The Sixers face off against Elton Brand’s former team the 2-9 Los Angeles Clippers. I will be heading down to the Wachovia Center in a little bit to see what Sixers team shows up.
I wish I could say I was confident the Sixers will come out and beat up on the Clippers, but I’m not. Although the Clippers haven’t played all that well, they still have some nice talent. Which means they certainly are capable of playing a solid game here and there if everyone is on the same page. That just means the Sixers defense needs to prevent that. Not allow Baron Davis, Al Thornton or Chris Kaman to get into a rhythm offensively. Force Davis and Thornton to turn the ball over and get out and run.
For the Sixers I really don’t see how Elton Brand gets on track in this game. The strength of the Clippers defense is on the interior with Kaman and Camby both being tall and very good shot blockers. Could Brand step up and surprise us? Sure, but I am in a pretty pessimistic mood with this team right now.
Let me ask this as a good pregame question to talk about. Going into games like this, and the Minnesota loss, against “struggling” teams with poor records, is it right, justified or realistic for us as fans to assume the Sixers are the better team and the game “should be a win,” considering the inconsistency and poor play we have seen from this team so far?
Sixers vs. Clippers Games Notes
Just got back from the game, and I have a throbbing headache so this will be relatively short. Good win for the Sixers only because it’s simply a win and puts them back at .500. This was a very sloppy game played by two mediocre teams. 42 total turnovers (23 for LA and 19 for the Sixers). Neither team shot the ball particularly well from anywhere. The game basically came down to who was going to get a few defensive stops, and the Sixers did just that in the Clippers’ last few possessions.
The Good
- Andre Iguodala is starting to show some real positive signs. It looks like he has found how he can be productive and really help this team in multiple ways. Iguodala is rebounding the ball phenomenally and starting to really become the main facilitator on the team finishing tonight with 12 assists. He and Andre Miller are averaging 5.75 assists per game so far. He also got after it defensively off the ball with 4 steals.
- Thaddeus Young once again had a nice game with 17 points, 6 boards, only 1 turnover on 7-12 from the field. Most of this was done early in the game which is becoming a trend Mo Cheeks needs to change. It looks like they are starting to run plays for him early in games with success then total forget about him later. Makes no sense at all.
- Marreese Speights is a real player. He works hard on the offensive boards, runs the floor and is active on defense as well. Every now and again you see him get a touch in the post and can see signs of a nice back-to-the-basket game with a hook and turnaround jumper. He has established himself as the back up center and gave the Sixers another very productive game in limited minutes. 8 points, 6 boards (5 offensive) 1 block on 4-8 shooting in 15 minutes.
- Winning defense when it mattered. The Sixers were down 7 points (85-78) with 3:31 remaining in the game. The Clippers only made one field goal and got to the line once (made 1 of 2) the remainder of the game. That is the kind of defense the Sixers must play for an entire game so these games against below-average teams aren’t even close. There was no reason for this game to come down to Andre Miller having to make a three-point shot and the ball in the opponent’s hand with a chance to win the game.
The Bad
- Individual man-to-man defense by Thad and Iguodala wasn’t strong. Both guys took turns defending Al Thornton, and he ate both guys up all game. And he did it in a variety of ways. He showed a very nice and polished post game against both players. He used an assortment of pump fakes and jab steps to get to the basket at will. He looked really good tonight.
- Sixers were out-rebounded 47-41 and allowed 16 offensive boards. Going into the game I knew Kaman and Camby would be a force on the boards and was really looked for the Sixers frontcourt to win that battle. They didn’t. Kaman/Camby/Thornton: 27 boards, 10 offensive. Dalembert/Brand/Young: 22 boards, 7 offensive.
- Lou Williams still not on track. I think everyone has noticed it; every time he enters the game when the Sixers have a lead, it evaporates. He only played 7 minutes tonight and was 0-4 from the field, with 1 turnover and no other productive stat. I have no idea what his problem is right now. But tonight it was clear he had a very short leash. Until he starts to piece together some solid minutes, I think it’s best he stays on the bench.
- Turnovers - what’s new. 19 turnovers tonight. Brand had another 4-turnover game (this is really pissing me off!). Andre Iguodala had 5 turnovers and even more complaints to the refs after he lost the ball. Both these guys need to get stronger with the ball and make not only smarter decision but quicker decisions. Many of their turnovers come from guys swiping at the ball and them not being strong enough to handle the contact. And them holding on to the ball to long when a quick pass is the right play. A lot of the inconsistency this team is going through is a direct result of their inability to keep turnovers down.
The Hilarious
With about 4 minutes left in the game, Samuel Dalembert got the ball at the elbow. Chris Kaman was about arm distance away, and Sammy saw the space he was being given. He eyed the rim and only slightly started to raise the ball as if he was going to shoot. “NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO,” I started to yell. The funny part was everyone in the entire Wachovia Center started screaming “NOOOOOOOOOOOOO” as well. Sam calmly pulled the ball back down and passed it back out. My girlfriend and I started laughing because we thought it was only us thinking he better not take that shot. Great coaching from the fans on that play.
Another ugly win, but we’ll take any kind of win we can get as this point. The Sixers are simply not a very good shooting team. So until they consistently keep their turnovers down and put together full games defensively, games are going to be very similar to what we saw tonight. The problem: they will probably lose half of ‘em.
Next game: Sunday against the Warriors. Pete will be at the game. I wonder if Jamal Crawford will be in the lineup.
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{ 50 comments… read them below or add one }
Dannie,
Interesting game. Al Thornton versus TYoung. As noted Brand vs Big frontline. Sammy gets to play against a true Center. Gotta practice patience with this Sixers team. Would be nice to see Lou Will break out of his funk.
Clippers will be minus their starting 2 guard [Mobley] and their backup 3 [T.Thomas] because of the Z.Randolph trade. Dannie, would you, if you were our g.m., have any interest in a Sammy for Kaman trade if it is a possibility. Elton, with his face the basket game made the playoffs along side Kamen and it WOULD be nice to have 5 offensive weapons on the court at once. Also, with Z.Randolph a clipper Sammy may fit there as well.
Suede, think they’ll be looking to trade Kaman and use Camby/Randolph combo. Don’t think they’ll be looking for a center.
Suede - I don’t think there is a fan out there that wouldn’t consider that trade. If I were the GM I would pull the trigger in a heartbeat if it were possible. I don’t think that the Clips would even consider it being that Kaman is just as good a rebounder, almost as good a shot blocker and has a much more polished offensive game. Even though I have heard that the Clips are shopping him. Not to mention Kaman actually knows how to play basketball. I’m not a Sammy hater but face it, if it weren’t for his length and athleticism, Sloppy Sammy Dalembert wouldn’t get picked up at the Y.
Dannie - I would like to consider games like these “sure things”, in fact 3 weeks ago I would of said it to be true, but these days I wouldn’t be confident in a garunteed victory over anyone. I just keep hoping that what we have seen so far isn’t this teams ceiling, and sooner or later things will start to change. So far I’ve just been dissapointed, I don’t think I have turned the channel on a sixers game in frustration as many times as I have this season in all my years combined.
Clippers have some talent. Pretty good starting 5. Kaman must have flaws to be on the block. Must be his quickness. With this modern NBA probably causes matchup issues against quicker teams.
Mo, PPPPPlease sit L.Will. for a few games and make him watch. Play Willie and Royal and maybe we don!t surrender these leads. He is contributing nothing!!!!
AGREED, bench him he is doing nothing but hurting the team right now. At least Iguodala is having a better game. Have to stop losing leads when they go to the bench, I think L. Will’s play or lack there of is the catalyst for this second squad.
Andre Miller can run either the pick and roll or pick and pop to set up himself 1/2 decently, but is not very good at setting up Brand in those situations.
I think the same coach who told Willie to shoot,shoot, and shoot because we need points from the 2 guard spot must now have L.Will.!s ear. Iggy!s assists and rebounds have been up bigtime in the last week or so, now if he makes his free throws and cuts down on the turnovers he could work in this offense after all. Thad shows us something new each game, incredible.
Great Win! I am relieved. When Miller jacked up that 3 Ball I thought I was going to faint, thank J.C or whoever you believe in for that one.
Thornton looks like a young Dominique; looks like we couldn!t go wrong with him or Thad. Did Thad get any 2nd half touches? Mo has to tweak the 2nd unit somehow.
Hopefully this will start a chain reaction. We gotta shake that bench up a bit. I don’t care how much he’s paid, bring Ivey in before Lou for right now, at least until he calms down.
Lucky win. Elton would’ve been better off in LA playing with Baron Davis. For some reason I love watching BDavis play but got tired of A!. Can’t explain.
