Comments on: Sixers vs. Suns: Celebration is Over, Time to Get Back to Work http://www.reclinergm.com/sixers-vs-suns-celebration-is-over-time-to-get-back-to-work/ Philly sports blog for diehard Sixers & Phillies fans Sat, 13 Mar 2010 23:37:33 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Rob http://www.reclinergm.com/sixers-vs-suns-celebration-is-over-time-to-get-back-to-work/#comment-13668 Rob Fri, 20 Mar 2009 17:33:12 +0000 http://www.reclinergm.com/?p=5096#comment-13668 The Warriors played a heck of a game yesterday in a loss to the Lakers!  The Lakers almost felt a deja vu from last Tuesday.  Monta Ellis is starting to play better game after game.  The Sixers MUST focus on defending the perimeter and perhaps try and wear out the Warriors.  The Warriors run around like headless chickens defensively, so we must get ex-Warrior Donyell Marshall and the ball movement going!! Don Nelson is playing the young guys more, but Stephen Jackson, Corey Maggette, and Monta Ellis are still playing.  We must slow down those vets and put the young guys in panic mode.  Two things I am glad to hear thus far (prior to this game): - the Sixers are NOT going to take the Warriors lightly, even though they are eliminated from the postseason. (most important) -ESPN has made the Sixers a 1 point favorite (humble, yet weird)       I hope Lou, Thad, and Marshall continue their stellar play!  And I hope Dalembert can recover on the boards and Iggy can recover offensively!!  Perhaps a day off and a nice stop in San Francisco was all they needed! I will be playing some California music, including 2Pac, have some seafood and fries with Old Bay for dinner, and watch "Milk" prior to the game. GO SIXERS!! BEAT OUR EX-FRANCHISE!  GO FOR THE CALI SWEEP!! The Warriors played a heck of a game yesterday in a loss to the Lakers!  The Lakers almost felt a deja vu from last Tuesday.  Monta Ellis is starting to play better game after game.  The Sixers MUST focus on defending the perimeter and perhaps try and wear out the Warriors.  The Warriors run around like headless chickens defensively, so we must get ex-Warrior Donyell Marshall and the ball movement going!!

Don Nelson is playing the young guys more, but Stephen Jackson, Corey Maggette, and Monta Ellis are still playing.  We must slow down those vets and put the young guys in panic mode. 

Two things I am glad to hear thus far (prior to this game):
- the Sixers are NOT going to take the Warriors lightly, even though they are eliminated from the postseason. (most important)
-ESPN has made the Sixers a 1 point favorite (humble, yet weird)
     
I hope Lou, Thad, and Marshall continue their stellar play!  And I hope Dalembert can recover on the boards and Iggy can recover offensively!!  Perhaps a day off and a nice stop in San Francisco was all they needed!

I will be playing some California music, including 2Pac, have some seafood and fries with Old Bay for dinner, and watch “Milk” prior to the game.

GO SIXERS!! BEAT OUR EX-FRANCHISE!  GO FOR THE CALI SWEEP!!

]]> By: Dannie http://www.reclinergm.com/sixers-vs-suns-celebration-is-over-time-to-get-back-to-work/#comment-13667 Dannie Fri, 20 Mar 2009 17:04:44 +0000 http://www.reclinergm.com/?p=5096#comment-13667 <strong><em>Jkay</em></strong> - Disagree if you want.  Numbers speak for themselves.  Giving up a 126 points in a game strongly suggests no defense was played.  80 points in the paint with only 26 of them coming from Shaq and only 14 of them coming in transition.  That means 40 points in the paint from perimeter players for the most part.  Hmm what does that suggest?  Maybe no defense was being played?  Guys were walked down the lane for completely uncontested lay ups.  Willie Green on the point guard was ineffective as Nash was able to get by him on numerous occasions.  And there were simply zero rotations. Trying to play defense and actually playing it is completely different.  If that's not enough... <blockquote>"I don’t think it was running out of energy," said guard Andre Miller. "They just kept scoring the ball. It’s tough to stop a team when they have 80 points in the paint. <strong>There wasn’t any defense on our part or their part.</strong>"</blockquote> I think I'll take the players word for it that there wasn't any defense being played. Jkay – Disagree if you want.  Numbers speak for themselves.  Giving up a 126 points in a game strongly suggests no defense was played.  80 points in the paint with only 26 of them coming from Shaq and only 14 of them coming in transition.  That means 40 points in the paint from perimeter players for the most part.  Hmm what does that suggest?  Maybe no defense was being played?  Guys were walked down the lane for completely uncontested lay ups.  Willie Green on the point guard was ineffective as Nash was able to get by him on numerous occasions.  And there were simply zero rotations.

