2020-21-22 Sixers Season

phillychuck 2022-07-01 15:27:57 UTC #1183

To be technically accurate, Melton didn't play for the Rockets, either, although they drafted him.

Still a funny line, though.

xogfog 2022-07-01 17:21:57 UTC #1184

I love Maxey and wouldn't trade him in almost any scenario, but this is Kevin Durant. I'm not saying Durant would guarantee one or two championships, but it would be likely. I just think there is no team in the league that could devise a defensive scheme to cover Embiid and Durant.

Patchmk88 2022-07-01 17:31:38 UTC #1185

Supposedly 76ers also have inquired about Mitchell but we’re told by Jazz that he is unavailable. Don is my favorite player as a UL alum, so selfishly I wish they could work out a deal.

zambonir 2022-07-01 19:58:07 UTC #1186

You certainly can't count Morey out of any star hunting but I doubt there's a match, or much interest from Durant.

I would trade Maxey in a heartbeat personally for the right guy, the player he might be in two-three years hardly matters if Joel's window is closed (and Harden certainly would be). But Durant's aging and an injury risk himself.

My guess is Morey's big move winds up being at the deadline, if necessary, but can't rule anything out. As little value as Harris would seem to have his $ might almost make someone else's deal work.

I remain tantalized by the idea that the Nets will have to trade Simmons too, in certain scenarios.

bigegypt0417 2022-07-08 20:29:24 UTC #1187

James Harden takes a pretty good hair cut but leaves the Sixers a little more flexibility. Still think Thybulle and Korkmaz get moved.

VoteForKalas 2022-07-21 14:56:38 UTC #1188

Official Harden signing

Philsmania 2022-07-21 15:33:55 UTC #1189

A long way down the road at this point, but the Sixers plan to build a new arena in Center City on Market between 10th & 11th Streets, right in the middle of public transportation and other things. It will replace The Gallery. A good idea, in my opinion. Maybe now by having their own place, the Sixers won't have to go on the annual Mickey Mouse road trip every holiday season.

zambonir 2022-07-21 16:37:36 UTC #1190

Good it's not in Jersey. Also better (for the city) than the riverfront attempt I think.

But the city - any city - also doesn't really need two arenas, even if this one is privately funded. Will Comcast try to gum it up? And if not will they try and get a new arena (or a bunch of new tax breaks) themselves when concerts and luxury box dollars stop flowing to WFC, which by then will be even older than Spectrum was when they built the WFC? Consider moving into this one (if it is even planned to have ice)? Too bad these guys can't just sell the Devils and buy the Flyers.

VoteForKalas 2022-07-21 17:22:06 UTC #1191

That is the same part of the city the Phillies tried to build, correct? It is next to Chinatown and, if my memory serves, many businesses and other groups raised holy heck to block that project. 2031 is, as you say, a long way off. I think that will still be a tough sell, especially when you have to add parking etc. to the mix. The public transport would help move people, but many still like to drive to games and might have to if they live in the suburbs or SNJ, DE

andyb 2022-07-21 17:32:02 UTC #1192

I thought the Phillies were looking more towards the River. This is on Market Street at 11th. Seems to have good transportation options. I do wonder if they intend to build it as a basketball-only arena and not have the Flyers.

It does seem a waste that indoor arenas now seem to have a 30-year shelf life.

Philsmania 2022-07-21 18:04:44 UTC #1193

The Phillies looked at a couple of locations, Broad & Spring Garden and later 12th & Vine. In both cases, the proposal died in the face of a combination of ferocious resistance and lack of public support. Vince Fumo, who at that point was still at the peak of his power, essentially declared holy war against it and vowed to defeat it by any means possible (either through his then-proxies on City Council or in the courts). He and higher-income people in Fairmount didn't want it close to them while Chinatown's leaders eyed the 12th & Vine location for their community's expansion and development and were more than willing to head to courts as well and played the discrimination card when they did.

The opposition does not appear to be the same for this since it will be replacing a failed shopping mall and won't be encroaching on Chinatown's or anyone else's turf. The leader of the Chinatown Development Corp spoke out in favor of it.

I like the idea, to be honest. However, as was said when the city talked about a Center City ballpark for the Phillies, it will take a sea change in the habits of Philadelphia sports fans. Philadelphia is a car town and people like driving places and, hence, they like the sports complex which was built to be driven to/from. I can't help but wonder if that is an overreaction to the sad last few years of Shibe Park/Connie Mack Stadium when fans had to park on neighborhood strees and be extorted by neighborhood husslers offering to "guard your car" (or else...). Like MSG in NYC, this arena will literraly be upstairs from the train station and be a block away from PATCO. Fans in South Jersey will pay to park at a PATCO station and pay a PATCO fare in lieu of using more gas, paying a bridge toll and then paying to park at the complex. Folks in the Pennsylvania suburbs will pay to park at a Septa station and pay for a train ticket for a regional rail train to the arena. I imagine that in most cases, the cost will come out in the wash. Instead of tailgating before the Sixers game, people can head to one of the many local eateries or watering holes.

But yes, there are a host of what ifs. WIll Comcast fight back? Will the Flyers try to move in? Where will Villanova play its big arena games? You can almost certainly bet that if Philadelphia hosts another major political convention, the Sixers arena just a couple of blocks from the Convention Center will be the site of the prime time show.

Another good thing....the Sixers won't have to go on the annual Mickey Mouse road trip every Holiday week (unless Disney decides to take over that area).

