tag:www.depressedfan.com,2013://1 2013-05-25T03:59:03Z All Sixers, all the time. Movable Type 4.32-en tag:www.depressedfan.com,2013://1.21294 2013-05-25T03:33:14Z 2013-05-25T03:59:03Z

To brighten up your holiday weekend (and provide a fresh post for draft arguments), commenter Sander has provided us with his perspective on the right path forward. I believe it involves losing a bunch of games, and possibly having Thad fake an injury, but I'm not sure. Enjoy.

Brian http://www.depressedfan.com
To brighten up your holiday weekend (and provide a fresh post for draft arguments), commenter Sander has provided us with his perspective on the right path forward. I believe it involves losing a bunch of games, and possibly having Thad fake an injury, but I'm not sure. Enjoy.
]]> From the beginning of time it has been said that cities with true fans do not have the willingness, the patience, the basketball acumen to accept a true rebuild. That somehow this would be an affront to the sanctity that is the yearly competition, the ever present desire to better ourselves and live that reality out through our favorite sports teams.

But I will tell you as true Sixers fans we have survived worse than this. Even in the recent past we have battled through Billy King giving out six year contracts, Andre Miller and Iguodala trying valiantly to keep us afloat against better playoff teams, and Derrick Rose trolling us all by getting hurt and making an egomaniac appear a better coaching strategist than he actually was.

But that does not have to be our final resting place, a competition with our newfound Rockets brethren to see who can finish with the most consecutive eighth place finishes. We, as tried Philly fans, can summon this desire to embrace the more than occasional failed battle needed to attain the seemingly scant quarter chance to draft a Canadian.

We have been fans of the hustler Thaddeus since they day he decided to abandon the painted line that grew further away for him, and trust his quickness to gain an advantage over other interior players. And if he is asked to fall on his sword for the price of a future pick and a few less wins, it's not difficult imagine he will be the same team player he always was, wishing he could have imparted the same sense of duty to his comrades.

And Jrue, the fledgling all star, the intense worker, the Cali cool cat, who has already claimed our city as his second home, will be with us as a leader, a bridge between the past and the future to guide us and our emerging percentage-focused staff into the years ahead minus the cap leaches of Hawes, Turner, Lavoy, and unfortunately, an injury-riddled Richardson, the veteran sniper who left us all too soon. We have hope that a new coach, a new manager, and an owner who sees the apparent picture can deduce that the reliance on methods employed by the tried and true book of NBA improvements do not add up to a 76ers banner in the long run, but instead provide a crutch to an increasingly apathetic fan base who have been prisoners of this sales job over and over, and are ready for a different chapter. Bring it, Charlotte.
]]> tag:www.depressedfan.com,2013://1.21293 2013-05-13T12:28:16Z 2013-05-13T13:14:55Z

It took him a year longer than he would have liked, but Josh Harris has finally begun to run the Philadelphia 76ers like he would any other company he acquired at a bargain. Old management is finally gone, and Sam Hinkie is the Stanford MBA-toting savant who will apply new logic to the problem of building a contender, and more importantly, speaks Harris' language.

Brian http://www.depressedfan.com
It took him a year longer than he would have liked, but Josh Harris has finally begun to run the Philadelphia 76ers like he would any other company he acquired at a bargain. Old management is finally gone, and Sam Hinkie is the Stanford MBA-toting savant who will apply new logic to the problem of building a contender, and more importantly, speaks Harris' language.
]]> You've read all the stories about how Harris was waiting for the opportunity to bring in one of his guys this summer, and when you look back at what happened a year ago on the heels of their moderate playoff success, it's not hard to see what was going on. Collins bought himself some time, but he wasn't allowed to make any moves with long-term ramifications to put his team on the floor. Nick Young, Kwame Brown, Spencer Hawes, Dorell Wright...all short-term deals. The moves with longer time frames were basically no-brainers (Jrue, Thad, Bynum).

So that's how we got here. Collins, out. Thorn, out. DiLeo, out. What happens now? That's the interesting question. Hinkie represents the right type of hire in this league, in my opinion. A rock solid understanding of the cap. Willingness to utilize advanced stats to build a roster, to find any advantage. Oodles of experience. At his fingertips, he's got an unformed roster with questionable talent, a huge question mark in Andrew Bynum, a few movable short-term contracts and the potential for a ton of cap space in the next couple of years.

