We got a win, happy day (remember we play the Lakers tomorrow night). Enjoy it while it lasts.
This game was pretty much like the previous game. The Sixers built up a 16-point lead in the second quarter only to go into halftime up 3. The second half was ugly, but winning ugly is exactly what I said this team needed to do until they start clicking on a consistent basis.
Sixers vs. Chicago Game Notes
Speights has taken Dalembert’s spot on the floor in critical moments. 11 points, 8 boards, 5-9 shooting and 0 turnovers in 26 BIG minutes. Next step, starting line up? Good coaching – for once.
Why do you not take out Andre Miller on that last play in regulation and put in Kareem Rush for a much better kick-out option? Another in-game coaching miscue. Bad coaching.
Strong game from Andre Iguodala for about 3 and a half quarters. Money time late in the 4th quarter he came up pretty lame again. Turnovers and terrible, terrible shots. Cocky shots at that where he puts it up and pulls his follow-through back like he knows it’s going in, when in reality it’s just a typical brick. But it’s not his fault. He shouldn’t have been put in the situation to close out the game on iso plays. Bad coaching decisions again.
Willie Green and Louis Williams were worse than worthless. They were playing for the other damn team. 4-15 from the field 7 turnovers in 51 minutes. Willie played 35 minutes I guess because Thad had a bit of foul trouble. But he had 5 fouls himself and played decent D but had a hard time doing so without fouling. Not exactly sure why Kareem Rush was a “did not play coaches decision” and Royal Ivey only played 2 minutes. But hey that’s why I’m just a silly blogger and not a head coach. Bad coaching.
Andre Miller came up big in overtime, but I am not at all happy it took him 26 shots to score 28 points.
Elton Brand played OK. 22 points, 14 boards and only 1 turnover. But he missed some open shots late in the 4th and ended the night 8-18. At least Drew Gooden didn’t have another good performance. Zero field goals for Gooden, so for the people that criticized Brand ‘s defense last game, it’s only right to give him some praise this time for solid D.
24 turnovers for Chicago were completely off-set by the 19 committed by the Sixers.
Ugly win but we certainly will take whatever we can get going into this very tough 5-game stretch.
Next game: Lakers at home tomorrow night. I will be in Section 224, row 7, seats 13 & 14 if anyone will be at this game.
Coming off this hard fought win I might have had a hint of optimism going into tomorrow night. The Lakers would be coming in on the second day of back-to-back road games and having won 8 straight. Maybe they were due for a let down and a loss. Well, I was right, except they lost tonight to Indiana. Sadly, I don’t see this game going any differently than the Celtics game last week.
When Bob Salmi said in his Keys To The Games, “Just Say No”, I thought it was about drugs. But in the end, Andre Miller did say “NO” to losing and had a tremendous game.
Andre Iguodala, welcome back and now your assignment will be to shut down Kobe!
Ed Stefanski being at the Game WAS HUGE! It’s like having a principal stop by during a class and inspect 45-48 minutes of activity (including going overtime).
Maybe Stefanski talked to Mo!
Also, what happened to Dalembert? Is he:
a) getting punished for lackluster play (depsite blocking shots early in the game)
b)getting ready for Gasol or Bynum tomorrow
c)Both
I would choose “C” based on a percentage split of 60% getting ready to defend Gasol or Bynum tomorrow in what SHOULD BE a SOLD OUT game and 40% based on Dalembert’s so-so performances.
Also, Speights is playing brilliantly and channeling that energy correctly!
Hopefully our still “new” acquisitions of Ivey, Rush, Ratliff, and Marshall should get critical playing time against the LA LAKERS!!
Was Evans out for personal reasons and will he return with a vengeance against LA?
Shout outs to Ratliff and Ivey for great bench defense!!! Keep it up!!
(Ratliff taking the charge against Thomas and Ivey making that inbounds steal that could have led to two extra points which could have possibly led us to OT, but oh well– WE WON!!)
I think the Sixers will know the task at hand– THE LAKERS!!
Dannie, I can’t wait for the post regarding the next game! I’m like Kermit the Frog, YAAAH!!!
