Morning Phil-Up: Sixers Force Michael Carter-Williams To Shoot High Volumes

For Shorthanded Sixers, Michael Carter-Williams Forced To Shoot – Philly Voice

On Wednesday night, Sixer point guard Michael Carter-Williams put up 26 shots against the New York Knicks.

Carter-Williams, not exactly known for his efficient scoring, connected on 10 of those attempts.

Throughout his time in the NBA, MCW has been forced to take on a heavy load of the offense due to the lack of scoring options around him. Especially in his second season, the reigning rookie of the year has really had few running mates with Robert Covington and Tony Wroten as the only true scorers on the roster with the likes of Thaddeus Young, Evan Turner, and Spencer Hawes all long gone.

The concern about Carter-Williams attempting such a high volume of field goals is that he may develop some bad shooting habits. He can’t learn to be selective with his shot if he’s got the weight of the team on his shoulders every night.

Sandberg Says Something Wasn’t Right With The Phillies – The 700 Level

Ryne Sanberg spoke to reporters, and commented that in 2014 he believed that the Phillies didn’t have a very good clubhouse.

While Sandberg believed that the players worked hard and were prepared well on a day-to-day basis, he thought that something was still off from last year’s roster.

I believe the Phillies had too many key guys that dealt with individual struggles.

Ryan Howard struggled with family issues off of the field last year, and continues to have problems physically as he seems to have been forever damaged by the torn Achilles tendon he suffered at the end of the 2011 playoffs.

Domonic Brown was lost in what seemed to be a season-long funk, as he was never able to recapture the form he had the previous year that helped him make an All-Star team. Brown seemed to be stuck in his own ways, and wasn’t very receptive to suggestions from the coaching staff to adjust his swing.

The Phillies players had also been used to the player-friendly atmosphere that Charlie Manuel provided during his tenure, so having a new personality like Sandberg with a new set of rules may have caused some friction between the team and coaching staff.

Phillies Have Interest In Chad Billingsley – CSNPhilly

Ruben Amaro Jr. can’t get enough of injured and affordable guys who were once big names.

According to Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com, the Phillies are showing serious interest in former Dodgers pitcher Chad Billingsley.

Billingsley was a staple of the Dodgers’ rotation from 2008-2011, where he won 51 games with a combined 3.73 ERA. However, the former star has battled elbow problems and has been limited to just 27 starts over the last three years.

Billingsley is only 30 years old, and is worth a look for a cheap, short-term contract. The Phillies already have a rotation full of question marks with Cliff Lee coming back from elbow problems of his own, and guys like Aaron Harang, David Buchanan, and Jerome Williams in the mix for the final spots in the rotation.

If they can get lucky with Billingsley, maybe they can turn him into a trade chip come July.

Voracek Surprised By His High Point Total -Prohockeytalk

Jake Voracek has been one of the bright spots in what’s been an otherwise frustrating season for the Flyers.

Voracek enters the All-Star break with 17 goals and 56 points through 48 games, four points higher than anyone else in the league.

The success of Voracek has been a surprise to everyone, including himself. Although he acknowledges he’s been working very hard at it, the 25-year old told NHL.com that he’d be lying if he said he thought he’d be leading the league in points at this point in the year.

It’s a shame that Voracek’s strong season will ultimately be wasted on a team that won’t even make the playoffs. However, the good news is that he’s only 25, and as long as he can stay focused and keep putting the work in, he has a chance to continue ascending as one of the most productive players in the game.

Former general manager Paul Holmgren made a lot of highly questionable moves throughout his tenure, but acquiring Voracek as part of the package for Jeff Carter was certainly one of his best, as the former Blue Jacket is one of this team’s building blocks that they can look to for the future.