Usually the tall guys on a team aren’t as good as the short guys at hitting outside shots. That’s just how it is. But Philadelphia 76ers big guy Spencer Hawes is an exception. Here’s the Philadelphia Inquirer:

Spencer Hawes is arguably the 76ers’ best three-point shooter. All 7-foot-1 inches of him.

The center was shooting 50 percent from beyond the arc heading into Monday’s game against the Golden State Warriors. Thaddeus Young, at 60 percent, was the only teammate with a higher percentage than the seven-year veteran.

But while Young has only attempted five three-pointers, Hawes has made 6 of 12, and was on pace to make 164 of 328 this season. That would shatter his career-best of 40 for 115 he had as a Sacramento King during the 2008-09 season.

Utilizing his perimeter skills is all by design.

The Philadelphia 76ers are off to a great start. Even with their first loss of the season, basketball has been fun in Philly so far this season. Here’s the Philadelphia Inquirer:

The 76ers team that people expected to see this season finally surfaced Monday night.

The Sixers struggled from the field and were flat-out overmatched against the Golden State Warriors, who cruised to a 110-90 victory in front of 11,089 at the Wells Fargo Center.

But perhaps the biggest blow for the Sixers (3-1) was the inability to stop Andre Iguodala.

The former Sixer made a career-high seven three-pointers on 11 attempts en route to 32 points. Twenty-seven of his points came before intermission. The 6-foot-6 swingman, who played only 20 seconds of the fourth quarter, also finished with three assists, three rebounds, three steals, and a blocked shot.

Iguodala had scored just 26 points altogether, with three three-pointers, in the Warriors’ first three games.

The Philadelphia 76ers’ Michael Carter-Williams and the Minnesota Timberwolves’ Kevin Love were today named NBA Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Week, respectively, for games played Tuesday, Oct. 29, through Sunday, Nov. 3.

Carter-Williams is only the second player (Shaquille O’Neal, 1992) to earn the honor to begin his rookie season. The 11th overall selection in the 2013 NBA Draft, Carter-Williams helped guide the Sixers to a 3-0 start, which included wins over the defending champion Miami Heat and the Chicago Bulls. In his first three NBA games, Carter-Williams averaged 20.7 points and team highs of 9.0 assists and 4.3 steals. In his NBA debut on Oct. 30, a 114-110 home win over the Heat, Carter-Williams recorded 22 points, 12 assists, nine steals and seven rebounds. The nine steals were the most by a rookie in his NBA debut, while the 12 assists represented the second most for a player in his first NBA game (Buffalo’s Ernie DiGregorio dished 14 assists in his NBA debut in 1973).

Love led Minnesota to a 3-0 mark, the second time in franchise history the Timberwolves have opened the season with at least three straight wins. Love paced the team in scoring and rebounding each game, averaging a league-best 29.7 points and ranking with 4.7 rpg. He had at least 30 points and 15 rebounds twice, giving him 20 such games since entering the league in 2008-09, second over that span to Dwight Howard (23). In the team’s season opener Oct. 30 – a 120-115 overtime victory against the Orlando Magic — Love finished with 31 points and 17 rebounds, and sank the game-tying three-pointer to force overtime.

Other nominees for the Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Week were Orlando’s Arron Afflalo, Portland’s LaMarcus Aldridge, Phoenix’s Eric Bledsoe, New Orleans’ Anthony Davis, Oklahoma City’s Kevin Durant, Indiana’s Paul George, Detroit’s Greg Monroe, and the L.A. Clippers Chris Paul.

It’s early. The season only started last Tuesday. But fun things are happening: the Sixers started 3-0, and rookie guard Michael Carter-Williams has put up some monster games. Here’s the Philadelphia Inquirer reporting:

Carter-Williams is a gifted passer who uses his size to not only see over defenders, but also to drive and dish. He piled up 12 dimes in his debut on a plethora of different passes, some requiring in-paint precision, others quick kicks to the wing for open opportunities. Carter-Williams has excellent court vision; a trait that has been evident since his stint at Syracuse. He is good at predicting where players will be, and his size gives him a distinct advantage over smaller point guards, such as Miami’s Mario Chalmers. If he can continue to use his size, vision and basketball IQ to his advantage, while minimizing his mistakes (the fact that he only had ONE turnover in his debut is a phenomenal feat), he will have the ability to control games without putting up points personally, a la a Rajon Rondo.

His stature also affords him an advantage on the glass, as he is a solid rebounder from the point guard spot. His length allows for him to reach up and around smaller guards to secure rebounds, especially on the defensive end, where he pulled down seven in his debut, and averaged close to five throughout his college career. Carter-Williams’ defensive rebounds are especially dangerous because they can immediately ignite a fast break, as he has the ability to push the ball from end to end and finish the play, either personally, or with an assist. A handful of rebounds should be a common sight in his box scores.

We’re just a few games into the NBA regular season, so it’s too early to jump to any sort of crazy conclusions, but as for what’s gone down so far, the Sixers have been an amazing, fun surprise. Here’s the Sacramento Bee reporting:

Someone forgot to tell rookie guard Michael Carter-Williams his Philadelphia 76ers are supposed to be tanking to land a high draft choice.

