by Jack Kerwin  |  [email protected]

It’s not exactly inspiring. It’s more along the lines of alarming.

For all the good vibes emanating out of South Philly courtesy of the 76ers, with their winning the NBA lottery, drafting Ben Simmons and projecting, finally, an image of moving forward as an organization, the idea, the concept, the reality that they have targeted Harrison Barnes of the Golden State Warriors as THE top priority in free agency kinda takes a little air out of the emotional balloon.

Barnes switching coasts and slipping on the Sixers’ red, white and blue isn’t an awful thought, it’s just more like … hmmm, an afterthought. Almost a no thought, really – along the lines of giving credence to the never-ending tributes to Sam Hinkie’s Lewis and Clark-like “genius.”

Yo, he’s a nice player, a solid player. But he’s a role player.

He’s not a prime-timer. He’s certainly not a max-contract player – which is exactly what he’d have to be if Philly GM Brian Colangelo and Co. hope to land him.

Frankly, what Barnes happens to be is a mid-20s small forward-power forward ’tweener who can shoot a little bit from distance, who can get you a few boards and, basically, fill in some gaps that the stars on a team don’t completely cover.

That guy already exists on the team in town. Goes by the name of Robert Covington.

OK, yeah, the fourth-year pro doesn’t have the same kind of pedigree. He wasn’t a major recruit coming out of high school like Barnes. He didn’t go to a college basketball powerhouse like Barnes, who did a two-year stint at North Carolina before jumping to the NBA in 2012 while Covington toiled his wares for four years at Tennessee State before going undrafted and having to earn his way to the show in 2013 with summertime and developmental league efforts.

He didn’t play for an elite squad at this level, either, getting national exposure, albeit in secondary fashion, through long playoff runs.

No, Covington, instead, had a cup of coffee with Houston three years ago before playing with the dogmeat Sixers outfits of 2014 and ’15 … and he performed, arguably, better than Barnes.

In fewer minutes per game, he averaged more points (12.6 to 10.1), rebounds (5.1 to 4.6), steals (1.4 to .7) and blocked shots (.5 to .2). Barnes has been a bit better from the floor and Covington from the foul line, and they’re a wash on assists.

Pick your poison as to which situation was harder to stand out – Barnes having to lurk in the shadows of Steph Curry and Klay Thompson or Covington having to deal with the ever-revolving door of disasters and high-profile draft picks being force-fed the ball.

Thing is, this getting caught up in the moment stuff, or overrating talent because of what his team does (hello, Byron Maxwell), can affect any personnel staff in professional sports at any time. It afflicts fan bases all the time. Either way, it gets old.

Funny, the same people promoting Barnes as a worthwhile investment now make up a good portion of those who went after Andre Iguodala with verbal pitchforks for being their Frankenstein once he accepted a max deal what seems a lifetime ago.

Following a season in which he averaged 19.9 points, 5.4 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 2.1 steals and .6 blocks – aside from rebounds, all numbers Barnes has never even come close to achieving in a single season – and was regarded as one of the NBA’s top defenders.

Let those facts sink in for a bit …

Now, are you inspired at the prospect of the Sixers signing Barnes as if he were a superstar, or alarmed that the Sixers are even considering it?

Gee, wonder what Hinkie would thinkie …

by Jack Kerwin  |  [email protected]

Kinda numb on the Carson Wentz drama.

Should he play or shouldn’t he? Should he sit or shouldn’t he?

Should he dress or shouldn’t he? Should he be encased in bubble wrap until 2017 or shouldn’t he?

At this point, not sure there is reason to care.

Not for nothing, but with a new coach, new staff, new makeup of personnel, new GM who happens to be the old GM and Sam “Ceiling Is Mediocre” Bradford back at the controls, even if only tenuously so, just what exactly are we looking at this upcoming Eagles season?

Can they even, well, break even?

Am all for developing young talent and usually aghast at how overprotective the Philly pro sports franchises are with keeping their “kids” on the low-risk, remedial track on advancement, forever failing to quash their own insecurities over the possibility of upsetting the delicate athletic geniuses.

