Crockpot Theory on Future of the NBA and Sixers

If we have a chance to improve this roster at all, we do it. Josh Smith not be a prototypical power forward, but I truly believe the Suns model of offense and defense is the future of the NBA, especially the power forward position. The era of slow big men who rebound and collect garbage points is finished. The new PF position will be bigger, faster, quicker and demand a include more fundamental skills like passing, perimeter shooting and a better handle. Michael Beasley is the wave of the new future imo. The future of the NBA lie on big men who can spread the court with their jump shot and attack the rim with their handle. I say we start early. Stand firm, continue to draft players with an all around game, super athleticism, and emphasize defense. What happens when you have the most athletic team in the nba with players that all pride themselves on defense? Championship baby.

The three players other than Iggs that will be our new core for the future will be Thaddeus Young, Jason Smith and Louis Williams.

Thad has already shown glimpses of why he must get more minutes. He has struggled with his shooting a bit, but has already shown that he has excellent mechanics and has range from the mid to long range field. Most importantly what he has shown is a tendency to always be around the ball defensively. I am very confident that Thad will be a premiere defensive player in this league some day. He is an absolute monster in the paint with his size, wing span, soft hands around the rim and athleticism. His offensive game will come to him, but I want to see the coaches continue to place the demand on rebounding and defense with Thad. Thad is at a crucial point in his NBA career. The way he is coached will impact the way he plays the game for a long time. I firmly believe Thad, in a few years, will be a defensive player of the year candidate and average around 13 points, 8 rebounds, 3 blocks and 2 steals per game. He seems to be a solid, all around player with a very high ceiling.

Jason Smith has impressed me on his defense. On offense he has shown that he is fearless, has a very reliable mid range shot, attacks the rim relentlessly, and can make the extra pass to find the open man. But on defense, he has shown that he is a great shot blocker, he has a very high motor, hustles, and can hold his own in the paint against bigger players. Jason Smith has a huge skill set that he will be able to work with as he develops his game. He may never be a Dirk or a Bosh, but he will be a very good player in this league some day based on his well rounded skill set. There are only a handful of 7 footers in the league with Smith's ability to run the court, hit the jumper, rebound, block shots, make the extra pass and with a quick step strong enough to attack the rim facing the basket.

Louis Williams is one of the most impressive young talents I've seen across the NBA in a while, especially for a 21 year old. His ability to see the floor and make the smart pass is improving every game he plays. His defense has shown a drastic improvement compared to last season as well. Last year he looked completely lost on defense, losing his man on the court on multiple occasions. Granted he has done it some this season, but he is doing other things that make him an excellent defensive player. Filling the pass lanes, pressuring the handler, relentlessly looking for steals.

What I like about these 3 young players is that they are impact players to say the least. Each player brings multiple layers of their game to the Sixers. Players these days cannot solely rely on one skill set to improve the team. They must be able to pass, rebound, shoot, play defense, etc... This is a great core to start the rebuilding process. The 07 draft is looking to be a very good one, and we haven't even seen Herbert Hill yet, who was the most impressive Summer League player on the Sixers.

Rebounding, athleticism, defense and passing are the elements that win you a championship and it is good to see the Sixers holding strong on this foundation. I have complete confidence that after whomever we get in free agency, and after whomever we draft next year, the Sixers will be the most athletic team in the nba in 08. The Sixers finally have something we've needed for years: an IDENTITY. It is a good building block for what is to become. Opposing teams will finally know what to expect when they play the Sixers. They will have to compete to the fullest level to keep up our future uptempo game, which has shown a ton of flashes already this season.

Rebounding, defense and athleticism, now that is a great start in molding a championship contender.

My Updated Top Ten 08 Draft Picks for the Sixers

I have now updated my top ten draft picks I want the Sixers to target before the 08 NBA draft.

1. PF Michael Beasley- he's the prize of the draft. He IS the future of the NBA power forward. The size, attitude and rebounding tenacity of Kenyon Martin when he entered the NBA + the dribbling and shooting of Lebron James = BEST POWER FORWARD PROSPECT I HAVE EVER SEEN. He can simply do it all. His ceiling is through the roof and a can't miss talent. Beasley would instantly change the entire offense of the Sixers the second he plays. He may not have it on defense, but his ability on offense more than makes up for his laziness on d.

2. PG Derrick Rose- the 'other' can't miss prospect of the nba draft. His athleticism and first step quickness is beyond anything the nba has ever seen. While he may not have the best mid range game, he does have solid and fluid mechanics to be a reliable jump shooter. Passing, intangibles, transition, finsishing, and leadership qualities are all there and top notch. Bottomline, his skill level is the best I've ever seen in a point guard prospect, which is even more incredible due to the fact that he is a pass first point guard.

3. SG Eric Gordon- the Michael Jordan comparisons of Eric Gordon before he played a single college game don't seem that far off now do they? A freshman shooting guard averaging almost 30 per game? That is unheard of. After watching several of Gordon's game so far, I can tell you right now that his ability to score the ball are right up there with the best of them. He may not have height, but his ridiculous and consistent ability from range and freakish ability to attack the rim and finish in traffic are top notch. I'm almost completely confident that Eric Gordon will lead the NBA sometime in points per game. IMO he is a Dwayne Wade clone with better range. Oh and by the way, he is a MUCH better passer than first stated.

4. PF Blake Griffin- another freshman power forward that won't get much media due to the storm that is following Michael Beasley. Blake Griffin, a bruising power forward, is quietly averaging 15 and 9 for the Sooners early on. I've only seen him once, but other than Beasley, he is extremely athletic for a power forward. This is more of a need pick. While the Sixers desperately need a point guard and OJ Mayo could be their guy, I believe that the need to seriously upgrade their front court is more important.

5. PG/SG OJ Mayo- surprise! Another freshman! OJ Mayo is a hit or miss prospect IMO. While he is and will be extremely streaky in the NBA, no one can argue his ceiling or scoring ability. He is a lights out, premiere scorer who may have just as potential as Derrick Rose. He is the total package, it just isn't as developed as much as Derrick Rose right now. Other than Beasley and Rose, in terms of pure talent, Mayo is just a slim notch below them. Any team that has the opportunity to get this guy will have a future all star on their team for many many years. While many stray away from the hated 'combo' guard, you just can't get away from his talent. I've always been one to put the 'true' point guard on a pedestal, but I would take OJ Mayo in a heart beat if we had the chance. He has every shot to be as good or even better than his competition, Derrick Rose in the NBA.

6. C Kosta Koufas-As many of you know I am not a fan of Samuel Dalembert. There is nothing in Sammy D's game that shouts out as him being a championship worthy center in this league. The Sixers need a fresh, new look with their front court, and moving Sammy might be the key. I've seen more than I need of Koufas' game to know that he is a premiere talent, plus it would be nice to start getting into the foreign market with the American/Greek big man. He is an Ilgauskas clone with an even better jump shot and more range. Unlike many white centers, his wing span is immense and he is an aggressive scorer in the paint with excellent moves already. He is extremely polished and has more of a face to the basket type game. His defense isn't where you would want it to be right now, but he is an offensive center and there aren't many of those in the NBA these days.

7. C Roy Hibbert- see number six about Dalembert. Hibbert may not have the highest ceiling in the world for an NBA center, but his size, dependability, offensive polish and presence are significant enough to make him a top 5 pick in the NBA draft. Hibbert and Koufas will battle it out as the first center taken off the board, and it will be a close one. IMO it will done by teams' need instead of talent because they are both very, very good prospects. Where Koufas may give you 18 and 9 someday down the line, I think Hibbert will give you 10/10 for a very long time. That's much more than you can ask in terms of the quality of centers in today's NBA.

8. SG Nicolas Batum- he was my number one guy in last year's draft before he opted out at the last second. He's a 6'8 off guard with the largest wingspan I've seen in a long time. While he's extremely talented in passing, defending, leading and athleticism are all top notch, he is a bit inconsistent shooting the ball. With all that said, his ceiling is just as high as Eric Gordons' potential. Why? If Batum can ever put it all together he will be literally unstoppable. He, like Michael Beasley of the power forwards, is the future of the NBA 2 guard. Big guard, top notch athleticism, daunting wingspan and defense, extremely good passer, significant team player, etc. He reminds me of a lesser shooting but even better defending and rebounding Richard Hamilton. I love this kid. I fully expect Batum's stock to continue to rise all the way to the minute before the draft. He is THAT good.

9. PF Kevin Love- dependable, consistent, mature, physical, tenacious,... these are all words you hear frequently with Kevin Love. The hype of this kid before he entered college was immense, but he backed up all that talk with his early play so far this season. He's got the most sound, fundamental game I've seen since Tim Duncan, unfortunitely his athleticism is very poor for him to be a top pick. Regardless, some team will find him as a lock for the lottery. Love unfortunitely reminds me of Kris Humphries. Humphries was a top recruit for Minnesota, had an incredible freshman season and went to the draft. What has he done? Not much. I like his skill set and talent right now, but I'm afraid what you see is what you get with Kevin Love, which isn't that bad in the end.

10. PF Serge Ibaka- As some of you probably know I am a HUGE fan of this kid. Why? First, unlike many of the top prospects from Africa Ibaka already possesses very good skills and hands around the rim. He may not be experienced, and he has never faced top notch level like in college basketball, but you better watch out for this kid. He has just been approved to play overseas in Europe. Everyone better watch out because if he does well I see this kid skyrocketing up the charts. He has top five pick potential. This is the guy to look out for. Make sure you keep an eye on him because I know you'll fall in love with him.

There is my top ten list that will surely change a ton as the season progresses. Some notes: DeAndre Jordon is not on the list. I am not sold on him unlike many experts. While he may possess a top notch frame and high ceiling, I'm not sold on his athleticism and offensive game. He has to prove to me he is not just another big time recruit, because that is what I think he is. I don't have Chase Budinger up there because, well frankly, he is not anywhere near as good as the players I feel I have selected for my top ten. He may have good size and athleticism, but IMO he is not a difference maker or impact player. Donte Green did not make it because of the Sixers' needs. He is a top talent and surely among the top 10, maybe top 5, of teams who need a SF. Darrell Arthur did not make the list because I firmly believe Kansas will be his downfall. With so many talented freshman, especially freshmen bigmen, I believe his stock will only keep falling. Why? College basketball is now officially a numbers game. The numbers the freshman are putting up are staggering. Kansas is too deep and too talented. Arthur will have to become more insertive on offense or have an incredible tournament to be mentioned in my top 5. Regardless, he is a top talent.

