It's hard to fathom exactly how the Bobcats are 7-7 this season. Their offense is terrible, their defense is below average. Their shot distribution is just crazy. Tonight, the Sixers need to attack this team and make them look like the team that lost by 45 points to the Thunder.
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The Sixers centers have been a big, big problem on both ends of the floor so far this season. Their inability to finish, their inability to rebound, their inability to defend the post. They've been exposed. These shortcomings make a traditional pick-and-roll game impotent. Last night, the Sixers finally made an adjustment to their P&R, with decent results.
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The last time the Sixers "lucked" into a dominant big man, things didn't work out quite as expected. Elton Brand played hard for the Sixers and was a consummate professional, but his time in Philly will never be considered a success. Tonight, he brings his talents back to Broad Street so Josh Harris and Co. can pay him roughly $16M to play against the Sixers with the Mavs.
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Latest comment: from Brian
Doubt it's possible unless you take back longer contracts or include a sweetener....
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The irony of writing a post under that headline the day after Jrue Holiday carried the Sixers with 33 points is not lost on me. This post isn't about a guy taking 20 shots in a game, though. It's about the change that began last season in the playoffs, and has carried on through the beginning of this year.
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Several things about tonight's overtime loss to the Thunder were pleasant surprises, if not downright shocks. First, Thad was a man. Not just the rebounding, but late in the fourth and also in overtime, he demanded the matchup with Durant. On the final play of regulation, he stifled Durant, wouldn't let him loose to get the ball. A few more positives to take from this loss to follow.
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Tonight's game in Cleveland is more than a trap. This is one of those games, much like the Pistons loss, where if you lose, it's going to be the worst kind of ammunition for people who want to say the Sixers are terrible. "How do you get blown out by an 0-8 team on your home court? The Sixers suck!" I don't want to be reading, "How do you lose to the Cavs without Kyrie Irving?" tomorrow morning.
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With the game on the line, Doug Collins decided to go with a lineup that played to his team's strength. Evan Turner and Spencer Hawes went to the bench early in the fourth and Collins went with Jrue, one big and three shooters. Spread the floor, let Jrue penetrate and kick. 28 points in 10 minutes. 7-4 on the year.
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Latest comment: from sixerfan1220
pargo starting for irving tonight, however i would expect waiters to initiate most of the offense...
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Ten days ago, the Sixers used a suffocating defense, sparked by their second unit, to stifle the Toronto Raptors for their fourth win of the season. Tonight, they're going to need more of the same.
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I'm operating under the assumption that Andrew Bynum will suit up for the Sixers this season. I find the delay, the setbacks and the Big Lebowski reenactment all very annoying and/or troubling, but it is what it is. We're still waiting to see this team, in its entirety, on the floor. Right now, it looks like we're going to be waiting another month-and-a-half, at least. In the mean time, who they beat or how they beat them doesn't matter, just put some W's on the board.
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