Carter-Willians, the 11th pick in the draft, had an electrifying debut Wednesday with 22 points, 12 assists, nine steals, seven rebounds and just one turnover in the 76ers’ 114-110 victory over the defending champion Miami Heat.

According to the Elias Sports Bureau:

- Carter-Williams’ nine steals were the most in a debut since steals became an official stat in 1973-74.

- The 12 assists were the second-most in a career debut in NBA history. Ernie DiGregorio had 14 for the Buffalo Braves in 1973-74.

- The 22-12-9-7 combination had been achieved only twice. Utah’s Rickey Green had 26 points, 12 assists, nine steals and seven rebounds in November 1982, and San Antonio’s Johnny Moore had 26 points, 13 assists, nine steals and 11 rebounds in January 1985.

The Philadelphia 76ers are rebuilding, and were expected to lose a ton of games this season. They probably still will do just that. But not just yet. Right now, with the season not even a week old yet they are 3-0, and have been a pleasure to watch. Here are some highlights:

The Philadelphia 76ers today announced they have exercised the third-year team options on the Rookie Scale Contracts for forward Arnett Moultrie and guard Tony Wroten.

Moultrie (6-10, 240) was originally the 27th overall pick by Miami in the 2012 NBA Draft before his rights were traded to Philadelphia. As a rookie last season, Moultrie appeared in 47 games for the Sixers and had the second-highest field goal percentage (.582) of any rookie with more than 25 games played. The 22-year-old was named First Team All-SEC as a junior at Mississippi State in 2011-12 and led the SEC in rebounding.

Wroten (6-6, 205) was selected by Memphis with the 25th overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft. He was acquired via trade by the Sixers back in August. The 20-year-old averaged 11 points for the Sixers this preseason after scoring 10-plus points once as a rookie for the Grizzlies in 2012-13. In his only season at the University of Washington, Wroten was named Pac-12 Freshman of the Year and became the first freshman in school history to earn First Team All-Conference honors.

To NBA fans, Allen Iverson, one of the most exciting guards in history, has basically been retired for several years now. But as for Iverson himself, it’s finally an official done deal as of yesterday. Here’s the Philadelphia Inquirer:

Allen Iverson, who last played in the NBA in 2010, formally announced his retirement, and like his career, it was done with flair.

Speaking at an afternoon news conference at the Wells Fargo Center, Iverson was emotional, talking about his career and those close to him.

Iverson was candid in his comments and unwavering in his belief in himself and what he stood for. When asked if there was anything he would change during a stormy career, he said, “No, not one thing.”

Then he expanded.

“It’s easy to say I wish I would have done things this way, but I can’t go back and rewind it back and do it all over. I am happy with the way I done it because it taught me a lot.”

The point guard position is one of the NBA’s hardest. And it’s even tougher when you are a rookie, and on a rebuilding team, and going against some nasty opponents. Here’s the Philadelphia Inquirer:

Michael Carter-Williams will not get the opportunity to ease his way into the NBA.

In six of the first seven games, the 76ers’ rookie point guard will introduce himself to a Murderers Row of point guards in the league.

He will be matched up against Washington’s John Wall twice, Chicago’s Derrick Rose, Golden State’s Stephen Curry, and twice against Cleveland’s Kyrie Irving.

It’s a brutal challenge that the 6-foot-6, 185-pounder says he welcomes.

“It’s a big learning experience for me to see what I can get better on against the best of the best,” Carter-Williams said.

The Philadelphia 76ers today announced they have signed rookie free agent forward Brandon Davies.

Davies (6-10, 240) was named All-West Coast Conference First Team as a junior and a senior at Brigham Young University. The 22-year-old was also named Most Valuable Player of the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament pre-NBA Draft camp this past April. Davies also competed for the Los Angeles Clippers in the 2013 NBA Summer League in Las Vegas and appeared in five games for the Clippers this preseason.

The Philadelphia 76ers won’t be a good team this season. They may be fun to watch, because young players are fun, but if winning is your thing, don’t look at Philly for now. And with that under consideration, perhaps there’s good reason for injured rookie Nerlens Noel to take his sweet time before stepping onto the court. Here’s Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer:

Three words of advice for Nerlens Noel as he rehabilitates his surgically repaired left knee: Take your time.

The 76ers rookie originally was expected to need 10 months of recovery and rehabilitation because of the anterior cruciate ligament tear he suffered during his lone season at Kentucky.

The 6-foot-11 center is working hard to make that return possible. But missing the entire 2013-14 season might not be a bad option, considering what’s at stake for the Sixers and their 19-year-old franchise player.

I’m tired of hearing that Noel would be better off returning this season. I don’t think returning would be a good decision. And even if he’s prepared to do so, here’s some advice for the Sixers: Don’t tell him. Don’t give Noel any reason to be encouraged to play this season.

Tearing a team down for a full rebuild is sometimes necessary. When a roster simply isn’t going to amount to much, sometimes it’s best to say goodbye to a lot of players and start again, from the ground up. Here’s Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer:

While the moves he made weren’t always popular, Hinkie decided to reshape the franchise.

