The 76ers are one of the only teams that still have some big questions to answer this off season. It’s still unclear whether James Harden will be part of the team going forward. There have been trade talks about acquiring Damian Lillard from the Portland Trailblazers and trading Harden in another transaction. I don’t know how smart that would be, because I think they would have to give up Tyrese Maxey in order to get Damian.
The two signings the team has made so far are Mo Bamba from the Los Angeles Lakers and Patrick Beverley, who played for multiple teams last year. These are both risky moves because both players are moody and inconsistent. I actually watched Mo Bama play in the Slam Dunk to the Beach tournament six to seven years ago when he was still in high school. He would be the 76ers third-string center. Patrick Beverley is a very active guard, but he reminds me of Rasheed Wallace of the Pistons and Trailblazers and many other teams. Patrick earns a lot of technical fouls over the course of the season, just like Rasheed did in his day.
The Phillies seem to be having a successful last week before the All-Star break. They end the first half of the season against the Miami Marlins, who are firmly in second place in their NL East division. Nick Castellanos was selected to be the Phillies all-star representative at Tuesday’s All-Star Game in Seattle. Nick has had a bounce back season so far this year.
The Phillies are on win streak on the road. They have won 12 straight road games. The franchise record is 13 in 1976. Will see if they can get there.
Wimbledon is in its first week and so far the Americans have struggled, especially on the women's side. Coco Gauff lost in the first round along with Sloane Stephens. Another significant storyline has been the weather. It took until day four for the first round to be completed by everyone. Novak Djokovic is a huge favorite to win his fifth straight Wimbledon championship. Frances Tiafoe is the best hope for the American men to go far in this tournament. Andy Murray is back playing well in his home courts after actually being retired for a little while. It will also be interesting to see how Carlos Alcaraz from Spain does at Wimbledon. He’s actually the number one seed this year. I hope there is no more significant rain so they can finish the tournament on time next Saturday and Sunday.
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A 2002 Cape grad and 2007 UD grad, Lewes resident Sumner Spence is one of the Cape area's biggest sports fans. Although he’s used a wheelchair his entire life, he has lived vicariously through his sports-playing father, brother, and friends, who gave him his love of sports. He hopes to provide new and interesting perspectives on the sports stories and issues of the day. Email Sumner at sumspence@gmail.com.