Thoughts?

My First Eagles' Mock Draft of the Year!

1st pick (somewhere 10-14): Martellus Bennett TE Texas A&M

With Schobel in a contract year and LJ on his way out, the Eagles desperately need a playmaking TE on the roster. The lack of offense, imo, has really come down to the absence of a solid tight end, especially in the middle of the field. Bennett is an underclassmen who will skyrocket up the draft board after the NFL combine (think Vernon Davis). 6'7 size, excellent hands and very good atheleticism. Bottomline, this offense needs a playmaker, and someone future QB Kevin Kolb and grow with. Bennett is also a very solid blocker as well. He is the complete package and the best tight end in the draft. I got a feeling about Bennett. I think he has Antonio Gates potential. Why? He's another great basketball player turned football player and I think he's in the same exact mold, and maybe even more athletic.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/player/profile?playerId=177364

Other considerations for the first pick: DE Miami Calais Campbell, OT USC Sam Baker

2nd Pick: WR Desean Jackson CAL

The deficiencies of the offense have been displayed constantly this season. I think Reid will continue to go away from what he has drafted on, and go with Kelly. First, I believe Kelly will be the WR that may slip this season. Many teams will see him as another Sidney Rice due to inconsistency and youth. Desean Jackson has immense quickness and speed to be an elite NFL wide receiver. Second, I think the Eagles need towards the route of obtaining a very solid punt/kick off returner, and this is the guy. Some scouts even say Jackson has more punt/kick off return ability than Devin Hester. I think the Eagles need to continue on trimming the fat off this roster, especially on offense. Guys like Hank Baskett, Greg Lewis, Reno Mahe, etc should not be on this roster. Jackson replaces Lewis and Mahe instantly is gives the offense another down the field threat playmaker they desperately need.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/player/profile?playerId=174193

Other considerations: OLB USC Keith Rivers, DE Florida Derrick Harvey, CB Zona Antoine Cason, S Arizona State Josh Barrett

3rd Pick: S Michigan Jamar Adams

I have suspition that Brian Dawkins may be one and done after this season due to his age and health concerns. With AJ or Kolb starting next season, the Eagles have the opportunity to focus on rebuilding, which means they don't have to bring in any high priced veterens until 09 or even 2010. I highly doubt the Eagles bring in any high priced safeties, due to the solid showings JR Reed and Quintin Mikell have shown this season as starters. The Eagles desparately need another talented player in the defensive backfield and Adams may be the guy. Standing at 6'2 and weighing 214 pounds, Adams has a good frame and good speed along with excellent size to fill in at the backfield.

There it is. My first three picks. The Eagles really need playmakers on offense, and guys to fill around a developing Kevin Kolb. They do that by adding Bennett and Jackson. They help out the defensive secondary by adding a big, strong safety Jamar Adams who has close ties with Jason Avant.
Thoughts?

10 Things that Bother Me About the 76ers

1. How about starting Lou at PG and having Miller come off the bench like Jason Terry? Terry has shown he can be extremely effective coming off the bench. Mo needs to tell Miller about the goals of this season, which is to develop the young guys. I know people feel that you would be hurting his trade value, but why can't Miller come off the bench and play 5-7 less minutes than he was? Miller is going to be traded soon anyway, goodbye Andre.

2. How about you give major minutes to Jason Smith? Start him and THEN put in Reggie Evans on a need by need basis. Isn't it obvious that this offense and defense run MUCH smoother with Jason Smith in the lineup? Evans cannot start anymore. He's a big reason why this team gets down so early in the game. Sure he's an excellent rebounder, and I love the guy because he gives it all every night, but he doesn't offer anything more than offensive and defensive rebounds.

3. If Thad starts to 'get' it on the court, he makes Korver and Carney extremely dispensable. Carney has been a complete disapointment, and Korver has only one tool that is better than Thad right now, the three point shot. But Thad is a very good shooter and does have range out to three. Thad is a very fluid scorer. He is something special. Scoring appears natural to him, which I like. His dribbling needs work, no big deal. The foursome of Smith, Lou, Iggy and Thad playing on the same court together is something we should be hopefully seeing a lot in the near future. They are the future of the 76ers, bottomline, and I like what I'm seeing from them early on.

4. Scoring. I think, in the future, the Sixers are going to be one heck of a offensive team. Williams has shown he can put the ball in the hoop without effort. Iggy is a reliable scorer, 20 per game. Thaddeus is showing signs of what he may become, which is a pure, natural scorer in the mold of Paul Pierce and Antawn Jamison. Don't forget about Jason Smith who has impressed me more than anybody so far this season. He is fearless, has excellent hands around the rim and he attacks the rim hard. He hasn't even learned any moves in the paint. What happens when he does that? His first step and athleticism and excellent mid range game are all the incredible tools he could use as he develops his game.

5. Why the heck must Reggie Evans try to score the ball every time he gets in the paint? He tries to make any kind of move and walks every time. Has anyone told Reggie that this is...um...u know... EMBARASSING! I find it hilarious. In fact, lets make a drinking game out of it. Every time Evans walks with the ball you have to bong a beer, in hopes to forget about the play you just saw. Aw $hit, I'm drunk already lol. jk.

6. Carney, what happened to Carney? He has been given every chance to make a name for himself but he has such difficulty getting into any kind of rhythm or momentum with the flow of the offense. It's a shame. I think it's the half court offense that is slowing him down. I'm a Carney guy, I like him and I think he is more talented than the majority of the Sixers' roster. I just hope we're able to draft Derrick Rose or Michael Beasley so we'd become more of a uptempo offense. Hopefully that uptempo offense could jump start, or should i say, resurrect Carney's career.

7. Calvin Booth. Calvin Booth. Calvin Booth. Why is he on this team? Are you flipping telling me we couldn't find a young kid with more talent than Calvin Booth? Don't even get me started on Amundsen. I really hope the Sixers obtain multiple draft picks this year so we can begin to round out our roster. Having these scrubs on our team is embarrasing.

8. On kind of the same topic, (this doesn't necessarily bother me), but how good must it feel to be Herbert Hill? The Sixers are in such a mess right now offensively and defensively that Mo and the FO may just give Herbert Hill the chance for major minutes. Hill will take the place of Calvin Booth and LA on the roster and use those minutes to help with offensive and defensive rebounding. I firmly believe you have to earn how many minutes you get to play, but Hill is going to be thrown into the fire extremely quick.

9. Jersies. I don't want to see the black jersies anymore. Those red jersies are without a doubt the best jersey in the nba. I absolutely love the retro, red Phila jersies. When Rose or Beasley come to the Sixers, I'm going to be the first one in line getting the Phila jersey with one of their names on the back. Get rid of the black jersies, they're worthless and only get us more fouls lol. On road games rotate between red and blue Phila jersies, and I'll compromise saying that they can keep the white Sixers jersies they use for home games.

10. Billy King has to talk to Mo Cheeks about goals and aspirations about the 07-08 season. Willie Green averaging over 28 minutes per game is an absolute joke. Reggie Evans should not be averaging 28 minutes per game, pathetic. Louis Williams should not be averaging 20 minutes per game, pathetic. Even worse, Andre Miller should not be averaging over 30 minutes per game, pathetic. Smith and Williams have been the Sixers' most consistent players and Smith only gets 18 minutes per game. Mo NEEDS to switch Evans' minutes for Smith's minutes soon. This season is about developing the youth, not giving them glimpses of daylight and stashing them on the bench. Play the young guys! What do we have to lose?

Draft Needs For The Top Lottery Teams

Draft needs for top lottery teams. Feel free to add as much as you can.

Seattle Supersonics: Seattle needs a shooting guard, without a doubt. They have no one on the team besides Durant that can score, and Durant is far from a starting shooting guard. They have a ton of versatile 1st round pick power forwards/centers that are young and developing, which tells me that they won't be wasting another pick on their front court (Saer Sene, Robert Swift, Johan Petro, Nick Collison). Also due to the signing of Chris Wilcox, it doesn't make sense for them to go after Michael Beasley, a PF/SF who is exactly what Durant and Jeff Green resemble. My likely picks for Seattle would be Eric Gordon, Chase Budinger, Nicolas Batum, or a scoring combo guard in OJ Mayo. In all likelihood, I can see Seattle trading down this year in the draft. They have their pieces in Durant and Green, they desparately need veterens in there. Thoughts?

Minnesota Timberwolves: The Twolves have a very deep, young squad. They picked Randy Foye, their point guard of the future. They picked Corey Brewer, their small guard of the future. They already have their franchise power forward in Al Jefferson. And they also already have a potential starter in Gerald Green at small forward. This leaves one position left for the Twolves and it's obvious. Roy Hibbert. They have no depth at the center position whatsoever. I think it's a no brainer. The combo of Hibbert and Jefferson is SCARY. Why? Both are physical players and they both have back to the basket games. When is the last time a team has had two HUGE front court players with excellent back to the basket games? Duncan and Robinson? Thoughts?

Indiana Pacers: This is the wild card in the draft imo. The ONLY position I feel that they wouldn't go would be shooting guard. They appear to be very high on Danny Granger as a part of their future, which scratches out Gordon. Jermaine O'Neal is a free agent, but they also have a solid young piece in Ike Diogu who they may want to give a shot at starting next season. Besides that, they could go for a point guard, either Derrick Rose or OJ Mayo. They could go small forward, either Donte Green or Nicolas Batum. Or they could go center, which could be Hibbert or DeAndre Jordon. They could go anywhere. I feel the Pacers desparately need to rebuild their front court. I think they will pull for Hibbert if they have the chance, or draft Rose or Mayo they have one of the top 3 picks. Thoughts?

I feel the Bulls, Wizards, Warriors, and Heat (once Wade comes back) will turn it on very soon and won't be in the high lottery like the Sixers. Memphis and Atlanta appear to be very improved. Portland, with the continuing progression of Brandon Roye and Lamarcus Aldridge, are a threat for the 8th seed in the west. Charlotte looks much improved so far with the addition of Jason Richardson and the health of Okafor.

That leaves the Sixers, Pacers, Sonics and Twolves left to battle it out for the top pick.
On a very positive note, the Sonics, Twolves, Hawks, Griz and Blazers DO NOT need a power forward like the Sixers do. They've thrown way too much money in the position to draft a power forward due to Wilcox, Gasol, Horford, Aldridge and Jefferson. This is huge because it will allow the Sixers to draft either Michael Beasley or Kevin Love. I like it.

Thoughts?

