“I didn’t appreciate the fans enough…the fans of Philadelphia are incredible.” — Ben Simmons opens up about his relationship with Philly in our sit down with him dropping TOMORROW! pic.twitter.com/B9KVqvOPoT

— TheYoungManAndTheThree (@OldManAndThree) January 23, 2025

“I didn’t appreciate the fans enough. The fans of Philadelphia are incredible. You always wanna play for a team that has a good fan base, whether they’re booing or whatever, you just want fans to care. You want the arena packed. Having that experience in Philadelphia was amazing…”

Yeah, well it didn’t have to end the way it did. Ben could have played his entire career here. If he developed even a semblance of a jump shot or remembered how to dunk the ball in Game 7 against the Hawks, who knows where the Sixers are right now. Instead, we went through the whole saga of mental health and Ben being booted from practice and whatever other nonsense happened back then, which feels like it was a hundred years ago.

Not sure if anyone’s paying attention to the NBA right now since the Sixers are an injury-wracked abomination, but Simmons is a free agent this Summer. He’s played 30 games for a hideous Nets team and is averaging 6.3 points, 7.1 assists, and 4.4 rebounds while shooting 55.5% from the field. He’s still a shell of the player he used to be, but if he can stay healthy through the end of the year he’s probably done enough to at least earn himself a buy-low contract for 2025-2026.

The post Ben Simmons Says He Didn’t Appreciate Philly Fans Enough appeared first on Crossing Broad.

It’s just how the founding fathers pictured Independence Hall, one year before the nation’s 250th birthday. Thank you to Mr. Van Basten for the photos. If you’d like to read more on the topic, I recommend the Pulitzer-nominated 10 Thoughts on Josh Harris, the Sixers, Commies, and Why Anybody Would Have Been an Improvement Over Dan Snyder.

The post Looks Like Eagles Fans are Ready for the Josh Harris Bowl appeared first on Crossing Broad.

Joel Embiid participated in an on-court workout yesterday after missing the last six games due to a left foot sprain. While the foot sprain has healed, Embiid experienced an increase in swelling in his left knee following the workout. After consulting with team medical staff and external doctors, Embiid will receive treatment in the coming days to address the swelling. As a result, he will be OUT for the upcoming road trip and re-evaluated in approximately 7-10 days.

We now return you to your regularly-scheduled programming, already in progress.

The post Joel Embiid is Out for 7-10 Days appeared first on Crossing Broad.

Idk how I feel about this pic.twitter.com/DZrLaKHPVA

— Kyle Pagan (@CBKylePagan) January 16, 2025

Karl-Anthony Towns is sporting an Eagles sweater on the Knicks’ bench pic.twitter.com/wCIkdk89iP

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) January 16, 2025

I’m still trying to process how I feel about a Knick wearing an Eagles sweater on the bench. There’s no doubt KAT is a legit Eagles fan. He trolled one of Rich Eisen’s Dallas Cowboys coworkers with an entire mariachi band a week ago. I welcome every Eagles fan with open arms. But it kind of feels like your mom’s boyfriend telling you that you can call him dad. Sure, you like the boyfriend. He’s been around for some years. He treats your mom right. Takes you to basketball practice and lets you drink in the basement with your buddies. He also didn’t rat on you that one time you broke the window playing ball in the house. You’re cool with each other but you’re not “You can call me dad” cool. That’s how I feel about a rival rocking my favorite team.

The sweater was the talk of the entire game:

Jalen Brunson co-signs KAT wearing an Eagles sweater

Knicks-76ers on ESPN pic.twitter.com/V7a6KUcMfp

— ESPN (@espn) January 16, 2025

You’d think he’d proudly rock it the entire time especially when it’s Rams week with a spot in the NFC Championship on the line. But in the second half, out of nowhere, KAT took it off:

Did someone on the Knicks tell KAT to lose the Eagles sweater?

(IG/itsalwayssanjayinphiladelphia) pic.twitter.com/KvhR2u3H6U

— Crossing Broad (@CrossingBroad) January 16, 2025

That can’t be a good omen.

It was brought up to Jalen Brunson in the postgame after the Knicks beat the Sixers in OT:

“If it was me, I would have kept it on.”

—Jalen Brunson after KAT changed out of his Eagles sweater in Philly pic.twitter.com/Rh97JEtzoZ

— ESPN (@espn) January 16, 2025

Brunson then called him soft on Instagram for changing:

KAT can say all he wants about sweat stains. James Dolan definitely made the call:

Aye twitter,

Sweat stains ain’t it on ESPN. Had to pull another fit out!

anyways…GO BIRDS

— Karl-Anthony Towns (@KarlTowns) January 16, 2025

3. why the fuck you lyin
– one of the most iconic vines out there
– get this man a grammy
– best meme on the internet pic.twitter.com/8SI5OUmMK3

— ً (@21styg) January 4, 2018

A real Eagles fan would never succumb to public pressure! Take Grant Williams doing it in the heart of Dallas last year. This pissed a TON of people off:

Eagles fan Grant Williams trolls Dallas with a Jason Kelce jersey after the game

(yt/mavericks) pic.twitter.com/bk7i2YGq0I

— Crossing Broad (@CrossingBroad) November 6, 2023

Williams didn’t even make it the entire year on the Mavs and the stories that followed after he was released tried to defame his character. That’s a true Eagles fan right there. Stare in the face of your adversaries during the first year of your four-year deal and give them a big ol’ middle finger. Who cares if they shipped you off to the land of misfit basketball? Stand for something, or die for nothing.

The post Someone from the Knicks Definitely Made Karl-Anthony Towns Lose the Eagles Sweater appeared first on Crossing Broad.

Unfortunately, he reads too many negative troll comments and decides to pivot, ala Garth Brooks doing the Chris Gaines alter ego. We’re then introduced to a much darker Mr. Cupcake Man, which more or less bombs and results in Mark becoming a one-hit wonder.

The story is ridiculous in a good way, and one of my top three episodes of season 1, which is streaming now on Hulu. It also got me thinking about one-hit wonders in Philadelphia sports, so we did some crowd sourcing with readers to see if we could put together a comprehensive list. The criteria was basically boiled down to two things. One, the athlete was here for a few seasons, but only had one amazing year that was never replicated. Or, two, the player was only here for one single season, played well, and was never heard from again. In that sense, this can either be a positive one-hit wonder, or a negative one-hit wonder, depending on the situation. We organized this by team since the list was so long, and came close to 50 total players. If there’s anything totally egregious that we forgot, email me and I’ll add it to the list.

Eagles

• Patrick Robinson – The pick six will go down as one of the all-time great plays in Philadelphia Eagles history.
• Jay Ajayi – The mid-season trade that put the Birds over the top during the Super Bowl year.
• LeGarrette Blount – There are a number of guys from the 2017 team that could go on this list, but Blount, Ajayi, and Robinson are easily the top three.
• Travis Fulgham – Who could forget Fulghamania? He played one game for Denver in 2021 and that was his last NFL action.
• Terrell Owens – TO was here for two seasons, but only one was meaningful. We all know what happened afterward.
• Chris Jones  – Not the defensive tackle who wrecks shop for the Kansas City Chiefs, but the guy who caught 70 passes for more than 850 yards and five touchdowns back in 1996.
• Leonard Weaver – Went to the 2009 Pro Bowl and was becoming a fan favorite, then got hurt and only played one game the following year.
• Donte Stallworth – 725 yards and 5 scores for the 2006 team. Only Reggie Brown was better that year.
• Jeff Garcia – He’s it baby! That six-game run from 2006 was special.
• James Bradberry – The fact that he’s on this list is sad. Hopefully we don’t have to add Zach Baun to it.
• Kevin Curtis – Played here for three seasons, but that 2007 was a total outlier and he never came close to replicating it.
• Shawn Barber – This guy was a menace on the 2002 team. 93 tackles, three fumble recoveries, two picks, two forced fumbles.
• Walter Thurmond – A journeyman up until 2015, when he started all 16 games for the Birds. He then retired.
• Jason Babin – Largely a clown, there was a time when he went to the Pro Bowl with an 18-sack Eagles season.
• Bobby Hoying – We will always have that brief run of games from 1997 to fondly look back on.
• D’Andre Swift – 1,000 yards and a Pro Bowl during his only Philly season.
• Doug Pederson – Doug P? Yeah. His best NFL season, which admittedly was not great, was in 1999.
• Michael Bennett – Had himself a monster 2018.

Phillies

• Dom Brown – Let’s be honest, if this was a top-10 list instead of a larger thing, Dom Brown would be #1.
• Aaron Rowand – Proof that you don’t have to be a superstar to be respected here. Just put your body on the line making a hustle play.
• Hunter Pence – The guy hit .324 in that first half-season with the Phils.
• Benito Santiago – Feels like he played for every team in Major League Baseball, but in 1996 he knocked in 85 runs and hit 30 home runs.
• Pedro Martinez – Could have won another ring here if a few things went differently for the 2009 squad.
• Tadahito Iguchi – .803 OPS over 45 games in 2007. He might be more of a “cup of coffee” guy, but close enough.
• Scott Kingery – 2019 looked like a break out year for him, but unfortunately it was not.
• Matt Stairs – Only with the Phils for what amounted to one full year over two seasons, but boy did he leave an impact.
• Glenn Wilson – His only All Star season was here in 1985.
• Corey Dickerson – Only played 34 games, but posted a really nice .293/.307/.579 slash line.
• Kenny Lofton – People always forget about Kenny since he was 38 years old and near the end of his career, but he played well here in 2005.
• Geoff Jenkins – We’ll count him. Walked in here during his final MLB year, won a ring, and retired.
• Roger Connor – Gotta make sure we get someone from the 1800s on the list. According to Twitter user Matt Albertson, Connor posted a “6.3 WAR in 1892. Hall of Famer who spent most of his time with the Giants.”

Sixers

• Dana Barros – Barros was a good player who enjoyed a long career, but he was never better than 1994-1995, when he shot 46.4% from three and averaged a career-high 20.6 points per game.
• Michael Carter-Williams – A Rookie of the Year who became a Process casualty. A snapshot of the Sam Hinkie era.
• Jimmy Butler – Just know that his name is Jimmy, it is not James.
• Willie Burton – Another guy who had his best single season in Philadelphia. 15.3 PPG on the Dana Barros team that also included Clarence Weatherspoon, Shawn Bradley, and Sharone Wright.
• Jahlil Okafor – I’d walk over to Ukee Washington’s desk in 2015 and we’d watch Jah’s post moves. Alas, that was the pinnacle, we just didn’t know it at the time.
• (why are there not more Sixers on this list? surely we’re forgetting some obvious ones – EDIT: of course I missed Nic Batum)

Flyers

• Peter Forsberg – Only played one full season before he was traded, but what a season it was. 75 points in 60 games. He finished 12 points behind Simon Gagne for the team lead despite playing 12 fewer games.
• Ville Leino – Leino was a mid-season trade when the Flyers went to the Stanley Cup Finals about 15 years ago. He went on a playoff heater, then had a 53-point season the following year before becoming an unrestricted free agent. He played 93 regular season Flyers games and 30 in the postseason, but we collectively decided he fits the billing here.
• Jaromir Jagr – 54 points in 73 games. It’s no coincidence that some Flyers had their best seasons ever when Jagr was on the squad. He made everyone around him better.
• Greg Paslawski – “Mud” put up 33 points in his lone Flyers season and was never heard from again.
• Sean Walker – The most recent example, he was a rebuilding casualty and flipped for a 1st round pick.
• Matt Niskanen – Isn’t it kind of sad how quickly they fell after after he left?

Union

• Borek Dockal – The Czech international only spent one season in Chester, on loan from a Chinese club, but before he departed back to Europe, he scored five goals and chipped in 18 assists, which was #1 in Major League Soccer that season.
• Michael Orozco Fiscal – Back then, he was only Michael Orozco and hadn’t yet changed his name. He was a constant starter on the 2010 expansion team and a full U.S. international who had a nice career played mostly in Mexico.
• Gabriel Gomez – The best signing for the ill-fated 2012 Union team, he was a quality box-to-box player and veteran Panama international.
• Jeff Parke – One of the few veterans on the 2013 team, his presence in central defense put a young team right on the playoff doorstep.
• Oguchi Onyewu – Gooch finished his career with the Union and was a bright spot on an otherwise underwhelming 2017 team.
• Marco Fabian – Scored the first playoff winner in Union history despite playing a smaller role than we all expected.
• Veljko Paunovic – Fans didn’t like this midseason acquisition at first, but the “Old Serby Bastard” scored three goals and stepped into the starting lineup for the first Union playoff team ever.

“Cupcake man, I’m a cupcake man, look at me baby I’m a cupcake man. I’m a hot dog man, I’m a hot dog man, look at me baby I’m a hot dog man.”

The post In Honor of Mark Hoagies and Mr. Cupcake Man, Here’s the Ultimate List of One-Hit Wonders in Philadelphia Sports appeared first on Crossing Broad.

Obviously that Center City plan is scrapped now, which adds the Sixers to the larger goal of revitalizing the stadium district by adding bars, restaurants, apartments, and all sorts of other stuff. These concepts were included in renderings Comcast put out last Summer, with a “Phase 1” focused on upgrades to Xfinity Live, a 5,000 seat concert venue, a hotel, new retail and restaurants, and an outdoor plaza. The Xfinity upgrades were set to be finished this year or early 2026, with everything else slated for 2028.

The Sixers’ pivot obviously changes things now. A new, larger indoor arena will be built over the next six years. Some people thought this was originally a leverage ploy and totally fake, but with HBSE reversing course in stunning fashion, it opens the door to move things forward.

If you’ve never been to The Battery, or seen pictures of it, it’s like a little village of shops and apartments and public spaces around the Braves’ ballpark. They built it right at the intersection of two major highways in I-75 and I-285, the latter of which circles Atlanta and features about 7 million cars on it throughout most of the day. This is a suburban development and there was some controversy when the Braves left downtown and decided to go out to Cobb County. If you’re not familiar with the area, the CliffsNotes is that Atlanta is more or less a glorified suburb where everyone drives.

Notably, Comcast became a Braves partner back in 2015, and they now have an office building right next to the ballpark, which serves as the Southeast Regional headquarters. The Cordish Companies operates a Live! venue down there, almost an exact copy of what they did with Xfinity here in Philly, and the still-relatively-new casino and hotel as well. There’s a music venue at the Battery operated by Live Nation, so it’s a familiar cast of characters and companies. You get the sense that they will replicate as much as possible here, the difference being mass transit access through the Broad Street Line and possible expansion into the Navy Yard, FDR Park, and Bellwether District.

There’s also this:

If you’re wondering why every American sports team wants to build a mixed-use development around its venue, “The Battery” earned the Atlanta Braves $59 million in revenue last year. It’s now the team’s 3rd largest revenue-generating category (+ growing 10% annually). Incredible. pic.twitter.com/4LgEiuhqOF

— Joe Pompliano (@JoePompliano) March 14, 2024

As you can see, The Battery doesn’t have a lot of surface-level parking. It’s mostly garages dotting the perimeter. Depending on what the Eagles decide to do, the tailgating scene in South Philly may never be the same. We can argue about that on social media later. With the Phillies involved, and the Sixers and Flyers now partnered, Jeffrey Lurie’s franchise is the last remaining holdout. Their lease at Lincoln Financial Field still has a little more than eight years remaining, so they will have to decide on their future sooner rather than later, as we’ve discussed in previous articles. Their decision will steer the developmental ship.

The biggest question is whether or not this is good for Philadelphia sports fans, and the answer depends on what you like and don’t like. If you enjoy driving down there, parking, tailgating, and going home, then a mixed-use development is not ideal. But if you want a different experience and think the current setup is lame, then you’ll enjoy this.

Here are some pics of The Battery from the firm NELSON Worldwide, which designed the project:

The post If it Wasn’t Obvious Before, Comcast and City Officials Want to Turn the South Philly Sports Complex into Atlanta’s Battery appeared first on Crossing Broad.

1. For the WNBA side, they brought Wanda Sykes and her wife Alex to the press conference. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver was on a video call and spoke as well. Silver thanked Josh Harris, David Blitzer and Brian Roberts for their “very intense involvement and willingness to partner together.” No mention of David Adelman or Dan Hilferty. That was a line that jumped out to me. Maybe there’s something to it, maybe not. You’re always reading between the lines, looking for clues, and it seems like the final bit of business was hashed out at the highest levels of ownership.
2. Adelman was the first to speak after the mayor. He joked about winding up on the same team with Comcast after more than a year of the two sides just totally killing each other both publicly and privately. He then went through and thanked the council members who voted in favor of the Market Street project, as well as the labor unions and Ryan Boyer.
3. Mayor Parker said that she spoke with Muriel Bowser, who said nice things about Josh Harris.
4. Harris was fighting a cold. He said they began “meeting with Comcast in earnest over the last two weeks.” He talked about the project splitting off into two developments instead of one. Speaking about Brian Roberts, he said they “went different ways and came back together.. I think it’s amazing, I’m so happy to be standing with you and we’re gonna do great things.. the journey to the best solution doesn’t always go in a straight line.”
5. I didn’t realize Brian Roberts was like 6’2″ or something. He was towering over everyone.
6. Parker basically kissed Roberts’ ass for a bit, then Roberts got up to talk about a situation that he saw was “unraveling.” He talked about keeping the four major sports teams in the same location and having a fortuitous partnership with Adam Silver and the NBA through the league coming back to NBC. He admitted that the timing of building a new arena should have been a little later, which is a response to the $400 million they just sunk into the Wells Fargo Center. He mentioned Atlanta’s Battery as a concept for reimagining the sports complex. They will have a “small minority” stake in the Sixers.
7. Alex Sykes says Adelman was very supportive of the WNBA idea. Comcast was on board as well and they think they have an amazing team and blah blah, etc.
8. Wanda Sykes hit Harris with a “go Birds” before leaving the podium.
9. Kenyatta Johnson was giving off “this shit is so stupid, I can’t believe we got played” vibes. Parker just kind of rolled with the idea that this is going to be better for Philadelphia. Parker reiterated her original support for the Market Street proposal – “We were talking about a $1.3 billion dollar private sector investment that required no taxpayer subsidy.” She basically said they start working on Market quicker now than they would have before, which was originally targeted for 2031. Then she started rambling about filling the Disney Hole and bringing life back to East Market. They will make good on the 20 million dollar commitment to Chinatown.
10. Parker also talked about the Battery. She says she went on a tour there with John Middleton and Hilferty and others, who introduced them to Atlanta Braves leadership. They are really basing this mixed-use development idea on what they did in Cobb County a few years ago.
11. “Nothing we did is going to be in vain,” said Parker, who rambled through some explanation that she’s not going to allow her ego to be hurt by the way this whole thing turned out. Her answer to the political embarrassment was to basically just do a lot of talking.
12. Kenyatta Johnson got up and called the outcome a win/win because the first priority was keeping the Sixers in Philadelphia. He also turned to the Sixers’ ownership and said that if “somebody put $800 million in front of you, you have to take that seriously.” He said that both sides have been fighting back and forth throughout the process, which you already knew. He said Hilferty would “come into my office with my good friend Rob Murray (Comcast Vice President, Development, Community Engagement & Government Affairs), trying to give them an offer they couldn’t refuse.” He says it’s still the same mission with getting jobs for the trades and providing opportunities for black and brown men and women.
13. Johnson wishes that they could have gotten the deal done before starting the legislative process. He laughed his way through it but you could tell the guy was annoyed.
14. Parker reiterated what Hilferty told us over the summer about exploring sports complex connection to FDR Park and the Bellwether District, which is Passyunk Avenue on the other side of 76, where the refinery used to be.
15. I couldn’t hear any of the 4-5 questions asked by the press. In response to one, Parker talked about negotiating a new PILOT and new CBA and stuff like that. She basically said that the last year of negotiations serves a template for which they can replicate the process.

