Sixers Sign Veteran Center Tony Battie, Addressing Frontcourt Depth

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Liberty Ballers: Battie Is A 'Nothing Of A Signing'

If I were being diplomatic I might say that our boys at Liberty Ballers weren’t excited by Sixers’ signing of Tony Battie. If I were being straight with you … I’d say they hated it with the burning passion of a white hot sun.

This move could not have any less significance. Or at least it shouldn’t. The 34-year-old Battie is Primoz Brezec and Francisco Elson with a less enjoyable name. Over the course of 13 seasons with 5 different teams, Battie averaged 6.4 points and 5.3 rebounds. With the exception of the 05-06 season playing with Dwight Howard in Orlando, his most “productive” years in Boston are way behind him. The 17% defensive rebounding percentage his past two years is indicative of his uselessness. He’s one of those guys that makes you wonder how he’s stayed in the league this long. And it’s because people like Ed Stefanski see a name the recognize, a height above 6’8 and abandon all thought process afterward.

Be sure to read on… it gets better! Or worse if we’re talking about the player.

Jul 21 7:13p by Jason Brewer - 0 comments

Original Story

Sixers Sign Veteran Center Tony Battie, Addressing Frontcourt Depth

Via their website, the Philadelphia 76ers announced the signing of Tony Battie, a free-agent center and 12-year veteran, to a deal with undisclosed financial terms.

A mid-range jump-shooting specialist and capable defender at either power position, Battie played sparingly last season for the New Jersey Nets, appearing in a scant 134 minutes over 15 games, with modest averages of 2.4 points and 1.5 rebounds on 35% shooting. He was last a rotation player on the 2008/09 Orlando Magic, where he backed up Rashard Lewis at power forward and Dwight Howard at center.

Sixers GM Ed Stefanski lauded Battie's steadying presence in the press release, so this addition is more about what Battie can bring to the locker-room than to the court. Or at least, it should be. If Stefanski and head coach Doug Collins are banking on Battie contributing meaningfully, they're in trouble. But Howard speaks highly of Battie as a mentor, referring to him as a "big brother" in this interview.

Battie's signing is the first for Philadelphia this offseason; its other additions came via the draft (Evan Turner) or trade (Spencer Hawes and Andres Nocioni).

2:48p by Evan Dunlap - 0 comments