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The Philadelphia 76ers announced they have waived guards Pierre Jackson, J.P. Tokoto, Scottie Wilbekin and Jordan McRae, and forward Furkan Aldemir.
Additionally, the Sixers signed center Jordan Railey, who has also been waived and will be a Designated Affiliate of the NBA Development League Delaware 87ers.
The team is rebuilding, still. On and on, the rebuild goes. Where it stops, no one knows.
Here’s CSN Philly reporting on the future of the 76ers franchise, the big rookie, the hopes and dreams of Philadelphia, Jahlil Okafor:
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When the Sixers open the season in Boston on Oct. 28, don’t expect Jahlil Okafor to be 100 percent, says coach Brett Brown.
The rookie is going to need some time to get into top NBA playing shape, according to the coach.
“He has been tremendously set back now,” Brown said after Wednesday’s practice at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine.
Okafor has been dealing with a sore knee that kept him out of practice on Tuesday and Wednesday and forced him to sit out of Monday’s game at Madison Square Garden. However, Okafor said he isn’t injured and is simply “doing what I’m told.”
Here’s CSN Philly reporting on a fun preseason game result for the 76ers:
Scottie Wilbekin only stepped on the court for the final two minutes and he only took one shot, but it was a pretty big one.
The rookie point guard, in a battle to make the Sixers’ roster, hit the game-winning three-pointer with 1.3 seconds left to beat the barebones Cleveland Cavaliers, 115-114, on Thursday night at the Wells Fargo Center.
Playing the two-minute warrior while Isaiah Canaan and T.J. McConnell handled the majority of the point guard duty, Wilbekin’s big shot came a game removed from notching a minus-30 in 24 minutes of a 34-point loss in Washington…
Of course it helps when the Cavaliers didn’t have LeBron James, Kyrie Irving, Kevin Love, J.R. Smith or Iman Shumpert in the second game of a back-to-back, but that’s a different story.
Tuesday in NBA preseason the Wizards beat the Sixers 129-95. Sixers forward Nerlens Noel shot 4-of-8 for 13 points, five rebounds and three assists in the loss. Here’s what he said after the game:
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On the game:
Nerlens Noel: “This game, I thought some of the guys still have to get more experience. [We have gone through practices] but games are a whole different thing. You got nerves, and some of these young guys just need to stay awake. I think we’ll be alright next game.”
On playing with Jahlil Okafor:
Noel: “It was so different in a great way. Jahlil brings such a presence. Last year, I was always going up against the five and having to do a lot. I think Jahlil brings a presence that is more at ease and the offense flows. It was really good.”
On his defense:
Noel: “I think I was a little timid to start out but I think I stayed with it. You know, it’s the NBA. Eighty two games, you stick with it, and you start getting back into your groove.”
On how it feels playing a little farther away from the basket:
Noel: “It felt fine. It felt good. I was getting the hang of it. I missed out on [Kris] Humphries and [Drew] Gooden a couple of times but you know I’ll make those adjustments in film tomorrow. I made sure I could come back and block shots like that a couple of times tonight and made sure I closed out on that three.”
On his position:
Noel: “I like where I’m at now, being a four-man and being able to guard guys that aren’t able to shoot the ball and still being able to freelance a little bit and help guys out on blocks.”
Here’s the Philadelphia Inquirer reporting on the 76ers, who face another year of rebuilding, and as for right now in preseason are trying to shake off various injuries:
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Nik Stauskas said he definitely will be back for the start of the regular season – if not sooner.
But the announcement Monday that the 76ers shooting guard will be sidelined two weeks with a right tibia stress reaction is a huge setback for his bonding on the court with teammates. The move has been called “precautionary,” but Stauskas joins an already long list of Sixers who are out with injuries.
Center Joel Embiid (broken right foot) will miss his second straight season. Point guards Tony Wroten (partially torn right anterior cruciate) and Kendall Marshall (torn ACL) are out until at least the end of the month with right knee injuries. Power forward Carl Landry (right wrist) won’t see the floor for at least four weeks. Two more point guards, Pierre Jackson (groin) and T.J. McConnell (left foot sprain) were held out of a scrimmage Monday and will miss the preseason opener Tuesday against the Washington Wizards at the Verizon Center.
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In conjunction with the announcement of the Philadelphia 76ers 2015-16 training camp roster, the team has signed J.P. Tokoto, T.J. McConnell, Jordan McRae and Christian Wood.
In conjunction with these signings, the Sixers have waived forward Gerald Wallace.
Tokoto was selected by the Sixers with the 58th overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft. An ACC All-Defensive team selection, Tokoto played three seasons at North Carolina and during his junior season, he was one of four players in the ACC ranked in the top 10 in both assists and steals. Over his final two seasons with the Tar Heels, Tokoto averaged nine points, six rebounds, four assists and two steals per game.
McConnell posted averages of 10 points, five assists and two steals over his four-year NCAA career. During his senior season at the University of Arizona, McConnell led the Pac-12 in assists per game (6) and total assists (238) and was also named to the NCAA West Regional All-Tournament Team.
McRae was originally acquired by the Sixers during the 2014 NBA Draft after being selected with the 58th overall pick by San Antonio. He played in 27 games for Melbourne United of the Australian National Basketball League in 2014-15, where he averaged 20 points, five rebounds and three assists per game. McRae then joined the Delaware 87ers of the NBA Development League, where he averaged 18 points, four rebounds and four assists in 13 games.
Wood was an early entry candidate for the 2015 NBA Draft after playing two seasons at UNLV. Wood averaged 16 points and 10 rebounds and blocked 90 total shots in his final season with the Runnin’ Rebels.
Here’s the Philadelphia Inquirer on basketball legend Moses Malone, who has passed away. As always, for more, click the link:
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Once you’re resigned to the sorrow of Moses’ passing, the memories come flooding back. Those of us old enough and lucky enough to remember that special 1982-83 season will swear those 76ers were better than any single-season NBA team in history. Better than Wilt’s 68-win Sixers team in ’67. Better than Michael Jordan’s 72-win Chicago Bulls team in ’96. Better than every single one of Bill Russell’s great Boston Celtics teams and all those great Los Angeles Lakers teams, too.
As for the three iconic words, it was actually only one word repeated three times. And it was never uttered in public. Instead, Billy Cunningham told reporters before the start of the 1983 playoffs that Moses had uttered “four, four, four” when the coach asked him about his playoff attitude.
This was Moses’ actual quote: “I ain’t saying we’re going to sweep everybody in four games. I’m just saying, if we have an idea of winning the championship, the best thing to do is win it as fast as we can.
“I like our chances, sure. I think we’re the team to beat. We had the best record, we got a bye in the first round. We’ll be ready. This is something we all want.”
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver released the following statement regarding the passing of Moses Malone:
“We are stunned and deeply saddened by the passing of Hall of Famer Moses Malone, an NBA legend gone far too soon. Known to his legions of fans as the ‘Chairman of the Boards,’ Moses competed with intensity every time he stepped on the court. With three MVPs and an NBA championship, he was among the most dominant centers ever to play the game and one of the best players in the history of the NBA and the ABA. Even more than his prodigious talent, we will miss his friendship, his generosity, his exuberant personality, and the extraordinary work ethic he brought to the game throughout his 21-year pro career. Our thoughts are with Moses’ family and friends during this difficult time.”
Hawks Legend Dominique Wilkins released the following statement regarding the passing of Moses Malone:
“I am extremely saddened to hear of Moses’ passing this morning. This is extremely tough for me. I am completely in shock and words can’t express the pain and loss I am feeling right now. We had a mutual respect when we played against each other and I was fortunate enough to have called him a teammate and close friend. Even before we played together, he was one of the first greats who truly mentored me and showed me how to be a professional. I never saw anyone work harder than Moses and away from basketball, he was just as kind and thoughtful.
The entire Hawks organization sends its condolences to his family and friends.”
The following is a statement on behalf of the Philadelphia 76ers from Chief Executive Officer Scott O’Neil:
“It is with a deep sense of sadness that the Sixers family mourns the sudden loss of Moses Malone. It is difficult to express what his contributions to this organization – both as a friend and player – have meant to us, the city of Philadelphia and his faithful fans. Moses holds a special place in our hearts and will forever be remembered as a genuine icon and pillar of the most storied era in the history of Philadelphia 76ers basketball. No one person has ever conveyed more with so few words – including three of the most iconic in this city’s history. His generosity, towering personality and incomparable sense of humor will truly be missed. We will keep his family in our thoughts and prayers and as we are once again reminded of the preciousness of life.”
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The Philadelphia 76ers today announced they have signed point guard Kendall Marshall.
Marshall was originally the 13th overall pick by Phoenix in the 2012 NBA Draft and appeared in seven games for the Delaware 87ers, the Sixers NBA Development League Affiliate, during the 2013-14 campaign, where he averaged 19 points and 10 assists per game on 46% shooting from three-point range.
Marshall appeared in 54 games for the Los Angeles Lakers during the 2013-14 season, where he made 45 starts and averaged eight points and nine assists (with a 3.2-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio) in 29 minutes per game. He joined the Milwaukee Bucks during the 2014-15 season and posted averages of four points and three assists in 14 minutes per game.
A two-year stand out for the University of North Carolina, Marshall dished out an Atlantic Coast Conference record 351 assists in 2011-12 and went on to win the 2012 Bob Cousy Award, which is bestowed upon the nation’s top point guard in NCAA Division I.
Retired center Dikembe Mutombo averaged 9.8 points, 10.3 rebounds and 2.8 blocks per game over his NBA career. He was a defensive force. Enjoy this video showcasing some of the best blocks of his basketball career: