Philadelphia 76ers Blog – Page 18 – NBA Blog

Jerryd Bayless out with knee sprain

Philadelphia 76ers guard Jerryd Bayless suffered a sprain of the posterolateral corner in his left knee during practice on Sunday, September 30. He is out and will begin treatment immediately.

The clinical evolution of rehabilitation will determine his return to competition, and he will be re-evaluated in approximately three to four weeks.

Starters for this upcoming season in the Sixers backcourt will definitely be Ben Simmons and probably JJ Redick. Bayless is in the mix for backup minutes, but it’s crowded in the guard spot on that bench.

The big question in regard to Sixers guard this season is if Markelle Fultz will emerge.

Joel Embiid practice update

Sixers center Joel Embiid is still under careful health watch by the team. How long this will go on, no one knows. Here’s the Philadephia Inquirer with the latest:

The 76ers plan to give Joel Embiid a day off periodically to rest. The first one came Monday, three days into training camp.

But Embiid did participate in a post-practice one-on-one drill against a staff member, along with Dario Saric.

“We had two great days and tomorrow he’ll come in, and it’s sort of a game day for us,” Sixers coach Brett Brown said in reference to the Blue and White scrimmage at 7 Tuesday night at Penn. “We’ll come in, have a shootaround, then go to the Palestra and play in front of a fantastic crowd. We just felt like, let him have today to rest and we’re going to jump back into it tomorrow.”

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New Sixers GM will be Elton Brand

Elton Brand’s name carries big weight in the playing department, but his experience as an executive is on the limited side. But everybody who gets to know Brand quickly appreciates him, and he has flown up the Philly organizational ranks. The Sixers believe in him, and are reportedly naming him their new general manager. Here’s NBC Sports Philly reporting:

The Sixers have hired Elton Brand as their general manager, sources confirmed to NBC Sports Philadelphia’s John Clark.

Per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, who first reported the news, Brand will be elevated from his previous role as vice president of basketball operations. Brand was also already on board as the Delaware Blue Coats’ general manager. The Sixers conducted an exhaustive search for a new GM after Bryan Colangelo resigned in June following his highly-publicized Twitter scandal. Brett Brown filled the role until the franchise made Brand the choice.

The search included external candidates such as Golden State Warriors assistant general manager Larry Harris, Utah Jazz assistant general manager Justin Zanik and Houston Rockets vice president Gersson Rosas.

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And here’s the Philadelphia Inquirer:

In that partnership that is now Brown and Brand, it’s still unclear who will have the final say. Brown said Tuesday that once a general manager was named, the power structure and organizational chart would also be discussed and revealed.

On Thursday, Brand will be formally introduced as Sixers general manager and at that time both will have to answer the question; Who will have the final say when it comes to decision making? Of course, ownership will always have the final say, but that usually comes in the form of green-lighting a GM’s decision.

The Sixers have created a strong front office that includes Alex Rucker (who was promoted to executive vice president of basketball operations on Tuesday), Ned Cohen, and Marc Eversley.

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Sixers search for new GM continues

The Sixers still need a new general manager. The search has been ongoing for quite some times. Here’s the Philadelphia Inquirer with the latest:

The 76ers are in the midst of a second round of interviews for their vacant general-manager position.

The ownership group had a dinner interview Sunday with Utah Jazz assistant general manager Justin Zanik and had another one with Houston Rockets vice president Gersson Rosas Monday, according to multiple sources. The sources add that the Sixers will have second interviews with their internal candidates later this week, expected Thursday and Friday.

The GM position has been open since Bryan Colangelo resigned in June.

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Monty Williams reportedly ready to resume coaching

Monty Williams had taken a leave from coaching due to a personal tragedy. But he’s ready to return to the job, reports the Philadelphia Inquirer/PhillyNews.com:

Monty Williams has spent nearly his entire life in basketball, as a player or a coach, but tragedy struck a little over two years ago and it wasn’t clear when he would return to the game.

“It’s a great time for me to get back to full-time coaching. It was Brett [Brown], it was the team. I’ve played here before so I kind of know the culture of the city,” Williams said Monday night at Brown’s annual coaching clinic. “Most importantly, my family was ready for me to get back into coaching.”

In February 2016, when Williams was an associate head coach with the Oklahoma City Thunder, less than a year removed from his head coaching position with the New Orleans Pelicans, his wife, Ingrid, died from injuries she suffered in a car accident. She was 44.

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Andrew Bynum seeks NBA comeback

Here’s NBC Sports Philadelphia discussing center Andrew Bynum, who reportedly seeks a return to NBA action. Which sounds to us like a longshot, but it’s fun to ponder, because Bynum was quite a character.

I have no idea what Andrew Bynum has been up to over the past few years. I’d guess he has made a trip or two to the King of Prussia Mall and maybe even hit up his local bowling alley. But now we know the former face of the Sixers’ franchise — for like 30 seconds! — has actually been spending time in a gym lately doing something he never did in a regular-season game for the 76ers.

Bynum has been playing basketball. The former NBA lottery pick and total bust in Philadelphia is attempting to make a comeback at the age of 30, according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania. He last played in the NBA in 2014 for the Indiana Pacers after quickly flaming out with the Cleveland Cavaliers earlier that season.

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Sixers sign Anthony Brown

The Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday signed guard-forward Anthony Brown.

