Philadelphia 76ers Blog – Page 30 – NBA Blog

Sixers coach says Joel Embiid should be defensive centerpiece

We’ve all been waiting to see Sixers center Joel Embiid finally make his NBA debut for what feels like an eternity now. But you can now hold your breath. Then, go ahead and breathe. Hold it again. Breathe again. Do this a lot. Even if you aren’t waiting for Embiid.

Back to the topic at hand: Embiid will finally make his 76ers debut, and his most important contributions should be on the defensive end, according to the team’s head coach. Here’s CSN Philly reporting:

Sixers coach says Joel Embiid should be defensive centerpiece

Joel Embiid has yet to make his NBA debut, but after two years of watching him rehab from foot injuries and develop on the court, Brett Brown has a clear picture of the big man’s role on the Sixers.

“He needs to be the crown jewel, the centerpiece to our defense,” Brown said Thursday at his annual preseason luncheon with the media.

Over the course of his rehab, Embiid has been wowing with videos knocking down three-point shots. Brown, though, envisions him making an impact on the other end. He believes Embiid’s 7-foot-2, 276-pound presence is best utilized at the basket. Last season, the Sixers ranked last in the league in rebounds (41.2), opponents’ rebounds (47.6) and rebound differential (minus-6.4) per game.

“I think he’s a rim protector,” Brown said.

Sixers sign Elton Brand

The 76ers have brought back veteran power forward Elton Brand.

Brand averaged 7.2 points per game for the Mavericks in 2012-13, 5.7 ppg for the Hawks in 2013-14, 2.7 ppg still with the Hawks in 2014-15, and 4.1 ppg last season in 17 games for the Sixers.

He’s being brought back mostly to mentor all the talented young big-men on the Sixers roster, though he was signed as a player. Perhaps a coaching job is in his future.

Over 17 NBA seasons, Brand has appeared in 1,058 career games with 868 starts, posting averages of 16 points, nine rebounds, two assists and two blocks per game. He has 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 signed with the Sixers on January 4, 2016 after originally spending four seasons in Philadelphia from 2008-2012, when he posted averages of 13 points and seven rebounds per game. Brand averaged 16 points and eight rebounds for the Sixers in the 2011 NBA Playoffs and averaged 11 points across 18 total playoff games during his first stint in Philadelphia.

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.

Inducting Allen Iverson into Hall of Fame will be team effort

Allen Iverson will soon be a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame, and just like it took a team effort to contain him on the court, several people will share the responsibility discussing his accomplishments right before he officially joins the Hall. Here’s CSN Philly reporting:

Former Sixers coach Larry Brown, former Georgetown coach John Thompson and Sixers legend Julius Erving will all present A.I. before he’s inducted this Friday night in Springfield, Massachusetts.

Brown (class of 2002) took over the Sixers in 1997, Iverson’s second year in the NBA, and stayed with the team until 2003. During that time, Brown was widely known as one of the few people who could get through to Iverson, a well-known explosive personality during those years. The two teamed up to lead the Sixers to their most successful stretch in recent memory. That stretch included a trip to the 2001 NBA Finals and the 2001 league MVP for Iverson. Brown is known as a mentor to Iverson and the two are still close to this day.

Sixers waive Carl Landry and Tibor Pleiss, sign Anthony Barber

The 76ers on Wednesday waived forward Carl Landry and center Tibor Pleiss, and signed guard Anthony ‘Cat’ Barber.

Barber played three seasons at North Carolina State University prior to declaring for the 2016 NBA Draft. This past season, he was named First Team All-ACC and led the conference with averages of 24 points and 39 minutes played per game. Over the course of his three seasons with the Wolfpack, the 2013 McDonald’s All-American appeared in 104 games and posted averages of 15 points, four assists and three rebounds in 31 minutes per game.

This past season, Landry appeared in 36 games (12 starts) and averaged 10 points and four rebounds in 16 minutes per game. A veteran of nine NBA seasons, Landry has played for five NBA teams since being selected by the Seattle SuperSonics with the 31st overall pick in the 2007 NBA Draft. In 513 games (93 starts), Landry holds career averages of 11 points and five rebounds in 23 minutes per game.