Last, and probably most important, was a question for Josh Harris, from the Inquirer’s Anna Orso, who asked why they changed their mind.

Full quote:

“We didn’t really change our mind, we were committed to Market East, but our north star was doing right by Philly. Deals don’t come together exactly when you want them. When Comcast and Brian, Adam Silver said ‘look, you guys are fighting, let’s try to come together.’ We felt we could build a better arena, we could also revitalize Market East. We felt that it was a one plus one equals three situation and so we pivoted. We pivoted on behalf of – it was a little more complicated for all of us, Comcast was willing, generously, even though they had put a lot of money into the existing arena to make it great, (agreed) to move up their timeline and all of us made compromises to do the right thing by Philly. One thing I can tell you, President Johnson and Mayor Parker are tough and they’re going to represent your interests well. You can depend on them to do the right thing by the city, and garner everything we have to support the city. It wasn’t planned but it happened. First meeting was in early December and we got the mayor involved as soon as we could.“

So there you have it. FOX 29 streamed this press conference if you’ve got some time to watch it yourself:

The post Josh Harris Explains Sixers Pivot while Atlanta’s Battery Gets Frequent Mentions in Joint Arena Press Conference appeared first on Crossing Broad.

PHILADELPHIA, PA – January 13, 2025 – Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment (HBSE) and Comcast today announced that HBSE and Comcast Spectacor have entered into a binding agreement to form a 50-50 joint venture to build a world-class, state-of-the-art arena in the South Philadelphia Sports Complex that will be the new home of the Philadelphia 76ers and Philadelphia Flyers.

Slated to open in 2031, with the potential to accelerate to an earlier date, the new facility will be one of the finest, most technologically advanced, and sustainable sports and entertainment arenas in the country. In addition, the partnership will include a 50-50 venture to invest in the revitalization of Market East in Center City.

By committing to both investments, the partnership will create thousands of jobs, generate billions of dollars in economic activity for the city, region and state, and enhance commitments to create economic opportunity in neighborhoods across Philadelphia. In addition, Comcast is planning to take a minority stake in the 76ers and will join with HBSE to bid to bring a WNBA team to the city. 

“This is a great day for Philadelphia and the fans of our storied sports franchises,” said Brian L. Roberts, Chairman and CEO, Comcast Corporation. “We are grateful to Mayor Parker and Governor Shapiro for their leadership and are thrilled to work together to develop the premier sports and entertainment destination in the nation that will benefit the region for decades to come.”

“From the start, we envisioned a project that would be transformative for our city and deliver the type of experience our fans deserve. By coming together with Brian and Comcast, this partnership ensures Philadelphia will have two developments instead of one, creating more jobs and real, sustainable economic opportunity,” said HBSE’s Josh Harris, David Blitzer, and David Adelman. “We are grateful to Mayor Parker, Council President Johnson, Council Member Squilla, Governor Shapiro, our partners in labor and the many community and business leaders who supported us throughout this process. This is a massive win for our fans and for the city.”

“Today’s announcement is great news for the City of Philadelphia,” said NBA Commissioner Adam Silver. “I greatly appreciate the leadership of Mayor Parker and Governor Shapiro and the willingness of HBSE and Comcast to join forces, the result of which will be a world-class arena for 76ers and Flyers fans, with opportunities for more teams to come.” 

“We’re thrilled to see Comcast Spectacor and HBSE unite to deliver a new state-of-the-art arena in South Philadelphia. For the past 58 years, in both the Spectrum and Wells Fargo Center, those arenas and Flyers’ fans have consistently produced an atmosphere that is among the best in sports. This visionary and forward-looking facility will take the fan experience to a whole new level where the great pride and passion of Philadelphia sports fans will continue to be on full display,” said Gary Bettman, NHL Commissioner.

The new arena partnership is a joint venture with equal board representation and an HBSE representative serving as the Chair. Comcast will have the naming rights to the venue. HBSE and Comcast will also immediately focus on Market East, bringing together government officials and local stakeholders to develop a variety of options to revitalize a vital neighborhood in Center City where the 76ers had originally proposed locating the arena.

“We firmly believe we are better working together for Philadelphia,” said Dan Hilferty, Chairman and CEO of Comcast Spectacor. “This new arena will complement other exciting developments in the area, including Comcast Spectacor’s and the Philadelphia Phillies’ plans to create the country’s top sports and entertainment district.  We will all work closely together to create an unmatched experience for the fans while developing a vibrant mixed-use district that serves our community.”

Looking over that again, the line about Comcast taking a stake in the Sixers jumps off the page. My understanding was that they were taking a stake in the Sixers’ bid for a WNBA team, so maybe we’ll get some clarification there at the 11:30 press conference with Mayor Parker. Also notice that the Eagles are not mentioned, but the Phillies are. With three of the four teams now committed to this mixed-use plan, the football domino will be the last one to fall.

The post Here’s the Official News Release on the New Flyers + Sixers South Philly Arena appeared first on Crossing Broad.

BREAKING: 76ers Arena is not happening.

I’ll let the Parker administration confirm the details.

— Ernest Owens (@MrErnestOwens) January 12, 2025

Sources are telling me that NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and Comcast President Brian Roberts have talked the Sixers into staying in South Philly.

Mayor Parker is expected to give a press conference tomorrow at 11 am.

The 76ers Arena backpedal.

— Ernest Owens (@MrErnestOwens) January 12, 2025

#BREAKING Sixers to remain in South Philly, abandoning plans to build a Center City arena, officials sayhttps://t.co/apdxeLOg7R

— The Philadelphia Inquirer (@PhillyInquirer) January 12, 2025

Alright, so I talked to some sources familiar with what’s going on. Basically after the holidays, AFTER the arena deal was approved by city council, Comcast and the Sixers re-engaged on talks, and this all came about rather quickly.

1) There will be a new combination basketball + hockey arena built in South Philly ahead of the 2031 season that is going to be a 50/50 partnership between HBSE and Comcast. The deal was essentially revisited at the last minute with Brian Roberts leading the charge, not Dan Hilferty, and it included more of what the Sixers were looking for when initially proposed. It sounds to me like Comcast conceded more at the final moment in terms of building management and scheduling. 2) Comcast will join a Sixers bid for a WNBA expansion team. Sources explained it to me as the Sixers leading that effort and Comcast having a stake in it.  3) With 76 Place out of the picture, both the Sixers and Comcast will partner on a more generic redevelopment project for Market Street, obviously not including a sports venue. 4) RE: Union labor, they’re actually going to get two jobs now, one, building this new arena in South Philly and two, working on these Market Street projects. 5) Renewed conversations between Comcast and the Sixers did not start until after Christmas, and this agreement wasn’t finished until the last 72 hours. Despite getting City Council approval, they still had a couple of  hoops to jump through before starting with demolition.

So basically there are two theories here. The first one is that the Sixers had to go all the way to full Council approval to create enough leverage to get a fair deal from Comcast. In layman’s terms, it was the world’s biggest game of chicken. The second theory is that the Sixers couldn’t get over a late hurdle and had no choice but to re-engage Comcast at the last minute (there were some rumors floating around about financing, but I don’t think they ever turned into a legitimate report). I’m not totally sure. But it’s really fascinating because the two sides were absolutely killing each other behind the scenes for more than two years. Comcast was meeting with Chinatown and the various opposition groups, and trying to work various commerce and business organizations in Philadelphia while the Sixers were throwing money at Jeff Brown’s mayoral campaign and whatnot. It was really bad for decent stretch of time, to the point where you wondered if that relationship was irreparable. About a year ago, Comcast switched up their leadership and made a change in the public relations staff and arena approach, so the tensions finally did cool off in the second part of 2024 and it seems like Brian Roberts was the figure who was key calming things down and getting both sides back to the table.

CliffsNotes: it’s now two projects instead of one. There’s the downtown Market Street component, without the arena, then the Sixers + Flyers combination building for 2031. I’ll ask around to see if we can get more details on that before a Monday press conference.

The post The Sixers Arena is No More – Here’s What’s Happening Instead appeared first on Crossing Broad.

Philly deserves to lose for picking up this big Eddie curry lookin France Ni*** … for sure found him in front of a liquor store … first team brown bag

— Nick Young (@NickSwagyPYoung) January 3, 2025

This had to be in response to some parlay Yabusele ruined or maybe Young used PA betting promos to get the Sixers +4.5 at plus money. Cause this seems like a DM the big man would get after he didn’t hit his three point over and not a tweet from a former NBA player. Ngl, first team brown bag is very funny, and I completely believe Kobe Bryant once said that to Young’s face in practice one time. But did this guy not watch the Olympics? Yabu BALLED! This is a guy who got banished from the league after two seasons and worked hard on his game (something Young had no interest ever doing) and returned to the NBA five years later.

He snatched the GOAT’s soul:

GUERSCHON YABUSELE ON LEBRON JAMES.

NBC and Peacock | #ParisOlympics pic.twitter.com/cjrH6Q9Epd

— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 10, 2024

One of the greatest NBA players of all-time was wondering why the guy wasn’t on a roster:

.@JaredSGreenberg says on the TNT broadcast that Stephen Curry told him that during the Olympics, he wondered why Guerschon Yabusele was not still in the NBA.

— Adam Aaronson (@SixersAdam) January 3, 2025

I hate to see Sixer-on-Sixer crime. Especially when the back up big put together a serviceable 13 points and six rebounds.

Also how about the ricochet shot at Eddie Curry? What the hell did Eddie Curry do? Live look at Eddie Curry at a Golden Corral:

I’m like, what he say fuck me for? 50 Cent talking about Floyd Mayweather reaction video meme pic.twitter.com/SQcCF93bgw

— all reaction videos (@allreactionvids) May 24, 2022

Nick Young vs. Guerschon Yabusele to start off the year just like we all expected. 2025 is a very weird place.

The post Nick Young Definitely Had Money on the Sixers and Took it Out on Guerschon Yabusele? appeared first on Crossing Broad.

Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, and Paul George are playing together and the Sixers come into Portland on a three-game winning streak.

Now, if they could work on covering the spread that would be the perfect package.

The Sixers are a six-point favorite for Monday’s road clash with the Trailblazers. They will try to cover the spread for just the second time in six games, currently 11-18 ATS, the fifth-worst mark in the NBA. They’re 6-5 ATS in December.

More importantly for Monday night, the Sixers are a favorite of six points or more for the third time this season. They didn’t cover in the first two instances, and in fact, they are 1-6 ATS as a favorite of five or more points.

Portland is viewed so poorly by the oddsmakers that they have only been a favorite twice in 31 games. The Blazers are 16-14 ATS and they are 7-4 ATS as an underdog of six or more points.

The Blazers rank in the bottom 10 in points, rebounds, and assists allowed per game.

So, at least on paper, the Sixers are in great shape to take care of business and keep the winning run going.

If history is any indicator, Embiid could go off in his matchup with Deandre Ayton.

Embiid averages 35.9 points and 14 rebounds per game in head-t0-head matchups with Portland’s big man. Embiid had 35 points, 15 rebounds, and six blocks the last time he faced an Ayton-led Portland team.

In fact, Embiid scored at least 30 points in every matchup he’s had against Ayton and failed to record a double-double just once in those eight battles.

Embiid’s over/under for points sits at 28.5 and his rebound prop sits at over/under 8.5.

The over on the points prop is the better look since Embiid eclipsed the 30-point mark twice in the last four games and had 27 points in another game during that span.

Embiid hasn’t been rebounding that regularly since his return. He’s only averaging 6.3 per game in December and went into double digits just once. That has more to do with Kelly Oubre, Paul George, and Caleb Martin’s additional presences on the glass than it does with Embiid’s actual performance.

Oubre and George’s rebound props are both listed at over/under 5.5, while Martin sits at over/under 4.5.

Portland has the NBA’s fifth-worst field-goal percentage, so there should be plenty of opportunities to attack the glass.

Oubre is averaging 6.7 rebounds per game and has had at least six boards in six games in December. George is averaging 5.4 boards per game in December, but he’s only had seven rebounds in the last two games, while Martin has nine.

You could put George, Oubre, and Martin to all have 4+ rebounds into a Same Game Parlay at FanDuel and have it pay out at even money.

Maxey’s assists is the other prop to look at. He’s had 26 in the last three games and his prop number will only keep going up in the coming weeks.

A combination of Embiid 25+ points, Maxey 6+ assists and 4+ rebounds for George, Oubre, and Martin pays out over +300. That might be the best way to go in a matchup the Sixers should control.

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The post Surging Sixers a 6-Point Road Favorite in Portland appeared first on Crossing Broad.

The Flyers and Sixers both begin their west coast swings on Saturday.

The Sixers are in Utah Saturday night and then head to Portland, Sacramento, and Golden State before returning to the east coast. The Flyers take on Anaheim Saturday afternoon and then go off to Los Angeles, San Jose, and Vegas.

In a rare occurrence, the Sixers and Flyers are both favored on Saturday, and quite frankly, they should be easy wins against the Utah Jazz and Anaheim Ducks.

Flyers (-148) at Ducks (Over/Under 6) 

The good news for Saturday is the Flyers play a mid-afternoon game in Anaheim.

The Cutter Gauthier storyline is prominent, but depending on who you ask, the narrative does or doesn’t matter.

Either way, the Flyers need to stop the defensive bleeding. They allowed at least four goals in each of the last five games, lost four of the last five and are coming off a seven-goal concession to Pittsburgh on Monday.

Anaheim actually possesses a better goals against average than the Flyers, but the Ducks also score 0.58 goals per game less than the Flyers and give up five more shots on goal per contest.

Ducks goalies have regularly been forced to make 30+ saves in games this season. I would look into Lukas Dostal’s over 26.5 saves prop. He’s got the nod against Sam Ersson.

The Flyers average 27.5 shots on goal per game, and as long as they’re up for the game, they should pepper the Anaheim net.

I’d look into the regular cast of characters (Owen Tippett, Travis Konecny, Matvei Michkov, and Travis Sanheim) as the best bets to cash the over on individual shots on goal props. None of them have been incredibly consistent in the last two weeks with SOGs, but the matchup suggests plenty of pucks will be on net.

The over should be in play as well. Eight of the 10 Flyers games in December have had at least six goals. The other two had five goals each. The Ducks have had one December game finish with less than five goals.

Sixers (-7) at Jazz (Over/Under 223.5) 

The Sixers should be riding high after their Christmas Day win in Boston.

On Saturday, they get a matchup against a Jazz team that is only 7-22 and regularly gives up high point totals.

Utah is 16-13 to the over, a mark that is the sixth-best in the NBA. The over is 8-1 in the last nine Jazz games.

The Sixers are just 3-5-1 to the over in December, and don’t get me started on their performance against the spread as a big favorite. They are 1-6 ATS as a favorite of five or more points.

Of course, that number should get better as Joel Embiid rounds into form, and, let’s be honest, with Embiid, PG and Maxey on the floor Saturday, they should cover the number easily.

Embiid’s point prop sits at over/under 27.5. That might be the last time we see it under 30 if he goes off on Saturday night.

Utah has the third-worst field-goal percentage against in the NBA and ranks in the bottom 10 in three-point percentage against and assists allowed per game.

Not all of the Sixers props are out as of Saturday morning, but it could be worth attacking some three-point player props, or just simply go after the Sixers’ team total of over/under 115.5.

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The post Sixers, Flyers Both Favored at Start of West Coast Swings appeared first on Crossing Broad.

The #Sixers are 3-0 in games where their big three start and finish together pic.twitter.com/L6Ci1f9rMg

— Sixerdaily on IG (@Sixerdaily) December 26, 2024

The Sixers’ Big 3 have played 4.5 games together. Three of them were full games beating the Bulls, Hornets, and the Celtics on Christmas night. The other 1.5 Paul George was injured early in the third quarter against the Grizzlies, Joel Embiid got smoked in the face against the Pacers in the second quarter, and then Embiid was ejected in the second quarter the other day. This team is starting to look like what we were promised when the Sixers made a big splash in free agency this summer. The team is starting to come together after a brutal start to the season. Good thing the NBA season doesn’t start until Christmas. Everyone knows that.

