Sixers vs. Warriors: Must Win Game for Eddie Jordan

I thought about writing a seemingly clever back-end to the title like: “Eddie Jordan Going for 15 in a Row” since a loss tonight will almost guarantee this team reaches 15 straight by Friday night.

I didn’t because I wanted to be very clear about the importance of this game for Eddie Jordan.

It’s become evident that Eddie Jordan has an extremely long rope in this first season as head coach of the Sixers.  If he was in his second season, I am 99% sure he would have been fired already.  Other than this being his inaugural year, there has been no legitimate reason whatsoever for him to still be coaching this team.

While I do believe the talent on this roster is average overall, his coaching performance has been well below average.

Tonight the Sixers face a Warriors team that is only 7-16 and 2-8 in their last 10.  This is the last chance to break the losing streak before we sink to even lower depths, getting ever so close to the franchise record for consecutive losses in a season (20).

I am not confident. Why should I be?

This team, the whole team, players and coaches are not very good.  To be clear while I think Eddie Jordan has been beyond horrible, the players have been following him almost in lock step.

Everyone is to blame. That is always my stance.

I don’t think too much blame is being put on Jordan.  I think it’s just right now that the media started doing their job.  But I do think not enough blame is being placed on the players.

The Sixers haven’t been getting blown out lately, and they’ve been close enough in games or leading early to pull one out during this stretch.  They have not.

Where is their sense of pride?  When will someone step up and say “I will not let us lose another F’ing game!”

At the end of the game when a game comes down to one stop, one rebound or one positive offensive play, the players have fallen short just as much as the coaching staff.

The problem for Eddie Jordan – he can be fired on the spot, whereas that scenario isn’t happening to the players.

He must win this game tonight.  If he doesn’t and is still the coach, he will lose on Wednesday to Cleveland and on Friday to Boston.

I’d have to think a 15-game losing streak is the breaking point.  But, I wouldn’t be surprised if the immovable plan is to have Jordan coach out this season and look to start fresh next year with a healthy roster and a year of his moronic style of play offensively and defensively under the players’ belts.

About the Tonight’s Game

This game could be exciting and disastrous for the Sixers.  The Warriors like the Sixers in that they don’t play any defense nor do they rebound much at all.

Both teams want to force turnovers, create points off the turnovers and get out in transition.

The problem: Golden State does all three of those things better than the Sixers.  In fact they are the best in the league at those three things.

On top of that, Golden State shoots better than the Sixers and have a number of regulars who can kill you from three.

Once again the Sixers’ perimeter defense will be tested.  The Warriors are a guard-oriented team and look to create shots off penetration, kick outs and ball rotation in the half court.  All things the Sixers have shown they are incapable of defending well.

It could be a really ugly loss while being a really exciting up-and-down contest with big runs.  I am thinking something like 115 – 100 type of game.

Now that could go either way.  The Warriors are not going to defend us.  But the Sixers need to make shots because there is no reason to believe the perimeter defense is all of a sudden going to start working.

The book is pretty easy on the Sixers: pack in the lane and force them to make open and contested perimeter shots and don’t send them to the line much.

Eddie Jordan will have an even more banged up roster…

• Iverson hurting after having 55 CCs of fluid drained from his left knee and a sore shin.  They threw him into the fire playing heavy minutes much to fast.
• Willie Green also strained his MCL but looks more probable than Iverson for tonight’s game.

This is a battle of two similar teams.  It’s just a matter of which one shoots better tonight.  Because I see no reason to believe either team will come out looking to lock up on defense.  Certainly not GS.  And once they start running and gunning, the Sixers will just follow and try to keep pace.

The likelihood of them actually keeping up is slim.

I will be here chatting during the game.

December 14, 2009