Top Draft Picks to Targetted by the Eagles

Here are the top picks in the draft that should interest the Eagles where they pick.

OT Jake Long, Michigan
DE Chris Long, Virginia
OT Sam Baker, USC
OT Gosder Cherilus, Boston College
S Kenny Phillips, Miami
DE Quintin Groves, Auburn
WR Limus Sweed, Texas
WR Malcolm Kelly, Oklahoma
WR Desean Jackson, California
TE Martellus Bennett, Texas A&M
TE John Carlson, Notre Dame
CB Reggie Smith. Oklahoma
CB Antoine Cason, Arizona
CB Malcolm Jenkins, Ohio State
CB Mike Jenkins, South Florida
LB James Laurinitis, Ohio State
LB Rey Malaugua, USC
LB Keith Rivers, USC

Those are picks that the Eagles would seem to target the most in the first round. This years' draft is jammed full of quarterbacks and very good offensive tackles. That should move someone that we want right to our spot. The only good safety worth taking Kenny Philips out of Miami, but he'll be a top 10 pick so we NEED to tank the rest of the games to get him. He is the best player in the draft imo. WRs Limus Sweed and Malcolm Kelly are the real deal, just a notch below the talent of Calvin Johnson. I absolutely love Malcolm Kelly. He's the tall, fast WR that this team needs to pair with a young, up and coming Kevin Kolb. TE Martellius Bennett is an excellent TE prospect with great size and hands. He'll be a top 20 pick imo after the Combine. LBs Rivers, Laurinitus and Maluagua are super linebackers. I don't put Conner up here because I think they're a notch above him. CBs Malcolm Jenkins and Reggie Smith are the real deal.
Thoughts?

Thoughts from the Sixers Season Opener

Andre Iguodala: while he struggled in the first half he maintained and displayed his dominance in the second half. once he got into the flow of the offense he was truly unstoppable. i don't understand why they didn't post up iggy in the paint in the first half. iggy is going to put up unbelievable numbers this season, should be fun to watch. he will be an all star this season, guranteed. you can't ask for anything more than what he brought tonight. this is his max imo, and what we will see all season long. A minus

Willie Green: way too many minutes for this guy. i understand he needs time to get his jump shot going, but this is ridiculous. we all know when he's on he's very good, but when he's off he's a ticking time bomb. he looked good in the first half but completely dissapeared in the second half. settled for way too many long range shots. willie needs to be relentless at attacking the rim and stop taking low percentage field goals. if don't stop willie, your minutes will diminish. C

Andre Miller: i don't like the 17 shot attempts that he had, but given this teams' struggles i understand completely. i just feel so bad for this dude. he does not deserve to be on this team. what a difference maker. he just understands the game so well, both in the half court and transition game. he's a joy to watch. he settled for way too many long mid range jump shots, even though he knows it is out of his range. you can't really ask for more than what he brought tonight, especially in the points category. 32 minutes last night, right on what he should play every night. B plus

Reggie Evans: i was very impressed with this guy last night until the fourth quarter. his rebounding was so stellar that i completely forgot about how bad he is on the offensive end, until the fourth quarter. late in the game when the sixers need two huge free throws he missed both, which really cost them, so his lack of offense did come back to haunt them in the end. but you just gotta love the guy. if he can bring this type of energy every game then i will change my opinion on this dude very quickly. reggie evans played 21 minutes last night, good minutes mo. This was a great night by Evans and I don't expect much more than this. A.

Samuel Dalembert: really struggled on offense last night. could not find his jump shot or get into the rhythm of the game at all. on defense, he was excellent. on defense he was as impactful as we all imagined him to be. you can tell sammy d is not at full strength, maybe not even near it, but you have to give him credit for sticking out there and giving it all he had. 25 minutes last night was right around where i expected him to play. C plus.

Kyle Korver: the player of the game imo. he was lights out all game long. also showed excellent ability in the passing game with 4 assists. we will need this kind of performance all season long to stay in a lot of games. we can't expect more than this from korver every night. excellent excellent game from the gunner. i can't imagine i'm going to say this but 32 minutes out of korver is pretty good considering how important he is to the offense. he also displayed excellent defense running rotations against that crazy toronto offense, especially against bosh. i'd like his minutes around 23-27 range but there is just no way mo can take him out of games when he's on fire. A plus.

Rodney Carney: showed some talent in the first half. he actually made me a believer that he improved his game in the first half, evident by a nice mid range stroke, getting some rebounds and joining the team in transition. in the second half, however, he got right back to what he was last season. carney just absolutely dissapears at times in games that it hurts the team. 16 minutes per game is right about where i would keep this kid. he must show he can become a larger part of the offense or mo will be forced to keep willie green playing as much as possible. shame. Unfortunitely getting 7 points per game out of Carney this year might be the best we see. B minus

Louis Williams: excellent first showing last night. had a huge transition bucket late in the game that got it close. this kid needs to play period. we cannot afford not to play him. 15 minutes last night is an insult to this kids offensive talents. i'm hoping he sees more and more playing time throughout the season. B.

Jason Smith: what a night, talk about impact. this kid enters his first game in the nba and gets 4 points, 4 boards, a block, a steal and an assist all in 15 minutes. talk about fearless. last night he displayed excellent hands around the rim AND good range in the perimeter. this kid is a stud. there is no doubt that his playing time will go up and up. smith has all the tool set in the world to be successful in the nba. his potential is through the roof, but right now, he is an excellent role player with incredible and rare nba knowledge for such a young kid. B plus.

Overall: This is exactly the type of game we will see all season long. The Sixers have a TON of character and heart that will keep them in most games this year, but in the end it will always be mental mistakes and lack of experience that kill their runs in the fourth quarter. They just don't have the talent to take a team and knock them out. The Sixers had an excellent chance to take that game over in the fourth but came up short on mental blocks that hurt them in the 2nd and 3rd quarters. What's even worse? This was probably the best game we will see out of the young Sixers, defensively and offensively. I don't expect much more out of Evans, Iguodala, Korver, Carney, Williams, and Andre Miller. Willie Green could play better but lets be real, he's no difference maker. Last nights loss was completely indicative of the type of season this will be. It will test our limits, our passion and most importantly our patience. Do you have enough to battle the storm?

5 Biggest Question Marks for the Sixers

1. Iggy has never had to carry a team a full season. Lets see how he does getting double and triple teamed all night every night. It could be a long season for Iggy. He should take his money now. The question remains: was last years Iggy the best we will see? He strained his back after carrying the team for half a season, which limit my expectations. All in all, Iggy is not a number one scorer, rather a great second scorer. He desparately needs someone to hit a spark on offense, someone like Rodney Carney, Louis Williams or Samuel Dalembert. This could easily be the downfall of the 2007/08 Sixers' season. Iggy can not do it alone, who is the guy that steps up? Right now I have no clue and that qeustion has 4 days to be answered.

2. Reggie Evans has never played more than 20 minutes a game in his career, and they'll ask him for much more than that. Can he handle it? Will his offensive woes hurt the team? I don't buy into his 20 point performance in preseason. The team already lacks on offense, giving Evans more than 20 minutes per game will seriously hurt this team and could cost them some games. He will no doubt improve rebounding on the defensive and offensive end, but in the end how much will he impact the games? I don't see him as an impact kind of guy, rather an energy guy who gets garbage points. We had that before with Lynch and Tyrone Hill, but at least they had a slim amount of offensive game. Evans would be great on a team like Washington where they have great shooters and can afford for him to be a role player. Unfortunitely we do not have that luxery right now.

3. Jason Smith, Herb Hill and Thaddeus Young have never played in the NBA. They should tire out sometime mid season. The NBA season is twice as long as the college season, so we'll see how it goes. Smith is going to be counted on for minutes at the 4 and 5 position, so he's a likely candidate for fatigue. I know they won't play major minutes, but expecting one or two of these guys to get any regular and consistent minutes is a bit of a stretch. Smith should get around 20 minutes per game, and with his fearless attitude and reckless style, how long will he last? He hasn't gone up against any of the premiere big men yet, so I'm taking a wait and see approach to how he handles the intangibles of the NBA. Herb Hill should see around 5-10 minutes per game based on his rebounding alone. Frankly, I do not see much difference between Hill and Evans. In fact, I like Hill's offensive game over Evans and Evans with the slim advantage over Hill on defense.

4. Samuel Dalembert has a lingering injury which could carry throughout the entire season. Getting Sammy back doesn't excite me either. He's not that big of an upgrade over Calvin Booth. He's a big that found his niche on offense last season shooting from the perimeter. This is exactly what we don't need right now. With troubles on offense, I see this team settling for a ton of low percentage, mid range jump shots. Sammy cannot stay around the perimeter period. Although most of the time he's lost on both sides of the ball and gets into foul trouble way too early, he has a excellent ability to throw it down close to the net. That is his job. Plus, with more time spending with Andre Miller, the chemistry 'should' be improved. Will his injury slow him down? Speed is his greatest attribute, especially when defending on the weak side. He needs to show the same consistency he showed last season for this team to have any kind of success.

5. Will Mo Cheeks play Louis Williams? The kid has to play, whether it's at PG or SG. He is the best scorer on this team and on a team with one player who can put the ball in the hoop. How will Willie Green's minutes impact the time LouWill gets on the court? Will Mo favor the vet Willie over Williams? LouWill is on path for a break out year and keeping him on the bench would be a huge mistake. Louis Williams should be the number 3 player off the bench this season, right after Korver and Jason Smith. I expect 20 minutes per game for Williams and even more than that on good nights. He is the top candidate for breakout player of the year IMO and should see a good amount of nights in the starting lineup based on the matchups.

Top Players in College Basketball

With my favorite sport beginning in one month, I thought it'd be a great idea to make a list of the top college players in the nation. These players are in order, ranked in terms of how much impact they will have with their team and the season. Now I'm sure there will be players who will put up better stats than some of the guys in this list, but these are the top NBA prospects, whether they are a senior or a freshman.

