Pete and I will be heading down to the game tonight and as usual I wanted to get a post up early so you guys can do your thing in the comments before, during and after the game.
This game looks much less intimidating than when the schedule came out. Utah is coming in very depleted playing without Deron Williams (ankle) and Mehmet Okur (personal). That means the Sixers will be facing the likes of…
- Carols Boozer
- Ronnie Brewer
- Ronnie Price
- C.J. Miles
- Andrei Kirilenko
With Korver, Brevin Knight and Paul Milsap off the bench. Without Okur this group of players is small (no one taller than 6-9 playing heavy minutes) so the Sixers should dominate the boards again. But they have been doing that anyway. As always the key will be perimeter defense that leads to easy transition buckets and offensive execution.
Deep down inside I really want to see Kirilenko defend Thad to see how he performs with a proven defensive stud on him. But chances are Andrei will match up on Sammy and Boozer on Brand because of their smaller line-up.
A game we all probably pegged as a loss given how the Sixers have been playing now looks like a favorable situation to get a solid win. Let’s just hope after 3 days of Mo Cheeks’ teaching professional basketball players how to play basketball the elementary school way things will start to turn around.
Sixers vs. Utah Game Notes
Frankly I am getting tired of typing disappointing and depressing game notes after the Sixers stink up the joint. At this point I feel like I wasted my money purchasing partial season tickets. So I am not going to waste my time writing about the same Sixer problems for the 7th straight game. Here are some observations I haven’t already pointed out to you guys.
Andre Iguodala Can’t Shoot – AT ALL
I know, you already knew that. But here is something you wouldn’t see unless you went to a lot of Sixers games. I always get to games way early. Partly because I like to eat before the game and beat the rush. But also because I like to see players’ pregame routines (if they have one). Louis Williams and Andre Iguodala have a set pregame shooting routine they do about 45-50 minutes before tip-off. Normally when I watch professionals and even high-level college players go through shooting drills they rarely miss. When watching Andre Iguodala go through his shooting routine, he misses a lot. Next time I am down at the arena I am going to count the made and missed shots. But for a professional player to miss that many wide open, no game pressure, uncontested jump shots says a lot about that player’s natural and practiced ability to shoot the ball. Also this wasn’t just today. I’ve noticed this before every Sixers game I have been to the last two seasons. I only now point it out because an $80M contract and high expectations lead to a fine tuned microscope on a player with me.
Andre Miller Is NOT a Good Pick-and-Pop/Roll Point Guard
I’ve seen a lot of people ask why the Sixers don’t run the pick-and-pop with Elton Brand more. THEY ARE! It’s just not being executed well. Nor is it as potent when you have a point guard who isn’t blazing quick or a perimeter shooting threat. Here is what I see.
- Andre Miller doesn’t set up the screen well, therefore the on-ball defender isn’t getting picked off enough to create an offensive advantage.
- The default defense against the Sixers’ pick-and-roll/pop is to always go under the screen. The offensive reaction to being played that way is to knock down that open jumper when the on-ball defender sags back to go under the screen. Well Miller isn’t capable of doing that, Iguodala has not shown he can do it, Thaddeus Young is a set shooter at this point in his career not a shoot off the dribble guy. The only two players that are half decent at making teams pay for going under the screen are Willie Green and Louis Williams.
- The result of my last point is little to no “pop” opportunities for Elton Brand. The big man on defense isn’t being forced to either switch on the screen or “show” long enough for Brand to get open looks. People keep talking about how well it worked with Sam Cassell. Now think about it again having read what I just typed. Do you see the major difference there? One point guard is a threat to shoot while the other is not. That means you must play Cassell differently (fight over the screen/have the big show high) on defense. I’ve known this since the first game, but I was giving it time to see if it would work itself out. But knowing Andre Miller’s style of play I don’t see that happening.
Kareem Rush May be the Black Version of Kyle Korver
Like Korver I can easily see Rush hitting a good percentage of his shots when open. When he isn’t open he isn’t a threat on offense. And the biggest correlation is their defense. Kareem Rush looked completely lost and overmatched on defense tonight, and his effort was even worse. Kyle Korver should have been shut out tonight, but his one made basket came on a wide-open three in transition after Kareem Rush slowly trotted back on defense after penetrating and missing a lay-up. If I were the coach, he would have been yanked immediately.
In the Arena Observations
When Kyle Korver was announced as he checked in that might have been the loudest cheer of the game. FOR AN OPPOSING PLAYER! That should tell you the kind of energy that was in the building. The Sixers’ energy and general demeanor on the court was just as bad.
Dikembe Mutombo was at the game and people started chanting “put Mutombo in” at the end of the game.
