Can we start this season over? Given how the team has played in the last 18 games under Dileo, I bet that is what a lot of Sixers fans are wishing. If the Sixers had been playing this way since game 1 their record would be 25-16 right now.
But reality is we can’t take back that dreadful 9-14 start. But we can look at the next 41 games as a new beginning. Elton Brand will be back on the floor today. Iguodala has his mojo back. Andre Miller has shaken off his normal off-season rust build-up and worked into top form. Louis Williams is playing to his strengths. Speights continues to develop and produce. And Sammy seems to have accepted his role and has been playing it well.
If I were the coach of the Sixers, I would treat tonight’s game as the start of a new 41 game season. They are playing the way they did when they made their run last year, and unlike the start of this season, they have the luxury to integrate Brand slowly. Make the most of this opportunity. Thoughtfully and strategically work him in while maintaining their current win rate. Then when he is fully integrated they need to take it to the next level. Go from maintaining to surging and playing their best basketball going into the playoffs.
Forget the 20-21 record. Be the best team in the Eastern conference for the next 41 games. Attack the second half of this season hard, starting with the Knicks tonight in our building.
OK, there was my pre-game speech.
I really have no analysis for this game. I didn’t see last Saturday’s game against the Knicks, and it feels like forever since that last time they’ve played. I just want to watch and enjoy. I want to…
- See how they play after a week off. Sluggish? Fresh and energetic?
- See if Brand is healthy, not just his shoulder but his legs. Will he have more bounce? More than anything else with him I need to see some bounce in his legs. I need to see him start finishing with contact and getting above the rim on put backs.
- See how Dileo uses Brand. How how long are his spurts? Will he have a hard and fast rule about how many minutes he will play or will he play it by feel?
- Where on the floor is Brand offensively?
- See how the other players react when Brand does enter the game. Do they start standing and watching or continue to play their game?
- Will they stop thinking and do more catching and shooting off passes out of the post?
This needs to be a win and the expectation is that it will be. Now this team needs to start meeting those expectations. Get it done.
Sixers vs. Knicks Game Notes
Ugh, I hate watching games like that. I’ll take the win of course, but the Sixers (other than Sam) played little to no defense. They basically just beat the Knicks at their own game of “who can score the most – defense optional.” Too much switching screens led to a lot of mismatches that forced the Sixers to double. The Knicks did what they do well which is find the open three point shooter.
The Sixers were able to get away with it tonight, but let’s not make a habit of it, guys. Perimeter defense like that won’t get the job done most nights.
22-7 advantage in fast break points which contributed greatly to the win considering the Knicks held a 45-18 advantage from behind the arc.
Sixers starters shot 58% from the field.
40% from three as a team (6-15)
Sammy had a fantastic game. 10 points, 17 boards, 3 blocks, 4-5 from the field, 2-2 from the line and only one turnover. He was able to control the middle and get out and run the floor. That is the player we hope he can be. There was one possession in particular that I really liked. It was when he was matched up on Al Harrington on the perimeter. Harrington tried to go by Sam and couldn’t. Sam forced him into a tough fadeaway that was good defense on it’s own. But he went even further by blocking and rebounding the shot. Dalembert has quietly just been doing his job.
Brand had a decent 13 minutes in his return. He started by offensive rebounding and making his first 3 shots. Had 2 blocks and did his best to not screw up the offense that has been working so well for the Sixers in his absence. You can tell he was trying to figure out where to be on the floor since the offense really was going away from him. He still looks rather uncomfortable when he is double teamed which is a concern I have because it often leads to a turnover, but I hope that is resolved once he he fully returns.
Royal Ivey does something positive every time he gets an opportunity to play. Immediately when he got in the game he got a nice steal and saved the ball from going out of bounds. He followed that up with 2 threes, another steal and a very nice block on Nate Robinson. Because the Sixers need to stop trading baskets late in the game Dileo went with Ivey rather than Lou which was a smart move.
Speaking of Nate Robinson, Lou Williams looked horrible on both ends of the floor in his personal battle against his fellow sub six-footer. Robinson dropped 26 points and 6 assists on 50% from the field and only 1 turnover.
The Andre’s played well, leading the way with 45 points, 12 boards, 11 assists, 3 steals and 5 turnovers.
