Guys this is going to be really quick.
The Sixers better win. Period.
This is a game we all expect the Sixers to win, but deep down have been hurt by this team enough that we still hold a small thought that they could put together a clunker and let this undermanned and less talented Minnesota team come in our building and steal a win. No more times for clunkers. No more Golden State type losses. Every game against a sup par opponent for the remainder of the season must be a one. Not only for playoff seeding but to build momentum, experience some consistency and honestly give the fans a reason to start thinking about buying playoff tickets. Is it really a home court advantage when few show up to the games? I know I am personally on the fence regarding that point. Are you?
Pete is at the game because he has a man crush on Kevin Love so he will cover the post game. I will miss the first half participating in a game myself.
I will be around commenting during the game for the second half so feel free to get the party started early and I will catch you in a few hours.
Quick Post Game Thoughts from Pete
- I don’t have a whole lot to say because this really was a boring game that I probably wouldn’t have watched much of were I not there stalking Kevin Love.
- That first half was painful to watch in person. And just because Kevin McHale decided to punish his players (and the fans) by starting Kevin Ollie, Bobby Brown, Rodney Carney, Brian Cardinal and Craig Smith. But one thing I will say is that it has to be hard for those guys to get pumped up for a game like this. The Wolves aren’t great, the stadium is empty and the people who are there aren’t making any noise. I could hear everything Tony DiLeo was saying in the first half. Once the crowd got a little involved in the 2nd half, they pulled away. Not saying it was all the crowd obviously, but we weren’t helping.
- Andre Miller and Thad Young were going 100% the whole time though. Lou, Iggy and Sammy did not have their competitive juices running in the first half and much of the 2nd.
- Thaddeus is really blossoming and being much more aggressive offensively. In his last 14 games, he’s averaging 21.4 points per game, best on the team. At only 20, that’s pretty impressive. The only 20 year old averaging 20+ points a game this season is Kevin Durant. It’ll be interesting to see if Young takes the reigns as the leading scorer on the team for the rest of the season.
- The game turned when Royal Ivey hit back-to-back three pointers. When he plays, good things happen. He needs to play more. He can have some of Willie Green and Lou Williams’ minutes.
- Since hitting rock bottom at 13-20, the Sixers are 24-13. This season is way too similar to last, and the off-season will the be same again, as the biggest acquisition will once again be Elton Brand. Looking at their schedule, they should go 7-5 or 8-4 to end the season, putting them at 44-38 or 45-37 for the season. Will that be enough to fend off Miami for the 5th seed?
- I like this Wolves team for the future though. I picked them as a sleeper this year and they were playing better when Jefferson got hurt. They have a good core with Jefferson, Foye and Love (yes, Love). They have 3 first round picks and really need a PG. They are a piece or two away, but I like their players. On a side note, did Corey Brewer fall down an elevator shaft or something? There’s no way he shouldn’t be a rotation player with his talent.
- The Wolves need to design a play to utilize this.
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{ 34 comments… read them below or add one }
Dannie, I have a feeling we blow them out tonight. Defensively they are real bad and I don!t see a bad matchup on the floor. But I say that with a sliver of doubt because of past experience.
Well said Dannie. They must shoot the Wolves down like some Vice Presidential candidate, otherwise the Sixers will not learn consistency and one day learn what it means to be elite.
Also, we have some former Sixers in town that have been playing good bench minutes– Kevin Ollie and Rodney Carney.
They were great for us as bench players and their effort in the last two months of last season gave us a great lift into making the playoffs and ending the season on such a high run.
Carney is missed in terms of backing up Iggy and being a slasher who can hit some open threes.
Anyway enough said, GO SIXERS!!
Who knows what you’ll get from the Sixers, night to night. I’d like to see Thad continue his budding ability to get to the line.
we just look like we don’t care!!! There’s 1:17 left in the first half and iggy just scored his first bucket, (a free throw). i have confidence we’ll pull it out but we should’ve treated these guys like they were the kings.
rodney carney was a great bench player for us? please.
that 1st half was the most pathetic excuse for basketball i have ever seen. and they wonder why no fans show up in philly.
Like I said, a piece of cake!!! If C.Smith was 6!9″ he would be an 18 and 10 guy. Iggy has become our 3rd best attack the basket guy, its good to see Thad follow L.Will.!s recent lead and attack the basket. Mike, if we resign A.Miller and don!t have much money left Carney for [2 to 3 mill.?] could be a viable option.I want to give kudos to my older brother,S.F.W., who earlier this year made the bold statement that Thad!s offensive game reminded him of a young Billy Cunningham , well now that he is attacking the rim along with his “J” he is fullfilling some of that promise. Though he will never get 10 rebounds a game like Billy C. .
miami lost in indiana. we are .5 back.
i guess i’m in the minority here, but carney drove me absolutely crazy during his brief stint here. i do not want any part of him. tonight was the best game i’ve seen him play in his career.
