Allen Iverson Returns Tonight

It’s a big week for Philadelphia basketball with three local teams in the NCAA Tournament, but it might be tonight’s contest at the Wachovia Center that’s the marquee event of this week of March: Allen Iverson returns to Philadelphia.

The Answer hasn’t been back in town since being traded last December; while his Denver Nuggets are 40-27, they are currently 9th in the Western Conference. John Hollinger of ESPN only gives them a 50 percent chance of making the playoffs. The 33-34 Sixers, however, have a 99 percent chance at a playoff spot, since they play the in Eastern Conference — where several teams start descendants of the late Air Bud.

The outlook for the 76ers has undergone a 180 since just before midseason. The Daily News asks who got the better of the deal, the SIxers or the Nuggets; a year ago, this would have been a laughable question, as the Sixers had just traded Allen Iverson for Andre Miller and some picks. But now that Thaddeus Young is one of the best rookies in the NBA… well, it’s something I’d have to think about before saying Denver.

Anyway, Philly.com is asking if you’re going to boo or cheer Iverson, as if you’re going to do anything but cheer him. For some reason the link on the front page goes to a forum with the top story being, “Webber experiment over?” I’d say the 76ers got the best of the Chris Webber contract buyout.

Why Is There No Barkley Statue?

I actually spotted this ad for the first time last night; it’s the new Dwayne Wade/Charles Barkley T-Mobile ad. While the series has produced some of the more entertaining on TV recently — they’re no Spy Hunter Pontiac ad, however — this one is so far the best.

And we totally need to build a statue of Sir Charles riding a horse, eating a cheesesteak. We can put it right in front of Pat’s. Or, hell, maybe Chink’s!

Hey, The 76ers Are Still Winning Games

Look! The 76ers beat the Suns for the first time since Dolph Shayes was on the team (or maybe since just 2002), in a 119-114 thriller last night out in Phoenix. Andre Iguodala had 32 points, including this half-court shot at the buzzer of the third quarter.

Our local hoopsters are currently 7th in the Eastern Conference and could really go as high as six. (This would allow the Sixers to avoid the Celtics or Pistons in Round 1, meaning they might win a playoff game or two.)

Editor’s Note: And if you’re reading this on the front page, you can apparently win a suite for a 76ers game, according to the ad at left. (I didn’t know, but that’s some nice synchronicity.) Neat!

MSM Finally Recognizes Datruth4life

Maurice Cheeks has done such an admirable job keeping the 76ers from losing every single game this season he was rewarded with a recent one-year contract extension. (As much as I’m wary of him as a coach, like all sports fans I love Mo Cheeks if only because of this.)

Inquirer 76ers beat writer Marc Narducci thinks the team isn’t headed to the playoffs like a lot of people are hoping. Although Hollinger’s playoff odds give them a 76 percent shot of making it, the 76ers do face 11 teams with winning records in their next 17 games.

And then, there’s the prediction of a noted NBA expert:

And as stated in the previous blog, if the Sixers are having trouble putting away teams such as Miami while losing to the Timberwolves, what happens now, with consecutive games against Orlando, Golden State and Phoenix. As one reader datruth4life says, “I think it’s fool’s gold to think this team can win enough games to get in the playoffs.”

Well, datruth4life has spoken. It’s back to the lottery for us again.

Will the Sixers Make The Playoffs? [Deep Sixer]

Go To 76ers, Get A Job

Problem: The 76ers have won five straight and climbed into the playoff hunt, but still don’t attract any fans. Solution: Offer them jobs.

The job fair is on Wednesday, March 26th 2008 - doors open @ 3:00pm Stick around after career fair and watch the 76ers battle the Chicago Bulls. Your ticket includes admission into the job fair as well as a seat for the game.

It’s amazing that the career fair is billed first in this release. Tickets start at just $15, the same price as a 76ers game. It’s a decent deal, as all the teams are recruiting there, including the “Camden Rivers Sharks.”

