Kate Fagan has a somewhat
somber piece today, it looks like the Sixers won't be bringing everyone's favorite shooter off the bench, Donyell Marshall, back this season.
Donyell only logged 189 regular season minutes spread out over 25 games, but he hit some huge shots and keyed a few unbelievable comebacks throughout the year. They don't win their first game against Detroit or the big win in LA against the Lakers if he doesn't come in raining threes off the bench. He was a consummate pro and I, for one, will miss him.
Fagan quoted Ed Stefanski as saying the team plans to invite a couple of guys to camp to battle it out for that roster spot, which would be the final spot if the Sixers decided to only carry 13 on their roster (the league minimum).
In other news, Randy Ayers was officially brought back as an assistant. Ayers was 21-31 as the Sixers head coach in 2003-2004.
Do you have any idea who exactly will be battling for that final roster spot?
Is Dionte Christmas still in the mix at all? Didn't he end up playing for the Clippers Summer League team?
I haven't heard any names, but there are a ton of guys out there unsigned. I don't really see a guy like Von Wafer trying out for a position, but he's still available. Carney, who they had interest in earlier this summer.
Christmas didn't play very well in Vegas, not sure if he's still on the radar.
I thought Ayers got a bad deal as coach, but I didn't necessarily want him back.
I have to say, I don't think things are looking too great. I've never been less-excited for a season...
At least they'll have a hard time disappointing you :)
I'm actually looking forward to quite a bit, maybe that's a post for the coming days. Ayers doesn't mean a whole lot to me either way, wish they'd get a shooting coach on staff, though.
The one thing I got from Stefanski when I asked him that in June is that they were debating between having a periodical consultant come in versus having a full-time shooting coach year round, especially since so many of their players use Mark Price's academy. My guess is that since so many of their guys use Price's camp or their own individual specialist, they won't hire a full-time shooting coach until it gets closer to camp, that way they save some money.
Good point. Could also be why they waited so long to make Ayers official.
Could he have backed down Thad on the low blocks w/out a chemical boost? Could he have even played in the series? The answer, yeah, probably. Still, Rashard Lewis suspended 10 games for doping.
The only thing noteworthy of this is the 'lightness' of the NBA punishment (to me)
NFL - 4 games, 25% of seasons
MLB - 50 games, slightly more than 30% of the season.
NBA - 10 games, not even 12% of the season.
This is the league where the players made marijuana testing an issue in the labor negotiations.
I personally don't care that much in general about the PED hysteria and think it's a congressional distraction - but come on NBA at least up your game punishment wise
Marshall not coming back is another "bone" thrown the young guys way, late game shots are now available along with the p.g. duties.It is put up or shut up time now.