Point Guard:

1. Derrick Rose, Memphis- most dynamic point guard prospect in a long time
2. OJ Mayo, USC- should carry the team to the top of the pac ten
3. Darren Collison, UCLA- one of the most electric players to watch
4. Chris Lofton, TENN- mr. clutch
5. DJ Augustin, Texas- no durant has me worried
6. Scottie Reynolds, NOVA- could flip this one with augustin
7. Ty Lawson, UNC- wait and see with lawson
8. Drew Neitzel, Mich State- limited ability but always finds a way to put it in the hoop
9. Jerryd Bayless, ZONA- THE player to look out for this season
10. Sean Singletary, VaTech- very solid floor general
11. Patrick Beverley, Arkansas- shows lots of promise
12. Derrick Low, Wash State- somehow gets it done, a top player in college
13. Jamont Gordon, Miss State- could jump up the standings considerably this year
14. Dominic James, MARQ- not sold on him but the talent is there

Shooting Guard:

1. Chase Budinger, ZONA- top cat
2. Eric Gordon, Indiana- best pure scorer to go to college since durant
3. Marcelus Kemp, ZAGS- big time breakout season for kemp, watch out
4. Paul Harris, CUSE- freshman donte green will help him considerably
5. Bill Walker, Kansas State- when healthy he's a big time scorer
6. Tyler Smith, TENN- super athlete to pair with lofton
7. Gerald Henderson, Duke- mr. smooth
8. Terrence Williams, LouVille- big time scorer with excellent range and athleticism
9. DeMarcus Nelson, Duke- singler will help him immensely
10. Jerel McNeal, MARQ- best player you never heard of

Small Forward:

1. Chris Douglas-Roberts, Memphis- pure stud
2. Brandon Rush, Kansas- his size and length is staggering, effortless scorer
3. Donte Green, CUSE- top recruit will be the man for cuse, and a freshman
4. Kyle Singler, Duke- will be the man at duke, i'm sure the offense will run through him
5. L.R. Mbah a Moute, UCLA- loss of affalo means more points for the prince
6. Wayne Ellington, UNC- fluid player who needs to be more aggressive
7. Kyle Weaver, Wash State- not a good shooter but has the skill set
8. Josh Shipp, UCLA- will have all the opportunity in the world to perform
9. Dajuan Summers, GT- swingman so big he could be a power forward
10. Anthony Randolph, LSU- 6'10 freshman swingman with jaw dropping athleticism

Power Forward:
1. Darrell Arthur, Kansas- no question ,he's the top player on one of the top teams
2. Michael Beasley, Kansas State- big time player, potential franchise player in the nba
3. Tyler Hansborough, UNC- mr. college basketball
4. Kevin Love, UCLA- if duncan was white, he'd look like kevin love
5. DJ White, Indiana- big fan of his, arrival of gordon makes white a big time player this year
6. Joey Dorsey, Memphis- super athletic and big, will be derrick rose's best friend
7. Josh Heytvelt, ZAGS- if healthy he could jump a couple of spots
8. Derrick Caracter, Louisville- weight and heart are question marks
9. Jeff Adrian, GT- with jeff green out, he's the man next to hibbert
10. Brandon Costner, NCState- TOP big man to watch out for this season
11. Jon Brockman, Washington-no hawes means some question marks
12. Taj Gibson, USC- mayo and gibson will be jumping over the opposition
13. Devon Hardin, CAL- must have a break out year
14. Deon Thompson, UNC- wildcard, showed a lot of promise in limited minutes
15. Nick Calethes, GATORS- top man for a rebuilding gators, also a freshman

Center:

1. Roy Hibbert, GT, will surprise and be the number one pick in the nba draft
2. Kosta Koufas, Ohio State- exact opposite of oden, but may have the same results
3. DeAndre Jordan, TexasAM- big time post presence, freshman
4. Brook Lopez, Stanford, excellent size and offensive polish
5. Andrew Ogilvy, Vanderbilt,
5. wash, wait and see

Overall, the depth of stud PGs may be one of the best since I can remember. I ranked Dominic James as the 14th best PG, but even he is THAT good enough to carry his squad to wins in the tournament. That's how deep it is. Not a very good year at center, but an interesting one at PF. The two wildcards at SF are Kyle Singler for Duke and Donte Green for Syracuse. Singler will without a doubt lead the team in point per game, and maybe even rebounds, while Green will create the fearsome duo along with big time prospect, sophomore Paul Harris. Duos of Gordon and White and Mayo and Gibson have me pumped. They should be an excellent team to watch in terms of highlight reels. The top team, IMO, is Memphis. I don't think anyone touches them this year. Rose, Douglas Roberts and Dorsey are going to run teams out of the gym. Should be an excellent year of college basketball.

Thoughts?

Things I Saw in Week 4 Against the Giants

-McNabb is clearly not ready to be back on a football field. When pressured, McNabb's mobility and ability to improvise are not there, making him just barely above an average quarterback in this league. Until McNabb shows he's healthy, this team will have much difficulty making any kind of impact. What worries me if that McNabb won't really be healthy until November, so the season may be over very shortly. McNabb's decision skills, accuracy, acceleration/burst, ability to improvise and confidence are absolutely shot right now. What happened to his confidence with Reggie Brown? It's clearly evident that he has none in the 3rd year receiver. Now without a good tight end or Westbrook, McNabb has no help. More importantly, the Eagles CONTINUE to abandon the run.

-In a night where the Eagles rushing attack averaged 5 yards a carry, the Eagles found themselves running straight down the field multiple times only to go 3 and out on 3 straight passing plays. The offense cannot continue to run like this. They don't have the receivers, the quarterback doesn't have the ability or confidence, the o line obviously cannot pass protect, the coach cannot make any kind of in game adjustments to help this team, etc etc. The bump and run is our worst nightmare on offense, and could end our season very quickly. Are there any quick fixes? I don't think there are.

-Give it up for the defense. While the front four wasn't everything I hoped it to be last night, you have to be proud of how the young linebackers and defensive backfield performed last night. With Lito and Dawk out, I expected the Giants to go deep on a consistent basis to Shockey and Burress all night long. I haven't watched the tape yet, but it seemed that Mikell and Sheldon Brown had extremely solid showings. IMO Sheldon Brown is quietly having a career season. William James looks completely lost on defense.

-Mike Patterson had a very very good game, as well as Broderick Bunkley. Patterson and Bunkley have been strong all season so far. It's a shame the offense is in such a funk because these guys have been outstanding and would get more recognition. It's obvious that that Bunkley and Patterson are really getting off the snap extremely quickly.

-Gocong is really developing much much quicker than I expected. On one stand out Giants rush to the right side, Gocong completely blew up the gap and caused Ward to find a new hole and step back a few yards before getting a 3 or 4 yard loss. His coverage on Shockey was also very strong last night. What else can you say about Omar Gaither? He not only looks like a starting MLB in this league, but he looks like a stud. He may not be the biggest linebacker in the league, but the dude is a straight out playmaker. I've been so impressed with this kid all year long. He was obviously the player of the game on defense with 9 tackles and an interception. Spikes had an ok day. He seemed to have trouble getting to the quarterback and shredding blocks.

-Overall. We lost this game due to the coaches inability to make adjustments. There is no excuse for leaving Winston Justice out there to dry and not give him any kind of help. The tight ends, running backs continued to look over Strahan's shoulder all night long. What game was Reid or Morningweg watching? This is the kind of nonsense that will continue to hurt the Eagles' playoff chances all night long. Even worse, Reid seems to have the horrible tendency to abandon the only element that seems to be working on offense all together.

-Stat of the game: Eagles pass run ratio was 31-10 in the second half. Despite all the offensive struggles, the Eagles were only down a couple of scores the majority of the game. There is no excuse to abandon the run so quickly. I hold this loss solely on the coaching staff, especially Reid and Morningweg for their failure to make adjustments and not get their team prepared. This team showed zero intensity, zero sense of urgency, zero heart, I was extremely ashamed to be a fan of this team last night. While the race for winning the division is now over, I am extremely worried about this team making the playoffs. It's not the injuries. Forget the injuries. Would Westbrook had helped last night? Sure. But check this out:

-We have: an offense that can be easily exploited, an offensive line that is horrendous has pass protection, an offense that abandons the run in the second half, a coaching staff that cannot make in game adjustments or get their team prepared, a quarterback that is not healthy and can't improvise making him an average quarterback, injuries to many key players that seem to be worse than Reid has told us, a rookie LT which is one of the most important positions in football, I could go on and on.

-Simply, not good.

-What are the answers? Are their answers? I don't have any. Reid and Morningweg deserve their criticism for the next couple of weeks. They simply called an extremely poor game last night. Actually, 3 out of the 4 games they've had very poor games. Does that change? Hopefully you have the answers because I don't.

Week 3 Detroit Lions versus Philadelphia Eagles Preview

Isn't it strange how McNabb will be celebrated as the greatest Eagle quarterback of all time Sunday all meanwhile the dismantling of the Eagles' season?

Things we know for a fact: 1, McNabb is no where near ready, mentally and physically, to start in the NFL. 2, Andy Reid is not giving him any favors making him throw the ball over 40 times a game. 3, There is no reason McNabb should be starting if he has rust by week 2, put that on the coaches. 4, Unless McNabb becomes miraculously healed within this week and until Marty learns that Westbrook is the best offensive player on the team, the offense will continue to run in circles.

As Sunday nears, major questions remain for the Eagles as many players are bitten by injuries.

Will McNabb regain his early form? There is no excuse to have a starting quarterback on your team with this much rust, especially at week 3.

Will the Eagles run the ball this year like the Fat Man promised?! Sure the o line hasn't played up to its potential so far, but there is no excuse with the current offensive scheme the Eagles are running. Fat Man continues to state the running game needs to get better. That might be so, but what about Westbrook's average of 5 yards per carry?! lol. If Westbrook doesn't become more of the offensive gameplan, this will be a loss.

Will the lack of a tight end continue to kill the Eagles offense? Opposing defenses have learned that if they can play bump and run with the Eagles' receivers, they can force McNabb to beat them with his arm. This makes the tight end position that much more important. As LJ Smith continues to be out for the Eagles, they will need significant production out of Schobel and Celek this week. On the opposing end, Chris Gocong had a weak showing against the Redskins last Monday night. He will have to play better for this defense, but those struggles, especially this early, are expected.

Will the absence of Lito Sheppard and questionable Brian Dawkins be the nail in the coffin for the Eagles this week? You have to be worried about this. With William James getting picked apart last week, luckily Sheldon Brown had a career game last Monday night. With Lito out, and the chance of Dawkins missing from the stinger, this defense is in big trouble as it faces the NFC's best receiving trio of Johnson, Williams and McDonald.

Key Matchup for the Lions: Shaun McDonald versus the lack of depth for the Eagles. With all that coverage leaning towards Johnson and Williams, Shaun McDonald has had a couple huge yet quiet games for the Lions and is a huge reason for their 2-0 record. Joselio 'Mmm bop' Hanson will have to have a very solid showing to stop this Lions offense. While Hanson will have a huge part in this game Sunday, it really all comes down to pressuring the quarterback. In other words, Hanson will not be held out to dry. The defense will have to show a team effort to stop that offense. The entire front seven must play light outs, bottomline. I could have gone with Tatum Bell against Omar Gaither due to their spread offense, but this is a passing offense. Tatum Bell has only had 15 and 9 carries in their first two games.

