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ShareNotes From Day 4
HEALTHY SO FAR
At training camp 2003, Marc Jackson went down in the first minutes of the first practice. It proved to be a harbinger for a season that saw 13 players miss a combined 350 games.
So far this year, only Kyle Korver has come up on the injury report, suffering a mild ankle sprain on the first day, but never missing a moment. And neither have any of the other players.
“We’ve got a couple guys who have got knees in their legs and their calves and all, but I think they’ll be all right,” Jim O’Brien reported. “And they should be, they’re a little beat up. That’s life in training camp.”
LEADERSHIP SUMMIT
Head Coach Jim O’Brien didn’t hesitate when asked who the leaders on this 76ers squad were.
“I rely on Allen (Iverson), and Aaron (McKie), absolutely. They’re guys that have been in Philadelphia, they know Philadelphia. They know how they won a lot when Larry (Brown) was here, what they had to do defensively to get to the Finals. They know the lay of the land, and I’m relying heavily on both of those guys.”
One thing that has not really impressed O’Brien, but more of what was expected by him, was the players’ overall attitude.
“I just couldn’t imagine after talking with these guys as much as we spoke during the summer that they were going to come in with anything but an attitude that they wanted to prove that last year was a negative fluke,” O’Brien said.
Those thoughts were echoed by Jackson who is known for being a vocal leader on the floor.
“This is the city of Philadelphia, we don’t accept failure,” Jackson said. “We don’t make excuses for failure. What happened last year happened, and we have to accept that and move on … People just want to come out here and prove, I mean people just say that Philly’s lost or Philly’s gone down, but everybody is willing to show people differently.”
ALL-STAR POTENTIAL?
When given the chance in 2003-04, Kenny Thomas emerged as one of the 76ers top players last season. He finished the season ranked among the NBA leaders in rebounding, double-doubles and field goal percentage, and averaged 13.6 points and 10.1 rebounds per game.
While those numbers last year were impressive, his performance in training camp has won some strong praise by the coaching staff and guest observers.
“I think Kenny Thomas has the potential to be an All-Star,” O’Brien said. “Whether it’s this year or in the future. I think he is a hell of a basketball player and to tell you, Kenny Thomas blew Jack (Ramsay) away. Jack had no idea how good of a basketball player Kenny Thomas was. If you can impress Jack Ramsay, you’re a pretty good damn player.”
At one point last season, Thomas recorded a double-double in 10-straight games and was just one of 11 players to average a double-double for the season. And at 6-foot-7, he was the shortest to do that. Thomas has been especially impressive on the defensive end where this Sixers staff has put a lot of emphasis.
“(Assistant Coach) Frank Vogel and I get up early and watch video,” O’Brien explained. “Kenny Thomas picks up things so quickly. Things that would take a normal guy like five weeks to pick up, he picks up the first time you tell him. He is by far the best at getting the ball out of bounds. He has been a fantastic rebounder for us. He picked up all of our defensive schemes. He is in remarkable condition.”
At training camp 2003, Marc Jackson went down in the first minutes of the first practice. It proved to be a harbinger for a season that saw 13 players miss a combined 350 games.
So far this year, only Kyle Korver has come up on the injury report, suffering a mild ankle sprain on the first day, but never missing a moment. And neither have any of the other players.
“We’ve got a couple guys who have got knees in their legs and their calves and all, but I think they’ll be all right,” Jim O’Brien reported. “And they should be, they’re a little beat up. That’s life in training camp.”
LEADERSHIP SUMMIT
Head Coach Jim O’Brien didn’t hesitate when asked who the leaders on this 76ers squad were.
“I rely on Allen (Iverson), and Aaron (McKie), absolutely. They’re guys that have been in Philadelphia, they know Philadelphia. They know how they won a lot when Larry (Brown) was here, what they had to do defensively to get to the Finals. They know the lay of the land, and I’m relying heavily on both of those guys.”
One thing that has not really impressed O’Brien, but more of what was expected by him, was the players’ overall attitude.
“I just couldn’t imagine after talking with these guys as much as we spoke during the summer that they were going to come in with anything but an attitude that they wanted to prove that last year was a negative fluke,” O’Brien said.
Those thoughts were echoed by Jackson who is known for being a vocal leader on the floor.
“This is the city of Philadelphia, we don’t accept failure,” Jackson said. “We don’t make excuses for failure. What happened last year happened, and we have to accept that and move on … People just want to come out here and prove, I mean people just say that Philly’s lost or Philly’s gone down, but everybody is willing to show people differently.”
ALL-STAR POTENTIAL?
When given the chance in 2003-04, Kenny Thomas emerged as one of the 76ers top players last season. He finished the season ranked among the NBA leaders in rebounding, double-doubles and field goal percentage, and averaged 13.6 points and 10.1 rebounds per game.
While those numbers last year were impressive, his performance in training camp has won some strong praise by the coaching staff and guest observers.
“I think Kenny Thomas has the potential to be an All-Star,” O’Brien said. “Whether it’s this year or in the future. I think he is a hell of a basketball player and to tell you, Kenny Thomas blew Jack (Ramsay) away. Jack had no idea how good of a basketball player Kenny Thomas was. If you can impress Jack Ramsay, you’re a pretty good damn player.”
At one point last season, Thomas recorded a double-double in 10-straight games and was just one of 11 players to average a double-double for the season. And at 6-foot-7, he was the shortest to do that. Thomas has been especially impressive on the defensive end where this Sixers staff has put a lot of emphasis.
“(Assistant Coach) Frank Vogel and I get up early and watch video,” O’Brien explained. “Kenny Thomas picks up things so quickly. Things that would take a normal guy like five weeks to pick up, he picks up the first time you tell him. He is by far the best at getting the ball out of bounds. He has been a fantastic rebounder for us. He picked up all of our defensive schemes. He is in remarkable condition.”