Trying to play defense and actually playing it is completely different.  If that’s not enough…

“I don’t think it was running out of energy,” said guard Andre Miller. “They just kept scoring the ball. It’s tough to stop a team when they have 80 points in the paint. There wasn’t any defense on our part or their part.“

I think I’ll take the players word for it that there wasn’t any defense being played.

]]> By: RRose http://www.reclinergm.com/sixers-vs-suns-celebration-is-over-time-to-get-back-to-work/#comment-13666 RRose Fri, 20 Mar 2009 15:42:01 +0000 http://www.reclinergm.com/?p=5096#comment-13666 Let's Go Sixers!  You owe us 1.  That's for the fans who remember the days of DR J famous saying.  Suns played their style better than the Sixers play their own.  With a rejuvenated Shaq it was just too much.  Both teams scoring over 60 points at half time spelled doom for the Sixers.  Chances were, the Suns would keep the pace and the Sixers wouldn't.  Game against GState is very winnable. Let’s Go Sixers!  You owe us 1.  That’s for the fans who remember the days of DR J famous saying.  Suns played their style better than the Sixers play their own.  With a rejuvenated Shaq it was just too much.  Both teams scoring over 60 points at half time spelled doom for the Sixers.  Chances were, the Suns would keep the pace and the Sixers wouldn’t. 

Game against GState is very winnable.

]]> By: Deans alter ego http://www.reclinergm.com/sixers-vs-suns-celebration-is-over-time-to-get-back-to-work/#comment-13665 Deans alter ego Fri, 20 Mar 2009 14:47:33 +0000 http://www.reclinergm.com/?p=5096#comment-13665 Dean,  your a mental midget.  Nothing has changed from the days of Narducci's blog when we ran away with your tail between your legs. Sixers need to win this game tonight, and to do that they could start by plauing some ! Dean,  your a mental midget.  Nothing has changed from the days of Narducci’s blog when we ran away with your tail between your legs.

Sixers need to win this game tonight, and to do that they could start by plauing some !

]]> By: bski http://www.reclinergm.com/sixers-vs-suns-celebration-is-over-time-to-get-back-to-work/#comment-13664 bski Fri, 20 Mar 2009 14:25:00 +0000 http://www.reclinergm.com/?p=5096#comment-13664 <strong>Morty</strong>....I didn't think you meant me, but I appreciate the clarification.  I put that comment from Rush in there not so much in support of him as to show the contradiction in DiLeo's quote. While I realize that hiring our long-term coach <strong>during</strong> this season might have been a difficult proposition, I have often wondered where going with DiLeo has gotten/will get us.  A big "selling point" was that DiLeo "knows" our players very well by virtue of his role in assembling the team.  Problem is, how much has his knowledge of and connection to certain players led to him<em> sticking with the same lineups even when things are going awful</em>, like you said? I've been wondering for a while now what side of the ledger we are coming out on, you know?  Do the pros of DiLeo being an "insider" outweigh the apparent cons? Morty….I didn’t think you meant me, but I appreciate the clarification.  I put that comment from Rush in there not so much in support of him as to show the contradiction in DiLeo’s quote.