Key Matchup for the Eagles: Brian Westbrook versus the Lion's weak linebackers: It's obvious the Eagles have to run the ball to be successful this season, but this week there should be more emphasis placed on screens with Westbrook. The Lion's defense has been vulnerable so far to the big play in the passing game. While I expect Westbrook to have at least 20 carries Sunday, he should also have at least 6 or 7 designs in the passing game to get him in open field. Viking RBs had huge plays in the passing and running game against the Lions last week and I expect the same results this week.

Overall Feel for the Game: In just the 3rd week, the Eagles are surprisingly looking at a MUST WIN. What has me worried most about this game on Sunday all comes down to confidence. The Lions are a team on the rise that has a sense of swagger, while the Eagles are a team with a lack of confidence and one looking to get on the same page. Not a good mix, especially with so much at stake. Based on these past two games, nothing about the Eagles makes me confident that they will beat the Lions. With Lito and possibly Dawk out tomorrow, the Eagles' offense may be forced to put up at least 24 points to beat the Lions? CAN they do it? Of course. Will they? That is the question, and one that I'm extremely hesitant to answer. Not because I can't, but because I have a feeling what the end result may be.

Prediction: 28-27 Eagles

The Eagles, on the shoulders of Brian Westbrook, will have a late 4th quarter comeback after trailing all game that saves the season. McNabb will continue to show rust, and the play calling will remain stagnant. The WRs will have a great game, putting up lots of yardage, but overall the offense will remain scrappy.

Top 5 Reasons Why to Watch the 76ers

Top 5 Reasons Why to Watch the Sixers... for the average Sixer fan...

1. The emergence of Andre Iguodala: the emergence of this SG/SF could easily make his first Allstar game of his career if he continues to display what he showed after the trade. What impressed me the most out of Iguodala was his understanding of his own physical assets. Iguodala took a page out of AI's notebook to realize how unstoppable he can be if he attacks the net on a consistent basis. Simply put, Iguodala's ball handling, passing, rebounding and scoring sky rocketed when Andre Miller came to the Sixers. Playing along side a pure point guard in Andre Miller resulted in exactly what I expected, a type of offense that plays to Iggy's strengths such as his all around game. With McNabb on his way out and the city looking for a new superstar to become enamored with, look at Jimmy Rollins! Iggy is about to make his case as one of the best swingman in the entire NBA.

2. The Excitement Factor: Make no mistake about it, this may not be a team that leads the league in wins, but this Sixers roster should at least but one hell of a team to watch. BK has built this roster around one thing, athleticism. Carney, Iggy, Jason Smith, Dalembert, Thaddeus Young, and Louis Williams are all top notch athletes who excel at running the court and finishing. The Sixers may not be the best rebounding team, but I gurantee you this team will be looking to push the tempo often and to much success. All fed by Andre Miller, there's really not much else to be said about the quickness of this roster and the alley oops will be plenty. The Sixers should be a fun team to watch this season.

3. Getting Back to Fundamentals: When AI was here, this team had zero identity to make them a worthwhile team in the NBA. This team was sloppy, a mess, pathetic. The addition of Andre Miller has taken this team back to respectability with how they approach the game of basketball: fundamentals. This Sixers' fan will finally be able to watch his favorite team without the surplus of heartache that was these past 5-6 years. In fact, this could easily be number one on my list. For someone who enjoys watching every single Sixer game like myself, and with the Eagles struggling so early, I need a Sixer team that is based on fundamentals lol. This team showed a lot of heart and hustle in the second half of the season and I look forward to seeing that same determination this season.

4. The Rooks: The rookies BK has brought in has me excited. The addition of Thaddeus Young, Jason Smith, Derrick Byars and Herbert Hill will seriously trim the fat of a very poor roster in terms of depth. They may not be where they will be in a few years, but these 4 draft picks were excellent picks in my opinion. Why? They're natural born leaders, they're winners, they're smart kids, they love to play team basketball and they continually emphasize defense. Neither one should get major minutes this season, but their progress this season will be closely monitored all season long. Main points to watch for: Thaddeus Young and his ability to rebound. Jason Smith and his ability to hit the mid range jumper. Derrick Byars and his all around game. Herbert Hill and his back to the basket game.

5. The insertion of Thaddeus Young in the Starting Lineup: Nothing has me more psyched to see Thaddeus Young alongside Andre Miller and Andre Iguodala. Why? Pound for pound Thaddeus Young may already be the most physical player the Sixers have on the roster. Thaddeus Young's ability to defend and rebound is a perfect complement to Andre Iguodala who will be guarding the opposing team's best swingman. What I love about Thaddeus is his ability to play inside the paint. He has excellent hands around the rim, making him an extremely valuable in getting offensive rebounds and putbacks. The future of the Sixers rests in the development and chemistry of Thaddeus Young and Andre Iguodala, and while I hope Rodney Carney has success as the temp starting 2 guard as of right now, Young should definitely be registering significant minutes in the second half of this season. The chemistry between the two physical swingmen Young and Iggy will be one to watch for. I'm hoping they learn to feed off of each other's strengths this season.

Other Top Nominees

- Reggie Evans and team rebounding
- Carney as the new Sixers' starting two guard
- Dalembert ability to show consistency following an excellent season

The Bottomline for the 76ers

Can you compare the second half of last season to the success of the entire 07/08 season?

You can't. Too many factors come up before and during the regular season, especially with this team. Based on the way the Sixers played last year, you would think they would be a lock to make the playoffs.

But given how young this team is, is it really possible to make the playoffs? I think this team has potential, but the non-homer kiddo sitting on my right shoudler says it's not. Has a team of 20 year olds ever made the playoffs?

Will Andre Iguodala continue to shine and play at the pace he played to end last season? Will Samuel Dalembert learn consistency? Will Andre Miller show signs of age? Can Reggie Evans really rebound the ball? Is Carney a starter in this league or is he more of a track star in the wrong sport? Can Korver improve on his defense?

Everything is being judged on paper right now. On paper the Sixers are one of the worst if not the worst in the conference. I really like our team, just not for this season. Next year or the year after that we'll really see what this team is made out of. BK is doing things the right way. Build around defense, rebounding, passing and players who hustle every game. Will our draft picks turn out to be players in that mold? It's all on paper, we don't know.

The bottomline is BK is solely depending on the development of four rookies to take this team into the playoffs. The Sixers lacked depth last year to the point where it cost them game after game. BK is bringing in big men for a reason. When Shav got injured last season, BK really had no plan for the PF position. He lucked out by Steven Hunter doing an admirable job filling in. Joe Smith was a god send. He single handedly won the Sixers several games late last year by his leadership, presence and jump shot. BK traded for a rebounder in Evans that seems to be a good fit but what can we really expect from a guy that's never averaged more than half a game's minutes in any season.

Sixers fans look to last season as a sign of hope. Objective fans look at last season as a debacle, one that turned from obtaining a superstar in the draft to something meaningless. I'm somewhere right in between. Last year they found a niche that has not been seen in a long long time. We obtained a point guard with a winners mentality that got everyone involved. On one hand it was Andre Miller that cost us a draft pick, but on the other hand it showed us exactly what a solid point guard can do alongside team first players.

While I believe the Sixers will have a horrendous season (33 to 36 wins), I really believe this team will show signs of life. While some fans will be displeased with the win total, true Sixers fans will really enjoy this season. Fans such as myself have been dying to see their team reach back to respectability. Lets face it, we lost that when AI was here. Not that it was solely his fault, but our team was undisciplined, a mess, and even a joke. Speaking frankly, we (Sixer fans) cannot be quick to evaluate this team in October and November. This season is for two things only: to build chemistry and gain experience for the future.

What's different about this season? We have a direction. With such a young team the only way to go is up. Sure there will be fumbles and growing pains along the way, but it's completely natural. This roster will show glimpses of what is to become, but consistency will be the nail in the coffen, especially in the fourth quarter.

BK has a plan, I can feel it. I predict the Sixers will be right in the high lottery this season, but will I be mad to see them make the playoffs as an 8th seed? Never. I'm just ready to get back to watching 'smart' basketball. A team that plays with discipline, fundamentals, hustles and shows heart, which is exactly THE component to any successful franchise. It may not be this season for our Sixers, but it's coming along from the players BK is building around. The team is being rebuilt around defense and passing, which brings a smile to my face. How many times the past 4 seasons did we wonder what our identity was? We had none.

There is light at the end of the tunnel. It's there. Unfortunitely this is a slow moving train that won't see the prize for a little while longer.

Bring on the season baby. This Sixer fan is ready. Are you?

LETS GO SIXERS!

Get Rid of Willie Green and the Sixers are Set

Sixers trade Steven Hunter and Bobby Jones for Reggie Evans

Decent trade. Fills needs for the Sixers and the Nuggets.

Why the trade is good for the Sixers:

Hunter simply had no space on this roster when the Sixers drafted PF/C Jason Smith. Sure he had a reasonable contract for what he brought, but the Sixers DO NOT need the type of player he is. Lets face it, Steven Hunter is no complement to Samuel Dalembert. The Sixers do not need another guy who does nothing but block shots and take up a roster spot. The Sixers need a bruising power forward who can rebound, rebound and rebound. Jason Smith and Steven Hunter are practically mirror images. Although they both block shots and can run the floor, Jason Smith is much much more polished and has a better touch on offense. Steven Hunter provided excellent defense while he was here, make no mistake. He filled in admirably as a interim starter for our beloved Sixers and I hope he has a great future, he just doesn't have a spot given the emergence of Amundson and Herbert Hill. Where does the trade leave Shav? Shav may be on the way out based on his injury history and I feel the coaches favor Amundson over Randolph. My one fear going into the regular season was Bobby Jones making the team over Derrick Byars. There is no way a team can cut an SEC player of the year over a guy like Bobby Jones. With Jones gone, the 2/3 position just got a whole lot better IMO. Reggie Evans is a heck of a rebounder, exactly what we lack. I'm not quite sure the whole future Evans obtains with the Sixers, but he is the bruiser they really need. I can easily see Reggie Evans being trade bait along Andre Miller at the trade deadline. Evans will start from the first day guranteed. Either way, I don't see this trade having any effect on this upcoming season because it doesn't fix our woes on offense, but the team should be much better defensively. I absolutely LOVE what Billy King is doing to this team. He's filling a roster built on defense and rebounding, the best way to go. The way I see it, Evans will be an overpaid energy guy coming off the bench in a year or two but will not get many minutes. He'll be traded or cut in a year or two and won't have an impact with the future of this roster. He will not be starting mid season. Ricky Sanchez will never put on a Sixer uniform.