People started filing out of the Arena with just over 2 minutes left in the game. The Sixers were only down 9 at that point. The Sixers got completely booed all they way to the locker room at the end of the game by the maybe 3,000 fans that stayed until the buzzer.
Key Stats
The Sixers got out-rebounded for the first time this season 47-42 and gave up 15 offensive rebounds. This was largely due to the small line-ups Cheeks went to for stretches to match up with Utah’s smaller line-ups. Theirs did a better job on the boards.
17 turnovers for the Sixers converted into 16 points for the Jazz. 14 turnovers for the Jazz and the Sixers’ dismal offense only turned them into 6 points.
I have more I could say, but why bother? Fact of the matter is this is not a very good basketball team. This is not a smart basketball team. This is not a highly skilled basketball team.
People can keep talking this 20-game grace period non-sense if they want. But at this rate the season will be nearly unsalvageable (think 6-14) at that point. Like I’ve said all all along if there is no progress through 10 games something needs to change.
Next game: Tomorrow at Toronto
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{ 64 comments… read them below or add one }
uh what the hell, might as well build some confidence while they’re at it. but then again they could very easily lose still.
i miss korver! lol
http://www.sltrib.com/ci_10956012
Max – Good find. I don’t expect him to play tonight but if he does it can’t be much if there is still this much uncertainty.
Have to admit– Deron’s quite a warrior, but this is risky from the Jazz’s perspective!!
I would like to see, in addition to improved spacing, Igoudala run the pick and pop with Brand. Going to the hole is what Igoudala does best, and hitting the 15′ jumper is what Brand does best, let teams pick their poison. I think we know what Jerry Sloan would be doing if he coached the Sixers.
If there’s one thing I want to see tonight…it’s defense. I honestly could care less if our offense is looking wacky in the first 10-15 games or so, but our defense, both effort and cohesion, has been UNEXCUSABLE. This should absolutely be our strength, and I’d love to see great team defense, and actually executing rotations and help in the paint properly.
Morty: Great find about the taping X’s on the court in the other post, loved reading that little nugget.
Bski: We might need to have a “who can leave the longest post” competition. I have definitely met my ramble-on long lost brother in you haha. Kidding of course, but wanted to give a shout out for that awesome response you wrote out in the other posting, I really liked a lot of the things you said.
Brand vs. Boozer: This should be a fascinating matchup. Both are undersized PF’s that compensate lack of height with a total mastery of understanding how to use their body, great footwork, quickness, excellent pick setting, and extremely capable on both the low block and the high post. Both are fundamentally sound, and don’t make sloppy mistakes (although Brand has not been showing this off lately!).
Korver: I’m frightened by how many 3’s he’s going to want to hit against us. Then again, he might be over-antsy, and this could work in our favor if he just starts chucking them up too quick.
Samuel Dalembert: If you take one shot out of the 3-7 foot range from the basket, you will be hearing about it from all of us.
Ummmm … Willie Green matched up against Kirilenko?
Dave T...Thanks. I am very capable of straining the limits of the comment box. Glad to hear you enjoy reading them, as I do yours.
After watching the first quarter I know one thing for sure. Jerry Sloan has obviously used miles and miles of tape to mark the court over the years. His teams really do execute on the offensive end of the floor. They are fun to watch (not so much tonight because they are beating us, although only for now I hope).
Someone remind me how Igoudala averaged 20 points per game last year?
Hey, imagine that everyone…if Kareem Rush is given minutes, he’ll stretch the floor and hit 3 pointers! You taking notes Mo?
Yeah Morty, Iguodala is still a mess. Hard to figure what he is thinking out there most of the time. With about 2 minutes left in the half, Iguodala forces his way through the lane and turns the ball over. Meanwhile, Rush is all alone on the left side of the court. There was nobody within 15 feet of him. Still seeing lots of bad decision making by Iguodala.
bski: That is 3 straights concise posts, are you trying to throw the match to Dave T?
Hey, whatta you know? Igoudala plays well, the team plays well.
Indeed Morty…it appears Iguodala has taken his first step to waking up from his coma, and played one successful quarter of basketball in seven games. Let’s hope he stays active in the 4th quarter.
Wow, best quarter of the young season, we had all 5 starters playing as 1 unit on offense, and, especially, defense.
Morty…I don’t want to wear you guys out by putting up a long post every time. We’ve got a long season in front of us.
You’re right about the 3rd quarter. Unfortunately we followed it up with a real clunker of a 4th quarter.
Somebody help me out. Does Louis Williams actually have an assist this season? I think I’ve only seen him make about 3 passes total in the first 7 games, so I’m thinking he probably does not.
