We haven’t been talking much about the Sixers since the off-season jubilation has died down. We’ve focused mainly on the Phillies who have had us holding our breath before we cheer for them in the NLCS. And to a lesser degree the struggling Eagles. But we are only 15 days away from the first real Sixers game of the season so it’s time to start pumping out more Sixers posts and talking Philly hoops.
What Worries You the Most About the Sixers Going Into The Season?
The question is clear. What are some of the things that worry you going into the season? What could derail what looks like the best 76er team we’ve had in a long time? This off-season most of the focus has really only been about all the great moves during the Summer, the expected improvement of our young guys will make and dreams of an Eastern Conference Finals appearance.
I’ve addressed a couple of the Sixers’ weaknesses going into the season, but here are the top 3 concerns running through my head…
- Maurice Cheeks. Is he the in-game manager we want and need him to be? I have no issues with his leadership ability and the way he handles players. They respect him and generally really like coach Cheeks. But the lack of adjustments made in the playoffs last year scares the crap out of me even more this season. He has more talent to work with which means more substitution decisions and game management. Will he recognize the mismatches both for and against the Sixers and make the RIGHT adjustment in time to take advantage of it and minimize any negative effect? I just don’t know.
- Will the defense be as good as we all think it can be? The Sixers ranks in the NBA: 4th in steals,12th in blocks, 6th in rebound differential and 5th in turnover
differential. BUT they were only 20th in field goal percentage defense. How is that going to change this season? Brand will add two more blocks per game and a few more contested shots at the rim from the power forward position. But is that enough? Teams shot 46.13% against the Sixers, 10th best in the Eastern Conference. We can’t rise to the ranks of the elite allowing teams to shoot that well against us. Fundamentally guys need to be better keeping their man in front and relentless in the contesting of shots. Those two things are directly related to effort. Defensive rotations and help will take time and coaching. But the two things Boston did extremely well was contest every shot and never give up on a play when a guy was beat. The Sixers need to do that consistently from the first tap. - Offensive chemistry. How long will it to take for the starting unit to start clicking? This was one of my weaknesses in part one of Sixers preview, and I think it is worth noting again. It’s not just integrating Elton Brand into the offense. It’s also how Thaddeus Young fits in the offense as the small forward. Will there be set plays for him this year? I really look for Young to attack the offensive boards from the weak side when Brand has the ball in the post. What does Iguodala do on offense now when plays aren’t run for him? He hasn’t played with a inside scorer that commands a double team before. That increases the importance of him moving without the ball, something I didn’t think he did well last season.
What do you think? What are you worried about going into this season for the Sixers?
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{ 23 comments… read them below or add one }
I love Elton Brand, and Young and Iggy, but there’s only 1 ball and 1 basket. How do Iggy and Young drive the lane at the same time especially when Brand is under the basket waiting for the ball ?
Mike - what you just said made very little sense to me – I just didn’t quite understand what you were really getting at. Either way here is my take on the offense.
Iguodala and Young will both score points in transition. Young will score some points on the offensive boards as well. Brand will be the staple of the Sixers halfcourt offense now, but that certainly doesn’t mean plays for Iguodala and Young won’t be run opposite side of the floor as Brand. Because Elton is a very good midrange shooter his defender will be significantly less likely to leave him which contrary to what you just said will OPEN the lane for drives. If his man helps I think we all feel much more confident passing it out or dropping it off to him compared to last years option of Reggie Evans.
Further, you also have to consider the impact Brand will now have on the Sixers pick and roll game. In the past Sammy was setting those screens and teams would leave him at the elbow and double the ball handler and we all could just sit and hope he made a high % of those 15-footers. Now the defense has to make a choice of leaving Brand for that shot (which he shoots very well) or stay home and allow Iguodala and Young to use their athleticism going to the basic (which is both their strength as you mentioned).
Do you see all the positives now?
Also, the whole 1 ball argument is typically made when two gunners are put together (i.e. Melo and Iverson) not when you have three players who are unselfish.
My concern is not that it can work, but how long will it take to get to the point when chemistry is good, everyone knows each others game, naturally moves to the right spots and feeds off each others strengths.
Dannie, Injury is my only concern. If they stay healthy, just sit back and enjoy the ride. May have a few bumps along the way but they will win much more than they lose and will be a playoff team barring a major injury. They also have an excellent chance of winning a round in the playoffs.
I’m not too afraid of the injury bug. I think the Sixers could still at least make the playoffs if you were to take away any one player. Multiple injuries would be a problem of course, but we seem to have a hardy team.
my worry is expectations.
everyone just expects this team to mesh and contend for an Eastern Conference crown
we expect Andre Miller to play as well as he did last year, for Young and Williams to improve, for Iggy to shoot the ball better, and for Brand to be fully recovered and fit seamlessly into our system.
i seems like everyone is expecting everything to go right, and it doesn’t always happen that way.
what if our good play down the stretch was just a hot streak? it happens.
not saying I believe all of this….but I have a feeling that things might not go as smoothly as people think.
Expectations is definitely the #1 concern for me as well!! But last year, we went beyond others’ expectations. Chemistry and attitude make a huge difference in this league. Add more blue collared players like Brand, Ivey, Ratliff, etc, you can expect a lot of greater things. Chemistry will be a big reason why I think they will do very well in the East behind the titans of Detroit and Boston. They did not lose any players, but added more players!!
But yes, expectations is my #1 concern and hopefully Iggy will improve that 18-20ft jumper and then go beyond the arc. Come regular season, Rush and Marshall should be able to get something going from beyond the arc, regardless of how many minutes they get.