Sixers Current Starting Lineup

Andre Miller, Louis Williams
Rodney Carney, Willie Green
Andre Iguodala, Kyle Korver, Thaddeus Young, Derrick Byars
Reggie Evans, Herbert Hill, Louis Amundson
Samuel Dalembert, Jason Smith

Why the trade is good for the Nuggets:

The Nuggets got exactly what they needed, which was pretty much the opposite of what the Sixers needed. Whereas the Sixers needed rebounding and a physical presence in the paint, the Nuggets needed a guy like Hunter who can block shots and run the floor. The Nuggets run a super uptempo style of offense and Hunter should fit right into the Nugget's offensive scheme. They needed a guy who can alter shots on defense, exactly what Steven Hunter can bring. Bobby Jones is defender which is what the Nuggets lack. He won't get playing time on the Nuggets, but he's worth a look on a team that struggled to find role players in the post season.

Overall:

I give the better grade to the Nuggets for this trade. They get a valuable player, a role player for a team that just cannot seem to find any. Hunter will jump right in and block shots, exactly what they need. The Nuggets also save some cash, Evans will battle to start for the Sixers, and will probably win the job, displaying how poor the position really is in Philadelphia. I think him and Andre Miller could develop some good chemistry together. The Sixers lack a veteren and a bruiser, and they get that with Evans. Evans is now the only rebounder on the Sixers roster and could average over 10 per game this season, no joke. More importantly the Sixers get roster space and can add one of their promising young players like Herbert Hill or Derrick Byars. Good addition by subtraction for the Sixers.

Now all that is left is for the Sixers to get rid of Willie Green, which will allow future all star Thaddeus Young and Derrick Byars to get some playing time this season. Get it done BK!

Grade for the Sixers: C plus
Grade for the Nuggets: B minus

I think fans of both teams should be pretty content about this trade.

Philadelphia Eagles vs. Green Bay Packers Preview and Predictions

2006-2007 Eagles versus Packers Preview

It's football season baby!

Life can now offically begin.

Pressure the quarterback, pressure the quarterback, pressure the quarterback. The team that shows the best ability to pressure the quarterback will be victorious on Sunday. It's as simple as that. There will be blitzes coming from all angles on Sunday, especially from Jim Johnson in order to hide the deficiencies of Omar Gaither and Chris Gocong. The Packers will use the short game to keep our offense off the field by throwing screen after screen to exploit our young linebackers.

Key Matchup for the Eagles: The defensive line versus the rook Brandon Jackson. The Eagles caught a break in that the Packers starter Vernand Morency remains injured, therefore despite the inability to stop the run the Eagles have the advantage here. What an excellent time for the young backers to step in and show them what they got early in the season. The Eagles should take care of business here, but the Eagles always start out slow, so this has me worried here. Do the Packers have the potential like the Saints to run it down our throats? There will be breakdowns but I don't think so.

Key Matchup for the Packers: Brett Favre versus Our Linebackers. This is what scares me. I have nightmares of Brett Favre, a seasoned leader, taking advantage of the inexperienced backers SAM Chris Gocong and MIKE Omar Gaither. Get ready for the Packers to do everything they can to exploit this part of the defense by running screen after screen, attacking Gaither right up the middle and seeing if Gocong can defend against the pass. The Packers have had a year to gameplan for this game. This is what we will see. Can our young linebackers shed blocks, make the open field tackle and read play action?

Key Player for the Eagles: Brian Westbrook. As Westbrook goes, so do the Eagles. Brian Westbrook has barely played all preseason, but he prime and ready for the opener. There's no doubt he's the most dangerous weapon on either team, and the Packers have an aggressive front seven that likes to blitz. Get ready for a ton of dumps, delays and screens due to an over pursuing defense to let Westbrook run loose. He's gonna have a huge game.

Key Player for the Packers: Donald Driver. Will he play? It seemed, at first, he'd be out quite some time but apparently he practiced yesterday and looks ready to go. He's probably the best player on the Packers and there is no doubt the Pack will use him as a possession receiver on those quick slants Favre likes to throw. Lito better be ready because he's gonna have an extremely active game.

Prediction: Eagles 23 Packers 17

This game will go back and forth in terms of emotions. There will be many occurances where the game is in the Eagles hands but defensive breakdowns and penalties will keep the Pack in this game til the very end. I predict the Eagles will get on the board early and often but fail to score the remainder of the game. Although McNabb will look on target and an early MVP candidate, drops by the WRs and mistackles by our linebackers will be the main heartache for Eagle fans.

Top 5 Eagle Players Under the Spotlight Sunday

Here is my list of the top 5 players in order that will be under the microscope on Sunday afternoon against the Pack.

1. Donovan McNabb- Has 5 returned to form? McNabb will have an excellent opportunity to show he still belongs in the NFL elite, especially against a very active Green Bay defensive line. Our offensive line will have their hands full Sunday, making McNabb's short passing game and ability to run out of the pocket on display for everyone. There is no doubt Green Bay will bring the blitz almost every down, no question. Rather than focusing West, I feel they will make McNabb beat them with his arm after missing the last 6 games of the 06 season. Does McNabb still got it? He showed in preseason that he has not lost his touch, but the difference in tempo between preseason and the regular season is vast.

2. Sav Rocca- It seems it's not just me, but Rocca is just about as big of an unknown than Gocong, Gaither and Considine. Can he display consistency in the kicking game? Can he hold snaps for Akers? Is Akers comfortable with Rocca holding the ball? One thing is for sure: The moment Rocca botches a snap is the last snap he will ever hold in an Eagles uniform. Regardless, Rocca has that rare ability to wail the ball 60-70 yards on any given punt. That kind of advantage is SO important to a football team, given that the game is nothing more than a game of field position. If Rocca can show what he has shown in preseason on a consistent basis, it will be a huge step forward for the Eagles, which is why I'm putting this at number 2. The Eagle's offense may show a lot of 3 and outs on Sunday, making Rocca's performance is huge. Dirk Johnson haters, like myself, finally have our boomer, but will he fold under the pressure?

3. Jim Johnson- No doubt about it. This will be a huge game for Jim Johnson given the lack of experience and youth in the defense. Can Jim Johnson create a scheme that hides inexperienced players like Chris Gocong, Omar Gaither and Sean Considine to play to their strengths? Gocong and his ability to make an open field tackle, Gaither and his inexperience being the leader of an NFL team and read play action, Considine and his ability tackle and not make bone head plays. These three young players looked awefully tentative during preseason and cannot be seen in the regular season. I want to see that dawg in each of these players come Sunday afternoon. No hesitation on opportune sacks. No thinking, just puttin a hurtin on. The potential is there: The rotation of our defensive line is top notch, Broderick Bunkley will become a reliable starter, possible stud, Patterson and Van Oelhoffen will rotate to stop the run, our defensive backfield is top notch, spare an unproven Considine. It's up to Jim Johnson to get it done.

4. Shawn Andrews- This could be the offensive line as a unit, but since Andrews hasn't played all preaseason, I'm gonna single him out. He is, without a doubt, the best players on the Eagles roster. What he showed along with Runyan on the right side was just out right dominance in the second half of last season. I fully expect that kind of dominance this season as well. The question that remains is the insertion of Andrews to the offensive line and whether or not they have lost a step or not. Westbrook needs his carries if this team wants to go to the Superbowl, and it all starts with Andrews.

5. LJ Smith- Everyone knows the story on this kid. He's been injured, he is in a contract season and the Eagles don't seem to want to resign him, and he's got a young kid named Brent Celek breathing down his neck for playing time. Can LJ Smith regain his form and play at the level we're used to seeing him perform? Like it or not, the Eagles NEED LJ to get his ass back on the field. Celek looks good but is he ready? Absolutely not. This is a huge game for LJ. He can set the tone for the entire season all year by having a dominate game. A major reason for the dominant running attack in the second half of last year was LJ Smith. He went from being a below average run blocker to a very good one in a very short amount of time. Can he show the same blocking skills he showed or will his injury hamper that ability? Will he be a liability on the field because of this? Huge game for LJ Sunday.

Top Skill I Want to See Improve From Every Sixer

Here is an early breakdown of what each Sixer must improve on their game in order for the Sixers to be successful this season.



Enjoy.



Louis Amundson: Must show CONSISTENCY. Amundson has showed he has the heart, size, hustle and skill set to be a very good role player in the NBA. What he lacks is consistency. He's shown he can be that hustle player off the bench that can block shots, shoot a high percentage, rebound the ball and get the crowd involved. Just one problem, he has never played more than 10 games in one regular season. I firmly believe he's a lock to make this roster and he'll be counted on to be a key figure coming off the bench. If he can bring that all around game he's shown in the Summer Leagues he'll be that impact player off the bench we've lacked for a long time.



Derrick Byars: Must show ROLE. There's no doubt the kid can play, as evident by being the SEC player of the year and projected by many a first round pick in one of the deepest drafts of all time. Although he was hampered by an injury during the majority of the Summer League, we all know he has skills to make this youthful roster. The only problem is what are those skills? We know he has range to hit the three, play defense, good athleticism, make that extra pass and has all the intangibles in the world that makes him an excellent leader in the club house. But what separates him from the rest? Byars must show what role he can excel in in order to make the roster.



Rodney Carney: Must show PASSING. Carney has a sweet sweet stroke with range, world class athleticism and an excellent ability to finish around the hoop. The only problem is that's all he's got going for him. We all know he can score the ball and his the available three from downtown, but unfortunitely what we do know is that he brings nothing on the court other than scoring. Averaging a horrible 0.4 assists per game, those numbers must improve if Carney wants to be a part of this spread offense., especially as a starter.



Samuel Dalembert: Must show EXPERIENCE. Everyone knows Samuel Dalembert is one of the top athletic centers in the game of basketball, but unfortunitely everyone knows Sammy D is one of the dumbest centers as well. The man simply cannot grasp the game of basketball, evident by inconsistent play, rotating off the wrong man on defense and making ridiculous fouls keeping him out of the game. Sammy finally showed his potential last season averaged over 10 and 8 and starting in all 82 regular season games. In order for the Sixers to be successful next year, he must improve in those stats. I'm looking for Dalembert to go from young, center pro to proven vet this season. 12 and 9 and 2 blocks a game should be about right with Miller and Iggy all improving this year.