He traded all-star point guard Jrue Holiday on draft night to the New Orleans Pelicans for rookie center Nerlens Noel.

He did not re-sign free agents Andrew Bynum, Damien Wilkins, Nick Young, Dorell Wright, Royal Ivey, or Charles Jenkins.

Instead, he made risk-free deals to acquire fringe players who are either in the last year of their deals or have non-guaranteed or partially guaranteed contracts.

Hinkie also acquired the rights to Furkan Idemir (Turkey) and Arsalan Kazami (Iran), two power forwards who are playing professionally overseas.

The Philadelphia 76ers announced today that they waived the contracts of guard Rodney Williams and forward Gani Lawal.

The NBA regular season starts Tuesday night, and teams around the league must trim their rosters to 15 players or less. So, lots of players signed to non-guaranteed or low-paying contracts are being let go.

The Philadelphia 76ers announced today that they waived the contracts of guards Vander Blue and Khalif Wyatt, and forwards Royce White and Mac Koshwal.

NBA preseason ends tonight, and so teams around the league are steadily saying goodbye to players until their rosters contain 15 players or less. The NBA regular season starts Tuesday.

There are only two definites about the 76ers’ roster.

The first thing is that Michael Carter-Williams, James Anderson, Evan Turner, Thad Young and Spencer Hawes are the clear starters. The second thing is that power forward/center Lavoy Allen is an experienced NBA talent that’s finding his way back into shape.

“And after that, who knows?” Sixers coach Brett Brown said before Monday’s 104-93 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers at Schottenstein Center.

“You have six NBA players and then you have a bunch of guys who are fighting for spots and want to be seen and need opportunity,” Brown added.

Reported by Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer

Even if they don’t read the papers or worry about what is said in the electronic media, as forward-center Spencer Hawes advises, 76ers players and members of the organization won’t be able to escape the negative vibe following the team this season.

The team’s strategy is simple: clear as much cap space as possible and build with younger players on a road back to respectability.

It’s a route that often takes longer to travel than originally anticipated.

While that seems like a sound strategy, the reality is what the team faced last week, two blowout preseason losses in which the only things missing were the offense, defense, and any answers against two teams of differing skill levels.

Reported by Marc Narducci of the Philadelphia Inquirer

The Philadelphia 76ers today announced they have signed free agent center Daniel Orton. The Sixers preseason roster stands at 20 players.

Orton (6-10, 255) was originally an early entry candidate for the 2010 NBA Draft following his freshman season at Kentucky and was selected with the 29th overall pick by Orlando. The 23-year-old spent last season with Oklahoma City and also played for the Thunder’s NBA Development League affiliate, the Tulsa 66ers, averaging 12 and a half points, eight rebounds, two assists, a steal and over two blocks per game while shooting 53% from the floor.

In a related move, the Sixers have waived center Tim Ohlbrecht.

The 76ers are very likely going to struggle in dramatic fashion this season. They have a very young, inexperienced roster mostly filled with bench players. They’ll need luck in discovering some hidden gems.

“I don’t think we’re going down,” Turner said when asked how he’ll cope with all the losing this season, as the Sixers take a run at the top overall pick in next summer’s draft. “I never woke up and thought I was going to be unsuccessful in my life. Pretty much, my teammates and I are going to go out and play every single game and play hard and take it from there.

“There’s different type of successes, in general, personal and team-wise. We’ve got to keep getting better,” he said. “But I’m not going to sit here and be a loser. … I’m not a loser. Period. Point blank. So I’m not going to sit there and dwell on it. Period.”

Turner (6-7, 205) has failed to live up to fans’ lofty expectations since the Sixers selected the 2009-10 NCAA player of the year out of Ohio State with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2010 NBA draft. The 24-year-old is entering the fourth and final season of his rookie contract that pays him approximately $6.7 million this season, making him a possible trade candidate.

Reported by Jason Wolf of Delaware Online (Blog)

When Brett Brown took over as the 76ers coach, he knew what kind of offensive production he could expect from Thaddeus Young, who averaged 14.8 points last year. Brown has been pleasantly surprised by Young’s leadership as well.

Young turned just 25 in June, but he is entering his seventh NBA season, and on this Sixers team that qualifies him as a graybeard.

The book on Young was that he was athletic, a hard worker, and a team player. But leadership was not mentioned. Brown is finding out otherwise.

“He has been far more vocal and far more instructional with the young guys,” Brown said after Sunday’s lengthy practice at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine.

Reported by Marc Narducci of the Philadelphia Inquirer

In three seasons with San Antonio and Houston, Anderson appeared in 116 games, with six starts, and averaged 3.7 points, 1.5 rebounds, and 11.1 minutes played.

But he has been one of the Sixers’ best players since coming to Philadelphia.

Anderson is averaging 12.3 points through three exhibition games and shooting 50 percent (6 of 12) on three-pointers.

“This is definitely a great opportunity for me,” he said of being a Sixer. “I feel like this is the best one I have so far.

“I definitely want to take advantage of it.”

Reported by Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer