What Is Wrong With Philly!?

"Colangelo" by PO1 CHAD J. MCNEELEY, USN - Defenseimagery.mil, VIRIN: 060406-N-0696M-067. Licensed under Public Domain via Commons.

I can think of many words that describe the Philadelphia 76ers. A lot of them have to do with losing. Just the other day I came up with a new word to describe them. Confusing. If you haven't heard, the Sixers have just waiver 4 year guard, Tony Wroten.

Tony Wroten started his career off with the Memphis Grizzlies who drafted him 25th overall in the 2012 NBA draft. He played 7.8 minutes per game in 35 games with the Grizzlies and was sent and recalled from the D-League multiple times. After averaging 2.6 points and shooting very low from the field in his first season, the Grizzlies didn't look at Wroten with much value. They decided to trade Wroten. The 76ers would get a steal out of the trade as they traded away a top 50 second round pick. The 76ers of course would keep that pick and it would turn out to be K.J. McDaniels. So what would end up happening is that the Grizzlies would give Wroten away for a pick they would never aquire.

Wroten's first year with the 76ers was a good overall year. He would play alongside rookie of the year, Michael Carter-Williams at the guard positions. Wroten would play 72 games and start in 16 of them as he proved to the team that he could be a dynamic player. Wroten would have promising numbers at the end of the season averaging 13 points, 3.2 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1.1 steals.

Wroten's third year would be a great one, although it would be cut short with injury. As he would play just 30 games and start in 15 of them, Wroten would end up partially tearing his ACL. During the 2014-15 season, Wroten would average a stunning 16.9 points, 5.2 assists, 2.9 rebounds, and 1.6 steals.

This year, Tony Wroten has played just 8 games with limited minutes as he just came back from the injury. He was looking like he was going to be part of the future as it seemed like this team could have used him in the backcourt since they already had 3 lottery big men in Okafor, Embiid, and Noel. But out of nowhere, the 76ers made this trade.

The 76ers traded 2 future second round picks in exchange for Ish Smith. Smith is a 5-year player who has played for 9 teams total, and if you count Philly twice it's 10. He has averaged 4.3 points in his career. While he has had a pretty good year this year averaging 9.5 points and 5.9 assists, Smith hasn't had a steady career.

When Philly got Smith, they had to waive someone. They decided to waive Wroten. This is one of the three reasons why this trade makes no sense. It's because out of all of the players, the sixers decide to waive Wroten. Out of all of the players that should be in the D-League right now, they pick Wroten, a guy who just averaged 16.9 PPG! That makes no sense.

The other thing that doesn't make any sense is that out of all the players the sixers traded for that was worth dropping Wroten for was an inconsistent 27 year old named Ish Smith. This guy is getting into his golden days right now. He is 27 years old! Tony Wroten is 22! It would be one thing if Smith was 23 or 24 or even 25, but guess what, he is 27 years old. How long will it be before the 76ers start winning games? Maybe not even til Smith is 33. Wroten would be 28 when Smith is 23. That is what doesn't make sense about this trade. The 76ers gave up 2 second round draft picks and Tony Wroten for an aging inconsistent role player.

The third reason is because the 76ers just brought in Jerry Colangelo who was supposed to be making good moves here. Instead he just makes a trade and ends it badly. This doesn't surprise me though, because I'm not a Colangelo fan. When he was with the Phoenix Suns, he made some very, very poor moves that lead to the Suns not winning a championship with what could have been a really stacked team. I think Colangelo is very overrated and hasn't done anything special so this third thing doesn't surprise me.

I don't see the 76ers winning anytime soon. I have just lost a lot of faith in them after they released Tony Wroten. If you have any sense to make out of this, please comment below so I can at least see a little bit of sense in the 76ers transactions. As for Tony Wroten, I hope that he finds a team that values his potential and will use him to his best abilities. C'mon, this looks promising...
  

NBA Inside The Player Of The Week (Dec. 22-28)

Russell Westbrook isn't the most finesse or skilled player in the NBA, but he sure gives a great amount of effort and hustle. His athleticism is at a superhuman level. With that, he can produce big numbers and help his team win without a great amount of outside shots. This week, Westbrook proved to be most valuable to his team, even more valuable than Kevin Durant. That is why he is your NBA Inside The Player Of The Week.

This week, Russell Westbrook played 3 games, his team won 2 of them and he was the main reason why. This week alone he averaged 26.3 points. While he only shot 27.3% from the 3-point line, he managed to shoot exactly 50% from the field. It is worth noting that Westbrook took it upon himself to score. 41.7% of his shots, he held the ball for more than 6 seconds. Westbrook took it at the defense all by himself. Also, 60% of the time he took more than 6 dribbles on a shot attempt, meaning that he was attacking the defense as much as he could.

Westbrook did a lot more than just scoring. Rebounding was a big thing in Westbrook's game this week. Like I said before, Westbrook's hustle and effort is through the roof, and it showed as he grabbed 8 RPG this week. For a point guard, that is really great. Westbrook also passed the ball really well as he averaged 9.3 assists this week. And he was assisting his teammates really well as his teammates all shot over 50% when being assisted from Westbrook.

Russell Westbrook also really went after it on defense as well, getting 3 steals per game. In fact, in the loss to Chicago where Westbrook was struggling with shooting the ball, he not only pitched in with 7 rebounds and 8 assists, but he also contributed with 6 steals as well. The downside was the Russell turned the ball over and didn't shoot well in that game as well as putting up some bad shots at the end of a close game which lead to their loss.

As you can see, Russell Westbrook contributed with near triple-double numbers this week and made big contributions to his teams' success this week. That is why he is your NBA Inside The Player Of The Week.

Fantasy Friday: Christmas Presents

If you play fantasy basketball, you know that there are players that excel in certain areas, but there are areas you might not know they excel in. So let's take a look at what unexpected presents your fantasy players might be leaving you under your tree.

Serge Ibaka: This guy has been doing good. While he is not a premier scorer, he is well known for his rebounding and defense. What you might have missed on Ibaka, is his 3-point shooting. Ibaka has shot 40% from three point range this season and has made 18 three pointers as well.

Carmelo Anthony: He is a scorer. However, besides scoring, Melo does a lot of rebounding. He averages 7.3 RPG. Not only that but Melo also gets 1 steal per game.

Gorgui Dieng: This big man is known for his shot blocking and rebounding, but what you might not have known is that he shoots overly well from the FT line for a big man. He shoots 87.9% from the FT line and gets there at a pretty good rate.He has made 58 free throws this season. Not only that but he is averaging 1.1 blocks and 1.1 steals. He is great with steals and blocks.

Kevin Durant: Durant is a great shooter and a great scorer. People probably don't know that he is great defensively though. Durant has averaged 1.3 blocks and 1 steal per game this season. He has also been rebounding good with 7.7 rebounds per game. Kevin Durant will stuff your stockings full of surprises.

Matthew Dellavedova: Delly is known for his assists and his ability to get some points. Most people don't know how good his shooting is this season though. He has shot 44.9% from the field, 45% from the 3-point line, and a whooping 91.3% from the FT line. That is a major improvement from last season.

While these guys are giving you great unexpected presents, some of the players are giving you a big hidden lump of coal that you might not notice.

Rajon Rondo: While Rondo has been Mr. Triple-double this year, he has shot 53.6% from the FT line. That is something that most people might not notice.

Brandon Knight: He has played really well this season but you might not have noticed that he is averaging 3.3 turnovers. That is a lot for a point guard who only averages 5.2 assists.

LeBron James: LeBron averages great numbers. People look at LeBron and see all of the big stats. However, people might not notice that he is only shooting 26% from 3-point range. Not only that but he is attempting 3.8 threes per game.

There are many more of these surprise stats. If you have any, leave them in the comments section below. I hope you all have a great week in fantasy and that you have a Merry Christmas. See you next week.

Merry Christmas!

From NBA Inside The Play Nation

NBA Inside The Player Of The Week (Dec. 15-21)

LeBron James had a great week. He came through for his Cavs team as he won all 3 games this week including games against the Thunder and the Celtics. LeBron's performance this week was great which earned him the NBA Inside The Player Of The Week award.

This week, LeBron averaged 26.7 PPG. He lead his team with a Kevin Love that hasn't been producing this past couple of weeks and a Kyrie Irving that just came back from injury. Not only did he lead the team in the scoring department, but he also made big contributions from other areas. He averaged 7 rebounds, 6 assists, and 2.3 steals. 

While LeBron only played in 2 fourth quarters this week considering he did play a game against the 76ers, but he still managed to do well in the 2 games he played in the fourth. He averaged 7.5 points, and a whopping 3.5 assists and 1.5 steals. LeBron clearly stepped it up in the fourth this week.

While LeBron's play was great, he did have areas of concern. This week he averaged 5 turnovers to his 6 assists. Not really what you want from your starting SF. He also struggled shooting from 3 this week, but you expect that from LeBron. He shot just 18.2% from 3-point range this week. Of course, LeBron's play in the other categories did make up for this. And James did keep it under control in the 4th quarters shooting just attempting 2 threes in the 4th quarters this week. He really shot inside the paint during crunch time.

As you can see, LeBron was the main reason why the Cavs won all of there games this week. That is why he is your NBA Inside The Player Of The Week.

Is Bradley Beal Worth Max Money?

"Bradley Beal Austin Rivers" by Keith Allison - Flickr: Bradley Beal. Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 via Commons.

Bradley Beal is one of the best young guards in this league. He is merely 22 years old and is on the cusp of receiving a huge raise. He has the talent to be a top 5 Shooting Guard in this league. His shooting ability is on par with the best of shooters. He has the athleticism to beat a guy off the dribble. He has the clutch gene that makes you guard him in the 4th quarter. He has the intangibles to potentially be an All-Star. So what holds him back from being a star?

Injuries

 He is trying to do his best this season but he can't do that if he isn't on the floor.The biggest issue with Bradley Beal is his inability to stay on the court. His body is entirely made out of glass and is very fragile. I am not saying this in any rude tone whatsoever as its not his fault either. There is nothing he  can do except try to come back healthy and prepare himself more before games. 

He has not played a full season yet in his NBA career. In his first season, he played a total of 56 before getting hammered with ankle injury after ankle injury after ankle injury. The series of injuries started when he collided with his teammate, Nene, in a game vs 76ers on March 3rd, 2013. He was basically out for the season as he only played in 5 out of the next 24 games. He missed out on some key experience during that summer as the Wizards training staff didn't clear him to play in the Team USA camp or the Summer league. 

"Bradley Beal Amar'e Stoudemire" by Keith Allison - Flickr: Bradley Beal, Amar'e Stoudemire. Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 via Commons

The following season, Beal missed nine games of the season due to a stress reaction. He returned vs New York Knicks in Madison Square Garden where he came up clutch and won the game for the Wizards, being called "Blue Magic" because of his performance. He played in limited role for a couple of months before being cleared to play full time. He was able to play through the season and the playoffs in his second season. 

In October of 2014, Beal underwent an MRI that showed a fracture of a bone in his left wrist, which would require surgery. That surgery would also cause him to miss the first 9 games of the season. After making his debut, he went on to play 42 consecutive games until February 5th where he hurt his big toe and, after going through multiple tests, he had another stress reaction in his right fibula.  Beal returned after missing 8 games and played the rest of the season injury-free!

In the 2015-16 NBA season, Beal got off to a fantastic start but the same old nemesis came to say hello as he went down with multiple injuries. He has missed 9 games already this season. Let's hope he can stay healthy for the rest of the season. 

So what makes him max money worthy?

His nickname fits because he is literally the Real Deal when it comes to on-court ability. He has always been a knock down shooter as he has shot over 38% from three in all of his seasons. His contribution in other aspects on the game is also improving at a rapid pace. He also seems to have a knack for showing up for big games. He turns it to another level when necessary. 

The 2015 playoffs alone proved his value as an elite Shooting Guard in the league. He was definitely a top 10 player in the playoffs because of his leadership of the team while John Wall was out. He had very solid numbers, too, as he averaged 23.4 points, 5.5 rebounds, 4.6 assists, along with 1.6 steals.

Conclusion

He has not proven enough to earn a max contract (especially when the cap rises) but that doesn't rule out the fact that he can still earn a max contract. The 2015-16 season is not yet over and there is still a lot of basketball to play. The Wizards held back on giving Beal a max extension last summer simply because they are a contender in the Kevin Durant sweepstakes.

The perfect scenario for Beal is if he gets traded to a solid playoff team. That would ease off the pressure a little bit and also give him a chance to regroup and come back stronger than ever. That would be the best case scenario but the worst case scenario seems to be in he gets traded in a deal for DeMarcus Cousins. He would be entering a situation of chaos where he would be the focal point of the team because Rondo sure isn't droppin' 20 a night. That pressure could ruin his career.