Willie Green: Must show ALL AROUND GAME: Willie Green is a great scorer. Duh. He's just not anything else, similar to Carney. In my opinion he's the key guy to get traded or cut from the team prior to the start of the regular season due to this. Green shows nothing in terms of passing the ball and rebounding for him to be a starter in this league. Guys like Willie Green are a dime a dozen.



Herbert Hill: Must show REBOUNDING: It's as simple as that. On a team that features zero physical players that can rebound the ball both on the offensive and defensive side, the second round pick Herbert Hill finds himself in a surprisingly excellent spot to make this roster. To boot, he's even showed he has excellent hands to finish in the paint. I believe Herbert Hill is a lock to make the final roster on a team that lacks exactly what he can bring: a guy that can make the big rebound and finish around the hoop. How badly did we get beaten rebounding in the offensive and defensive paint last year?



Steven Hunter: Must show WORTH. Steven Hunter filled in admirably as the Sixers starting power forward late last year. He played good defense, could rebound the ball somewhat on the defensive end and could finish a bit on offense. Too bad he's a center fooling himself as a power forward in the NBA. All he brought last year was a good shot blocking power forward. Although it was an improvement over a miserable performance by Chris Webber last year, his skill set only shouts shot blocking. Even though he did pretty well starting, he's still considered a bench player at best and not a starter in this league. Can Hunter improve in his starting role as a power forward on this team or is he the same old 2nd round draft pick trade bait that's plagued his career?



Andre Iguodala: Must show DEPENDABILITY: We all know Iggy is on the verge of becoming an Allstar. He's a premiere defender, passer, rebounder and leader for such a young player like himself. What he lacks is that dependability factor, but only for the reason that he's not played at the level he performed after the AI trade. After AI was traded, he averaged over 20 and 6 and 6 for the rest of the season. Can he do it again? With a bad back? Iggy will be counted on not only to improve on last years numbers but become the superstar we all think he can be. This is the year he makes himself a house hold name.



Bobby Jones: Must show UNIQUE ABILITY. Bobby Jones was drafted on his defensive skills alone coming out of Washington. On a team that is built with depth in SGs and SFs, Bobby Jones finds himself in a struggle to compete. Jones must show he has obtained a reliable jump shot and can do all the little things that makes guys like him successful in this league. Think of Bruce Bowen. Jones must make one ability unique, whether that's shooting, passing or rebounding that separates him from the rest of the SFs on this roster. Will he get playing time? That's the key factor keeping him from making this roster.

Kyle Korver: Must show DEFENSIVE RELIABILITY: Kyle Korver showed great improvement in his ability to extend his offensive game, including a reliable turn around jump shot. Korver has a great stroke, duh. What he must prove this year is that he can step it up on the defensive end. What sucks about this is that this is probably as good as it gets for Kyle Korver. Physically speaking Korver just cannot play on the same court with upper tier athletic players. Can Korver improve his offensive game enough to prove that he belongs on the court?

Andre Miller: Must show VETEREN LEADERSHIP: With Miller and Hendersen being the only vets on this squad, Andre Miller must continue to show why he's the best point guard the Sixers have seen in a long long time. Miller will be counted on to lead a roster full of youngsters. His offensive game could show some improvement but lets face it, the guy is clutch. Not much else to say. If only Andre Miller was 3 or 4 years younger......

Shavlick Randolph: Must show OFFENSIVE REBOUNDING: Lets face it, the only reason Shav was on this team was due the lack of depth in the paint and his ability to get offensive boards. After a season of disappearance, Shav must show that he can do exactly what he showed two years ago that made him a fan favorite. Shav is battling Jason Smith and Louis Amundson for second on the depth chart at starting power forward and it will be this ability that puts him over the top.

Jason Smith: Must show KNOWLEDGE OF THE GAME: Jason Smith has proved he has the ability to rebound, block shots, hit the open shot, dribble a bit and run the court. What he hasn't shown is that he has the intangibles to start in this league. Jason Smith needs to gain that moxy that'll make him the starting power forward on this team, which is yet to be seen. He's shown flashes as a power forward that can spread the floor off the dribble and shown that he has a reliable mid range game, but I do not believe that is his strength. After watching the Summer League games, he has extreme hops and is a much better defensive rebounder than I thought. If Jason Smith can show those hops on a consistent basis and reliable hands in the paint, he should be starting in no time. I'm very impressed by his ability to finish and his soft touch around the hoop.

Louis Williams: Must show CONTROL: We all know Louis Williams has the ability to average over 13 points per game as starter in this league, what we don't know is his ability to lead a team as the starting point guard. If only Lou Will was a few inches taller. Since he's so short, he must be a point guard. Louis Williams has extreme natural scoring ability, he just needs to prove that he's not as turnover prone as his age denounces.

Thaddeus Young: Must show BALL CONTROL: I really think this kid has it all. Shooting, rebounding, hustle, intangibles, leadership, passing, reputation.... What Thaddeus Young lacks is his right hand lol. The lefty simply cannot dribble with his right hand. Thaddeus Young has the smarts that will make him a star in this league, but will they translate this season? I'm not so sure about that. I believe Thaddeus Young will show incredible flashes this season, but those exact weaknesses will display themselves often.

Current Starting Lineup in October (very subject to change)

Andre Miller/Louis Williams
Rodney Carney/ Willie Green/ Derrick Byars
Andre Iguodala/ Kyle Korver
Steven Hunter/ Louis Amundson/ Shav
Samuel Dalembert/ Jason Smith/ Herbert Hill

Eagles/ vs. Ravens Review and Grades

Interior o line received the worst grades. D line was horrible, evident by inability to stop the run and get to the QB on key third downs. The Ravens consistently blitzed up the middle and off the edge and we could not stop it whatsoever. Highest grades were received by Brent Celek, Kevin Kolb, Brian Westbrook, Broderick Bunkley, Sav Rocca, Rashad Barksdale, and Nick Graham.

QB

AJ Feeley- Looked ok to me. Made a couple nice throws but missed on a wide open Reggie Brown on the sideline. Made a nice pass to Curtis for an 8 yard gain. His struggle was mostly not his own, as he was given zero pass protection, evident by the Ravens constant blitz. He really didn't show much other than the fact that he's no more than a number 2 or 3 quarterback. Grade: C.

Kelly Holcomb- Looked better than AJ last night. Similar to AJ he was pressured in every series but unlike AJ he made several very nice passes and threw a very nice ball. Made a fantastic pass to Greg Lewis on the right sideline in tight space during a pass rush, which was very impressive. He hit almost everyone in stride and displayed much more promise than AJ Feeley really. Grade: B.

Kevin Kolb- Definitely looked confident throwing into coverage last night and hit his man not only in stride but in between multiple defenders. Quick feet, quick release, strong arm, great swagger, good mentality- looks like a Garcia clone. Most importantly what he showed last night was that he CAN read a blitz and he CAN make both passes long and short. At first I thought he was just a system QB who can throw short and accurate passes, but this guy simply has a gun. I am very encouraged with our future QB. Give him 2 years to learn the system and this guy could be deadly, I really mean that. Even though his stats may not show it, I really like what I saw from him. He was hampered by drops and fumbles by the WRs and I don't believe the fumble was his fault. Showed lots of promise with his accuracy in tight spaces and down the field. Grade: A minus.

RB

Brian Westbrook- Didn't have any help from his o line, but he displayed exactly what we saw from the second half of last season. Loved the screen pass that he broke for over 20 yards. Get him a couple of series on Friday against the Panthers and then keep him out of the remaining 2 preseason games. We can't afford him getting hurt and he is the most important piece to our offense. Grade: A.

Correll Buckhalter- Due to the lack of effort by the o line, didn't do anything really, rushing and in the passing game. Didn't show any burst getting through the gaps and looked indecisive. Not much to talk about here other than the fact that he didn't impress. Missed big time in the blocking game, on multiple plays looking completely lost. Did not pick on the blitz. Grade: D minus.

Tony Hunt- Couldn't get much done in the running game, no one did, but did show something in the passing game, getting 2 catches for 11 yards. He didn't get to show his 3rd and short ability due to way too many 3rd and longs by the offense. Shame. Hopefully Friday we'll get to see it. Did show a decent burst on one run up the middle, but got pushed back on the rest. Impressed me more than Buck last night. Grade: C.

Ryan Moats- May have had a career ending injury. If you didn't have half a tear going down your face when you saw him on the ground and in the stretcher, you're not an Eagles fan. Such a shame. He was never going to make the team but you never want to see a player go down like that. Wasn't it hilarious how the Ravens broadcasters kept talking about this guys injury and how it will hamper the chances of the Eagles season? And Pat Burrell is a fast runner (thank you Joe Morgan) lol!. Grade: I'll give him an A because he'll need it lol.

Nate Ilaoa- Didn't show the burst I was hoping, looked pretty big for such a small guy out there. Looked ok. Nothing in the run game, but showed something in the passing game, which is his strength. Grade: C minus.

FB

Thomas Tapeh- Was he on the field? lol. Seriously, didn't do a thing. Poor blocking, no carries, receptions. Did not impress. Grade: F.

Jason Davis- Looked much more impressive than Tapeh as he made a decent carry up the middle, in his only carry lol. Did a better job blocking IMO than Tapeh, which isn't saying anything really. Grade: C minus.

WR

Reggie Brown- Made a nice catch for 6 yards near the sideline but other than that did not do much. Much due to the lack of pass protection, he didn't have the opportunity to shine. Looks like the real deal and I believe he's ready to take that third year WR step. Grade: C.

Kevin Curtis- One nice catch for 9 yards on the first play of the game. Looked smooth and ran a quick route effectively. Grade: C.

Jason Avant- He's still the physical, great blocking WR he was last season. Made a reception for 12 yards, and that's it really. Reliable, consistent, physical, a great possesion receiver and a great run blocker that will fit in very well in this offense- no wonder why the Eagles FO loves this kid. Grade: C plus.

Hank Baskett- Showed great hands catching a ball for 9 yards in between two defenders. Grade: C plus.

Jeremy Bloom- Made a couple really good catches in between defenders and took the hit well. Showed excellent hands. Those two receptions will go a long way in him making the team. If he does that again on Friday he's a lock to make the team, due to his punt return and kickoff return ability. Showed an excellent juke on one punt return. Showed great acceleration and quickness, but had no holes or gaps to run in between as the special teams were aweful just like the o line. With better blocking he has potential. Grade: B.