The Sixers might never lose again if they finish every game together and I can’t lie after Christmas night I’m ready to buy all the way back in. If you would’ve told me I’d have this feeling of delusion after Embiid tweaked his ankle in warm ups I’d think you were insane. Instead Maxey and the Boston Killer played their asses off:

Joel Embiid on Caleb Martin:

“THE BOSTON KILLER.” pic.twitter.com/YAKe42u5sI

— MVBIID (@EmbiidsEra) December 26, 2024

And Embiid told all of Boston, the NBA, and probably even some Sixers fans to stick it up their asses:

3MBIID gets his third triple of the day! pic.twitter.com/gLbq0Lw0uW

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) December 25, 2024

They’re going to be the most dangerous 7th seed of all-time.

The post The Sixers are Undefeated When the Big 3 Start and Finish the Game appeared first on Crossing Broad.

The Sixers are coming pic.twitter.com/cP3EkiyGjb

— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) December 26, 2024

Alright, so three of those wins were against the Charlotte Hornets. The Pistons and Bulls stink. But San Antonio is a good team, Orlando is a good team, and the Celtics are the defending champs, so that was obviously the best win of the season. Embiid, Maxey, and Paul George all played for the second straight game, and you start to see what this team might look like if they can stay healthy and keep everyone on the court. If Tyrese is taking 20+ shots a game and running the offense (and playing like a superstar), then you’re not relying on Embiid to be the guy he was last year or the year before. He can settle for 15 field goal attempts, set screens, patrol the paint defensively, get to the foul line 6-8 times, and manage the knee and face and whatever other injuries are coming down the pike. If you get a big game nightly from just one of Martin, Kelly Oubre, or Guerschon Yabusele, then you’re gonna win enough games to go to the playoffs.

The Sixers are 11-17 right now and a game back from the final play-in spot. Remember, you have to be complete ass to miss the postseason in the modern NBA. If they can claw back to .500, they will get in. They finished seventh last year with a 47-35 record, but the Bulls and Hawks were well below .500 and earned play-in spots. If you look at the East this season, the Wizards, Raptors, Hornets, and Nets are going absolutely nowhere. There are only 3.5 games separating 6th and 10th, so the Sixers can turn it around pretty quickly here. If we’re being honest with ourselves, the #6 seed is entirely attainable, and would likely set up a first round matchup against the Knicks or Magic. Who says no to that? The goals are still attainable, and while we continue to keep the Sixers at arm’s length, we will remain cautiously optimistic about their prospects in the coming year.

The post Don’t Look Now, but the Sixers Have Won 8 of 11 appeared first on Crossing Broad.

In fact, most of the NBA and NHL will take to the court and ice in the traditional cram-all-games-in-before-Christmas move.

The Sixers are at home against Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs, while the Flyers are on the road in Pittsburgh.

Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, and Co. are six-point favorites, while the Flyers are the slightest of underdogs. A Sixers/Flyers money line parlay pays out about +190, depending on your choice of sportsbook.

Here’s a bit of a deeper look at both games.

Spurs at Sixers (-6) (Over/Under: 217)

The Sixers are still one of the worst teams against the spread in the NBA.

They are 10-16 ATS, and the record is even worse when Joel Embiid is in the lineup. The Sixers are 1-6 ATS in Embiid’s seven appearances this season.

That record might get a bit better on Monday since Embiid is facing a Spurs team that he posted 70 points against last January at the Wells Fargo Center.

Embiid had 70 points and 18 rebounds in that game, which the Sixers won by 10 points, so I’d look into his points prop of over/under 30.5.

Wembanyama had 33 points in defeat in his first trip to Philadelphia. The Frenchman’s points prop sits at over/under 22.5 for Monday.

I’d look into some sort of Embiid 30/Wemby 20 Same Game Parlay that can get you just over even money.

Even an Embiid ladder up to 40 points is worth a small look since he scored 34 points on 24 field goal attempts in 31 minutes on Friday night against another struggling team, the Charlotte Hornets.

It’s also worth noting San Antonio is 5-2 to the over in its last seven games and is one of the better teams to the over in the NBA at 15-13.

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Flyers (+102) at Penguins (O/U: 6.5)

Well, at least the overs have been fun to hit in the last few Flyers games.

Twenty-nine total goals, 17 of which were for the Flyers’ opponents, have been scored in the last three contests.

The Penguins are 3-1 to the under in their last four, but they still have one of the worst defensive records in the NHL with 3.66 goals against per game.

The Flyers aren’t too far behind with 3.56 GAA per game.

The big difference between the two Pennsylvania teams is the Flyers give up close to four fewer shots per game compared to the Penguins.

Owen Tippett is the hot hand to bet on the player prop market. He has six points in his last three games and at least two shots on goal in seven of nine December games.

Tippett’s shots on goal prop is down to over/under 2.5 from its typical 3.5, so that may be a number worth attacking.

The post A Look at Spurs vs. Sixers, Flyers vs. Penguins Odds for Monday Night appeared first on Crossing Broad.

Both sides react to City Council voting to approve the Sixers arena @CBKylePagan pic.twitter.com/TVdWaOSCmh

— Crossing Broad (@CrossingBroad) December 20, 2024

“Politricks.” What a phrase. I’m stealing that one.

There were not many fireworks after the vote went through. Not like there was before it:

 

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A post shared by Crossing Broad (@crossingbroad)

You had union workers mixed in with arena opposition on the balcony of city council like it was a neutral big time college football clash. It was awesome to see them mix it up. Arena opposition would get on the mic and you’d hear snaps and cheers from their supporters while union workers would mock them about sending a post card from jail when the vote doesn’t go their way. Boos would rain down when a pro-arena person would speak from opposition. It’s the closest I’ll ever be to a Gladiator Coliseum. It was awesome!

Then we lost the plot with some people getting on the mic talking about bombing Gaza and invoking the French Revolution and I could only take roughly 10 speakers before I just left and watched the rest on a livestream from a coffee shop outside City Hall.

Once the vote was read, protestors stormed the floor again, but no arrests were made even though they had two giant Philly Sheriff buses parked outside City Hall. Me and this lady apparently had the most fireworks:

@kylepagancb

I’ll take drunk Eagles fans over uptight arena protestors every day of the week #sixers #arena #protest #philly

♬ original sound – Kyle Pagan

God I hate those people. They don’t understand that those on the fence would probably take their side if they weren’t so cuckoo and insufferable. The minute you say something they don’t like they jump down your throat because they haven’t heard themselves talk in 10 seconds. I can’t lie, this lady knew her shit and if she just would’ve let me talk I probably would’ve said something stupid and she could’ve pounced all over it. Instead she looks like an unhinged lunatic.

I can’t tell you enough how glad I am this is over. Now union workers can build it and the protestors can move on to their next endeavor on the docket. I don’t know what it will bring to the city. No one does. It’s seven years from now and some of the conversations already being had are laughable. Crossing Broad had the best arena coverage over the last two years and I don’t even think it’s close. I had both opposition and union come up to me and tell me that when they saw me on Thursday. You know how hard it is for two completely opposite ends of the spectrum to agree on something? In this economy? Impossible. Go read Kinker’s 20 Thoughts on the Sixers Arena if you haven’t already.

P.S. I hate sad tuba. I wouldn’t wish sad tuba on my worst enemy.

The post Philadelphians React to the Sixers Arena Vote appeared first on Crossing Broad.

After more than two years of very public fighting that involved Chinatown opposition, union labor, Comcast, the media, and pretty much anybody with an opinion and a pulse, this is finally over. Or, at least, this particular phase is over. Now the actual work begins, with the demolition and construction taking place between now and 2031, when the Sixers’ lease at the Wells Fargo Center ends.

As we turn the page on this story, I have 20 thoughts on what amounted to one of the most contentious and fascinating fights in Philadelphia history:

1. It was frustrating that the basic details of the story continued to be misunderstood more than two years later. “What’s wrong with the Wells Fargo Center?” Nothing, but the Sixers don’t own it and want their own building. “Why is it being built in Chinatown?” It’s not, but it abuts their southernmost business. “How will we drive there?” You’re not supposed to, you’re supposed to take the train. “Why is city council spending tax money on this?” They’re not; it’s privately financed.
2. Why did people have this lack of knowledge? Maybe it was general ignorance. Or maybe it was from the initial wave of media coverage, which was lackluster, and created this emotionally-charged “evil white billionaires vs. minority community” narrative. A lot of people took hard stances on either side of the project, almost immediately, and that’s why the middle ground of nuanced discussion and critical thinking was largely nonexistent.
3. This was never about the Sixers vs. anyone. You know that, right? This was about union labor vs. Comcast. It was a battle between Philadelphia’s two most powerful entities. As soon as Cherelle Parker won the election, it was over. Anybody paying half-attention knew this, because a labor-backed mayor was never going to turn down a $1.3 billion dollar, post-COVID private investment in Center City. Had Helen Gym won, the arena was cooked, and if Rebecca Rhynhart won, it would have been possible, but much more contentious.
4. One of Josh Harris, David Blitzer, or David Adelman should have been at the City Council hearings. For optics, if nothing else. It’s true that David Gould and Alex Kafenbaum were heavily involved from the beginning, and played important roles, but they are not ownership and it would have helped the Sixers’ case if a member of that group was present. Obviously it didn’t matter in the end, but there’s a general criticism that they are outsiders and need to be more like John Middleton and Jeffrey Lurie.
5. Chinatown had every right to fight back on the arena, and a lot of their complaints have merit. The question is whether the tactics made sense. Initially, it seemed like there was a lot of sympathy for their plight, particularly among neutrals. This was probably in early 2023, after the Sixers were shouted out of that neighborhood meeting. But they made gradual adjustments to their plan, held a number of community meetings, and changed their approach at the same time the opposition was pushing back and doing nothing else. From my observation, it felt like it got to a point of diminishing returns, where you can only say “no” so many times before people begin to grow weary. The thing about living in Center City Philadelphia is that being a NIMBY is almost impossible, just by virtue of basic density and the fact that you’re in the dead center of one of the largest metropolitan areas in North America. Maybe the arena isn’t the best thing to build at 10th and Market, but something was going to be built, and if Chinatown had successfully defeated 76 Place, there was nothing stopping PREIT (EDIT – my bad, Macerich took over mall operations after PREIT’s first bankruptcy) from selling that portion of the still-failing mall to another developer, who would have built something else without a community benefits agreement. Then Chinatown would have received absolutely nothing. So there really was a “pick your poison” element to all of this from the beginning and I’m not sure it was given the consideration it required.
6. I still think the most important thing for Chinatown is the 676 stitch and reconnection to Callowhill and Spring Garden. All of this talk centered on their southern border, but if you look north and east, and maybe win control of the old Roundhouse, that opens up a lot of possibilities. This may have been a blown leverage opportunity to pursue one or both of those things.
7. Adjacent to the Chinatown topic was the pushback from parts of Washington Square West and The Gayborhood. Those ultimately didn’t hold a lot of weight. The stuff about arena attendees stampeding through an LBGTQ neighborhood and making people uncomfortable was offensive to Sixers fans, who are typically more progressive and less rowdy than fans of other sports in Philadelphia. It seemed from the beginning that non-sports fan entered the discussion with a general misunderstanding that everything in our world resembles a Jetro tailgate.
8. The CBA money should have been exclusively spent on Chinatown and arena-specific issues. That’s the whole point of a CBA, in theory, to offset the problems created by new development. Instead, stuff like an apprenticeship program and funding for food insecurity was thrown into the negotiations, which had absolutely nothing to do with this and only served to distract from Chinatown’s needs.
9. The most interesting snapshot of the economic argument centered on the PILOT setup, or “payment in lieu of taxes.” Every sports arena in this area has the PILOT setup, where teams don’t pay property taxes, but they pay a fixed sum of annual money. Opponents described this as a tax break for billionaires, saying that you could build something else at the location and reap more money from it. That is true. But what’s also true is that the arena will generate more $$$ than what the mall is currently generating. So the city is getting more regardless; the opposition just framed it like “you could have gotten more.“
10. Howard Eskin, the Burger King, has to take a big L on this one. Nobody railed against the project more than he did, and for really stupid reasons. He was out there lamenting the loss of the tailgating scene, which doesn’t exist. There is no Sixers tailgating unless they make the postseason, because the regular season takes place in the dead of winter. He also said there are no good places to eat near the arena site, which, ironically, is an insult to Chinatown. He also spread false news about the Greyhound bus terminal, saying that the Sixers were responsible for its demise, when, in truth, it was slated for disuse before the Sixers got involved with the location. Howard doesn’t give a shit about Chinatown and probably hasn’t been there in 30 years. He just hates the Sixers and the ownership group, and because he carries water for the Eagles, he needs to hammer someone else to mask the charade.
11. Did you notice that the Inquirer adjusted their arena coverage near the end? It shifted to the City Hall reporters, who did a nice job. The paper’s early reporting on the arena came from several angles, such as the then-new Communities and Engagement desk and from immigration reporter Jeff Gammage, whose role changed in 2024 to “Business of Sports reporter.”
12. This fell by the wayside, but at some point in 2024, the Communities and Engagement desk, which started with six reporters, dwindled to two. The early wave of pro-Chinatown, anti-Sixers stuff was penned almost exclusively by this desk, which was created in the wake of the BLM-inspired employee revolt. When the Inquirer pivoted editorially as the result of the Temple University audit, the arena plan was announced shortly after, creating the perfect fodder for a new-look staff with a new approach.
13. The “Sixers always wanted to move to New Jersey” conspiracy theory was the biggest load of horse shit ever. Shame on everyone who believed it and spread it. Go sit in the corner.
14. There should be a WNBA expansion team playing in this new arena. It makes too much sense not to do it.
15. Another really dumb thing that was said during all of this was that the Sixers didn’t “deserve” a new arena because they haven’t done enough winning lately. Nevermind the fact that they’re footing the entire bill, but if wins and losses were some sort of requirement for new digs, then Citizens Bank Park and the Linc would have never been built, because the Phillies and Eagles were much more shit than good in the mid to late 90s, save for a couple of 10-6 Ray Rhodes years and the 93′ Phils. And the Flyers haven’t won the Stanley Cup since the mid-1970s, so I guess they shouldn’t have a new arena either. PLUS – this thing isn’t gonna open until 2031, so the Joel Embiid era will be long over and the Sixers will be a completely different team seven years from now.
16. I still think the Sixers and Flyers playing in separate arenas is good for both teams. Even if it results in one fewer back-to-back and allows for more scheduling flexibility, it can put you in a more favorable position than a competitor.
17. The biggest problem the Sixers now face is transportation. For starters, SEPTA is a joke and needs proper funding and staffing. If that happens over the next seven years, then you have to convince people who have been driving to South Philly for 40 years to get on a train. It’s a hard philosophical shift for a parochial town that loves to drive. Throw in the fact that you have suburbanites who think they’re going to get mugged on SEPTA, and who don’t know the difference between the EL, Broad Street Line, and regional rail, and you’ve got a tough task ahead.
18. This is the first domino to fall in the larger discussion surrounding the sports complex. The Sixers are gone and they’re not coming back. Meantime, the Eagles have not joined the Comcast + Phillies plan, which some conspiracy theorists seem to think was just a fake proposal meant to counter the Sixers’ plan. I’m not sure I totally believe that because the Phils signed on and did media on it. Why would the Phillies participate in a Comcast ploy? As the Eagles poke around and try to figure out what’s best for their future, the World Cup is just around the corner, which will showcase the sports complex and what may be possible for the future. Expect that to be used as leverage in discussions over how best to use the area moving forward. Watch this space. My rumormongering absolutely has legs.
19. Covering City Hall looks like a total shit show. Those reporters deserve hazard pay. Anybody who has anything to do with City Hall deserves hazard pay.
20. This was my favorite topic of all time to write about. Why? Because it had everything. It had race, politics, and sports. It had public transportation and urban planning. It had union labor, the Comcast opposition, and shady behind-the-scenes stuff. It was intersectional like we’ve never seen intersectionality before. You’d need all of the Venn Diagrams in the world to properly illustrate it.

The post 20 Thoughts on the Sixers Arena, Which Passed City Council in a 12 to 5 Vote appeared first on Crossing Broad.

The Council President asked for the floor to be cleared. Protesters sat down. Now the arrests begin. pic.twitter.com/IZvE914mGn

— Marco Cerino (@CerinoRoyale) December 19, 2024

Security is escorting anti-arena protestors out of City Council chambers. pic.twitter.com/apwaI9E6vO

— Paul Schwedelson (@pschweds) December 19, 2024

Looks like a shit show! The opposition is gonna fight this thing to the very end. We’ll see what happens here shortly. The arena was voted out of committee last week by a 12-4 margin, and unless there’s some crazy, unforeseen turn in the story, it is expected to clear full council as well.

The post Police Remove Protestors from City Council Chambers Ahead of Final Sixers Arena Vote appeared first on Crossing Broad.

@jaredmccain24

After surgury tiktok

♬ original sound – Jaredmccain24

McCain is out indefinitely. He is the latest Sixer to be struck down via the Process rookie curse, which has hit Joel Embiid (Navicular bone), Ben Simmons (Jones fracture), Markelle Fultz (Thoracic Outlet Syndrome), and Zhaire Smith (almost killed by food allergies). If we wanted to extend the injury list to non-rookies who were playing their first Philadelphia season, we could add Kelly Oubre: hit by a car (allegedly).

The post Not Even Knee Surgery Can Keep Jared McCain Off TikTok appeared first on Crossing Broad.

The Bucks are the 2024 #EmiratesNBACup Champions! pic.twitter.com/TiOp0m1iX7

— NBA (@NBA) December 18, 2024

Doc is now the first coach in NBA history to win both the championship and NBA Cup. All he needed to get it done was four superstars for the first triumph and then win a couple of games in November and December for the second triumph. Remember, you can’t blow a series lead in a one-game final. What a coach! Is he the greatest of all time? Would you ask Pop that question?