I checked. He had none tonight, so now he has 11 through the first 7 games.
i’ll take this loss anyday. they played ok defense which is good cos their physical ability could allow the to play much better D. This team, regardless of where they finish this year will lead the league in rebounds + blocked shots. the jazz were a lil intimidated in Q3. wonder is we can play two bigs; sammy and brand together. didnt seem to work in Q1 but came on like gangbusters in 2nd half. miller and brand pick n’ roll/pop was money every time even though it was very sloppy, jazz couldnt defend it, many miller lay-ups. one feather to our thin half court cap. Iguodala is at his best in open floor period, thats how he puts up numbers Morty. still poor handles and limited range. i was glad he didnt jack up more shots when he saw some of them falling in. most players do that. Jazz got a lot of lucky breaks. Given all this positive, I half-expect them to go and lay an egg (so to speak, like the Eagles) in Toronto. If they don’t look for them to build on this and get better. Its too soon to infer anything but this team’s strengths are really something to work with.
Individual player I was very impressed by:
Once again, Thad Young. Says a lot about this kid’s maturity and composure on the court that even though his shot was not falling at all tonight, he maintained the same amount of energy throughout the game. I really liked that instead of sulking, he found other ways to contribute: had a great rebounding game (especially did great with blocking out his man), took time to look for the open man, played solid defense, and the shots he took, with a few exceptions, were in the flow of the offense. The production we got from him on a bad game is a great sign for Thad’s future.
Wow! What a difference all that practice makes. If you can’t tell I’m being sarcastic. The team looked good for about 10 mins of the 3rd quarter. At that rate they would need like 16 days off to play a whole game well. Turnovers still a prob Mo Cheeks will not last 20 games if these team keeps playing this way.
I was a Cheeks supporter but it is clear he cannot coach this team. They come out flat after 4 days rest, they are not crisp at all in the start of the game. Perfect example coming out of timeouts it is obvious that the team does not have a play called the basically just do isolations.
I saw like 2 pick and pops tonight which were both successful why is this not done more often.
Brand is pressing, he is getting the ball stripped down low. He looks uncomfortable and was outplayed badly by Boozer.
Lou Wil has def digressed he had some awful turnovers tonight, that killed different momentum runs.
Iggy again stats OK, but if you watched the game he made bad decisions and every time I see him now I cant believe how much money he makes for what he brings to the table. He is basically a hustle player who is good in the open court. He is grossly overpaid and annoying to watch.
They will get pasted tomorrow as well, this team is so disappointing.
Disappointing loss tonight guys. I have a few observations and game notes coming now.
Iguodala is a glorified streetball player, plain and simple. Getting psyched for 1 (3rd) quarter of determined play is hardly enough. Got used by Brewer in 4th. AI2’s individual man defense often stinks. 6 yrs, 80 million plus incentives – Stefanski must’ve made that decision down the shore at 3 in the morning.
I’ll take Boozer over Brand. Quicker, more athletic, relentless, nifty around the bucket.
Williams vs. Miller. No contest. One runs an offense cooly and efficiently; the other mistakes himself for a shooting guard.
No answers from Sixers’ bench tonight.
Jazz gets it done without Okur, Harpring and another. A team to be reckoned with in the West.
Does anyone else want to punch their own face in while watching this team so far this season? They play one good quarter each and every game and then they are the worst team in the league for the rest. As far as I am concerned they haven’t won one game yet. Knicks and the Kings. Please, I would expect those home wins from any team, even though the knicks are playing well. At least I can be proud of myself for still having operational remote controls and no holes in the walls…….sigh.
There was a post a while ago where someone said that Cheeks wasn’t the right coach for this team, and I completely disagreed with them, sorry to whoever that was. You were right and I was wrong. Where is the execution? It’s probably hanging out with my optimism, if any one can find them, let me and the coaching staff know asap.
The worst part about it is , normally my expectations are low, just a good solid game where they play their best. This team is better than their record, but they haven’t put in the constant effort to succeed. IT IS PAINFUL!
I remember saying before the season started to a friend:
“As long as this team stays in the .500 range, I’ll be cool while the offense learns to click as long as we’re playing great team defense and hustling our butts off (something at the time I thought was a given). At the very least, even if they don’t gel quickly, they can’t possibly be as frustrating as the 01-02 Sixer team, which made me want to bang my head against the wall more in the first 10 games of an NBA season then any other I can remember.”
Congratulations 01-02 Sixers team…you may now RIP knowing that the 2008-2009 76ers, after committing almost $200 million dollars to our players, has now ousted you as the single most frustrating start to a Sixers season in the 00’s decade.
Wow.
The optimist in me (although it’s starting to quaver) requires me to write:
I still am sticking to my faith of what I’ve said since the Brand and Iguodala resignings: this is a 47-49 win team, that WITH GOOD COACHING AND LEADERSHIP, a team that needs time to click, and will pull together and play up to there ability.
We are off to a horrendous start…but I do think we will hit the .500 mark, and come around 20 games, things will start to pick up steam. Everything with this team needs to start with DEFENSE…right NOW…so we can start forcing some turnovers and run the damn ball.
I love the Iguodala pre-game shooting inside information.
That’s interesting.
Dannie: Your comment about the pick & pop with Andre Miller is right on, great call. A huge reason why PG’s like Steve Nash and Chauncy Billups have had such great success on pick/pop plays is exactly for the reason you state: defenders can’t take the easy route of going underneath the pick. If they do, that buys a Nash or Billups the one second they need to pull back and bury a three. Also a huge reason why Jason Kidd has less success in a halfcourt offense, and why amazing college PG’s like Brevin Knight and Jacque Vaughn haven’t had as much success in the NBA.
To add to your comment for when a PG can’t shoot great from the outside, one of the ways to combat this is when the defender being screened backs up to slide under the pick, he’s naturally left slightly off balance and leaning to one direction, which is a prime time situation for a PG to simply drive straight to the rack while the defender’s balance and direction are off.
Of course, this caters more to guards that have quickness as a huge advantage: Allen Iverson, Monte Ellis, Dwyane Wade, Tony Parker, Chris Paul etc. All those guys can’t kill people with a three, but they can’t just smoke you with a first step the second they sense any hesitation with a defender. Obviously, A-Miller is not going to blinding anyone with lightning quick speed anytime soon, taking away that type of option.
The one advantage A-Miller does tend to have is his bball IQ, knowing how to use his body, and general veteran savvy. While so far he has not shown this (much to our discontent), it will probably come down to really fine tuning and executing this play with complete accuracy, and most importantly, A-Miller properly reading the defense to find opportunities for when this play should be run.
it was very weird to watch this team play close up last night. they didn’t look like they cared AT ALL. no emotion at all. and Mo Cheeks was doing practically ZERO coaching on the sidelines.
im convinced we are tanking the season to get my man Ricky Rubio.
My Christmas dream of a Fandango Family Fun Pack is going up in smoke.
Sixers, eventually, will feast on lesser teams with their running game, and the local media aggrandizement will return. Against league’s “steel” though, Sixers are aluminum cans, curbside stuff.
Brand, post-game: “We made a great run, we had the lead, the next unit came in … We’ve gotta communicate better … .” Loser comment, deflecting blame; account for yourself (and 3.57 TOs/gm), Elton – first tenet of leadership. Boozer, Kirilenko and Millsap outdid Sixers’ big men.
Bob Ford, Inquirer columnist: on Sixers’ 20-4 3rd Quarter surge: “… stretches like that are junk food for a team that must learn to eat their vegetables.” Perfectly phrased.
Kind of reminds me of my highschool freshman coaching days a long time ago. When in the learning/development stage the players are thinking too much and not reacting on instinct BUT this is the NBA.
This is a Jekyll and Hyde team!
The Good:
-Starting Lineup is Slowly Starting To Click(except for the Florida trip)
-That 3rd Quarter! (Bottle Up Whatever That Was)
They were great on both ends of the floor in that quarter!!
-The Andres are starting to heat it up!
-Elton Brand- 6 blocks
-Speights is starting to get minutes
The Bad:
-TURNOVERs- UT: 14 PHI: 16 (11 in 1st half)
The Sixers need to stop overpushing the ball when the opportunity isn’t there. Ronnie Price made two or three unbelievable saves from out of bounds!
-There is more contact this season and a lot of no calls!!
Message to Sixers– ACCEPT IT (and stop complaining, especially Iggy!)
-Cheeks’ reaction time to subbing in players.
Every time we gave Miller and Brand long periods of rest after they were playing extremely well in the 1st and 3rd quarters, the Jazz went with their bench and made some huge runs which resulted in a big deficit for the Sixers!
-Cheeks MUST establish a consistent and proper rotation and use the bench properly. He has a gold mine and doesn’t know it!
Kareem Rush & Donyell Marshall can hit 3s without jumping high!!
Lou Williams and Willie Green are streaky shooters and have been ineffective the last 3 games.
-Deron Williams MADE his Season Debut! The Jazz are going to be great this season as long as they play better on the road and avoid committing silly fouls!
-Thaddeus Young had an “Off-Night” in the “Young’ season!
Overall, this team is a weird one for people to get a sense of, but again, give them time!!
If they can reduce those turnovers and Mo can get a much better handle on the situations in games, as well as get a better feel of his squad, this team will be great.
I wonder, what if Ed did not give Mo that extension? Would it have changed Mo’s approach to a more cautious one and his coaching decisions would be sharper than now? Your thoughts?? And we have a big, tough game tonight against the Raptors!! Good luck with that!!
Rob – I would agree with you if mean Jekyll and Hyde both suck. There hasn’t been hardly any positive with this team and winning two games against the Knicks (who are 4-3 by the way) and Sacramento (who by the way have 1 more win than the Sixers at 3-5) doesn’t represent mean the Sixers have had any above average performances.
I guess 4 days isn’t enough time to make any improvements. After reading about the X’s on the floor and the emphasis on spacing, I expected to see Brand getting more and better touches with some room to operate. I also expected to see better ball movement resulting in more efficient half-court sets. I wasn’t expecting a complete transformation in such a short time, just noticeable progress. I didn’t see it.
Brand got hardly any touches in the first half. In fact, if memory serves, his first shot came 3 minutes into the game after he got a defensive rebound and brought the ball up the floor himself. Also, when Brand did get the ball in the post, there were still no outlets for him. I didn’t see a guy on the strong side for him to pass to most of the time. On top of that, the lane was clogged a bunch of times. Not exactly what I thought we would see.
I realize that Miller, Williams, Iguodala, and pretty much everyone else was testing Deron William’s ankle by driving it right at him every chance they got, but I really thought we would see better ball movement.
I’m starting to wonder, just like you Dannie, if buying that 5-game package was a good idea. I don’t relish the thought of driving 5 hours (2 1/2 down and back) to watch bad basketball.
OK, I have to get off the negativity for a bit. The Sixers are rapidly draining all the left over “feel good” I’ve accumulated from the Phillies championship run.
I, along with my two sons, are heading down the Northeast Extension for the game on Saturday. I am looking for some place good to stop for dinner on the way into the city. Preferably non-chain, as I’m tired of going to Fridays on City Line, and close to the Wachovia Center. Any suggestions?
Does anyone know if Bob’s Steaks in Manayunk is still in business? My college roommates and I liked to go to the Grape St. Pub and we would always walk around the corner and go to Bob’s. I’d love to go again, for old time’s sake, and I know my boys would enjoy it.
Is it me or is Mo trying to have the Sixers play “Nellie” ball in the East? I hope we are not the Golden State Warriors of the East if this means “small” ball or some “other” name Charles Barkley called the Warriors.
Same result against the Jazz– whether it be the Warriors or the Sixers– small ball DOES NOT WORK against big, chiseled bodies like the Jazz.
Mo needs to do what the Pistons and the Celtics do on offense– RIDE THE HOT HAND. Yesterday, Miller had a great game and probably would have helped us win the game had the starters been inserted immediately once the Jazz started leading in the 4th quarter. Miller was vintage offensively.
Anticipate the month of December for the Sixers if things get even worse! The last two seasons, that month has led to some big decisions resulted in a great boost of energy for the team.
06-07:
-Sixers traded Iverson and McFarlin for Miller, Joe Smith (exp. contract), and 2 draft picks (one being Jason Smith and the other being scraped as Derrick Byars)
07-08:
-Sixers replaced Billy King with Ed Stefanski
1)Made a bold move trading a favorite in Korver for a future draft pick and Giricek (exp contract).
2)”Encouraged” Mo to play the young guys more and have an uptempo game!
08-09: That is going to be interesting and I still trust Stefanski!
-MOST LIKELY, Ed will talk to Mo for further advice, because he thinks and observes like a fan and probably understands how most fans feel about this team. Let’s not forget what city they are playing for– Philadelphia (a city of TOUGH Brotherly Love).
-Maybe a move to get a SG (starter or not) for two players, just as long as it doesn’t hurt our depth!!
-Kevin Ollie is well missed as a backup to Miller–Lou is reckless as a PG! (Another reason why the TO’s are up!)
Andre Iguodala, 6th man???
-Look at Kirilenko for the Jazz and Odom for the Lakers, they both were reluctant, but look at the results. For Utah, Brewer was impressive in that 4th quarter, but decent as a starter at SF. C.J Miles still needs to find his rhythm. For LA, Vladimir Radmanovic as the starting SF has treading well, but they have Trevor Ariza playing more minutes. Ariza is starting to show that Orlando made a big mistake trading him. Of course, Mo is no Sloan or Jackson (both perfectionists and masters of ball movement and their teams learn from their mistakes during the game without calling many timeouts! Their teams think for themselves without having to be told everything!)
-Could help Iggy offensively and matchup better against other second units, where most are not great when they go to their second units.
