Phinally Philly

According to multiple sources the Sixers and a handful of other teams are currently in negotiations with free agent Hakim Warrick. Warrick whose from the Philly area is heading into his 5th pro season, he’s averaged over 11.0 PPG and around 5.0 APG in his career with the Grizzlies.

The Sixers are reportedly offering only a 1-year deal. Warrick has expressed interest in coming “home” so perhaps the Sixers have an edge. The 6″9 Warrick would help fill the bench nicely, a perfect sixth man. He would fit in with the Sixers style immediately he’s a slashing, floor-running, coast-to-coast type player.

More coming……

Update 2:31 PM:

Hakim Warrick has signed a 1-year deal worth around $3.0 Million Dollars with the Milwaukee Bucks. The Sixers were only offering a 1-year deal worth the mid-level exception which is believed to be a little less little more then the $3.0 Million the Bucks gave him.

Sixers really missed out, Warrick could have helped them a lot. He would have been exciting to watch as well.

-Mike Santa Barbara

*** Follow me on Twitter @Mike__SB ***

All the buzz in Philadelphia now is the Phils acquiring reigning Cy Young award winner Cliff Lee. It’s a huge deal, a huge deal that got me thinking. 

What are some of the best 76er trades of all-time? 

I did some old fashion research and came up with my own Top 5 list. I think you’ll be surprised at some of the names below and how the Sixers acquired them. 

And please feel free to send in your honorable mentions! 

Enjoy!

# 5 -- “The Boston Strangler”

On November 2nd 1976 the Sixers traded away Mel Bennett to the Indiana Pacers for the Pacers 1st round pick in 1980. I know it’s bizarre, trading away to get a first round pick nearly 4 years later, but it worked out for the 76ers. With that pick they selected Andrew Toney, or as Bostonians know him “The Boston Strangler.” Toney not only destroyed the Celtics but routinely put up huge games against the rest of the NBA’s elite. Of course he’s also well known for being apart of the 76ers 1982-83 Championship team. 

# 4-  ”Dr. J”

Julius “Dr. J” Erving solidified himself as one of the best in the game early on while with the New York Nets of the ABA. The ABA merged with the NBA and one of the teams to move over was the Dr. J led Nets. Erving was promised a bonus by then Nets owner Roy Boe. However, the New York Knicks demanded that the Nets pay them over $4 Million Dollars for moving into their league and market. Therefore Boe was unable to pay Erving his bonus and was forced to sell his contract to the 76ers for $3 Million Dollars. The rest my friends is history.

# 3-  ”Sir Charles”

Yet another trade pulled off by the Sixers that benefited them in the long run, the real long run. In 1978 the Sixers traded Lloyd (World B.) Free to the then San Diego Clippers for their 1st overall pick in the 1984 draft. With that pick the Sixers drafted Charles Barkley. The trade a the time was risky considering Free routinely finished in the top 5 in the league in scoring. In the end though it’s just another bad luck move by the bad luck Clippers.

# 2- The “Final Piece”

The Sixers already had their eye on Moses Malone signing him to an offer-sheet when he became a free agent with the Houston Rockets. However, Houston exercised it’s right to first refusal and match the 76ers offer for Malone only to trade him before the season started. The Sixers gave the Rockets Caldwell Jones and their 1st pick in the 1983 draft. That pick didn’t end up being to high as Malone helped guide the Sixers to the NBA Finals and to a four-game sweep of the Los Angeles Lakers.

# 1- The “Big Dipper” Cometh

On January 15th 1965 the Sixers traded Connie Dierking, Paul Neumann, Lee Shaffer and Cash to the Warriors for some guy named Wilt Chamberlain. After spending his first 6 seasons with the Philadelphia/San Francisco Warriors they ran into financial trouble and were forced to trade him to the Philadelphia 76ers. Surprisingly enough fans of the Warriors were not upset by the trade as he was not well liked in San Francisco mainly because the team was not successful in his last seasons there.

-Mike Santa Barbara

*** Follow me on Twitter @Mike__SB ***

Let’s face it: Twitter is effing awesome, especially when it’s used in the most irresponsible/controversial way possible. Case in point…Vikings Tight End and future adult film star Visanthe Shiancoe…

Gotta love his brutal honesty because you know probably half the guys in that meeting were dozing off. This is just the beginning though. Chad Ochocinco has already talked about tweeting DURING games, and just a few weeks ago he “twit-pic’d” hot half-naked models from a party at the Playboy Mansion.

