And the years pass by and the only constant we have is mediocrity and late season empty runs that get us to 35-40 wins and help preserve the status quo.

Last season’s late surge … was fool’s gold.”

Broussard went on to say :

The only suspense will be waiting to see if Larry Brown replaces buddy and protégé Maurice Cheeks on the bench.”

So 3 years later we are talking about the same BS. Just this time its from EFJ and EBS.

1)  Iverson’s ”stones” dragging then-flagging team into some pride and a competitive mind set; his presence alone on roster helps  

2)  Iverson’s recent absence, returning playing time to some who were feeling 
dissed/slighted by increased bench time and were chomping at the bit (after leg tingles of  #3′s return subsided and reality of schedule set in)

3)  swirling trade rumors and belated media ”boppings” that both implied and underscored strong civic and organizational dissatisfaction with team and individual performances, giving rise to a motivating fear of geography change and a spurring common enemy (the loudly-crusading “THEM”), setting in motion suddenly found esprit de corps of a heretofore splintered bunch

4)  favorable recent schedule and injury pendulum swing (Paul/Thornton; Yao/TMac/Lowry) 

1. About riling the players up.  I disagree 100% that Iguodala was “not pissed or anxious.”  Have you read his comments?  In general my opinion of Iguodala is that he is in a perpetual state of feeling disrespected and not valued and his comments scream that.  What other elite or top players talk about themselves the way he does?  They don’t need to tell the media they are good-to-great players, yet Iguodala on more than one occasion (not just this season) feels he must directly tell people he thinks he is one of the best all-around players blah, blah, blah.  That tells me he feels disrespected by the fans, the media and most likely NBA executives (he said he believes his peers respect him).  But again it all points to an insecure player and trade rumors only 2 years into your deal certainly doesn’t help that.

Besides that, as a player when you hear about you being traded the first thing that goes through you mind is: does my team think I am not good enough if you are the focal point of a trade.  If you’re not the focal point and just a member of the team it indirectly says the team as a whole isn’t good enough.  In the Sixers case the rumors are not minor deals to tweak the team, they are more of the blow it up nature and that screams “this roster can’t win.”  As a player that is likely to rile you up and light a fire under your ass.

2. About Jordan and Stefanski.  Jordan is on the hot, hot seat because he could be fired by multiple people up the chain.  Stefanski has already outwardly said no one is safe (not even himself) and that he wasn’t happy with how the team was playing.  Then then started with the same line/trend that eventually culimnated with Cheeks getting fired.  He is directly and indirectly dictating what the coach should be doing.  It’s not coincidence that after he says the team needs to focus on defense, Jordan starts focusing more on defense.  It’s no coincidence the game after Stefanski tells 97.5 he thinks Brand should be starting – Brand is starting.  Rumor or not this tells me Jordan is not at all safe and IF the team continued to struggle going into the all-star break and trade deadline Jordan getting the axe wouldn’t be a surprise at all.  I rumor is a rumor no matter the perceived credibility but the reader.

Stefanski has a longer leash for sure as the GM, but the team is not winning and not driving revenue and there have been enough cursory comments by people much more in the know than any of us to suggest ownership is at least thinking of going in a different direction.

3. As for the false sense of hope.  I just have to ask, how much attention have you paid to the Sixers the last 3 years? I mean intimately.  Read all the comments Stefanski has made over the last three seasons.

This team has been living off fools gold the last two first round playoff losses.  Stefanski’s comments have always been that this team closer to being right there than being a “major [restructuring/building] project.”

The general tone has been, “we were in the Detroit series, in the Orlando series. Just need the young players to grow.  We added Kapono as shooter we needed.  Elton Brand had that fluke shoulder injury that pushed us back, when he returns we will take another step.” Etc, etc, etc.  Fools gold.  I think you mistake that is being naive where I consider it incompetence.

Furthermore, the Eastern Conference mediocrity breeds fools gold and naive thinking.  You could be a consistent playoff team with a .500 record (sometimes not).  If you play hard and still lose in the first round the decision makers might think you are closer to getting over the hump than is reality.

As JJG stated above, suppose the Sixers continue with their winnings ways from now until February 18th and the team does nothing.  They are now only 4 and a half games out of the 8th seed in the East, is possible to make another fruitless playoff run that only serves to keep the team running on a treadmill of mediocrity and that worries me.

Miami squad that stormed back from that deficit was a strong one including Wade, Shaq, Mourning, et al (also beat Kidd’s Nets & 64-18 Pistons along the way to crown) – no shame in losing there.

Next year 1st round loss to Warriors was case of a loosey-goosey, run ‘n gun team pushed by well-informed-of-Mavs and especially motivated Nelson to an upset  - happens. 

’07-’08 4-1 loss to surprise Cinderella Paul/West Hornets, who extended Spurs to 7 games, not  ignominious either. 

What does strongly recommend Johnson to any NBA organization looking for a winning coach is his 4-year .735 winning pct. and his having a Nowitzki  (the Statue) - included roster finish (consecutively) 11th, 5th and 9th in league in allowed ppg, with Mavs dropping off to 17th the following year under Carlisle.  That AJ’s 3-plus year coaching stint represents the 1980 born Dallas Maverick’s greatest extended success would strongly inform an inquiring human resource manager too.  Don’t suppose he’ll have difficulty landing a head coaching job, if
interested, anytime soon.

Does he mean he want to try and be in a win now, band-aid mode like the last few seasons?  Or is he just blowing smoke to make it sound like he is not desperate to sell?

I sort of enjoyed the second half run two years ago (the Spring Before Brand), but at this point the fool’s gold wins are growing a bit stale.  We all know this team has the talent to be a low level playoff team.  The question is how to become a contender- and that probably requires front office moves and a step back.