BE PATIENT AND IN ED STENFANSKI WE TRUST!!!
bski For good Philly flavor, I recommend Chubby’s Steaks in Roxborough (across the street from their more famous competitor D’Alessandros), 1 block off of Walnut Lane on Henry Ave (and 2 blocks east of Ridge Ave). Directions: Get off Expressway at Manayunk exit, cross bridge, follow straight to top of hill, turn R at Ridge Ave, turn L at Walnut Lane, rubberneck L at 1st light, you’ll see it. Quick, gustatorial delights in an environment that Rachel Ray or Martha Stewart might shun.
Does anyone know why Mutumbo was in Philly? I know his agent is David Falk, the same agent for Brand. The Rockets sure miss him though as Yao’s backup because that team is plagued with injuries.
Mutumbo had an appointment with rheumatology specialist for arthritic right index finger. Doctor suggested cutting down on his blocked shots.
jjg…Thanks. Sounds perfect. As of right now that’s where we’ll go, but I am still open to more Sixers pre-game dinner suggestions from anyone.
What if the Sixers tried this deal with the Hornets if Reggie Evans & Willie Green get fewer minutes:
http://games.espn.go.com/nba/features/traderesult?players=1828~2004~1709~1051&teams=3~3~20~20&te=&cash=
For the Sixers:
-Mike James is a scoring guard who can also make plays, he can be the SG as a starter or off the bench and has a ring with the Pistons.
-Melvin Ely still provides some frontcourt depth and has a ring with the Spurs
-Most importantly, they have expiring contracts!!
For the Hornets,
-They need frontcourt depth and Evans will give them the hustle and rebounds off the bench!
-Willie Green could perhaps fill that Pargo spot as a quick lightning scorer.
What do you guys think?
Hornets coach Byron Scott said he’s been disappointed with James’ play as the backup point guard, preferring he shoot less and pass more, the New Orleans Times-Picayune reports. (Nov 11)
wow from what everyone is saying right now, i guess the game wasn’t impressive. guess that makes me an idiot; the Orlando game was the nadir of this season. i didnt believe that they could play any worse and this game was appreciably better. they still lost but they were competitive (albeit the jazz didnt even play well). Anyone happy? uh well. on to Toronto.
Someone said something about Iguodala as a sixth man; Ed Stefanski pays attention to blogs right? Some way Mo Cheeks can get that idea into his head like SOON!
is there an OJ Mayo-like guard in next years draft? Just asking!
The Sixers’ starters were “NSYNC” in the 3rd quarter, until Mo pulled the plug in the 4th quarter and played some “Jazz” records, a (6-1) record that is!
I sure hope Ed does read about the possible trade we could make!
With the trade I propose, this would allow Lou more minutes from the bench and perhaps have him be more of the scoring guard, now it really depends on how Mo would use Mike James. James can hit threes with confidence rather than streakiness and perhaps we can open more minutes for Kareem Rush and hopefully Donyell Marshall. Let ThreeDom Ring!!
Roster:
Starters
Andre Miller
Andre Iguodala
Thaddeus Young
Elton Brand
Samuel Dalembert
Bench:
Lou Williams
Royal Ivey
Mike James
Kareem Rush
Donyell Marshall
Theo Ratliff
Marresse Speights
Jason Smith
Melvin Ely
Now, this is just a proposed deal made through a trade machine!! Only a suggestion!
Video play of Mike James:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6gY1MVDNKw
Rob…I can’t see that trade doing much for us now. Green and Evans aren’t the biggest of concerns right now, IMO. Willie is playing 18 min per game and Reggie is playing 12. I don’t know that James and Ely would be on the court enough to make a noticeable difference for us. Also, Rush is getting very few minutes and Marshall is getting none. I can’t figure how bringing in James and Ely will increase their court time.
Our biggest problems right now lie with our starting five. Things are going to stay pretty much the way they are with us until they get straightened out. A tweak trade of bench players isn’t going to help with that.
Now, this deal could help us next year. Trading our remaining commitments to Willie and Reggie for expiring contracts will free up some cap space. Depending on what happens with Andre Miller this year, we could have some money to spend next offseason, which might come in handy.
This will present more minutes for Rush. The team is missing an actual SG, not since the Iverson trade. The trade is not a big one, but it shifts the roster in terms of how Iguodala can play and perhaps get him back to how he got an NBA spot in the first place–be a defensive stopper again along with the stats that come with it. Willie and Evans are getting those minutes, but nothing much is produced out of those minutes. Willie Green and Lou Williams are taking amateur three point shots, the kinds average people take where they have to jump so high just to make one. It seems like they are on swing sets just to launch those shots. Real shooters don’t have to jump so high to make the threes! Yes, it is still early, but this is just a deal to consider and think about!