Pleiss, acquired from Utah on August 26, was originally selected with the 31st overall pick in the 2010 NBA Draft by the Brooklyn Nets and acquired by the Jazz as part of a three-team trade in February, 2015. In 12 career games with Utah, he posted averages of two points and one rebound in seven minutes per game.

Sixers trade Kendall Marshall to Jazz for Tibor Pleiss

The 76ers have acquired center Tibor Pleiss (“TEE-bore Plice”), two 2017 second-round draft picks and cash considerations from the Jazz in exchange for Kendall Marshall.

The Sixers will receive the most and least favorable of the four 2017 second-round picks currently held by Utah (their own, in addition to those of Detroit, Golden State and New York).

Pleiss (7’3″, 256lbs) was originally selected with the 31st overall pick in the 2010 NBA Draft by the Brooklyn Nets and acquired by the Jazz as part of a three-team trade in February, 2015. He has appeared in 12 career games with Utah, averaging two points and one rebound in seven minutes per game.

Marshall (6-4, 200, North Carolina) is a four-year NBA veteran who has appeared in 160 career games (57 starts) over four seasons with Phoenix, the Los Angeles Lakers, Milwaukee and Philadelphia.

Sixers announce coaching staff

The Philadelphia 76ers announced Thursday that the team has named Jim O’Brien and Kevin Young as Assistant Coaches, John Bryant and Alvin Williams as Player Development Coaches, John Townsend as Shooting Coach, Chris Babcock as Assistant Director of Player Development and Dr. Lance Pearson as Director of Applied Analytics.

In a related move, Eugene Burroughs, who spent the last two seasons as the Sixers’ shooting coach, has been promoted to Head Coach of the Delaware 87ers, the NBA Development League affiliate of the Sixers.

“We are excited to maintain a continuity of culture within the staff by promoting five very talented coaches from within our organization,” said Sixers Head Coach Brett Brown. “This commitment to growth and development is the foundation upon which we were also able to recruit three coaches with decades of expertise who will help move our program forward and fit seamlessly into our system.”

O’Brien, a Philadelphia native, has nearly four decades of coaching experience, most recently as an assistant coach with the Dallas Mavericks during the 2012-13 season. He has held three NBA head coaching positions, including the 2004-05 season with the Sixers, when he led the team to a playoff appearance and a 43-39 record. O’Brien played his college basketball at St. Joseph’s University (1971-74) and attended high school at Roman Catholic.

Young has coached in the NBA Development League since 2007, most recently serving as head coach of the Delaware 87ers for the past two seasons. He previously held head-coaching positions with the Iowa Energy (2011-13) and Utah Flash (2010-11). As a player, Young starred at point guard for Clayton State University (2002-04).

Bryant also spent the past two seasons with the Delaware 87ers as an assistant coach. In three seasons prior to joining the Sevens, he served as assistant coach/head strength & conditioning coach with the Bakersfield Jam. Like O’Brien, he played his collegiate basketball at St. Joseph’s University (2001-05).

Townsend joins the Sixers after spending the past three seasons with the Memphis Grizzlies. He spent his first season as the team’s shooting coach before serving as Memphis’ director of player development for the past two seasons. Townsend has over a decade of additional experience as a shooting coach, including time spent in that role with the Toronto Raptors, Portland Trail Blazers and NBA Development League. Under Townsend’s direction, the 2008-09 Blazers shot 46.5 percent from the field, which ranked eighth in the NBA.

Williams was the Toronto Raptors’ director of player development from 2010-13. He began his coaching career after a 10-year run in the NBA, eight of which were spent with the Toronto Raptors. Born in Philadelphia, Williams played his high school basketball at Germantown Academy before putting together a standout four-year career at Villanova University (1993-97). For his senior season, Williams posted averages of 17 points, five rebounds, four assists and two steals in 34 minutes per game as he led the Wildcats to a 24-10 record, capturing the Big East regular season title and a four-seed in the 1997 NCAA Tournament.
Babcock served as player development assistant this past season with the Sixers. He originally joined the team prior to the start of the 2013-14 season and assumed the role of assistant video coordinator, a position he held for two seasons. He spent the 2012-13 season with the San Antonio Spurs in the same role. Prior to his time with the Spurs, Babcock coached at the University of Texas from 2008-12.