The big part of the future of sports marketing for both teams and athletes appears to be on Twitter, but there is a remarkable lack of Philly athletes on there. Just check out the “Philly Athletes on Twitter” link at the top of our site if you need future proof…Riley Cote? That’s the best the Flyers can do? I wanna hear first hand accounts of the crazy s*** Richards, Hartnell, and Carter are up to! I want to hear Danny Briere whine about breaking another nail! (Sorry Dan, I had to.)

To the Sixers credit Andre Iguodala and Thaddeus Young are active in the Twitterverse, and there is actually an awesome story about how one fan got to meet up with AI9 and Rudy Gay at a Cheesecake Factory in Vegas through a Twitter post. There is a lot of potential here for athletes to get their names out there (in both good and bad ways) and interact with their fans.

Sample McNabb Twitter Post: "Sitting on the couch watching some Wayans Bros. reruns! Those guys are so craaaazy!!"

That being said, obviously some Philly athletes would be more entertaining than others. As much as I’d love to hear some trash talk from Desean Jackson, or the latest shenanigans Danny Carcillo got himself into, I can’t say I’d have too much interest in anything Donovan McNabb might have to say (all due respect to #5, but have you read his yardbarker blog lately? Me neither.)

Now I pose the question to all of you: which Philly athlete would you most like to see on Twitter? Maybe if we get enough feedback we can send this post to the winner’s team and see if we can get them on there.

It’s tough to put into words how much Jim Johnson meant to the Eagles defense over the years because essentially he was the Eagles defense. It was his knowledge and advanced blitz schemes that helped keep opposing offenses off guard, and if you look at some of the players who had success here and struggled elsewhere (Jeremiah Trotter immediately comes to mind) you’ll get an idea of how Johnson always put his players in a position to succeed.

Now the pressure of replacing him falls squarely on the shoulders of Sean McDermott, a name many Eagle fans may not be immediately familiar with. McDermott joined the Birds back in 1999-2000 as an Assistant to the Head Coach and worked his way up through the organization, eventually becoming the Linebackers coach in 2008, and the Secondary coach last season. He also spent 2004-2006 working with the DBs.

McDermott was the longest tenured defensive assistant under Jim Johnson and worked closely with him on the weekly game plan, so if there was anyone capable of replacing JJ McDermott would be the guy. Obviously we won’t know how good of a coordinator he’ll be until we see the unit working under him week-to-week, but the fact that he was a strong candidate for both the Packers and Broncos DC openings this offseason speaks to how highly regarded he is outside the Eagles organization.

Another important move by the Eagles front office to aid McDermott was the hiring of former Cowboys defensive coordinator Brian Stewart in late May. Stewart will bring an advanced knowledge of the NFC to the Eagles defensive coaching staff and will help McDermott make the adjustment from assistant to coordinator.

Again, we may not know right away whether McDermott is cut out to replace Jim Johnson, but he’s clearly put in the time under one of the greatest coordinators who ever lived. Now the Eagles just have to hope he is ready for the challenge.

When the Phantoms dwelled across the parking lot in the legendary Spectrum the Flyers’ organization knew they had it easy. The management could keep tabs on each prospect’s progression, and should there be an injury in warm-ups before a game it isn’t all that long of a walk to the Wachovia Center dressing room. Unfortunately with the Spectrum being torn down the beloved Philadelphia Phantoms, who had just won their second Calder Cup back in 2004-05 during the NHL lockout, had no place to call home. This of course sent the team and every Flyers’ prospect on the roster up the New York where the team became the Adirondack Phantoms.

Even the website, still devoid of any real content due to the fact that it’s still under construction, displays the new name for the team, much to the dismay of those who loved to get cheap tickets at the Spectrum to see a good hockey game. When the Phantoms were bought by a Pittsburgh based corporation that runs many minor league teams with MLB and NHL affiliates they were moved to New York as a temporary home partly because the Spectrum was set to be torn down and partly to test the hockey market in the area. This by no means was ever meant to be a permanent stay in Adirondack.

That said, the two year-max stay of the Phantoms up in New York could wind up with the team back in the Philadelphia area. That doesn’t mean they would be in the same area as the other major Philadelphia sports teams as they were for so long, but it does mean that there are other options in the surrounding regions of the city.

