Rough 48 hours for Thaddeus Young. Well, rough week if you extend to include the Philadelphia 76ers' blowout in Brooklyn, and rough year if you...well, let's not rehash the whole Megillah. But the last few days have likely been especially trying, as Young's name was mentioned repeatedly in trade rumors for disenchanted Rockets center Omer Asik, which (thankfully, in my opinion) ended up getting shelved.
However, Thad is probably much less relieved than I about the trade being a bust. Jake Fischer of Liberty Ballers had the exclusive report that Young had, some weeks ago, officially filed for a trade request with Sixers brass, unhappy with the increasingly downward direction of the team. (Thad has since denied the reports, which he'd probably have no choice but to do whether or not they were true.) With Asik temporarily off the market, the chances of Young being moved before the new year seem slim, meaning he'll likely ring in 2014 as an increasingly bummed 76er.
We can debate the morality of Thad's alleged request when and if the reports are confirmed to be true, but in the meantime, we have to still play an unthinkable 56 (!!) more basketball games this season, and let's hope that Thad isn't so sick of Philly that he starts asking out of games--like, say Omer Asik did earlier season. I'm not too worried--Thaddeus has never been less than professional in his seven-plus years in Philly--but avoiding any true ugliness would be nice.
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Speaking of avoiding ugliness--the Sixers might be able to make inroads towards doing just that tonight against Brooklyn (in the second half of their home-and-home), as Michael Carter-Williams is (as of writing, anyway) expected to make his return from injury after seven games on the shelf. (Uncoincidentally, the Sixers lost all seven games without their starrish rookie.)
Will MCW's comeback be enough to reverse the team's losing ways? Is that even something we want, now that the Ballers are actually making legitimate strides towards getting the league's worst-overall record? Will Joe Johnson go for ten three-pointers again, or only eight this time? All questions worth watching to get answers to, unless you actually have, y'know, something to do tonight.
7:00 tip from the WFC. We see you, Reggie Evans.