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.

Burroughs will assume the head coach position with the Sevens after spending the past two seasons as the Sixers’ shooting coach. Prior to joining the Sixers, Burroughs was an assistant coach at Marist College. He spent the previous two years as associate head coach at Penn State. A Philadelphia native, he played his collegiate basketball at Richmond University (1991-94), where he was a member of the first-ever 15-seed to defeat a two-seed in the NCAA Tournament, when the Spiders knocked off Syracuse in 1991.

Sixers sign guard Brandon Paul

The 76ers have signed guard Brandon Paul.

Until we hear otherwise, we will assume this deal merely brings Paul to training camp.

Paul appeared in each of the Sixers’ six games at Samsung NBA Summer League 2016 in Las Vegas and averaged 11 points, three rebounds and two steals in 20 minutes per game. He scored 20 points (8-14 FG, 4-6 3FG) and grabbed six rebounds in the Sixers’ 108-71 victory over the D-League Select Team on July 13.

Last season, Paul started 25 of 33 games with FIATC Joventut in the Spanish Liga ACB, where he led the team in scoring with 13 points per game. In 2014-15, Paul appeared in 43 games, making 24 starts, for the Canton Charge of the NBA Development League, where he averaged 15 points, four rebounds and two assists in 26.3 minutes per contest. In his first professional season, 2013-14, Paul saw action in 22 games with Nizhny Novgorod in the Russian VTB United League, while also appearing in two games with the Charge.

Paul played four seasons at the University of Illinois prior to entering the 2013 NBA Draft. He was named Third Team All-Big Ten following his senior season, during which he averaged 17 points per game, leading the Illini to a 23-13 record and an appearance in the 2013 NCAA Tournament.

Sixers waive Sasha Kaun

The Philadelphia 76ers announced today that the team has waived center Sasha Kaun, who was acquired in a trade with Cleveland on July 15.

Last season was Kaun’s first in the NBA. He played 25 games for the Cavs and averaged just 3.8 minutes per outing.

It is unclear if he’ll be stay in the league. He may wind up heading back overseas.

Sixers, Cavs trade Sasha Kaun, Chukwudiebere Maduabum

The Philadelphia 76ers have acquired center Sasha Kaun and cash considerations from the Cleveland Cavaliers in exchange for the rights to Chukwudiebere Maduabum.

Kaun (6-11, 260) appeared in 25 games for Cleveland in the 2015-16 season and averaged one point and one rebound in four minutes per contest. The native of Russia was originally selected by Seattle with the 56th overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft after a four-year collegiate career at the University of Kansas.

Sixers sign Dario Saric

The Philadelphia 76ers have signed forward Dario Saric.

This signing was a long time in the making.

“We are thrilled to finally announce the highly anticipated signing of Dario Saric to an NBA player contract with the Philadelphia 76ers,” said Sixers President of Basketball Operations Bryan Colangelo. “Our basketball team stands to benefit from both the on-court development and physical maturation of Dario as a professional player in Croatia and Turkey over the last few years.”

The Sixers acquired the rights to Saric in a 2014 draft-night trade with Orlando after the Magic selected him with the 12th overall pick. Since being drafted, Saric has spent two seasons with Anadolu Efes of the Turkish Basketball Super League. In 2015-16, he averaged 11 points and six rebounds over 37 games while shooting 48 percent from the floor and helped lead Anadolu Efes to an appearance in the Turkish BSL Finals. Saric improved his three-point field goal percentage to 41 percent in 2015-16 after shooting 34 percent the previous season.

Saric is a two-time recipient of the FIBA Europe Young Men’s Player of the Year Award (2014, 2013). Jonas Valanciunas and Ricky Rubio are the only other players to win the award multiple times.

Recently, the 22 year-old Saric was named MVP of the 2016 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament after averaging 14 points, 10 rebounds and 2 assists for his native Croatia. He tallied 18 points, 13 rebounds, two assists and two steals in an 84-78 overtime win over Italy in the tournament final on July 9.