No Regard Presidential Previews: Philadelphia 76ers (Thomas Jefferson)

Oh the season. Oh the season! Election or NBA, both are upon us. We're getting into the spirit by bringing you our season previews (with a little help from the presidents). One per day for the next 30 days—which will bring us to the Day of Reckoning. So please join us on the campaign trail as we shake hands, kiss babies and sink jumpers.

"The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants." - Thomas Jefferson

Thomas Jefferson has a rather interesting place in presidential history. From what I can tell, people tend to think of him as a great American more than a great president. He peaked early, way before becoming President in 1801, as the main author of that classic 1776 title, the Declaration of Independence. Before his election, he was also a member of the Continental Congress, a diplomat in Paris, the first Secretary of the State of the U.S. and a Vice President. His resume was stacked when he came into office, but it seems he wasn't quite happy to be known as merely a great American. He wanted to be the top dog.

The Philadelphia 76ers are a team with a long, great history. Three championships. Erving, Barkley, Iverson, Malone, Chamberlain, Stackhouse (only kind of kidding). At this point, they could pretty much rest on their laurels if they wanted to. Turns out, though, that basketball franchises, like politicians, are always hungry for more glory. So after a decade of being decent but failing to live up to the glow of their legacy, the Sixers got a little crazy over the offseason in an attempt to make like Jefferson and reach even higher levels than they ever have before. They did so by trading away longtime centerpiece and jack-of-all-trades Andre Iguodala in a four-team deal that brought Andrew Bynum in from his discontented perch in Los Angeles.

It was the kind of move that is made by a team that needs to shake things up not because they're in the cellar but because they're trying to hang out in the attic. Bynum is a player who can turn a team into a championship contender; he's one of the game's dominant post players and he's young enough that he may even get better. But he is also a player who can cause a lot of heartache. His health is a serious concern, having already needed knee surgery in the past and now battling a bone bruise in the same area that has him out indefinitely to start his campaign in Philly.

Temporarily playing without Bynum will be a good test for the rest of the team. Can Jrue Holiday and Evan Turner become one of the league's top young backcourt duos? Holiday will do his part, but Turner needs to be more aggressive this year. Will Nick Young and Dorell Wright take smart shots? No, but if they make them, that's okay. Will Spencer Hawes and Thaddeus Young be able to provide adequate support for Bynum down low? They should be able to, but holding it down when he's out will be another story.

Everything will have to go very much right for the Sixers to reap the kind of rewards they're hoping for from their offseason shuffling. If it does, it could be the start of a very successful period at the top, an icing on history's cake as sweet as presidency must have been for Jefferson—a legacy move, so to speak. If it doesn't, it could damage the reputation they've built up over the decades as much as knowledge of Jefferson's slave ownership has called his merits into question over time.

Rushed Pull-Up Jumpers

Pokemon who the team should adopt as its new mascot: Chansey

Headline we'll be most sick of reading: "Bynum Walks Out on Crutches"

Headline we're most looking forward to: "NBA Forces Bynum to Cut Afro After Complaints of Distraction"

If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you enter the pearly gates?: "Nick, why didn't you tell me you were gonna wear that shirt, too? This is awkward."

No Regard Previews: Is The Future Anything?

One Game We Will Watch Tonight: Los Angeles Lakers vs. Denver Nuggets

Face it: You're going to try to explain JaVale McGee to your kids one day. Sorry. It's not going to be easy, but most things in life worth doing are hard. His game five performance will be a crucial part of your presentation, seeing as that game was the realization of everything promised, but rarely delivered, by that seven-foot six-inch wingspan.



Then he hurled the game ball into the stands three seconds after Craig Sager told him to hold onto it. It was a great moment because Sager was kind of a jerk to him in the interview ("You've had a rather uneventful career in Washington..."), but also because it ensured that we'll never lose Pierre McGee, even as JaVale hopefully blossoms. You'll probably include that video in your presentation, too.

"Then, in game six," you'll next explain to your now-enthralled child... But we don't know what you'll say next. Hopefully, you'll be able to say that JaVale continued his progress towards his first All-Star Game. But it's just as likely that you'll simply pull up an embarrassing GIF (like this one) and begin wrapping up your presentation. Regardless, tonight's game seems like a pretty crucial block in JaVale's narrative, so how could we not watch?

One Game We Probably Won't Watch Tonight: Philadelphia 76ers vs. Chicago Bulls

(photo via @cjzero)

There are enough things that bum us out in this world. No need to tune into another.

No Regard Recaps: Tebow Time!

