Philadelphia local news, sports, jobs, cars, homes

Tag: UniversalPremium

  • Jeffrey Lurie admired Kellen Moore as OC in Dallas and hired a similar coach, Sean Mannion, for the Eagles

    Jeffrey Lurie admired Kellen Moore as OC in Dallas and hired a similar coach, Sean Mannion, for the Eagles

    Folks keep trying to compare little-known Sean Mannion with previous Eagles hires. In fact, the best comp was in Dallas.

    It’s true that Mannion, the new offensive coordinator, shares some characteristics with former Eagles OC Jon Gruden, a former wide receivers coach whom Jeffrey Lurie and the Eagles hired at the age of 31. Similarly, when the Eagles hired 40-year-old Packers quarterbacks coach Andy Reid to be their head coach in 1999, Reid had never called plays, established a scheme, or formulated a game plan.

    But by 1999 Reid had been a coach for 17 years, and by 1995 Gruden had been a coach for nine years. Mannion, by contrast, has been a coach for just two years, both with the Packers, one of them as Matt LaFleur’s “offensive assistant,” the NFL’s equivalent of an unpaid internship.

    That doesn’t mean Mannion can’t do the job.

    Bill Belichick’s cheating cost him first-ballot Hall of Fame induction. It might have also cost the Eagles a Super Bowl title.

    After all, Mannion is no bigger risk for the Eagles than Kellen Moore was for the Cowboys in 2019.

    When Jerry Jones named Moore the offensive coordinator in Dallas, Moore was a short-term, insignificant NFL backup with only one year of coaching experience, as the Cowboys’ quarterbacks coach. He was 29.

    Mannion is a short-term, insignificant NFL backup with one year of experience as a position coach. He is 33.

    He also is a consolation prize.

    The Eagles wanted a Josh McDaniels-type OC like Mike McDaniel or Brian Daboll, former head coaches and accomplished coordinators. McDaniel chose the Chargers. Daboll went to Tennessee.

    The Birds got Mannion. He’s not nothing.

    Sean Mannion, 33, has two years of coaching experience in the NFL.

    This might sound like a desperate attempt to cope with what legitimately should be cast as a repudiation of the Eagles by the best and the brightest. This also might sound like an attempt to diminish the injury concerns the Eagles have at offensive line, the commitment concerns they have with A.J. Brown, and the performance concerns they have with Jalen Hurts.

    Maybe it is, a little bit.

    Sometimes, though, as anyone who’s been married can tell you, your first choice isn’t your best choice.

    Sometimes, you don’t get what you want. You get what you need.

    A grudging admiration

    Few owners keep their ear to the ground the way Lurie does. Over his three decades of ownership he routinely has attended the Senior Bowl, which serves as the NFL’s de facto job fair, where aspiring young coaches gather to distribute resumés and a place where executives meet to gossip about hot new coaching prospects.

    As soon as Moore quit playing in 2017, his sixth season in the NFL and his third with Dallas, including practice squads, he was identified as a comer. In 2018, as QB coach, he corrected Dak Prescott’s slump. In 2019, when Wade Wilson retired, Jones controversially promoted Moore, who wasn’t even 30 and looked like he wasn’t even 20.

    Dallas Cowboys offensive coordinator Kellen Moore watching practice in 2020.

    According to an Eagles executive at the time, no one was more impressed by Jones hiring such an outside-the-box candidate than the NFL owner who spends most of his time thinking outside of the box: Jeffrey Lurie.

    Jones’ gamble paid off.

    In 2019, as OC, Moore pushed Dallas’ offense from 22nd to No. 1. That didn’t save the job of head coach Jason Garrett, but it did convince Jones to ask incoming head coach Mike McCarthy keep Moore as the OC. Sure enough, after a dip in 2020, Dallas was No. 1 in 2021, too.

    All along, Lurie was watching Moore’s success and acknowledging the wisdom of Jones, his archrival, with grudging admiration.

    The Cowboys offense then ranked No. 4 in 2022, but by the end of that season McCarthy had so badly mismanaged the Cowboys that he needed a scapegoat. He chose Moore to be his fall guy, and so fired him. (Two years later, Moore was interviewing for McCarthy’s job.)

    Later that winter the Eagles lost OC Shane Steichen, who became the head coach in Indianapolis. Why didn’t Lurie pounce on Moore then?

    Ranking the NFL color analysts: Tom Brady shines while Tony Romo struggles (just like old times)

    Because the Eagles were coming off a Super Bowl appearance, and, according to league sources, head coach Nick Sirianni, having gained even more authority over his staff, wanted to promote from within. Hurts, in line for a huge contract extension, had earned a seat at the hiring table, too. Quarterbacks coach Brian Johnson had been hired in 2021 in part because of Johnson’s preexisting relationship with Hurts. With Hurts’ blessing, Sirianni promoted Johnson.

    Moore instead went west in 2023 as the offensive coordinator for Justin Herbert and the Chargers. A year later, as part of a purge by new head coach Jim Harbaugh, Moore was available again. Johnson had struggled in 2023, and was fired. Lurie pounced. Moore became the Eagles’ OC. The Birds won the Super Bowl after the 2024 season. Moore then got the head coaching job in New Orleans.

    The Eagles won Super Bowl LIX with Kellen Moore as their offensive coordinator.

    He remains the only offensive coordinator in Eagles history to win a Super Bowl calling his own plays — thereby, arguably, the greatest offensive coordinator in Eagles history.

    Those are big shoes for Mannion to fill.

    Déjà vu and Nick Foles

    Moore declined to comment for this column, which is unfortunate, because, in 2019, he nearly was in Mannion’s exact position as an unproven coordinator in a high-pressure market. He also inherited an offensive roster full of pedigreed players, such as running back Ezekiel Elliott, offensive linemen Tyron Smith and Zack Martin, wideout Amari Cooper, and of course, Prescott, who was an overachieving, second-tier draftee who had not completely polished his game.

    The same can be said of Hurts, who is surrounded by a similarly pedigreed cast: four Pro Bowl offensive linemen, two 1,000-yard receivers, and a running back halfway to the Hall of Fame.

    There are differences, of course. Upon becoming OC, Moore had spent four seasons in Dallas as either a player or coach, and so was familiar with the players, coaches, and the unique culture inside The Star, the Cowboys’ training compound.

    Also, Mannion won’t inherit as stable a situation as Moore, who followed Scott Linehan, who had the job for four years. Mannion will be succeeding Kevin Patullo, Sirianni’s longtime right-hand man who was removed from the job on Jan. 13 following a disastrous one-year run.

    On the other hand, Mannion has more connections than Moore. Between playing and coaching, Mannion has been around accomplished offensive minds such as Packers head coach Matt LaFleur, for whom Mannion worked the last two seasons, and Rams head coach Sean McVay, for whom Mannion played in 2017 and 2018.

    It’s also worth noting that, when Mannion was a rookie in the 2015, the Rams’ starting quarterback was a former Pro Bowl MVP named Nicholas Edward Foles.

    Endorsements

    In 2019, immediately after promoting Moore, Jones defended the move by citing Moore’s ability to communicate clearly, Moore’s high football IQ, and Moore’s strength of character.

    Immediately before the promotion, Moore’s candidacy received a major endorsement from Prescott, who not only had been coached by Moore but also had been Moore’s teammate. On a Dallas radio station, Prescott called Moore a “genius phenom. … He’s special. He knows a lot about the game. Just the way he sees the game, the way he’s ahead of the game. He can bring a lot to us, a lot of creativity.”

    Lurie likely won’t offer comments regarding Mannion until he speaks with the press at the owners’ meetings at the end of March in Phoenix.

    Packers quarterback Jordan Love, in his third season as a starter, cut his interception total from 11 in 2023 and 2024 to six in 2025. Backup Malik Willis got better, too. Neither has called Mannion a “genius phenom.”

    Neither has Sirianni, who has issued the only statement from the Eagles, who have not scheduled a media availability with Mannion and his bosses.

    Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni is welcoming yet another offensive coordinator.

    In a statement that defined banality, Sirianni called Mannion “a bright young coach with a tremendous future ahead of him in this league. I was impressed by his systematic views on offensive football and his strategic approach.”

    The franchise’s excitement paled in comparison to the region’s fascination with this hire.