What will Hinkie do? First, he gets to pick his own coach (even though the list was in the early stages of creation prior to his hire). This is a great sign. Harris hired his guy, now (hopefully) he'll get out of his way. Even before he finds his coach, though, Hinkie needs to decide what to do with this roster.

I've been pretty clear about what I would do (much to the chagrin of most readers here), and honestly, I think the odds are in favor of Hinkie taking a similar path. Daryl Morey is the face of the advanced stats movement. He's front-and-center at the Sloan Sports Analytics conference every season, he's the guy who's constantly making moves to accumulate draft picks, uncover hidden gems and last summer he tailored two offer sheets for the restricted free agents he wanted in a way that made the teams who owned first right of refusal to shy away. Here's the thing, though. While Morey has had a ton of street cred among the thinkers in this league, his results have been painfully similar to the Sixers. Morey inherited the #5 seed in the West and kept them right there for his first two seasons at the helm. In the following four seasons, the Rockets finished 9th, 9th, 9th and 8th in the Western Conference. Under Morey, the highest draft pick the Rockets have had is #12 (last season, they took Jeremy Lamb). That's not to say Morey hasn't made some really solid moves since taking over in Houston (the Harden trade tops among them), nor is it to say Hinkie will follow the same script as Morey here in Philly. Hiring Hinkie is a positive move. It signifies a move in the right direction for this franchise, a definitive move in the right direction. I'm just left hoping he learned more from Morey's mistakes in Houston than the rare win and he's willing to carve his own path whether he chose to bring Bynum back or get worse to eventually get better (something Morey has never done).
]]> tag:www.depressedfan.com,2013://1.21292 2013-04-29T14:16:49Z 2013-04-29T14:16:32Z

The latest bit of news to squirt out of the Sixers PR department is the addition of a local, affiliated NBA Developmental League team, the Delaware 87ers. Josh Harris had a big smile on his face. This is the latest in a long line of cutting edge propaganda moves the Harris-led franchise has made since they bought the team during the lockout two summers ago. Like most of the print-worthy moves they've made, this one is a lot of noise about nothing.

Brian http://www.depressedfan.com
The latest bit of news to squirt out of the Sixers PR department is the addition of a local, affiliated NBA Developmental League team, the Delaware 87ers. Josh Harris had a big smile on his face. This is the latest in a long line of cutting edge propaganda moves the Harris-led franchise has made since they bought the team during the lockout two summers ago. Like most of the print-worthy moves they've made, this one is a lot of noise about nothing.
]]> This move definitely ranks above setting aside a section behind the hoop for the Revolutionaries and hiring Ayla Brown to sing the national anthem. Probably ranks ahead of the free Big Macs if the team scores 100 points, as well. The new practice facility? I think that's probably a more meaningful improvement. The D-League is a great way to groom guys to sit on the end of the bench, once in a long while, you hit the lottery and find a solid guy for your rotation. That's your diamond in the rough, a complimentary piece to slot in as your seventh or eighth man. There are two tangible benefits to controlling your own D-League franchise. (1) You have a place for your young players to get minutes, and they play those minutes in your system. (2) In the Sixers case, their D-League team will be in close proximity to Philly. So if a guy can't crack the rotation, he can get some burn against rock-bottom competition running the same plays he would be running in the NBA, if he was good enough to crack the rotation. And if you have an injury at the last minute, and you're playing at home, and your D-League team is playing at home, you can get a replacement at the drop of a hat if you have a guy stashed.

I say tangible benefits with tongue firmly planted in cheek. Perhaps if the Sixers had a deep team where minutes for young guys should be hard to earn, you could maybe make a case for needing to find a way to keep the young players sharp and build familiarity, but they aren't in that situation. They aren't even close. Don't get me wrong, I don't think this is a bad move. It's better to have your own franchise than not, but in the grand scheme of things, it's negligible.

I probably should've made my mind up about this ownership group by now, but I haven't. To date, they've signed two players to long-term contracts. Jrue and Thad. The only two guys on the roster of any value. So they get passing grades for those moves. The other signings have all been for a year or two. I agreed with the Bynum trade at the time, and still think it was a worthwhile gamble. I don't think they'd be any closer to contention now with Harkless, Vucevic and Iguodala still on the team. It was probably time for Collins to go, whether it was his decision or management's doesn't really matter.