Two more weeks guys!! That is awesome!! Now let’s evaluate more teams before (Eric Snow) and the NBA clock strikes 12–October 28th!!
I think they are all valid concerns. I am worried about IGG in the offense when he doesn’t have the ball. The one preseason game that was televised, when he didnt have the ball or wanst in transition, he was stagnant. Just kind of standing around waiting for someone else to do something for him. Hopefully he figures it out before 28 Oct.
PG- Does Miller finally start to decline/does he play like last year? Do we trade him or give him an extension/if so for how long? Im sure he does not want to just sign for 1 or 2 yrs this late in his career. Does ES possibly give him too much just for the next year or two of quality play?
Side Note: Teddy has been draining 3 balls so far in the preseason, that’s a good sign
I am worried about Sammy D, I want to see him flourish in the shot blocking rebounder role. His outside shot is Ok but every time he tried to make something happen by putting the ball on the floor I cringed. I hope he has learned to play to his strengths more than in the past.
Chemistry will not happen right away but this is where I think getting players with good attitudes will def help. They will be willing to share the ball. Also having Andre Miller at the point is a big plus he will make sure the offense is being run and distribute the ball and get everyone involved.
Just got my tickets for the season opener! Can’t wait.
Things I am worried about…
1) Boston – Thank Jesus Posey is gone. He is a winner.
2) Willie Green – Ivey is better at shooting. (by a lot)
3) Brand – Asserting himself equally on both ends.
This team is the beta-dog of the East if that makes sense.
Joe– Jesus Posey?? HAHAHAHA
I know he’s as solid role player, but wow!!!
Based on box scores, Speights has been getting some time in the preseason games and is putting up points. Any word on how he looks defensively?
Haven’t seen Speights play (except in a few highlight clips) but based on glimpse, what I’ve read and knowledge of Sam’s game, I contend that Speights could duplicate Dalembert’s stats if given same number of minutes – very soon. He could be a ‘wild card’ this season, surprising many, helping team cause.
Huge improvement in half court offense with Brand, which should help tremendously in the playoffs, but there’s still no one to kick it out to who will consistently hit the open J. Iguodala needs to develop offensively if he wants to be anything beyond a poor man’s Scotty Pippen.
I’m not worried about Cheeks’ ingame abilities. I think Lynam picks up the slack in that area. Unless Cheeks could have somehow coached a jumpshot out of Iggy against the Pistons last year, I’m not sure what other adjustments he could have made that would have changed the outcome of that series.
Could’ve done a ‘Rautins’ and lost with dignity, benching Dalembert for his “ha-ha” Mohawk - clear indicator of a less-than-ready mindset. An unused option.
Also, how ’bout less court time for Iguodala, instead of beating a dead horse, forcing the issue throughout series (disregarding player status)? Happens all the time in basketball, good coaches respond to poor individual play with fewer minutes. Another unused option.
JT – Not sure how much you remember from that series but there is a stark difference between making poor in-game adjustments and doing absolutely nothing different which was my complaint last year. From game to game nothing changed for the Sixers strategically or tactically. In fact I wrote an entire post on it. Which I also mentioned benching Iguodala as JJG just pointed out.
FYI, Suede is having workstation problems. When he works them out he will be returning to the BLOG!
jjg: I have been thinking along the same lines as you re Speights. Apparently, last night’s 4th quarter lineup was 4/5 starters with Speights replacing Sammy.
I don’t know if Speights could fully replace Sammy’s block totals, but given the minutes he very well might match Sammy’s points and rebounds. Playing Speights at the 5 could be the wildcard.
Morty, Time will tell. I think Sam is at the top of his achievement arc. At this point, prospect of Speights is more appealing, if only to cut down on goofiness. Will be good to get a look at both current editions soon.
Dannie…I took the plunge and bought tickets for the 5-game, all you can eat plan. This is not because I intend on gorging, or allowing my kids to load up, on hot dogs and nachos. I bought it simply because, at $30 a ticket, the 5-game plan is affordable for my family of four. The snacks are a bonus, however, that will save me a good chunk of money over 5 games. I know the seats are crappy, but at least we will be in the building, I think.
Anyway, I can now tell you that my family and I will be at the Saturday 11/15, Saturday 12/13, Saturday 1/24, Sunday 3/15, and Friday 4/10 games. I would love to meet up with any of my fellow blogmates from ReclinerGM for a beer (even though it’s not included in my package) before any one (or all) of these games. I’ll give a reminder before each one so we can coordinate and agree on a spot to meet up.
As of right now, my biggest concern for this upcoming season is the weather. Since I am now committed to 5 two-way trips on the Northeast Extension, I would really appreciate clear skies and dry conditions.
BSKI – that’s awesome. I am going to do a post letting everyone know what games Pete and I will be at (should be getting my tickets in the next couple days) in case anyone wants to meet up before the game.
Dannie…Yeah, I’m really looking forward to it. The 5-game plan is considered a partial season ticket package. Am I correct that, as such, I will receive season ticket holder priority when it comes time for playoff tickets? I know the Phillies do that, so I’m guessing the Sixers do it as well.
My only concern is will Mo play L.Will. over Iggy if Iggy doesn!t find hid niche with this group of players. Thad is trying to become the outside sniper this team needs in the starting five, which should help Iggy get room for his drives to the hoop but if we perform better with L.Will. out there then let it happen. Jumpin, I think the backup center job and 15 minutes a night are Spieght!s to lose, since Jason is hurt and Theo is an insurance policy at best at this stage, hopefully Mo has learned from Thad!s contributions last year.