We’ll see how today’s game will go!
Here is the profile of Mike James from Hoopshype:
http://hoopshype.com/players/mike_james.htm?nav=page
Rob – That trade doesn’t do anything except free up some cap space at the end of the year with those expiring contracts. If you are looking to improve the team significantly you need to trade a top 6 player on the roster.
What you have to understand is having Willie Green on the roster isn’t really taking minutes from Rush. If Mo and Stefanski for that matter thought Rush was a much better player he would be on the court.
Also if the Sixers traded Reggie Evans we would have the most non-descript, low energy bland emotional basketball team in the NBA. No one on this team gets fired up but Evans and it is a welcome and I think necessary characteristic to have. I can tell Brand wants to be more fired up but I think in his mind his play hasn’t been good or consistent enough to warrant it. I would only trade Reggie as a package with another good player to net the Sixers an impact player.
Andre Miller is equivalent to the blank faced guy from the AND 1 logo. He just looks like he doesn’t care all the time. I know he does. But just the way he looks whenever the camera is on him, the way he warms up (walking around, barely breaking a sweat) and plays just annoys the crap out of me.
Rob…I forgot that James is the “Amityville scorer”. Regardless, I still don’t see him making that big of an impact for us. He might be capable of it but, again, I don’t see him getting enough minutes to actually do it.
You are right that we are still looking for an actual SG. The problem is that we are paying a guy $80 mil to fill that slot and he isn’t going anywhere (yet). Iguodala is averaging 36 mins per game. James won’t get minutes at PG or SF, so SG is all there is for him. Plus, you said yourself that trading Willie would get Lou more minutes off the bench (The same Lou you went on to hammer in your next post for taking amateur 3-point shots, BTW). That won’t help James get more floor time either.
I get the frustration with the Sixers current play and wanting to explore ways to improve the team, but I just don’t see James, or Ely for that matter, making much of a difference for us now.
The future is another matter. If the Sixers are looking for financial breathing room, then picking up two expiring contracts in this deal may very well make a lot of sense.
Rob: The other reason that trade would never work is because there is absolutely no reason New Orleans would want to do it. You’re right in that their bench needs a boost with the PG and PF/C positions…but how is Willie Green an upgrade from Mike James? I know if I were offered one of the two players straight up, I’ll take a grizzled veteran like M James, who has proven that when given minutes, he can be a pretty effective scoring and shoot the 3 ball, any day over Willie Green, who offers good defense, good slashing ability…wildly inconsistent play, horrible shot selection, and… … … *crickets*
Plus, as you said, Mike James contract comes off the books after this year…that’s a coveted asset, and Jeff Bower, one of the most underrated GM’s in the league, would be insane to trade a small expiring deal for a lesser player with three years left on his contract. Doesn’t add up.
I also agree with Dannie about Reggie Evans…he might not be getting too many minutes, but for now, he is probably the most consistent player on this team in that he brings something night in and night out: hustle & energy, something the rest of the team should quite frankly be embarrassed about having such a lack of right now. At this point, I wouldn’t mind having Shavlik back on the team just have a second person that lays it all out on the line every practice and night, even if it was 5 mpg.
(also…again, contractually…no way a smart GM trades two solid but not great role players with expiring contracts…for one average role player and one good one with 3 year contracts).
Whoever said in an earlier post that the problem with this team is the starting lineup having zilch chemistry and needed to learn some, not us needing a trade, is 100% right. Although if we were to make a “tweak trade”, the guy I would look to acquire is Luther Head from the Rockets, who is a great versatile guard that can nail the long bomb, and is buried on their bench.
Bski: Chubby’s is really, really good, way better than De’llesandros. So the following is not a knock on Chubby’s, but: if you want the best, most underrated cheesesteak in the city or suburbs, head to Mama’s Pizzaria on Belmont Ave. It’s right outside the city in Bala Cynwyd, right off City Line Ave. (take I-76, exit City Ave., stay on it maybe five lights, turn right on Belmont, two minutes and you’re there).
Family owned business, and my grandparents always told me they remember the current owner (the bald guy at the grille) as a 5 year old doing errands for his parents when he was younger. They have their own special kind of cheese they use (a total unique blend), and the cheesesteaks are these giant, juicy, thick, and just imploding with perfectly chopped meat and melted cheese.
I have brought cheesesteak heads to Mama’s to have their Mama’s-cheesesteak cherry popped, and I have yet to see anyone that leaves Mama’s not in a blissful daze after the meal from how good it was. It’s a winner, and only 5-7 minutes from I-76.