76ers Career Fair [NBA Team Jobs]

Snider: Somebody Please Go To The 76ers

The 76ers defeated the Memphis Grizzlies last night for their fifth straight win, moving the team to 23-30 (and the eighth playoff spot) right before the All-Star break. Only problem is, despite it being Mr. Potato Head Night, fans showing up 10 minutes before gametime were still getting a Potato Head, meaning they were among the first 5,000. Officially, 12,026 people showed up at the Wachovia Center last night, which is a bit of a generous figure.

Sixers Prez Ed Snider is not happy about this. The 76ers are 27th out of 30 NBA teams in attendance. One might think Snider should just be happy his baby, the Flyers, played to 99 percent of capacity last year despite winning only 22 games. But, no, he’d rather complain that you’re too dumb to realize how exciting the 76ers are:

“Our kids play hard every single game, every single minute,” Snider said. “You can see them getting better right before your eyes. I would hope they deserve more recognition and support from our fans. I think those fans who come to the games are enjoying immensely what they are seeing.”

Snider said he had a better feeling about the Sixers at the start of the season than reporters who almost universally picked them to finish last in the Eastern Conference…. “I feel the prognosticators wrote us off before the season began,” Snider said. “And that’s why people have taken a show-me attitude.”

You’re right, Ed! It’s the media’s fault. It’s not that Comcast charges over a 50 percent surcharge on the cheapest ticket. It’s not that the team is headed into the All-Star Break without any all-stars. It’s not that the team has been run into the ground since the 2001 Finals on your watch. (Aaron McKie is being paid $7 million by the Sixers this year, the last year of his contract. Who the hell thought McKie would be contributing to the team in 2008?) It’s not that, uh, attendance is down around the NBA and the Sixers are still one of the NBA’s lesser teams. It’s the media predicting the 76ers wouldn’t be very good.

Jesus, Ed. Can’t you just go back to doing non-destructive things, like supporting sending American troops to their death? Oh, crap. Maybe you just better stick to overpaying basketball players.

Snider unhappy Sixers aren’t drawing more [Daily News]

Dr. J In Slow Motion

Via TrueHoop comes this Converse commercial showing America’s Greatest Doctor in classic form.

Aaron McKie Somehow Still In NBA

It’s funny to think that had there not been an amnesty clause in the NBA’s most recent collective bargaining agreement, Aaron McKie would still be a member of the 76ers. Instead, he was collecting $7 million for the final year of the contract he signed after the 76ers went to the 2001 Finals and working as a volunteer assistant with the Sixers. See, if you’re making $7 mil, you can afford to volunteer.

(Thought: Did Billy King really think Aaron McKie would be contributing to the 76ers still in the 2007-08 season? Really?)

McKie played last year in a limited role for the Los Angeles Lakers but was, essentially, retired. The Lakers, though, still held his rights (somehow) as some weird NBA rule. (According to this list, the 76ers still technically hold the rights to Rick Mahorn. And Rodney Rogers!) When the Lakers needed a player to make the cap space on a deal for Grizzlies forward Pau Gasol, they re-signed McKie for a reported $750,000 for the rest of the year and sent him to the Grizzlies.

And now he’s going to be a player/assistant coach to Marc “Knees” Iavaroni for the Grizzlies. Weird, huh?

Phew, the NBA is complicated.

The 76ers Also Play Basketball, Kinda

The 76ers are may not have Allen Iverson anymore, but they certainly can figure out a way to promote attending a game at the Wachovia Center! Comcast apparently wants you to go to the game and spill your food all over the floor so you’ll have to buy more. You also get to meet the Sixers Dancers with this “Guys Night Out” package, which means it’s only a matter of time before the PR team is setting them up as escorts if Sixers’ attendance continues to be 27th in the NBA.

Or, you know, the team could just continue to win by 43, like they did last night. But then they might have to advertise the basketball, which is not mentioned in this ad at all.

76ers Celebrate MLK Day With Rabbit

Above, the Philadelphia 76ers celebrate Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy by throwing Hip Hop, their rabbit mascot, into giant bowling pins. Afterward, Eagles receiver Reggie Brown does not compare Dr. King to Donovan McNabb or Terrell Owens.