Category: Philadelphia 76ers Blog

Philadelphia 76ers power forward Nerlens Noel underwent what the team calls “a minor elective arthroscopic procedure to address localized soreness associated with inflamed plica in his left knee.”

The surgery was performed by Orthopaedic Surgeon Dr. Riley J. Williams at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City and attended by Sixers Chief Medical Advisor Dr. Jonathan Glashow of Mt. Sinai Hospital.

Noel began his post-operative care at the Hospital for Special Surgery and will then travel to Birmingham, AL to continue his rehabilitation under the direction of Associate Clinical Director Kevin Wilk at Champion Sports Medicine.

It’s not known yet how long Noel will be out of action.

The Philadelphia 76ers today announced the team has waived Anthony “Cat” Barber, Dionte Christmas, Shawn Long, Brandon Paul and James Webb III.

Barber appeared in two preseason games for the Sixers and posted averages of six points, two rebounds and two assists in six minutes per game. Prior to joining the Sixers, Barber appeared in four games for the New Orleans Pelicans in the Utah Summer League this summer, averaging six points and one assist in 12 minutes per game.

Christmas appeared in 31 games for the Phoenix Suns during the 2013-14 season, where he posted averages of two points and one rebound in seven minutes per game. He also has seven seasons of experience internationally, most recently with Torku Konyaspor Basket of the Turkish Basketball Super League.

Long saw action in all seven of the Sixers preseason games, where he averaged four points and two rebounds in 10 minutes per game. Long played for the Sixers during the Samsung NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, where he averaged nine points, three rebounds and one block in 12 minutes per game.

Paul played in four preseason games for the Sixers, where he averaged seven points and two rebounds on 50% shooting from the field in 10 minutes per game. He also appeared in all six games during this summer’s Samsung NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, where he averaged 11 points, three rebounds and two steals in 20 minutes per game.

Webb, who appeared in six preseason games, posted averages of four points and four rebounds in 15 minutes per game, while shooting 40% from three-point range. Webb also played for the Sixers in the Samsung NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, appearing in four games and averaging five points, two rebounds, one assist and one steal in 13 minutes per game.

The Sixers roster currently stands at 15 players.

The Philadelphia 76ers signed guard Dionte Christmas today.

Christmas appeared in 31 games for the Phoenix Suns during the 2013-14 season, where he posted averages of two points and one rebound in seven minutes per game. He also has seven seasons of experience internationally, most recently with Torku Konyaspor Basket of the Turkish Basketball Super League.

He was originally signed by Philadelphia in September of 2009 after participating in the Orlando Summer League as part of the Sixers’ combined team with the Brooklyn Nets.

Christmas had a stellar career at Temple University, where he averaged 16 points, four rebounds and two assists in four years, while becoming the first player to ever lead the Atlantic 10 Conference in scoring for three consecutive seasons.

Philadelphia 76ers forward Elton Brand previously announced his intention to retire following the team’s final preseason game at Miami on Friday evening. Accordingly, as a matter of procedure, the Sixers have requested waivers on Brand.

Over 17 NBA seasons, Brand appeared in 1,058 career games with 868 starts for Chicago, the Los Angeles Clippers, Philadelphia, Dallas and Atlanta. The 6’ 8” Brand posted career averages of 16 points, nine rebounds, two assists and two blocks per game. His 1,828 blocks rank him 20th all-time in NBA history. He played 34,910 career minutes, which ranks him 67th all-time. Brand was also the recipient of the 2005-06 Joe Dumars Trophy, presented each season to the player who exemplifies the ideals of sportsmanship on the court.

Philadelphia 76ers forward Elton Brand announced today that he has informed the team of his intention to retire at the conclusion of the 2016 preseason.

“Elton Brand symbolizes professionalism and class in every sense,” said Sixers President of Basketball Operations Bryan Colangelo. “A stellar college and 17-year pro career speaks to his high-level basketball ability, and his profound impact on people and his teammates represents what kind of incredible human being he is. On behalf of the entire organization, it has been an honor to have the opportunity to work with Elton and to have him be part of the 76ers’ family and larger Philadelphia community.”

Over 17 NBA seasons, Brand appeared in 1,058 career games with 868 starts for Chicago, the Los Angeles Clippers, Philadelphia, Dallas and Atlanta. The 6’ 8” Brand posted career averages of 16 points, nine rebounds, two assists and two blocks per game. His 1,828 blocks rank him 20th all-time in NBA history. He played 34,910 career minutes, which ranks him 67th all-time. Brand was also the recipient of the 2005-06 Joe Dumars Trophy, presented each season to the player who exemplifies the ideals of sportsmanship on the court.

Brand originally joined the Sixers on July 9, 2008, when he signed a free-agent contract with the team. He spent four seasons in Philadelphia before spending 2012-15 with Dallas and Atlanta. Brand then signed with the Sixers on January 4, 2016 and then again on September 7, 2016. All told as a member of the Sixers, Brand appeared in 263 games (222 starts) and averaged 13 points and seven rebounds in 30.4 minutes per contest.

A two-time NBA All-Star, Brand was the first overall pick in the 1999 NBA Draft by the Chicago Bulls and was named Rookie of the Year.