Thad has arisen, the takeover is in full effect. He should be our leading scorer for the next 15 years. That is unless Willie G is still starting next year and Thad is back on the bench.
Thad is still dependent on someone to set him up or hand him the ball. his handles and one-on-one game are taking strides lately making his game more 3-ish. Right now he is benefitting from focused attention on the Andres as far as putting up points. the sooner he develops handles, the better. That said he looks to be a scorer type (20ppg); a perfect complement to the jack-of-all-trades Iguodala. Hopefully, this will be my final word on Young: Trading him in any capacity would be a very bad idea!!
Hawks lost too to Spurs. keep watching them.
Greek: better question….what happens once Brand returns? all this shemockery…POOF!! out the window, start again!
I have been wondering the same thing Jkay, what happens once Brand returns. Brand is unselfish though so thats a plus. With Thad, Iggy, and Brand its important that Miller if resigned is no more then our fourth scorer or were in trouble.
I am enjoying what Thad has been doing lately and thinking about the possibilities for next year and beyond just as much as anyone else. That said, the number one thing I think he needs to do is slow down and gain more control of himself.
Watching him, you can see he’s moving too fast and getting ahead of himself many times. I’m sure a lot of it is him getting in the flow and “feeling it”, getting the ball more, and being more aggressive and looking for his shot even more. His increased aggressiveness and attacking the rim is good. He just needs to be careful about crossing over into forcing things and playing out of control.
There were several times last night where I thought he was rushing things and playing too fast. He took a little jump hook from the left block without having his shoulders anywhere near square and without getting his head around and on the rim. That running hook across the lane seemed forced to me as well. I also thought that he was bailed out with a couple foul calls when he was a bit out of control driving to the basket.
I am not trying to take anything away from him because I really do see him getting better and better. To his credit, his aggressiveness did draw a lot of fouls. He’s knocking down that step back jumper with regularity. That stop-and-behind-the-back-dribble-drive on Cardinal was something. Also, on a play where I thought he was moving too fast and got himself into trouble———-when he dribbled into a double-team and was trapped only to have Cardinal inexplicably leave and give him an open baseline step through to the basket————he kept his composure and finished nicely.
Sorry if I seem nit-picky or overly critical. I just want to see him gain control of his abilities in order to make the most of them.
His dribbling has improved so much from rookie training camp and then the the end of his rookie season. And it has improved greatly from the start of this season up to now. The dude legitimately gets better every single day, and the great thing is that it’s not a cliche with Thad.
Why teams don’t double him is incredible, but sure enough it’s coming. The only problem is, who is going to make the other teams pay for doubling Thad?
Brewer tore his ACL early this season I thought
Bski, the way I see it by next year Thad will start to get a lot more calls from the refs. Rookies and 2nd year players don’t get the respect that they deserve. Thad Is showing now that he has the Demeanor to take over games. The cool thing about his scoring during this stretch is that it has been coming at crucial times such as other teams making a run.
I have a great article for Dannie, Tom, Or any other pro blogger. How about a 2007 redraft?
I’ll save you the suspense and say that Thad goes 2. Thad over Oden or Horford. Anyone have a problem with that?
What’s great about Thad is that the team does not run a lot of plays for him! That is why opponents have a difficult time guarding Thad. He looks great at both the 3 and the 4 (a 3.5). Thad will be able to play with a healthy Brand next season. Brand will not have to average 20 pts and 10 rebounds every game, like he does in his career. He can simply keep that in his back pocket and would much rather win games than worry about his individual stats. If we keep Miller, we would have quite a Fantastic Four (maybe similar to what Stefanski is thinking of when he wanted to follow a blueprint similar to that of the 04-08 Pistons). Now the question is whether Iggy can play the 2 or not? The slump happened early this season because the Andres were sluggish to begin with and the team was not helping Brand out when double-teamed.
Look at what Hawk fans are saying about playing the Sixers or the Heat in a first round matchup:
http://www.realgm.com/boards/viewtopic.php?t=892899
It’s funny, yet interesting when you hear the other side of the story!
Rob that’s interesting. Their focus is all about the match-up. I.E. Sixers are a strong rebounding team (offensive only really as we know that they clearly don’t) and have a point guard that can give Bibby trouble which is a big concern for their fans. So that makes sense that they would rather face the Heat.
