I am heading to the game tonight (Section 214, Row 7, Seats 1&2) so I probably won’t post anything until late considering I will also be staying at the Wachovia Center to watch the Phillies finish off the Rays. But when I get home, I will fill out this post with game notes.
Until then feel free to get the conversation started in the comments. Sixers first game – GET PUMPED!
Ok lets talk a little Sixers since they did play some basketball tonight as well. Here are some quick game notes from the home opener…
The Good (there wasn’t much)
First and foremost – THE PHILLIES WON THE FREAKIN’ WORLD SERIES!
- Rebounding - Simply dominant on the boards in every aspect. Elton Brand’s impact in this area was shown from the first possession. Not only did Brand finish the game with 13 boards, but it was clear his presence on offense freed up Sammy to attack the offensive glass. Dalembert finished with 17 rebounds, 9 on the offensive end (couldn’t finish a damn thing though). That is huge. As a team the Sixers out-rebounded the Raptors 56-33. As you can see Brand and Dalembert almost equaled Toronto’s rebound total alone. Frankly it’s unfathomable that they lost this game with that rebounding advantage and 23 second-chance opportunities on offense.
- Free throw percentage - 75% (21-28) from the line. In my opinion this is a critical area for this team. 75% is the number I think the team must be at on average for the season as a bare minimum.
- Defensive potential - I think we saw what this team is capable of in the first 6 minutes of the game when they started on a 9-1 run. This is especially true of the interior defense. Brand and Dalembert did a hell of a job in pick-and-roll defense, help rotations and individual post defense against two good offensive big men. Thad was in foul trouble, and when he left the game, I could see the impact he had on the defensive end while on the floor. It will be very important that he stays out of foul trouble to provide our best defensive line-up. Early on I also saw very good overall defensive rotations and the relentless contesting of jump shots that is critical to being a consistently good defensive team. Now it’s about maintaining that level of effort through an entire game.
The Bad
- The offense sucked – They were completely out of sync most of the game. They had poor floor spacing, and guys looked confused and lost at times on offense. It seemed like they were just running random plays for random people without any rhyme or reason. Four players took 14 or more shots which was good, but the shots were sporadic, and I didn’t feel like any one player was able to get into a rhythm offensively. Half court offense will clearly be a work in progress.
- Terrible shooting – 34.5% from the field and 25% from the three-point line. I think part of it is first game rust, but I am extremely concerned that this team took 20 three-point shots in the game. And of those 20 only 2 came from Kareem Rush and Donyell Marshall. My reasoning for this occurrence was again the poor floor spacing. There weren’t many driving lanes so guys simply settled. Also, Toronto played a sagging man-to-man defense switching many screens as well as mixing in some zone defense. Mo’s reaction… giving Willie Green 20 minutes and our “shooters for hire” only 5 minutes a piece – not good. Especially considering many teams in the NBA will attempt to defend the Sixers the same way. Cut off driving lanes and dare us to shoot jumpers. Brand was aggressive and got some good shots off pick-and-pops but was just off. I really just think he needs to get his game feel back, and he will be fine. Andre Iguodala looks like he still can’t shoot, but I will reserve judgment until after a few more games. Sammy was aggressive on the boards but then completely forgot how to put the ball in the hole when he was under the basket. He needs to either pass the ball out and reset or gather himself and dunk. Keep it simple, Sam.
- Turnovers - 17 turnovers to only 9 for the Toronto Raptors. We rebounded the ball well, but Toronto conceded a lot of offensive rebounding to defend our fast break offense off missed shots (smart). But the Sixers didn’t force enough turnovers to ignite the break that way. On the other side the Sixers looked sloppy, and the poor floor spacing led to guys running into each other or bringing defenders toward a player penetrating, and we ended up throwing the ball away as a result. Again this should get better as the offensive chemistry gets better.
- Weakest crowd for a home opener - Will all the excitement you would think people would jump at the chance to be at the first game. Nope! It looked like the Sixers were expected to be at the bottom of the East and had no exciting players worth watching. I am hoping much of this had to do with the Phillies game. But, people should have snatched up these tickets before the Phillies were even in the World Series.
- What were those line ups? – I personally hated the line ups Cheeks put on the floor. The line up of Willie Green, Lou Williams and Andre Iguodala was terrible. Having Theo Ratliff and Reggie Evans on the court at the same time is asking for zero offense, and that was pretty much the result. And he didn’t have Kareem Rush on the court with Elton Brand enough to spread the floor. It’s been mentioned before the first couple weeks is a feeling out period; I only hope Mo figures it out quickly enough that we don’t end up in a hole to start a season with such high expectations.
I could go on and on with the bad (like the horrible perimeter defense that allowed Toronto to shoot 10-16 from three and most of those shots were WIDE OPEN), but I will stop for tonight.
Moving Forward
Like my World Series post said – nothing really matters right now because we finally have a champion in Philadelphia. It’s only one game and certainly doesn’t make or break the season. But the coaching staff certainly has its work cut out for them trying to piece together winning line ups and creating offensive continuity. I also think it’s important for the Sixers to establish a bread-and-butter option on offense. I don’t know what that is yet. It could be simply Elton Brand post-ups or a pick-and-roll with Miller, Iguodala or Lou Williams. Either way they need something they have confidence in that they can go to when they need a bucket in the half-court offense.
I will be at the next game on Friday against the New York Knicks who beat the Miami Heat tonight 120-115 in what looked like a “play no-defense” game by both teams. Hopefully the Sixers can get their first win in front of a better crowd.
Thanks again, Philadealphia Phillies, for making this loss painless.
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{ 62 comments… read them below or add one }
Looking at our upcoming schedule:
Toronto, Knicks, @ Atlanta, Sacramento, @ Miami, @ Orlando, Utah, @ Toronto, @ Indiana, the (formerly Seattle) Thunder
I think less than a 7-3 record would have to be disappointing. I’ll accept losses to Utah, 1 of 2 to the Raptors, and a loss to either Miami or Orlando. What does everyone else think would be a disappointing start?
im in 104 row 22 sts 13/14, I want to stay after and watch the phills but I have 2 papers due I really need to work on, we’ll see how it turns out.
I watched the Celts/Cavs last night and I hope we can come out with as much energy and passion as they did. I know it was a whole other beast with the ring ceremony and having KG doesnt hurt either. I would just like to see the sixers bring the same kind of aggression that they do. Every time I go and see the sixers and raps, bosh hits some kind of crazy 45 ft 3ptr to close out a half, he better not tonght.
If they lose the opener…which they’re not…that would be disappointing.
I think we should win everyone of those games, maybe a loss to Orlando or Utah, those are the only teams I would say are good enough to deserve to beat the sixers
Ryan…mentioning the Celtics/Cavs game reminded me of something. I only watched some of the second half of that game, BUT I saw LeBron James get called for traveling. Then Reggie Miller said that traveling is a point of emphasis this year. I wonder how strict the refs will be in calling it, how long they will remain that strict, and how it will impact the players (how long it will take them to adjust). If they are going to call it on LeBron, then nobody is off limits.
Yea I saw that play, and the same thing happened to Kobe in the second game, they were both “iffy” calls. Lets hope it’s not a trend because if there is one player who likes to get caught with his hand under the ball while dribbling, or moving before putting the ball down its Andre Iguodala. I’m not saying anything bad about his game, but if that’s how they’re gonna call it, his turnovers may jump up slightly.
Ryan F, there are a lot of better teams than Orlando and Utah. Orlando has lost some bench players and Utah is atrocious on the road!! The teams to really be concerned about are: Celtics, Pistons, Lakers, Hornets. But I think we will not get swept by anyone.
Let’s keep the team evaluations rolling with the Celtics and the Sixers the best teams in the Atlantic and hopefully in the East. Boy, do I have a lot to say about Both teams and their similarities!
Max, I think a 7-3 record sounds right (maybe the losses are AT Orlando, maybe Utah or AT Indiana, and AT Toronto). I hope I’m wrong, but at most 9-1 record (and we win the first 5 games).
Dannie– HAVE FUN AND GO PHILLY!!!
Max: I think you’re taking a few of those teams for granted. The only gimmies on the list of 10 games against teams that should be truly horrific this year are Sacramento and the Durants. If we don’t win both of those, Mo Cheeks should kick himself. Aside from them:
-Orlando I am very, very afraid of, and will definitely contend for the top 4 in the East. They have a year’s more experience, Rashard Lewis I have a feeling will be more comfortable and up his scoring by a lot…Dwight Howard is becoming the best defensive presence in the paint in the NBA, and you have two deadeye three point shooters to pass out to…Pietrus improves their D and slashing…Tony Battie returns, nice vet piece…Jameer doesn’t have the heat of other PG’s and should put in a good year. 50/50 there.
-Toronto: Another team that along with us, the Magic and Cleveland will be probably interchangeable between the 3-6 spots. Total question mark team as no one knows how healthy Jermaine really is. 50/50 there.