Thad had the “unstoppable” hook going today with 17 points and shot 8-17 from the field. But I wouldn’t be doing my job if I didn’t continue to point out the fact that he still looks extremely soft. 17 shot attempts and zero free throw attempts. That is very disturbing for me. There were two plays in particular that I thought he punked out on going to the cup. One was in the half court; he caught the ball on the wing, had a clear lane to the rim and starting driving hard. As soon as a defender presented a little bit of resistance, he got soft and went with a weak ass flip shot that he missed. The other was on the break. He got a nice bounce pass, and had he gone up strong, there would have been a confrontation at the rim in which the likely outcome would have been a foul or him dunking on someone. Instead he puts up a weak ass lay-up attempt where he dukes trying to avoid the contact and again he missed. Luckily Iguodala followed it up with a two-hand dunk to clean up for him. Everything hypes Thad up as the next great player. OK, with great expectations comes a bigger microscope on his game and at times equally great criticism of his play. Just how it’s gotta be in my opinion.
Speights – zero rebounds in 12 minutes.
Overall solid win in the first game in what I am calling the Sixers’ second 2009 season. They’ve won 8 of their last 10 and are rolling. Their next 10 games are a mixed bag. 5 games against teams with winning records and 5 sub-par squads.
Next Game: Monday at a depleted New Orleans Hornets
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Dannie, you summed it up nicely.
“Be the best team in the Eastern Conference for the next 41 games.”
Even though the schedule in the second half looks a lot tougher, a team with momentum and confidence can get through it with very few scratches.
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/teams/schedule?team=phi
They have 6 games remaining on Tuesdays. If they continue this great run, I hope NBA fans have the sense to vote for this team on NBATV because their style is fun to watch. I am no fortune teller, but the Sixers-Lakers game on St. Patrick’s Day will be guaranteed on NBATV.
GO SIXERS!!!
Dannie, maybe DiLeo could have you piped into the locker room tonight against the Knicks for a bit of motivation?
I’ve been anxiously awaiting this game for the entire week. I think this game was deliberately selected for the return of Brand to allow for a full week of practice. I firmly believe he could have played against the Mavs. Conspiracy theories aside, I will be looking for many of the same things you pointed out. Most importantly to me is where on the floor he catches the ball. Early in the year, he seemed to be getting the ball out of his comfort zone and often in circumstances where the shotclock was winding down. I would like him to catch the ball on the block a few more times and make an aggresive move before the double arrives. The double should come a little slower now that the Sixers have shown the willingness to shoot the three. In theory, that would give Brand a bit more room to operate. We shall see.
This last hour is ticking by at an extremely slow rate. I am normally over anxious for the games, my girlfriend tells everyone I have a problems, but tonight I am twice as bad. To me it does feel like the start of a new season, with the long wait to Brand’s return, it feels like a new day. The team has confidence and so do we, similar to the official star of the season that was filled with so much optimism. I am curious to see how it works, hopefully it doesn’t turn out like November.
I will be watching how many times he faces the basket offensively and where Sam goes when they are in together. Sam has been short corner a lot with Thad at the 4 and if he stays weakside that should be fine with Elton too. I would loveeee to see him kick it out for a few open 3!s tonight just to get it in the other team!s heads.
Update: No Evans tonight (flu). He’s inactive.
Knicks have won three in a row. Sixers should be able to get a lot of opportunities in transition against New York. Be nice if they make their free throws (unlike in last Saturday’s 10-point win).
The Elton Brand experiment seems to be a bust for this season. He just doesn’t appear to be the same ol dependable 20points and 10 rebounds Elton of old.
Should play 15-20 minutes in five-minute bursts. Be interesting to see how much center he plays tonight — probably depends on Dalembert as much as anything.
Expect to see Brand get the ball at the foul-line area as much or more than in the low block — once the Sixers settle into the half-court offense. He seems to be more effective from there.
Mark – You do know there is half a season remaining right? Brand has only played in 23 games and only 2 under Dileo’s watch (important fact). Signing Brand is far from a bust by any means for this season.
And considering the Sixers have Brand under contract for 4 1/2 more seasons I wouldn’t call it an “experiment.”
20 & 10 for the Paper Clips (thank you, Pete Vescey, NY Post) is not what it seems. And he started out on a bad Bulls team. I think his stats are misleading. Should help, but he isn’t an 80 million dollar player.
Great first quarter, but poor perimeter defense and Sixers are down three at the half
God the “D” has just flat out sucked so far. They have to stop collapsing on the drivers, let them work for their layups, the Knicks have no chance if they stay home and contest the perimeter better.
Lets see it DiLeo, make an adjustment, they have to find a way to keep them under 45 pts in this half.
Nate Robinson to McNabb late in the third quarter: “I could be a DB, I promise.”
The crowd of 19,239 is the the largest of the season, just ahead of the 19,119 at the Dec. 3 loss to the Lakers.
Sammy was huge and Royal locked up Robinson in the 4th quarter. Dannie, I think by playoff time it is going to be tough NOT to play Royal more minutes if our offense is scoring enough around him.
Difference was trapping the pick-and-roll in the second half, rather than going under like the Sixers did in the first half.
BTW, I’ll be on WIP with Reuben Frank around 11:15 or so (depending when I’m finished writing).
Wow, I completely noticed what a game without Reggie Evans is like!! Nobody to urk the opposition! Brand had Reggie like minutes scoring Reggie like points. Although, I expect him to get more minutes against the Hornets and the Rockets in our two game trip. Plus, those teams are dealing with some injury woes. However, we MUST do a better job of defending the perimeter!
haha i came on here just to ask if anyone knew what nate said to mcnabb after chasing a ball down that went out of bounds. thanks tom. funny stuff.
While that game does not give us a solid indication of where the team is headed with Brand in the lineup, it was definitely a step in the right direction. Offensively, Brand did not disrupt the flow when he was on the floor and he was able to maintain proper spacing. The next two games will be telling in the development of this team.
On the negative side, as has been mentioned here many times, the perimeter defense was terrible. The next time the Sixers give up 15 threes the end result will be different.
Tom, good conversation last night with Reuben, it is good to hear interest in the Sixers picking up now. Dannie, scouting the college ranks for a two guard, saw a good one last night. M.Thornton of L.S.U. was coming off screens beautifully against a very good defensive team [Xavier].
The Inquirer was mostly Sixers this morning with the exception of our Eagles owner’s interview. With Eagles down, I guess the pressure is now on the boys on the court.
Tom, What else is Robinson saying out there? We needed Reggie out there just to tighten up that verbal competition. They kicked our but with their mouths and 3 pters. Fortunately, we won the game.
Suede, Glad Royal was left out there. Lou’s still growing up. Teachin him some professionalism. As Salmi says. He can put it in his little black book!
Jefferies at center? Sam licked his chops, feasted on the lamb. Of course, the alternative – not feasting – has been a part of his repertoire, so I’m grateful for last night’s effort. Nice job. If he continues focused, hard-work play, he’ll make a difference. (Did I just say that?) After his stock bottomed, pressure off, has found his level; is developing into an effective 25 minute man. If he continues to take to his role, the sky’s not the limit, but a return on investment in hard times is not to be sneezed at. Sammy D & ferocity: Knicks taken by storm!
Green: typical, self-controlled effective minutes; a good, balancing fit on this team of “high-spirits.”
Ivey: needed backcourt lunchpailer; 3 pt. accuracy a godsend … where’d it come from?
Miller: accurate foul shooting is BIG; small, unexciting deposits pay off at game’s end.
Iguodala: attacked Knicks’ limp defensive start; important in getting things going, set stage for a win.
Young: agree with your above comments, Dannie.
EB: term paper extension granted; has missed a lot of classes, participates when present to mixed results … classmates are not convulsing in laughter; are not bedazzled either. Grade: Incomplete.
Sixers up-top handling isn’t that strong. Surprised opponent coaches don’t attack it more with extended defensive pressure, double-teaming; turn the table … upset balance before the alley-oops, start own running game.
Nice initial 8 or 9 minutes for Sixers, the rest a struggle. Fortunate to get a W.
Very good game notes, Dannie. I’ll just mention a few of my own.
It was nice to be in the building with so many people. The first two games I went to (against the Wizards and the Thunder) the arena was less than half full and pretty flat.
Got a good look and a few pics of the world series trophy.
Anybody know why Cole Hamels wasn’t there? They had a Tom Somebodyorother fill in for him. I couldn’t hear the announcer over the PA very well. I think they said this Tom was a backup catcher or something. Anyway, Lidge filled in for the ceremonial tip.
The 3-point shooting contest was funny. Madson was horrific. He kept moving in closer and closer but he couldn’t make even one shot. Victorino dropped in 7 and had the best looking shooting form of them all.
They showed McNabb on the Jumboscreen at midcourt. He got a nice cheer from the crowd but it took him a good while before he finally made a very modest effort and barely waved his hand. Disappointing. It wouldn’t have killed him to stand or at least tip his cap. They also showed DeSean Jackson. In contrast to McNabb, he was smiling and waving.
About all the switches on defense, I was going bonkers in the 3rd quarter. There was a stretch where Andre Miller ended up on David Lee something like 6 trips in a row. The first time Lee backed him down and scored over him. One time Lee worked his way to the middle of the paint and inexplicably passed the ball out. Another time was when Thad made that steal. Anyway, the Knicks did not make us pay as much as they could/should have for that switch.
I was glad to see Brand get those couple offensive rebound putbacks. What I was not glad to see was when he got the ball on the low block and we did not have a shooter on his side for him to pass out to. Instead everyone stayed on the weak side and cleared out for him. This lead to Brand getting triple-teamed and trying to make a cross-court pass. I believe this was the last play of the 3rd quarter. Iguodala recovered the ball and got fouled just before the horn (and then proceeded to only make 1-2 at the line). Lucky we got bailed out that time. Can’t keep doing that.
jjg….Enjoyed Chubby’s very much, again. My wife is now onboard, too. Oh, don’t worry we never forget the fries. Good stuff.
bski Happy wife, classic cheesesteak and a crowded Sixers game (with a W) on a Saturday … life doesn’t get any better than that. A trifecta!
Jumpin,Willie and A.Miller, [17 shots,35 pts.] now that is efficiency. Blski, without a low post threat I didn!t understand the need for all the switching. N.Robinson brought back memories of when L.Free would just go off when entering a game pre [World].
I just wanted to make a comment regarding Brand and what appears to be Brand Bashing. Basketball unlike most sports requires a lot of individual talent. Football you can hide average players in schemes and play calling. I for one enjoy having a lot of talented players on one team. Having Brand means he’s another talented player the Sixers can go to for good shots. This city seems to enjoy the notion of sending talented players off when a little success settles in without them.
When Iggy couldn’t score a basket against the pistons and A. Miller had hit the wall, no one could keep the pistons honest with their offensive ability. Brand gives you another option. Its only been half a season, let’s see how it goes. Let’s stop the Brand Bashing and show him our Sixers support. Or he’ll begin to feel just like McNabb does, this city doesn’t really love him. I watched the game on the MSG station, Walt Frazier noticed the same thing regarding McNabb. Let’s show Brand some love.
You’re right, suede. Both were instrumental in win. Veteran smarts, solid play.
Nate’s fun to watch.
RRose – You’ll have to be a bit more specific. Honestly I have no idea what you are talking about. What Brand bashing? From me or Pete? In the comments? If so what comment? In the general media? If so who and what? A conversation you had with someone?
Hard to respond to your comment when we don’t know what triggered your response.
On the “Brand Bashing”: I’m not sure I have heard a ton of Brand Bashing as you call it. In fact, the city has been overwhelmingly patient with him to date. Sure, there have been a few boos at the arena, but as a whole, the city has been patient. He has played well below expectations so far, so some amount of scrutiny as warranted. However, most are allowing a reasonable adjustment period before full on bashing the guy.
On McNabb: In my opinion, this is much to do about nothing. Perhaps he simply did not want to take the limelight away from the game. And even if he didn’t want to tip his cap to the fans–can you blame the guy? He has been ridiculed, questioned and flamed like no other Philly sports figure in recent memory. I wish that sometimes he would get over all of that and realize the majority of the fanbase is supportive, but you can’t faul him for having some reluctance to acknolwedge the support of a fan base that he perceives as largely unsupportive. In any event, I don’t think it was anything more than him not getting caught up in the moment. He certainly was not trying to make any sort of statement.
jjg, I am still mad at Nate Robinson for beating Andre Iguodala in that slam dunk contest a couple years back. Iggy got robbed big time.
I actually think its a good sign that we can win without playing good defense. Most of our struggles this year (as far as stats go) have been on the offensive end. Its good to see us drop triple digits every once in a while.
The Knicks bench was great. They accounted for over half of the Knicks points. Tim Thomas was a tough match up for us. It seemed like everytime we were about to put the game out of reach, he would nail a three. And he just didnt miss anything.
A fun game to watch and its good to see a full stadium too. After these next two road games we have 7 straight at home. Should be interesting. I dont know about you guys but Im circling the Heat Game. Could be a game that we jump up the the sixth seed with a win.
RRose Couldn’t disagree more. Any antipathy, or even limitations of respect, that Donovan senses from fans, he’s brought on himself (excluding Cataldi’s band on draft day) with hot-and-cold play and big game failures, and his own passive-aggressive sniping in media relations (distancing activity for sure) from the bunker in his mind … an odd creation as he’s been a favored son of Eagles oranization for a decade. If you can’t stand the heat, don’t cash the boffo paychecks. He’s learned that lip service and hype doesn’t go over big in Philly. Goes for Brand too. “Just do it” or expect continued bashing, as you call it. Philly’s ready, is always ready – ask Bobby Clarke, Pete Rose, Moses Malone and Wilbert Montgomery; they didn’t wait for bouquets. You’re not great until proven great. Don’t wanna be here, ask out.
jjg, I have to disagree with you on the McNabb issue. Recently, I think you are right; he has made passive aggressive comments to the media and should let some of these issues roll off his back. But look back across his time here. When he was perceived as a “company man” the fans and the media got on him for not being honest. When he takes the occasional shot at the media or the orgnization now, he is criticized for saying too much. The media and fan base can’t have it both ways with him. You say all of the criticism he has been given, he has asked for? Did he ask for Rush Limbaugh? Did he ask to be called out by the NAACP? Did he ask for TO to steamroll his reputation and his team?
I do understand where you are coming from in some sense. McNabb needs to get thicker skin and stop taking things so personally. I believe that the majority of the city wants him back, knows he is the best quarterback this franchise has ever had and generally supports him. But he seems to listen to the vocal minority instead of the silent majority. So does he deserve to be criticized and scrutinized? Of course. Is the level he receives commiserate with other stars in this city? Not even close.
Take Allen Iverson for example. When the guy was here, the same knock could be made against him. He was a great player that could not lead a team to a championship. For the most part, the city still embraced him. Not to mention, as people, McNabb and Iverson are worlds apart. Why then does McNabb get the criticism when others do not? It’s the “Rocky” mentality of this city. We appreciate athletes that do a lot with a little and despise those that do little with a lot. It is not a bad trait, but does explain the love/hate relationship with many players.
One thing is for sure: the Sixers matching up with other uptempo teams are going to be FUN and high scoring. I can’t recall the last time I considered a Knicks-Sixers matchup FUN (of course with the Sixers winning those games of course!)
Chris -
We sometimes take durability for granted as far as Iggy,A.Miller and most of our team is concerned but seeing that Redd is out for the year gives me an appreciation for our “old” point guard who never misses a start.
Dannie I read a recent article with Kate Fagan and I believe another with Bob Ford in the Inquire that bascially says he has to get with the program. Its not blatant but its almost saying hey Elton this team is better without you, so get on board. Or better yet, not actually stated but maybe, just maybe ES made a mistake choosing Brand. I’m all for waiting patiently, championships are built with a lot of luck involved. During the Knicks game he got introduced with no applause no hey welcome back ovation. Pretty silent greeting. I just hope we aren’t too quick to look past the feeling a lot of us had when he was signed. OR I’m totally reading every thing wrong and I’ll eat these words at a later date. But I related his non ovation to the non response McNabb gave with his recognition at the game. They both seemed similar to me in a sense.
RRose, what are you talking about? Of course the fans didn’t give him a standing ovation when he checked into the game but he definitely got a very nice, warm response from where I was sitting.
The McNabb thing last night was definitely strange. They kept his picture on the jumbotron for a few extended seconds, almost begging him to acknowledge the crowd, which appropriately got louder & louder, but he just sat there with a completely blank expression on his face. The only time he seemed to interact with anyone was the jabbing back & forth with Nate Robinson. I did notice though that he stayed for the entire game. Most high profile celebrities who sit where he did sneak out midway thru the 4th.
Chris Iafolla Read and appreciated your thoughts on McNabb. Just have to say in reply, T.O. has no power to steamroll anyone’s reputation - we make our own, entirely. Also, Philadelphia took to Iverson, a flawed scoring savant who had many brushes with controversy, for his court brilliance, obvious competitive courage (that inspired ‘01 teammates beyond their norms) and personal authenticity. McNabb, as a personality, is like a suburban shopping mall: lights are on, open for business, but spending one’s time there is a bland and largely artificial experience … reason for the city/QB disconnect. Lastly, Ike Reese, a knowledgeable ex-teammate and frank commentator said on radio today that Donovan “gets a tight sphincter”
in big games and critical moments – hardly an endorsement of the QB who so enchants Pete.