Dannie: A little harsh on the win. I thought the Sixers looked good, especially w/o Dalembert in there. Didn’t think there was much “ugly” about this win. Do agree that Rush would’ve been a better kick-out option on the final play (also think Lou Williams would’ve been a better defensive option on the Bulls’ previous possession), but overall think Mo coached a good game — especially making the lineup shift. -Aaron
http://phillysportsbeat.com/
watched the whole game. guess i got more fan in me than i thot.
Iggy had good game, somewhat sloppy. to stinkadala haters; see how much our team depends on dre playing better. that wasnt even his better games.
Mo pls don’t run any iso-plays for Iggy PLEASE. Note how ALL HIS misses came on off-dribble stunts, turnovers too. take them away pls. he’s not Kobe or Pierce. Put that energy on Young.
Like Young, Iguodala does not need the ball to score 20 plus.
Rose chewed up Miller again, but Miller put 5PF on him. good try. Rose is looking Deron Williams-like.
Mr. Young! whaddyu know he’s HUMAN!
Sam benched for Speights? temp personnel adjustment or new direction?
all else Dannie has probably covered.
oh to avoid misconceptions; we beat the freakin Bulls. CMON!
a win is a win; won’t be surprised at all if we ACTUALLY beat LA tomorrow and then lose to a useless team the next game; its just the kind of inconsistent thing you see.
Ben Gordon still looks pretty shiny as an offseason present.
GO SIXERS?
Iguodala iso at the end of regulation was surprisingly effective. Open shot in the corner is a decent look. With Miller out there, though, it might have been better for him to go hard for the foul.
@Dannie: disagree bout Willie Green. you are following the stats too much. thought he did a good job. his shot was not falling but he didnt jack up any bad ones. played some D but do you expect him to stay with either Gordon or Rose? he was grabbing rebounds too. B+ for effort.
Lou is gradually getting tamed. still a long way to go.
Rob, I thought it had to do with matchups originally , sitting Sam, Bulls played small and after Spieghts got out there it was tough to take him out. Dannie, I thought Willie!s defense and the way the ball moved with him out there was why he played almost the whole second half. Ironically, he hit his three!s but had 3 or 4 layups blocked. T.Thomas can jump out of the gym but can he ever play consistantly?
AAron, it’s funny because as I was reading this I was thinking that this was Dannies masterpiece. Iggy played great until about the 430 mark in the fourth, and then he put his STINKADALA cape on and did his best to lose the game for us. Luckiy he stunk at that as well and we got out of regualtion with a tie.
THANK GOD MO SPEIGHTS IS A SIXER!!
That guy did his damndest to help us win this game,, and what a great attitude he has. Gotta love this kid’s demeanor. That guy makes the most yelling noises on the court since crazy Marc Jackson!
The kids a winner, and he has taken more charges in 18 games then Sammy has in 7 years.
Also AAron, Lou Williams and defensive option late in the game should never be mentioned in the same sentence. If your going to stick a guard in there for D late in the game then put in Ivey.
and in response to this
“I thought the Sixers looked good, especially w/o Dalembert in there”
Are you serious dude? Are you really shocked that the sixers looked good without there franchise anchoring stud sammy in the middle? My god, what sort of 3 ring circus are you running over that on your site?
Dear Greek: My response here…
http://phillysportsbeat.com/2008/12/03/philly-sports-beat-talks-mo-cheeks-listens/
A quote from L.Will. on comcast about a week ago, ” Its not a competition”, when asked about Willie getting more minutes and being the first guy off the bench. L.Will., yes it is.
I was a bit hard on Willie. He played hard, I guess that is about all I expect from him. His D on Gordon was decent the effort was there. I thought Gordon just missed some open shots when whoever was defending him lost him a few times in the second half. He have 8 points, 5 boards, 2 assists, 2 steals, 4 turnovers and 5 fouls in 40 minutes on 3-10 shooting.
It’s just OK at best for me. If Iguodala played that we people would be killing him, but because the expectations are so much lower for Willie people seem to be turning it into some sort of good game. Not me, sorry. It was just OK.
Suede - Lou is without a clue right now. We’ll need him to get one quickly to help turn this team around because it’s pretty clear Mo is still going to play him.