    Over the last three weeks or so, the process of replacing Patullo received unprecedented media attention, considering it was the hiring of an assistant coach. That’s partly due to intensified media coverage of everything NFL, but also because the Eagles are in a window to win right now. Fairly or not, no one bore as much blame for the 2025 one-and-done playoff run as Patullo. No one will face as much pressure for 2026 as Mannion.

    This is similar to the situation Moore inherited in Dallas in 2019, and he shined.

    That doesn’t mean Mannion will, too, but, in Lurie, Eagles fans can take heart.

    With Gruden and Reid in his history, Lurie has a wonderful track record when over-hiring position coaches from Green Bay.

  • Forget about trading VJ Edgecombe for Giannis. Or anybody.

    Forget about trading VJ Edgecombe for Giannis. Or anybody.

    The following is a list of players who began their NBA careers with 1,500 minutes, 650 points, 225 rebounds, 175 assists and a .534 true shooting percentage in their first 43 games.

    • Oscar Robertson
    • Larry Bird
    • Magic Johnson
    • Michael Jordan
    • Chris Paul
    • VJ Edgecombe

    This shouldn’t need to be said, but the Sixers aren’t going to trade VJ Edgecombe for Giannis Antetokounmpo. Nor should they. Which also shouldn’t need to be said.

    Just in case, let’s say it again.

    No Edgecombe for Giannis. No Edgecombe for anyone. No Edgecombe at the trade deadline. No Edgecombe in the offseason.

    No Edgecombe, know peace.

    Paul George’s 25-game suspension is just the latest example of the Sixers’ bad karma from The Process

    The conversation is worth having just to make sure we’re all on the same page. It isn’t every day that a superstar the caliber of Giannis hits the trade market. Even less often are the Sixers identified as a team that “intrigues” said superstar, as they were in a report by the Stein Line over the weekend. Giannis is smart to fancy the idea of teaming up with Tyrese Maxey, who has exploded into the realm of legitimate superstars this season. The Sixers would be foolish not to find out what it would take to land the perennial MVP candidate.

    Draft picks, Jared McCain, maybe even Joel Embiid? Sure, let’s talk.

    Edgecombe?

    Nope. Click.

    Tyrese Maxey (left) and rookie VJ Edgecombe give the Sixers a dynamic backcourt combination.

    To be clear, this isn’t about Giannis. He’s in the midst of the most efficient season of his career, by virtually every measure. His .666 effective field goal percentage is 70 points higher than his career average and 46 points higher than his mark last season. While he largely abandoned his three-point shot after connecting on just 28.3% of his attempts from 2022-24, he already has more makes than he did all last season. His career-best .395 shooting clip from deep comes with a giant asterisk: a mere 38 attempts in 30 games. But, hey, making is better than missing. Giannis still does all of the stuff that has made him a top-five MVP finisher for a remarkable seven straight seasons. Rebounds, assists, steals — all of his numbers are at or above his five-year averages on a per possession basis. His 46.8 points per 100 possessions would be the highest of his career.

    Paul George’s suspension brings back belief that he was a bad signing for the Sixers. Here’s why.

    This is purely about Edgecombe. To understand his immense present and future value, you have to watch him on the court. It’s incredibly rare for a 20-year-old rookie to average 35.6 minutes per night for a team that is six games over .500 and has a legitimate chance to make a playoff run. It’s even rarer for said rookie to do it with the maturity and grace that Edgecombe exhibits at both ends of the court. And it’s rarer still for a rookie to possess that veteran-level basketball IQ while also possessing such an electric athletic upside.

    Edgecombe’s polish is evident in two pieces of his stat line, beyond the top-line numbers. He is one 18 players in NBA history to have 178 assists and fewer than 80 turnovers in his first 43 games. That’s incredibly hard to do for any player who routinely has the ball in his hands, let alone a player who expends the amount of energy Edgecombe does on the defensive end of the court. Simply put, he is a winning basketball player, as evidenced by his cumulative plus-minus. The Sixers are outscoring opponents by nearly 1.5 points per game in Edgecombe’s minutes on the court. Again, very rare to see out of a rookie.

    Sixers coach Nick Nurse knows what he has in rookie guard VJ Edgecombe.

    The Sixers’ state of play in advance of this week’s trade deadline took a hard right turn over the weekend. It did so in a manner that was quintessential Sixers. Paul George’s 25-game suspension for a violation of the NBA’s anti-drug policy was the exact sort of nowhere-on-the-bingo-card development that has come to define the organization in the post-Process era. Unexpected? Only if you forget who you’re dealing with.

    In our defense, the Sixers had done a heck of a job lulling us to sleep over the first half of the season. Maxey was an All-Star starter and MVP candidate while averaging an efficient 29.2 points and 6.9 assists. Embiid was playing basketball reminiscent of his MVP prime. Even George had bounced back from his disastrous debut season, shooting .382 from three-point range while averaging 16 points per night.

    Yet the brightest development of them all has been the kid with the double sevens on his jersey. Edgecombe’s per-game numbers may not look like the stuff of legends: 15.1 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4.2 assists, a .510 effective field goal percentage. But keep in mind: What we are witnessing right now is the floor. At the very least, he is a winning basketball player who would have a spot in the starting lineup of any contending team. A good defender, a willing rebounder, a capable scorer, an improving passer. Combine that floor with the ceiling afforded him by his explosive physical gifts and you have the sort of player whose trajectory could easily follow Maxey’s into the realm of the NBA’s elite. That’s not the kind of thing a team can afford to trade away.

    Not for Giannis. Not for anybody.

  • Opera Philadelphia’s ‘strange little roller-coaster ride’ is rolling into town

    Opera Philadelphia’s ‘strange little roller-coaster ride’ is rolling into town

    When Opera Philadelphia announced a new multiauthored work titled Complications in Sue, one was right to ask, “What, exactly, is it?” The piece was written in less than a year and is still in progress, so answers to that question might not be specific until the Academy of Music dress rehearsal.

    “Dress rehearsal if we’re lucky! Try opening night,” said general director and president Anthony Roth Costanzo. “Opera is in a constant state of emergency.”

    Created to commemorate the company’s 50th anniversary, Complications in Sue opens Wednesday with 10 composers commissioned to write eight-minute scenes. These collectively encompass the century-long life of a mythical everywoman named Sue.

    (From left) Director Zack Winokur, producer Anthony Roth Costanzo, and director Raja Feather Kelly pose for a portrait before the first dress rehearsal at the Academy of Music in Center City Philadelphia on Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026. The venue will be showing the new opera “Complication in Sue” from Feb. 4-8.

    She saves Santa Claus from an existential crisis in a nonbelieving world, fends off aggressive shopping algorithms that tell her who she is, and deals with more typical stuff like a lonely ex-husband. Forget any typical narrative. It’s what librettist Michael R. Jackson calls “a fantasia … with some real people but some abstractions.”

    That last part is a Jackson specialty — as seen in his much-awarded fantasy-prone Broadway hit A Strange Loop. What it all means, will be in the mind of the beholder. “The audience isn’t going to be told what to think or how to feel on this strange little roller-coaster ride,” he said.

    Nicky Spence performs in “Complications in Sue” during the first dress rehearsal at the Academy of Music in Center City Philadelphia on Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026. The performance tells the story of one woman’s existence across 10 decades, each chapter scored by a different composer.

    At the center of it all — sort of, at times — is the high-personality cabaret star Justin Vivian Bond, best known as part of the comedy duo Kiki and Herb, but she has enjoyed new respect having been named a 2024 MacArthur Fellow. Bond suggested the title and rough framework of Complications in Sue but has become an unintentionally mysterious factor.

    Kiera Duffy (left) and Justin Vivian Bond perform in “Complications in Sue” during the first dress rehearsal at the Academy of Music in Center City Philadelphia on Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026. The original libretto is based on an idea by Bond, and is playwright Michael R. Jackson’s operatic debut. 

    She plays Sue, speaking and singing at times, functioning within the whole as “a leitmotif … an energy force that tracks through the whole piece,” said Jackson.

    But not a typically operatic force.

    “Vivian has an operatic-scale charisma … She is very funny, very surreal, and very herself,” said Costanzo.

    It all sounds abstract and ambiguous to those who don’t know Bond’s work. But here is what is known: She will look fabulous in a wardrobe designed by JW Anderson (creative director of Christian Dior), not surprising since Bond, who is trans, has described her brand of social commentary as “glamour resistance.”

    Justin Vivian Bond performs in “Complications in Sue” during the first dress rehearsal at the Academy of Music in Center City Philadelphia on Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026. The original libretto is based on an idea by Bond, and is playwright Michael R. Jackson’s operatic debut. 

    Bond has been vague about what she would do within the piece. She has also been strangely absent.

    At a Jan. 16 workshop presentation by Works & Process in New York, Bond was reportedly present but didn’t participate. Rather than being in Philadelphia during down-to-the-wire rehearsal weeks, she was in Paris during Fashion Week Haute Couture Spring (Jan. 26-29). Reportedly, she has stayed in close touch with Costanzo — as he continues to find a midpoint between the majestic tradition of creating opera for the ages and the speedy topicality of the highly collaborative “devised theater.”

    Justin Vivian Bond (left) and Nicky Spence perform in “Complications in Sue” during the first dress rehearsal at the Academy of Music in Center City Philadelphia on Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026. The opera was directed by Zack Winokur and Raja Feather Kelly.

    Opera Philadelphia has previously worked with the drag cabaret group the Bearded Ladies but not on the scale of an Academy of Music production. Multiauthored satirical works have occupied a small but notorious niche on the larger cultural landscape, such as the Jean Cocteau-conceived 1920s ballet The Wedding Party on the Eiffel Tower and, in theater, the Manhattan Theatre Club’s 1988 Urban Blight.

    But the 10-composer count of Complications in Sue may be a record of sorts and one that was engineered in a singular way.

    The lineup could be called “who’s cool in (the broadest definition of) classical music,” including the Opera Philadelphia’s composer in residence Nathalie Joachim, Errollyn Wallen from London, Cécile McLorin Salvant from the jazz world, Metropolitan Opera vet Nico Muhly, and everything vet Missy Mazzoli.

    The cast of “Complications in Sue” performs during the first dress rehearsal at the Academy of Music in Center City Philadelphia on Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026. The performance tells the story of one woman’s existence across 10 decades, each chapter scored by a different composer.

    Had Costanzo asked any one of them for a full-length opera, they’d have probably said “no” to the four- to five-year commitment. But with eight minutes — and a chance to work with a richly talented creative team — “how could they say no?,” he wondered.

    When assigned to their individual scenes, the composers didn’t know what the others were doing — which meant more freedom for those already writing grand operas (such as Mazzoli) and attractive to those newer to the field such as Salvant (“Cécile is really curious about opera,” said Costanzo).

    Rehanna Thelwell (left) and Justin Vivian Bond perform in “Complications in Sue” during the first dress rehearsal at the Academy of Music in Center City Philadelphia on Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026.

    Up-and-coming, Philadelphia-raised Dan Schlosberg, 38, who grew up in the Academy of Music nosebleed seats and now works with the radically revisionist, New York-based Heartbeat Opera, had already written a few student operas but ran with the grander resources available at Opera Philadelphia.

    His segment about Sue’s ex-husband going off the rails is a bit of a mad scene. “I wanted to follow his mental journey … the music goes from contemporary to big-band jazz to Broadway-like torch songs and everything in between,” Schlosberg said. “I wanted to harness the full orchestra, tons of brass … percussion … sirens … as many colors as I could.”

    The cast of “Complications in Sue” performs during the first dress rehearsal at the Academy of Music in Center City Philadelphia on Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026.

    Other composers include Andy Akiho, Alistair Coleman, Rene Orth, and Kamala Sankaram.

    The onstage team includes soprano Kiera Duffy, who has fearlessly starred in new works such as Mazzoli’s Breaking the Waves, as well as the edgy, in-demand U.K.-based tenor Nicky Spence. His reason for coming on board was simple: Anthony Roth Costanzo.

    “I took the call because it was him,” Spence said.

    Costanzo feels that he has hit the lottery with the composers, though one wonders if local audiences are ready for a presence as fierce as Bond.

    “Philadelphia is a fierce town,” Costanzo assured.

    Justin Vivian Bond (left) and Nicholas Newton perform in “Complications in Sue” during the first dress rehearsal at the Academy of Music in Center City Philadelphia on Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026. The venue will be showing the new opera “Complication in Sue” from Feb. 4-8.

    Certainly, he has brought much diversity to mainstream Philadelphia opera venues, especially on the LGBTQ+ front. Amid the shifting political climate, might there be pushback? That’s likely, he admits.

    “But Opera Philadelphia is for everyone.”

    “Complications in Sue” plays 7 p.m. Feb. 4, 7 p.m. Feb. 5, 8 p.m. Feb. 6, and 2 p.m. Feb. 8. Academy of Music, 240 S. Broad St., Philadelphia. All tickets are Pick Your Price, starting at $11. operaphila.org, 215-732-8400

  • Paul George’s suspension brings back belief that he was a bad signing for the Sixers. Here’s why.

    Paul George’s suspension brings back belief that he was a bad signing for the Sixers. Here’s why.

    Paul George’s tenure with the 76ers was finally starting to pay dividends … until it wasn’t.

    Finally healthy, the nine-time All-Star was beginning to flourish in his role as the third member of the Sixers’ Big Three.

    While the other members of the trio — Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey — provided the bulk of the scoring, George established himself as an elite facilitator and defender. And on occasion, when the Sixers needed additional scoring, the 6-foot-8 forward would take over quarters.

    “Obviously, Joel, [and] Tyrese are our two engines,” George said in January. “Those guys are going to, rightfully so, demand attention, demand the ball in moments to score and put up points for us and, you know, I got to fit in, find my own shots, my opportunities and moments to be aggressive. That’s what I’m trying to do.”

    He did just that in Tuesday’s victory over the Milwaukee Bucks, scoring a game-high 32 points while making a franchise record-tying nine three-pointers.

    All was great for the ascending squad until 11:48 a.m. Saturday.

    That’s when the NBA announced that George had been suspended 25 games without pay for violating the terms of the league and National Basketball Players Association anti-drug program. Under the suspension, George won’t be eligible to play until the March 25 game against the Chicago Bulls at Xfinity Mobile Arena.

    Just like that, George’s tenure is back to being recognized as a disaster.

    In an instant, folks stopped identifying him as a dependable third option behind Maxey and Embiid. They are, once again, criticizing the Sixers for signing him to a four-year, $211.5 million contract. Even George’s most vocal supporters realize his suspension is the latest blow in a signing that hasn’t lived up to its potential.

    And this is the kind of suspension that makes folks skeptical about George’s perceived return to being an impact player.

    Paul George, battling with the Wizards’ Anthony Gill earlier this season, has been suspended 25 games by the NBA for violating league policy.

    ‘I can be myself’

    On Dec. 14, George talked about getting over last season’s injuries after scoring a season-high 35 points while making 7 of 10 three-pointers in a 120-117 road loss to the Atlanta Hawks.

    “Last year was a lot going on,” he said. “I was just trying to patch up stuff. This year, I’m a lot healthier. I’m able. I feel like I can play my game. I feel like I can be myself.

    “There [are] still some things that [have] to come back. I’m not all the way [100%]. But I’m more myself than I was last year. So that’s the positive that I can take. And everything else is, with time, I’m just going to continue to get better.”

    But one could argue that George didn’t have to do much to improve on the 2024-25 season.

    Back then, critics regarded him as the worst free-agent acquisition in franchise history. The 35-year-old was going to set the team back for several seasons. He was washed up and untradable. That was the belief.

    And here’s why.

    Sixers takeaways: Celebrating 2001 conference champs, another Joel Embiid domination, and more from win over Pelicans

    The six-time All-NBA and four-time All-Defensive selection played in only 41 games last season due to various injuries. His final contest of the season was on March 3. And he was officially ruled out for the remainder of that season on March 17, the day he received injections in the left adductor muscle in his groin and left knee.

    “To be honest, it was one of the toughest seasons for me, just with a lot of adversity on the court, off the court,” George said in April of last season. “The injury stuff … was some stuff I didn’t necessarily know I had going on until deep diving and finding out.

