Tag: Charles Barkley

Building the Philadelphia 76ers all-time team of franchise history

We are now building the all-time team in Philadelphia 76ers franchise history.

The Philadelphia 76ers are a franchise filled with success and a lot of history that the organization can be proud of. When one is tasked to put together an all-time team in Sixer history–meaning filling all 13 active spots on a roster–it’s a challenge.

To put together such a team, you have to go back and sift through a lot of history. We ranked the top five players at each position in the franchise’s history and we will be using those as a guide to help us with building this team.

With that said, let’s jump into it!

Point guard: Maurice Cheeks

Cheeks is the prototypical point guard. He is the quarterback of a gym offensively and he was terrific defensively as well. He is the franchise’s all-time leader in assists and steals and he was a 4-time All-Star in Philadelphia. He doesn’t need to score all that much, though he will if he has to, but as long as he’s setting up his teammates, then he will be content.

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Shooting guard: Allen Iverson

Now that the team has its pass-first point guard, it now needs its scoring machine next to him in the backcourt. Iverson was something special despite standing at just 6-feet tall. He led the league in scoring four times in Philadelphia and he is second in franchise history in points behind only Hal Greer. Cheeks and Iverson would be a scary backcourt.

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Small forward: Julius Erving

Was there any other real choice? The good doctor is Sixers basketball. He’s in the top 10 in franchise history in points, steals, assists, blocks, and rebounds and he averaged a cool 22.0 points and 6.7 rebounds with the Sixers. He led Philadelphia to a title in 1983.

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Power forward: Charles Barkley

Sir Charles would have actually been terrific in today’s era. He could truly play in any era as he was physical, he could shoot it a bit, and he was a beast on the glass. In terms of Sixers history, he’s fifth in franchise history in points and he’s third in rebounds.

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Center: Wilt Chamberlain

Chamberlain was incredible during his time with the Sixers. He won an MVP in all three of his full seasons in Philadelphia and he led the franchise to a title in 1967. There was no other legitimate option to choose here in the franchise’s history.

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Bench

Hal Greer

Every good team needs that microwave scorer off the bench and that’s what Greer can do. You don’t start him over Iverson, but to have him come off the bench and focus on what he does best, which is scoring, would be a nice addition to have. He is the franchise’s all-time leading scorer after all.

Moses Malone

This team would be invalid if Malone was not on it. He was the Finals MVP of the 1983 title team and he was the big piece that the team was missing in order to help Erving bring a title to Philadelphia. He was so sized and skilled at the position and he was such a good player in Sixers history.

Andrew Toney

Affectionately nicknamed “The Boston Strangler”, Toney was a nuisance for teams on either end of the floor to deal with. He was terrific on the offensive end as well as being one of the more elite defenders in the league at his position. He was an All-Star twice with the Sixers and was a key piece of the ’83 team.

Billy Cunningham

Cunningham was nicknamed “The Kangaroo Kid” as he was so energetic and he did what he had to in order to help the team win. Cunningham 20.8 points and 10.1 rebounds and he was an All-Star four times with the Sixers. He was also the perfect complement to Chamberlain and Greer on the team’s title-winning team in ’67.

Dolph Schayes

You have to dig deep into the annals of Sixers history to find Schayes’ contributions. He played for the Syracuse Nationals from 1949-1963 before the franchise became the Sixers and he played a final season in Philadelphia. He averaged 18.5 points and 12.1 rebounds while being named an All-Star 12 times. He also led the Nationals to a title in 1955.

Joel Embiid

Why not have one of the more dominant players in the game on the team? Embiid is in the middle of his fourth season in Philadelphia and he’s been named an All-Star three times while averaging 24.1 points and 11.5 rebounds along with 3.1 assists. He has done enough to warrant a spot here.

Ben Simmons

Likewise, Simmons has accomplished much in his short career so far. In three seasons, he has a Rookie of the Year award, two All-Star appearances, and he has garnered 28 triple-doubles which is good for second in franchise history behind only Chamberlain.

Andre Iguodala

To round out the roster, we are throwing in one of the more well-rounded players in the history of the franchise. Iguodala averaged 15.3 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 4.9 assists while making an All-Star appearance in 2012 for the Sixers.

Coach: Larry Brown

Any good team needs a coach. The choice would have been Cunningham as he was actually the coach of the 1983 title team, but he is a player on this roster so we didn’t want to give him both duties. Brown compiled a 255-205 record in Philadelphia and he won the Coach of the Year award in 2001 when the Sixers reached the Finals. [lawrence-related id=29527,29519,29510]

How much did Michael Jordan outscore fellow NBA legends in their matchups?

Even if not the top scorer in NBA history, Michael Jordan is probably the best scorer we’ve seen on a basketball court. It was not very often that an opponent (or a teammate) put more points on the board than him. Actually, only one player outscored …

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Even if not the top scorer in NBA history, Michael Jordan is probably the best scorer we’ve seen on a basketball court. It was not very often that an opponent (or a teammate) put more points on the board than him.

