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Phila. 76ers 1996-97 Season Preview Feature
By James H. DeLorenzo [Originally published on the NBA.com/Phila. 76ers home page in October, 1996.] When the Philadelphia 76ers make their season debut this November in the brand-new CoreStates Center, it may quickly become known as the House of Woos. Not the blues. Just Woo. That's the sound the Philly fans will be making when they watch second-year shooting guard Jerry Stackhouse and rookie point guard Allen Iverson make their moves. The first indication of the "woo" factor came early in a Sixers intrasquad scrimmage on October 9. That was the night the Sixers concluded training camp at the University of Delaware, and the first time the fans had to see Iverson thread a nifty pass through traffic to his backcourt mate, Stackhouse. "Woooooo!" was the sound that emanated from the 3,546 fans in attendance that windy, rainy night in Newark. It's a sound that the 76ers haven't heard in a while, but a sound that seems right in line with the "New Era" on Broad Street. A new owner, Pat Croce and Comcast Corporation, took the helm this past spring. A new head coach, Johnny Davis, moved into town from his professional playing home, Portland, Oregon, where he had been an assistant coach with the Trail Blazers for the past two seasons. And a new crop of Sixers joined the squad, just in time to move into a new arena. Iverson, the first pick in the first round of the 1996 NBA Draft, is already seen by some as a saviour for Philadelphia's fortunes, and a lot of expectations will be riding on his muscular shoulders. An All-Big East Conference selection in his sophomore year at Georgetown University, Iverson seemed ready for the NBA the first time he stepped onto the court at the USAir Arena with the Hoyas. He averaged 23.0 points per game in his two seasons at Georgetown, and 4.5 assists per contest. But perhaps most tellingly, he was the Big East's Defensive player of the year two consecutive seasons. At the opening of training camp, Iverson said that he had waited for his first NBA practice for as long as he could remember. Unfortunately, at the end of his first Sixers camp, Iverson was his own harshest critic. "I give myself an F," said the 6'0" Iverson. "I'm just trying to learn, to get the NBA game in me. These guys (teammates) help, tell me the things I'm doing right, the things I'm doing wrong." The former Hoya will learn a lot in the hands of his senior partner, Stackhouse. The former North Carolina Tarheels star was the third pick of the 1995 NBA Draft, and finished his first season with Philadelphia first among all NBA rookies in scoring, field goals made and attempted, and was third in assists per game, three point percentage and minutes per game, as well as fifth in free throw percentage, blocks, and steals per game. "Every time I step on the court with Stack I feel we can compete with any backcourt," Iverson said. "Everybody says we're too young, but that makes us work that much harder." For his part, Stackhouse is also a believer. "There's nobody I'd rather be in the backcourt with," said the 6'6" Stackhouse. "I think we can really make our mark. It doesn't ever have to be anything individual. I know we're young, but at some point, we'll both be 24, 25, and have more experience." Age is not a worry right now for the Sixers and rookie head coach Davis. Stackhouse is only 22; Iverson, 21. The oldest player on the squad (as of the pre-season) is 34-year-old newcomer (to the Sixers) Michael Cage. After the "Iron Man" (who has the second-longest consecutive games played streak in the NBA with 575), the next- oldest everyday players on the Sixers are each 26 -- and that's an age shared by Don MacLean, Rex Walters and Clarence Weatherspoon. "The backcourt has a chance to be special," said Davis, who knows a bit or two about backcourts. A second-round draft choice of the Portland Trail Blazers in 1976, Davis gained a starting role midway through the '77 playoffs, and was instrumental in Portland's drive to the 1977 NBA Championship over -- ahem -- the Philadelphia 76ers. "Both Iverson and Stackhouse are highly competitive, with a lot of talent, and a burning desire to excel," Davis added. "I happen to believe either you can play or you can't. Both of these guys can play. They're not far away in terms of being the backcourt that other teams fear. Both are tenacious defenders. They don't like people to score on them. And their ability to play team defense has been outstanding." Count Stackhouse as happy with the New Era Sixers, and the new backcourt combo. "We've got a new everything," said Stackhouse. "That's the biggest difference from last season (when the '76ers finished 18-64). When you have something new, you want to wear it, show it off." And if someone says "Woo!" when you're showing off, that helps, too. SIXERS SHORTS: New faces on the court for the Sixers this season include Michael Cage and Don MacLean. Cage, a 6'9" 12-year NBA veteran, joined the Sixers as a free agent this summer after two seasons with the Cleveland Cavaliers. He's got the second- longest consecutive games played streak going into this season with 575 -- A.C. Green is first, with 813 games. MacLean, a 6'10" four-year vet, spent last season in Denver after three seasons with Washington. Both will shore up the middle for the Sixers, joining returning Sixer vets Clarence Weatherspoon and Derrick Coleman...Johnny Davis can count on another championship-caliber guard helping train Stackhouse and Iverson. His former foe in the '77 NBA Championship finals, Maurice Cheeks, will be an assistant coach for the Sixers again this season, concentrating on the guards...The Sixers make their CoreStates Center regular-season debut November 1 against the Milwaukee Bucks. Philadelphia compiled a 745-402 record in their former home, The Spectrum, from 1966- 67 through 1995-96; that's a .650 winning percentage. The CoreStates Center will be the third home of the Sixers franchise since it moved to Philadelphia from Syracuse in 1963- 64. Before playing in the Spectrum, the Sixers played in the Philadelphia Civic Center, compiling a 53-27 (.662) record in that arena...Johnny Davis is the 16th head coach for the Sixers franchise. Prior to Portland, he had been an assistant coach with the Clippers and the Hawks. In 10 years as an NBA player, Davis averaged 12.9 points and 4.5 assists for the Trail Blazers, Hawks, Pacers and Cavaliers, and played in a total of 750 games.
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