    “There was other stuff I didn’t know that was causing my limitations, which was frustrating — not being able to do things I normally could do, and finding out the reason why. Those things are being addressed, so that’s the positive.”

    But he had been missing time since the preseason of that season.

    Paul George had been dealing with pain stemming from a knee injury that required surgery and shots for pain management.

    A breaking point

    George was sidelined three weeks after hyperextending his left knee during an Oct. 14, 2024, preseason game, resulting in a bone bruise. He suffered the same injury during the Sixers’ Nov. 20, 2024, loss to the Memphis Grizzlies.

    He’s also been hampered by left groin soreness, right ankle soreness, and a torn tendon in his left little finger. George missed 41 games because of injuries and load management.

    And when he played, he had a tough time creating separation while averaging just 16.2 points, the fifth-lowest average of his 16 NBA seasons. The California native is averaging just 16.0 points this season, but that’s partly due to this season’s role.

    Joel Embiid hopes the Sixers’ roster remains intact beyond the NBA trade deadline

    Yet, last season’s three-point percentage (.358) was the third-worst of his career. For comparison, his three-point percentage is .382 this season.

    The low point of last season came in the Sixers’ 100-96 loss to the Brooklyn Nets at the Barclays Center on Feb. 12. With Embiid and Maxey both sidelined, George was expected to carry the Sixers’ scoring load.

    Instead, he had two points on 1-for-7 shooting to go with six rebounds, four assists, two steals, three blocks, and three turnovers.

    It was revealed the next day that George had been taking pain medication to play. And he missed six games from March 6 to 16, while consulting with doctors about treatment options for his ailing left groin and left knee. That led to his injections in the left adductor muscle in his groin and his knee, and he was ruled out for the remainder of the season.

    George was expected to return in time for training camp. However, he had arthroscopic left knee surgery on July 11. As a result, he missed all four exhibition games and the first 12 games of the season.

    Now, George won’t return until March 25. As a result, he will have missed 86 out of 153 possible games with the Sixers.

    Sixers forward Paul George seen here in action against the Sacramento Kings on Thursday.

    That’s not the type of investment the Sixers hoped to get when signing him to a maximum-salary contract. And this suspension is definitely not the attention he and the team hoped to realize.

    This is just another setback for a player who has failed to live up to expectations. This one is obviously self-inflicted.

    Paul George’s 25-game suspension is just the latest example of Sixers’ bad karma from The Process

    “I think there’s been a lot of circumstances that have been really unfortunate,” coach Nick Nurse said before Saturday’s game. “But I also feel like he’s played pretty well this year, you know, borderline very well, considering he’s played such a critical role for us, kind of slotted in like a really good role player on this particular team. I think he’s done what we needed him to do.

    “But I think there’s been a lot of unfortunate things, injuries, obviously, the team’s whole situation last year, a couple of injuries early this year, coming out of some stuff. So it’s been unfortunate, but it’s where we are.”

    This situation, however, raises a key question: Was this season’s improved play the result of the hard work George says he put in during the offseason, or a boost from the improper medication he took?

    It is a question that may loom over George’s tenure in Philly for a while.

  • Paul George’s 25-game suspension is just the latest example of the Sixers’ bad karma from The Process

    Paul George’s 25-game suspension is just the latest example of the Sixers’ bad karma from The Process

    In what sort of hellish karmic vortex do the Philadelphia 76ers exist?

    They’d won two consecutive games Tuesday and Thursday. On Tuesday, Paul George made a record nine three-pointers. On Thursday, the win came thanks to a last-second shot by their best and most popular player, All-Star starter Tyrese Maxey.

    They were 26-21 and held the No. 6 spot in the Eastern Conference, with ammunition on the roster for the trade deadline this coming Thursday.

    After last season was lost to injury, and half of this season sputtered through lingering ailments, the Big Three — of Maxey, George, and Joel Embiid — were cooking. With the deadline looming, both Embiid and George, high-mileage thirty-somethings with injury baggage and maximum contracts, finally had played themselves into marketability. The Sixers also finally had assets to trade to augment the current roster, if they wished.

    There was even more to feel good about.

    On Saturday, the Sixers planned to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the 2000-01 team with Allen Iverson that made it to the NBA Finals — which also is the last time the franchise was truly relevant. They are in the 14th year of a scorched-earth rebuild dubbed The Process. However, as Embiid and George gelled with Maxey and rookie VJ Edgecombe, the Sixers looked like they could make a serious postseason run in an Eastern Conference decimated by injury.

    That might still happen, but they’ve hit another roadblock.

    On Friday, Josh Harris appeared in the notorious Epstein files as a business associate of sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein. While Harris was not implicated in Epstein’s crimes, that’s a hard stench to wash away.

    Then, George was suspended 25 games for violating the NBA’s antidrug policy beginning with Saturday night’s game against the visiting New Orleans Pelicans.

    Paul George is suspended 25 games for violating the NBA’s anti-drug policy

    It goes without saying that George’s carelessness and selfishness are inexcusable. George told ESPN that he mistakenly took a banned medication to address a mental health concern.

    We’re all in favor of addressing mental health, we’re also in favor of telling team doctors about every chemical you put in your body. That’s how you stay available. That’s how you earn that four-year, $211 million contract, the biggest free-agent deal in franchise history.

    The Phillies had a similar issue this past season, when reliever José Alvarado was suspended 80 games in the middle of the season, as well as for the entire postseason, for taking an unvetted weight-loss drug last winter. There is simply no excuse.

    It’s as if all that losing on purpose — The Process — cursed the team indefinitely.

    Since the day Harris bought them in 2011, the Sixers have been an entertaining, if star-crossed, clown show. Much of it has been of their own doing. Following the Andrew Bynum deal in 2012, then the worst trade in Philadelphia history, roster builders Sam Hinkie, Bryan Colangelo, and now Daryl Morey have drafted poorly, have been held hostage by unaccomplished stars, and have hired ill-suited coaches.

    Home-grown cornerstone players declined to properly develop: Nerlens Noel and Ben Simmons refused to learn to shoot, while Embiid, moody and undisciplined, refused to mature into the jaw-dropping professional he might have become.

    But Noel, who was drafted ahead of Giannis Antetokounmpo; Embiid, whom they drafted over Nikola JokićJokic; Jahlil Okafor, whom they drafted over Kristaps Porziņģis; and Simmons, whom they drafted over Jaylen Brown, all were injured almost as soon as they were assigned a jersey number.

    Joel Embiid hopes the Sixers’ roster remains intact beyond the NBA trade deadline

    By his third season at the helm, Hinkie, brilliant in some aspects, proved unable to manage a franchise. Colangelo turned out to be more than just a nepotistic mis-hire: He and his wife were accused of using burner social media accounts to criticize Sixers players. Yes, you read that correctly. Former coach Doc Rivers so seriously offended Simmons that he forced his way out of town. James Harden did the same thing after Morey, who’d traded for him and extended his contract once, declined to offer Harden the maximum-salary money he believed Morey had promised.

    There have been dozens of other rake-stepping incidents by the Sixers. None is more consequential than the Sixers’ aggressive initiative to build a downtown arena, only to pull the rug from the project at the last minute and instead build in South Philly.

    That happened about this time last year in the middle of yet another lost season for Embiid, who played just 19 games as he dealt with a knee injury that limited him the previous season, but which did not deter him from a meaningless appearance in the 2024 Olympics. George and Maxey also missed significant time due to injury last season.

    The Sixers started to look promising, especially when Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, and Paul George were on the court tougether.

    But, as of this past week, things seemed to be rounding into form for the franchise. The Big Three played together Thursday, and, after a disastrous start to the season when playing together, they improved to 9-8.

    Embiid had played in 20 of 27 games, averaging 27.9 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 32.8 minutes. George played in 27 of 35 games, averaging 16.0 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 30.5 minutes.

    For the first time since the end of the 2022-23 season, when they squandered a 3-2 lead in the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs, things looked legitimately promising.

    New Epstein files show years of email exchanges with Sixers co-owner Josh Harris

    Then, on Saturday, George got banned until March.

    You know what they say about karma.

    Rhymes with witch.

  • The Eagles hired a young, green OC in Sean Mannion. Just like they did with Jon Gruden.

    The Eagles hired a young, green OC in Sean Mannion. Just like they did with Jon Gruden.

    Sean Mannion, the Eagles’ new offensive coordinator, is 33 years old, has been a coach — not just an NFL coach, but a coach of any kind — for only two years, and reportedly will call plays next season even though he has never called plays before. If it sounds like the Eagles have entered uncharted territory here, if it seems they’ve brought on board a neophyte who’s too green to succeed in such an important role at such an important moment for the team, rest easy. Mannion’s youth and inexperience are nothing compared to the first OC the Eagles hired during Jeffrey Lurie’s ownership tenure.

    Because that guy, in his first week in town, tried to buy a beer one night at a hotel bar. And got carded.

    “I said, ‘Huh?’” Jon Gruden told the Daily News in February 1995. “I know I look young, but that young?”

    What the Sean Mannion hire as Eagles offensive coordinator says about Nick Sirianni’s future

    Gruden was 31 when Ray Rhodes picked him to oversee and orchestrate the Eagles’ offense. The two of them had worked together in Green Bay, and though Gruden had coached in the NFL for four years — twice as long as Mannion has — he had never been a coordinator or called any plays with the Packers. Plus, Gruden was right. With his boyish face and while wearing his ever-present backward visor at practice, he looked like he might still be in college. He was younger than some of the Eagles’ offensive players, including two starting linemen — center Raleigh McKenzie and guard Guy McIntyre — and quarterback Randall Cunningham.

    “Age is not the issue,” Gruden said back in ‘95. “The issue is, ‘Can you do the job?’ … I’m not one of these guru kinds of guys who thinks he has all the answers. I’m just a guy who tried to learn as much football as he could in hopes that someday I’d get a chance to use it. And this is my shot.”

    Mannion is in a similar situation — a better one, in fact. The notion that he is stepping out from under the safe cover of being the Packers’ quarterbacks coach into the tropical storm of serving as the Eagles’ OC has some truth to it, sure. The pressure that Mannion will feel from Lurie and Howie Roseman will equal or exceed any that the Eagles’ fan base might apply. But he is still accepting a plum job with an organization that won a Super Bowl last year and is coming off a season that was a disappointment by the standard that the Eagles have established for themselves.

    Sean Mannion needs to be a Jalen Hurts whisperer. Play-calling is only part of that.

    They won 11 games. They finished first in their division. They have talent to spare on offense. “If I’m an offensive play-caller,” Fox analyst and former Pro Bowl tight end Greg Olsen said recently on the New Heights podcast, “I’m doing everything in my power to get that job.” This ain’t a bad gig.

    Gruden’s was, or at least it wasn’t as good as Mannion’s. And it’s worthwhile to remind those Eagles fans and observers who either have forgotten or never bothered to familiarize themselves with the team’s history that yes, a relatively lengthy search for a new coordinator is not exactly a new low point for the franchise.

    New owner Jeffrey Lurie (left) and coach Ray Rhodes were viewed with skepticism, and not just in their OC hire.

    When Gruden was hired, Lurie had assumed control of the Eagles just eight months earlier. Rhodes not only had never been a head coach before, but he was the team’s first Black head coach, a distinction that in 1995 presented its own fierce set of pressures, expectations, and obstacles. The Eagles had not reached the Super Bowl in 14 years and had not yet won one. Veterans Stadium was decrepit, a dangerous place to play for its treacherous artificial turf, a horrible work environment for any coaching staff.

    Cunningham’s skill set was not a fit for Gruden’s version of the West Coast Offense — a system based on three-step drops, perfect timing, and precision accuracy on short and intermediate passes — so backup Rodney Peete eventually replaced him as the starter. And still the Eagles went 10-6 in each of Gruden’s first two seasons as their OC, and in ‘96, they ranked fourth in the league in total offense and in passing yards, with Ty Detmer and Peete as their QBs. If Mannion can come close to matching that measure of productivity — even with Jalen Hurts, with Saquon Barkley, with DeVonta Smith, with (presumably) A.J. Brown — he’ll be doing just fine.

    Source: Eagles hire former Bucs OC Josh Grizzard as pass game coordinator
  • Eli Lilly plans a $3.5 billion Lehigh Valley pharma campus for new weight-loss drugs

    Eli Lilly plans a $3.5 billion Lehigh Valley pharma campus for new weight-loss drugs

    Eli Lilly & Co. plans to build a $3.5 billion pharmaceutical plant in the Lehigh Valley to expand manufacturing capacity for next-generation weight-loss medicines, the Indiana company announced Friday in Allentown.

    The decision by Lilly to build one of its four new U.S. factories in Lehigh County marks a significant win for Pennsylvania as states compete for the billions Big Pharma, under pressure from Washington, is spending to boost domestic manufacturing.

    “The Mid-Atlantic, Northeast in recent years hasn’t seen this type of mega-plant investment. Most of that has gone to the South and the Southwest,” Don Cunningham, CEO of Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corp., said in an interview.

    The Lehigh Valley sits in the middle of a pharmaceutical manufacturing belt that stretches from Montgomery County into central New Jersey, but historically has been known for steel, cement, and Mack Trucks. The Lilly plant will put it on the map for life sciences, said Cunningham, whose agency helped recruit Lilly.

    Montgomery County, a major drug and vaccine manufacturing hub, secured another significant project during the ongoing pharmaceutical investment push. The British company GSK said in September that it will build a biologics factory in Upper Merion Township, but did not specify how much it would spend there.

    Merck, the New Jersey-based drug giant, announced plans for a $1 billion factory and lab near Wilmington, beyond its existing major operations in Montgomery County.

    Lilly Gateway Labs biotech incubator opening in Philly

    Until now, Lilly has been busy in the South. Last year, Lilly announced plans to spend a total of $17.5 billion on three factories in Alabama, Texas, and Virginia. The Lehigh Valley was in the competition for the Virginia project, which will be built west of Richmond, Cunningham said.

    The 150-acre Lehigh Valley site, in Upper Macungie Township, was selected from more than 300 applications for one of the four new Lilly plants. Ohio was among the other finalists, Cunningham said. The property Lilly is acquiring is adjacent to Interstate 78 on the north side just west of the Route 100 interchange.

    Pennsylvania boosted its chances of landing the Lilly project by offering up to $50 million in tax credits and $50 million in grants. An additional $5 million will go to a local community college for a job-training program.

    Gov. Josh Shapiro played an important part in securing the Lilly commitment, Cunningham said, with “his team bringing to bear every resource the state could.”

    When fully operational in 2031, the Lilly complex is expected to employ 850. The average annual pay in a Lilly facility is $100,000, Lilly’s chair and CEO David A. Ricks told a crowd gathered at the Da Vinci Science Center in downtown Allentown.

    “Those are high-value jobs that I can say with a lot of confidence change the trajectory of families,” Ricks said.

    Among the products Lilly anticipates manufacturing at the plant are Zepbound, which Ricks called the world’s best-selling medicine, and retatrutide, a type of weight-loss medication dubbed “triple G” that acts on three aspects of appetite regulation.

    Early results suggest such next-generation medications may lead to more weight loss than seen with the current drugs on the market, such as Novo Nordisk’s Ozempic and Lilly’s Mounjaro, which target one or two metabolic drivers.

  • Ranking the Phillies’ top 10 prospects: Key question, 2026 outlook for each

    Ranking the Phillies’ top 10 prospects: Key question, 2026 outlook for each

    Across baseball, 211 rookies made 250 plate appearances or pitched at least 65 innings in a season since 2023.

    None were Phillies.

    The only Phillies rookies who even came close to those thresholds were Orion Kerkering in 2024 and Otto Kemp last season. Kerkering was a 1.6 WAR player as a middle reliever; Kemp was slightly below replacement level as a utility man, based on Baseball-Reference’s WAR calculation, while playing through injuries.

    And that, plus a two-month flash of promise from Johan Rojas in 2023, represented the farm system’s last three graduating classes.

    The Phillies are sticking with a veteran core in 2026. But this time the kids have to play, too.

    This year should be different — two rookies are in line to win jobs out of camp. Justin Crawford is the presumptive opening-day center fielder, and Andrew Painter could be in the season-opening rotation.

    And indications are that 21-year-old infielder Aidan Miller might not be far behind.