Dannie, I was just shocked that he didn!t come out at all in the second half. I actually think Mo is using Willie to send a message to L.Will. Play hard and pass the ball and you will get minutes, as simple as that. And lets face it, we need him to start playing well. Did you think it was a matchup thing when he originally pulled Sam because he was defending well early.
BoomDizzle - Last play of regulation would have been effective if Mo did like Orlando did to us and actually put a shooter on that side of the floor. Little things like that during the game need not be overlooked and is a characteristic of a really good coaching staff as a whole.
I guess Mo thought 3 would be the charm on Miller miracle threes at the end of the game.
Suede – I think more than anything it was Speights playing well. Yes he was a better match up defending Thomas on the perimeter, but it wasn’t like Sam played bad in his 12 minutes.
I think Mo wanted to have 5 offensive players on the court because he might have been unsure if they could stop Rose or Gordon late so the Sixers would need to keep scoring. Having Speights on the floor does that and more than anything he is a threat to score so you can’t completely forget about him like you can with Sammy.
With that said we will NEED Sammy to play well tonight to have any chance against the Lakers frontcourt.
Dannie, Rush and Marshall were brought here for just such a situation but Mo seems to be a coach that doesn!t use situational guys and would rather stay with the guys on the floor. Tonight for example, if I !m Mo Ivey gets some time on Koby, that is why he was brought here, as a situational defender. Mo, start using ALL your pieces.
Aaron - Not sure what game you were watching or how much of the Sixers you have watched this season. They turned the ball over 19 times and shot 39.6% from the field and 2-11 from three (good job Willie for those two) and only had 15 assist on 38 made baskets. UGLY and that is just fine as long as the result is a win.
But to say the Sixers “looked good” and that it was an “impressive 103-95 overtime victory” is far from reality. If they play like that tonight they lose by 35 easy. Remember it was the Bulls they beat and it took overtime that isn’t very good especially when Chicago played only slightly worse then we did – 40% shooting and 24 turnovers.
This team has yet to put a full game together which is why they have surrendered big leads on multiple occasions to marginal at best teams. That isn’t the sign of a winning ball club. The Sixers have yet to show any hint of a killer instinct.
Oh yeah and the Sixers had a 90-83 lead with 3:02 left – end of regulation the score was 90-90, hmmm UGLY!
Why didn’t they post up Iguodala rather than going to the ISO end of game. Why did Elton Brand only attempt TWO shots in the entire 4th quarter?
Dannie: I actually turned the game off in disgust at the end of regulation after seeing our best 1/2 court player ignored for the final 3 or 4 1/2 court sequences in a tight game where the Sixers only needed one bucket to seal the win. Aren’t those situations exactly what Brand was acquired to help? That and the last shot was a 3 point attempt by our worst 3 point shooter. Mo should be ashamed of the job he did.
That said, it’s nice to see they pulled out the win, and that Igoudala seemed to find his touch a bit.
Aaron – in your response to the Greek . - Dear Greek: True, Iggy badly missed a 20-footer with 1:30 left that he has to make and slipped on a possession in the final minute. I can give him a pass on the slip. But did you see his baseline drive and dunk with 3:04 left – that came under the 4:30 mark? Yes, Iggy has played poorly this season, but you have to give him credit for Tuesday night. -Aaron
Iggy’s drive and dunk you mention came from a totally blown defensive assignment which gave him a free walk to the basket. then he screamed and gave the CWebb stare into the crowd. its not possible to defend Iggys crunchtime play. the guy is a loser. he actually took 2 bad jumpers in regulation in addition to throwing the ball out of bnounds. then, in OT, he stunk it up in the same manner (with the exception of the prayer 3 he somehow knocked down. which was a horrible shjot to take)
Morty, A.Miller was an option, not the option. Iggy was supposed to score or kick out to a shooter with A.Miller and Willie in the corners.Iggy took the opening which happened to be on A.Miller!s side. Hopefully in a year or so Thad or our new p.g. is put in that position and Iggy is just a weakside rebounder. Morty, he is red hot from three, just kidding. As far as Elton, one thing we can see so far is against bigger athletic players he has trouble getting anything other than a jumper, so he is just one of many options and if the players on the floor don!t get him the ball than he must not have an opening.
i agree with dannie, this was a pretty ugly win. the 26 points off TOs were great, but im not too excited that this is a trend becuse a number of those were unforced. the boxscore looks good but the Bulls really did create a good number of their own TOs. i certainly welcome this , but im not going to give the Sixers too much credit. i thought They played well defensively when needed in crunchtime, except when tyrus thomas had a surge of rebounds and a monster dunk. miller hit some clutch buckets to give us the win that Stinkadala tried to give away
Don’t be suprised today if Andre Iguodala does not score a lot of points tonight against LA! I would only be satisfied with him not scoring as many points as yesterday IF AND ONLY IF he does everything in his power and concentration to guard Kobe. Iggy admits that he loves the challenge of defending The Mamba. So far since Iggy has been a Sixer, the Sixers are 4-4 against the Lakers (with the last two meeting won by LA).
But for this Sixers team- ENERGY and DEFENSE are the keys to the season!! They will certainly need both tonight if they have any intention of beating LA!!
Here are LA’s two losses thus far:
Nov 14, 2008 v.s Pistons
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=281114013
Dec 2, 2008 @ Pacers
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=281202011
What is it about those losses for LA because their stats weren’t too bad for those games, but there is so much both box scores are not revealing!
So far, the Lakers have played 10 of their first 16 at STAPLES CENTER (11 of 16 if you include the ”road game” against the Clippers) and have blown teams out!
The 6 (or 5) road games, the games have been close! The Sixers have a deep frontcourt and we have to keep their bigs far from the paint and from scoring distance. Plus, we have to be mentally tougher than LA. Rebounding will be critical for both teams! We need that energy from the entire roster and the energy of a potential sold out crowd to help the Sixers beat LA!!!
A.Mckie, I think we all agree that when Iggy becomes our 4th option we will become a better team.My only concern in that respect is Thad!s personality and Iggy!s. Hopefully Thad becomes more assertive as he matures and Iggy has to realize his limitations, if both of these things happen maybe we can become a top team.
NASA brief: Thaddeus Young is re-entering earth’s atmosphere, expected splashdown tonight in southern Philadelphia region, 4 p.m., PST.
Suede – I agree that if those things happen they will be a better team and probably wouldn’t struggle like they are. But “top” I don’t not think so.
Ultimately I don’t think we have as skilled a team as people think. People get caught up in raw athletic ability, the thought of great potential. But when you really look at it who on this team possesses great skill in multiple aspects of their game?
Iguodala for example has elite athletic ability but what really holds him back is the fact that it is marginally trained and often uncontrolled (turnovers).
Thad is raw, raw, raw. He has great potential if as you say he gets more assertive (not confident he will to be honest). But he still needs to develop more advanced levels of skill and that is a very hard thing to do.
Dannie and Jumpin, what was your impression of Gordon in these 2 games. I thought that was the most unselfish and under control that I have seen him. And he didn!t look too bad at the point. It!s ashame he is probably not an option here next season.
Dannie, I remember some publications had Thad #3 in high school to Oden and Durant. For this team to become VERY good, he may have to reach a level far beyond complimentary player.
Suede: Firstly, they did not post up Brand a single time those last few possessions in regulation, simply gave Igoudala the ball and asked him to create – which he did not. Secondly, any play that is drawn up with Miller and Green in the corners for deep spot up jumpers is not going to a successful play 7 times out of 10. Brand was 4/6 and got to the line 3 times in the 2nd half – if they gave him the ball 3 times, and had Speights crash the boards, they would have scored at least once or twice in the last 2 minutes. Bad bad coaching, in my opinion.
Suede – I thought Gordon looked good. I love Gordon, loved him at Uconn as well because he is a professional shooter, that can handle the rock and spell the point at times and get his own shot.
For a smaller guy he is very strong and has an array of shots inside the paint and can finish with some contact. Did you see his upper body when he was at the foul line? He is ripped.
Like I said last game post I wrote Chicago made a mistake not paying this guy. He is better than Luol Deng and all he asked for was equal pay.
I honestly think the only reason he didn’t get paid is because he is short for a shooting guard. When his career is all said and done he will be one of the best three point shooters in the history of the NBA.