Kings VS Raptors: Toronto Needs Valanciunas Back

The Kings and the Raptors went head to head on December 20th. The Kings came out of Toronto with the win and it is clear that the Raptors are struggling. Why are they struggling though? The main reason is because both Valanciunas and Carroll are out of the starting line-up due to injuries. Let's jump into the game.

The Kings Dominated On Offense
This Sacramento Kings team couldn't miss the other night. Maybe this had something to do with Carroll out, but the Kings still shot 52.6% from the field as well as shooting 42.9% from 3-point range. Of course, this isn't that surprising since the Kings are 5th in field goal percentage and also 5th in 3-point percentage. It also isn't surprising that the Raptors only shot 37.2% from the field and 27.6% from the 3-point line knowing that they are 21st in field goal percentage and 17th in 3-point percentage.

Kyle Lowry Had a Short Night
Lowry really struggled in this game, and he never got to go on a hot streak considering the fact that he was ejected in the 4th quarter. When he argued with a call, the ref gave him a tech. Lowry continued to argue and was thrown out of the game with another tech. The Raptors were only down by 7 at that point.

Bismack Is No Jonas
While Biyombo had 13 rebounds in the game, rebounding is about the only thing that he did. He shot 0-7 from the field and had 2 points off of free throws. He didn't have an assist or a steal. He only had 1 block defensively. They need Jonas. Bismack just doesn't have the offensive caliber that Jonas has on the floor. The Kings had 52 points in the paint and Jonas would have cut that down. Biyombo can rebound and that is about it.

The Kings Of Tempo
There were tons of fast break points for this Kings team and the Raptors couldn't stop it. The thing is, when you have DeMarcus Cousins getting 5 fastbreak points in a game, then your guy are not getting back. Everybody on the Kings were getting out and running in transition and the Raptor were not getting back.

Rajon Rondo Is a Beast
He was the reason why they won this game. He had 19 points along with 13 assists. This kid had 12 points in the paint. 12. He was getting to the rim and finishing on Lowry. He was getting his teammates involved and getting high percentage shots in the paint and Lowry couldn't guard him. Rondo is showing that he deserves to be a starting point guard. Without him, I don't think that the Kings win this game.

Other Points

• DeMar DeRozan lead the way for the Raptors with 28 points. He also added 7 rebounds.
• All 5 of the Kings starters had over 10 points. The team really moved the ball well as they had 26 assists.
• Omri Caspi had a double-double, 15 point and 11 rebounds. He has proved to be a great asset for the team. Expect him to keep up his production.
• The Raptors were short-handed and only played 3 guys off the bench, even after Lowry was ejected. Hopefully they can get Carroll and Jonas back soon, because they don't have much of a bench without them.

As you can see, the Raptors are suffering in some areas without Carroll and Jonas. Hopefully they can get them back soon. Hope you guys liked the post. See you next time on NBA Inside The Play Nation. 

Fantasy Friday (Dec. 18)

Well, we are back to our weekly players in this post. We got some players that haven't definitely changed their fantasy value. So let's take a look at them shall we?

Over-Performers Of The Week

• Kobe Bryant: He has been great this past week. In 4 games he has averaged 20.3 PPG, 6 RPG, 4.8 APG, and only 1.5 turnovers while shooting 50.8% from the field and 37% from downtown.
• Raymond Felton: This has been an amazing week for him as he has averaged 14.3 points, 6 rebounds, 5.7 assists, and 1 steal.
• Will Barton: Barton has been doing more than scoring of late. In his last four games he has averaged 18.3 PPG, 7.3 RPG, 3 APG, and 2.3 steals. Amazing right?

Under-Performers Of The Week

• Kevin Love: While he has been efficient with his other numbers, he has only averaged 13 PPG this week.
• Jared Sullinger: This week he has only averaged 8.3 points and 8.8 rebounds. The big thing is that shooting horribly; under 20% from beyond the arc, 40% from the FT line, and just 36.8% from the field.

Pick-Ups Of The Week

• Matthew Dellavedova: Averaging 8 points and 6 assists could do you good in your league. He is only 9% owned in Yahoo and 12.4% in ESPN.
• D'Angelo Russell: This week he has averaged 14.3 points, 6 assists, and 2.3 steals. He has been playing great. The only problem is he is owned by over 3/4 of the fantasy leagues in both yahoo and ESPN.
• Raymond Felton: He had a triple-double this week and has been averaging great numbers. He is owned by just 30% in Yahoo and 31.8% in ESPN.

Hope you all liked the post and we hope you have a great fantasy week. Until next Friday.