    “You never know,” farm director Luke Murton said recently. “He’ll be a big-league spring training invite. You bring him in and see what we’ve got. We’ll see where the roster ends up throughout the year. But from a talent standpoint, from a readiness standpoint, the ones that are really good, they always are ready a little sooner than you think they are.”

    It’ll be important for the Phillies to infuse the major-league roster with youth but also to develop more talent in the lower levels of the system, where trades of teen prospects Eduardo Tait (for Jhoan Duran), Starlyn Caba (for Jesús Luzardo), and William Bergolla (for Tanner Banks) thinned the A-ball ranks over the last 18 months.

    With pitchers and catchers due to report for spring training two days after the Super Bowl, ‘tis the season for prospect rankings. Baseball America recently put Miller (No. 14), Painter (No. 32), and Crawford (No. 75) among its top-100 prospects. ESPN ranked the Phillies as the 17th-best farm system in baseball.

    So, let’s present The Inquirer’s preseason ranking of the Phillies’ top 10 prospects, an annual exercise carried out with input from opposing scouts.

    Aidan Miller has emerged as the Phillies’ top prospect since getting drafted in the first round in 2023.

    1. Aidan Miller, SS

    Age: 22 (on June 9) | Height/weight: 6-2 / 210 | Bats/throws: Right

    2025 stats: .259/.382/.427, 13 homers, 52 steals, 14.9% walk rate, 23.7% strikeout rate at double-A Reading (489 plate appearances); .333/.514/.519, 1 HR, 7 SB, 24.3% BB rate, 18.9% K rate at triple-A Lehigh Valley (37 PA).

    Outlook: Two years after a broken bone near his left wrist caused him to fall into the Phillies’ lap with the 27th overall pick in the draft, Miller keeps getting better. Not only did he thrive at shortstop when many evaluators believed he would have to move to third base, but he sharpened his contact rate to go with extra-base power from the right side. Then, last season, he surprised even Murton by swiping 59 bases to lead the organization. One NL scout said Miller has “All-Star upside.” All that remains is …

    Key question: How quickly can he learn third base?

    As a shortstop, Miller’s path to the Phillies is clogged by Trea Turner, who had a defensive renaissance last season. Murton said the Phillies will expose Miller to third base in spring training. But it’ll be interesting to see how much third base he actually plays, and how fast the Phillies push him if he starts hot in triple A and/or Alec Bohm falters again in April. Dave Dombrowski called up Andrew Benintendi and Rafael Devers to help contending Red Sox teams in 2016 and 2017. It’s easy to see him doing the same with Miller.

    Andrew Painter struggled at times in triple-A last season after missing the previous two years with an elbow injury that required surgery.

    2. Andrew Painter, SP

    Age: 23 (on April 10) | Height/weight: 6-7 / 215 | Throws: Right

    2025 stats: 3.97 ERA, 0.971 WHIP, 2.2% walk rate, 26.7% strikeout rate at low-A Clearwater (11⅓ innings); 5.65 ERA, 1.547 WHIP, 9.7% BB rate, 23.4% K rate at Lehigh Valley (106⅔ IP).

    Outlook: OK, so Painter’s grand return after missing two years with a torn elbow ligament that required Tommy John surgery was rougher than even the Phillies expected. Rather than being ready for his major-league debut by “July-ish,” as Dombrowski famously predicted, Painter struggled in triple A. But he did stay healthy, making 26 starts and working 118 innings. And, well, “You hear a lot of statistics of what guys do their first year out of Tommy John,” Murton said, “and how much better the second year goes.”

    Phillies top prospect Andrew Painter stayed healthy, but ‘didn’t do everything I wanted to this year’ in triple A

    Key question: How much better will Painter actually be?

    More specifically, will Painter’s fastball command return to preinjury levels? Many rival evaluators “cut him some slack,” as one NL scout said, in reaching triple A for the first time after the two-year absence. “I think it was just injury- and rust-related,” said the scout, who still projects Painter as a No. 2 starter in the majors while “maintaining an appropriate level of concern for the command.” Maybe it’ll help if the Phillies throw Painter into the big-league fire right away. And if Zack Wheeler isn’t ready for opening day, they probably will.

    Justin Crawford won a batting title in the triple-A International League last season.

    3. Justin Crawford, CF

    Age: 22 | Height/weight: 6-1 / 175 | Bats/throws: Left/right

    2025 stats: .334/.411/.452, 7 HR, 46 SB, 11.5% BB rate, 18% K rate at Lehigh Valley (506 PA).

    Outlook: As the son of former All-Star Carl Crawford and a first-round draft pick out of high school in 2022, Crawford has long been destined for the majors. And after hitting .300 at every level of the minor leagues and winning a batting title last season in the International League, he’s about to get his chance. As Dombrowski said, “I don’t know what else he really does at the minor league level at this point.”

    What about Justin Crawford’s hitting style makes him such a polarizing prospect

    Key question: Does he hit too many balls on the ground?

    Crawford’s detractors cite a 59.4% ground-ball rate in triple A that would’ve easily led the majors ahead of Milwaukee’s Christian Yelich (56.7%). But given Crawford’s elite speed, one NL scout questioned whether all the ground balls are such a bad thing. “Hopefully it doesn’t matter,” Lehigh Valley hitting coach Adam Lind said. “His approach works right now. His swing works to where he can hit the ball all over the yard.” And Crawford is adept at putting the bat on the ball, which would bring a different dimension to a Phillies’ offense that features a lot of swing and miss.

    Gage Wood was the Phillies’ first-round draft pick last season.

    4. Gage Wood, SP

    Age: 22 | Height/weight: 6-0 / 210 | Throws: Right

    2025 stats: 4.50 ERA, 1.500 WHIP, 22.2% BB rate, 55.6% K rate at Clearwater (2 IP).

    Outlook: It’s hard to top getting drafted in the first round and signing for $3 million, but the highlight of Wood’s 2025 season was throwing a 19-strikeout no-hitter for Arkansas in the College World Series. He made two pro starts before the end of last season, including a rough first inning in the playoffs, and figures to open this year in the rotation at Clearwater.

    Key question: Long-term, is he a starter or a reliever?

    Wood was in the bullpen through most of his college career before starting as a senior. The Phillies intend to use him as a starter to develop his multiple breaking pitches. But Wood’s path to the big leagues might be quicker as a reliever, especially given his power fastball. Eventually, his role will depend on how his slider and changeup develop relative to his nasty curveball.

    Phillies infield prospect Aroon Escobar had a strong first half of the season last year at low-A Clearwater.

    5. Aroon Escobar, 2B/3B

    Age: 21 | Height/weight: 5-11 / 180 | Bats/throws: Right

    2025 stats: .285/.377/.452, 11 HR, 10 SB, 10.1% BB rate, 16.1% K rate at Clearwater (316 PA); .256/.348/.369, 4 HR, 14 SB, 11.1% BB rate, 20.7% K rate at high-A Jersey Shore (198 PA); .182/.250/.273, 0 HR, 0 SB, 8.3% BB rate, 25% K rate at Reading (24 PA).

    Outlook: After a blazing start last season (.322 average, eight homers through May), he “hit a touch of a wall” in his first full pro season, Murton said, and slumped to .237 the rest of the way. The Phillies challenged him with two promotions, including a late-season cameo with Reading, where he was among the youngest players in the Eastern League. Despite his listed weight, he’s probably closer to 210 pounds, so he’ll need to stay on top of his conditioning.

    Key question: What’s his ceiling as a hitter?

    After playing mostly second base last season, Escobar will likely get time at third to increase his versatility, according to Murton. But his bat will carry him as far as he goes. The Phillies believe his right-handed swing will continue to produce high-contact skills and power to the gaps. One AL evaluator compared him to the Astros’ Isaac Paredes as a hit-first infielder capable of playing multiple positions.

    Phillies outfield prospect Dante Nori led the farm system last season with 577 plate appearances.

    6. Dante Nori, CF

    Age: 21 | Height/weight: 5-10 / 190 | Bats/throws: Left

    2025 stats: .262/.363/.381, 4 HR, 37 SB, 13.1% BB rate, 14.9% K rate at Clearwater (502 PA); .279/.396/.326, 0 HR, 13 SB, 15.1% BB rate, 15.1% K rate at Jersey Shore (53 PA); .190/.227/.286, 0 HR, 2 SB, 4.5% BB rate, 9.1% K rate at Reading (22 PA).