-Utah: no explanation needed, they have the 2nd best PG in the league, and a top 20 guy in Boozer that gives them an automatic 20/10…AND he’s in a contract year. Kirilenko for all his whining and sulking is still a premier defender and extremely versatile, and they have a funky looking Turk that is 7′0, can be a monster rebounder when he wants, and shoot 3’s. That’s a tough game.
-Atlanta: Another East question mark. If they actually grow and improve…on paper their starting unit looks great. Josh Smith might implode with his bad attitude, and Bibby might look to score too much, and they might have a crap bench, but Joe Johnson is a top notch NBA guard, and I’m looking for Horford to put up 14/10 this year, and I think Marvin Williams will be in for a solid year as well. Not a lock for a win.
-Miami: The Clippers of the East, in that no one has any idea if this team will be bad, kinda bad, average, good, or surprise everyone and wind up being a random force in the East (the latter not likely). But I’m not saying “this is a shoe in win” to a team that has a fully healthy top 4 NBA player at his peak and playing hungry. If Marion is healthy and decides to put his head back on his shoulders and actually play ball, and Beasley should be nice…that’s one hell of a 2/3/4 combo there. I’d hope we can beat them, but that’s not a lock.
-Indy: While I don’t think they’ll make the playoffs, this is one of those 10 man rotation teams that I think we can expect gutty performances from. We used to have Obie as a coach, and we know what he did in Boston. He’s excellent at overachieving with random parts. They actually have a PG for the first time in years, and have collected a nice assortment of hustle players that provide shooting, banging and slashing, and have a great mix of youth/vets. This is a game we should win, but I don’t think Indy is going to be an easy win.
-NY: With their D’Antoni run n’ gun game…and with how selfish and black hole-y Zach Randolph and Crawford can be…this is one game I expect a crushing victory in.
That’s four games that are toss ups to me, with another two games that could be a tough fight. If we go 7-3…I’ll be extremely pleased. As long as we’re at .500, I’ll be happy…I’ve always been of the opinion that the first 18-20 games of the NBA season are almost another preseason. All kinds of wacky stats, and players are just getting settled. If we are 12-8 or so after 20 games…I think we’ll be fine and will continue to improve and gel as theseason goes along.
Ryan, I’m wondering if this is going to be an NHL type of “emphasis”. I don’t follow hockey anymore, but there was about a ten year period from the late 80s to the late 90s when I was really into it. Anyway, several times during that stretch the NHL made a certain violation a “point of emphasis”. The officials called those violations very tightly early in the season and the players had difficulty adjusting to it. However, as the season went on the “point of emphasis” just faded and the game went back to the way it was and the officials called it like they always did.
I know that the NBA has singled certain things out in the past (hand checking comes to mind, also palming was a big issue after Iverson’s rookie year due to his wicked, ankle-breaking crossover that everyone felt was a violation) and I don’t see them calling those things as closely as they did. I’m thinking that once the players cut down on the blatant travels they have been getting away with, the refs will ease up and things will more or less go back to the way they were.
For Utah, isn’t Deron Williams out for a certain period? Plus, their road games are not very good. Their home games on the other hand, are incredible and certainly tough to beat!!
Dave T…I’m not trying to say that any game is lock (to win or to lose), but 7-3 was what I saw as our likely record after 10. I think you are right that the very beginning of the season is not a representation of the rest of the season. We are a team that just added a new, important part and this will surely take some time adjusting to…at least compared to an Orlando-type team, which is only looking to improve from player growth, not from new parts since they have largely the same team as last year. Taking all this into consideration, I’m now saying that I’d be ok with 6-4. Less than 5 and I think Mo’s got his work cut out for him.
As for D-Will, there is a chance he’ll still be out when we play them, but my guess is he’ll be back before then…he’s a tough player.
Rob – I know there are better teams than UTA & ORL, I was referring to the list that Max made.
Anyway we lost, and Im pissed.
How bout them Phills HUH?!?!?
Why does he insist on playing Will Green so much…he’s obviously a weak link.
On the other hand, GO PHILS!! I’m coming home tomorrow and will be at the parade bright and early. All of this is contigent, however, on me being able to fall asleep after all this excitement.
The good:
-We have to bottle up that 1st quarter energy, esp on defense.
-Samuel Dalembert (rebounding and defending wise was great)
This guy could be a potential defensive player of the year like our Marcus Camby but more athletic!!
-Balanced scoring
-Potential energy off the bench
-Fastbreak Points: 18pts
-Kareem Rush hit a three; Donyell Marshall had one go in and out–get these guys more involved. Who ya gonna call? Zone Busters!!