The team could certainly build on the 3rd quarter, especially defensively. We saw the potential we have envisioned in that quarter. Brand and Sammy were monsters down low, and Igoudala was causing havoc. They need that intensity all the time, not just in spurts. Isn’t attitude, and getting the guys to play hard supposed to be Mo’s strength?
Also, Brand needs to get more of those 15′ jumpers. Many more.
Louis Williams needs to be running the screen and pop/roll with Brand. He’s the one on the Sixers with the tools to make that play a consistent threat.
I haven’t been able to watch all of the Sixers games so far, but I am very disappointed in how everyone is criticizing Lou Williams. I was at the open practice at Penn State when the Sixers scrimmaged, and Williams was doing an excellent job getting into the lane, having defenders collapse, and kicking it out to Rush and Marshall in the corner (who were shooting lights out at the time). So having seen that, it is disappointing to hear that he has been jacking 3’s and has failed to put up a decent number of assists. Then again, floor spacing is a major issue and one that would be a serious detriment to his style of play.
One other note about that practice at Penn State:
There was very little energy and interaction between the players. Williams was having a good time interacting with the crowd and refs, Thaddeus seemed to be enjoying himself, and Reggie Evans was goofing off like normal. However, the rest of the team seemed to simply be going through the motions. I was hoping they were just tired since it was the end of their training camp, but I am now worried it is a lack of “chemistry”.
Specifically, Iguodala appeared unmotivated and made very few notable plays. Again, I hoped it was just due to his sore ankle, but he hasn’t exactly turned it around at the beginning of the season. I would also like to see him quit whining to the refs. He looked like a jackass complaining after Brewer plucked him last night and got an easy open court layup in the 4th quarter.
So how do they develop chemistry? Easy, Mo Cheeks sends them to Dave and Busters for some booze and video games. Then they can do some trust falls. Problem solved.
Do you want your bulkiest man shooting Js from 15? I don’t. Waste of rebounding potential. He’s getting paid for productive grunt work in paint, not Cameron Arena practice shooting drills. I’m ready. Bring it, Elton.
jjg:
Brand’s jumper from 15 is nice, it’s a legit offensive weapon.
Plus, Thaddeus is an excellent offensive rebounder and a great scorer around the paint. I want to see him getting more looks around the rim.
Looking forward to tonight, finally going to be able to watch from tip-off until the end of the 4th.
jjg: What BD said. The 15′ jumper is the best, and most consistent, offensive weapon that I have seen from Brand so far. Thad, Sam and Igoudala can crash the boards when he shoots that shot. I feel like the Sixers have been asking Brand to force his shot through 2 or more players in the lane too often, thus leading to his lower than expected FG %.
Dave T….Thanks for your pre-game meal input. Sounds like you’ve given me another very good option. I have a couple days to think it over. In the meantime, I’ll keep the suggestion box open. (BTW, that was me who said that our problem is with our starting five and a tweak trade won’t help straighten that out)
jjg…I’m with BoomDizzle and Morty. I’m fine with Brand taking 15-footers. If that is his strength, then that’s what he should do. As a matter of fact, I think that’s what needs to be done on a team-wide basis. Let everyone play to their strengths, whatever they may be, and blend those strengths without restricting ourselves by saying that all the bigs need to play down low and all the smalls need to stay on the perimeter and such.
Boom: Real interesting to read your reaction from watching the Sixers interact with each other during the Penn St. practices, great post. You also make a nice argument that I haven’t heard other people point out: that maybe we should start using Thad Young’s versatility more, and get him the ball around the highpost and block sometimes. One of Thad’s strengths is his versatility to be able to slide to the 4 spot and use his “big man” game, which he showed off nicely at G-Tech and last year.
Obviously he’s a true NBA SF, but you’re right, why shy away from some of his strengths. Also, to jumpstart our team, it might be interesting to throw out a real small-ball lineup, playing Brand at center, Thad at the 4, Iggy the 3, and A-Miller and Lou as the backcrout. Or the above, with Dalembert in the middle while Brand takes a breather. Might spark some open court action and force turnovers. Of course, that requires we actually learn to play defense as a team first, something that hopefully game experience, practice and better intensitywill solve.
Bski: Why choose one or the other? Go for lunch at Chubbies, and a pregame meal at Mama’s. Your arteries might clog up 20 years too soon, but that’s what good cheesesteaks are supposed to do. Go for it!
Dave T…I won’t be in the city that long, otherwise it’s a great idea. I’m driving down Saturday afternoon looking to hit a place to eat around 4:30. That should give me plenty of time to eat and get to the arena around 6.
I have tickets for 5 games this season, so whatever place I don’t go to on Saturday, I’ll go to before my next game in December. That reminds me, I’m going to 5 games and I only have two places to eat. I need three more suggestions.