PAY FOR SKILL!
Speights is definitely a keeper! His jumper and soft touch look even better now with more minutes. Wonder how long it will take for him to garner more minutes. You never know what you’ve got. Thad last year was a fluke for Mo. Can we not take a chance with this guy?
Morty, I just think the players as much as the coach have to be smart enough to go to Brand if he is the best option and as far as A.Miller and Willie, Isaid earlier that Mo has to learn to use his situational guys better. To me Marshall!s main reason for being brought here was to be in there in that situation. Rush, on the other hand may be a rythm shooter that needs more minutes to get hot. I!m assuming they must be seeing something like that in practice.
Last night’s game was a turnover circus, intriguing in its mystery and startling in its spasms of both derring-do and doo-doo. Crunch time delivered Iggy the Geek, 6′ 7″ multi-millionaire contortionist for the benefit of Mr. Kite and other basketball fans. Marreese Speights, the man on the flying trapeze, went about his business with delightful energy and aplomb. Elton the Elephant danced and harumphed around the key and in the lane, sniffing for beloved peanuts. Miller, the Bull-tamer, avenged Sunday Rose thorn (in side) injury with persistance but not artistry. Sir Willie Green was the tuxedoed master of ceremonies, enunciating clearly to the crowd with 2 key 3 point shots. Sam the Clown goofed, smiled and raised chortles from the bench.
Step right up and get your tickets for a starting line-up that includes 4 players averaging 2.0 to 3.0 turnovers per game!
Jumpin, Mo must be the guy walking behind the elaphants with a shovle.
suede Like Dannie, I’ve liked Gordon since UConn. Fearless and talented. As I said before, has some Andrew Toney in him. If he shoots it better last night, Sixers go down again. In a league of lots of sizzle, he’s steak. Take him anytime.
Here is the Howard Eskin interview with Ed Stefanski (prior to Bulls game in Chicago):
http://www.610wip.com/topic/play_window.php?audioType=Episode&audioId=3157937
Also, today he will have a Press Conference and will be on Daily News Live! (Perhaps it’s just a “State of The Team” Address, nothing major in terms of personnel changes–both players and coaches.)
Ed Stefanski:
-Really stressed about how awful our unforced turnovers are and they need to be reduced.
-Believes a lot of the open shots the Sixers get off the double team of Brand are heavily contested.
-Has shown concern over Andre Iguodala and Lou William’s struggles on offense. Believes once they are in grove, the team will be better!
-Believes Andre Miller has to push the ball up the court more, otherwise the other guys on the court relax. It results in a stagnant performance(s). Fair enough. It’s a new month now, so let’s see!
-Talks about the glimpses of the Sixers looking good and then glimpses of the Sixers looking bad. He said it is the “Strangest damn thing” and the team needs to get back to basics of the second half of last season
-Lack of ball movement, jacking shots up.
-Difficult right now to make any player changes/signings.
-Not happy with the 7-10 record (now 8-10 record!)
-Will not discuss Mo’s future. Says “Mo’s our coach!” Fair enough!
-Ends it with saying that the “Turnovers MUST be REDUCED!”
(6 TO’s in the 4th quarter against the Magic last Wednesday!)
-Accountability of the players.
suede Shovel? It’s a new era. Mo’s the power washer and Stefanski waits outside the tent, gladhanding the exiting mass, good-naturedly blowing smoke.
Rob, Thanks. After hearing E.S., it sounds like every player has to raise his game a notch and then we!ll see what level this team gets to. A comment on the phillynews .com about Spieght!s hands and a comparison to T.McCollough!s. That is ,to me, his best attribute right now, that bounce he caught from Iggy was an incredible play.
If the NBA ended its games after the 1st 12 minutes, the Sixers would be the greatest damn basketball team to ever play.
I am hard on this win too, there should be no reason why every game starts out with the sixers dominating and then turning into a bunch of !SOFTIES! and either losing or pulling a rabbit out of their ass at the last second. This roster is better than the Bulls and it seems as if they have chemistry but it doesnt show on the court after the first 12 -15 minutes of the game.
Ryan, I agree with your main thought but other than Elton I don!t know if anybody else is better in our starting five.