    Outlook: Another hitter with a high contact rate and speed, Nori rose quickly through the system in his first full pro season after getting drafted in the first round in 2024. The son of longtime NBA assistant coach Micah Nori, he trains in the offseason with Kyle Schwarber and has drawn praise for his advanced approach at the plate.

    Key question: Can he be an everyday center fielder?

    Nori might be more of a true center fielder than Crawford, depending on which scouts you ask. One NL evaluator said Nori has a “[Johnny] Damon-esque ceiling,” but noted that he’s undersized, in the mold of Brewers outfielder Sal Frelick. Maybe that’s why another NL scout wondered if Nori is more realistically a fourth outfielder in the majors unless he develops more power at the plate.

    Phillies pitching prospect Moisés Chace is recovering from Tommy John elbow surgery last year.

    7. Moisés Chace, SP

    Age: 23 (on June 9) | Height/weight: 6-1 / 213 | Throws: Right

    2025 stats: 3.24 ERA, 1.620 WHIP, 16% BB rate, 25.3% K rate at Reading (16⅔ IP).

    Outlook: Chace came from the Orioles in a deadline trade in 2024 and immediately rose up the Phillies’ prospect ranks. But he didn’t throw much going into camp last spring, tore an elbow ligament early in the season, and had Tommy John surgery. He isn’t expected to be ready for the start of the season.

    Key question: What’s his best role in the majors?

    If he stayed healthy, Chace might have reached the majors last season, likely as a reliever. It’s still possible the bullpen will be his best path, with an effective fastball-slider combination. But before the Phillies can plan on him in any role, they must see if his stuff plays as well as it did before surgery.

    Phillies outfield prospect Gabriel Rincones Jr. hit 18 homers last season in triple A.

    8. Gabriel Rincones Jr., OF

    Age: 25 (on March 3) | Height/weight: 6-3 / 225 | Bats/throws: Left/right

    2025 stats: .240/.370/.430, 18 HR, 21 SB, 15.8% BB rate, 22.5% K rate at Lehigh Valley (506 PA)

    Outlook: Rincones followed a promising spring training with a poor first half. But he hit 10 home runs after the All-Star break and stayed healthy all season, then was added to the 40-man roster. His struggles against left-handed pitching are pronounced (.107 average/.323 OPS last season). But it’s easy to see him getting a chance to contribute in the majors this year.

    Key question: Will he ever figure out lefties?

    Probably not. And that’s OK with the Phillies, who like what they’ve seen from Rincones vs. righties and believe he can be the strong side of an outfield platoon. One problem: They already have a player like that in Brandon Marsh.

    9. Matthew Fisher, SP

    Age: 20 (on March 14) | Height/weight: 6-3 / 200 | Throws: Right

    2025 stats: None.

    Outlook: Fisher was committed to pitching in college at Indiana until the Phillies drafted him in the seventh round and gave him second-round money. They signed Fisher for $1.25 million, the largest bonus ever paid to a seventh-round pick. Rather than making his pro debut late last season, Fisher went to the Phillies’ fall instructional camp.

    Key question: Will the Phillies’ big bet pay off?

    According to Baseball America, Fisher has a four-pitch mix that includes a curveball and slider. He also has superior athleticism, as a former All-State quarterback in Indiana. And he likely will begin his pro career in Clearwater, pitching in the same rotation as Wood and sharing the spotlight.

    10. Francisco Renteria, OF

    Age: 17 | Height/weight: 6-3 / 216 | Bats/throws: Right.

    2025 stats: None.

    Outlook: It’s a reflection of the state of the Phillies’ farm system that Nos. 9 and 10 on this list haven’t made their pro debuts. Renteria headlined the Phillies’ international amateur class, signing two weeks ago for $4 million, tied with former outfield prospect Jhailyn Ortiz’s club record.

    Key question: Will the Phillies finally have an international superstar?

    Check back in about five years. Renteria will begin his pro career in the Dominican Summer League and isn’t likely to play stateside until at least next season. The Phillies haven’t had much luck chasing their Ronald Acuña Jr. or Juan Soto. Renteria showed promise in Venezuela and on the youth circuit, including showcases in the U.S. with Perfect Game. But there’s a long way to go before the projection turns into reality.

  • Sixers boss Daryl Morey should trade Joel Embiid for Giannis Antetokounmpo — while he still can

    Sixers boss Daryl Morey should trade Joel Embiid for Giannis Antetokounmpo — while he still can

    If I had told you in October, as Joel Embiid recovered from his fourth knee surgery, that the 76ers star would, three months later, have played in 15 of the last 20 games and averaged 28.7 points and 8.1 rebounds in 33.5 minutes per game, you’d have been satisfied.

    If I had told you in October that Giannis Antetokounmpo would, by late January, be open to moving on from Milwaukee, you would have been intrigued.

    And if I had told you in October that Antetokounmpo reportedly would welcome a trade to the Sixers to be paired with starting All-Star guard Tyrese Maxey, you would have been excited.

    Hopefully, Sixers president Daryl Morey is excited. Hopefully, he’s on his smartphone right now, speaking with Bucks GM Jon Horst. Nicely. Generously.

    Hopefully, Morey is trying to trade Embiid for Giannis before the trade deadline Thursday.

    Hopefully, Morey is not swayed by the recency bias that is inevitable when Embiid plays well and when a player like rookie VJ Edgecombe begins to emerge.

    Reports Thursday indicated that the Sixers have not contacted the Bucks, but then, it’s trade season, and everybody lies about everything. Sixers fans should hope that this report is as hollow as the Sixers’ postseason runs over the past 25 years.

    Five reasons the Sixers should be cautious at the NBA trade deadline

    Because, incredibly, against all odds, fate has delivered Morey and the Sixers a miraculous escape route that would repair his recent mistakes and erase the entire 13-year stench of The Process.

    It’s no sure bet, but Morey simply has to push all his chips in and snag the Greek Freak. He should do it today, before anybody else does, and before Embiid gets hurt again. Because, as sure as Democrats are going to cave to Donald Trump on the budget, Embiid — be it feet, eyes, knees, back, or hand — is going to get hurt again.

    Morey needs this as much as the team and the city need it. Since arriving in 2020, he has been a big-move disaster.

    Sixers president Daryl Morey’s signature moves have not been dazzling so far.

    Morey’s signature transactions: trading for, then extending James Harden, who held out and forced a trade; extending Embiid’s contract before last season, when Embiid was still injured; and, in July 2024, signing 34-year-old Paul George, who has been playing hurt since the ink dried on that deal.

    These are not the sorts of moves Sixers owner Josh Harris hired Morey to make, but they might be the sorts of moves that convince Harris to fire him. Securing Antetokounmpo for the last four-plus seasons of his prime might not win the Sixers their first title since “Thriller” topped the charts, but it could, at least, buy Morey a little more time.

    The Freak won’t come cheap.

    Acquiring Giannis surely would mean trading not only Embiid and Edgecombe but maybe more, too. Perhaps second-year shooter Jared McCain. Perhaps even the Sixers’ next first-round pick, which, thanks to previous deals and contingencies, likely will come in 2027.

    So what.

    While there’s no guarantee Giannis is worth it, there are years of evidence that Embiid is not.

    Antetokounmpo might never come cheaper. In this moment he has a right calf injury hat has lingered since early December, and there’s no timeline for his return, so he might not help much this season. He’s also 31, and he has a history of injury with his left calf. Calf injuries can lead to other issues, especially Achilles tendon injuries; just ask Tyrese Haliburton.

    Again: So what.

    Get the Freak a slant board, or a ProStretch, or whatever. I’ve got an extra one here at home.

    For that matter, get him a litter carried by servants, like Cleopatra.

    Get him whatever he needs.

    Just get his butt to Philly.

    No matter what his current status, Giannis is a far better bet for long-term health than is Embiid, whose long-term health isn’t even debated anymore. Hell, his short-term health is a constant issue. He’s been day-to-day every damn day of his 12-year career, and that’s a lot of days.

