I think the Phoenix Suns 6-1 start is one of the biggest surprises of the season thus far. They are a team in flux having traded away Shaq and returning to their full out run-and-gun roots but they are play really well. Now they have had the luxury of playing the Clippers, Warriors and Timberwolves. But they have also beat both Miami and Boston on the road.
Going into this game I think you can look at it one of two ways.
- The Sixers will face another team that prefers to take it easy on defense in order to go full blast on the offensive end. Meaning the Sixers should be able to score points easily. They should be able to get out and run and get easy baskets. On top of that this is the 5th game of a 5 game road trip for the Suns and the 2nd half of a back-to-back. That all should allow them to stay in the game and have a chance to win at home.
- The Sixers will get completely scorched! Phoenix has started the season shooting the ball at blistering rate. That spells disaster for a team that has yet to show an ability to defend the perimeter. Check that, defend anything.
Let me elaborate a bit on the second point for complete clarity of how bad this could play out for the Sixers.
Going into the game here are Phoenix’s shooting numbers:
- eFG% – 56.2% (1st in the NBA)
- FG% – 49.7% (2nd in the NBA)
- 3pt% – 46.5% (1st in the NBA)
The average FG% in the NBA is 45.5%. Phoenix is shooting better from three than 18 NBA teams are shooting from the field.
Going into this game here are the Sixers defensive numbers:
- Defensive Rating or points per 100 possessions – 109.6 (23 in the NBA)
- Opponents eFG% – 54% ( 27th in the NBA)
- Opponents FG% – 48.2% ( 26th in the NBA)
- Opponents 3pt% – 40.6% ( 25th in the NBA) Yes, teams are shooting 40% from three on us on 143 attempts.
On top of that the Sixers have the 23rd worse turnover rate and 21st worst defensive rebounding rate.
Get the picture?
So are you going into tonight’s game with mindset one or mindset two?
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{ 37 comments… read them below or add one }
Dannie, I am leaning toward the first scenerio although either Sam or Elton will have to get out to the 3 pt. line to guard Frye, who is lighting it up from 3. Lou against Nash may turn into a make it/ take it game. Can Thad outplay G.Hill? He has to start showing improvement.
suede,
Lots of interesting matchups tonight.
You mentioned Frye. Can either Sam or Elton play him out there? If not, who? J. Smith? Speights? Who handles Amar’e? Speights? Not Elton! Maybe Sam (when he’s down low at least).
Curious to see who can do what against whom tonight.
Suede – The problem: Phoenix’s shooting ability means they likely make more than we take in every match-up.
BRAND MADE A SHOT WHILE GUARDED FROM WITHIN 3 FEET!!!! HALLELUJAH!!!
Also – Eddie Jordan’s defensive strategy for the night: Don’t guard the guy shooting 53% from three – he’s due for a rough game
Interesting 1st quarter. Agree with Pete, frustrating defense at times. Brand looked pretty decent and the rest of the team had great energy. I’m questioning whether or not we will maintain this level of intensity for all 4 quarters. We are going to need every bit of it.
A few thoughts
Jrue not looking too bad right now, Thaddeus Young’s ball handling ability is about on par with Dalembert. Did the Sixers sign Rodney Carney just for the purpose of filling out the roster?
Jrue holiday is proving to be a pleasent suprise I am happy with his defense and how he is contributing and making the most of his court time. We just need to get rid of brand for a shooting swingman who can play substantial minutes and insert speights into the starting lineup. and we need dalembert to be on the floor playing good D and not in foul trouble.
Holiday showing some excitement for the first time this year.
Why does Thaddeus Young dribble up the court in a full crouch?
Thaddeus getting his shot right will really help us
Did Sammy just attempt to help Lou up off the court while holding the ball, before crossing half court?
Now that you mention it Thad does dribble as if he is a Navy SEAL about to assault a building.
In this game the offense actually looks like a form of organized Princeton Offense for the first time and the Sixers on the other end are doing an outstanding job on D and forcing TO’s…Nash already has 4, If it wasn’t for J-Rich this would be really ugly.
give me an f-ing break Richardson
Young is starting to really piss me off with all these travels.
Brand blatantly double-dribbled on his fast break.
how does it take EJ until 4 minutes left in the 3Q to get the bench involved in the 2nd half as we are getting crushed this quarter
Where is Jrue? Where is Kapono?
Speights is all over the ball right now. Sixers look energetic and aggressive on D. Jrue’s showing a nice motor.
Hell yeah Smith!! It’d sure be nice to get another big body shooting well from the outside.
Someone guard Jared STUDley (Dudley).
Damn it, this is ridiculous.
Why is Willie Green still in there? Get Kapono or Ivey in there.
Or Carney, that’ll do.
Jared Dudley looks like Scottie Pippen
Jason Richardson-
Rewarded with flat out cherry picking- arguing with the ref.
Unbelievable.
Yeah, at this point I wish somebody in the crowd would just drill him with a soda or something.
thad has got to finish that tip that started that break though
Dear Lou Williams,
When you are a 27% 3-point shooter, please don’t shoot them like you are a 40% shooter. 0-5 tonight. 31% for his career. That’s enough.