The biggest news these days involving the Phantoms is coming from Allentown, PA where Mayor Ed Pawlowski has mentioned that the city is in the lead for rights to the team. He has said that there will be an official announcement in a few weeks about a possible river front arena. The city is currently working with the state on funding for the new venue. “I think it’s safe to say that Allentown is on the top of the list, and we will make that determination. I’m very very confident, extremely confident that Allentown is going to be the place.”

Personally the Phantoms coming back to the Philadelphia area would be nothing short of incredible. It may only be a minor league affiliate for the Flyers, but fans still love going to Phantoms games.

Other Updates

- Scotty Upshall: After career highs in goals (15), assists (19), and points (34) with the Phoenix Coyotes the former Flyer has signed a one year deal worth $1.50 million. The contract will assure that he is a restricted free agent at the end of this upcoming season once again, but his options were limited by his RFA status while asking for a new deal this offseason. Originally he was reported to be asking for nearly $3.50 million a year in a multi-year contract. It is unsure whether or not Holmgren was aware of his asking price when making the trade to acquire Dan Carcillo, but that large sum is something the Flyers certainly could not afford now. At $1.50 million the orange and black though would be happy to have him. It’s doubtful that he will ever return to Philadelphia based on his RFA status once again when this contract is up meaning he would remain the Coyotes’ property barring any trade, but the option certainly exists.

- Vaclav Prospal: Prospal is someone who certainly knows the Flyers’ organization well. He’s been here twice already after all. Originally the orange and black drafted him in the 3rd round of the 1993 draft, and he spent 59 games with the Flyers over the course of two seasons before being traded to Ottawa during the 1997-98 season. He proved very effective with Danny Briere during the 2007-08 playoff run after being traded at the trade deadline from the Tampa Bay Lightning back to the Flyers since Simon Gagne was not going to return for the rest of the season. After the postseason Prospal’s contract was up, and he was sent back to the Lightning in a minor trade before the start of free agency. Holmgren mentioned to the press after making the trade that Prospal’s “heart was somewhere else.” That other place happened to be Tampa Bay where he signed a four year deal and spent the 2008-09 season.

A couple of days ago though the Lightning bought out the veteran winger’s contract of $14.00 million at $3.50 million in cap hit over four seasons meaning he could very easily go to any team that wants him on the open market at any price. This is certainly intriguing for Holmgren who is looking for cheap, scoring wingers to shore up the offensive depth on the opening day roster. Prospal’s scoring has been up and down since with the Lightning (including his brief stint with the Anaheim Ducks and, of course, the Flyers). He scored 18 goals for 55 points in 2001-02 followed by a 22 goal, 79 point performance the following season. The season after that with the Ducks he scored only 19 goals for 54 points, but after the lockout back with the Lightning he put up a career high in points with 80 including 25 goals. In 2006-07, as his history shows the pattern, he netted only 14 goals and finished with a grand total of 55 points, but then between two teams during the 2007-08 season he scored a career high in goals with 33 for a 71 point performance. The next season back with the Lightning, his numbers dropped to 19 goals and 45 points. Once again Prospal is due for another solid year which makes me think a one year deal for a former Flyer wouldn’t be so bad. If he could sign for $2.50 million for next season only it would be a win, and Holmgren would be forced to stuff Randy Jones into the minors for yet another win. The knocks on Prospal are of course that he’s getting old so he is losing his wheels, and he is not exactly gritty or the most defensively responsible forward in the world. His defensive deficiencies would be easy to hide next to Mike Richards and in front of a Timonen, Pronger pairing which is looking more likely thanks to Stevens’ “brilliant” defensive strategies.

- Maxim Afinogenov: There aren’t many options for Briere’s former linemate up in Buffalo. Injury problems have all but destroyed his reputation among teams. His speed and puck-handling are still as deadly as ever, but his defense and overall talent never were. He shows glimpses of talent between long stretches on the injured reserve list, but those injuries are enough to keep teams from calling Afinogenov up. There were all kinds of rumors going around that the Flyers were interested in aquiring the Russian as a depth forward with some point potential at around $1.00 million on a one-year deal, but Holmgren basically squashed those rumors by denying that the Flyers had discussed anything with Afinogenov or his agent.