As for the question of what will Philadelphia do with two arenas, things seemed to go fine when the WFC and the old Spectrum were still there. The old Spectrum was torn down only to make way for the underwhelming XFinity Live facility.

Believe it or not, this is CBP's 19th season and LFF's 20th. Are we getting close to the 2/3 point of their useful lifespans? Down in Nashville, the Titans are replacing a stadium that just opened in 1999 and Turner Field only lasted twenty years as the Braves' home.

zambonir 2022-07-21 18:22:48 UTC #1194

Yeah a lot has changed since the Phillies thing and it sounds like the Sixers owners have some of the stakeholders and political/community leaders in place already, which the Phillies did not (and even the Phillies themselves didn't like the Chinatown location, that was more the mayor).

It's funny, I have never driven or liked driving to games. Either drive/park downtown and take the subway or go entirely by bus & subway from Fern Rock.

Hard to imagine Comcast moving out of their own place (including the parking and entertainment for the entire complex. They've got a piece of the casino project too maybe?) Though if the Flyers did go downtown the sports complex could just become that much more of an entertainment district (but completely dead from January to April).

I bet the Sixers will still end up having to take some stupid road trip once a deal is made for concerts (or NCAA tournament games) anyway. Spurs don't share their arena with anyone and still have to leave for the rodeo. Clippers, Lakers and Kings all manage to share one place.

I reckon Villanova will end up in the new place eventually but that is so far away. Also wonder how Temple will feel about all this being relatively close, and still hoping to build a football stadium too.

Philsmania 2022-07-21 18:30:03 UTC #1195

You may be right about an occasional stupid Sixers road trip. But, it's annoying that both the Flyers and Sixers have to head on the road for two weeks in late December/early January every year to accomodate Disney. Kids are off from school that week, great chance to take them out to a game. But, no you can't in Philadelphia. When they built the WFC, i wondered why the didn't keep Disney in the old Spectrum. However, Disney is Disney and that ice show packs the house every year so they got the big house.

Villanova basketball fans--Main Liners, mind you--will also have to make the same sea change that Sixers fans will make and it may be harder for them.

zambonir 2022-07-21 22:53:08 UTC #1196

I could really see this going either way

Asian Americans United, a Philly group that seeks to help people of Asian ancestry “build their communities and unite to challenge oppression,” will urge elected officials to reject the 76ers plan, said Wei Chen, the group’s civic engagement director.

The debate over whether the project would benefit from taxpayer support — a common practice for stadium projects until recent years, when it became politically unpopular in liberal cities — will be complicated.

The team has said it needs no local funding to build the stadium. A city spokesperson confirmed there are no plans for new subsidies.

But the arena’s developer has also said that the plan involves inheriting a 30-year property tax break for the parcel that Council gave to the current property owners, the Philadelphia Real Estate Investment Trust, to finance development of the Fashion District.

Whether that amounts to a subsidy from city taxpayers is in the eye of the beholder.

“There is no place in this world where billion-dollar corporations should seek public subsidies of any kind,” Gym said. “In a time when we are dealing with a massive housing crisis, a health crisis, a gun violence crisis, we need our public dollars and our public will to go towards addressing those.”

Additionally, the team has also opened the door to receiving state funding.

Dirk41 2022-07-22 00:03:05 UTC #1197

Chinatown would become extinct. Those business owners will be pushed out almost immediately. Not that the city has ever really cared about it. It operates independently pretty much.

phillychuck 2022-07-22 00:28:25 UTC #1198

It's on the edge of chinatown, it would not become extinct, it's way too big.

zambonir 2022-07-22 01:17:30 UTC #1199

"Chinatown" would not become extinct anymore than "Fishtown" has become extinct but it would not be what it was.

phillychuck 2022-07-22 01:47:21 UTC #1200

Honestly, the area they are talking about is pretty dilapidated and has lots of unused and abandoned property. The proposed arena is not going to extend its footprint into the established area of chinatown, at least not much. The businesses in chinatown that border the new arena would probably profit from the its existence..

As an older guy I sympathize with the "it will not be what it once was" sentiment, but as we keep living nothing is perfectly preserved; everything is not what it once was! I grew up on Long Beach Island in the 50s and 60s. It is now nothing like it was when I grew up there--it's different, and interesting in its own way. 1000 square foot capes have been replaced by 4000 square foot, reverse-living beach houses everywhere. Old bakeries are gone, replaced by ice cream parlors and surf clothing shops. Different, not better, not worse. But more suitable to people who are 30 years younger than me, apparently...

Philsmania 2022-07-22 02:40:08 UTC #1201

Chinatown's leaders fight everything that comes along East of Center City. Yet, where is the Chinatown development?

zambonir 2022-07-22 05:47:39 UTC #1202

I do not mean things shouldn't change. But driving working people and communities of color out of their homes and business - which will not be done by the arena directly, but the inevitable development push - is not the same thing as boutique hotels replacing ice cream parlors at the beach (or even condos replacing crackhouses - but what to us is "dilapidated" is still home for many of the people there).

I think the two arena thing is just as questionable. Ultimately this will use public money and resources whether it is tax breaks or state $ or just development energy, even if there's not a single public dollar specifically allocated. What actual reason is there for the Sixers to need their own building, or for Philly to have two professional level arenas that will be redundant/competing in every way except for the primary team's home games? No city in America currently has two separate NBA and NHL facilities (metro areas, yes).

If I were the Flyers I'd try to start a WNBA team now, just to make trouble (though a WNBA team would also be fine at Liacouras).