The Sixers are combusting faster than the Eagles did last night and the Phillies did in Game 6
How Kapono plays 3 minutes in what you knew you would be an all offense game is beyond me.
Eddie Jordan has done absolutely nothing this year to make me think that he is a decent head coach.
That was probably the 3 worst possesions of offense all night… in the most important time.
Nash had as many assists as the entire 76ers team. Is that good?
Losing a game against the Suns in a shootout, isn’t very surprising. The game was lost when JRich lit us up in the 1st half, and Dudley came in and lit us up in the 2nd half. If we were able to slow either of them up then we would have won. Not a frustrating game to watch, however, a very frustrating game to lose.
right now the problem is not the Sixers players, its the Sixers playing. they just are’nt playin ghard enough to win.
Still no NBA League Pass so not able to watch the games, but from the box score:
Umm…Elton Brand…21 minutes and only 2 fouls? Seriously, can someone explain to me why he is not getting more burn?
And how the @!#$ are we still not rotating properly, allowing a team to hit FIFTEEN threes against us, FIVE of them from an undersized college PF (Dudley)? The 32 vs. 20 assists ratio is flat out an embaressment.
The 2nd quarter was the best basketball we have played, and it all started on the defensive end. Danny, our coach has to have an idea by now on his players and how to rotate them in or out. He seems to put somebody in and leave them in a tad too long, when they may be better served giving a 5 minute burst off the bench, allowing our starters to get a 2nd wind , the starters sit way too long and there is no cohesiveness in neither group of players. Please put them in their roles as soon as possible coach, and let defense be a factor in your decisions.
Suns on tail end of 5-game 7-day road trip and back-to-back. Good set-up for a home Sixers win. Sixers showed energy – “gee, we love to run playground style; enough of that Princeton bs” – after being outmuscled by Pistons. Gained advantage in 2nd Q when Nash sat and Suns flattened, shooting 1-11. Leandro & Jared took the 2nd half challenge, helped pick it up on D (65-49) and stroked from deep, teamed w/(masterful) Nash & Stoudemire to close book on another Sixer loss (and unpredictable sub rotation). Richardson, sweet all night.
Whispers of Sixers dissension/unhappiness are starting; makes sense with 12 Men Guessing. Williams 0-3 with game on line, 6-16 overall; Nash thrashed him, did whatever he wanted for the most part. Holiday was fun to watch; nice 12 minutes. Speights, another good O & energy showing. “Urkel” did his typical running and dunking and ultra-serious post-game philosophizing; DIDN’T make the difference in 4th quarter as Superstars are counted on doing. Brand COULDN’T make the difference as he was on bench (DNPCD). 2 players: 165 million dollar (approximately) Stefanski hamstringing boondoggle. After 6 years of free reign apprenticeship, AI2 dividends of 18 ppg, 6 R, 5 A, 3 TOs too small.
Love freewheeeling Donyell as commentator – tells it like it is. I hope he keeps his Comcast permit.
I had to watch the rerun of the game as I missed the live broadcast. Will have some thoughts up sometime this morning
Suede - You would think so. Donyell Marshall had some interesting comments in the post game. He referenced a comment Eddie Jordan made about how “now isn’t the time for experimenting.” That he was trying to find players who can get it done.
Donyell’s comment - “That sounds like experimenting to me”
I think it’s pretty clear Eddie Jordan is lost and/or clueless. He doesn’t have a clear understanding of what type of players he has and how they fit in an overall (major roles) game plan or on a micro level (in-game and game-by-game).
He is haphazardly rotating guys in and that’s why his line-ups leave even the most casual basketball fan with quizzical looks on their face. He is said to be “going on feel.” Honestly I don’t trust the “feel” of a guy who has been a head coach with some talent and never been able to get it done.
I just think Eddie Jordan sucks, quite frankly. And we will see as the season goes on if that holds true.
I willing to give Jordan more rope- but just because its early. But agree there have not been good signs.
As usual, the team has some interesting young talent but only as individuals, not in a way that likely will make the whole team better. As for the problems, its just stating the obvious:
-Poor pick and roll D
-Poor 3 pt defense
-Poor D Boards
-Poor 3 pt shootin
-Lack of offensive flow
-Players not getting the ball in comfortable positions (Brand)
-3rd quarter offensive lull
and I’m probably missing some others.
Some of the fixes are also obvious, but some of the problems are fundamental to the roster, and plugging one hole might just spring another leak.
Anyway, enjoyed watching Jrue and Speights- but I don’t expect them to be leading the team to more W’s anytime soon.
Basically sounds like I’m describing the Clippers. Some interesting draft picks to watch but little in the way of short or long term hope.
There’s only one move to make to revive this foundering franchise: Allen Iverson, player-coach … with former Celtic John Thompson chiefly assisting, along with aide-de-camps Patrick Ewing, Alonzo Mourning and David Wingate (D-#!).