Q&A with ‘A Sixers Odyssey’ Author and Former Liberty Baller Dave Rueter

I’ve always loved Willie Green. I do not know why.

He wasn’t a flashy player during his seven seasons with the Sixers from 2003 to 2010. His scoring average never reached 13 points per game, he didn’t have some boisterous, brandable personality that hooked me — he wasn’t even a full-time starter in six of those seven seasons. But I loved him. Still do. My only theory as to why is that when I was a kid, green was my favorite color. Ipso facto, you see the correlation. I met him once at a Verizon store near a California Pizza Kitchen. I just remember being so happy to learn we were on the same wireless coverage plan.

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5 Ways the Sixers Have Supported Joel Embiid This Offseason

This offseason has been nothing if not unusual for the Philadelphia 76ers. After being systematically dismantled on the court in the Orlando bubble via four quick losses to the Boston Celtics, many fans feared that Sixers ownership would be unwilling to go to the necessary lengths to meaningfully improve the team’s future outlook. Sure, many thought, head coach Brett Brown would be fired. That was the one meaningful alteration that seemed destined during the playoffs, as the amiable clipboard-holder had clearly been in Philadelphia one season too long. So a new coach would take over — maybe Ty Lue, maybe Mike D’Antoni, maybe Billy Donovan.

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Off-The-Court Fun Facts About Each New Sixer

How about your brand new Philadelphia 76ers? All it took was one night — draft night — for the Sixers’ new President of Basketball Operations to materially change the team’s roster and short-term outlook.

First, Daryl Morey accomplished the gargantuan feat of trading Al Horford, a first-round pick and a second-round pick to Oklahoma City for veteran three-and-D specialist Danny Green. Then, Morey capitalized on some good luck, as the first round of the draft went the Sixers’ way and enabled the team to select Kentucky guard Tyrese Maxey with the 21st overall pick. Soon after, Morey acted again via trade, sending Josh Richardson — a fine player who was unfortunately miscast and overextended on last year’s team — and a second-rounder to Dallas in exchange for cost-controlled sharpshooter Seth Curry. To round out the night, Morey added Isaiah Joe — a conscious-less 3-point bomber — with the 49th overall selection, and then nabbed Paul Reed — an unheralded, toolsy, defense-first big man — with the 58th pick.

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Examining Doc Rivers’ First Coaching Staff in Philadelphia

What a remarkable turn of events ever since summer’s end for Sixers fans. First, after firing Process mainstay Brett Brown, General Manager Elton Brand and Sixers managing partner Joshua Harris moved swiftly to hire longtime NBA pillar and championship winner Doc Rivers, shortly after he parted ways with the LA Clippers. Then, Brand added two well-regarded executives to his own staff in Peter Dinwiddie from Indiana and Prosper Karangwa from Orlando. And then — bam! The Sixers shocked the world by hiring a top-five executive in the league, as they named Daryl Morey the new President of Basketball Operations.

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5 Trade Machine Trades for ex-Daryl Morey Players

I, for one, am completely shocked to find myself in a position to be able to write a piece about Daryl Morey, Sixers President of Basketball Operations.

After Morey sprung free from his 13-year partnership with the Houston Rockets, and then weeks went by with nary a whisper of any substantial interest in the exec on Philly’s end, I was sure that ship had sailed. The Sixers brass had spent the offseason leaking reports about how empowered General Manager Elton Brand finally was, and how big bad analytics were solely responsible for the team’s recent run of awful personnel decisions. I was especially resigned to Josh Harris and company passing on Morey once reports emerged that Peter Dinwiddie and Prosper Karangwa had been hired to key roles in the front office, just as Alex Rucker had been banished to a utility closet somewhere deep within the team’s Camden facility.

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