Chalmers, although solid won’t do enough offensively to worry their fans with regard to Bibby’s defense. And they have a player in Johnson that can match up with Wade who is their biggest fear.
The really interesting thing is they don’t decipher which team they feel is the overall better team which is what I was looking for. It’s all about the match up. As they say “styles make fights.” And the feel the Sixers style poses more of a risk compared to the Heat.
But who is the better overall team? Sixers or Heat?
I wouldn’t go that far as to call them the “Fantastic Four.” The are pretty good with unknown potential and an unknown propensity to “click” together when all on the floor together for a full season. That is and will continue to be the BIG question. The new coach plays a big part in how that will all play out as well.
I am personally am not a believer in the Detroit blueprint at all. I’ve said it before and provided my thinking as to why many times.
You could do that for every draft year, I don’t think there was anything particularly special about 2007. Durant is the unquestioned prize of the bunch. Overall I thought it was pretty weak in terms of real impact players.
Horford is good. Oden I was never high on ever. His body issues make it nearly impossible for him ever to come close to expectations. I see him as Dikembe Mutoumbo at best (not a bad thing at all) and he has a long way to go before he even gets to that level. Conley will be a solid player at the point.
For me I think the greatest value from that draft comes at:
Three starting caliber and productive players that late is real strong value.
Thad at 12 was about right at the time looking at the teams 1-11 who was on their roster, what they needed and the perceived value of players at the time.
This pick for the Sixers to me looked simply like a best available on their board because in essence it provided a redundant player. They already drafted their small forward of the future in Iguodala three years earlier. They traded Thabo for Carney, a back up small forward they were trying to groom into a role of shooter/defender and they had Korver at the 2/3.
We needed a starting power forward (Webber on the way out) and back up center at the time (Steven Hunter not the answer). I honestly think they believed Lou Williams was their answer at point guard behind Miller and beyond at that point so they probably weren’t thinking point guard otherwise they could have took Stuckey or Crittendon at 12 or better yet traded their 21st and 30th picks to move up and get one of those two players while keeping Thad at 12. That still would have left them with the 38th pick to get a power forward or center (Marc Gasol since they seemed to be all about the foreign players that draft year).
There is my redraft for the Sixers.
Rob: still not on the re-sign Miller bandwagon at all. I say we sacrifice his leadership and offense for some new direction and responsibility. too few shots to divide between Brand, Iguodala, Thad and Miller. Find some schmuck with good D and wait to draft or sign a shooting PG or any shooting guard for the starting 5.
bski: your concerns are echoed here. the high dribble is also bugging me but it works so I am not gonna complain. if it aint broke…
Greek: No Miller. Thad has all the qualities of a natural scorer; he rebounds offensively but not defensively, doesnt dish out many assists, takes every shot he gets and shoots a high percentage still) I am less worried about putting points up (multiple offensive threats) than giving these guys some daylight. Even I think Iguodala is being held back cos Miller is the man.
Dannie: Sixers play harder (compared to Miami) but Miami has a better system (Wade + 3PT shooting) and plays easier. The blog was right, its not about who is better, I would rather face the Sixers. Wade is on the Heat, that is enough. everyone remembers the Finals game against Dallas. The whistle symphony; in F Major, B, adagio or fortissimo, either way it sucks to play against superstars.
Thad, Carney, Korver, Salmons, Iggy… Seems like BK did a pretty decent job at drafting players. Got to add Dileo to that mix as well. Green and Sammy not so much but they are both still here as Sixers with Sammy the more productive of the two.
Salmons has turned himself into a solid pro. He should have been the keeper opposed to Green but hindsight is 20/20. IF only BK traded Ai a little sooner maybe they would have gotten something better at that time. Miller however has played well and I hope they do the right thing and sign him for 2-3 more years. Otherwise, who do they use to groom the next PG? LOU? no way. He’s a shoot first, second then pass PG.
I say try and trade Sammy to G state for Morrow and Bierdrins. They have no defensive presence and Sixers need a shooter. Wishful thinking. Look for a true defensive PG in the draft.
Dannie: remember though that Billy King TRIED, TRIED AND TRIED to trade up but couldnt. tough call.
Jkay – I tend to disagree with “it’s not about who is better.”
I think it’s about who is the better overall team and style.
Since first round series went to 7-game format it took some of the fluke factor out. As well as the one player against the world factor. Meaning the better overall teams usually win. But style definitely comes into play as well (think the warriors upsetting Dallas).