Greg Lewis- Made a great catch on the sideline on 3rd down for 10 yards, but it was an even better throw by Holcomb. Shows that he's an excellent 3rd down receiver, which made him effective last year. The progress of Avant and Baskett will make it hard for the Eagles to keep him but he'll definitely have a job somewhere else. Grade: B minus.

TE

Brent Celek- What a performance by Celek. He showed exactly what reports out of TC have reported. Runs excellent routes, great hands, great ability after the catch and is very advanced for his time in the offense. What else can be said that has already been said? Grade: A plus.

O Line

William Thomas- Got beat off the edge and on one play his man got the sack. Could not read the blitz coming off the edge. Did not seem prepared or into the game whatsoever. Grade: D.

Todd Herremens- This is where it got ugly. Ravens blitzed up the middle on a consistent basis, which really did not fit well with Herremens. From all the progress he has reportedly been given during TC, I'm left unimpressed. Grade: D minus.

Jamaal Jackson- Similar to Herremens. Was outmatched by the Ravens blitz. Seemed lost. Could not run block or show anything that made him a top center in the league last season. Grade: D minus.

I don't even need to go further with the rest of the o line. It was simply pathetic. Scott Young, Max Jean Gilles, etc, etc were all noticably bad. Not giving them all an F but they could very well deserve it. Isn't this position our strength? They looked like they have never seen a blitz before and very unmotivated. Very very very poor showing. Way to represent guys.

D Line

Broderick Bunkley- Must be consistent if the Eagles want to get to the Super Bowl. I truly believe it's as simple as this: If the Eagles stop the run, they're the best team in the NFC. Bunk is a huge huge part of that and so much is riding on him. It was good to see a sign to see him so effective in the run game. Made two GREAT plays getting the running at the LOS. A completely different player than last year. This is the guy we drafted in the early-mid first round. Great showing. Grade: A.

Mike Patterson- Was really nonexistent. Didn't show anything. HAS to play better, especially when our blitzing linebackers don't do anything. He's not there for his run defense, so he has to pick it up and become a factor. Got eaten up on several run plays over 10 yards. Grade: D.

Trent Cole- Did not show any kind of pass rush or help against the run. Did not even come close to making a tackle. Very poor showing. MUST play better. Grade: D minus.

Jevon Kearse- Similar to Cole. Not one tackle. Don't really care though. As long as he stays healthy really. Grade: D minus.

Juke Thomas- Made a couple nice tackles, especially one getting the RB from behind. Still the good blitzing rotational guy we expect. Grade: C.

Victor Abiamiri- I was pretty impressed by his play. Made a couple nice tackles in the backfield and showed good strength against the run. Performed the best out of our group of DEs. He's a lock to make the roster from his overall game against the pass and run. I like it. Seemed to be the only guy wanting to make the final roster on the d line. Grade: A minus.

Jerome McDougle- completely nonexistent. Not making the roster. Grade: F.

LB

Takeo Spikes: Didn't show much really. Not exactly sure how much he played really. Didn't notice. Only made one tackle. Hope to see more on Friday. Grade: D.

Chris Gocong: Made a great tackle along the sideline, but that's about it. Grade: C.

Jeremiah Trotter- Could not get off blocks on several plays, and on one big run. I didn't see the improved, quicker Trotter. Not a good sign. Grade: D minus.

Stewart Bradley- Showed flashes getting into the backfield but took several bad angles allowing for big runs. Must improve reading defenses. Definitely out of position at Mike linebacker. Seems to be better than Simoneau, which is a breathe of fresh air. Needs time, maybe a year to learn the defense. Grade: B.

Omar Gaither- Very unimpressed by Gaither. Looked lost, especially when he completely let up on getting Boller out of bounds, allowing him to run for an extra ten yards. Could have been due to the lack of players around him. Must improve. Grade: D.

Tank Daniels- Made one good tackle on a pass but that's about it. Nonexistent in the run defense. Will not play this year at linebacker. Still a project. May get some time on special teams but that's it. Grade: D plus.

Matt McCoy- Looked much better than last year getting off of blocks and wrapping up RBs in stride. I was really impressed with him as he looked stronger, more physical and decisive than last year. Not big but a fastball linebacker that can play some snaps in nickel situations. Will definitely make the roster and be effective on special teams. Grade: B plus.

CB

Sheldon Brown- I didn't even notice him on the field. Did he play lol? Grade: Incomplete.

William James- Got beat on a big 3rd down play that led to a score. Didn't seem into the game. Looked lost. Definitely not starting over Sheldon Brown this year. Must improve for our pass defense to be effective. Kinda worried here. Grade: D minus.

Joselio Hansen- Made several nice tackles and broke up on pass play on defense. Looks more confident this season after a year under his belt. I think he'll make the roster. Grade. C.

Rashad Barksdale- VERY impressed by this kid. He just looks natural out there in the backfield. Was all over the field, broke up a deep pass in the end zone and was a great tackler. I don't think he missed one tackle. He has excellent size too. Great pick and he has much potential. I think he'll make the team as the last DB. Much less of a project that I thought. Grade: A plus.

Nick Graham- Like Barksdale he was all over the field. Great performance to get his name out there. Excelled in garbage time and looked like he belonged. Grade: A.

S

Sean Considine- Very strong performance in coverage by a key player in the first preseason game. Must be a consistent tackler against the run. Seems to be a smart player. Was horrible blitzing and could not get off the line at all. Do not blitz this guy. Grade: B minus.

P

Dirk Johnson- Had a pretty good game actually punting the ball. Grade: B plus.

Sav Rocca- Excellent performance today. Punted one ball from the back of the end zone to the opposing teams 30 yard line! WHAT?! That's what I've been waiting to see. I believe Rocca has taken the lead as the teams first string punter. Hopefully it continues. Grade: A plus.

Top Tight End Prospects in the 2008 NFL Draft

For those who think this will be LJ Smith's last year, here are the early top TE prospects entering the 2008 NFL Draft.

Just getting you ready for some intense TE chat when LJ leaves for free agency next year lol.

Here's what I got my info from: http://walterfootball.com/draft2008TE.php

And here are the top 5 TE prospects in the 2008 NFL Draft, not in order.

USC Fred Davis

His stat page from last season: http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/player/profile?playerId=156173

Texas A and M Martellus Bennett

His stat page from last season: http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/player/profile?playerId=177364

Other Info: Best TE in the country in my opinion, 6'7 frame too

Missouri Chase Coffman

Stat page: http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/player/profile?playerId=177294

Notre Dame John Carlson

Stat page: http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/player/profile?playerId=150292

Michigan State Kellen Davis

Stat page: http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/player/profile?playerId=160704

Bottomline, there aren't many stand out TEs in this years class but it's a pretty deep year IMO. Most are projected in the second and third rounds due to their slow 40 time. One thing about this years class is that they are all HUGE and physical. I like Bennett the most, but I think Carlson has the most potential out of the group since he's coming from a great TE school and coach in Notre Dame and Charlie Weiss. I think Carlson is in for a huge year.

I think Bennett and Carlson will be there when we make our pick in the mid 20s next year, and either one is a leading candidate for our pick. I know this is way too early, but I thought it'd be fun.

The Eagles will also be looking for a safety in next year's draft.

Here's a link talking about the cream of the crop: http://walterfootball.com/draft2008S.php

The 3 Most Important Players to the Eagle's 07-08 Season

(Not Named McNabb and Westbrook)

1. Broderick Bunkley- In order to make the playoffs, let alone Super Bowl, the Eagles MUST improve their run defense. I don't think there is any way around it. Yea sure Mike Patterson must improve, and Ian Scott should be an upgrade, but the guy that must prove his worth (being a top first round pick) is Broderick Bunkley. Here is a guy that showed up late and out of shape at last years TC, missed a flight to a game, and had tons of hype as the answer to our defensive woes. According to early reports, Bunkley has been working his ass off all offseason and has looked good in his first hitting day at TC. Dawkins said yesterday that Bunkley's maturity has significantly improved, and defensive coordinator Jim Johnson even said that the difference is light and day between the way Bunk approached the game this year compared to last year. In my opinion, Mike Patterson will be what he is, a reliable but only good defensive tackle for his career. Bunkley has a ton of untapped potential, and he is the key to our defense, even Super Bowl run, if he plays like he's suppose to. The Eagles know they need a significant boost to their run defense, and a much more mature Broderick Bunkley will be relied upon heavily in the 07-08 season. If the Eagles can stop the run, I don't think this Eagles team can be stopped, but that's a big if.

2. Chris Gocong- It's no secret that Dhani Jones was one of the worst linebackers on the Eagles last year. Over the last 3 years, Dhani Jones has amounted 1 sack. 1 Friggin Sack! That's just absolutely pathetic. But that's not the worst part. Jones was consistently out of position all year, every year he's been an Eagle. Countless NFL tapes show Jones being too slow off the snap, being too late to fill the gap and not being able to break through any blocks to make a play in the back field. Enter Chris Gocong, who has all the size, speed, instincts and intangibles you look for in a linebacker. The only question, and it's a big one, is can he play linebacker in the NFL? With a year under his belt of studying the playbook, it's all a matter of putting it all together for the sophomore from Cal Poly. Strictly speaking, any performance from our strong side linebacker this year will be an improvement over the last 3 years of Dhani Jones, so performance out of the position can only go up. Last year the Eagle's linebackers were exposed. In fact, only one Eagle linebacker, in my opinion, had a decent year and that was Omar Gaither who will be backing up Trotter this season. The addition of pro bowler Takeo Spikes should lighten the load a bit on Chris Gocong, but his performance will go a long way in deciding the success of our beloved Eagle defense.

3. Marty Morningweg- Not a player, but THE guy that will determine whether Westbrook will run wild in 07-08. There's not much to say here then what has already been said. We all know how good our offense is, but what we were exposed to last year shows how a conservative, time consuming offense impacts the defense. Morningweg needs to maintain the exact same game plan the Eagles utilized the second half of last season and continue to trust, in my opinion, the best offensive line in the NFC. I also want to see Morningweg utilize the two RB system that seems to be the trend right now in the NFL. Give Westbrook 20 carries a game, but split 10 more carries between Buck and Tony Hunt. THIS is the way we get to the Super Bowl. Last year we proved we can be that grind it out, power running team that Eagle fans have said we could be. The second half of last season it became a reality and it took us to the playoffs. There is no reason why it should stop.

Honorable Mention: Reggie Brown, Jevon Kearse