But, gotta say, am a bit, um, lost in trying to build up any legitimate lather with regard to whether or not Wentz, the ballyhooed rookie quarterback on whom Howie Roseman, basically, has staked the rest of his NFL career, sees a single snap in live, red jersey-discarded action this fall. Heck, even during the ho-hum exhibition campaign.

That is Bradford’s time to shine anyway …

Point being, stuck in this state of the unknown, where a bad to middling near future seems far more likely than a more positive alternative, Wentz doesn’t seem to be in a position to evolve much anyway, regardless of what on-field opportunities he may or may not be given in 2016.

Was not a fan of his selection with the No. 2 overall pick of April’s draft. As has been documented often on this site, am not sold on his talent or the projections that have him making the jump from a pretty so-so career at college football’s second-best level to ultimately a star signal-caller at the most elite level there is.

Just don’t see that ever happening … and that would be under ideal conditions, whereby he, as a prospect who needs time to develop in safe, cocoon-like existence, actually could do so – without pressure mounting from outside forces and those within to get him on the field due to either anxiety mounting, the team flat-out sucking or the starter and backup in front of Wentz absolutely blowing.

The Eagles – still – have far too many question marks, particularly on offense, even with regard to the returning players, for Wentz’s introduction to the NFL being anything remotely close to ideal. What is he going to learn this season, that the talent around him isn’t so hot, that Doug Pederson was a shaky hire as coach, that the fans in town often have strange allegiances and then just as often switch them at the drop of a hat?

Hey, maybe it’ll change. With more than two months between now and the start of the regular season a lot could change. Some unknown talents may emerge. The defense shows signs that it is worthy of all the preseason hype and hope. Perhaps even Bradford does something more than display flashes of what made him the top pick of the 2010 NFL Draft.

Just wouldn’t necessarily bet the house on any of that happening, especially the last deal – which, more than likely, would be followed soon after by a season-ending injury that’d pave the way to Wentz’s premature arrival onto center stage.

Maybe then the numbness would wear off.  It certainly would be a time to start caring.

by Jack Kerwin  |  [email protected]

He’s in.

Not a question of whether he deserves to be or not anymore. With the ballots cast and tabulated, it was announced Monday that former Flyers center Eric Lindros had received enough votes to find a spot in the Hockey Hall of Fame.
​
Case closed. Circle complete. Or something like that.

Thing is, you could make a case – a good one – as to his worthiness or unworthiness of receiving such an honor. Yes, he was the face of a franchise the better part of a decade, he was, at times, a dominating performer, a player ahead of his time with a combination of size and skill not really seen before. Yes, he had success, both individual and team, winning the NHL’s MVP in 1995 and leading Philly into the Stanley Cup Finals two years later.

But, really, be you a fan of his or not, Big E’s storyline on the ice reads the same: promise largely unfulfilled.
Considering he was viewed like a mythical Greek god on skates even before stepping on the ice for the Orange & Black, the judgment deck was hardly stacked in his favor. It’s doubtful anyone could have lived up to the expectations that were draped around his neck like prison chains.

Frankly, it would have been impossible for anyone had they endured the injuries Lindros did during his career, the scariest being a collapsed lung that almost cost the 6-foot-4, 240-pound powerhouse his life.

Again, though, he’s in … so why debate his merit?

Perhaps, instead, we could look at current or former Philly athletes who most deserve to be in their sport’s respective hall.

For me, two stand above all others. Both are former Eagles, and, amazingly, neither is named Brian Dawkins.
Yo, he’s a fave of mine, too, but …

Gotta say, the best players of any sport in town the past, oh, say 35 years, who have not been elected despite being eligible are Seth Joyner and Donovan McNabb.

Neither were faves of mine, but they were the best players. The best Eagles, for sure. With Joyner actually taking top billing. Especially as it pertains to being a Hall of Famer.

The best comparison for him fellow impact linebacker Derrick Brooks, who starred the better part of 14 seasons for Tampa Bay. Why? Because Brooks was deemed a no-doubt-about-it selections years before he even retired … and, if anything, his numbers don’t quite measure up to what Joyner did in 13 seasons, eight of ’em with the Eagles.