So in determining which team I would want to face I would first consider who I thought was the better overall team then think about style and dominant player. If it’s close, style and whether the opponent has a Wade or LeBron really helps make the decision. You could also consider which team is hotter coming into the series as well and who has the better coach as I think coaching comes into play much more during playoff series where you play a team multiple times and need to adjust and counter.
But first and foremost I want to play the weaker team regardless of style. The better overall team will be tougher to beat 4 times (that consistency thing again).
Which is why I asked who do you think is the better overall team the Heat or the Sixers.
Also, the man behind Thad’s success (as well as the Hawks), in stroking the jumper and the threes with more accuracy is– MARK PRICE!!
Whatever the Hawks are paying him, I hope the Sixers can outwager them. I doubt it, because he like Thad, played college basketball at Georgia Tech.
Who in the Sixers’ franchise is the BEST shooter? We need that person to be our shooting consultant and perhaps help with our free throw volatility. We have guys that hit free throws very well in their careers and this season, but have been inconsistent as a team.
Also, Iggy seems to be hitting the threes better before the buzzer. His length and height in his shot is high and his elevation is so high, it reminds me of a Joe Johnson or a Tracy McGrady. If he can learn how to bank his shots and use that elevation to his advantage, we can definitely wreck havoc. Of course, I don’t want him settling for jumpers, but it will open things up more for Iggy and the rest of the Sixers. (As evident yesterday, Marshall did not hit a three, but his presence opened up opportunities for others like Thad and Lou to score more easily.) Iggy– keep working out with Kobe and learn what it takes to be the ULTIMATE competitor, but at the same time make jumpers and free throws consistent. Otherwise, he could be LeBron-esque (minus the strength,hype, and popularity of the overall public).
GO SIXERS!!
Sixers are better than the heat. Even with Wade accounting as 2 players the Sixers are still overall a better team. I want them playing the hawks not the cavs, or celtics that’s being real. Playoffs are about styles and match ups. I agree and anything they can do to make the road easier I’m all for that. Even if it turns out to be 1 series win. That’s an improvement over last year. Every little step forward is great.
RRose– I agree, without Wade (and a little bit of the Jermaine ONeal / Jamario Moon), the Heat are not great. Their home record, the team’s ability to get steals, and Wade offense especially are the major reasons why they are in the playoffs. However, their road record is so-so and they need every ounce of Wade to win games on the road. Also, their perimeter defense is not very good (not as bad as ours, but still!) We have Donyell Marshall, Theo Ratliff, Royal Ivey, Reggie Evans, and Kareem Rush, guys that have experience and have that road menatility. Maybe some of that is rubbing off to our somewhat polished young guys. I have to admit that their scrappiness on the road is highly underrated and they seem to ALWAYS make every game A GAME!! That is scrappiness and that is what you need in the playoffs!
Miami’s bench is still young and their frontcourt is okay (got a bit better with ’O Neal). I am very impressed with Erik Spoelstra though.
Now, the Sixers MUST take care of business against a worn out, but disappointed Charlotte Bobcats and not take them lightly. They took the Wizards lightly after giving up a 20 point lead and now they want to take their energy (whatever’s left) on us. We trailed them at halftime last meeting, then we made that run to beat them.
GO SIXERS!!
It would be nice if the Bulls can beat Miami tonight. I’ll be watching that one definitely, well, until Nova v Duke.
Rob, good stuff from Hawk fans. R.Rose, Sammy at the end of the first round is a solid pick if you look at production, and not at his salary. Danny, I picked Xavier to beat Pitt. so I will be watching both games tonight. Guys, I think Miami is slightly better if Oneal is healthy, can!t discount the experience factor.
I have a Nova vs. Duke preview in the works at this second. Hopefully have that posted by 7:30. Check for it.
14 FTA for Thad? Wow, he must have read my pre game post.
bski: I think that earlier this year Thad was learning how to play with more aggression in creating his own shot more consistently, and that lead to playing too fast. While he, obviously, had some moments like that last night, he must be becoming more comfortable. Between that and the increased FTA, I think a light might be going off above his head. Very encouraging.
If Rose is still hurt and Hinrich starts, then pencil it in as an automatic loss for the Heat. Hinrich’s D along with midget Gordon will keep Wade in check. And thats 50% of Miami’s offense held in check.
Bobcat game on Friday. Watch out, Cats are riding last minute surge momentum towards earning a postseason ticket. Playing somewhat well I guess. Enough to call this a ‘trap’ game.
We are now tied with the Miami Heat, but have the 5th seed right now by a few percentage points. Message to Sixers–KEEP WINNING!!
GO SIXERS!! THE “PRICE” IS RIGHT!!