I feel like they haven't made a big mistake, yet, and they've shown a willingness to make a bold move if the opportunity presents itself. The easiest thing in the world for them to do last summer would've been to spend the money to bring back the same team, make incremental improvements and try to build on their first playoff series win since Iverson. They didn't take that road.

This D-League announcement isn't something to blast ownership for, it just strikes as another tedious PR move. It doesn't even qualify as a baby step in the right direction. I suppose the next litmus test will be who they hire to coach the team, but ultimately the coach doesn't matter much, either. I can get behind one of two paths this summer: Go for broke with a meaningful player (Dwight Howard, Chris Paul, Andrew Bynum, in that order. Or someone other top-ten player in the league), or get worse than you were last season. Anywhere in the middle and we're in trouble, as fans.
]]> tag:www.depressedfan.com,2013://1.21291 2013-04-22T16:13:26Z 2013-04-22T19:27:38Z

Excitement. Dissapointment. Angst. Frustration. Anger. Disgust. The range of emotion experienced by this Sixers fan since the Sixers made the franchise-altering trade for Andrew Bynum last summer has been draining. If you're in the "just get rid of him," camp, I get it. I understand the logic behind making him someone else's problem. I completely get why people want to turn the page, but I don't think it's necessarily the right thing to do for this team.

Brian http://www.depressedfan.com
Excitement. Dissapointment. Angst. Frustration. Anger. Disgust. The range of emotion experienced by this Sixers fan since the Sixers made the franchise-altering trade for Andrew Bynum last summer has been draining. If you're in the "just get rid of him," camp, I get it. I understand the logic behind making him someone else's problem. I completely get why people want to turn the page, but I don't think it's necessarily the right thing to do for this team.
]]> Many, many months ago when Bynum taking the floor this season seemed inevitable, we tossed around a philosophical discussion in the comments. Say Bynum would always be an injury risk. Say he's probably doomed to miss time frequently for the rest of his career. What would your floor be, in terms of time on the floor, for a maximum contract? Put it this way, would you pay $100M for a shot at home court in the playoffs 2 times over the next 5 years? Would you pay the max for maybe one trip to the Finals? How about having him on the floor for three playoff runs over five years? Would that be enough? We can get into the risk assessment of the whole thing, what are the odds he'll be able to play x number of games? How diminished will his skills be if he is able to get on the floor? All of these factors matter, but when it comes right down to it, I don't see a whole lot of options.

If you want to be one of the relevant teams in this league you have to be lucky, you have to call a premier city your home, or some combination of both. Miami got lucky when they got Wade, then they used leverage to get LeBron and the hanger-on. The Clips got lucky (finally) when they drafted Griffin, then the league leveraged that to put Chris Paul with him. The Lakers have been leveraging their location for decades. They leveraged their location to get lucky in the draft when Kobe only wanted to play in LA. The Spurs got lucky in the draft twice. The Thunder got lucky three straight years in the draft (and then the fact they aren't one of the premier markets made them just give up one of their winning lottery tickets for nothing).

Tanking proponents will tell you the only way to build a champion in the current NBA is through the draft. This isn't entirely true. I'm not even sure it's partially true, at this point. Two small-market teams have won a championship in the past 23 years (three if you count Houston as small market, or non-premier). The Ben Wallace Pistons are an outlier, so let's ignore them for a moment. The other two are the Spurs and the Rockets. Yes, both of those teams "won" the lottery. Not only did they win the lottery, they won the lottery in a year when a generational talent was available to be drafted. Then they made smart moves around that player (or players in the Spurs' case). Let's be more specific. Both San Antonio and Houston won the lottery in a year when a generational big man was available (corrects error on my part Hakeem was the #1 pick).

Perhaps the Thunder will join this list at some point, and if they do it would be for four reasons: (1) They won the lottery in year when a generational talent was available, (2) That generational talent was very bad in his rookie season, bad to the point where they were able to get another really good player in the draft the following season (3) Both of those players weren't good enough together the following year to move the team out of the lottery and they got another great player (4) Their generational player doesn't seem to mind playing in Oklahoma City. They've already blown #3 on this list of dumb luck. Whether 1,2 and 4 will be enough to bring a championship to OKC remains to be seen. Either way, is the OKC model repeatable? Is it something to hang your hat on if your team is terrible? More importantly, is it a reason to root for your team to be horrible, year after year after year? OKC is even more of an outlier than the Wallace-era Pistons were, so stop using them as the linchpin of your argument (they also haven't won anything to this point).