In 29 less games – and 49 less starts – Joyner had more sacks (52 to 13.5), fumbles forced (26 to 24) and fumbles recovered (12 to 4) and just one fewer interception (24 to Brooks’ 25) and two fewer touchdowns (5 to 7).

McNabb? He’s a tougher sell in general, just due to the statistical standards that have been outlined in shades of gray and typically altered by that ridiculous “championships won” measurement for individuals in a team sport, and most likely a no-sell in this area, where the majority sees him as some pampered weird dude who really wasn’t as good as Randall Cunningham as a quarterback here or as legit as Chase Utley as an icon in these parts.

So, not gonna bother with any pitch for him.

Joyner, though, is a different story. He deserves to be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Certainly every bit as much as Lindos does in hockey’s hall.
​

Can’t claim to have been a fan of the man, and, really, can’t say he fell under the “can’t stand the man” category for me, either.

Buddy Ryan, contrary to that mind-numbing, ceaseless axiom affixed to him that you either loved him or hated him, never evoked that much passion in me, one way or the other.

But he did in others, and for them, the ones who got the positive vibes about him, and his family members, the feelings of sadness attempted to be expressed here are genuine with the news that the former Eagles head coach and two-time Super Bowl champ while serving as an assistant with the New York Jets and Chicago Bears passed away Tuesday morning.

Am sorry for your loss.

A coach for 35 years in the NFL, Ryan, 82, had been diagnosed with cancer and suffered a stroke in recent years, leaving him far removed from the fiery and feisty character who won the hearts of so many. Most famous for his stints with the Eagles and Chicago, where he served as the architect of the Bears’ legendary “46” defense that propelled the team to a title following the 1985 season, he was beloved by a great deal of his former players.

Anyone with a smidge of affection, or even disdain, for the man would be wise to watch ESPN Films: 30 for 30 on that Bears squad to get an idea of why.

No doubt, he will be missed.

by Jack Kerwin  |  [email protected]

It was a downer.

The 76ers entered the 2016 NBA Draft last Thursday night locked and loaded, ready to take Ben Simmons with the No. 1 pick and set to do some wheeling and dealing in order to make the extended downturn in the organization’s history a distant memory in short order a “go.”

Only once they grabbed the key and settled into the driver’s seat, it was like they suddenly froze at the wheel, unsure about their directions or unable to follow them due to some road block.

Whatever the deal was, it left a fan base in limbo – elated on the one hand that the team landed the top player available and, frankly, kinda disappointed that not much else happened aside from the selection of two “draft now, play later” Europeans.

Yo, who let Sam Hinkie back in the building? What the …

Anyway, several days and cocktails later, reality has had a chance to set in a bit, and here it is:

Kudos to GM Brian Colangelo, head coach Brett Brown and Co. for sticking to their guns and going with Simmons instead of a getting swayed by growing sentiment from the masses and media that Brandon Ingram was the guy to take at the top.

In truth, it was a no-brainer … only, sometimes when an overwhelming amount of “wisdom” states to go a different route, it takes some serious brains, and conviction, to stay the course.

Thing is, after that anything else the Sixers did would have been gravy. Yeah, sure, being able to move someone from their overloaded and immature frontcourt and parlay that into “starter from Day One” point guard Kris Dunn would have been nice, and having local product DeAndre Bembry available when they chose later in the first round would have been tickle-me icing on the cake.

But, c’mon … even Hollywood may have had a hard time buying that script. Heck, the NBA may have had to rig another lottery for Cleveland if the Sixers had all that fall into place.

Bottom line: they got the best player, period.

Or, more appropriately, the best bet. Reason being, no one knows what the future holds for anyone, never mind teenage kids making the jump from college – or across the Atlantic Ocean – to the pros. Injuries or unmet expectations could derail even a talent such as Simmons.

But, right now, he enters the NBA with a multi-faceted skill set that dwarfs not just the ones belonging to others drafted, yep, even Ingram, but the vast majority of players already in the league. With his size, freakish athleticism and innate basketball wherewithal, he projects to a level that only the most rarefied ever reach: transcendent.

So, we have no reason not to be upbeat in and around Philly, and throughout Sixer Nation everywhere … right?