While I realize that hiring our long-term coach during this season might have been a difficult proposition, I have often wondered where going with DiLeo has gotten/will get us. 

A big “selling point” was that DiLeo “knows” our players very well by virtue of his role in assembling the team.  Problem is, how much has his knowledge of and connection to certain players led to him sticking with the same lineups even when things are going awful, like you said?

I’ve been wondering for a while now what side of the ledger we are coming out on, you know?  Do the pros of DiLeo being an “insider” outweigh the apparent cons?

]]> By: Morty http://www.reclinergm.com/sixers-vs-suns-celebration-is-over-time-to-get-back-to-work/#comment-13663 Morty Fri, 20 Mar 2009 12:49:06 +0000 http://www.reclinergm.com/?p=5096#comment-13663 By "dude" I mean Rush, and not my man bski. I do think Rush was given a relatively fair chance, and neither shot the ball well, defended well or passed well. And I don't recall him rebounding well. By “dude” I mean Rush, and not my man bski. I do think Rush was given a relatively fair chance, and neither shot the ball well, defended well or passed well. And I don’t recall him rebounding well.

]]> By: Morty http://www.reclinergm.com/sixers-vs-suns-celebration-is-over-time-to-get-back-to-work/#comment-13662 Morty Fri, 20 Mar 2009 12:45:50 +0000 http://www.reclinergm.com/?p=5096#comment-13662 Echo all those comments about DiLeo. He seems to have the same attitude as Cheeks, in that he stays with the same lineups, etc. even when things are going awful. How much worse could the Sixers have been if they had played Marshall more often? How much worse would they be if they'd tried starting Speights at PF and Igoudala at SG for a strech? Why are the mediocre Sixers the very picture of stability? That said, Rush stinks, and had done absolutely nothing whenever given extended PT. Shut it, dude. Echo all those comments about DiLeo. He seems to have the same attitude as Cheeks, in that he stays with the same lineups, etc. even when things are going awful. How much worse could the Sixers have been if they had played Marshall more often? How much worse would they be if they’d tried starting Speights at PF and Igoudala at SG for a strech? Why are the mediocre Sixers the very picture of stability?

That said, Rush stinks, and had done absolutely nothing whenever given extended PT. Shut it, dude.

]]> By: bski http://www.reclinergm.com/sixers-vs-suns-celebration-is-over-time-to-get-back-to-work/#comment-13661 bski Fri, 20 Mar 2009 12:34:06 +0000 http://www.reclinergm.com/?p=5096#comment-13661 Getting back to DiLeo and why he took so long to utilize Marshall to provide the consistent perimeter shooting we have so sorely lacked, I found the following quotes in today's Daily News. <strong>From DiLeo</strong>:  "When we signed Donyell and Kareem, a lot of it had to do with Elton posting up and being double-teamed," DiLeo said before the Marshall Reclamation Plan was initiated. "That's when you need other people to knock down shots. With Elton going down, I think that hurt Donyell and Kareem." <strong>From Rush</strong>:  "Maybe that's the way [the Sixers' coaching staff] sees it, but not in my mind," said Rush, who has been a DNP or inactive for 23 of the past 25 games. "I didn't play with a big man last year in Indiana and I was pretty productive shooting threes. I don't think the uptempo pace [favored by DiLeo] affects the way I play. I got a lot of my threes last year on the fastbreak." So, we have a slight difference of opinion, wouldn't you say?  Regardless, the fact remains that we have desperately needed solid outside shooting this season and up until now (more than 3/4 of the way through the season) neither one of the two "shooters" who were brought in to provide it were given an honest opportunity to do so.  Why is that I wonder?  I mean, DiLeo's eyes are wide open now, as revealed by quotes like this:  <em>"Even when he doesn't have the ball, [opponents] have to be aware of where he is. He can stretch the defense by just being out there."</em> How revelatory!  Oh, what could have been!  Getting back to DiLeo and why he took so long to utilize Marshall to provide the consistent perimeter shooting we have so sorely lacked, I found the following quotes in today’s Daily News.

