentions, the health of Tiago Splitter may influence the team’s decision to tender Long another contract. As Keith Pompey of Philly.com recently reported, the team was considering working Splitter out with the Delaware 87ers.

More from the City of Brotherly Love…

  • While injuries have decimated the Sixers’ lineup, Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot has impressed in his rookie season, Bob Cooney of Philly.com writes. “Luwawu-Cabarrot isn’t all the way there yet, but he has turned his game into something that could be very complementary next season,” Cooney writes. “He uses his athleticism very well on both ends of the court, and for a team that is always going to be in need of perimeter defense, that is a huge asset. His floor vision has improved to the point where he is a legitimate triple threat when the ball is in his hands. He hasn’t even really had the chance to play with Embiid yet, which could be so helpful in opening lanes and giving more time for jumpers.”
  • Deadline acquisition Justin Anderson held a Q&A with Ed Barkowitz of Philly.com. Anderson claimed to have “gotten over” the shock of being traded, and now embraces a “great opportunity” in Philadelphia. “Here, they have high expectations for me. I’m willing to grind and work. It’s a young team that’s going to play hard and fast.”
  • Anderson also relayed a funny tidbit about Joel Embiid, who he tried to recruit for the University of Virginia: “I tried to recruit him to come to Virginia. I was his host when he came on his official visit. Downstairs (from the dorm), there was big glass windows and he didn’t see the glass and he just walked right into it. It was hilarious. But the cool thing came when I asked him what he wanted to do. Do you want to go out? Do you want to get food? Movies? He said, “I’m just trying to go to the gym.” So it was like 12 o’clock at night and we went back to the gym to get some work in. It was impressive.”
  • Coach Brown has proven himself as the leader of this team, Keith Pompey of Philly.com writes. While there are still questions about Brown’s long-term future within the organization, some coaches around the league are “amazed” he’s managed a 23-42 record. “I think he should be coach of the year,” Bucks coach Jason Kidd said. “You talk about all the players that are out with injuries, but every day, he is upbeat, he’s teaching, he’s coaching, and he’s trying to put his team in a position to win. I am a big fan of coach Brown.”
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Sixers Notes: Okafor, Splitter, Brown, Silver

March 9th, 2017 at 10:49pm CST by Milo Taibi

Despite a lingering knee injury, Jahlil Okafor hasn’t considered shutting down his season, Jessica Camerato of CSN reports (Twitter link). Okafor’s been experiencing soreness ever since a March 2016 surgery, but the former No. 3 overall pick will be relied upon in Nerlens Noel‘s and Joel Embiid‘s absence.

“We just rest and do treatment whenever we think is necessary, and just go from there.” Okafor told Keith Pompey of Philly.com.

More from Philadelphia…

  • Tiago Splitter could spend part of his rehabilitation process with the Delaware 87ers, as Keith Pompey relayed in the article linked above. Splitter, who has been sidelined with a calf injury all season, was acquired in exchange for Ersan Ilyasova at the trade deadline. “We are discussing his return to play. Some of it could look like involvement with D-League stuff, practicing, maybe playing,” coach Brett Brown said. “It’s a vehicle to return to play. He hasn’t played basketball for a year. I think the path to return to play can take different looks. That’s one of them that I just suggested.”
  • Commissioner Adam Silver told Brian Seltzer of NBA.com that he is excited about the Sixers’ progress this season. “It’s fun coming to games here. Just as I was walking through the tunnel pre-game, I ran into Allen Iverson and Julius Erving. [It’s] nice to see that they’re back, they’re believers, and I am, too,” Silver said. “This is a great sports town. Understandably, the fans are very demanding here. They expect to see a great product on the floor. I know the ownership is committed to that. It takes time to build a great franchise.”
  • The Sixers have shifted their focus toward acquiring a top lottery draft pick, Keith Pompey of Philly.com writes. After shipping out Ilyasova and Noel at the deadline, they’ve recently given playing opportunities to Justin Harper and Shawn Long. “The realities of our roster are very clear to everybody. There’s no mystery to what our roster is right now,” coach Brown said. “It’s going to take some extra effort and extra luck in finding ways to compete.”
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Sixers Notes: Simmons, Embiid, Long, Okafor

March 6th, 2017 at 7:27pm CST by Milo Taibi

Even if the Sixers use their top pick on an elite guard, Ben Simmons will still be given an opportunity to show what he can do at point guard, Keith Pompey of Philly.com writes. After suffering a Jones fracture in his right foot, Simmons was ruled out for the duration of 2016/17. According to coach Brett Brown, the team will “immediately” give Simmons minutes at the point next season.

“I feel that the team has to try that immediately,” Brown said. “In my eyes, we are going to try that. I feel that it’s something that I doubt you say, ‘That didn’t work,’ and you just move on quickly. There has to be a body of work that you judge him on.”

More from Philly…

  • For all of the impact Joel Embiid has had in his rookie season, the Sixers need to figure out if he can stay healthy for a full season, Flan Blinebury of NBA.com writes. As Blinebury details, Embiid has suffered a stress fracture in his back, a broken bone in his right foot, as well as a bone bruise and meniscus tear in his left knee within the last four years. Embiid was a force to be reckoned with in 2016/17, averaging 20.2 points with 2.5 blocks over 31 games. In summary, Blinebury offers the Sixers an ultimatum: “Before the end of next season, it will be time to decide if Embiid is a foundation to build upon or or just brilliantly brittle.”
  • Shawn Long, who has recently signed a 10-day contract with the Sixers, initially thought he was being brought in for a workout. According to Jessica Camerato of CSN Philly, Long was surprised to find out he’d been called up from the Delaware 87ers. “It still hasn’t settled in yet,” Long said. “Right now [I am] a five, a stretch five. I’m still working on my shot, trying to be more consistent on the pro level. Rebounding the ball hard, that’s something I really want to focus in on … playing hard and bringing that toughness to the game.”
  • Long, who has yet to make his NBA debut, averaged 20.2 points with 11.2 rebounds over 39 games in Delaware. Long’s presence is much-needed in Philly’s frontcourt, as Jahlil Okafor continues to battle right knee soreness. “I think I’ve adjusted to the physicality of the pro game. That’s something that was tough for me at first,” Long added. “It’s a big opportunity for me and I’m looking to capitalize on it.”
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Sixers Sign Shawn Long To 10-Day Contract

March 6th, 2017 at 10:10am CST by Luke Adams

10:10am: The Sixers have formally announced their deal with Long, issuing a press release to confirm the signing.

9:15am: The Sixers will bring back a player who was with them in training camp, according to Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer, who reports (via Twitter) that Shawn Long is signing a 10-day contract with the club.

Long, 24, signed with the 76ers last summer as an undrafted free agent out of Louisiana-Lafayette. However, despite receiving a $65K guarantee from the team, Long failed to earn a spot on Philadelphia’s regular-season roster. He was cut before the regular season began and joined the Sixers’ D-League team, the Delaware 87ers, as an affiliate player.

In 37 games for Delaware this season, Long has been one of the D-League’s most productive players, averaging 20.3 PPG and 11.2 RPG with a .538 FG%. The performance has earned him another shot with the Sixers, who don’t currently have a ton of depth at the four. The club also recently signed Justin Harper to a 10-day deal to help fortify the power forward position.

Although the Sixers don’t currently have a spot open on their 15-man roster, they won’t have to release a player in order to officially sign Long. As Pompey explains, the club will be granted an injury exception to add a 16th player to the roster.

Teams can be granted injury exemptions when they have been missing at least four players for at least three games. In the Sixers’ case, Jerryd Bayless, Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons, and Tiago Splitter are all sidelined, and none of those four players are expected back anytime soon, allowing the club to carry an extra player.

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NBA D-League Affiliate Players For 2016/17

November 3rd, 2016 at 12:35pm CST by Luke Adams

Throughout the offseason, and in the weeks leading up to the start of the regular season, NBA teams are permitted to carry 20 players, but that total must be cut down to 15 in advance of opening night. However, up to four players waived by teams before the season can be designated as affiliate players and assigned to their D-League squads.

The players have some say in the decision — if they’d prefer to sign with a team overseas, or if they get an opportunity with another NBA club, they’re free to turn down their team’s request to have them play in the D-League. Most NBA and international teams have fairly set rosters by late October though, so having the opportunity to continue playing in the same system is appealing to many of those preseason cuts. Especially since they’ll maintain NBA free agency while they play in the D-League.

There are a few other rules related to D-League affiliate players. A player whose returning rights are held by a D-League team can’t be an affiliate player for another club, which is why undrafted free agents from the current year are commonly signed and assigned. Additionally, an affiliate player must have signed with his team during the current league year, which explains why we often see players signed and quickly waived in the days leading up to the regular season. And, of course, not every NBA team has a D-League affiliate, so clubs like the Hawks, Nuggets, or Clippers have no place to send affiliate players.

With all that in mind, here are the NBA D-League affiliate players to start the 2016/17 season:

Austin Spurs (San Antonio Spurs)

Canton Charge (Cleveland Cavaliers)

Delaware 87ers (Philadelphia 76ers)

Read more

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Sixers Waive Paul, Webb, Barber, Long, Christmas

October 24th, 2016 at 3:32pm CST by Luke Adams

3:32pm: The 76ers have confirmed the five cuts listed below, announcing in a press release that they’ve waived Paul, Webb, Barber, Long, and Christmas.

2:35pm: The Sixers entered the day with 19 players, and will waive at least four of those players to get down to the regular-season limit. According to Jake Fischer of Liberty Ballers (Twitter link), Brandon Paul will be one of those cuts. Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports (via Twitter) that James Webb III, Cat Barber, and Shawn Long will also be released by the club.

[RELATED: Elton Brand announces retirement]

In addition to the 19 players they had coming into the day, the Sixers also signed Dionte Christmas to a contract. While it hasn’t been officially reported or confirmed yet, Christmas will likely be Philadelphia’s fifth cut.

Webb, Barber, and Long are all candidates to join the Delaware 87ers, Philadelphia’s D-League affiliate, since the 76ers hold their rights. However, Paul has received interest from other NBA teams and there has been no talk of him heading to Delaware, a source tells Jessica Camerato of CSNPhilly.com (Twitter link). Christmas doesn’t exactly fit the bill of a developmental prospect, but it looks like the Sixers may have picked up the 30-year-old today to send him to the D-League — a team can assign up to four preseason cuts to its D-League affiliate, assuming the player agrees.

Paul, Long, Webb, and Barber had partial guarantees worth $155K, $65K, $65K, and $50K respectively. Those figures will continue to count against Philadelphia’s cap. Assuming the Sixers don’t make any more cuts, they’ll head into the season with Robert Covington, Jerami Grant, T.J. McConnell, and Hollis Thompson on non-guaranteed or partially guaranteed salaries.

Additionally, as Fischer notes, Nik Stauskas has made Philadelphia’s roster to start the year. The former eighth overall pick has a fully guaranteed salary worth nearly $3MM, but there was some uncertainty about whether the Sixers would have room for him. For now, at least, it seems they do.

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Sixers To Sign Shawn Long, James Webb III

July 7th, 2016 at 9:08pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Sixers continue to fill out their roster for training camp, inking undrafted free agents Shawn Long and James Webb III, Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders reports (via Twitter). The pacts are identical two-year, minimum salary agreements that include partial guarantees of $65K for 2016/17, Pincus adds.

Long, 23, appeared in 34 games as a senior for Louisiana-Lafayette, averaging 18.9 points, 12.1 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 30.6 minutes per contest. The 6’9″ power forward shot .524/.269/.681 from the field in 2015/16.

Webb, 22, entered the draft as a junior out of Boise State, and despite some mock drafts slotting him as a potential second-rounder, he failed to have his name called on draft night. The forward made 31 appearances this past season and notched averages of 15.8 points, 9.1 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 30.6 minutes per outing. His slash line was .494/.248/.684.

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Sixers, Shawn Long Agree To Deal

June 24th, 2016 at 6:23pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The Sixers have come to an agreement with Shawn Long, according to Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer. The deal is partially guaranteed and will cover two seasons, Pompey adds.

Long impressed the team during a workout last month. “I call him a stretch five, stretch four,” said VP of player personnel Marc Eversley after the May 16th workout. “He has the ability to go out make a shot.The other thing that he does well is that he can take you off the dribble. He utilizes a pump fake well.”

Long is an athletic center, who spent four seasons at Louisiana Lafayette. The big man tested out his jumpshot while in college, taking 2.4 shots from behind the arc per game and making 34.1% of them. He averaged 18.8 points and 12.2 rebounds last season and Jonathan Givony of Draft Express ranked him as the 29th best senior in his class.

Philadelphia was shopping both Nerlens Noel and Jahlil Okafor leading up to Thursday’s draft, but didn’t come away with a deal for either of them. Long will have a better chance at making the regular season roster should the Sixers ship out one of their centers.

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