The Sixers, meantime, are 8-16 and 12th in the East. Joel Embiid is managing a knee injury and a broken face. Jared McCain is out indefinitely. Paul George has been in and out of the lineup. Doc is out here winning trophies while we can’t have anything nice. It is a cruel basketball world we’re living in.

Meantime, Doc decided not to celebrate on Tuesday night because he needs to focus on the rest of the season. There’s an important second-round exit coming up in April:

Bucks coach Doc Rivers told me after talking with Darvin Ham and his experience with Lakers last season, they chose not to celebrate The Cup championship with dousing and drinking of champagne. Want to focus on the remainder of the season. pic.twitter.com/CQ0J0aoeWz

— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) December 18, 2024

The post Doc Rivers is the First Coach to Win Both the NBA Championship and the NBA Cup appeared first on Crossing Broad.

37.5% of their victories this year are against the Hornets.

Before the game, Nick Nurse provided some good news. Joel Embiid’s sinus fracture is not as bad as the first two facial fractures he suffered. This is from Steve Reed at The Associated Press:

Embiid was injured in the first half of Friday night’s 121-107 loss to the Indiana Pacers when he was hit in the face by Bennedict Mathurin while going for a defensive rebound.

The 76ers said Embiid will be reevaluated in one week.

…

“The only thing that I can compare it to, but I wasn’t here, but he certainly had those other ones that were a lot worse,” Nurse said before the Hornets game. “It’s not nearly as severe as those two from what they tell me. So I guess that’s good because those were pretty tough — those two — and they say it’s not as bad as that.”

That’s good, because the first two were pretty gnarly.

The first fracture took place in 2018, when the Sixers were riding a long winning streak into their first playoff appearance in more than a half decade. Markelle Fultz was running a simple DHO with Embiid, who bobbled the ball, leaned over, and took a shoulder to the face. He missed the first two games of the Miami series and came back wearing a mask for round two against Boston.

The second one was in 2022, during the Toronto playoff series, when Pascal Siakam elbowed him driving to the rim. There was a relatively large portion of people who thought it was intentional or dirty from Embiid’s Cameroonian countryman, but the more ridiculous thing was Doc Rivers having Embiid in the game with less than four minutes remaining while the Sixers were up 29. Yeah, it was the playoffs, and not some throwaway regular season game, but Doc took a lot of criticism for that.

Anyway, not sure if you’ve looked at the standings lately, but the Sixers are only 1.5 games out of the 10th spot and a play-in game. The East has largely been dreck this season, with the Cavs and Celtics playing great basketball, but a huge drop off to the Knicks, Magic, and everyone else.

The post Good News: Joel Embiid’s Broken Face isn’t as Bad as the First Two Broken Faces appeared first on Crossing Broad.

Joel Embiid also exited the game after getting hit in the face. He’s been diagnosed with a sinus fracture and will undergo further evaluation this weekend. It’s the third time Embiid has suffered a broken facial bone during his Sixers tenure. The first happened in 2018, when Markelle Fultz accidentally shouldered him, resulting in Embiid returning with the mask. Then there was the Pascal Siakam elbow, in the 2022 playoffs, and now this incident in 2024. The Sixers are 7-16 and can’t catch a break this year. It may be a lost offseason, which would be incredibly disappointing considering how much buzz the organization created in the summer, with the free agency signings of Paul George, Guerschon Yabusele, Caleb Martin, and Andre Drummond, plus the new contract for Tyrese Maxey.

The post Jared McCain Tore His Meniscus and Joel Embiid Has a Broken Face for the Third Time appeared first on Crossing Broad.

Anti-76ers arena protestors attempted to gridlock Center City last night to simulate the traffic during gameday @CBKylePagan pic.twitter.com/roVEsiqPI0

— Crossing Broad (@CrossingBroad) December 13, 2024

Reports are saying 70 cars showed up. Police told me they were expecting around 100+. The original protest was scheduled for Wednesday, but they moved it because it was raining. Why? Who knows. How does rain affect a car protest? I don’t know. You’d think if you were serious about the protest and not just being performative you’d move hell to get your message across. Since the vote passed earlier in the day it probably took some wind out of their sails, which produced not much of a gridlock. So instead it resulted in protestors honking on their horns and ruining people’s nights at the Christmas Village. It felt like the gridlock plan devolved into making as much noise as possible because they didn’t have the numbers they’d hoped.

When cars would show up, protest marshals would give them caution tape and anti-arena signs and then they’d drive away towards City Hall, which felt ironic. If you wanted to simulate traffic wouldn’t you do your best to stay on Market Street, where the arena will be? Protestors were fighting an uphill battle as the cops did a good job of snuffing it out. They lined the street in cars, on motorbikes, and foot lined from Market East to City Hall keeping traffic moving. It didn’t help the opposition had to pull over in the bus lane to get their stuff from organizers and a cop or a SEPTA bus blaring on it’s horn would be tailing them:

So far at the Sixers Arena protest, this bus driver blaring on the horn is the biggest highlight. @OnPattison pic.twitter.com/2gko7Tym8p

— Tim Kelly (@TimKellySports) December 12, 2024

Add this to the list of other unorganized and performative protests the opposition has done. The city didn’t feel more busy than a normal rush hour during the holidays.

Even the Inky, who is in bed with Comcast and the anti-arena protestors, couldn’t spin it as a win.

From Michelle Myers and Anthony R. Wood:

Extra police were on hand for the protest, but traffic continued to move, and no arrests or major incidents were reported.

The vehicles gathered around 5:30 p.m. and continued their protest for about an hour.

Around 6:30 p.m., the sound of the honking horns began to fade as the protesters wrapped up the demonstration.

And now we move on. There is a vote next week. It’s going to pass. The arena will be built. And none of us know what the future holds.

The post Sixers Arena Protestors Attempted to Gridlock Philadelphia appeared first on Crossing Broad.

Meantime, the reaction is all over the place, as expected.

In a West Philly neighborhood group, here’s a person suggesting that it’s time to loot and riot:

incredible things happening in west willy pic.twitter.com/UHPH0O9xTW

— Vincent LaGuardia Gambini, ESQ. (@itsjustmike25) December 12, 2024

And in a South Philly group it’s apparently time to get Luigi Mingione out on bail:

well the responses in south silly are kinda callin for the murder of this person pic.twitter.com/lNHaahEEVE

— Vincent LaGuardia Gambini, ESQ. (@itsjustmike25) December 12, 2024

Apparently the first chick walked back her post, saying that she’s not inciting violence. Okay. That’s not necessarily the takeaway. The takeaway is that the arena getting approval doesn’t mean the opposition disappears. It’s not like Chinatown and the coalition groups are gonna say “oh well” and go back to their daily lives. That traffic jam meetup is still taking place and you can bet protests and demonstrations will continue through the next week and into the demolition and construction phase. It will probably be 2031 and the Sixers home opener will be met with people standing on the street corner with signs. I don’t think that ever goes away.

Isn’t it crazy though, how this thing got so emotionally charged and went completely off the rails? The Sixers proposed building a basketball arena downtown and it became a referendum on race, politics, union labor, urban planning, and public transit. An intersectional clusterfuck that included healthcare via Jefferson’s proximity and even sexuality, when some Gayborhood opposition arose. This whole thing became so unnecessarily divisive. Shit, there was a whole episode with antisemitism and the Canary Mission that took place right in the middle of all of it!

Maybe the Facebook groups are just full of grindcore fans. Perhaps they believe that extreme conditions demand extreme responses:

The post The Neighborhood Facebook Groups are Having Some, uh, Passionate Reactions to the Sixers Arena Vote appeared first on Crossing Broad.

The negotiations came down to the final hours, and centered on the community benefits agreement, which was originally a $50 million offer from the Sixers. After council pushed for $100 million, both sides settled on $60 million. The final vote was 12 to 4 in favor, with councilmembers Jamie Gauthier, Rue Landau, Jeffery Young, and Nicolas O’Rourke voting no. Kendra Brooks was absent.

We don’t have the final list of amendments yet, describing how the $60 million will be spent, but we will update the story with the final framework of the deal. It was mostly a shitshow in council chambers, with opposition yelling “sell out” at Mark Squilla and chanting throughout. Ultimately, the Sixers and the building trades came out on top.

The post Sixers Arena Successfully Voted Out of Committee, Paving the Way for Full Approval Next Week appeared first on Crossing Broad.

WEDS (edit – they are moving this to THURSDAY) @ 5:30PM: Car Caravan Will Demonstrate Arena Gridlock

Peer into Philly’s potential arena future, traffic nightmare ahead

PHILADELPHIA – During rush hour on Wednesday Thursday, a mass caravan will drive through Center City to simulate the gridlock traffic that would be a frequent nightmare if the arena is approved for Market Street. City Council is scheduled to vote on the arena legislation Wednesday morning, though that vote has already been cancelled twice as Councilmembers are dissatisfied with the lowball $50M Community Benefits Agreement (CBA).

Gridlock is guaranteed if more than 40% of spectators drive—a likely reality given that 85% of spectators currently drive to Wells Fargo Center, the traffic study showed. The arena developers have yet to provide a plan to address and manage what is near-certain gridlock around the arena, which would impede access to Jefferson Hospital and jam up commuters.

City Council does not currently have the votes to pass the pitiful CBA deal, Council President Kenyatta Johnson said, as City Council tumbles toward a manufactured December 19 deadline set by the developers. The No Arena coalition has already forced the cancellation of the committee vote twice. 

Wednesday Thursday at 5:30 p.m. in Center City is a gridlocked hellscape to begin with, so I guess the demonstration is meant to show what happens if you add even more drivers to the equation.

The arena can’t be successful if people don’t take mass transit, which is the whole point. You’re supposed to get on the regional rail or PATCO and leave your car at home. Easier said than done, since Sixers fans have been driving to games in South Philadelphia forever. It will require a huge philosophical shift for a region that likes to drive and only has the Broad Street Line to get to the sports complex.

RE: City Council, the committee vote was delayed a bit. They’re still negotiating the Community Benefits Agreement, which is going to end up being more than the originally offered $50 million. The opposition wants about six times that amount. We’re at a point where the Sixers are going to be squeezed for as much money as possible before this thing can get to full council for an official vote.

The post Sixers Arena Opposition Will Drive a Mass Caravan Through Center City to “Simulate Gridlock Traffic” appeared first on Crossing Broad.

Worst whistle in the NBA pic.twitter.com/fzlVML70d9

— Kyle Pagan (@CBKylePagan) December 5, 2024

In that situation you gotta reward Maxey for the heads up play and punish the Magic for being idiots.

Nick Nurse gave the refs an earful on the court, but didn’t have much to say about it after the game which is bananas:

Nick Nurse said he thought Tyrese Maxey got hit on the arm on that last three, “so it would have been a great look”

— Josh Grieb (@JGrieb10) December 5, 2024

He should’ve went scorched Earth. Take the fine and invoice Josh Harris. Enough is enough of this shit. In the NBA stars get the whistle. Go viral! Say something nuts! Make them feel your wrath and I promise Maxey gets 15 free throws the next game.

The refs swallowed their whistles in the last minute of the game. This happened a possession earlier while the Sixers were trying to foul:

Ref let 3 more seconds run off because they didn’t call this foul pic.twitter.com/QRPmTOSTH0

— Kyle Pagan (@CBKylePagan) December 5, 2024

Jalen Carter and Tyrese Maxey. Worst whistles in the league.

They just don’t want to see your boy dance:

@kylepagancb

#duet with @Jaredmccain24 we won again @sixers

♬ original sound – superbat372

The post No One Gets a Worse Whistle in the NBA Than Tyrese Maxey appeared first on Crossing Broad.

The Sixers are a 5.5-point underdog without Paul George and Joel Embiid against an Orlando side that’s coming off a blowout loss to the New York Knicks.

By now, we’re used to seeing the Sixers without Embiid, but it’s disappointing George is being held out after such a strong Tuesday showing against the Charlotte Hornets.

Tyrese Maxey, Jared McCain, and Co. will try to get the best of one of the better defensive sides in the NBA. Orlando held the Sixers to 86 points on November 15th with Embiid and George in the lineup.

There’s not a ton of B2B data yet on both sides. Orlando is 1-2 straight up on the second legs, while the Sixers are just 0-1. There’s also a weird scheduling dynamic in play here since the Magic and Sixers meet again at Wells Fargo Center on Friday night.

We’ll probably see a similar game to the November battle on Wednesday night.

Orlando prides itself on defense and just got rolled by the Knicks for 121 points. That was just the third time the Magic conceded 120 or more points this season.

I think it’s very obvious that Maxey and Franz Wagner will take a bulk of the shots. Wagner had 23 field-goal attempts in the last meeting. He’s regularly scored in the 30s and is averaging 18.6 field-goal attempts per game.

Wagner’s also been filling up the stat sheet with averages of 5.6 rebounds and 5.9 assists per contest.

Maxey is averaging 21.7 attempts per game and he managed to get to 20 points Tuesday night despite going 5-for-16 from the field.

I’d use Wagner and Maxey to have 20+ points and 25+ points as parlay pieces for Wednesday. After that, I would just look at rebounding props.

Both teams are on the second leg of B2Bs, defense is Orlando’s calling card, and tired legs could play a factor in the second half.

Wagner (6.5), Guershon Yabusele (7.5) and Kelly Oubre Jr. (5.5) are the top candidates for rebounds. Yabu is coming off a 12-rebound performance and if Oubre is off the wings with McCain in the starting lineup, he should be closer to the rim to pull down boards as well.

There are some NJ sportsbook promos and PA betting promos to look into. DraftKings has a No Sweat Bet available to some customers for Same Game Parlays. The King of the Court promotion is also available for Wednesday’s games at DK. For that promo, you place a bet on any player prop with the KOTC token and if your player leads the NBA in points, rebounds and assists on Wednesday night, you receive bonus bets with the amount based on how many other users select that specific player.

FanDuel is offering a 25 percent boost on a SGP of three or more legs.

I would build those SGPs with Maxey and Wagner 20+ points and 6+ rebounds for Wagner, Yabusele and Oubre. You can even downgrade Oubre to 4+ rebounds and still get that SGP over +200 at most sportsbooks.

The post Sixers’ Winning Streak in Jeopardy as a 5.5-Point Underdog Without Paul George and Joel Embiid appeared first on Crossing Broad.

A majority of Council members are expected to vote in favor of the project, given the support it enjoys from the building trades unions, widely viewed as the most potent force in Philly politics, and other powerful local constituencies. But given the high-profile opposition from Comcast Spectacor, the 76ers’ current landlord at the Wells Fargo Center, and advocates for Chinatown, which borders the proposed site, many lawmakers may feel they need political cover to vote in favor of it. Being able to say Council squeezed millions more out of the 76ers owners could go a long way.

Councilmember Mark Squilla, whose district includes the proposed site and who introduced the legislation, said that in order for the project to move forward, the 76ers would have to agree to pay at least $10 million more in the CBA, and that he is pushing for a higher number, which he declined to share.

“The minimum has to be another $10 million, if you want to be realistic, but I think we need more than that,” Squilla told reporters after Tuesday’s hearing. “I don’t think we as a body would support anything less than that, so there has to be some give.”

“A majority of Council members are expected to vote in favor of the project, given the support it enjoys from the building trades unions, widely viewed as the most potent force in Philly politics.” Ding ding ding! We have a winner! We’ve been saying that for two years now, so ‘I don’t know why you’d read any other site,’ as The Maestro used to say. The Sixers have the trades and they have Mayor Parker. They really don’t need anything more.

What you’re seeing is Council trying to get their pound of flesh here, also known as extortion. The arena is $1.3 billion in private funding and the community benefits agreement is a proposed $50 million, which would be the largest CBA in Philadelphia history. But Squilla wants $10 million more, minimum, and every other council member wants something for their district to justify a “yes” vote. So it’s basically politics as usual at City Hall.

The question, truly, is what the CBA money should be used for. The current arrangement doesn’t put enough money into Chinatown. It just doesn’t. The majority of it should have been steered there in the first place. As such, the opposition is asking for $300 million in community benefits. There’s a press conference Wednesday to talk about that, and a statement from John Chin of the Philadelphia Chinatown Development Corporation reads like this:

“As multiple City Councilmembers have stated, the arena is worth at least $300 million to our city, and the current deal is just 1/6 of that.

We are appreciative of City Councilmembers opening up this conversation to reach that $300 million number, and substantively engaging stakeholders in and beyond Chinatown to make sure the people of Philadelphia are part of the agreement and not an afterthought. Previous City and developer engagements have failed to deliver sincere and meaningful outcomes, which is what we are now trying to achieve through this process.

PCDC’s requests reflect a piece of the overall larger mitigation efforts that are necessary to ensure Chinatown can survive, all Philadelphians are protected from harms that the arena would inflict, and have a voice in shaping real solutions.”

Yeah listen, if that’s their prerogative, so be it. Chinatown could have worked this out months ago with the Sixers and with Council, but then it gives the impression that they’re capitulating on a project they vehemently oppose if certain financial conditions are met, in this case, sextupling the community benefits agreement. If you sense defeat, you pivot to getting more out of a deal that feels inevitable, right? If the choices are something vs. nothing, then take the former and accept whatever “sellout” label comes with it. Maybe $300 million is too much of an ask, but we’ll find out soon. If we’re talking about negative arena impact, Chinatown will get the brunt of it, and therefore should receive the majority of the CBA money, despite their two-year effort to kill the project.

The post Arena Debate: Now it’s Come Down to Squeezing the Sixers for Every Last Dollar appeared first on Crossing Broad.

@jaredmccain24

Kyle loves tiktok

♬ original sound – superbat372

Everyone in the comments calling 38 year old Lowry “Unc” makes me feel old. Millennials have officially hit “washed” status.