The Lakers are perhaps the deepest and most versatile roster in the NBA. I think the Sixers have the potential to be a distant second. The list I have of the NBAs Most Versatile Teams is not in any particular order, but I know that the Lakers are certainly #1 on that list.
1. Lakers
2. Sixers (potentially)
3. Jazz
4. Celtics
5. Blazers
A very underrated and upper advantage for the Lakers bench is to have Kareem Abdul Jabbar on that coaching staff. He has done a tremendous job with the big men, especially Bynum. Even though Bynum is not exactly a 100%, especially in his movement on court, but Kareem has done a tremendous job with him professionally– physically and mentally. Perhaps he might learn that infamous skyhook. If only Wilt Chamberlain were alive, otherwise he would have helped our bigs, especially Dalembert.
Also, did you know that Kareem was involved in a fight scene with Bruce Lee? That is awesome. It would be so cool if Dalembert had kung fu skills to block those shots with accuracy and intimidation.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LsSoX6qB9N0
And of course, Airplane! That is a funny movie! I wonder how Sammy would react if a little kid told him those things!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZh8iYEDwDE
From David Thorpe’s chat today on espn.com:
Jumpin’ Atlanta Ga: Should the Sixers trade Dalembert? He does not seem to fit in well with Brand (and I know it is early).
David Thorpe: (12:01 PM ET ) Yes-they need a big that can shoot.
Angelina (Mexico): Thorpedo, time to give you your props. Marreese Speights of Philly is a baller and you were the first to call it. Is he good enough to start over Dalembert right now? Congrats!
David Thorpe: (12:17 PM ET ) I actually told Chad Ford 2 years ago, when Speights was a bit player at Florida, that he was a likely lottery pick. Not hard to see-a huge athletic big that gets buckets.
Randy (Utah): Hey David, I answer questions like you do. It drives my wife crazy
, but I love your chats! I am a Jazz fan and I have a 2 part question. If the Sixers need a shooting big man and the Jazz need a defensive stopper, does Okur for Dalembert trade make sense for both teams? What would the Jazz need to give up to get Kaman?
David Thorpe: (12:24 PM ET ) Please send my apologies to your wife. Okur’s shooting helps the Jazz run that offense a great deal. Not sure they can afford to move him.
Mike (Delaware): Lost in his great offensive stats is the fact that Marreese Speights is atrocious on defense. If you look at the plus/minus, the Sixers are far worse with him on the court, and should consider giving his minutes to Theo until he makes a commitment to defense.
David Thorpe: (12:33 PM ET ) Yes, he’s a bad defender.
Tarz (Philly): Thorpedo please answer my question before I have to head back to class! What do you think the Sixers main problem is and do you think Mo Cheeks will get fired if they don’t turn it around?
David Thorpe: (12:44 PM ET ) I thought the last 2 games that I watched with them featured a team that played without passion and purpose. They won last night, thanks to some timely shooting from Iggy and bad ball handling by the Bulls, but I was not impressed.
A team can be well-stocked in versatility; but if that versatility is not efficient, it’s merely style.
Thanks, jjg!
Even though I am a Sixers fan and will especially be one tonight, you have to admit that the Lakers are simply fun to watch though. It is a Showtime Resurrection and the players 1-12 are very creative on the offensive end and that Triangle Offense really comes alive! It seems as though each player has two extra arms and can make those extra passes. And that second unit is capable of being a starting lineup and most of those guys are young. It shows people how great a coach Phil Jackson is. Before, he has coached veteran teams that won 9 Championships. To me, Kobe seems to be getting better and better and more mature as a player. He understands that it is not a one man show or a two man show with Shaq, it is a collective effort and he is the “Brad Lidge” of the Lakers and closes out games. I think Team Basketball is Starting to Become “THE IN-THING”. One-Man Shows are a thing of the past!
Anyway, I wouldn’t be surprised if the Sixers win this game! If it were at Staples Center, that would be a completely different feeling for me. THE KEY FOR THE SIXERS IS: ENERGY (both ends of the floor).
I’m sure there is “some” complacency left in the Lakers, even though they lost yesterday. It’s human nature.