- I think ZRandolph when motivated is better than EBrand! Look out for the Clippers when they have their full roster.
- Sixers are really out of sync.
- Speights is really going to be a player.
I really liked the defensive intensity by Iggy and Brand tonight. Espeacially at the end of the game, it was a real treat to watch. If both of them cut down the turnovers, then we would be a lot better off, but nonetheless, I think this was a solid win for the Sixers.
I had a little bit of a problem with the coaching from Mo Cheeks in the 2nd and 3rd quarters. Willie ended up having an alright game, but not a great game by any means. Meanwhile, Kaman and Camby were eating us alive in the paint! They outrebounded us 47 to 41 for the game, but we were rebounding the ball well in the first.
I would have like to see Sammy’s minutes go up from 28 minutes, to around 35 minutes considering the rest of the starters played around 40. Although Speights is a real young talent, and can rebound the ball effectively, he doesnt have the defensive presence like Sammy has, as far as shot blocking goes. I will say that Speights is a monster on the offensive glass, which is key for us. 5 of them in 15 minutes!
Overall, a relatively satisfying victory. Lets actually build off this one this time!
sfw: Brand can really play some D, Randolph, not so much. His FG % is awful, but Brand has been as advertised on the defensive end.
Mo has got to switch up his rotations to make some changes in the way he plays his bench. Perhaps he should mix his bench in with the starters more, instead of almost segregating them. Also, the team is really really missing what Lou gave them last season.
Morty, Brand is more robotic than I imagined. Agree regarding rotations. Some change has to happen. Suede told me Brand criticized the subs in his post game comments for not holding or increasing the lead.
Brand is not a feature player on offense. We have to go back to last year’s approach. Move the ball around. Let him get his 12-15 shots, score his 18-20 points and ‘D” & rebound. Don’t force the ball to him. He does not have an edge physically over most of these defenders. Take advantage of the biggest mismatch no matter who it is.
S.F.W., that approach is warranted when we play the BEST in the east,R.Wallace,Garnett, and Bosh will be a tough matchup for him to shoot over for sure. They ran plays for Thad early but again, went away from it.
Suede: good point about Igoudala, he has been making up for his brick laying with better rebounding than he has shown in the past, and pretty good distribution (offset by the turnovers unfortunately.)
And one hell of a block (with his left hand) in the last minute of tonight’s game.
WHAT A GAME? I KNOW WE WOULD HAVE ALL BEEN IN BEDLAM HAD IF WE LOST! I got a heart attack from that game, but what a great ending for Elton Brand and the Sixers, fitting enough that EB hit the game winner!
Andre Miller hit perhaps the FLATTEST three pointer on Earth! Thanks man!
Now let’s beat those skinny “short-people” (or something else Barkley called them)– the Golden State Warriors.
I guess you can teach an old dog new tricks; Mo on Miller!s 3 pointer; first a giggle ,then”he has been practicing that for a while now”. Morty, back to our Willie and L.Will. discussion weeks ago; I said they could both dominate the ball because the second unit needed scoring but the dynamic has changed, enter M.Spieghts and his low post game. Now either Willie OR L.Will. with a shooter [Rush] or a defender[Ivey] may be worth a shot. Unlike last year, Mo does have options. Guys, our starters seem to be playing better and getting leads, if we solve our 2nd unit issues we may go on a nice run.
Morty, sfw, Suede…I think you guys are right that Mo needs to handle the rotations differently. It certainly looks like our “2nd unit issues”, as Suede so diplomatically put it, are the result of subbing in an entirely new 2nd unit all at once. Instead of sitting 4 starters at the end of the 1st and then sitting the 5th a couple minutes into the 2nd which gives us 5 bench guys on the floor at once, Mo needs to mix them in. Maybe sit 2 starters a little sooner (the last few minutes of the 1st ) and bring in 2 guys from the 2nd unit. Then you have 3 starters and 2 bench guys out there. He can then continue that pattern. Keep rotating out something like 2 starters at a time throughout the game, getting back to the starting 5 on the floor for the final stretch.
Call me crazy but I think the best thing for right now might be to bring Thad back off the bench, and put Willie G back in the starting lineup.
We need a spark when that second unit comes in, and Thad could definitely fill that even though he has proven that he is a much better player. A second unit of Ivey, L will, thad, reggie and speights would be more consistent than the one we are putting out there right now. Not saying limit his minutes, still try to keep him in the high 30’s. When the 2nd unit has come in and Thad is the only starter on the floor he doesn’t look as fresh because he hustles so much for the first 12-15 min. Maybe bring him in at the end of the first-beginning of the second and let hm finish out the game. Kind of what LA has done with Odom. What do you guys think, am I crazy or do you think it would work?
Ryan F - I don’t think you are crazy. But I challenge you to also think about and consider the impact doing that could have on the first unit’s play. Right now the first unit as is, is creating leads and winning the battle of the starters. A very big reason for that is Thad starting games on fire and Mo actually getting him involved more offensive early in games.
If you move Thad to the bench and insert Willie do we risk having a first unit that doesn’t build a lead now? (and this is nothing at all against Willie Green personally because he is playing well, but we all agree Thad is much better)
I have to think there would certainly be a drop off with the first units production. Now the next question is with Thad coming in with the 2nd unit that be enough to not only not lose a lead but build one?
Just some questions to flesh out your idea.
Personally I wouldn’t do that. I need to flesh out my own ideas on this but I prefer to have my starters as strong as possible. I think the losing leads thing has to do with Lou not playing well but it’s not all on him by any means. I think Mo needs to take a fair share of the blame. He hasn’t figured out how to use his deep bench yet. When/if he does I don’t think we will have this problem going forward.
I have been trying to document and nail down a pattern of Mo’s rotations lately. Once we nail that down we can discuss why it’s not working and what WE think would be better. I see some thing but want to see how it plays out over the next 8 games (especially against better teams) before I comment on it.
To help get Lou on track, I’d like to see him play more with the bulk of the first unit, especially Miller so that he does not have to run point. I recall Lou and Miller on the court at the same time much more often last year. If anything, Ryan, I’d move Lou into the starting lineup in favor of Thad if that was the move. Of course, Mo would also have to commit to running plays for Thad, and asking him to be the primary scorer for the 2nd unit for that to work.
I couldn’t believe Andre Miller hit a three. The final shot was pure luck Iggy dribbled into nowhere and was lucky to not turn the ball over but as Zumoff would say “they turned garbage into gold”
Couple things… Lou should be benched totally agree. Give Ivey and Rush a shot to run alongside Willie.
Also, Thad does already play alot of mins with the 2nd unit. He is the first starter out with Willie coming in but than he is the first starter back on the floor with the 2nd unit and it isn’t successful. I say keep Thad in the starting lineup.
Ha thats funny everybody was yelling don’t shoot at Sammy I was too at the TV.
Brand and Iggy get stripped of the ball down low more than any two player I have ever seen. That happened more times than I could count in this game.
ohh and they need to wear those uniforms for every game. Can we get a petition going on that?
2one5 - Ricky over at Sixers4guidos already tried to get a petition going to bring the old Sixers uniforms back. In fact Sixers.com even had a poll going on the site about the uniforms and it was overwhelming for the older version. Still nothing has been changed.
I have been looking for white Moses Malone jersey forever now. And I liked their warm ups as well. Everything about last nights attire was on point.
Sixers marketing department needs to make the pitch of how much revenue from uni sales they would get if they brought the old uniforms back and make this happen.
Dannie I don’t agree that Thad is much better. To which particular area of the game are you referring? Thad’s got his strengths & weaknesses, as does Willie. Thad’s handle isn’t as good as Willie’s. And I rate Willie’s passing and defense above Thad’s at this point. Willie has also shown that he can set aside his scoring ego for the purpose of increased team function (an important adaptability which some teammates don’t possess) while having his arsenal at hand. Thad’s a great opportunist, hustles, has quickly-applied offensive instincts, and has admirably improved his shot. I like him a lot. Hardly a finished product though. Rushes things sometimes as inexperienced players are prone to do. Must we hype everyone that comes along? Young & Green: different players, different positions; both are positive, flawed factors.
Morty I see you’re jonesin’ for your guy LouWill to approximate a basketball player again. Start him? With what he’s displayed? No way! Court time is merit-based if you want to build a winner. Let him count his money while he figures out how to play.
JJG - That’s expected you have a different opinion of Willie Green (and maybe Thaddeus Young as well) than I do.
Willie has played well so far this season and that’s great. His time on the court has been positive and productive this season. I will continue to sing his praises while it lasts. But I have pointed out many times and provided a fair amount of analysis from myself and others that suggests he has not been a productive player throughout his career at his position. Of course you don’t have to agree with any of that, with the numbers or the analysis.
To answer your question directly, I am referring to the sum of all areas not one particular area. I agree Willie is easily the better ball-handler. I would rate Willie as a better passer as well largely because I see Willie in a lot more passing situations.
I rate Thad as a more efficient scorer and better shooter from the field. I think they are equal free throw shooters. Thad gets the edge rebounding largely because of his size and position. But I think Willie is a below average rebounder even for his position.
Defensively we will have to agree to disagree. Willie has been better than I’ve seen this season. But I would rate Thad as a better all-around defender.
And I wouldn’t consider calling Thaddeus Young much better than Willie Green as a form of “hype.” But again that is were our perspective is different. In my mind all I said was Thad is much better than a player who (I will give the benefit of the doubt here) is average.
Dannie Impetus for my post was your erroneous assertion in #25: “we all agree Thad is much better”. Decided to express my own opinion on the matter. My experienced eyes are my opinion formers, not conventional wisdom, media hype or tricked-up and/or inconclusive stats.
“MUCH BETTER”? http://www.basketball-reference.com ‘per 36 min’ comparison tells a different, though certainly not definitive, story:
Points TY 17.1 WG 14.8
Rebounds 5.5 3.2
Assists 1.1 3.7
Turnovers 2.1 1.2
FT % .704 .813
3 pt % .389 .455
FG % .529 .488
Again, I don’t heavily rely on stats for my takes on players (as some vital ingredients can’t be quantitatively measured), but above numbers indicate that WG’s and TY’s overall performances this season don’t vary widely at all, and in some areas of play, WG is the better performer.
I’m a fan of both players, but Thad, while asserting himself nicely and showing improvement this season, isn’t “all that and a bag of chips” yet. Like I said before, both contribute with their play and with their attitudes. Glad they’re Sixers.
Hehehe. I knew when you wrote that sentence, Dannie, that jjg would disagree!
C’mon, Morty, put out some substance. Tell us all about the wondrous Lou Williams and fabulous Andre Iguodala. “Hehehe” is hardly becoming for a blogger.
jjg: Just having fun, please do not take that seriously, or personal. I can’t defend Lou’s play this season, and have not.
Morty No harm, no foul. Enjoy your Saturday night. The Sixers interest me no more … until tomorrow.
Cheers!
Now who for the Clippers will be coming off the bench– Randolph, Camby, or Kaman? That team, despite their poor record, has a tremendous frontcourt. Going to Staples Center (For Both LA games, yes I said BOTH) will be tough! I HOPE Brand gets a good reception there for his sake. Anyway, I’m still glad that Brand is on this team. Now, if our starters and our bench players can match the level of intensity and perhaps increase the energy level, then we should be able to maintain those leads. Mo, please play Rush and Marshall. They will certainly be needed when facing the elite!
WHO’S READY FOR TOMORROW’S GAME? Say I !
(Let’s hope Crawford doesn’t play. We don’t need another streaky shooter victimizing us!)
Rob, I think Kaman comes off the bench. He’s not athletic or quick. His use depends on the oposition. Camby & Randolph with BDavis pushing is a nice 3some. Add Thornton, Davis, etc and you’re looking at a talented lineup.
Dannie - Understood. I think we still would be able to run up a lead, that squad would definitely be strong. I t would be the same lineup we won with last year, and Willie G is playing better. Then you have a quality efficient “starter” coming off the bench that can jump start the 2nd group. I agree that you put the best team on the floor the most minutes to win, but I would like to see it tried out if the 2nd unit continues to struggle, and Thad is def better than Willie.
Ryan F - In this scenario what do you think are the pros and cons of having Thad vs. Andre Iguodala coming off the bench?
Dannie, I agree with the opinion expressed earlier that the starting lineup should remain the same and the rotation off the bench should be restructured a bit. Haven’t really analysed it thoroughly but change is a must.
Guys, if Thad were removed from the starting lineup, which I would never do, than you have to put a shooter [Rush] out there to compensate to spread. Two wrongs don!t make a right though, so why mess with what is working, our starters.
SFW - Yeah this is something I am going to be paying extra attention to over the next few games. The one constant that 2one5 already mentioned is that Thad is typically the first guy to come out and his sub has been Willie Green. That rotation has been consistent and easy to see over the last few games. I want to start tracking who are the next starters to come out and who subs for them.
I think the rotations should be based on who we are playing. Maybe we should have an offensive 2nd unit out there say: Willie, Speights, Lou/Rush, Thad, Marshall.
Or maybe we want to go with a defensive approach and run with: Reggie, Theo, Ivey, Willie, Thad.
Mo needs evaluate the flow of the game and situation then pick a style of play he thinks will be the most effective against the opponent and create his line-up accordingly.
I like what you are throwing at me dannie Ill give it my best in the morning
Dannie, right now we are basicly playing without a backup point guard because of L.Will!s erratic play. Willie or Iggy seem to be running the offense with our second team; wouldn!t the simple solution be to play Ivey, a pure point, and allow Willie and Iggy/Thad to play their more natural spots on the floor. Once you establish this scenerio THAN interchange Rush and L.Will. with the 2 and 3 spots according to matchups. That is how I would approach it as a coach. As far as Marshall, to me he is nothing more than a last play 3 pt. shooter at this stage, when down 3 at the end of a game he has value but otherwise who do you sit for him.
Sorry guys this is gonna be a long one
Iguodala vs. Thad - There are a couple reasons why I like Thad coming off the bench more, and I the only con I can see bringing either one off the bench is 1st team firepower, but that doesn’t really scare me. No matter the stats, Iguodala to me is still the best player on this team. I know he is having a troubled start, but he is making some adjustments while trying to prove to fans he’s woth his contract, and he will start to have more games like Fri night. Thad would be the best because of his versatility, HE CAN STILL PLAY PF AT TIMES, and if Mo went to him and asked him to come off the bench I don’t think it would hurt his ego or production. I know Thad doesn’t have to move to the bench to swing to the 4, but it gives you another option if Elton is having a rough start. I can’t understand why I haven’t seen this much at all this year, does Mo think that now that we have front court depth he has to play everyone. If it ain’t broke don’t fix it, they had a lot of success last year with that smaller lineup. I’m not saying play Thad as Brand’s backup but get him some more minutes in there. I don’t want to see Thad’s min decrease at all, they could probably jump up a bit if there is room.
Frankly, I don’t see why Reggie Evans is getting any minutes at all, I love what he brings to the table and he is a very valuable part of the team, but he is Ronny Turiaf with no offensive game whatsoever. Give him two towels to wave and a gazoo, doesn’t bother me. Give him a T-Shirt shotgun at the half, just split those 11 min between Thad and Speights, and why is Dalembert only playing 27 mpg? I think he should cut it down to a 9 man rotation as well.
Starters
MILLER
GREEN
IGUODALA
BRAND
DALEMBERT
Bench
IVEY
L. WILL
THAD
SPEIGHTS
I think alot of Looouuuu’s struggles are because he is asked to facilatate the offense, he has been primarily Miller’s back up and he isn’t getting the oppuritunity to run off the ball. This kid isn’t a PG. That’s it, maybe one day but I doubt it. Bring in Ivey for Miller and let Lou come in and run off the ball or bring him in while Miller is still in. Have Thad sub the 3 and 4, and Speights at the 4 and 5. Rush, Evans and Ratliff save for when they are needed. If a team decides to go zone with every set than bring in Rush, if the other team’s bench has Maxiell, Powe or Craig Smith on it, use Evans. If the opposition is driving really hard on the 2nd unit, bring Ratliff in.
Bottom Line: Sammy and Speights min need to increase. ( I give Sammy a hard time on here all the time b/c of if his bone head plays, but when he is in the game, team defense is much better and he should not be playing only 27 min a game. As soon as he gets pulled the layup drills start, even though Speights has done a good job). Thad should get more looks at the 4. Lou needs more opportunities to play of the ball, and the 2nd unit needs some one to be the go to guy, that can get a bucket when needed, not saying Willie G can’t do that, but I think Thad could be the answer.
That was long, hopefully I never do that again. I don’t know how you do it Rob.
Ryan F- I write with a lot of Sixers energy and adrenaline. That is as brief as I will ever be, believe it or not!
Will Jamal Crawford be playing this evening for the Warriors? I doubt it, but you never know.
Prediction: SIXERS by 5.
Imo, Stefanski missed the boat when he passed (or went light) on opportunities to add Ben Gordon or Zach Randolph or Michael Redd.
Sixers are missing a halfcourt ‘dial up’ shooter that abbreviates droughts and closes games. Can get by with present “athletic” make-up until the playoffs, at which point basketball acumen/ability and overall toughness (physical & mental) take over.