Sure, the Sixers are 5-14, but the team camaraderie hasn’t wavered. The fact Lowry is okay with being in TikToks now means McCain must be getting some respect around the league. These two have come a long way from the preseason vlogs:

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Crossing Broad (@crossingbroad)

Though McCain might still have to convince Nick Nurse he’s for real. Nurse subbed him out in the 4th quarter with 8:33 to go in the fourth quarter and he never saw the court again. The Sixers were up nine at that point and blew the lead. Sometimes this is the Nick Nurse experience. He’s like what I imagine a toddler would be like. He keeps you guessing every single night. Are they going to bed right away or are they going to be up all night bothering you throughout it? Sixers fans and reporters alike were losing their minds. When you have both of these sides unanimously agreeing you know you screwed up:

If the Sixers lose this game Nick Nurse should be fired on the spot

— Hoops Reference (@HoopsReference) December 4, 2024

No Jared McCain in this game is truly baffling

— Matt Peoples (@Mpeoples23) December 4, 2024

Kyle Lowry: 0 points in 13 minutes

Jared McCain: 17 points in 22 minutes

Who do you think they went with for half of the 4th quarter to allow the Hornets to make a huge run?

— RB (@RBPhillyTake) December 4, 2024

Jared McCain’s lack of playing time makes no sense.

— Michael K-B (@therealmikekb) December 4, 2024

No Jared McCain to close out a tight game after he’s been one of the best offensive players all game for the Sixers? … pic.twitter.com/syKk5cTJJV

— Erin Grugan (@eringrugan) December 4, 2024

Someone tell Nick Nurse that Jared McCain is available to play right now.

— Rich Hofmann (@rich_hofmann) December 4, 2024

Only thing that matters at the end of the day is we’re doing victory Toks. The more victory Toks the better.

We’re gonna need about 40 of them and I’ll be there for all of them:

@kylepagancb

#duet with @Jaredmccain24 we won again @sixers

♬ original sound – superbat372

The post Jared McCain Finally Got Kyle Lowry in a TikTok appeared first on Crossing Broad.

The run itself was over before it even started, but Tuesday’s game is more about building some sort of foundation with Paul George and Tyrese Maxey on the floor so wins can start to be stacked together.

Both teams have lengthy injury reports, and Joel Embiid and LaMelo Ball will not be on the floor in Charlotte.

Without the two superstars, the player prop market is a little more advantageous to look at because each player fills up the stat sheet when they do play. For example, Ball averaged 31.1 points, 6.9 assists and 5.4 rebounds per game before going down with a calf strain.

Ball had 38 points, eight assists and four rebounds in the Sixers’ 107-105 win over the Hornets earlier in the season. The Sixers played that game without Embiid and Andre Drummond, who is out tonight, only played 24 minutes. So at least we have an idea of what the Sixers will do in their current form against Charlotte.

I’d assume the Sixers roll out George and Maxey with Kelly Oubre Jr., Guershon Yabusele, and Caleb Martin with Jared McCain the first player off the bench. Martin is listed as probable and his props have been posted all day, a sign he will play.

The one player I’m fascinated with, particularly in a matchup against a Charlotte team with one healthy center, is Adem Bona. I doubt we see his props listed at all, or if that happens, it’ll be right before tipoff. Bona played 20 minutes against Detroit, and while he recorded just four points and five rebounds, the matchup suits him because the Hornets have been playing small ball for the last few weeks with multiple centers down.

As for the stars, I think we see Maxey, McCain, and George take a bulk of the shots. They took 43 of the 85 shots on Sunday. Oubre was the only Sixer outside of Maxey and George to have double-digit field-goal attempts.

Maxey’s point prop sits at over/under 25.5, George is over/under 17.5 points and McCain is at over/under 16.5 points. I’d consider looking into Oubre at over/under 11.5, because yes, he’s playing his former team, and he’s still attempting a high number of field goals.

Oubre’s rebounds are worth a look as well. He’s had at least five rebounds in each of his last six games. The over on his rebound prop of 5.5 sits at plus-money on FanDuel.

Yabusele is the other Sixers target for rebounds. He’s had 11, 6, 7, and 8 boards in his last four games and his rebound prop sits at over/under 6.5.

From a Sixers-only perspective, I’d look into Yabusele 6+ rebounds, Oubre 4+ rebounds and Maxey 20+ points, which gets you just over plus-money in a Same Game Parlay. You could use one of DraftKings’ NBA Cup profit boosts for that, or go up a rung with Maxey 20+ points, Oubre 6+ rebounds and Yabusele at 6+ or 8+ rebounds.

If you want to add Hornets players, I’d look at Brandon Miller points. It would be a surprise if he didn’t take 20 shots. He has seven straight 20+ point performances. Vasilije Micic has 13 assists in two games as the starter in place of Ball. I would mix in his assists as well.

A SGP of Maxey & Miller 20+ points, Oubre & Yabusele 6+ rebounds and Micic 6+ assists is worth some coin at +650. Alternately, if the injury situation creates too much uncertainty, it might be a night for online slot games and online casinos instead.

The post Sixers are 4.5-Point Favorites in Final NBA Cup Game Against Hornets appeared first on Crossing Broad.

Ok, it’s not exactly the most enticing proposition given the state of both teams, especially because they’re both underdogs on Wednesday night.

The Tyrese Maxey and Jared McCain Show will be on display against the Houston Rockets at the Wells Fargo Center, while the MichkovMania World Tour hits Nashville.

Sixers (+5) vs. Houston (Over/Under 219) 

Not only are the Sixers one of the worst teams in the NBA right now, they have the worst record against the spread.

The Sixers are 4-12 ATS. The Wizards are the only other team in the NBA with four wins ATS. Every other team has covered at least six times.

You want the good news? Three of those four covers came as an underdog of 7.5 or more points. In fact, the Sixers are 3-1 ATS when they’re an underdog of more than five points this season, so let’s root for that number to get up to 6 or 7!

Meanwhile, Houston is 13-6 ATS and 8-1 ATS in the last nine games.

It’s also worth noting that the Rockets are on the second leg of a back-to-back and went into overtime in the NBA Cup against Minnesota on Tuesday night.

Houston is 1-3 straight up on the second leg of back-to-backs this season. The Rockets are 2-2 ATS and 4-0 to the under on those second legs.

So there’s at least one trend in the Sixers’ favor, and hell who knows, McCain and Maxey could go off for 60-70 combined points and lead the Sixers to a win. McCain’s also due for a bounce back after shooting just 3-for-15 from the field and 2-for-11 from three-point range on Sunday.

PA casino sign up bonus: check out Crossing Broad’s guide for the best iGaming promotions and bonus codes

Flyers (+150) at Nashville (Over/Under 6)

Here’s the other bit of good news for Wednesday night.

The Nashville Predators are one of the NHL’s most disappointing teams.

Despite landing Steven Stamkos and Jonathan Marchessault in the offseason, the Preds are 7-12-3 with the second-worst point total in the Western Conference.

Nashville did win three of its last four home games, but that’s not a great sample size to go off since two of those games happened at the start of November.

As for the Flyers, they just keep playing close games.

They have been to overtime six times in the last nine games and played in another one-goal game during that run.

Both teams give up over three goals per game, but that doesn’t mean make an immediate bet on the over since Nashville averages 2.36 goals per game.

The post A Look at the Sixers and Flyers’ Thanksgiving Eve Odds appeared first on Crossing Broad.

According to Sam Amick here, the Sixers knew Joel Embiid’s health was as bad as it is right now & still blindly gave him the extension anyway.

If true… that is a huge mistake.

pic.twitter.com/EC3a79UM9H

— RB (@RBPhillyTake) November 26, 2024

Then the Sixers organization is a flat out joke.

— BOOCHadelphia (@JoeBucciSB52) November 26, 2024

The Sixers are the most mismanaged franchise in sports.

— Sarah Dunn (@SD041316) November 26, 2024

I have been saying this since they announced he’d be out to start the year. No other organization would allow this front office staff to keep their jobs, but Josh Harris is the worst owner in the NBA so of course no one will get fired and nothing will change.

— Leeam (@NotLeeam) November 26, 2024

Is this how bad it is being a Sixers fan right now? We’ve been hurt so much we’re just wiping the mainframe and acting like Embiid didn’t start his career with knee issues and shouldn’t have knee issues a decade later. We’re like six months from him throwing an oop to himself on a partially torn meniscus and re-injuring it and then playing 17 minutes a game in the Olympics. Of course his knees were jacked up and of course Sixers doctors thought they could manage it. This is the team whose unofficial slogan is “re-evaluated in two weeks”. At this point I wouldn’t even blink if Shams tweeted the doctors had to amputate a leg. But this was also explained to us (kind of) in a plan the Sixers had in place before the season.

And you know what? I can’t even blame the Sixers if this is true from Ramona Shelburne via ESPN that the team had him meet with a half a dozen doctors before the pen was even on paper:

The team and Embiid had sought half a dozen medical opinions before signing him to a three-year, $192.7 extension this September, sources said, and all of those consulted believed his knee could be adequately managed by a combination of strategic rest and procedures to promote healing, which Embiid has been regularly undergoing since last season.

In reality, what did you want them to do? They just extended Tyrese Maxey and signed Paul George. Did we not expect Embiid to be here for the life of those deals? In what world would that make sense? Plus waiting to extend him only makes him costlier in the long run. If you give props to the Sixers for one thing give it to them for not being the Dallas Cowboys.

Now you could wonder if all of the bad press from the stadium discussion was getting to them so they pulled the trigger on the deal for a change of pace. And you can say Embiid’s attitude through this whole thing has been shitty because it has. But you do this deal 10 out of 10 times. I’m not absolving them from anything. We all know they don’t deserve it after a history of mismanagement. But Paul George can’t even walk 10 feet without hyperextending something. Tyrese Maxey missed multiple weeks with an injury. You couldn’t paint a worse scenario to start the season. We’re also one Embiid setback over the next 65 games from winning 30 games and missing out on a stacked draft because their pick falls to OKC if it’s outside #6. The Sixers are in the worst position you can be – no man’s land. Which ironically is why they started The Process in the first place. Time is a flat circle friends.

The post ESPN Insider Says the Sixers Consulted ‘Half a Dozen’ Doctors Before Signing Joel Embiid to an Extension appeared first on Crossing Broad.

@talksofthetown

Shane Gillis gets Denied in his DM’s Via: MSSP #531 #comedy #hilarious #funnyvideos #talksofthetown #tottcomedy #shanegillis #mattmccusker #jaredmccain #philly #6ers #phila #mssp

♬ original sound – TalksOfTheTown

Look at this guy big leaguing one of the biggest comedians in the world right now. Probably doesn’t even know who he is because he just chills hard as hell, scores baskets, and makes TikToks. He doesn’t have time to meet up with Shane and drink a massive amount of beers. He’s got a Rookie of the Year trophy to win.

Jared McCain is easily in the conversation for top 5 of most popular athlete in Philly right now. Here’s my rank:

1. Saquon Barkley
2. Jalen Hurts
3. Bryce Harper
4. Tyrese Maxey
5. Jared McCain

Dude has taken Philly by storm. How can a guy who does TikToks convince Philly of all places to fall in love with him this quickly? How does he keep scoring with ease and Sideshow Bob hair? The silky smooth shooting with a smile that should be on billboards. He’s got every club in the bag and paints his nails. The mind of the WIP Uncle can not comprehend.

I mean dude isn’t just ingrained in Philly lore, he’s fully in the mainstream right now. He’s your sister’s favorite TikToker who also moonlights as a really really good basketball player.

We’ve got AJ Brown, Saquon Barkley, and other NFL players recreating his TikToks:

@nflonfox

A+ effort #nfl #nfltiktok #nflfunny 1k_watts

♬ Maps jersey remix – VIP

Jayden Daniels taking a page out of Jared McCain’s book with a TikTok celly dance

(: @Commanders) pic.twitter.com/3xVtYWa4Ko

— Complex Sports (@ComplexSports) November 24, 2024

Imagine trying to unwind after losing and having 30 on your head, pulling up TikTok, and the first thing you see is this. I’d retire:

@jaredmccain24

♬ original sound – superbat372

He’s putting Chick-Fil-A employees through college one parlay at a time:

@bleacherreport

McCain made sure to set the record straight (via @Jaredmccain24) #nba #basketball #jaredmccain #sixers #betting

♬ original sound – bleacherreport

If you told me the Sixers would start 3-13, but we still had some hope I’d call you crazy. The only thing keeping Sixers fans from a one way ticket off the Ben Franklin right now is Jared McCain’s Rookie of the Year candidacy and a dash of Tyrese Maxey. He had South Philly ROCKING this weekend:

Jared McCain passes Allen Iverson for most made 3-pointers by a 76ers rookie in their first 15 career games

(via @sixers)

pic.twitter.com/N2XF4IyVls

— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) November 23, 2024

The post Jared McCain is So Big Time He Won’t Return Shane Gillis’ DMs appeared first on Crossing Broad.

Fitting final score since the Sixers are playing like booty

(via @mollyhannahm) pic.twitter.com/n4rAzNODo5

— Crossing Broad (@CrossingBroad) November 25, 2024

99 ANAL 125. You want to know how the Sixers game went last night? Let the social team tell you. The funniest part about the score is it totally distracts from Tyrese Maxey’s clown hair with the cotton candy on top.

It’s been an ass-heavy season for the Sixers. The team is playing like it and Joel Embiid is digging in his before free throws:

No way Joel Embiid is digging in his ass and sniffing it before he shoots free throws pic.twitter.com/XU0382yee1

— Hater Report (@HaterReport_) October 26, 2024

Embiid is back to this wedgie sniff Ft routine he used a couple years back for a gag I guess? pic.twitter.com/iRdSv6LvYO

— DaveEarly (@DavidEarly) November 13, 2024

The post The Sixers’ Social Team is Trying to Subliminally Tell Us How Ass the Team is appeared first on Crossing Broad.

At least Ben Simmons shot it this time… pic.twitter.com/LmDVINtS70

— CogginToboggan (@CogginToboggan) November 23, 2024

Let’s check in on Ben Simmons iconic return to Philadelphia pic.twitter.com/jyJlvUwS59

— ʜᴀᴍᴍᴇʀ ᴛɪᴍᴇ(ɪɴᴋ) (@HammerTimeLays) November 23, 2024

So… he caught the ball right at the basket and could have just dunked it. He’s 6’10”. Instead, he decided to lay it in, but went up with his right hand, threw it off the backboard, and it missed the rim entirely. It didn’t even hit the rectangle. At least he tried the shot, though. Coggin is right about that much. Simmons was under the same basket when he passed the damn ball in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals, a series the Sixers totally blew against the Hawks. What a travesty. Ben is toast. Joel Embiid is injured. Paul George is injured. The Sixers are 2-12. Serenity now!

The post Ben Simmons Missed the Rim on a Layup Attempt appeared first on Crossing Broad.

MEMPHIS — Joel Embiid sounded off after details from the 76ers’ lengthy team meeting Monday night — including that teammate Tyrese Maxey called out the 2023 NBA Most Valuable Player for tardiness — surfaced through multiple reports citing anonymous sources, saying “whoever leaked that is a real piece of [expletive].”

“We talked about a lot of things [during the meeting],” Embiid said following the Sixers’ 117-111 loss to the Grizzlies on Wednesday. “I don’t want to get into the details, but that whole thing [with Maxey] probably took 30 seconds. But then again, it’s Joel Embiid, so we’ve got to make everything blown out of proportion.

“It’s whatever. I’ll take it all. I’m the reason for everything, so I’ll take the blame for everything.”

There are some more Embiid quotes in the story about his relationship with Maxey. He thinks the team meeting thing is being exaggerated.

To be honest, I was going to give this blog post to Pagan, because when it comes to the Sixers in November I’m like East Greenville native Sabrina Carpenter. “My give a fucks are on vacation,” as she once said.

But Pagan is off, so I have to handle the story, and here’s what I’ll say:

I just don’t care about this. I can’t generate any interest in this story at all. When we talk about the Sixers, the general rule is that we want to slumber through the winter and wake up when the playoffs begin. The regular season just does not matter, and they are certainly making that apparent in 2024. “But this is different,” you say. Okay, sure, they are 2-12, they absolutely stink, and there’s more drama surrounding the franchise, but is this really any different than any other season that we’ve watched since 2017? We survived Burnergate, Ben Simmons holding out, James Harden calling Daryl Morey a liar, and multiple second round playoff collapses. A rookie almost died from a food allergy and another forgot how to shoot the basketball. None of this fazes me at all. Are you fazed? If you are, I don’t believe you. We’re just soulless basketball husks at this point. We’ve been through so much shit with this franchise that it no longer registers.

Joel Embiid has always been a troll and somewhat lacking in the maturity department. He is never going to be the type of leader that Philadelphia sports fans prefer, like a Brian Dawkins or Malcolm Jenkins type. But going by the ironclad mantra that “two things can be true,” Embiid is also a generational talent and the best player to wear a Sixers uniform since Allen Iverson. Injury concerns being what they are, of course the franchise was going to ride his tenure as long as possible in an effort to win a title. They weren’t going to trade him, or let him become a free agent, or anything like that. Embiid is Embiid, and the best we can do is hope he gets it together, stays healthy, and gets this team into the playoffs.

The bigger concern I have is Nick Nurse. What the fuck is he even doing out there? What is this offense they’re running? There’s no ball movement and nobody can generate an easy look. The coach doesn’t become injured and the coach isn’t on a minutes restriction. There’s no load management for Nick Nurse, who needs to coach 82 games, and right now it looks like Doc Rivers 2.0 over there on the bench. Stop dicking around with the rotations, play your best players, hone in on what works. Figure it out man.

Anyway, Eagles are 8-2. Go Birds.

The post Joel Embiid Thinks the Person Who Leaked Sixers Team Meeting is a Real Piece of Shit appeared first on Crossing Broad.