Actually, only one player outscored MJ in their matchups during his Chicago years. And then he did it again when His Airness was a member of the Wizards…

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Sixers start, bench, cut: Barkley, George McGinnis, Dolph Schayes

It’s time for another round of start one, bench one, cut one in the style of the Philadelphia 76ers.

The NBA remains in a suspension due to the spread of coronavirus and everybody is looking for their basketball fix. We have started a game of start one, bench one, cut one in the style of the Philadelphia 76ers.

We have done the point guards, shooting guards, and small forwards version of the game and now we are moving on to the power forwards version of the game. The contestants are the three best at the position in Charles Barkley, George McGinnis, and Dolph Schayes. The rules are simple and the era these three need to play in is the current era of today’s basketball.

Start: Charles Barkley

Barkley could play in any era. Despite his size, he was a fairly good athlete, he was strong, he could shoot threes, he could rebound with the best of them, and he was a guy who could take over games. Barkley was just something special and a guy that the Sixers could certainly use right now.

Bench: George McGinnis

This is based more on the fact of a player in today’s era more than anything. Schayes had a bigger impact on Sixers history than McGinnis, but for today’s era, you take McGinnis. He averaged 21.6 points and 11.5 rebounds with 4.1 assists and 2.1 steals and he had some range on his shot. He was an All-Star in 1976 and 1977 and was the leader of some pretty good Sixers teams.

Bench: Dolph Schayes

Schayes has had a much bigger impact in Sixers history than a guy like McGinnis and he has his number retired in the rafters of the Wells Fargo Center, but it’s more all about the athletes and the stretch 4’s of today’s game. I can’t see Schayes being a good defender against a guy like say, Kristaps Porzingis or Nikola Jokic for example, and life would be miserable for him. [lawrence-related id=29365,29350,29357]

Top five rookie seasons in the history of the Philadelphia 76ers

We are now ranking the top five individual rookie seasons in Philadelphia 76ers history.

A rookie season in the NBA is meant to be that transitional season for a player. For that young man to find his way in the league and eventually become a staple on a team. Some of those players, just get it right away and make an impact.

For the Philadelphia 76ers, they have had plenty of guys come in here and make an impact in their rookie seasons and then become good players. So, we are going to rank the top five rookie seasons in the history of the franchise.

This list will be based on a few things such as individual numbers, awards won, and team impact. With that said, let’s jump into it!

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Ranking the top five players in the history of the Philadelphia 76ers

We are now ranking the top five players, regardless of position, in Philadelphia 76ers history.

The Philadelphia 76ers are one of the more historic teams in the entire league with a ton of successful players and a few titles to boot. So many players have passed through to shape the team’s history and we will try and break down the best five players who have ever donned the Sixers colors.

We have ranked the top five players at each position so far and now we are going to rank the top five players regardless of the positions. [lawrence-related id=28852,28799,28732,28671]

For this list, we will include things such as stats, individual achievements, and placement on the franchise’s all-time lists. We will also be ranking them in descending order. Let’s get into it!

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Sixers throwback: Charles Barkley drops 39 and 13 to beat Hawks

On this day in Philadelphia 76ers history, Charles Barkley lifted the Sixers past the Atlanta Hawks on the road.

With the NBA in an indefinite hiatus due to COVID-19, we continue our day-by-day look back at the history of the Philadelphia 76ers. We continue down our path into Sixers history every day as we look to fill the void left by the absence of basketball.

We go back into the ’90s of Sixers basketball as we take a look at everybody’s favorite talking head, Charles Barkley. The Sixers were looking to solidify their playoff spot and figure out seeding as they head into Atlanta to take on the Hawks. Barkley and Atlanta’s Dominique Wilkins delivered a battle for the fans to enjoy.

April 7, 1990

The Sixers were already going to the playoffs, but it was now all about figuring out what seed they would get. As they head into Atlanta, the Hawks were not having the season they wanted and were four games under .500, but being at home, they gave Philadelphia a battle. That is when Barkley rose to the occasion to make sure the Sixers got themselves a win.

Barkley went off for 39 points on 14-for-19 shooting, drilling his one shot from deep, and he stepped to the line 11 times making 10 of them while also pulling down 13 rebounds. He even had three blocks to lead the Sixers to a 112-108 win on the road. Hersey Hawkins had 19 points, five rebounds, and five assists to help Barkley out. Wilkins had 27 points for the Hawks.

The Sixers would enter the 1990 playoffs as the 2 seed and they knocked off the Cleveland Cavaliers 3-2 to move on to Round 2. Barkley averaged 25.6 points and 14.0 rebounds in the series.