How can the Sixers handle an “ANGRY” Kobe? Whenever Kobe has a bad night, an off night, or if the team lost a game they clearly should have won, etc, he has a tendency to bounce back and bounce back strong.
He certainly lives up to the nickname, “Black Mamba”. According to wikipedia, here is some stuff about the Black Mamba:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Mamba
When warding off a bigger threat or feeling very threatened(losing), the black mamba usually delivers multiple strikes(hits consecutive baskets), injecting its potent neuro- and cardiotoxin with each strike(one basket after another), often attacking the body or head(body of the defense and roster), unlike most other snakes. It can strike up to 12 times in a row(record 12 threes hit in a game). A single bite from a black mamba can inject enough venom to kill up to 10 grown men(basically, an active roster), easily killing one unless the appropriate anti-venin is administered in time (crunch time). When cornered, it will readily attack.(double teams, triple teams). When in the striking position, the mamba flattens its neck, hisses very loudly and displays its inky black mouth and fangs. It can rear up around one-third of its body from the ground, which allows it to reach heights of approximately four feet (the great fadeaway shots)
On a side note, that is perhaps the best thing about Kobe Bryant– he hates losing. I know everyone in the NBA hates losing, but very few players really demonstrate that or have that passion for the game.
Here is my starting lineup of passionate players:
PG: Allen Iverson
SG: Kobe Bryant
SF: Paul Pierce
PF: Kevin Garnett
C: Shaquille O Neal (soon Dwight Howard will be his successor!)
Head Coach: Larry Brown (most passionate coach in the NBA)
Rob Am looking forward to game tonight too. Agree that Lakers are deep in talent and can be fun to watch. Also agree that Jackson is a coach with a firm handle on the game and its motivational aspects – and well conveys it!
Energy - Will Sixers be able to summon it and SUSTAIN IT after after extending themselves last night for a win, followed by travel? Lakers, a proud clan that doesn’t like to lose, should be ready, coming off Indiana loss. Will Sixers be able to match?
Iggy will go hard for his idol. Will he go smart and effective for his team? What of his teammates? Sixers haven’t played a cohesive, complete game yet. Won’t win tonight with fits and starts effort.
It’ll certainly be interesting.
Rob ‘Mamba’ conceit and translations – funny, good entertainment!
Both teams are excellent on the boards and excel on the fastbreak. That should be fun to watch and both teams have to understand (Sixers especially) that defense fuels their offense. Stagnant ball movement kills both teams.
-For the Sixers, they have to force the Lakers into a half-court game and make it as ugly as the Chicago game yesterday. They have to make the Lakers over-dribble and deny all rotations (lock all windows and doors–backdoors especially). The Lakers excel when the ball rarely touches the floor.
-Bynum and Gasol need to be as far from the basket (13-15ft a bit further away from the free throw line as possible and to make the bigs overdribble. Force the Lakers into one-on-one basketball when the Lakers are on the offensive end.
-The Sixers backcourt has to match and excel the energy of the Lakers backcourt. The Lakers are deep in the backcourt. Lou Williams, Willie Green, Royal Ivey, and Kareem Rush have to overcome Sasha Vujacic and Jordan Farmar.
-Andre Miller has to continue where he left off and outplay Derek Fisher. Even though Fisher is struggling with his shot this season, he is still a “terror wrist”, a guy who can really flick that wrist and hit the big shots.
-Thaddeus Young and Andre Iguodala have to make Vladmir Radmanovic play “honest” defense and use their athleticism and attack him whenever he is on the floor.
-Odom and Ariza are going to be wild cards in this game. Deny all corners and lanes and outrebound them.
For the Sixers this is a game they should be excited about!! And Ed Stefanski will be watching!
Dannie, with 2 games left to the infamous 20 game mark, what would it take to make you feel better [1-1] or a sweep. Also heard Sammy was bitchin at Mo on the bench last night and Iggy had to calm down the “big fella”.
Suede - Read the first part of the post I just wrote. It would take 8 quarters (maybe even and OT or two) of complete basketball. Tough hard-nose basketball. Solid, minimal error basketball. For me to feel better about the Sixers. Because in the end we are all searching for who this team is. What their ceiling is. And we won’t know unless we see them play a few complete games in a row against good opponents who also play well.