“I ended up on the phone with a few guys from the 76ers. By all accounts, (Tyrese Maxey calling out Joel Embiid) was blown out of proportion. … They were sitting next to each other when we were on the phone, laughing and giggling.” – @TeamLou23

https://t.co/CfAwAvgFYZ pic.twitter.com/7p7TuAMzUO

— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) November 20, 2024

Of course everything is blown out of proportion once it hits the Internet. There are too many opinions on Al Gore’s World Wide Web. That doesn’t mean it’s not frustrating the franchise player can’t show up to meetings on time.

Here’s the full quote:

“I ended up on the phone with a few of the guys from the 76ers. By all accounts this was kind of blown out of proportion. The idea of Tyrese calling Joel out and how it’s been portrayed in the media as one of these type of blow up things. From my understanding they just had a conversation on accountability. Just keeping everybody in check. Sometimes you gotta have that as a team. Just making sure we’re all on the same page…It wasn’t as much of Tyrese Maxey challenging Joel Embiid. It wasn’t a conversation about accountability by all accounts those guys are doing just fine. They were sitting next to each other when we were on the phone laughing and giggling and having a good time and trying to get this team back on the same page.”

The worst reaction has to be the “Trade Embiid” crowd:

“The Sixers are a miserable team and they are exhausting basketball lead by an exhausting star player.

“Get him out of here today. Trade him tomorrow. This is ridiculous. The contract they gave him, it looks dumber by the minute.”

— @JoeGiglioSports https://t.co/IJjzFstrhv pic.twitter.com/jyvI6D7MsO

— SPORTSRADIO 94WIP (@SportsRadioWIP) November 19, 2024

First, do one second of research to find out he can’t be traded this season. Two, if you want Tyrese Maxey to become the face of the franchise that’s fine. But it’s not going to fix anything. When it comes to sports in Philly we’re prisoners of the moment. Our first move is always to react when something happens good or bad. We have three titles in 44 years. Sue us. But to sit there and think Maxey isn’t going to get the same shit Embiid gets when he becomes the face is the thought of a smooth brain. You can say he works hard, looks like he cares, and delivers. Well so does Jalen Hurts and he’s ridiculed tenfold fair or unfair. The balance of criticism from these shows from WIP to First Take just transfers to the next candidate. Wherever they can get their next pound of flesh they will. Having Embiid take all the criticism has let Maxey develop into an All-Star. So if you want to throw the 24 year old into the fire and run a Mt. Rushmore 76er out of town because he’s late to team meetings you’re an idiot. 

Breathe. We’re wasting too much brain capacity on the Sixers right now. It’s 13 games into the season. The Eagles are first in the division and have a rea path to the #1 seed. The 2-11 Sixers shouldn’t even be a blip on our radar. We’re arguing about a league that doesn’t even matter until after the All-Star Break and a team that is four games out of a playoff spot. Put the Kelly Green on and have tunnel vision. Harness in the good energy. Block out the bad. Harness. Energy. Block. Bad.

The post Lou Williams Spoke to Sixers Players and Says the Team Meeting Was Blown Out of Proportion appeared first on Crossing Broad.

Lets set the odds for who leaked the details of the Sixers team meeting…

Jared McCain – 12/1

Jared McCain likes TikTok:

@jaredmccain24

BUT IM INNNNN SOOOO DEEEEEEPP YOU KNOW IM SUCH A FOOL FOR YOUUUU

♬ Linger – SiriusXM Session – Royel Otis

TikTok is Chinese spyware technology. The Chinese hate Daryl Morey. TikTok was listening in on the meeting, got in touch with Shams, and played him back the entire recording in hopes to sink the 76ers season and get Morey fired. It’s that easy folks. We’re dealing with powers so beyond our imagination.

Paul George – 10/1

Gotta have something to talk about on the podcast. PG leaks the story and now he’s free to address it. Every great podcaster knows how to build heat for their next episode. Maybe he throws in more detail for the clip and it goes viral. More views equals more ad dollars. It’s a foolproof plan.

Jeff Dowtin Jr. – 10/1

How else can you explain the 20 minutes of playing time he got on Monday while Guerschon Yabusele only got 11? It what world does that make sense? Is he an information mule? Something stinks.

Justin Edwards – 8/1

I bet you didn’t think Justin Edwards’ name would pop up on this list, but every Klutch client will be questioned under a hot lamp in the interrogation room. This could just be a rookie with loose lips. Well loose lips sink ships here. You’re not in Lexington anymore, Todo. Welcome to the big leagues. Carry the bags, get the pregame meal, and shut your mouth. Don’t be spouting off to your friends or Klutch about what goes on in the locker room.

Tyrese Maxey – 2/1

If it was Tyrese Maxey I don’t think he meant to do it. I don’t think he’s that kind of guy.

“Tyrese loves Big Fella” pic.twitter.com/l9d0qPLcNq

— Kyle Pagan (@CBKylePagan) November 19, 2024

Now he might’ve been to naive in who he trusted. Maybe he was talking to a marketing rep or Rich Paul himself casually and divulged too much information. Klutch and Shams are tied at the hip. Shams did all the water carrying for Ben Simmons during that entire debacle. This isn’t his first rodeo. Now why would Klutch leak this to Shams? Maybe he did it for another client of his….

Nick Nurse – even

Nick Nurse is also represented by Klutch. GASP! It was hiding there in plain sight!

This is my odds-on favorite. I think a lot of people thought I was talking about Maxey when I tweeted this and why some of the replies are defending him:

Embiid being late to the meetings doesn’t even bother me. It’s the fact that in less than 12 hours Klutch is leaking details of a private meeting so their client looks like the good guy in case shit really hits the fan. pic.twitter.com/jeYy0sNJY9

— Kyle Pagan (@CBKylePagan) November 19, 2024

This feels like agents working overtime to protect their client’s job. Why else is Sam Amick at The Athletic (with ads) writing that Daryl and Nurse’s jobs are safe? Feels like a lot of agents working overtime:

The Philadelphia 76ers are off to a worse start than anyone in the organization could have imagined, but there are no internal discussions at this point regarding the job status of coach Nick Nurse or president of basketball operations Daryl Morey, multiple league sources told The Athletic.

Nurse knows his head would be first on the chopping block and maybe he slipped this to Klutch himself. How can you fire the coach when your franchise player isn’t showing up on time to meetings? The offense being Nurse’s fault can’t be the narrative when the big man is missing film. The NBA is an information trading business. You float Shams something maybe he’ll tell you what he’s hearing about your job security. I wonder if Nurse regrets not playing the game more in Toronto and refuses to let that happen again.

Btw Sixers are a lock tonight, right? There’s no chance Joel Embiid isn’t dropping 30 with his back against the wall. Even Maxey might play. Sixers -2.5 tonight is my mortal lock and can be yours at PA sports betting apps.

The post Setting the Odds for Who Leaked the Sixers Team Meeting Details to ESPN appeared first on Crossing Broad.

Nick Nurse has come out and started his media session by apologizing for being late and said the team had a “little meeting”. He won’t get into the specifics of the meeting. #Sixers

— Ky Carlin (@Ky_Carlin) November 19, 2024

If an hour-long (presumably) meeting after the game is “little,” I’d love to know what Nick Nurse thinks a big team meeting is. They probably had to re-gas the flight for Memphis.

I think team meetings are so overrated. Especially on a team like this with a bunch of new guys. Usually it’s some guy speaking up who shouldn’t be so everyone tunes him out and the meeting loses its significance. What is Paul George going to say when he’s been here for a cup of coffee? How much can Joel Embiid say when he’s played two games with half the starting lineup? If anything, this feels like a panic move. Like Nick Nurse knows the first head to roll is going to be his. It feels more like optics than it feels beneficial for the long run. Unless it went something like this:

Angry Turkish Manager/coach/gaffer slapping players in the dressing room pic.twitter.com/2N6W4KHFhy

— @FTmemes_ (@Sack10Hag) July 18, 2020

UPDATE: Shams has details from the team meeting via ESPN

In the meeting, Maxey challenged Embiid to be on time to team activities, calling out the former league MVP about being late “for everything” and how it impacts the locker room, from other players to the coaching staff, sources briefed on the meeting told ESPN.

Maxey and Embiid have a close friendship and have a history of holding each other accountable, according to those around the team.

“Tyrese loves Big Fella’, but this is the elephant in the room,” a person involved in the meeting told ESPN.

Players told 76ers coach Nick Nurse that they want to be coached harder, and coaches in turn said they want players to practice with purpose and attention to detail.

Embiid accepted the messages sent in the meeting, sources said, but he stated he is confused about what the 76ers are attempting to execute sometimes on the court.

First things first you gotta respect Klutch leaking these details in less than 12 hours to make their client look good. The devil works hard, but Rich Paul works harder. “Tyrese loves Big Fella” –

Secondly, I don’t know how big of a deal a star player being late to meetings is, but if it’s really affecting the team like Maxey says than Joel Embiid will probably never grow up and become a leader if he hasn’t already. This is just who he is at this point and it sucks.

Don’t worry at least we got a good troll from Joel. Jo now has as many trolls as wins we have this year! Hang the banner:

I asked Joel Embiid about the team meeting and whether it was positive. He responded: “Oh, we had a meeting? I don’t know.” #Sixers

— Ky Carlin (@Ky_Carlin) November 19, 2024

The Sixers stinkkkkkkkk right now. They can’t shoot, their body language sucks, the rotations are ass, and they stink. There is no reason with or without Tyrese Maxey they should be scoring 86 points against the Magic and losing by double digits to the Heat barring a Hangover-like party in Miami the night before. Joel Embiid looks like a shell of himself. He looks uninterested in going 1-on-1 with his guy. Last night he didn’t go to the free throw line once in 31 minutes. That’s unheard of. There’s no point of even litigating the first 13 games if Embiid is going to look the way he does because this team has no shot.

They need to go 4-1 over the next five games and Embiid has to play in all of them or they’re very much in danger of becoming irrelevant in this city before December. We’ve got the Eagles until hopefully February and if the Sixers still stink by then we’ll gloss right over them and start talking about pitchers and catchers. It would be the worst thing that can happen to this franchise. Especially with a stadium vote in the next couple of weeks. You’re already branded the underachiever. You’re the black sheep of the city. You can’t become irrelevant when you want to do something that drastic like build a new stadium.

Who would’ve thought heading into the season that our only hope would be a TikToker who paints his nails. We live in a simulation:

tornado watch! pic.twitter.com/w7YgeJNghC

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) November 19, 2024

The post Sixers Had a Lengthy Team Meeting After Getting Blown Out by the Heat (UPDATED) appeared first on Crossing Broad.

For the first time since 2018, Joel Embiid did not attempt a free throw in a game

Embiid has had at least one free throw attempt in every game he’s played in besides TWO. pic.twitter.com/dlF5D0eXvf

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) November 19, 2024

The game in question was February 9th, 2018, a 100 to 82 home win against the New Orleans Pelicans. Embiid went for 24 and 16 on 11 for 18 shooting, while the Sixers only shot nine free throws all night. Trying to recall that one from memory, I think it was during that stretch in which he owned Anthony Davis, and therefore probably got whatever he wanted en route to not being fouled. There have been games in later years where he only took one free throw, but not donuts, and he has never finished a playoff game with zero free throws.

This is is, of course, critical to his game. During his MVP season, 2022-2023, he averaged 11.7 free throws per game and was second in the NBA behind Giannis. Per 36 minutes, it would have been 12.2 FTA, and the crazy thing is that he shot 85.7% from the charity stripe, which was better than Luka Doncic, Jimmy Butler, and Jayson Tatum, just to name a few other non-big stars with a similar number of trips to the line.

What’s he been doing in these recent games? Setting screens, hovering around the three point line, and taking some mid-range jumpers. 13 of his 37 field goal attempts are three pointers and only 11 of his shots have come from inside the paint:

Time to figure it out, because it’s almost Thanksgiving and the Sixers are 2-11 and tied for last in the East.

The post In Hideous Miami Loss, Joel Embiid Didn’t Attempt a Free Throw for First Time Since 2018 appeared first on Crossing Broad.

But I think now is the perfect time to appreciate what we have for the future with the three teams currently in action.

Quinyon Mitchell, Jared McCain, and Matvei Michkov are all +400 or lower to win their respective Rookie of the Year awards as of Monday morning.

Mitchell’s rise is the most notable of the three because he wasn’t expected to be at the top of the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year conversation.

Just over the weekend alone, Mitchell’s odds dropped from the +1000 to +2000 range to below +300 at most major sportsbooks.

If you were one of the lucky ones, Mitchell’s odds re-opened after Thursday night around +1000 and plummeted as people made bets at that number and lower.

Mitchell is +250 at FanDuel and +275 at DraftKings behind Los Angeles Rams edge-rusher Jared Verse going into Week 12, where it just so happens that the Eagles play the Rams.

Obviously, Verse and Mitchell won’t be going head-to-head, but there’s a good chance Mitchell’s stock rises if he is able to shut down the Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua combination.

Another shift in the odds after Sunday could result in three Philadelphia athletes being favorites for their Rookie of the Year honors.

Jared McCain grabbed hold of the top spot on the NBA chart with his standout performances over the last week.

McCain is +200 at FD and +210 at DK to win the ROTY amid a soft field, and let’s just call it what it is –

There’s no Wemby, Luka or Ja to compete with. All of the key rookies are No. 3 pieces at best on their respective rosters. That’s opened up the ROTY odds with Pennsylvania sports betting.

McCain’s emergence has been the lone positive to the Sixers’ slow start, and if Joel Embiid keeps sitting with whatever the hell he’s dealing with, the rookie’s playing time will increase, and in turn, his ROY resume will become more robust.

Even with Embiid, Paul George, and Tyrese Maxey on the floor (whenever that actually happens), McCain has the potential to put up some decent numbers off the bench to add to the foundation he’s already building with the top three players out.

Michkov had the highest expectations of any Philadelphia rookie entering his season, and so far with 15 points, he’s delivered on the hype. He is -140 to win the Calder Trophy. He’s got one more point than Dallas’ Logan Stankoven, his closest competition at the moment.

It’s also worth noting Michkov has an 11-point edge on No. 1 overall pick Macklin Celebrini, who was out for some time at the start of the season. Celebrini and Stankoven are Michkov’s biggest competitors for the Calder, but given what we’ve seen in 16 games of Michkov, he’s only going to get better and will be hard to overtake at his current rate.

The post Quinyon Mitchell, Jared McCain, Matvei Michkov All +400 or Lower to Win Respective Rookie of Year Awards appeared first on Crossing Broad.

The Philadelphia 76ers are once again an underdog with Joel Embiid not expected to play.

Out of nowhere on Monday morning it was reported that Embiid is doubtful with an illness. Not questionable, not probable, nope just right to doubtful and headed toward yet another game absence.

So anyway, Paul George, Jared McCain and Co. are a five-point underdog against the Miami Heat and are +160 on the money line.

George and McCain will be responsible for carrying most of the offensive load. Caleb Martin and Kelly Oubre will chip in, but everyone expects George and McCain, whose point props sit at 21.5 and 20.5, to take a majority of the shots.

Betting the over on points props in Heat games can be tricky because Miami is typically known for its defense. The total sits at 212, which is the second-lowest total for a Sixers game this season.

The under hit in the game with the lowest total on Friday in Orlando, where the Sixers scored a season-low 86 points.

A similarly low-scoring game could be in the cards on Monday night because the Sixers won’t have Embiid, and on the other side, the Heat are expected to have Jimmy Butler back for the first time in a week.

It’s easy to expect Andre Drummond to be eaten alive by Bam Adebayo in the paint. Drummond hasn’t played more than 25 minutes in each of his  last five games, some of which have been with Embiid and some without.

The Sixers’ best path to victory might be to go smaller with Guershon Yabusele earning more minutes than usual in the paint. Yabusele played 31 and 24 minutes in the last two games.

Based off that information, I’d say Drummond under 11.5 rebounds is the best player prop you could make from Monday’s game.

George and Caleb Martin are both listed at over/under 5.5 rebounds. I’d look more into the over on those props than Drummond’s because I’d wager both of them are on the court for 30+ minutes.

McCain may be the better angle to take if you bet any Sixers point props. He attempted at least 16 shots in the last five games. He’s taken 10+ three-pointers in the last three games and made 15 threes in that span. McCain’s three-pointers line is over/under 3.5. You can also get him to have 3+ three-pointers at -175, or include that as part of a Same Game Parlay.

It’s a minimalist approach, but you can do George and Martin to have 4+ rebounds and McCain to make 3+ threes at plus money in a SGP. You can also add Adebayo at either 8+ or 10+ to increase the number.

PA online casinos: check out Pennsylvania’s best iGaming offerings with Crossing Broad’s comprehensive guides

The post Sixers are a 5-Point Underdog for Road Clash With Heat appeared first on Crossing Broad.

That’s the magic of the NBA Cup!

The Sixers are a 2.5-point underdog against the Orlando Magic and need a win as a +114 money line underdog to avoid going 0-2 in East Group A.

A second loss in group play would likely take the Sixers out of quarterfinals contention. The top team advances from each group, and with each team only playing four group games, it’s almost mathematically impossible to rebound from 0-2.

Whether you care about the NBA Cup or not, Friday’s game is a chance to see Joel Embiid on the floor for the second time with Paul George and to see how the Sixers can deal with a tough opponent in the Magic, who, despite losing Paolo Banchero to injury, are 7-6 and play tough defense.

Orlando is 6-7 to the over this season, but they’re 6-1 to the under in the last seven games. They held their last four opponents under 100 points, which is why Friday’s over/under sits at 210.5, a relatively low number by NBA standards.

The Magic do not have superstar power. They’re just playing well thanks to solid team defense. Franz Wagner has taken control of the Banchero role as the top scorer, but Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Goga Bitadze aren’t really moving the needle.

If Embiid was a few more games into his season, I would feel a lot more confident in the Sixers just using pure star power between Embiid and George to get by.

However, Embiid’s 13 points, five assists, and three rebounds in his debut against the New York Knicks doesn’t exactly inspire confidence that he can carry the Sixers to a win yet.

Embiid’s props sit at over/under 23.5 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 4.5 assists. That’s roughly where his props sat at for Tuesday’s game.