Barkley then stepped his game up against the Chicago Bulls averaging 23.8 points, 17.0 rebounds, and 5.0 assists, but the Sixers fell to the Bulls in five games. Chicago had some guy named Michael Jordan who averaged a cool 43.0 points while shooting 54.8% from the floor. [lawrence-related id=28985,28977,28970]

Charles Barkley: Russell Westbrook plays harder than anyone in NBA

“Russell Westbrook and Kevin Garnett play harder than any two players I’ve ever seen in the NBA,” Charles Barkley said on Monday.

NBA legend Charles Barkley says former MVP Russell Westbrook and soon-to-be Hall of Famer Kevin Garnett play harder than any other player he’s seen in nearly 40 years following the league.

Barkley delivered his comments Monday in a televised ESPN interview. Barkley, who played against Garnett for a few years prior to his retirement in 2000, was addressing the big man’s recent selection into the Basketball Hall of Fame (along with former Rockets coach Rudy Tomjanovich).

I used to hate that dude [Garnett]. Because you play him in like Game 26 in the season, or 52, or 82, he’s playing like they were all Game 7s!

I’m like, ‘Young fella, calm down!’ We’ve got 82 of these games to go. … I’ve been in the NBA for close to 40 years. Russell Westbrook and Kevin Garnett play harder than any two players I’ve ever seen in the NBA, in my opinion.

Fellow analyst and former NBA player Jalen Rose immediately said he agreed with Barkley’s assessment.

In his first season with the Houston Rockets (40-24), the 31-year-old Westbrook is averaging 27.5 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 7.0 assists.

The 6-foot-3 guard has grown more comfortable with his new team as the season has progressed, culminating with a line of 33.4 points (54.9% FG, 40.0% on 3-pointers), 7.3 rebounds, and 6.0 assists per game in February. Led by the nine-time All-Star, Houston went 9-2 in that month.

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Top five worst trades made in the history of the Philadelphia 76ers

We are now ranking the top five worst trades the Philadelphia 76ers ever made.

The Philadelphia 76ers are a franchise of history, tradition, and success–though there hasn’t been much success over the past two decades–but they also have made some awful transactions in their history.

Who could forget just deciding to trade one of the best big men the game has ever seen in Wilt Chamberlain? Or the awful Charles Barkley deal? We’re going to rank those plus a few others in order of the amount of awfulness.

These five deals are all bad, you can decide what’s the absolute worst, but the one thing that can be universally agreed is that the Sixers should not have agreed to any of these trades.

With that said, let’s get into it!

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Ranking the top five power forwards in Philadelphia 76ers history

We now count down the top five power forwards in the history of the Philadelphia 76ers.

The power forward position has been marked by a mixture of power and grace. An elite power forward uses a mixture of both of those attributes to be able to score in the post and also be able to step out and hit a jumper when needed.

For the Philadelphia 76ers, one of the greatest players in the history of the game played the position for them. They have seen their fair share of elite power forwards come through and don their colors and we’re going to rank the top five at the position in their history.

Don’t forget to check out the rankings for the previous positions:

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With that said, let’s get into this list!

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Mario Elie: Phoenix was hardest playoff rival for ’94, ’95 Rockets

Former Rockets swingman Mario Elie explains why the Phoenix Suns were Houston’s toughest opponent during its 1994 and 1995 title runs.

Though both meetings came in the Western Conference semifinals, former Rockets swingman Mario Elie says the Phoenix Suns were Houston’s toughest opponent in their 1994 and 1995 NBA title runs.

Hakeem Olajuwon‘s Rockets were forced into three do-or-die Game 7s during those championship seasons, and two of the three were against Charles Barkley, Kevin Johnson, and the Suns.

In 1994, Houston won a home Game 7 after rallying out of a 2-0 series deficit following home losses in both Game 1 and Game 2. In 1995, the Rockets — courtesy of Elie’s renowned “Kiss of Death” 3-pointer — won a road Game 7 and overcame a 3-1 deficit to take the series.

When factoring in Game 5 and Game 6 of the 1995 series, the Rockets went 4-0 in elimination games versus Phoenix in those title years.

Nonetheless, even though the Rockets overcame the odds each time, their opponent and rival clearly earned respect. After defeating the Suns in the 1995 semis, Houston beat the San Antonio Spurs in six games in the West Finals and the Orlando Magic in a four-game NBA Finals sweep.

Phoenix, which had won the West in 1993, had 115 wins in the 1993-94 and 1994-95 regular seasons, as compared to just 105 for the Rockets. But Elie’s squad often saved its best for when it mattered most.

The May 1994 series against Phoenix became the birth of the franchise’s “Clutch City” nickname, which came in response to the Houston Chronicle‘s “Choke City” headline following the opening two losses.

As for this week’s Twitter Q&A with fans, Elie also broke down his famed shot to put away the Suns in Game 7 of the 1995 series — which came in the final seconds of the fourth quarter, with the game tied.

Known for his hard-nosed defense and clutch shooting, Elie averaged 9.8 points (36.3% on 3-pointers) and 3.1 assists in 27.8 minutes per game over his five seasons in Houston from 1993-94 through 1997-98.

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