From DiLeo:  “When we signed Donyell and Kareem, a lot of it had to do with Elton posting up and being double-teamed,” DiLeo said before the Marshall Reclamation Plan was initiated. “That’s when you need other people to knock down shots. With Elton going down, I think that hurt Donyell and Kareem.”

From Rush:  “Maybe that’s the way [the Sixers' coaching staff] sees it, but not in my mind,” said Rush, who has been a DNP or inactive for 23 of the past 25 games. “I didn’t play with a big man last year in Indiana and I was pretty productive shooting threes. I don’t think the uptempo pace [favored by DiLeo] affects the way I play. I got a lot of my threes last year on the fastbreak.”

So, we have a slight difference of opinion, wouldn’t you say?  Regardless, the fact remains that we have desperately needed solid outside shooting this season and up until now (more than 3/4 of the way through the season) neither one of the two “shooters” who were brought in to provide it were given an honest opportunity to do so. 

Why is that I wonder?  I mean, DiLeo’s eyes are wide open now, as revealed by quotes like this:  “Even when he doesn’t have the ball, [opponents] have to be aware of where he is. He can stretch the defense by just being out there.” How revelatory! 

Oh, what could have been! 

]]> By: jjg http://www.reclinergm.com/sixers-vs-suns-celebration-is-over-time-to-get-back-to-work/#comment-13660 jjg Fri, 20 Mar 2009 03:26:09 +0000 http://www.reclinergm.com/?p=5096#comment-13660 "76 trombones came marching by, 76 trombones saved the day!"  Above and beyond, 76; excellent parading of hopefulness in light of the facts.        “76 trombones came marching by, 76 trombones saved the day!”  Above and beyond, 76; excellent parading of hopefulness in light of the facts.       

]]> By: tk76 http://www.reclinergm.com/sixers-vs-suns-celebration-is-over-time-to-get-back-to-work/#comment-13659 tk76 Fri, 20 Mar 2009 02:36:51 +0000 http://www.reclinergm.com/?p=5096#comment-13659 OK, I'll try and be positive and only mention the reasons for optimism: 1.  Thad has stepped it up.  The kid has a great future as an efficient scorer. 2.  Lou seems to have a clue again.  He is taking it to the hole and making a living at the line.  Even his A/TO has improved a bit recently. 3.  The team can see how important having the threat of a shooter is to open up the offense.  Maybe this helps them make some tough deceisions moving forward regarding Miller/Iguodala/Thad. 4.  Along those lines, they have really impressed landing Thad and Speights in the mid 1st.  maybe their future sweet shooting PG will fall to them this year.  They also went out and got Brand, maybe they can conjure a similar bold move that lands a shooter/PG. 5.  Brand (and Smith) will be back next year.  They sure will be deep and versatile in the front court.  Maybe someone can be flipped for a shooting specialist (along the lines of Evans for Kopono.) 6.  Good seats are still available ;) OK, I’ll try and be positive and only mention the reasons for optimism:

1.  Thad has stepped it up.  The kid has a great future as an efficient scorer.

2.  Lou seems to have a clue again.  He is taking it to the hole and making a living at the line.  Even his A/TO has improved a bit recently.

3.  The team can see how important having the threat of a shooter is to open up the offense.  Maybe this helps them make some tough deceisions moving forward regarding Miller/Iguodala/Thad.

4.  Along those lines, they have really impressed landing Thad and Speights in the mid 1st.  maybe their future sweet shooting PG will fall to them this year.  They also went out and got Brand, maybe they can conjure a similar bold move that lands a shooter/PG.

5.  Brand (and Smith) will be back next year.  They sure will be deep and versatile in the front court.  Maybe someone can be flipped for a shooting specialist (along the lines of Evans for Kopono.)

6.  Good seats are still available ;)

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