I don’t think anyone in good faith will tell you to bet the overs on Embiid props, especially in this type of matchup, so if anything, take the under on points and rebounds, or just stay away from him completely.

On the other hand, Paul George is certainly worth looking at. He’s coming off a 29-point, 10-rebound double-double and is averaging 5.8 rebounds and 5.2 assists per game.

George’s props sit at over/under 20.5 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.5 assists. I’d seriously look into the rebound props if he’s going to play over 30 minutes and the Magic force a ton of tough shots.

Jared McCain will probably be a popular player for props off the bench, but we likely will not get those until close to tipoff.

As for the Magic, Wagner is the only player I’d think about for props because he’s done a bit of everything. He’s averaging 23.9 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 5.5 assists per game in November. The over on Wagner’s rebound prop of 5.5 should be under consideration because of how rusty Embiid could look.

A combination of Wagner and George to have 20+ points and 6+ rebounds each pays out at +470 on DraftKings and +532 on FanDuel.

DraftKings is offering two boosts for NBA Cup play on Friday, bet365 has a 30% Same Game Parlay boost, and BetMGM is offering an odds boost token as well. If you’re not feeling this game, PA online casino and NJ online casino might be worth a try. If you’ve never used online casinos, check out our guides.

The post NBA Cup Action: Sixers a 2.5-Point Underdog Against Magic appeared first on Crossing Broad.

Jared McCain over his last 4 games:

34 PTS – 10 AST – 6 3PM
23 PTS – 3 REB – 2 AST
27 PTS – 3 REB – 2 AST
18 PTS – 1 REB – 2 AST

(Via @realapp_ ) pic.twitter.com/6FRYp2Pj0X

— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) November 14, 2024

The kid can play. He’s the real deal. He’s already got four games of 18+ points, while no other rookie has more than one. StatMuse noted that McCain’s Cleveland performance – a 34 point, 10 assist, two steal, 6 threes made stat line – has only been replicated by Jason Kidd and Steph Curry among all NBA rookie seasons. It’s one of those arbitrary statistics where you pick a bunch of random thresholds, but still, hitting the same plateau as those two guys is really cool and something to hang your hat on.

“Another great game for him,” said Nick Nurse in the postgame presser. “Probably the biggest thing was the 10 assists for me. 34 (points) is a huge number, but mostly you’re doing it one way and (now he’s) starting to create, and I thought he did a good job for the most part of getting it out to other people, to create some buckets, and that’s pretty fast learning. That’s pretty fast learning. He’s really taken a lot of opportunities, got a lot of shots up, (has) a good feel for the game, so that was most encouraging. He’s confident and playing well and that’s certainly a super bright spot.”

A bright spot for a team off to a horrendous start. The Embiid/PG/Maxey thing is super annoying, a buzzkill to begin the season, but you look up at the same time and realize that the 1st round draft pick can hoop. You see Guerschon Yabusele step in as a legitimate rotation player. Caleb Martin has been better. There’s enough there to think “what could be?” if the stars can get it together and stay healthy.

The thing about McCain is that he seems to combine good awareness and decision making. That’s another way of echoing Nurse’s comments about “feel.” McCain has no problem firing three pointers, be it off the dribble or catch and shoot, but that’s not the entirety of his game. He’s got good handles and moves well on both ends. He also gets into the paint pretty easily and has a high midrange ceiling that should be able to punish closeouts and perimeter aggression. There were a couple of sequences in this game where he rounded the corner then stopped on a dime, about a foot inside the elbow, and pulled up for smooth jump shots. He’s not just a one-trick pony and he knows how to use screens and make the next pass. The ceiling looks really high for the kid.

First career start, first career 30-piece AND first career double-double for Sixers’ rookie Jared McCain.

Here’s all 34 points he scored against the Cavaliers tonight. pic.twitter.com/WcDRIWrPCj

— Erin Grugan (@eringrugan) November 14, 2024

The post Jared McCain is a Stud appeared first on Crossing Broad.

Joel Embiid and Paul George have both been ruled out due to load management and Tyrese Maxey is already out to injury.

So, yeah, of course the Cleveland Cavaliers are a 10.5-point favorite and the Sixers are +370 on the money line. The number might grow between now and tipoff.

Kyle Lowry, Kelly Oubre, Caleb Martin, and Andre Drummond will definitely start, but who’s the fifth guy? Eric Gordon didn’t play a single minute on Tuesday, but he began the season in the starting lineup. Guershon Yabusele and Jared McCain could make strong cases to start, and if not, they will be the top scoring options off the bench.

I assume we’ll see a lot more of Reggie Jackson, KJ Martin, and Jeff Dowtin as well. Hell, maybe even throw Adem Bona some minutes as well.

Meanwhile, the Cavs are 12-0, have scored at least 110 points in 11 of 12 games and had a day of rest on Tuesday, so there’s no doubt that at least in the first half, they should be all over the Sixers.

The first-half spread sits at 6.5 points in favor of the Cavs and the first-quarter line is 3.5. I would look into both of those lines that way you don’t have to sit around and stress the 10.5 number if you’re fading the Sixers. There’s a good chance Cleveland empties its bench early if it’s up big. The Cavs play five of their next six at home, so they’ll be ready to pack it up and get back to Ohio.

If a blowout is in the cards, player props may be difficult to bet from both sides. The Cavs can distribute their scoring between Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen.

Sixers player props will likely not show up until later this afternoon. Martin and Oubre points props should be worth looking at, as well as Martin’s rebound props. Martin is averaging 11 points and 5.6 rebounds per game, while Oubre is averaging 14.1 points and 4.6 rebounds per contest.

Drummond is in a tough matchup against Allen and Mobley, so if anything, I would look into the under on his props.

McCain and Yabusele have the most potential, but it all depends on where their prop lines fall. I can’t imagine we’ll get a ton of value on McCain after he went off for 50 points in the last two games. If the number is anywhere between 10 and 15, I would call that the best bet you could make.

Yabusele had 20 points and eight rebounds off the bench on Sunday and had eight more boards on Tuesday. That could be the angle to use with him.

Unfortunately, none of the players in this game are strong candidates for DraftKings’ King of the Court promotion. This is one of those PA betting promos and NJ sportsbook promos where you’re given a token to bet on a single player’s props and if that player records the most points, rebounds, and assists on that day, you are awarded a bonus bet. Jalen Williams of Oklahoma City is my personal choice.

FanDuel is offering a three-leg Same Game Parlay boost and a two-leg double-double boost. I’d look into McCain points, Yabusele rebounds and one of Martin or Oubre’s props if you choose to use the FD SGP boost on Cavs-Sixers. Bet365 is also offering a 30 percent SGP boost for any NBA game on Wednesday’s slate.

The post Sixers a Double-Digit Dog Against Cavs Without Joel Embiid and Paul George appeared first on Crossing Broad.

Joel Embiid says that he wants to play tomorrow night against the Cavs, but that the decision is ultimately up to the medical staff.

“I want to. That’s up to those guys [the medical staff]. I mean, I know I said I would never play back-to-backs, but I’m a troll. So, I’m sure at… pic.twitter.com/y5mzQYu3aq

— PHLY Sixers (@PHLY_Sixers) November 13, 2024

My favorite basketball team’s best player is a 30-year-old Internet troll. Why couldn’t I have been born in Boston?

This is the thing that frustrates me about Embiid. What happened to that text to Daryl Morey after you lost to the Knicks about doing anything possible to get you healthy for the postseason? Tim Bontemps:

As a result, after the Knicks series ended, Embiid texted Morey.

“‘We got to do whatever it takes to make sure that in the postseason I’m healthy,'” Embiid recalled at the team’s media day last month.

Now we’re one game in, he looks sluggish, and he’s already lobbing nuggets in the media that make it sound like he’s going to force the Sixers medical staff to let him play back to backs.  This is what makes it frustrating to be a Sixers fan. Where’s the leadership? Where’s someone to shut this shit down and get everyone on the same page? A game against the Cavs in November doesn’t mean shit in the playoffs when Embiid is dragging his knee down the court.

And the funniest part about it is that it’s all because he’s on the Internet so much. How embarrassing is that? Rich guy who’s living the American Dream all the way from a village in Africa is being influenced by trolls on social media. Like let that sink in. It’s not Giannis or the Celtics from stopping Embiid from a title. It’s the dork behind @NBACentel trolling him for flopping and sitting out.

Is it too late to add a social media time limit clause in that next extension? I can’t believe one of the best players in the NBA needs an iPad limit like parents have to do with their six year olds. Cause this dude is influenced so much by social media. He reads everything. He thinks Philly doesn’t appreciate him because of a couple burner accounts on Twitter say so. He hasn’t played the first couple weeks of the season and NBA Twitter is so inside his head he’s completely abandoned his stance. This is insane. Like grow up. You’re 30 years old. If you found out your buddy who had a successful job, who is a husband and father was a 30-year-old Internet troll you’d question everything you knew about the friendship.

The troll stuff was funny like a decade ago. You have two to three years to win a title and we’re talking about taking a flamethrower to the plan one game in. Why? Because what Charles Barkley and Shaq said? Who gives a fuck what two dudes who don’t watch the games say about you? They’ve been regurgitating the same talking points your entire career:

“Joel Embiid will never win a championship until he gets his mind and his attitude right”

Shaq gives his take on Embiid’s first half performance and his future pic.twitter.com/GQJHHVPrfK

— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) November 13, 2024

Can someone shake some sense into the big guy that these dudes don’t matter? Shaq is the biggest fraud in the world. This is the same guy who missed the beginning of the season because he wanted to get surgery on his own terms because he was injured during “company time” via Justin Sharaf:

When asked why he did not have the surgery immediately after last season’s championship series, Shaq responded by saying that he should be allowed to have the surgery whenever he wants, even if that meant missing parts of the season. He asked why it wasn’t perfectly acceptable to have the surgery done on “company time” instead of during his offseason.

Not to mention all the other times he started the season out of shape.

If Sixers fans are going to continue to endure this start it better have an outcome of Embiid being healthy in the playoffs for the first time ever. But the way this franchise has been managed since the new regime bought it no Sixers fan should have any hope.

UPDATE: Good news. Embiid and Paul George are out tonight:

76ers’ Joel Embiid and Paul George are out against the Cavaliers tonight in second game of a back-to-back. Left knee injury management for both. pic.twitter.com/Q9GQvjipa3

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) November 13, 2024

The post One Game in and Joel Embiid Already Wants to Blow Up the Plan and Play Backs-to-Backs appeared first on Crossing Broad.

Bryan Colangelo’s burner was once @PompeyOnSixers best source

Presented by @betwaycanada
#BetTheResponsibleWay #BetwayCanada
(must be 19+ to play) pic.twitter.com/Qlws1i9rLK

— hello and welcome (@hellowelcomepod) November 12, 2024

“The people used to reach out to me.. that was one of my best sources of all time. ‘Such and such is going to happen today,’ and so I would write it. First you would verify it, then all of a sudden you’re like, how come nobody’s upset?”

Good idea or bad idea to admit this? Keith says he worked to verify the information coming in from the burner account(s), so that’s the key takeaway here. If you can get a 2nd or 3rd source on it, then that’s “best practice,” as they say in the corporate world. But taking info from anonymous people at face value, with no vetting? Then you’re in useful idiot territory.

That’s not to say that anonymous accounts can’t be legitimate sources. There are instances when you can make it work, Crossing Broad’s mystery Eagles source being a good example. In that case, we didn’t know the person who was contacting us, but we were able to test drive some of the information. I remember he/she told us one or two things, we didn’t report it, and both tidbits ended up being true. So the 3rd and 4th thing they gave us, we reported that because the source had proven that they knew what they were talking about. The concern, of course, is that you’re getting played by someone in the front office, and being used as a conduit for leakage, to serve a purpose and put a specific narrative out there. We didn’t think that was the case with the Eagles, since Howie Roseman allegedly goes to Schefty and the national guys, and the local beats rarely break news. Why would anyone come to Crossing Broad anonymously to spin a narrative anyway? We were later able to ID the mystery source, so it was all buttoned up.

In Keith’s case, I guess he’s the only one who knows if he was compromised or not. You’d have to go back and look through stories from 2016 to 2018 to determine if there was any common slant to his reporting. I don’t remember if what he wrote back then was anti-Sixers or pro-Sixers or if there was a consistent theme to it. The hardcore Sixers fans probably remember. It’s one thing to verify the information coming from a rando, but if it was consistently anti-Joel Embiid or anti-Sam Hinkie or whatever Colangelo was complaining about back then (most of it has been purged from memory), then yeah, you’d be guilty of amplifying someone’s personal agenda. It’s a complicated thing, but serves to illustrate that there really are no hard and fast journalism rules these days. It’s the wild west. You take your information where you can get it. If it’s good, it’s good, and if it’s not, then you’re at risk of having to put on the dunce cap and sit in the corner.

The post Keith Pompey Says Bryan Colangelo Burner Accounts were “One of my Best Sources of All Time” appeared first on Crossing Broad.

Embiid set a screen on his own teammate pic.twitter.com/g4tk8DUurK

— BricksCenter (@BricksCenter) November 13, 2024

Embiid finished with 13 points on 2-11 shooting. He added five assists, three rebounds, one block, and two turnovers in 26 minutes. Almost half of his field goal attempts came from the three point line and he looked like he hadn’t played basketball, since, well, the Olympics.

“I felt okay,” Embiid said after the game. “The first five minutes were rough, but I guess that’s what happens when you have not played in a while. I thought after that I should not be rusty, but that’s expected. I thought overall (I) felt pretty good, you know, health-wise. I think it is just about trusting myself. I thought I was a little timid, but as the game goes, just getting back to myself will be easier.”

Shooting aside, Embiid looked okay on the defensive end. He seemed to be moving well enough with the knee brace on. He had a textbook swat in the first half and you saw some glimpses of what kind of defensive team this can be with himself, Paul George, and some more athletic perimeter players out there. Caleb Martin makes the Jalen Brunson experience a lot more tolerable.

“We will be fine,” Embiid added. “I think it’s all about everybody getting on the same page. Like I said, right now I am still trying to figure out the best way to help. I came into the season really wanting to let everybody just play and making sure everybody gets open, but at the end of the day, I can also adjust. If I have to do what I did last year, then I am going to do it. I think it is about us getting on the floor together, letting us play with each other, but health is a big thing. I am back, (Paul George) is feeling pretty good, we need to get Tyrese back, and once we are all on the floor, I think we will have a pretty good chance to win some games.

No columnists were shoved in the locker room after the NBA Cup loss. Will the Sixers ever lift the Cup? Not this year, it seems. They are 2-8 to begin the season, Embiid has played one game, and Maxey is injured. George did play well, scoring 29 points on 10-19 shooting. He’s starting to settle in, and Jared McCain, who appears to be a baller, poured in 23 off the bench. Those are a couple of bright spots right now. Guerschon Yabusele had a poor shooting night but otherwise has been quality to start the year. You see little bits and pieces of what this group can be if they can put it together. They’re 10 games in, about 12% of the way through the season, so it’s time to get this thing going.

The post Joel Embiid Setting a Hard Screen on Paul George is a Good Snapshot of Where the Sixers are Right Now appeared first on Crossing Broad.

That’s what really matters to the fan base.

Sure, the NBA Cup is nice, but I think 10 out of 10 fans would want to win the NBA Finals rather than a midseason tournament. That doesn’t mean the Sixers won’t try to win, but Tuesday is all about building a foundation with Embiid and Paul George on the floor together.

Anyway, the Sixers are a three-point underdog against the New York Knicks. The Sixers and Knicks are in East Group A with the Orlando Magic, Charlotte Hornets, and Brooklyn Nets.

I think it’s easy to assume that whoever wins on Tuesday night will take the group title. The Magic don’t have Paolo Banchero right now and both the Nets and Hornets are more concerned with tanking for Cooper Flagg. The best second-place team in each conference makes the quarterfinals as well, and I wouldn’t be surprised if that team is the loser of the Sixers-Knicks game given how weak the rest of the group is.

We simply don’t know what the offense will look like in Game 1 with Embiid and George on the floor, but we do know exactly what the Knicks will do. Thibs will play six guys 35+ minutes and not bat an eyelash.

Embiid’s props are set at over/under 24.5 points and over/under 8.5 rebounds. On a normal night, I’d say hammer the over on those props because of what Embiid has done in his career against Karl-Anthony Towns.

Embiid scored 42, 34, 32 and 51 points in his last four head-to-head matchups with Towns. He averages 28.6 points and 9.7 rebounds in matchups with the new Knicks big man.

On the other side, Towns scored less than 20 points in five of the 11 head-t0-head battles with Embiid.

It’s easy to buy into those numbers because they’re so strong, but we just don’t know what Embiid will look like and how many minutes he’ll play.

I would be more confident in Paul George clearing his point prop of 17.5. He’s only reached 18 points once in four games, but he’s averaged 13.5 field-goal attempts. I don’t think that number changes much until Tyrese Maxey comes back and the three stars have to share the ball.

The other George angle I’d look at is the over on his assist prop of 4.5. He had nine assists against the Hornets on Sunday and is averaging 5.8 helpers per game so far in his Sixers career.

Kyle Lowry, Kelly Oubre, and Caleb Martin will make up the rest of the starting lineup. I’d look into Lowry assists or Oubre points from the non George & Embiid props. Martin’s stat line will diminish as Embiid controls the glass and he focuses more on defending.

As for the Knicks, Jalen Brunson’s points over of 25.5 seems like the best bet. He is averaging 26.8 points over his last five games and usually shows up in the big games.

FanDuel is offering a No Sweat Same Game Parlay for the two TNT games, the first of which is Sixers/Knicks. I’d look into Brunson 25+ points, George 20+ points as the anchors for that promotion. I’d use Josh Hart 6+ assists as the third leg to fulfill the promotion’s requirements. Hart is averaging 6.4 assists per game, and if Brunson is scoring, someone has to feed him the ball. If you’re looking at this game on PA sports betting apps or NJ betting apps, I’d be hesitant to use Embiid and other Sixers because of how the big man’s return could shake up the points distribution.