- Todd Bertuzzi: There aren’t many names out in the NHL world that are as hated as the name Todd Bertuzzi. If you want to whole story behind the incident you can view it here. There are however rumors that with very little in the way of interest in the gritty forward around the league the Flyers might try to sign him to a cheap contract. The last thing the Flyers’ need is another “Broad Street Bully” so that Penguins’ fans can whine that we’re a dirty team. Still, if anyone else watched Kunitz cheap-shotting Timonen all over the ice in the opening series of the Stanley Cup Playoffs then they know why Chris Pronger was brought in to deal with the situation. That’s why Laperriere was signed as well. Bertuzzi though has only one mark against his career which is further proof that one mistake can get you into a whole mess of problems for the rest of your life, but that doesn’t mean this is a guy the Flyers should try to bring in. If he comes cheap then it’s possible he would be a solid addition on the ice, but that’s for the organization to decide. He certainly sticks up for his teammates, but he has to understand there are times to hold back. The hit on Moore was by far the worst decision of his life, and he apologized profusely for his actions. If the Flyers can work out a deal with Bertuzzi I’d be excited about his Hartnell-esque qualities as well as his ability to add offensive depth, but I don’t want to see anymore incidents like the one on Moore ever again regardless of the situation.

- Ole-Kristian Tollefsen: The young, stay-at-home defensemen is about as mean as they come and will hit anything that moves. That’s why the Columbus Blue Jackets drafted him in the 3rd round back in 2002. Last year though he had a major injury that limited his season to 19 games. The surgery that followed was a success, but the Jackets decided not to pursue a contract with the feisty blueliner. The Flyers brought him in to get tested out by the medical staff and said that everything went well. Still Holmgren has said that they are not signing Tollefsen just yet. He would fit right in as the team’s 7th defenseman, and in my dreams he would make a brilliant replacement for Randy Jones. Remember that this announcement by Holmgren was the same type of announcement made after Ray Emery visited Philadelphia. It’s very possible that Tollefsen could have a very cheap contract with the Flyers before camp opens.

*UPDATE* Tollefsen Signs

Flyers.NHL.com Article: Flyers agree to terms with Tollefsen

Tollefsen’s reaction interview

No details on the contract just yet, but if this means the end of Randy Jones I’m 1,000% in favor of it. Hell, I’ll take this kid as a 7th defenseman if need be. He certainly has a mean streak.

- Marc-Andre Bourdon: Not sure if I covered this before, but defensive prospect Marc-Andre Bourdon has been signed by the Flyers to play with the Phantoms. He might get some call-ups, but as it stands now Marshall and Bourdon are in the AHL to work their way to the NHL. If you read any of my entries then you know how excited I am about these two mean defensemen. Marshall won a championship in the QMJHL as captain and is basically a meaner Ryan Parent with a little more offensive talent. Bourdon on the other hand was named the QMJHL defenseman of the year this past season and performed well as a member of the Rimouski Oceanic during the Memorial Cup Championships in which all three CHL leagues are represented along with the host team. Think of Bourdon as a less talented version of Dion Phaneuf of the Calgary Flames. Bourdon has a mean streak and can put up points, but his defense will need work before he can play with the Flyers.

Guys, Jeff Carter is pissed. It’s not like he almost lost. I’m pretty sure his trip to the second round was guaranteed by thousands of girls who love to watch him speed by everyone and score goals. Well, here at Phinally Philly we’re not necessarily interested in good looks, but we enjoy the sight of the puck going in the net. So when a player nearly brings you enough goals to get second place in the running for the Rocket Richard Trophy you might want to remember what he did.

Anyway, the final results of the first match ups are in. Mike Richards (15 votes) defeats Dan Carcillo (1 vote) and Jeff Carter (13 votes) defeats Arron Asham (3 votes).

When he “shies” away from a hit there is usually a reason why:

He’s more physical than Gagne, and just as defensively responsible. Let’s trade Gagne then?

Oh, and there’s all of this:

Anyway, back to the Fan Favorite 2009 bracket. Richards and Carter move on and so the 2 seeds vs. 7 seeds are next.

This should prove two more blowouts, but it’s alright. Who do you guys want to move on?

CHRIS PRONGER

VS.

IAN LAPERRIERE

and

SIMON GAGNE

VS.

MATT CARLE

He may not be Roy Halladay, but hats off to Ruben Amaro for making a terrific trade to not only bring on board a former Cy Young winner, but also a good, young right-handed bat. In the blink of an eye the Phils addressed their two biggest needs and kept their best prospects in the process.