    Entering Thursday night he had missed 451 of a possible 929 regular-season games in his career, or just under 49%. I’ve had three-owner used cars more dependable than The Process.

    That said, when Embiid does play these days, he’s playing better basketball, and playing more minutes, than anyone could have reasonably expected in October. He’s in better condition than he’s been since 2017-18, his first full season (and his fourth in the league). For the first time in years, to use Sam Hinkie’s favorite expression, Embiid is a valuable asset.

    Bill Belichick’s cheating cost him first-ballot Hall of Fame induction. It might have also cost the Eagles a Super Bowl title.

    You don’t believe Embiid’s a valuable asset? OK, neither do I, really. Fine. That doesn’t matter. It’s Morey’s job to make Horst believe it.

    Morey must convince Horst that Embiid, who is owed an average of $62.7 million for the next three seasons, can help the Bucks in about 50 of their 82 regular-season games. Embiid’s availability for the postseason should be manageable, too; he’s missed only eight of 59 playoff games, and those games aren’t played back-to-back.

    Don’t be sentimental. Be sensible.

    Losing Edgecombe might hurt, but growth requires pain. Entering Thursday’s game, Edgecombe was averaging 15.4 points, 5.4 rebounds, 4.2 assists, and 1.5 steals, hitting 37.2% of his three-pointers. He makes two or three thrilling hustle plays per game and jumps out of the gym. He’s only 20 but he’s mature beyond his years. For that matter, he’s mature beyond Embiid’s years.

    VJ is an excellent prospect with the ceiling of, say, Dwyane Wade. But he’s just that: a prospect, a player you hope develops in the future.

    Giannis is a proven, top-three NBA star, today. For me, it goes Nikola Jokić, Luka Dončić, Freak-ić, and you can argue me into putting Giannis on top.

    Last year, at 30, he ranked among the top five in most advanced metrics. He finished third in MVP voting, his fifth straight year in the top five after winning it twice in a row. It’s a waste of space here to extol Giannis’ inarguable skill and talent … even if former Sixers coach and current Bucks coach Doc Rivers might disagree.

    “Joel’s the most talented player I’ve ever coached,” Rivers said Tuesday after the Sixers beat the visiting Bucks.

    Rivers has coached several Hall of Famers, including Kevin Garnett, and, of course, Giannis.

    Rivers is wrong. He might be nuts, or he might be cagey.

    Doc has a history of sending messages through the media, however ill-advised or awkward. Tuesday’s statement might be aimed at making Giannis even more eager to leave Wisconsin. It also might grease the skids for Embiid to come to Milwaukee. If so, good Doctor, tamper away.

    Giannis and Embiid make about the same amount of money, but, thanks to the labyrinthine NBA collective bargaining agreement, Antetokounmpo needs the deal to be done by the trade deadline so he will be eligible for a four-year, $275 million extension this fall.

    Morey needs the deal to be done by Thursday to save the franchise.

    And, maybe, his job.

  • Big 5 notebook: St. Joseph’s turnaround will get a real test from a pesky La Salle team

    Big 5 notebook: St. Joseph’s turnaround will get a real test from a pesky La Salle team

    It was easy to imagine the 2025-26 St. Joseph’s season as being a lost one on Jan. 3, after the Hawks went six minutes without a basket in crunch time and blew an 11-point second-half lead to Davidson to fall to 8-7 overall and 0-2 in the Atlantic 10.

    In fairness, that’s what it had been to date. This wasn’t glass-half-empty thinking. Consider what had transpired in the four previous months. Former coach Billy Lange abruptly left in September, and St. Joe’s turned to Steve Donahue, whom Lange had hired as associate head coach after Donahue was fired by Penn.

    Who would stay? Who would leave? It was a little late for the players to reasonably find somewhere else to go. Lange had built a roster capable of competing in the upper half of the A-10, but then came a 2-3 start. By mid-December, leading scorer Deuce Jones, a La Salle transfer, was off the team.

    The Hawks went 3-for-22 from three-point range in that Davidson loss. By that point, only one of their eight victories had come against a team ranked inside the KenPom top 200, and even in that one they needed a frantic comeback and a wild shot from Jones before the buzzer to beat Temple. Two of the eight wins were against Division III teams.

    St. Joe’s has won five of six since then. What changed? The shots are falling more consistently, which always helps, and there’s more of a sense of togetherness when you watch the Hawks than in games earlier in the season.

    But never question the power of a meeting. The Hawks had one in the aftermath of that Davidson loss in Donahue’s office, where six players entered with change in mind.

    “When we looked at ourselves in the mirror, we saw something that we didn’t like,” said senior guard Derek Simpson, who scored a season-low six points in that Davidson loss but has scored 19.2 points per game in the six since.

    “We got our feelings out,” Simpson said. “We were able to tell each other how we felt.”

    St. Joe’s coach Steve Donahue celebrates with fans after a victory over Dayton on Saturday.

    St. Joe’s (13-8, 5-3) has been nearly perfect since. The only blemish came against a Virginia Commonwealth team rated 46th at KenPom (St. Joe’s is 157th), and the Hawks could have won that game. They got 20 points from Jaiden Glover-Toscano to help knock off Dayton one game later, and the St. John’s transfer is starting to show more flashes of why he was a high-major prospect in the first place. He had the highlight of the night Tuesday when he threw down a one-handed slam, one of the Hawks’ 12 dunks in a blowout win over lowly Loyola-Chicago.

    Next on the schedule for St. Joe’s is a game Saturday against its crosstown rival, La Salle, that looks a lot more interesting than it did a few weeks ago.

    That’s because the best win of the young Darris Nichols era in Olney happened last week when the Explorers started Dayton off on its Philadelphia trip from hell by jumping out to a 33-8 lead and held on for dear life in a 67-64 victory.

    That came on the heels of a win over St. Bonaventure.

    The Explorers (7-14, 3-5), who are much healthier now than they were earlier in the season, lost Wednesday night at Fordham, but they’ve hung in against some of the A-10’s elite and play a style that won’t be fun to go against in the conference tournament.

    Or if you’re a St. Joe’s team looking to keep the train on the tracks Saturday.

    Will Villanova end its NCAA Tournament drought? Here’s what the numbers — and Joe Lunardi — say.

    White Out Saturday at Temple

    Temple announced more than 2,600 attendees at its Wednesday night home game vs. Charlotte, but it didn’t take a census veteran to realize that number was way overinflated. Half of that number might have been generous. Some students showed up, but many of them were gone after the iPad giveaway was doled out.

    The Owls probably deserve a little more support. That aforementioned heartbreaker vs. St. Joe’s at the Big 5 Classic was followed by a seven-game winning streak. Then, during the week when assistant coach Bill Courtney died suddenly, Temple nearly beat two of the best teams in the American Athletic Conference.

    Temple coach Adam Fisher (right) reacts to an official’s call during the loss to Charlotte.

    The Owls should have closed out a win over Charlotte on Wednesday, despite being without key starter Gavin Griffiths. They led by nine with six minutes left before losing in overtime. But they’re 5-3 in conference play (13-8 overall) and just one game back of first place.

    They host a South Florida team on Saturday night that is 6-2 and in a four-way tie for first (8 p.m., ESPN2). It’s White Out night at the Liacouras Center.

    An ode to Dan McQuade, a man who loved basketball

    Philadelphia is a lot worse off without Dan McQuade, who died of cancer at 43 years old this week. McQuade, the son of longtime Daily News assistant sports editor Drew McQuade, was a singular writer who wrote for various publications — Defector, Deadspin, and Philadelphia Magazine among them — with flair and fun and with more curiosity than most.

    Dan wrote about a lot of things, but he sure loved Philly basketball, and wrote about it often, like when he went to the Catholic League final in 2023 and implored people in a Defector article to go out and see more basketball games in person. Or when he wrote about attending a La Salle home game and witnessing an economic professor light the silly smoke machine at Gola Arena. Or when he went to a Big 5 doubleheader at the Palestra, where he attended many games as a former Penn student and sports writer, and wrote a compelling case for little kids playing basketball being the best version of the halftime show.

    Or when he turned La Salle hiring former Penn and Temple coach Fran Dunphy into a human story about a writer who found his footing covering hoops at Penn and a coach who made that college-age writer feel accepted among his professional peers.

    Rest in peace, Dan.