-Rebounding
The bad:
-Samuel Dalembert (doing too much)
1) needs to post up better offensively
2) should not be acting like a point guard
3) commit silly fouls
4)could have had a field day offensively and we could have won the game and he would have been the Player of the Game!!
-Mo Cheeks still has to find an established rotation
1)Why was Speights on the inactive list?
2) Could Ivey help us a bit defensively?
-Perimeter defense (after the 1st quarter)
-Turnovers (Too many tough passes)
The “It’s Just One Game Section”:
-I agree it is, but the team needs to have a much better first half of the season, if they want homecourt advantage as a four seed.
-Next up, the high scoring Knicks!! Gulp (sort of)
-Give this team some time to gel, in the preseason they were just trying to avoid injuries.
(As you can see around the league, many key players are getting banged up at the wrong time!!)
-I am jealous of the Celtics and how they gelled last year!! Wow, they are incredible!!
-As Mo said, “Take it one game at a time!” They didn’t give up last season!
-Now that the Phillies are World Championships, perhaps all the other sports teams in Philly would not be as distracted as they were before!!
(Don’t be surprised though if the Phillies stop by at Wachovia when we take on the Knicks this Friday!!)
-Perhaps the team needs to somehow get Dalembert involved offensively and have him execute offensively. He could be a part of this team offensively if used correctly. Teammates should help and cheer him, not jeer him!
Anyway, CONGRATS PHILLIES!!! This city has finally lifted this off their chests!!
rob, what are you talking about putting Sammie in the category of ‘good’. i was on the floor at this game, 3 seats behind Brian Westbrook…. Sammy was getting booed and hissed at all game. perfect example of a boxscore not telling the story – 9 offensive rebounds – who cares if you cant put the ball back in the bastet… also, many bad shots. sammy stunk it up. Iggy, WTF !!! 0-5 from downtown ? i thought you were supposed work on your jumper. these guys still have no 1/2 court offense. brand never got the ball with his back to the basket. our front line looked like children compared to Bosh and O’Neil. just a horrible game. donyell looked out of shape and terrible, did nothing.
the only positive i saw was Andre Miller’s 1st quarter. a few very nice driving layups in traffic.
cheeks better mix this up somehow.
no fast breaks and no steals…. thats what sums this game up. i dont know where Rob got the 18 fast break points, beacuase i didnt see much of that. there were certainly no uncontested fast break dunks.
I was there in the front row as well. And I could tell you anyone who says that Sammy played a great game is just looking at numbers with fantasy basketball gogles on. He stinks, his BBall IQ looks as if it has actually gotten worse, Just a stupid, dumb player whose favorite sport is soccer.
Also i feel bad for yelling at cheeks right before the final buzzer because much to my shock he was looking at me and listening to me. What a nice guy, former favorite player of mine for sure butttt…..
No effort from the team
WIllie Green getting 20 minutes ON MY TIME{200 bucks for this shit?}
No Plays for Thad
Offense just stunk
Donyell Marhall big great fat ass, that thing is huge
and finally what i was yelling at Cheeks for…ACTIVATE SPEIGHTS. Going to this game was a pure jobbing, with there lack of effort I feel as if they robbed me and everyone of there money who went to the game. It’s opening freakin night show some energy.
@Greek I agree. No way should Speights be inactive when he appears more talented and IN-SHAPE then half of that bench last night. When almost all the other top rookies in the league played and contributed he sits on a team that needs offensive talent. What a big mistake. oh yeah Sammy stinks.
-Also, Thaddeus Young in foul trouble was huge.
http://www.nba.com/sixers/news/postgame_report_081029.html
Sixers looked like a bunch of chickens with their heads cut off on offense. They didn’t have a clue. The the thing that really worries me again is the fact that as the game went on nothing changed. Adjustments anyone?
Maybe they were off-kilter and halfhearted knowing the city’s passion was across the street. A real clunker of an opener. 6p.m. starting time deference may have been an organizational mistake regarding team mindset and preparation. Sixers certainly played like second fiddlers, with bandaged hands.
Good news is, they’re bound to improve. Bad news: still can’t shoot.
WOW…guys…it’s one game…CALM DOWN!!!
So Sammy missed a crapload of easy layups in the first game of a season…big deal. First of all, we ALREADY KNOW his offensive game is raw, incomplete, and not polished. We need him for putbacks, rebounding and blocks…period. Anything else he gives us is just icing on the cake. He’s allowed to miss, as Kobe would put it, “some bunnies” in the first game of the season, where I’m sure there were lots of jitters.
As far as the halfcourt offense, that will come with time. IMO, defense is by far the more important thing to be worrying about the first 15-20 games. Mo and the entire team is still getting used to incorporating a new all star PF into our lineup, and how to attack defenses that will pack it in. That takes time…and since preseason is fake basketball, it’ll take a good 15-20 games for the offense to find any rhythm in the actual season against real competition.
That said, some of the lineup combinations Mo used in the backcourt was pretty bizarre…and I think we’re all agreed we DO NOT want Iguodala taking 5 threes a game.
Does Elton Brand play for the Sixers? Someone might want to fill the Sixers in on the fact that he’s their best player because last night they didn’t get him involved.
I want to reiterate: the first 15 games of the season usually put up crazy, wacky stats that do not hold true for the rest of the season. Mario Chalmers had a near triple double his first game, and Darrell Arthur put up a Dwight Howard. Likewise, Sammy will not be rebounding THAT well the whole season…and most importantly, he will not miss that many putbacks every game. Give the guy a break, he doesn’t “suck”, he had an off first game.
Yea big big let down they couldn’t hit a shot at all. They had the game at 70-76 and I’m thinking ok we can’t play any worse and were still in this thats a good sign. Than i think for about 8 mins of the fourth quarter they scored about a total of 3 free throws.
Speaking of free throws I was about to throw something on the court when Iggy was missing free throws forget the damn jump shot for now hit your free throws. Plus all this talk about now we have half court offense they doubled Brand and Iggy and Andre miller are really no threat from downtown. They just swung the ball, around and throw up a shot at the buzzer.
Toronto looked good but O’Neil is probably gonna play about 35 games this year.
Lou is awesome and our most dynamic and consistent offensive player. Iggy better start playin better fast or I have a feeling the city will turn on him quickly. I agree that the team does need time to gel, but this was pretty bad.
Also Willie Green is terrible he stinks is a waste on the floor. When Thad got the fouls and Willie came in he threw up like 5 bricks and killed all our momentum. Put Rush in instead lets see what he can do I know what WG can do, suck.
Lou is awesome? 5 for 15 in 23 min? That’s dynamic alright.
2 turnovers and flimsy defense too. Kid’s gettin’ props way before his time; let him earn them.
Wow. This sure sounds like Phillies talk. While I’m not happy about how the Sixers played last night either, I’m with Dave T. It’s only the first game of the season. At least give them a little time. They’ll figure it out.
Yeah, Philly’s ready. Bring it, Elton.
I think the fact that everyone has said they are such a bad shooting team influenced the amount of attempts, like they wanted to prove everyone wrong, and it did not work. Hopefully the next player that rushes a 3 ptr that isnt wide open, Mo benches them to teach them a lesson. I think that the front court of Toronto has been underestimated as well, especially by me, JO looked pretty damn good last night. The thing that bothered me wasn’t just the 3 pt shooting, was ALL of the shooting. I didnt look at the stats but I didnt see alot of points in the paint, and the ones I did see were by Brand taking 10 ft jumpers. I think Mo may have to find away to get Rush more minutes, his shooting would def help space the floor.
I agree, mount Rush more, and give fans the ‘Royal’ treatment.
Andre Iguodala has to post up on people and take advantage of mismatches. He had plenty of opportunities to do so against Anthony Parker.
Dave T is correct though: It is ONE Game, hopefully we can make it stay that way (sort of).
Now, this shows you why the Boston Celtics are incredible and incredible how they gelled last season and now!!
I’M STILL IN SHOCK THAT THE PHILLIES ARE WORLD CHAMPS AND WE WILL PROBABLY SEE THEM AT THE KNICKS GAME!!
I was hoping to never see Willie Green get 20 minutes in a game ever again
PLEASE give eight of those minutes to Kareem and eight of them to Ivey
Iguodala doesn’t know how to post up effectively; lacks body balance, footwork, savvy/option recognition. His game is based on speed and motion, doing things before others are set. Square up defensively in front of him, you’re halfway home.
Count me in for the 15 – 20 game test, but count me out when it comes to the continuing bizarre Mo lineups. At one point, if I recall correctly, it was Ratliff, Evans, Green, Lou and Rush. What???
Iggy could post up, turn his pivot foot around the defender without grabbing the defender’s back and go strong to the rim. Also, Andre Miller should be the main man with the most assists, even though the team makes assists as a team. He is the PG and he would probably have to be the go to guy and hit the big shot(s) like he did last year if we get into any funks. Again, this is just one game. The Knicks are going to play kind of the same way the Raptors do, so we must beware. They scored 120 against Miami, but gave up 115.