DraftKings has two profit boosts available for any NBA Cup game, BetMGM has an odds boost token available as well, and bet365 is offering bonus bets based on how much you wager on the NBA Cup on Tuesday.

The post Sixers a 3-Point Underdog for Joel Embiid’s Season Debut, NBA Cup Opener Against Knicks appeared first on Crossing Broad.

It looks like the plan also includes an outdoor addition to the PBR bar with a small stage and assorted seating. I’m old enough to remember when Badfish played a free show at Xfinity Live and remember thinking to myself, “you know, piss-soaked, trash-filled parking lots are cool, but this is also nice.” Of course, there are people out there who are skeptical that any of this ever gets built. They think it’s a PR stunt to combat the Sixers arena plan, which is being heard in City Council as we speak. But as the little girl in the taco commercial once said, “por que no los dos?” Why not both? Why not the Sixers on Market Street, then Comcast-Spectacor, the Phillies, and Eagles joining together to revitalize the sports complex? By the way, not sure you remember, but Xfinity Live was supposed to be much bigger when it was originally built. The first renderings showed this huge thing going right up to the Wells Fargo Center. What was built was actually much smaller, so what you’re seeing in these most recent renderings is much more similar to the original plan about 15 years ago.

The post New Renderings for the Proposed Xfinity Live Upgrades appeared first on Crossing Broad.

Does it bother you that Josh Harris owns both the Sixers and Commanders?@Kevin_Kinkead: pic.twitter.com/nfTrKIpeze

— Crossing Broad (@CrossingBroad) November 11, 2024

Just so we’re all on the same page here, the ownership groups of the Commanders and Sixers are technically different. The Sixers (and Devils), are owned by Harris Blitzer Sports and Entertainment, the Josh Harris + David Blitzer group featuring limited partners David Adelman, Martin Geller, Marc Leder, and Joe Gibbs. Commanders ownership is fronted by Harris, but Blitzer is one of 14 LPs and Adelman, Leder, and Gibbs are not involved. So in both cases, Harris is the managing partner, but the groups are not the same.

Anyway, it just doesn’t bother me that Harris owns both the Sixers and Commies. The Devils are whatever. Nobody cares about the Devils. But to reiterate the key point from the video above, I don’t think the Commies are receiving anything at the expense of the Sixers. I don’t. If someone can find me proof, for example, that the Commanders budget was increased as a direct result of money coming out of the Sixers budget, then fuck Josh forever, but there’s nothing out there to suggest any kind of resource reallocation or taking from the basketball team to give to the football team.

Rhetorical question – what did the Sixers lose when Harris bought the Commanders? 

The Sixers have a state-of-the-art practice facility, a sous chef, two soft tissue specialists, proper support staff, blah blah etc. They are trying to build a $1.3 billion arena in Center City. Harris put on his gold toe socks and flew to LA to recruit Paul George with Dr. J and Daryl Morey. So the insinuation that he’s not around because he’s focused on his new toy (the Commies) just doesn’t hold a lot of weight. On paper, Morey has everything he needs to win a title, and the team just can’t get over the hump and into the conference finals.

What Sixers’ ownership needs to provide, that isn’t being provided, is more of a connection with the fans. If Harris could be more like John Middleton and Jeffrey Lurie, then people would feel differently. But he’s not like those guys. He’s an awkward businessman who doesn’t speak well in public and doesn’t give off the impression that he lives and dies for this, like a lot of fans do. And for that reason alone, there will always be a disconnect between Harris and Philadelphia sports fans at large.

That being said, it could be worse. It could be so much worse. When you think of Jay Sugarman, or pre-Dan Hilferty Comcast, or go elsewhere and see Dan Snyder, the Pittsburgh Pirates, whatever – would you rather have the Sixers ownership resemble that? Josh Harris is fine. He isn’t exciting, and has his shortcomings in the optics department, but when you zoom out and look at the situation from afar, it’s really not as bad as people make it out to be.

The post Josh Harris Owning the Commanders Just Doesn’t Bother Me appeared first on Crossing Broad.

No. 16 pick Jared McCain had himself a night in the @sixers THRILLING overtime win!

27 PTS (career high)
23 in 2H/OT
55.6 FG% pic.twitter.com/w1D88OkuRA

— NBA (@NBA) November 11, 2024

The only man who can keep us sane this season pic.twitter.com/Q2GdVKAm31

— Sixers Nation (@PHLSixersNation) November 11, 2024

Jared McCain can make all the TikToks he wants if he keeps having games like this. Make all the vlogs he wants. You put in 23 in the second half/OT and play defense like this you can shuck and jive on my iPhone as much as you heart desires and I can’t say anything about it.

Look at this defense:

Once again want to highlight Jared McCain being put on an island with LaMelo Ball and delivering

Forcing a shot clock violation with less than a minute left in overtime of a one point game is grown up stuff pic.twitter.com/5FbHDWKyzE

— Sean Barnard (@Sean_Barnard1) November 11, 2024

Also, shoutout to Guerschon Yabusele, who has been one of the best free agent signings this season. He poured in 20 off the bench. His shooting really stretches the floor for the Sixers and it looks like Nick Nurse is starting to trust him over Andre Drummond. Of course the Sixers couldn’t make it easy because they never make it easy. They were up 16 at one point and squandered the lead. They started 1-14 from three and Jeff Dowtin even got some burn in the first half. Also, when do we start becoming worried about Caleb Martin? His shooting numbers are all down.  Maybe Joel Embiid comes back from his suspension Tuesday and everything will improve offensively. Who knows? Anyway could you imagine watching this after Jared McCain drops 27 on your team? –

@jaredmccain24

Fire

♬ original sound –

The post Jared McCain Can do All the TikToks in the World if he Keeps Scoring 27 a Game appeared first on Crossing Broad.

Just In: Philadelphia 76ers All-Star Tyrese Maxey is expected to miss a couple of weeks because of a right hamstring injury, sources told ESPN. Full evaluation coming later Thursday but sides are bracing for Maxey’s absence. Sixers will take careful approach with the injury. pic.twitter.com/sPxFnsylYF

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) November 7, 2024

Will Maxey, Joel Embiid, and Paul George ever play in the same game? 610-632-0975.  As you know, George only recently returned from his knee injury. He’s played two games. Embiid wasn’t healthy to begin the year and then got suspended three games for shoving Marcus Hayes, so he’s out until at least the Knicks game. Looking at the schedule, “a couple of weeks” could take us until November 22nd, perhaps, when the Sixers host the Nets in Philly. That’s about 14 days, and Maxey would miss seven games. If “a couple of weeks” ends up being three weeks, give or take, then he’d be out until maybe November 30th or December 3rd, which are road games against Detroit and Charlotte. How long will Tyrese be sidelined? We can’t wait to find out!

The post Will Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid, and Paul George Ever Play a Game Together? appeared first on Crossing Broad.

Didn’t love the look of Tyrese Maxey walking off the court

He was ruled out with right hamstring soreness pic.twitter.com/dZbhOYgmqQ

— Sean Barnard (@Sean_Barnard1) November 7, 2024

final. @cryptocom pic.twitter.com/UM0sTj3sYG

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) November 7, 2024

The Sixers are now 1-6 and tied for last place in the Eastern Conference with Doc Rivers’ 1-6 Bucks and tied for last place in the entire NBA with the 1-6 Utah Jazz. Paul George has only played two games and Joel Embiid has played zero. He was not healthy to begin the season and then got himself suspended three games for shoving Marcus Hayes in the locker room. He can’t make his season debut until next Tuesday and will have missed 10.9% of the year before getting on the floor.

With a 43.5 field goal percentage, the Sixers are the NBA’s 26th-worst shooting team. They hit the three ball at 32.5% (25th) despite 36 attempts per game (middle of the pack). They are a horrendous free throw shooting team and they have the third-worst net rating at -8.5, a combination of subpar defense and even worse offense. Getting the former MVP back will change a lot of things, but the role players haven’t showed much so far.

The Flyers, meantime, are also in last place. They are 4-8-1, good for 9 points, and tied with the Nashville Predators for fewest points in the league. At .876, Flyers goaltenders have the 2nd-worst save percentage in the NHL. The team as a whole is conceding 3.85 goals per game (third worst) and scoring 2.62 per game (26th). They have a -19 even strength goal differential (tied for 30th) and have been whistled for the 5th-most penalties (63 total). With a -1 first period goal differential and -14 2nd period goal differential, they are often playing from behind.

Good morning.

The post The Sixers and Flyers are Both Tied for Last Place appeared first on Crossing Broad.

It would be one thing if Keith Pompey or Gina Mizell got into it with Embiid. They’re the Inquirer’s beat writers and they’re at pretty much every practice and every game.  Marcus is a columnist who writes about all topics, and bounces around from the Eagles to the Sixers and Phillies on a seasonal basis. As such, the risk of a repeat situation is relatively low. In the case of a one-sport beat writer, the relationship might be strained to the point where action is required, but that’s not the case here.

It bears repeating that Marcus did apologize for the original lede in the column that started this whole thing. The paragraphs about Embiid’s son and deceased brother were replaced. Whether that’s sufficient recourse is for Inquirer readers and Sixers fans to decide. There are people out there saying Hayes should never cover the Sixers again, calling for that action to come from the Inquirer, the Sixers organization, or both. There’s a general thought of, “okay, Embiid was punished, is there any accountability for Hayes?” That’s litigated in the court of public opinion.

The post Marcus Hayes Will Continue Covering the Sixers appeared first on Crossing Broad.

Paul George will play his second game for the Philadelphia 76ers against his former team, the Los Angeles Clippers, and James Harden.

The Sixers are only a slight 1.5-point underdog against the Clippers with all but one of their starters available to play.

The Clippers, like the Sixers, are without their top star in Kawhi Leonard, and excuse the short rant but if the NBA is investigating Joel Embiid’s lack of participation, they should do the same with Kawhi. He’s only played more than 60 games once in his four years with the Clippers.

Anyway, I digress, let’s get back to the game itself.

A lot of the overall data involving the Sixers can be thrown out because five games were played without George and all of them without Embiid.

I think the best set of data points come from Monday’s two-point loss in Phoenix. A handful of stats (good and bad) stand out:

• Caleb Martin led the Sixers with 10 rebounds, Andre Drummond only had five boards against Jusuf Nurkic.
• Paul George took 14 shots (4-for-14) and contributed five rebounds and four assists.
• Guershon Yabusele, Kyle Lowry, and Eric Gordon combined for 74 of the 79 bench minutes.
• Nurkic dominated the rebound battle with 15. That’s not a good sign for the matchup with Ivica Zubac.
• The Suns had 24 assists on 42 field goals.

It’s obvious that George will need a few games to get into a shooting rhythm, but maybe the matchup with his old team will generate some extra momentum to succeed.

George’s props sit at over/under 20.5 points, over/under 4.5 rebounds and over/under 3.5 assists. His points/rebounds/assists prop is over/under 29.5 and his assists/rebounds prop is over/under 8.5.

I would look into the assist/rebound combo props because of how this matchup could go against Drummond. He’ll be occupied in a battle with Zubac, and if he was outrebounded by 10 by Nurkic, a similar fate could await him on Wednesday.

Hell, even Zach Edey had a double-double against Drummond and the Sixers this past weekend.

Harden’s prop totals are set higher than George’s because he’s averaging 8.7 rebounds and 9.9 assists per game. I would look into the over on Harden’s assists and rebounds prop of 16.5, which is plus money at DraftKings, due to a few of the trends I mentioned above that are going against the Sixers.

While we’re on the topic of combo props, Caleb Martin’s assists/rebounds number will be fascinating to track now with George in the lineup. Martin’s averaging 7.3 boards and 2.8 assists per game and had 10 boards on Monday. I’d also look into the over on Martin’s points/rebounds prop of 14.5. He had 15 P/R against the Suns and was the Sixers’ best rebounder on the defensive glass.

BetMGM has a 20% odds boost token available for any NBA bet, bet365 is offering a 30% boost on NBA Same Game Parlays, and DraftKings has a stepped up boost you can use on NBA parlays or Same Game Parlays. These are typical PA betting promos and NJ sportsbook promos that recur throughout the regular season. DraftKings allows you to put combo props in a SGP. A combo of George over 8.5 R/A, Harden over 16.5 R/A and Martin 15+ P/R gets you to +650, which is very doable given the trends at hand.

The post Paul George and Sixers a Slight Underdog Against James Harden and Clippers appeared first on Crossing Broad.

Three games means Embiid won’t play against the Clippers, Lakers, or at home against Charlotte on November 10th. Assuming he’s ready to go physically, the soonest he can make his 2024 debut will be Tuesday, November 12th, against the Knicks. That would mean he’d miss the first nine games of this season, which amounts to about 11% of the year. I shared my thoughts on the situation in a Monday column titled Shove of the Century: Some Thoughts on the Marcus Hayes vs. Joel Embiid Incident that the Inquirer is Taking ‘Very Seriously’.

The post Joel Embiid Suspended Three Games for Shoving Marcus Hayes appeared first on Crossing Broad.

PAUL GEORGE MISSES AFTER A CLUTCH KD BUCKET. SUNS WIN pic.twitter.com/FsClTLZ57A

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) November 5, 2024

NBC Sports Philadelphia cameras were in the locker room after the game, where George said “I mean that was, bad evaluation, I thought we were down one, I thought when K.D. made the layup, that put them up 1. Otherwise go for the three to try to win the game opposed to going for 2 to tie the game. After watching it, another bonehead play, again in that situation, why not go for the win?”

Uh, okay, well, for starters, Nick Nurse had a timeout and didn’t use it. George was 4-13 at that point and really rusty, so the ball could have/should have been in Tyrese Maxey’s hands instead. P.G. did get off a relatively clean shot after a defensive switch created an ideal matchup; it just didn’t go. Do you want a long two there? Probably not.

But hey, at least George got on the floor. They actually looked like an NBA team in this game, so we’re taking baby steps here. Once Joel Embiid finally gets out there the season can officially begin.

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Joel Embiid struck and shoved Inquirer columnist Marcus Hayes during a profanity-laced altercation in the 76ers’ locker room following Saturday’s home loss to the Memphis Grizzlies.

Embiid, whose open hand made contact with Hayes’ neck and collarbone area, was angry about the columnist’s recent work criticizing him for missing the start of the 2024-25 season due to a knee condition following surgery last February.

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In a statement, Inquirer editor and senior vice president Gabriel Escobar said, “Marcus is an experienced and accomplished columnist who offers sharp and illuminating commentary grounded in his observations. You are free to disagree with what he says, but a physical assault is unwarranted and untenable and we are taking this matter very seriously.”

This thing has been litigated to death over the past 72 hours. The original column that upset Embiid included lines about his son and deceased brother, and Hayes apologized after the Inquirer removed the original passage and replaced it with a new lede. It seems like the majority of people out there agree that Embiid was justified in feeling the way he did, but that the push/shove/stiff arm was the wrong thing to do because it will lead to a suspension and/or fine.

“Advancing the story,” as they say, the Inquirer response is somewhat of an eye roller. They’re the only ones describing the incident with the combination of “struck and shoved.” Kyle Neubeck called it a shove. Kevin Cooney said Embiid “pushed Hayes on the shoulder” and Adam Aaronson said that Embiid “became physical with Hayes, putting his hands in the area of Hayes’ shoulders.” The Inquirer’s Keith Pompey originally called it a punch and used the word “assaulted” before changing his wording to “shoved.” Reading everything that was written about this, I didn’t see the word “strike” or “struck” used by any non-Inquirer media, so interpret that how you will.

What’s interesting is to think about what the Inquirer thinks about this. For starters, editors should have never allowed that story to go to publication with the original lede. The column itself was straightforward Marcus stuff, and totally fair, but any editor paying half attention over there should have flagged those first two paragraphs immediately. Just leave the son and the deceased brother out of it, a general “best practice” when deciding what’s good for print and what’s not. Reminder, this is the same newspaper that created a messy employee revolt as a result of the “Buildings Matter, Too,” headline, which resulted in a wave of old white guy buyouts and a seismic DEI pivot after an audit from Temple University. You’d think leadership would be extra cautious because of how the last half-decade has gone over there.

RE: Marcus himself, Gabe Escobar writes that Hayes “offers sharp and illuminating commentary grounded in his observations,” which I guess is how he describes provocateur column writing. Marcus is basically 94 WIP in written form, and sometimes literal form when he’s on their airwaves. That’s not me being a dickhead, it’s a statement of truth. Hayes is to print what Angelo Cataldi was to the radio, or what any talking head is to the hot take television shows. You take hard stances and critique players and teams, which results in pointed reactions from both sides while generating engagement at the same time. A few years ago, someone told me that Marcus columns do pretty well for the Inquirer, at least compared to the more straightforward beat writing, so if they have something that people click on, which generates pageviews and moves the needle, then yeah, they’re probably going to stick with it, and they’re going to defend their employee when things like this happen.

You just wonder if it’s worth it in 2024. Marcus has been called out by A.J. Brown and Joel Embiid this year alone. The latter culminated with a physical altercation. If Pagan or one of our freelancers got into it with a player, I’d be embarrassed and would consider resigning, because a dispute advancing to that point would indicate an editorial failure on my part. So if you’re the Inquirer, at what point does this stuff begin to influence your approach? How many hate clicks and how much engagement is required to offset the backlash you get every time a Marcus column angers an athlete and/or fans? I’m genuinely curious. If I had Inquirer leadership in front of me, I’d ask them “is this worth it? is this a net positive?” Holding players accountable is important, and Marcus is great at what he does, but is this the way we’re gonna operate in 2024? You tell me.

The post Shove of the Century: Some Thoughts on the Marcus Hayes vs. Joel Embiid Incident that the Inquirer is Taking “Very Seriously” appeared first on Crossing Broad.