A native of Peekskill, N.Y., Brand was named a McDonald’s All-American following his senior year of high school and attended Duke University. In his second and final season at Duke, Brand helped the Blue Devils reach the NCAA Championship game while also earning consensus National Player of the Year honors.

An active member in the community throughout his NBA career, Brand established the Elton Brand Foundation in the spring of 2000 and donated $235,000 to open a reading and learning center in his hometown in 2004.

Brand is also a founding member and president of Gibraltar Films, a company engaged in film investment, acquisition, production, and distribution of motion pictures.

The Philadelphia 76ers today made multiple updates to their basketball operations department, including the promotion of Ned Cohen to Vice President of Basketball Operations and Chief of Staff, as well as a re-structured analytics department, which will be led by Vice President of Analytics and Strategy Alex Rucker, and supported by Director of Applied Analytics Dr. Lance Pearson and Sergi Oliva as Director of Basketball Analytics and Innovation.

Additionally, the Sixers promoted Vince Rozman to Senior Director of Basketball Operations. The team also named Scott Epsley as Director of Physiotherapy and Clinical Diagnostics, Juan Jackson as Director of Team Security, Shea Dawson as Manager of Team Services and Kevin Owens as Basketball Operations Coordinator.

“These moves reflect the outstanding performance of many within the 76ers organization and also addresses our desire to enhance and improve our internal processes regarding decision making, athlete performance care and team services. We are very excited about the future of this organization both on and off the basketball floor,” said Colangelo.

Cohen, who joined the Sixers this June, continues to serve as the primary liaison for all interdepartmental planning, coordination and communication. He joined the organization after serving as the Associate Vice President of Basketball Operations with the NBA. Since his arrival at the league office in 2004, he played a critical role in a number of areas, with a specific focus on competitive matters. Additionally, Cohen was a key part of the operations surrounding many of the league’s significant meetings and events, including the NBA All-Star Game, Competition Committee and Board of Governors meetings.

Rucker arrives in Philadelphia after having spent the last seven seasons with the Toronto Raptors as the Senior Analytics Consultant. In that role, he supported key decision makers with analytic tools and insight, identified new basketball data sources and directed the engineering and software team. For the past two seasons, he concurrently served as the Director of Performance Analysis with Basketball Canada, where he performed advanced statistical modeling and an analysis for the men’s national team. Prior to joining the Raptors, Rucker was a Staff Officer in the United States Navy, serving under the Commander of the United States 7th Fleet in an executive leadership role. He holds a law degree from the University of Notre Dame, a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of British Columbia and is currently pursuing a doctorate degree.

Pearson spent last season in the role of coordinator of coaching analytics and special video projects, and has been working within the Sixers’ basketball operations department for the past three seasons. He spent four years at Lindsey Wilson College in Kentucky as an assistant coach and adjunct professor of psychology. Pearson holds three bachelor’s degrees from the University of Kentucky as well as a Ph.D. in cognitive and neutral systems from Boston University.

Oliva begins his third season with the Sixers, after having served the past two as Basketball Operations Analyst prior to this promotion. Before joining the organization, he was a researcher at UPC-Barcelona Tech, where he received his PhD in Computational Complexity, as well as Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Computer Science. He also continues to collaborate with the coaching development programs within the Catalan Basketball Federation.

Epsley joins the Sixers sports performance staff with nearly two decades of physical therapy experience, previously serving dual roles as both the Head Physical Therapist for Georgetown University and as Director for Professional, Collegiate and Elite Sports Therapy and Clinical Education with Medstar Sports Medicine. He has served as a medical consultant for the Washington Wizards, Washington Capitals, Washington Nationals, DC United, Team Penske’s IndyCar drivers and the New York City Ballet. Additionally, Epsley has authored a wide array of research and is a certified musculoskeletal sonographer.

Jackson has over 28 years of law enforcement and security experience, having most recently served as the Director of Team Security for the Atlanta Hawks last season. Prior to that, he spent five seasons as the Team Security representative for the Oklahoma City Thunder, while also serving as the Team Security representative for the Philadelphia Eagles, as well as the Director of Corporate Security and Emergency Management for the Simon Property Group. Additionally, Jackson spent over two decades with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and started his career as a New Jersey State Trooper.

Rozman enters his 12th season with the organization, having spent the past two seasons as the team’s Director of Basketball Operations. In his current role, he will continue to play a key role while also overseeing the day-to-day operations of the scouting department.

Dawson spent the last seven years as the Director of Basketball Operations for the Pangos All-American Camp while also serving as the Head Assistant Women’s Basketball Coach for the Windward School in Los Angeles, CA. Additionally, Dawson has extensive operations experience with a number of high-profile basketball camps and events, including the Samsung NBA Las Vegas Summer League, Adidas Nations and the Las Vegas Fab 48.

Owens enters his second season with the Sixers, where he will assist with the overall day-to-day operations of the department and work closely with the executive and coaching staffs. Prior to this promotion, he served as an Operations Assistant for the 87ers, where he was responsible for a number of areas related to team operations, including the preparation of scouting reports and game film, implementation of data and analytics, and coding practices.

In conjunction with the aforementioned changes, former Vice President of Basketball Operations Sachin Gupta and Vice President of Analytics Ben Falk have moved on to pursue new opportunities.