Let’s keep this short and direct since I have a cocktail party to attend (will be watching the game whole time!).
The Washington Wizards flat out stink. That is about the only thing they do well. They are:
- 9-36 worst record in the NBA
- 26th in scoring
- 26th in offensive efficiency
- 30th in 3PT%
- 25th in FG%
- 20th in FT%
- 28th in defensive efficiency giving up 112 points per 100 possessions
- 27th in FG% defense
- 23rd in rebounding differential
- 25th in blocks
I think you get the picture. You’d be hard pressed to find something the Sixers opponent tonight does well. Jamison is good and I always like Caron Butler. I will be paying close attention to Nick Young who had a couple of nice games two weeks ago. But that’s about it. Because of that I will make this not-so-bold statement…
If the Sixers don’t dominant from the tap and win this game by at least 15 points I will be extremely disappointed. Just sliding by the Wizards isn’t the mark of a good team getting even better. Blowout or disappointment that is where I am at for this game. Just winning isn’t a high enough standard for me with this team tonight.
What about you? What are you expectations for tonight?
Also I read some comments about Brand getting off and having a big game. Don’t be surprised if he doesn’t. Not because he won’t play well or can’t dominate their front court. Rather because the Wizards are so bad I think so many guys will get off and have a good game that there may not be one individual player on the Sixers with a dominating performance.
Sixers vs. Wizards Game Notes
I really don’t have anything to say about this game. I watched it at a party and things were all good in the first quarter. Then they started missing free throws, giving up offensive rebounds and generally playing inconsistent defense that lacked focus. A win is a win and they are over .500 for the first time since November 23rd when they were 7-6. I will take that.
But here is why I said this needs to be a blowout. I think it’s easier to play up to your competition and harder to play your best against a bad team. But if you watch the elite teams in the league they pound the bad teams. So yes, you have to get the win, but you need to play your game and not sink to the level of the competition. By doing that you build consistency in your play game-to-game and I think that is important.
I’ll have more on Sammy and Brand likely starting on the Nets post this afternoon.
Next Game: Tonight against the New Jersey Nets
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Looks like we might get to see some of that EB at the 5 I was begging for a bit more.
Decent game so far event though the offense has sucked this quarter, hope fully they can keep it up and get a W
First one to comment an hour into the game, guess it’s because the Wiz suck
Um, that quarter was too close for comfort considering the opponent. Playing down to their level, are we?
I’ll take the win but it shouldn’t have taken a 4th quarter run to put it away. Nice to get off to a great start but hitting all those jumpers early led to us taking to many jumpers all game long. Even when they stopped falling we kept taking them and the Wiz kept getting closer. Shooting only 6 free throws in the first half tells you all you need to know on that. Thad was especially jumper happy. Him leading the team with 7 3-pt attempts should not be happening.
Since I’m not able to catch the games or local radio, can someone please comment on the lack of action that Kareem Rush is getting? Does he have a poor practice attitude? From everything I read prior to the season, he has a great shot, though he is probably leading the team in DNP’s. Any insight would be appreciated.
Tormented,
It has to have something to do with practice. Something that Dileo is seeing that we are not. That is just my guess. I dont get why he is not playing either. What I dont like about this situation is this: In the off-season Rush, Marshall, and Ratliff were all supposed to be role players coming off the bench. Ratliff has had his moments and has played well. The problem is that he doesnt play much. Marshall single handedly won us the Detroit game. Thats the only notable opportunity that he has gotten. Rush? I can’t remember anything specifically that he has done. He just doesnt get the chance. Whether or not it is talent, or something in practice… I dont know.
Hopefully we will just continue to roll without them. Bski, Young was definitely jumpshot happy. Young is much better when he is getting offensive rebounds and posting up against smaller forwards. I think Young can knock down the 3, but he was trying to go Eddie House on us.
What is the status on Dalembert? Even though he does silly things a couple of games, but he really is our defensive anchor and one of our best one-on-one defenders. Well the bench will have to step up in case Dalembert’s going to miss a couple of games. Our bench really pulled us through, similar to a performance they had against the Pistons.
Thank God for Elton Brand, Lou Williams and Andre Iguodala– our major offseason signings!
Brand had 9 points on 4/5 shooting, during a grind it out 3rd quarter. That is where he is valuable, when the games slows down all of a sudden and the game becomes “ugly”. Also, he had 4 Blocks. This team has a SWAT team– (Dalembert, Brand, Ratliff, Speights), a block party.
Lou Williams, played well under pressure and with Andre Miller in rare, but major foul trouble. He did a job of portraying Andre Miller with the shot fakes, the body shielding, and the assists with 7 of them. Lou did his best Allen Iverson impression with the scoring, the ability of taking it to the hoop, and one fade away basket (similar to ones Iverson used to score).
Andre Iguodala is starting to become more of a CLOSER. He was quiet in the first half, just setting his teammates, but he really came through in the second half and in the end scored 20 points, including two big jumpers to seal the deal (ala Wednesday at Houston). Let’s see how tomorrow’s game goes against the Nets. They do make games a little interesting especially with Vince Carter and Devin Harris. The Nets lost in Atlanta to the Hawks. So expect an angry team!
GO SIXERS!! CUT THE NETS OFF AND SHOW PEOPLE WHO SOUTH JERSEY CHEERS FOR!!
I hope Theo Ratliff will get some good minutes for the Sixers. If DiLeo decides to continue having Brand come off the bench, then Ratliff might as well start at C in spot minutes. His shot-blocking is phenomenal, as well as professional. It is not the kind of shot blocking where it is all about swatting it out of bounds and into the stands. Hopefully, Speights will learn to control his block shots and tap it to a teammate. But anyway, calling all shot blockers– you are needed when clogging the lane against Devin Harris.
Sammy, please get well! And we apologize for some of the criticism. But when you play to your limits, which is on the boards and the defensive end, you are truly one of the best defensive centers in the game! You truly are great one-on-one defender against some of the best PFs and Cs like Duncan, Yao, and even KG. We will CERTAINLY need you against the Celtics and the Suns. And next year, with consistency and understanding your role, you will be “Defensive Player of the Year”.
In other news, Allen Iverson passed Charles Barkley in the all-time scoring list, making him 16th in the NBA All Time.
Tormented…..Here is your answer:
The reason Rush and Marshall don’t see the court much even though they were brought in to be shooters is because the emphasis is on defense and frankly they don’t consider them to be strong defensive players. (This is what I mean about the no B.S. by these guys.) And the emergence of Royal Ivey who is a good defender who has been shooting the ball well has played a big part as well.
This was posted under the Sixers Sunday Conversation topic from last Sunday. There were answers to a lot of questions there that came from a Q & A session with Stefanski and DiLeo. Here is the link if you want to watch the video.
Did anyone else notice that when Sammy went down not one player went over to him? The rest of the team aside from Reg and Theo seemed like they didn’t even care.
As far as Rush, he doesn’t play D, he shows no emotion or interest on the bench and he hasn’t knocked down enough shots to force DiLeo to consider playing him.
Decent win, would of like to of seen it over at halftime but oh well.
That was an ugly win. It will be interesting to see how the lineup responds to the change at the center position. With Dalembert out, DiLeo has indicated that Brand will serve as the starting cetner. It looks like starting tonight we will see Brand start to see extended minutes. His last two games have been encouraging and his defense has been stout.
The Sixers second unit clearly had a letdown tonight once the 15-point lead was established. I know a blowout would be preferable but the blueprint is to beat the teams you are supposed to beat. They were able to do that last night and get one game above .500. Hopefully tonight against the Nets the team will creep two games above that elusive mark.
One positive is that 80 mil is being just as assertive (and efficient) with Brand on the floor as he was without him. He is also stepping up in the 4th quarter lately instead of disappearing.
I think Brand’s minutes need to be cut a bit from the 35.5 he was averaging before he got hurt against the Bucks. For him to be more effective at the faster pace the Sixers are playing, it’d be better if he was at 30 minutes. Even if Dalembert is out, Brand, Ratliff and Speights should be able to handle the center position and Young can continue playing a lot at the “four” spot.
It will be interesting to see how the team does without Sam for a bit. I want to see Brand/Speights more. Hopefully those two can generate some chemistry, as they should be the starting frontcourt eventually.
Didn’t see much of the game, but I did see Brand making the tough shots that historically he makes, and he was brought to Phila. to make. Add in 4 more blocks, and consider me very encouraged.
Ryan F– I wouldn’t overlook the notion that the Sixers didn’t care that Dalembert was hurt. They are just trying to be professional and focus on the game. They sure are concerned about him. Despite all the silly things Dalembert does, he truly is a difference maker for this team defensively. He is one of our best one-on-one defenders and the tallest, lankiest shotblocker out there that teams would love to have, including a team like San Antonio. Dalembert just needs guidance and confidence. Perhaps, Tony DiLeo could be that coach who can help him. After all, he did contribute in drafting him. Now for the Sixers, they are going to have to fill the void defensively with team defense. Again, our depth will be tested. And boy are we a deep team, especially in the frontcourt. Enter Theo Ratliff. Perhaps we could see Donyell Marshall, who is a SF/PF, who could create matchup problems with his range if DiLeo wants to be real creative with the rotations.
GO SIXERS!!
Hard to believe Dalembert is playing and starting. He said he thought it was broken when it happened, with the way it hurt and swelled up right away.
Rush is de-activated for tonight’s game.
Dalembert said it was important to him to extend his consecutive game streak to 236, which is the fifth-longest in the league (Andre Miller is No. 1 at 494). “It’s something I wanted to do so bad for myself,” he said.
He also said he used his hyperbaric chamber to help keep the swelling down.
Sam Dalembert is a profile in courage, undeterred by writhing-in-pain circumstance to step to the fore in defiance of the enemy, in protection of his brothers in arms, regardless of teeth-gnashing pain and personal sacrifice. What a man! Please spread the news further. This story needs to be told.