Here's the point I've taken way too long to get to. Winning the draft lottery doesn't matter unless you're a premier market. The traditional method of building a contender through the draft is 100% myth. It's out-dated. Cleveland won the most important lottery ever, they drafted a home-town hero, got to the Finals once, then watched him walk out the door. They won the lottery again and now they should be counting down the days until Irving leaves them, title-less. In today's NBA, if you aren't a premier market, winning the lottery means you've got a finite amount of time to put a significant roster around your star before he flees for greener pastures, and you're starting from absolute zero because you had to be bad enough (and lucky enough) to get the guy in the first place. You have two legitimate options for filling out the roster, through the draft (where you're probably drafting in the teens, at best, going forward), or via free agency. Of course, no really good free agents want to come play in your small market when they can go play in Miami or LA. So you have two options, you can play it smart with your cap space and let your superstar become more and more impatient until he leaves, or you can overpay for the Antawn Jamisons of the world, because they're the best free agents you can get to come play in your second-rate city, you cap yourself out, don't really put together a solid roster, and he walks anyway.

The conventional logic simply does not work. If you want to compete as a second or third-tier team, you have to take risks. And I mean big risks. I mean putting all your chips down on a guy with crumbling knees, because a great player with solid knees simply won't come play for your team. Bynum's work ethic might be shit. I have no way of knowing. His knees might be completely trashed. He might limp through the rest of his career or never even set foot on the floor again. It's a huge, huge unknown. The only thing I know for sure is if Bynum takes the floor for a full season, the Sixers have a shot at contention. If Bynum can limp through 40 games, get the Sixers the 8 seed, and then be healthy for the playoffs, they can be a contender. If I talk to the doctors and they tell me there's a five percent chance Bynum will be healthy going forward, I'll take it.

Look at it this way: If the Sixers sign Bynum and he never plays another game, they've lost cap space for the next couple of years. So what? I'd rather set that money on fire than save it to spend on a guy like Al Jefferson or Josh Smith. And if you think they're going to be able to turn the cap space into a free agent superstar, give me one example of a superstar going to a team on the Sixers' level as a free agent (or even via trade). Deron Williams is the only example, and he would've left if they were still the New Jersey Nets. Brooklyn is a great example. They're at least adjacent to a premier market and the only way they could put a playoff team on the floor is to take a gigantic risk to get Deron, then trade a lottery pick for a mid-level win, then re-sign that mid-level wing for too much money, then trade for a second-tier star lugging the worst contract in the league with him, then max out their own injury-prone big man.

If you want to have a conversation with me about the right way to build a contender in the NBA, the first words out of your mouth better be "move your team to Los Angeles." Short of that, there is no right way. There is no traditional way. There are only risks. There are only questionable decisions that leave a bad taste in your mouth and there is only making a blind leap of faith and taking a chance on a guy who hasn't earned it, doesn't deserve it and probably won't live up to it. It's either that or spend a bunch of money on a guy like Josh Smith, build a 45-win team around Jrue and whoever and pretend like you're building toward something bigger, waiting for that big break to happen. Or go the other direction. Get rid of enough talent so that you can be truly bad, win the lottery, in the right year, then spend 4-7 years preparing yourself for his departure.

So here's my plan for this summer. Take a contributor at #11 because this draft is terrible and this team needs role players on rookie contracts. I'd prefer a shooter. Then, the second free agency opens, you call Chris Paul and offer him a max contract. When he laughs at you and hangs up, you call Dwight Howard to offer the same. When he won't even take your call, you sit down with all of Bynum's medical records. As soon as you ascertain he will be able to walk at some point in the next three years, you don't dick around. You offer him a three-year max with a vesting team option for the fourth year (if he plays x games and/or the Sixers advance past the second round in the playoffs at any time in the first three years, it becomes a player option for the fourth year). You tell him this is your opening offer, and you want the opportunity to top any offer from another team (because you can top any other offer, that's the only thing you got in the trade last summer, the ability to out-bid everyone else). You don't lowball him. You don't let the emotions of this lost season cloud your judgment. You get Bynum to sign on the dotted line. If it doesn't work out, the only thing you've legitimately lost is some of Josh Harris' cash and the opportunity to waste that money on Al Jefferson and put a 45-win team on the floor for the next three years. You can still tear the team apart and be as bad as you want to be in the draft for the foreseeable future, if that floats your boat.