Mo’s lineup of Evans, Marshall, Green, L. Williams and Miller I believe is what killed them. I believe thats probably their shortest possible lineup. When Toronto took the lead I believe these guys were on the floor.
i understand its one game but the problem with sammie runs deeper. its not that he missed a bunch of putbacks. its the fact that he thinks he is entitled to throw up a shot everytime he grabs a board. not every putback is an easy shot. i obviously want to see him shoot when its a dunk or a layup. but a turnaround 6 footer with 2 guys in your face isnt a good shot – i dont care if you worked hard to get a board. these are the opportune times to kick it out because the defense was just scrambling for the rebound. someone needs to tell him to focus on defense and rebounding and stop trying to get his 15 points
Iggy’s physique is athletic, but trim; he’s not inside or ’on the blocks’ material; can’t clear side and drop it to him with any regularity and expect ‘mismatch’ success; is essentially ‘a tumbling tumbleweed amongst trees’ when not getting his running start (gathering momentum and lift) from wing or point on self-determined drive to basket. Proof of his lack of jostling/trunk strength lies in very average rebounding totals for a supposedly hungry, energetic, quick-reflexed, 6′6″ jumping jack who is afforded big minutes each night. He’s got talents; posting up or banging inside aren’t among them at NBA level.
It seems to me that we are trying to find the new identity of this team. Remember, we had no identity until Stefanski told Cheeks to play the young guys and to run. Even with that, it still took a little bit for it to come together and to start producing wins.
We are all aware of all the additions, and subtractions, that have been made since last year. We also know that incorporating any changes takes time. As much as the Sixers say that they are keeping their identity and simply adding better quality pieces into the mix, we know that it is not that simple. It will take more than putting Elton on the block and Kareem behind the arc and telling both of them to be ready for when our running game falters. We know that what needs to be done here requires change.
While we would all (including the Sixers themselves, I’m sure) like it to congeal quickly, there is no way to put a timetable on it. Of course, this process brings up a whole slew of questions. Did we add (and subtract) the right guys? Can they blend into a quality basketball team? Is the current coach the man for the job? Is he accelerating or hindering this process? I see those as questions for another day. That day may be arriving soon, but it is not today. For now I think we need to be a bit more patient. I can understand some minor griping because we all had high hopes coming into this season and it would be disappointing to see them get off to a slow start. December 1st is soon enough to start doing any major complaining, IMO.
Love it. So glad the Phillies ended their season the right way, but really glad it’s basketball season again. Sixers talk gets me fired up. Keep it coming guys.
AaronMcKieforMVP…I understand what you are saying. I did not see the game, so please cut me some slack. Do you think it is possible that Sammie was trying to get putbacks because the coaching staff made it a point of emphasis with him? I don’t recall the actual numbers, but I seem to remember that, although we got a lot of them last year, we were one of the worst teams in the league at turning offensive rebounds into points. I recall hearing many times how that was a result of the fact that we, Sammie in particular, passed the ball back out and reset the offense (halfcourt offense not being our strong suit). The coaching staff simply had to be aware of that, so I’m wondering if they talked with Sammie about it and asked him to be more aggressive on putbacks. Just a thought.
A.Mckie, Sammy!s biggest issue is he thinks he is more than a role player, I was there also and only positive I saw was A.Miller looked thinner and quicker than last year. Agree on the patient approach, but Mo has to get his rotations in order quickly and give this team an identity. Toronto is a talented offensive team but their wing players should not be able to guard ours yet we sure had trouble getting open looks.
MVP I agree with you, Sam’s basketball mindset requires immediate remedial attention. But that’s been the case throughout his career. Insufficient funds up there as it pertains to his chosen profession. Remember, he wasn’t a centerpiece of a powerhouse at Seton Hall. How King appraised his worth at 60 million I’ll never know.
Wow, everyone making great points today.
Matto: Your remembered lineup might even beat mine for awfulness. Like Andy Reid says, Coach has got to put guys in the right places.
jjg: King consulted the sommlier at Capitol Grille for advice on Sammy.
Morty, I hope we don’t use up all of our “great points” after the first game, LOL. We’ve got a long season in front of us. Maybe we had better save some keen analysis for down the road.
Morty And what did he learn about the limber, good-natured gadabout?
By the way, a weakness from last year showed itself again, lack of screening. Jason was our best last year and with him out, somebody has to step up, literally.
Dave T – No one needs to calm down. This is how its going to be after every single game all season. No one is saying the season is over after one game. We are evaluating the team after one game and I am pretty sure we all will do again after the Knicks game as well.