One Game We Watched Last Night: Atlanta Hawks vs. Boston Celtics

Celtics: 87 Hawks: 80

This victory proved the perfect example of how quickly momentum can shift in an NBA playoff serious. (This is a new thing we're trying: Calling a hotly contested, gravely important series a "serious." Let us know if you like/don't it!) Prior to tip, the Cs were down and out, missing Rondo, Ray Ray, and facing a potential 2-0 deficit headed back to New England. Now, thanks to tenacious defense and a vintage Paul Pierce performance, the Green and White are primed to take down the Hawks in a short series. 

Avery Bradley continued his giant strides as a professional by providing stellar ball pressure on Jeffrey Demarco, particularly in the fourth quarter. When needed most, he competently handled the offense and found open shooters. As for The Truth, well it's clear that Boston's all-time leading scorer was on a mission—almost as if to say, "I used to win playoff series without any teammates before, you know?"  Even more importantly, he put a stamp on the game after wetting some clutch fourth quarter buckets and Tebowing. This celebration was definitely the most critical decision he's made all season.

Larry Drew and court general J. Demarco will look to rally the troops in the coming days before they head north for game three. They need to find a way to more consistently unlock Beantown's stifling defense. They also might want to consider Tebowing themselves so we can really heat this thing up. Just sayin'. 

One Game We Didn't Watch Last Night: Chicago Bulls vs. Philadelphia 76ers

Bulls: 92 Sixers: 109

It's hard to stomach this series with D-Rose sidelined by a horrible knee injury. I definitely watched the first half, though, so while Chicago may struggle to score in later rounds without last season's MVP, they should be fine to get past Philly, right? I mean, I did not catch the second half, but surely their huge lead was enough to silence the haters and critics who suggest the Bulls have no shot at a title without Rose, right? They had a decent record in the regular season when he was MIA! They are built on crashing the boards and defending, Rose won't be missed here! 

Sorry? Hmm? Oh really?

Sigh... this is awkward now.

No Regard Daily Previews: Throwing Down Ain't Nothing But A Thang

One Game We Will Definitely Watch Tonight: Dallas Mavericks vs. Golden State Warriors

In typical Dirk-era Dallas fashion, the Mavericks have been piping hot so far this regular season, most recently rattling off nine victories in a row. In typical Curry-era Golden State fashion, the Warriors haven't played any defense so far this regular season, allowing 106.9 points per contest, which ranks them 28th in the league.

Cuban's boys are defending the shit out of the ball, allowing only 92.2 points per game. Shocking, I know, for a team whose nucleus is made up of 67-year-old Jason Kidd and Dirk Nowitzki who, in the past, played as if he'd rather take a swift kick to the nuts than actually try and check opposing bigmen in the post. This whole, allegiance-to-defending gig is a massive step for a team that has championship aspirations. Dirk could easily find himself bodied up against a particularly dexterous Spaniard come May, so everything he's doing now to learn how to defend down low is pivotal.

As for Golden State, don't tell Monta Ellis and Steph Curry that their team doesn't worry about defending.

No Regard Daily Previews: 11-30-10

One Game We Will Definitely Watch Tonight: Civil War Part II: New Jersey Nets vs. New York Knicks

Finally, for the first time in a long time, things are looking up for the two NBA teams geographically located within a few miles of the Hudson River. And for a staff full of avid Knicks and Nets fans, we couldn't be happier. Personally, having no horse in this race (Let's Go Celtics!), I thought it would be interesting to point out some of the newly found similarities between the two ball clubs which suggest what may or may not be impacting each team's improvement.

First similarity: Russians. Prokhorov and Mozgov. Both newcomers to their respective franchises. Prokhorov has made an immediate impact on the Nets and declared that they must do whatever it takes to win a ring within five years. Conversely, Mozgov received a warm welcome to the league from Blake Griffin and the illest posterizing dunk of the year.

No Regard Daily Recaps 11-2-10

EndlessPat toasts Cartier Martin for sending his team into overtime.

So here's the thing: I was told to review what surely would have been a fascinating Orlando-New York game at The Garden tonight.

Unfortunately that game was called on account of asbestos.

No, I'm not kidding. Madison Square Garden was deemed an unsafe workplace for its hard-laboring employees, and I was told to shift my attention to the Lakers-Grizzlies matchup, which we all knew was going to be super lame.

I don't like playing by the rules, so instead, I decided to be a bit of a wild card, a free agent if you will, and decided to watch The Battle of Who Could Care Less: a showdown between the winless Wizards and the equally winless 76ers.

It turns out I am a genius. Here's why: