I am getting ready to head down to the game now so this will just be a quick conversation starter for the game.
If you don’t already know Miami is coming off a triple overtime 140-129 victory over the Utah Jazz at home yesterday afternoon in which Dwyane continued to run around and play with a golden blaze of fire around him. Dude is averaging something ridiculous like 38.7 ppg over his last 11 games and doing so efficiently, while also rebounding, defending and passing the ball. Two questions then:
- Will Wade and the Heat be too tired to compete at a high level against our Sixers today? Or…
- Will Wade recognize the importance of this game in the standings, continue to be NBA Jam on fire and make sure his team is up for the contest as well?
Those are important to know because for the most part Miami has been on a mission. They are beating good teams and Wade is leading the way.
The importance of the game is five-fold:
- With a win today and Piston’s loss to the Grizzlies we would move into sole possession of 6th place in the East. And the way the Piston’s have played I don’t think it’s out of the realm of possibility that they could lose even at home.
- Chicago bounced back last night winning a game they probably shouldn’t have against the Hornets – easily.
- A win also moves us within 2 games of the 5th seeded Heat in the standings and…
- More importantly ties the season series with them in case we both finish the same record
The fifth point is about confidence and proof. A win today will be three in a row going into a tough 5-game west coast trip. That is important for this team. Their consistency comes from their own self-confidence. Right now we have Sammy playing well, Thad being a scoring monster, Andre Miller having being as productive while doing less and Andre Iguodala do what he does best. A win against a playoff team sitting on top of them will only help to strengthen their confidence going forward. And I think that is extremely important.
Proof – I think we all still need it right? We still need to see them beat someone good right? Beat a healthy team. A team who is actually playing well and not in the mist of a downward spiral. That is what they have in front of them today against the Heat in our building. I’ve said it a bunch of times in my pregame posts. When are they going to really turn the corner and start marching up the standings?
I think today’s game against the Heat one way or another will tell us a lot about the Sixers down the stretch. It’s a home game they need to win and their window of opportunity to get in position to win a playoff round (4th or 5th seed) is shrinking game by game.
Let’s GET IT.
Sixers vs. Heat Game Notes
The Sixers took care of business, better yet Donyell Marshall took care of business this afternoon against the Miami Heat in a game the Sixers really needed. On top of that Detroit DID lose to the Memphis Grizzlies so the Sixers are now sitting alone in 6th place.
I am at the game with my girlfriend (she knows her basketball) and in the second quarter Lou Williams is in the game and Miami was playing zone. He jacks up three straight threes one of which was off one pass and fully defending and I started flipping out. I was screaming for him to be yanked and for Dileo to put a shooter in the game. It took him 3 whole quarters but he finally got Marshall in when the Sixers really needed him. And he did exactly what professional shooters do. Make shots. Didn’t matter if this was only his 14th game of the season. Didn’t matter that he hadn’t played more than 6 minutes in a game since December 6th. He made shots. Three big ones at that. He tied the game at 70 and then went on to make two more which effectively keep the Heat at arm distance.
Professional job by Marshall. Maybe Dileo will think about playing him a bit more when the team needs some shooting or to spark the offense. You could see how the other players on the floor reacted every time he made a shot. It infused a little extra life in them. And the crowd was probably the best it’s been in any game I’ve been to this season.
At some point someone needs to ask Dileo why the hell Louis Williams continues to play 20 mpg. Tonight he had 4 turnovers and shot 2-8 from the floor in 21 minutes. And there is absolutely no reason for him to be on the floor when a team is playing zone.
Sam had another solid game with 12 boards, 4 blocks and 8 points.
In both Heat games I’ve been to Dwyane Wade looked extremely passive and overall uninterested compared what we’ve all seen him doing this season. Today maybe it had to do with the back-to-back game and coming off a 52 minute game. But he simply has not brought his A game into Philly at all. With that said, Willie Green has done a fantastic job of hounding him and being his shadow all over the court. Not letting him bring the ball up easily, getting in his chest on screens and staying really low when Wade goes into breakdown mode off the bounce. Willie’s defense this season has been very good and worth some praise. Look his shooting has sucked in a big way lately, but he has provided good value on the floor as we’ve played against some of the better perimeter players.
Our three wing guys again played exactly the way I think they should to be successful. Miller only took 9 shots but had10 points, 11 assists, 1 turnover and 2 steals. He dictated who got the ball, when they got it and where. I would be perfectly fine keeping Miller at a modest price if he continues to play that way.
Thad and Dala lead the way on offense with 38 combined points on 14-30 shooting. They also combined for 12 boards, 6 assists, 2 steals and only 3 turnovers (all Iguodala’s). These need to be the guys taking the most shots and Dileo needs to make sure they are put in good spots to score.
Marreese Speights was very productive in his limited minutes. 4-5 from the field, 8 points, 5 boards, 2 assists and a block in 18 minutes. Of all the players this season he has impressed me the most by far. He is probably the best jump shooter of anyone who play significant minutes.
Big win for the Sixers and the Wachovia center was jumpin’. Here is when the momentum needs to build. Now the fun really starts. They their biggest test is on Tuesday against Kobe and the Lakers. A win can’t be expected but a strong showing is mandatory for me.
Next Game: Tuesday at the Lakers
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{ 42 comments… read them below or add one }
Dannie, for all the reasons you stated and more this is THE game as far as I am concerned . If they lose today any hope of the 5 seed goes out the window and we all know what that means. Miami is playing well and Oneall has been healthy so far. I can!t wait!!!!
Exactly — a loss would put the Sixers four back with 18 to play, as well as give the Heat a 3-1 series edge and the accompanying tie-breaker.
The Sixers haven’t beaten a winning team since downing the Suns on Feb. 9. Miami should be a little tired after playing three OTs yesterday afternoon, but Wade has re-established himself as the league’s third-best player.
Sam has to come out and play BIG and with confidence, maybe even mean like Moses said, with a swagger and some aggressiveness at the least. If he is in foul trouble or taking his random “day off” this will be a long miserable game. Wade is far too crafty, quick, and is pretty much unstoppable. If Sam isnt on his job it will be a show at the rim all game. Same with Thad, he needs to try to score 30 every game, no backseat.
Nice NBA Jam reference! Big Game. Our best chance it to run right at them and tire them out. My question is… Will Dileo actually impress me with his coaching today? I want to see how we defend Wade and the pick and roll.
If L.Will. isn!t going to drive the ball than play Rush, because he is just as good a “bad defend, take a jumpshot kinda guy.uy.er
Message to Willie Green: STOP SHOOTING! YOU SUCK!
We need a legit shooting guard
Tony, see it is good to adlib a bit with your rotation when certain players aren!t hitting their shots. Go to Iggy at the 2, or Donell at the 4, be creative because Ed said it is your job till the end of the year. Sam, another very good game and great effort throughout. Thad seemed to get less touches, I hope they don!t stop that trend. Willie, good effort on “D” but you gotta hit at least 2 more of those open looks.
Lesson of the game– play Donyell Marshall (especially in the second half). He CAN SHOOT!! He outshot our whole team from beyond the arc.
Play him the rest of the season!
Great Win, but tired legs for the Heat!! Let’s Get A Winning Road Trip (above 0.500)!!
I got a weird emal by someone called the Haitan King and it contained a few choice words for me. For the last 3 games I feel as if Moses has been printing of my negative comments and reading them to Sam in the locker room before the games because he has been playing like a beast for these 3 games. Keep it up Sam.
Great win against a team that we needed to beat.
Gotta hand it to Rob, he has been calling for Donyell to get some burn for some time now.
Jkay, still waiting on why you thought my plan was clumsy.
Irony is that Marshall, who had played a total of 11 minutes since Jan. 16, playing meant Young, who was coming off of career-highs of 29 and 31, had to sit more.
Marshall outscored the Heat by himself (10-9) in the fourth. The Sixers were 2-for-12 from 3-point land before he entered the game.
Greek: didnt put figure for Kryto-nate’s contract – key cos you really dsont wanna break the bank for him. or do you? LW for Raja Bell? putting quality of players aside, even contracts, why would Bobcats even want LW? a so-so shooting combo guard with questionable size. they already got backcourt logjam with Felton & co. Most importanly lineup is lacking a PG for pick and roll w/ Brand which should be our object when looking for PG for the future. or is it still Robinson that does that? somehow i dont see him running that type of play effectively. but u probably already got that covered right?
Haitian King? LOL
funny game. Heat were definitely out of it. Our Defense was REALLY impressive. better than before anyway. it helped us keep the Heat from tearing away when our whole cast went cold in the 3rd Q.
Marshall? LOL. We’ll see what happens now. how many DNP-CDs has he had so far?
Wade looked like he had smoked some weed 0r sumthing. so lackadaisical.
Lou Williams has become the new Willie Green (of last year that is). Pls. enter the bashing. maybe he’ll read it and pick up. He did make FTs today. thats enough for me. i expect so little of him nowadays.
Kobe!! shoot the J kOBEn how in thge world are we gonna stay competitive on Tueday? hopefully we have good shooting that night, you never know….GO SIXERS.
I thought Donyell Marshall, looked good on defense too. Did you guys see the floor spread out as soon as Donyell hit the court and made that first three ? Sammy, and Donyell out there together looked good. Some more playing time may be warranted for them together. I liked the way Donyell was talking and comuticating. Theo was up on his toe”s the couple min. he was in the game. Lou Williams, is like an infected toe on your foot, and that one toe is, effecting the rest of the foot. Like losing the lead, or going behind when he”s in there, like usually the first four or five min. into the forth quarter it”s like clock work. That toe needs to be fixed or get it take it off. This road trip, with five games in seven days is going to be tough, like Dannie said, a strong showing is mandatory, but I”m feeling good about this team and I believe we can Beat the Laker”s… I can Hope
Johnnylaptop – I am with you. I hope they win. I always believe anyone can beat anyone. That’s why I am really going to think through my pregame post for the Lakers game to see how the Sixers can get it done.
Dannie, Deleo looks leery of changing things up, if we were playing great than that is fine but this Marshall move paid big dividends and switching up our guards may be another positive adjustment. Did you notice the lineup we all want got a short run of about 3 minutes before L.Will. was brought in. We gained a point during that span with Iggy on Wade. When does the L.Will. lovefest end?
The Greek, they’re called “delusions of grandeur”
The West Coast Trip (Take Two):
3/17 @ LA Lakers– toughest one of the five
-it’s a rough neighborhood out there– Lock ALL Windows & Doors
-take advantage of LA’s defense in “la la” mode; they give up 100 pts/gm
-decide whether to contain Kobe & Gasol or let them do all the scoring
-opportunity scorers for the Sixers must come BIG since LA likes to take teams out of their sets. (Phil Jackson’s Jedi Mind Tricks)
-defend the three (and beware of “terror wrists” like Fisher)
-mental toughness (even though calls may be one-sided)
-may the best fastbreak win!
Maybe there might be a shooting match between Marshall and Kobe since they are deadlocked with 12′s threes made in their careers as well as the NBA history books!
3/18 @ Phoenix–second end of a back to back
-overcoming fatigue (second end fatigue v.s old Suns fatigue)
-tire the Suns out (have been falling flat lately in 2nd halves)
-defend the three (like last time)
-Thaddeus Young & Marresse Speights (must remember last meeting)
-may the best fastbreak win!
3/20 @ Golden State
-must win battle in the paint (like previous meeting–see EB)
-must break the offensive cycle–with DEFENSE
-defend the threes
-no complacency!
-may the best fastbreak win!(few fastbreak points the previous meeting)
3/22 @ Sacramento
-get the job done and no complacency!
-pound them in the paint
3/23 @ Portland
-jump out early and make lead insurmountalbe
-defend the three
-get your 4th quarter defense ready
-Brandon Roy
-remember the last meeting
-play Donyell Marshall in the 4th quarter
-maintain composure (remember last season in Portland)
HAVE FUN AND GOOD LUCK SIXERS!!! SEND US A POSTCARD WITH SOME VICTORIES STAMPED!!
Golden State will be playing the second end of a back to back against the Sixers (they will be playing a game against the Lakers in LA 3/19)
Sacramento and Portland will host the Sixers and be returning from long East Coast Trips. You know what they say about how difficult those home games are!
Rob: ‘decide whether to contain Kobe & Gasol or let them do all the scoring’ – good point!
for the Suns game, we should just bait them into playing run and gun, quick tempo with Cactus tiring out and if we defend their 3s real well, we win.
the rest…i dunno with these Sixers.
Johnny Laptop: on that last Marshall 3, did you see the ball movement? Iggy driving, then swinging ball round the perimeter from Miller to Marshall, to Thad, back to Marhsall. It looked SO NATURAL AND EASY! so elegant and un-clumsy like our ‘every-cat-into-the-lane’ sets with the dribble handoff at top of key. Wow we need to revamp our roster some. that play is a promise of what it could be.
There was one play LOU had the ball and Donyell was on the right wing. As LOU drove to the basket Haslem couldn’t leave Donyell alone in the corner because of the 3′s he just hit. The lane opened up wide and LOU made a driving layup. Its exactly what shooters on the floor will do for you. The reason why guys who have the ability to get to the basket can do so easily is because they have shooters around them. The minutes given to Evans should go to Donyell. Its time. Donyell, Thad, Iggy, Miller on the floor is our best 4 players offensively.
Speights is a potential beast article.
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/139671-marreese-speights-potential-beast
jkay– I have to agree with you. With Marshall on the floor, we looked like a REAL NBA team, the way we were swinging the ball around the perimeter. I sure hope Rush can get some minutes as well as a bonus, but if our perimeter shots start falling, we are a DANGEROUS team!
Let’s hope Lou Williams can get his groove back. Ironically, his great groove started against these Lakers December 3rd, where he hit 3 threes and scored all 15 of his points in the 4th quarter, making the game still playable. His great playing streak started December 3rd and ended January 24th(against the Knicks and Nate’s trash talking did something). The bench MUST be HUGE against the opposing benches if we have a chance of “movin’ on up”.
Opportunity scorers must be present during this stretch, plus all five of our upcoming opponents give up a heck of a lot of points!!
Not to be a downer because we won, but Iggy”s missed free throws are ……… up he”s the one who needs a shooting coach he needs to hit the foul line as much as he”s in the gym. Watching the games and Sixer”s are holding ther own all is good, the score is close, guy”s are hitting ther shots, you are up on your feet in your house screaming good thing”s Sixer”s player Drives too the basket and get”s fouled. Player at the foul line….. ???
Worse yet, when Iggy is on the line late in a game I am almost expecting him to miss. This is the product of being such a young team. Hopefully in 3 years when our youngsters are vets they will be hitting their free throws at a 80% or above clip
JKAY,
According to Ed, there was serious interest in Lou at the deadline. With Larry Brown over there in Charlotte anyone can get traded.
As far as money for Nate Dawg, I should have mentioned it but I thought it was obvious in step #1 letting Miller walk. If we let miller walk we could offer a contract starting at 6 million and on up.
I would offer him a 5 year 40 million dollar deal and see if the Knicks budge. Did you see Lebron call him a freak of nature yesterday?
On a side note there was a 6’11 Hatian Man wearing an overcoat and using and umbrella evem though it wasn’t raining following me through the city today. Sam if thats you, keep it up because I am superstitious and want you to play well.
2 fun facts about Sammy according to Wiki
At halftime of every home game, Dalembert sends one of the towel boys out to the concession stand to get his ritual mid-game snack: a soft pretzel with extra cheese
He can tell how fresh a fish is by looking into its eye
Is Tom Moore with the team? Just a little curious about what’s going on over in LA!
Even though tomorrow is going to be a tough game, but I am pumped up about it, thanks to our fastbreak game!!
Hi. I’m not traveling, but I know Miller and Iguodala sat out today’s practice (sore calk, lower back strain). Both are expected to play tomorrow.
Lakers are tied with Cavs for league’s best record (53-13) and have the second-best home mark (30-4). Two sets of back-to-backs and five games in seven days make the Sixers’ job even tougher.
Five foes are a combined 105-62 (.629) at home, with Blazers 28-6 at Rose Garden. Anything more than 2-3 would be an accomplishment.
Here’s LA’s practice report:
http://www.nba.com/lakers/news/090316practicereport.html
Rob: My fantasy ‘dream’ for this team: Phoenix Suns with D. Imagine running a fast break as we do right now but with shooters stopping at the 3pt line to do some deadly sniping. emphasis on ‘dream’.
Greek: well with LB anything IS possible! a sign and trade, Nate for LW and someone else might be the more likely outcome a la Joe Johnson.
on Lakers game: Last Meeting Bynum was playing. Made us have to adjust to having two 7 footers on floor, we played awkward lineups just to match up defensively. Good thing Sammy is extra motivated lately, he needs to hold Gasol by himself, Iguodala will ensure Kobe does not go 81 on us, from there on we just hope for the best.
X-factor: Odom/Thad matchup at the 4. Odom is equally quick so no advantage to Young there. Well test your hot hand here Mr. Young. Odom plays very decent defense.
JohnnyLaptop: bout Iguodala’s missed FTs – its all FOCUS! no shooting coach can save him. actually his form looks better now than earlier this year. there is a reason Miller leads us in FT%, his line drive aint exactly the best way to shoot ya know.
The Lakers play good “team defense”, individually, the exception(s) of Ariza, Kobe (when motivated), and Fisher (come crunch time), they are NOT GOOD! It is strange though that they are a contender that gives up a 100 pts a game.
The only way the Sixers win this game is if we play zone and if the Lakers are unfocused!! Most of their losses have been due to lack of focus. Also, Kobe and Gasol are doing a majority of the scoring, while the bench has been sagging lately, since Bynum went down. But the X-Factors to keep an eye on are: Lamar Odom & Trevor Ariza.
Here is today’s LA Times, another one of coach Jackson’s motivational tactics:
http://www.latimes.com/sports/basketball/nba/lakers/la-sp-lakers-fyi17-2009mar17,0,6834187.story
The royal purple-and-gold, majesterial Lakers will be entertained tonight by a band of spirited court jesters, the Traveling Dileos, until serious fare of game’s outcome requires the restocking of moat, the pulling up of drawbridge and the putting down of frivolity. King Philip rules from a view of many incursions. His reign disdains an interloper’s strain. “I’ve seen enough of their rubbish. Off with their heads, lancers Kobe, Lamar and Pau! Derek and Trevor, prepare the scroll and ready the trumpeteers. This shall be accomplished post-haste.”
The Traveling Dileos, classic!
Jkay, how about trading Iggy for Joe johnson? Then we could justify keeping Miller around because his lack of a perimeter game wouldn’t be so magnified.
Would you prefer Joe to iggy?
Rob - I will go ahead and disagree with you about the Lakers.
Kobe is good defensively most, if not all of the time. He is GREAT when he is truly motivated.
I will toss in Jordan Farmer and Lamar Odom as a good individual defenders.
So let’s look at this with some context and basketball application. I have them with 5 above average individual defenders. Now take a look at the positions they play vs. the positions of the Sixers top scorers. Starting to see the picture more clearly? Ariza and Kobe will hound Iguodala and/or Thad all game. Fisher and Farmar will hound Miller. Then think about Odom defending Thad. He will make it tougher to post up. Being a lefty himself he won’t have the brain farts right-hand dominate players tend to have when guarding lefties either. And although not as quick as Thad by any means, he is a much quicker player than Thad usually faces at the PF spot. That is a really interesting match up I am looking forward to seeing how Thad responds.
About the Lakers defense. We gotta stop looking at simple points allowed. The Lakers are 5th in pace which indicates more possessions for them and their opponents in games. Typically translates into more points scored.
They are 6th in defensive rating (points per 100 possessions) actually tied with the Sixers. They are 10th in defensive eFG%.
More importantly they are 3rd in point differential.
Not sure a zone is totally the answer, but it could be one strategy depending on the line up the Lakers have on the floor. They are only 17th in three point shooting.
Rob: The zone will contain the Gasol pick and roll, but the ultimate zone buster is on their team. He can TORCH US! are you willing to take that risk?
Dannie: good point bout Odom being a lefty. Credit Thad, but in post, opponents still havent stamped it in their memory that he is a southpaw and force him right.
Greek: Joe Johnson trade would be a steal for us. Will never happen but if we had the opportunity, he would be our go to guy. Miller will keep him in check considering he’s a little bit of a loose cannon. Ideal fit at 2. Thats kinda why he’s Atl franchise player right?
jjg: is your button stuck on perpetual sarcasm? but u’re probably right; it will be playing around till they get serious and send us packing.
Maybe its just their style of play or taking a couple of possessions off defensively that make the Lakers allow 100pts a game. They truly are motivated when facing the ELITE teams:
2-0 v.s Celtics
2-0 v.s Cavaliers (winning AT Cleveland– best win for the Lakers)
2-1 v.s Spurs
Speaking of brain farts, when they play to the level of their competition, such as those below or hovering around 0.500, they take a couple of possessions off. Also, Andrew Bynum really means a lot to them. They are very thin in the frontcourt and the frontcourt starters play a bulk of the minutes. That results in the havoc the Lakers can create offensively,even though they still average the same 108 pts, but it is not the same without Bynum. Plus, with Bynum, it results in a MUCH higher point differential defensively.
This season:
With Bynum Without Bynum
Points scored: 108.3 108.0
Points allowed: 97.5 102.3
Since Bynum went down, their point differential in their wins has decreased and very few blowouts have occured since the injury.
Don’t get me wrong, the Lakers will most likely win tonight’s game, but a little brain fart here and there, you never know( but that’s only a slight chance)! Let’s hope we can make things interesting, and I can’t wait to read your post for the Lakers!
Rob – It’s funny what I typed here in the comments is actually part of my post for today. You are always the first to start talking about the next game and I am eagerly waiting for this one tonight so I jumped the gun.
Dannie- Well, great minds do think alike! After all, we’re Recliner GMs(& Coaches)!
Are you the Jack Nicholson of the Sixers?
FLASHBACK: Last win AT Staples Center (Lakers) 3/27/05
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gVmq0VMy4iw
Just got off the phone with a name from the past — Brad Greenberg, who was the Sixers’ GM the year Johnny Davis was coach. Greenberg is the coach of Radford (Va.), the 16th seed in the South and a 26 1/2-point underdog to No. 1 Carolina on Thursday.