Let me say this about the whole give it 15-20 games point. I am cool with a grace period of sorts. But IMO 15-20 is too long. That represents too much of the season (18%-24%) for “experimenting and getting a clue” in games that count and are officially etched in stone. I am not comfortable with this team being .500 after 20 games because they are figuring it out, maybe it’s just me.
That puts the team in a whole and forces them to play exceptionally just to get back to where they should be. I also think if this team is as good as we hope they are and have good “basketball players” who can think and understand the game well the learning curve and adjustment period shouldn’t be that long.
Personally I give it 10 games max. If I don’t see some sustainable strengths being capitalized on, the beginnings of a clear identity and a few strong performances I will be concerned. This is exactly what happens when expectations are raised. I said in a previous post give Brand some time individually to find his game and feel. And give the team some time to mesh. I did not think it should take nearly a quarter of the season though.
Also – No surprise on my part at least from Mario Chalmers performance. He has three strong offensive players to pass the ball to and rack up assist. He has one player in Wade and potential in Beasley that will create easy shots for him. And his defense and rebounding for a guard were already strengths that should have been expected.
Suede – Great point the screening was horrendous.
suede As much as Evans likes to hit, I nominate him as designated screener. Brand’s solid too; Mr. Dukie ought to provide that fundamental well. Ratliff, Marshall & Dalembert could complete the task if they so chose, but it costs some pain and discomfort at times, and can be a real nuisance when your contract is guaranteed.
I feel that Evans should be a good screener, but is not. Brand, Miller and AI2 need to work harder and better on the pick and roll. This should be a staple of our 1/2 court game.
I also will be concerned if what I saw last continues for 10 games without improvement, but, unless you tank, the season is not really in jeopardy until 15-20 games in.
All the negativity aside, what we saw in the first quarter was exactly what we have been hoping for from this team. Fantastic on the boards, strong on D both inside and out, and 4 play makers on O.
When a member of the law firm of McFilthy and McNasty [frontier law] Ruland could lay you out with a pick, he would be the ideal teacher for Reggie and if Elton is on the block then Sam should be setting high screens for A.Miller and Iggy.
To be realistic, Toronto would have beaten us last year. Sure we added a talented 20 and 10 guy but so did they. The sixers just have to roll with the punches and take it out on the knicks on friday.
bski, it’s weird seeing your name and not seeing baseball being discussed below. Remember who was first to say that the Phillies were going to be world champs in 2008 A.D., alright? Ha ha ha…
About the negative posts… I just felt like SOMEONE had to be a skeptic and question things. I get your counterpoints to my arguments, but I’m sorry, I don’t feel like countering back, because, simply put, we’re the champs, and it’s over with, the Phillies have done it, and I just wanna think about that.
And you know what? For me, following the season with you and the other guys (and that one girl) on here was far more satisfying than the actual championship itself. I’m already missing the games, trying to keep up with you, and trying to outpredict each other. Ha ha… I guess I’m one of those “life is a journey” guys.
I’m going to take quite a long break from sports. One reason is that I’m making like the Warriors and moving from Philly to San Francisco. Another is that other things have come up, and I need to give them their time, I’m sure you know what I mean.
Still, it’s been so enjoyable following this season that you’ve actually made me wonder if basketball is still my favorite sport. I’ll let you know later. Last night’s Sixers game definitely didn’t help.
Anyway, I can’t stress this enough, I had a blast phollowing the Phils with you, I’ll see if I can join you again in 2009 as we DEFEND OUR TITLE. You know, it’s not just the championship that gets me, it’s those little things like that. “The Phillies will be defending their title in 2009.” That’s awesome. And today on Mike and Mike, they were talking about the Phillies visiting the White House. And all those newspaper front pages. So phreakin’ cool…
Last thing – gotta share with you the two best moments for me: #2 is the Jenkins double – I was just so happy for the guy, he spends all postseason cheering and yelling for the other guys, but I bet that deep down inside there was a sense of hollowness about it all because he wasn’t contributing anything on the field, but then, in his last possible chance to contribute, he comes through, and you could see how happy he was about it, how happy he was that no one can ever come up to him and utter the words “you didn’t do squat in the playoffs”. Completely storybook.
#1 is Joe Blanton’s homer. I mean, Joe Blanton hit a home run. I wish that, instead of the words “Joe Blanton”, I could use a picture of him in those previous two sentences. What he did was as close as you’re going to get to ripping a hole in the space-time continuum. But, for me, it was also “THE” moment of the series. Take care, buddy.
Bski: I’m 100% with you on your post (#41)…that’s exactly how I feel. “Change takes time”. I would add, a lot of time. As a fan, right now I feel it’s my job to pound my damn fist against the couch and my head against the wall over every bonehead play and missed opportunity…while knowing that it’s also my job to be patient and to realize that deep playoff chemistry usually takes at least 2-3 years to develop, and that’s the goal here.
Dannie: Just want to clear up that my little “calm down!” post would never ever actually mean calm down…I can’t get enough of crazy passionate basketball heads and that’s what we all are, and I love that there are 55 friggin posts about the opening game. Didn’t mean that in a “shuttup” way at all to anyone, and if it came across as such I apologize.
I just have a pet peeve where sometimes people get a little too premature with accusations. Hell…our now world champion Phillies had ONE AND A HALF MONTHS where the whole team went into utter crappola mode and three of our best hitters went .150 during that time…obviously, we bounced back in dramatic fashion. The Wizards started last season 0-5 and all of DC thought the world was ending…they made the playoffs. A few years back the Hawks went 4-0 or something similar, and everyone had Hawks fever, and then they sucked a phat one for the whole season. All I’m saying is players are allowed to have bad games, and it’s great for us to call them out on that, but I don’t think it’s right to start making blanket statements until they do it for the long term. (that said if the Sixers start out the way we did in 01-02…my face might pop off out of frustration).
My expectations for this season: I think it sounds like my expectations are a bit lower then some others. I see us as a 48-50 win team this year, tops. It is VERY rare for a team to do what Boston did last year…i.e: major changes take place, and they go on a true tear terrorizing the league. That is an incredibly anomaly and it’s a credit to the maturity and passion of KG and the others that they had the hunger to make that happen.
The more usual model is what the 00’s Spurs and Pistons had to do…the late 90’s Kings, Mavs…and what the LeBron Cav’s have had to do, etc. All those teams needed at least 3 years to gel properly and get things to where they could make deep playoff pushes and be called contenders. We have a total, odd hodge podge of talent right now with all these new pieces…I think it’s going to take this entire season to iron the kinks out and the seasons I’m really looking forward to are 09-10 and 10-11.
We are talking about a team that needs to overcome the fact that we have NO legitimate three point shooters in our starting lineup. Not ONE. It takes AMAZING basketball chemistry and really knowing what we are doing at all times, and being on the same page, and always hungry to make up for that lack of 3 point shooting in our starting unit. IMO, that’s going to take a whole year to develop. I’m giving them the benefit of the doubt, and around the 20 game mark, will look for huge improvement to take place, and by the end of the year, I’d think we’d be all set to go, get to the 2nd round, make a nice dent, the bow out and really get scary the year after.
Last word…Phoenix two years ago: Classic example…and a pretty common one…of a team that started 7-14 or something terrible and went on to win 60 games. Turnarounds happen…so if we are .500 at 20 games, I still 100% believe we’ve got a shot for good things to happen…as long as our defense is in place by then. Let’s just hope that horrible game 1 was just jitters, and that we won’t have to worry about things like .500 records.
Next game, I’d look for real strong ball movement, lots of cutting off the ball, and for us to work an inside-out game much more.
Zack...It’s a switch for me, too. I haven’t discussed this much baseball, and for so long, in a long time. I loved every minute of it.
Thanks for being here with me. All of our conversations were great. I actually liked the fact that you took the other side on a lot of issues. I have no problem with explaining my side of an issue. In fact, I think it’s a good check to ensure that my position has validity, that I actually do believe in my reasoning, and that I remain consistent in my views.
I hope your move goes well and you take care of whatever personal matters have arisen. I will be here trying to hold my own with the basketball guys until our 2009 title defense season rolls around. Check in when you can and keep in touch. Good luck with everything. I look forward to talking with you again soon.
Happy Halloween Everyone!! Great Day Today all Around including the Sixers-Knicks game.
Dave T, you read my mind about the Boston Celtics and the incredible feat they accomplished last year and now. The Sixers and every other team need adjustment periods, so hopefully by the end of November we will get a better sense of the Sixers and they will hopefully gel sooner rather than later. They know the first halves of their seasons need improvement, but they are unbelievable in the 2nd half.
HAVE PHAITH!!
“If they’re playin’ zone in your neighborhood, who you gonna call?– Zone Busters. I ain’t afraid of no zone.”
Hopefully, Rush and Marshall will be our Zone Busters!
Zack, I second Bilski!s thoughts; good luck and may K.Weaver one day make the all-defensive team.