Damn, you, Boston, Minnesota and Atlanta.

The first two refused to pull the trigger on trades that would’ve yielded Dunn and the latter jumped the proverbial shark to take Bembry at No. 21 – three spots ahead of the Sixers, who ultimately chose French swingman Timothe Luwawu at 24 … and then Turkish shooting guard Furkan Korkmaz at 26.

Zzzzzz …

Just remember, though, the Sixers got Simmons – and nothing was more pivotal, or important, than that.

Mission accomplished.

No downer.

by Jack Kerwin  |  [email protected]

Let the mind wander, 76ers fans …

It’s 2018. Game 7 of the NBA Eastern Conference finals. Philly’s pro basketball franchise hosting the Miami Heat. LeBron James leads the visitors, having bolted from Cleveland two years prior with heart in tow, fully satisfied with having a 52-year championship drought for his “hometown” and feeling free to toil his wares in the place he preferred.

Now 4-4 in title attempts, courtesy of a sweeping effort against Oklahoma City that gave him a third crown in five tries with Miami, here he is in South Philly, paired with fellow aging Hall of Fame lock Dwyane Wade, attempting to take yet another audacious step on Michael Jordan’s cape … against the stunningly successful Sixers.

Barely removed from a dreadful, “trust the process” stretch that unveiled three of the worst, and most lifeless, seasons in NBA history, they lead the league with 60 regular-season wins in the 2017-18 campaign, earning home-court advantage throughout the playoffs and so much respect that corporate contributions make full references to the Wells Fargo Center an acceptable practice once again.

After grudgingly informing the sold-out crowd who will start for the Heat, public address announcer Matt Cord ramps up the energy in sharing who will take the floor first for the Sixers.

The names come alive off his lips, pulsating all the way up to the rafters. Kris Dunn, a point guard out of Providence taken with the No. 3 pick in the 2016 draft that acquired in the Jahlil Okafor trade to Boston. DeAndre Bembry, the quality “glue” guy out of nearby Saint Joseph’s taken later in the first round of the same draft who handles the 2.

Gordon Hayward, the sharpshooter on the squad acquired in the off-season from Utah for several future picks, one a first and two a second, who plays the 3. Joel Embiid, the enigmatic, ultra-talented big man whose positive moments are beginning to dwarf his negative ones at the 5.

Finally, the franchise: Ben Simmons. Mr. Do-Everything. Philly’s latest Ultimate Weapon. A No. 1 playing like a No. 1. The just-named league MVP. Led the NBA in assists, finished third in rebounding and seventh in scoring – while, get this, shooting 41 percent from beyond the arc and 52 from the field overall … and 79 from the foul line.

With key subs Dario Saric, Nerlens Noel and Ryan Arcidiacano primed to pump things up once they come off the bench.

Imagine that … all those concerns about who to pick, who to keep, who to trade just gone. Poof … just like that numbing frustration from all the losing under former GM Sam Hinkie which paved the way to such a scenario.

If only …

Taking Simmons the moment Thursday night’s 2016 NBA Draft could be the key to something big by the Sixers. Yeah, so much else needs to fall into place for any scenario that even remotely resembles the above to materialize, especially the improved health and continued maturation of Embiid.

But the 6-foot-10, 240-pound Simmons has that generational-type potential to completely alter the fates of an organization that, in many way, seems to have been cursed.

Much like LeBron … even if he ain’t LeBron.

Let the mind wander.

Long live the new King.

You know, especially if the Sixers opt to select him.

Height
6-10

Weight
240

Age
19

2015-16 Statistics
​FRESHMAN | LSU

​Games Played
33

​Minutes Per Game
​34.5

Points Per Game
19.2

Rebounds Per Game
11.8

Assists Per Game
4.8

Steals Per Game
2.0

Blocks Per Game
0.8

FG Percentage
56.0

​FT Percentage
​67.0

Safest pick at No. 1
​Lotta Ingram support
Durant to Sixers? No thanks
One of bigs will have to go
Stealing some  headlines
Pretty easy pick at No. 1
Want better payoff than A.I.
Ahead of the curve?
Hinkie resigns as GM
Griffin coming to town?