Defending Daryl
The Opening Tip
Hello & Happy Almost Weekend - It's the Corner Three!
Last night was RICKY X. We only got through 2017 (it was a ton of fun), and we will do the rest this weekend. The merch is only available for 3 more days.
The Ricky Long Sleeve - Speaks for itself. Pretty sick, our first long-sleeve, on the highest quality Comfort Colors tee.
Limited Edition Print - Abbie did a sick print with 48 different weird Sixers and Ricky references. Only 250 were made and there are less than 70 left.
Oh Yeah, The Sixers
The Ricky at Ten
I honestly don't know how to be retrospective about something that is still going, but all I know is, I was lost in basketball purgatory and in search of anything to believe in as it related to this team (kinda still do!) And then came this podcast, this community. I'm incredibly thankful for the ride and for how much it has meant to so many of us. <3
This Week's Top 10 (My Favorite Ricky's)
10.The first episode
9. BLARK
8. The Brett Brown Live
7. The Dion Waiters Argument
6. The ROCO Live
5. The Post draft one with me and Mike
4. Burner gate
3. Burner gate cont'd
2. Hinkie Resignation
1. The Picks Swapping
Ricky Ticket Deals
1. The Ricky is in its 10th year, and so is The Basketball Tournament! The semi-finals are coming to Philly on August 2nd and 3rd. RICKY SANCHEZ HIMSELF is playing in TBT this year. Get buy-one-get-one-free tickets for TBT at this link with the code TBTBOGO.
2. Our buddy Amos Lee is playing a show at the Mann Center on July 20th with the Philadelphia Orchestra. Honestly, it's going to be fucking awesome. Get $10 off tickets by going to this link, hitting the UNLOCK button in the upper right and using code RICKY.
Spike's Corner... Daryl Morey Has Done A Good Job
Every week Spike or Mike will give you something that's on their mind. It's Spike's week, and he's putting his name on the line for Daryl Morey.
We don't have Doc Rivers to push around anymore, so Daryl Morey is getting the "stuff him in a locker treatment" because we don't like our Sixers lot in life. It's a big locker obviously, because Daryl is a big guy.
Before I make a bunch of excuses and point out a bunch of things about his tenure, let me first say, I get it. We've been doing this for ten fucking years and all we have to show for it is an MVP award that everyone thinks is fake, Tobias Harris' contract, a bunch of second round exits, a bullied Paul Reed contract and Furkan Korkmaz. This is not how it was supposed to go. I do agree that it would be nice to just blame one person.
I get it! After another year with a crushing second round exit, the best it seems like we can do is bringing everybody back, whether they want to be back or simply because nobody else wants them. It suuuuuuuuucks.
Even though it's his job to fix it, it's not Daryl's fault that we're here. He has not been perfect, but I want you to think about what he walked into. The NBA salary cap in 20-21, Morey's first year, was $109 million. At that time, when the Sixers signed Daryl Morey to run the franchise, they had $102 million dedicated to Ben Simmons, Tobias Harris, Al Horford and Josh Richardson. Think about that, really think about it. They had 94% of the cap dedicated to Ben Simmons (who would soon become a toxic asset), Al Horford (sleeper agent who they had to trade), Tobias Harris (nice guy) and Josh Richardson (faked us out like Jonathan Simmons). What a disaster! Holy shit!
We also had picks out the door, limited to no other young players who may have been valuable in a trade, and a shitty (at basketball coaching not golf) hat Morey didn't sign, didn't like playing young players, and would be complicated to fire very quickly.
Since being hired, Morey has drafted and re-signed Paul Reed, drafted Tyrese Maxey, traded for Danny Green, Seth Curry, DeAnthony Melton, and traded Zombie Simmons for Harden's Corpse (good trade, not so sure Haliburton was offered as has been reported). He also signed Georges Niang, who was helpful. After he traded for Harden, he signed him for what everyone said was a short, below market deal. He then did not give Harden a big contract, contrary to what we thought he'd do. He appeared to be ready to let Harden go, when Harden opted in. He hired Nick Nurse (the best candidate) after he fired Doc Rivers (bad coach).
So much is riding on what happens with Harden, unfortunately. He's forced to play a game of chicken with Harden (who is dead) the Clippers (who are not even a real franchise), and maybe Dame Lillard (loyal). As frustrating as it is, I'm happy to give Morey the next two seasons to figure this out.
Yes, it would be nice if Isaiah Joe was still here, and if Matisse Thybulle didn't stink. It would have also been great if they didn't trade Thybulle for another guy who probably stinks. He has not been perfect. But the precarious position the Sixers are in is not because of Daryl Morey.
Peace, Love and Process Call A Friend, Read a Book
-Zo