Brown spent last season on a two-way contract with the Minnesota Timberwolves, appearing in one NBA contest. In 45 games (43 starts) with Minnesota’s G League affiliate, the Iowa Wolves, Brown posted averages of 18.9 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.7 assists in 37.7 minutes per game. He shot .459 from the field, .404 from three-point range (5.4 attempts per game) and .794 from the free-throw line.

Originally selected by the Los Angeles Lakers with the No. 34 overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft, Brown has appeared in 41 career NBA games (11 starts) with the Lakers, New Orleans, Orlando and Minnesota. Across 76 contests (69 starts) at the G League level, Brown has compiled averages of 18.9 points, 4.9 rebounds and 3.3 assists in 37.3 minutes per game with Los Angeles, Erie and Iowa. Erie chose the California native with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2016 NBA G League Draft.

Brown starred at Stanford, where he played his college basketball, from 2010-15. As a fifth-year senior in 2014-15, he posted career highs across the board, with 14.8 points, 6.9 rebounds and 2.5 assists per contest. The season prior, he helped lead the Cardinal, a No. 10 seed, to a Sweet 16 appearance in the 2014 NCAA Tournament.

Sixers announce promotions in their basketball operations department

The Philadelphia 76ers today promoted several key members of its basketball operations department.

Elton Brand will continue to serve as General Manager of the Delaware Blue Coats of the NBA G League and has added the title of Vice President of Basketball Operations for the 76ers. In addition to his work in Delaware, the former No. 1 overall pick will contribute extensively to all areas of the 76ers’ basketball operations department.

Ned Cohen, who joined the team in 2016 after a successful 12-year run in the NBA league office, has been promoted to Assistant General Manager. In his expanded role, Cohen will oversee all facets of roster and salary cap management, among other leadership duties. He previously served as 76ers Vice President of Basketball Operations and Chief of Staff.

Marc Eversley, promoted to Senior Vice President of Player Personnel, will expand his duties in his third season with the team. In addition to his role overseeing player personnel and talent evaluation, Eversley will leverage his nearly two decades of experience in the industry to amplify the team’s recruiting and strategic decision-making processes. This includes an increased focus on all areas of pro personnel, as well as efforts to attract, acquire and retain elite NBA talent.

Alex Rucker has been promoted to Senior Vice President of Analytics and Strategy. Rucker, who also joined the team in 2016, will continue to lead the NBA’s largest analytics and strategy team as it supports, elevates and helps grow the 76ers’ innovative basketball operations efforts. He previously served as 76ers Vice President of Analytics and Strategy.

Additionally, the team has announced that Kevin Young has been promoted and will join fellow Assistant Coaches Monty Williams and Billy Lange on the front of the bench this season. Meanwhile, respected coaching veteran Jim O’Brien will now serve as Senior Advisor to the Head Coach.

“We believe we have one of the NBA’s most talented and innovative front offices and we’re thrilled to announce these promotions as we approach the 2018-19 season,” Harris said. “Thanks to the leadership of executives like Elton, Ned, Marc and Alex, as well as Head Coach Brett Brown, our team is incredibly well-positioned for not only this season, but for seasons to come. We’re focused on continuing to build a team with championship DNA and the talent and drive of our front office reflects that.”

“Our team has made tremendous strides in recent seasons and is now one of the most promising and exciting teams in the NBA,” Blitzer said. “A lot of the progress and growth we’ve experienced can be attributed to the work our front office and coaching staff have done to strengthen and solidify a culture and infrastructure of winning. We’re pleased to announce these promotions for a group of smart, strategic and motivated leaders.”

Zhaire Smith undergoes foot surgery

Almost every prized Sixers rookie in recent years has suffered a foot, knee or leg injury prior to the start of their NBA career. Zhaire Smith is honoring the tradition.

Smith yesterday evening underwent surgery to repair an acute Jones fracture of the fifth metatarsal in his left foot. He suffered the injury during Tim Grgurich’s development camp in Las Vegas on Monday, Aug. 6.

The surgery was performed by Dr. Martin O’Malley, Associate Attending Orthopedic Surgeon at Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City.

Additional information regarding Smith’s recovery and return-to-play timetable will be provided as available and when appropriate.

Sixers sign center Norvel Pelle

The Philadelphia 76ers have signed center Norvel Pelle.

The deal may just be a non-guaranteed contract that merely brings Pelle to training camp.

Pelle, a 6-foot-11 center, played for the 76ers in 2018 Summer League in Las Vegas, where he averaged 7.4 points, 4.2 rebounds and a team-leading 1.2 blocks in 13.8 minutes per outing, in five games.

In 2017-18, Pelle played for Auxilium Pallacanestro Torino and Pallacanestro Varese of Italy’s Lega Basket Serie A (LBA). Over the course of 29 games (11 starts), he averaged 6.1 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.0 blocks in 14.6 minutes per game combined between the two teams.

Pelle also spent the 2016-17 campaign with Varese after beginning his international player career with Homenetmen Beirut B.C. of the Lebanese Basketball League Division A in 2015-16.

He has also played in Taiwan.

A native of Antigua and Barbuda, Pelle began his professional career with the 76ers G League affiliate, the Delaware Blue Coats, which chose him with the No. 6 overall pick in the 2013 NBA Development League draft. In two seasons (2013-15) with Delaware he saw action in 39 games (six starts), posting averages of 5.5 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1.5 blocks in 12.8 minutes per contest.