THE PHILS GET:

SP Cliff Lee

CF Ben Francisco

THE INDIANS GET:

SP Carlos Carrasco

SP Jason Knapp

C Lou Marson

SS Jason Donald

From a Philly perspective, this is a great deal. Needless to say my faith in Ruben Amaro Jr. is restored…sorry I ever doubted you!

Lee may not be on quite the same level as Halladay, but he’s no slouch either. His 7-9 record and 3.14 ERA may not scream dominance, but over his last three starts he is 3-0 with a 1.44 ERA and a 14:0 K:BB ratio. Needless to say he is showing the same form from last season where he won the Cy Young en route to an incredible 22-3 record on a bad team.

That really is the key thing to remember here: Lee is moving to a league he has dominated in his career (12-2, 3.18 ERA against the NL) where there is no designated hitter, and he will be playing in front of one of the best defenses in the majors. Compare that to the situation he was in before in Cleveland, and we could see a Raul Ibanez-esq rennaissance from Lee. Granted our rotation is now very lefty-heavy (Hamels, Lee, and Happ are all lefties) but it’s worth it in this case.

Ben Francsico won’t get much attention in this deal, but he will add a lot to this team off the bench. I can give a bit more insight on the guy considering I just watched him play the Angels last night (and hit a home run.) He has pretty good range in center and definitely has a more than adequate arm, and while his batting average is nothing to write home about he has some pop (on pace to match his career high of 15 homers) and some speed as well (13 stolen bases this year.) He’s only in his second full season in the Majors and while he may be in a bit of a sophomore slump, his best baseball is in front of him. He’s also hitting .302 since the All Star break.

As for the package of prospects the Indians got, Lou Marson may end up being the best player out of the bunch. I really wouldn’t be surprised to see him in the Majors before the season is over considering he had been raking in Lehigh Valley (batting .294.) Carlos Carrasco at one point was at one point considered the gem of the Phillies farm system, but his struggles in AAA (5.18 ERA) seemed to kill some of the hype surrounding him. The fact that the Phillies promoted Andrew Carpenter and Rodrigo Lopez before him for spot starts really says a lot about how they viewed Carrasco. Knapp is still a ways away from contributing in the Majors but is a solid prospect, and Jason Donald is yet another name that slipped in value over the past year.

It’s not a bad haul by any means for the Indians, but the fact that the Phillies made such a big deal without giving up Kyle Drabek, J.A. Happ, Michael Taylor, or Dominic Brown is amazing.You also have to consider the fact that several of these prospects were expendable: there was no place in the infield for Donald to play, and the Phils seem content with a Ruiz-Bako catching duo. They also managed to avoid losing any pieces off the big league roster in the trade, which is always a plus.

THE VERDICT:

I really try not to judge trades before we get a better idea of how the prospects involved are developing (see: the Gavin Floyd for Freddy Garcia swap from a few years back) but you have to be pleased with what Ruben Amaro did here. He brought on an outstanding starting pitcher with a very reasonable contract and a solid right-handed bat with some upside in exchange for a group of expendable prospects.

Not to say any of the four won’t develop into fine ballplayers, but Marson, Donald, Carrasco and Knapp weren’t going to help the Phils repeat. Lee and Francisco absolutely will…that makes this a great trade for the Phillies. Ruben Amaro gets a very favorable grade in his first major move as the Phillies GM.

**UPDATE** KingGeorge was right! Who woulda thunk it?!? **

How ridiculous is all this trade deadline rumor business getting? One commenter on ESPN.com seems to have a scoop no one else does about the Phils interest in Cliff Lee…

KingGeorge53 says:

July 28, 2009, 2:26 PM ET

One of the all-time great NFL Defensive Coordinators has passed away at the age of 68. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Jim and his family.

The Eagles need to dedicate this season to his memory and win it all.

Former Eagles Defensive Coordinator Jim Johnson’s battle with cancer may be close to a tragic end, via PFT:

As the Eagles begin preparing in earnest for the 2009 season, they’re doing so amid the reality that former defensive coordinator Jim Johnson’s cancer battle is coming to a sad conclusion.

According to J.P. Sartre of the Daily Times of Delaware County, Pennsylvania, Johnson recently took a turn for the worse.

Our thoughts and prayers are with Jim and his family. Here’s hoping he shows the fighting spirit all his defenses showed over the years and comes out of this on top.