Here's the executive summary: The Sixers need to act desperately because they, like about 25 other teams, are in a desperate situation.
]]> tag:www.depressedfan.com,2013://1.21290 2013-04-17T14:34:50Z 2013-04-17T14:34:40Z

There is no guarantee tonight will be Evan Turner's last in a Sixers uniform. Spencer Hawes, Kwame Brown and even Nick Young could return as well. The only sure thing is tonight will be a farewell for Doug Collins as the team's head coach. Love him, hate him, or have no feelings either way about him, Doug's vinegar-strokes faces will no longer be on the sidelines when this team (or at least a new team wearing the same uniform) takes the floor next fall. One last time in Indy.

Brian http://www.depressedfan.com
There is no guarantee tonight will be Evan Turner's last in a Sixers uniform. Spencer Hawes, Kwame Brown and even Nick Young could return as well. The only sure thing is tonight will be a farewell for Doug Collins as the team's head coach. Love him, hate him, or have no feelings either way about him, Doug's vinegar-strokes faces will no longer be on the sidelines when this team (or at least a new team wearing the same uniform) takes the floor next fall. One last time in Indy.
]]> Neither team has anything to play for tonight. With a loss, the Sixers can guarantee no worse than a three-way coin flip for the 10th-worst record in the league with Toronto and Portland. Portland has dropped 12 straight games in their desperate quest to draft Plumlee at #10.

I expect Collins to tank this game like he did in Detroit the other night. Moultrie, Justin Holiday and probably Jenkins could see 30 minutes or more of action. I expect hugs and tears all around when Thad comes off the floor for the final time (probably in the third quarter).

The tip is at 8pm. Call me a sucker, but I'm planning to rush home for one final game thread, because who knows what's in store next season.
]]> tag:www.depressedfan.com,2013://1.21289 2013-04-15T12:21:09Z 2013-04-15T12:54:55Z

The Sixers will lug their monstrous two-game winning jag into Detroit tonight to face a reborn Pistons squad, sporting a three-gamer of their own. Since the Pistons inserted Andre Drummond into the starting lineup, they've won 50% of their games (4-4), and they're fresh off thumping the mighty Cavs on Friday. Only one streak will survive.

Brian http://www.depressedfan.com
The Sixers will lug their monstrous two-game winning jag into Detroit tonight to face a reborn Pistons squad, sporting a three-gamer of their own. Since the Pistons inserted Andre Drummond into the starting lineup, they've won 50% of their games (4-4), and they're fresh off thumping the mighty Cavs on Friday. Only one streak will survive.
]]> The Pistons are pretty much equally bad on offense and defense. It looks like Jose Calderon will be out tonight, and unfortunately it looks Drummond might miss the game as well. I was looking forward to seeing how Drummond has progressed in his rookie year. He had a dominating performance last week against the Bobcats in which it looks like Charlotte employed the hack-a-Drummond (he shot 9/17 from the line). Drummond finished the game with 29 pts, 11 boards on 10/11 from the floor in 34 minutes. Drummond is looking like a perfect compliment to Greg Monroe up front for Detroit, a five who can hide Monroe's horrific defense and feed off his solid passing on the interior.

Anyway, without Calderon, Jrue will probably be matched up with Knight on the defensive end, and guarded by Stuckey on the other. Both favorable matchups. Turner will be outclassed athletically and otherwise by Singler.

That's about as much as I can muster. Collins coaching out the string, the team playing out the string. The only modicum of drama for me is whether Jrue can peak his head above the Mendoza line of efficiency before the season ends, which is looking doubtful.

The tip is at 7:30pm. Use this as your game thread. I'll be watching on DVR if DirecTV doesn't do me a huge favor and black it out again.
]]> tag:www.depressedfan.com,2013://1.21288 2013-04-12T12:27:14Z 2013-04-12T12:36:19Z

...or are we? That's pretty much the theme of tonight's game in Washington. The Sixers and Wiz have similar records, the only difference being a couple extra road wins for Philly (both teams enter 22-18 at home). Since there's nothing to play for and less reason to watch, I dug deep and found this picture of John Wall celebrating after hitting a three. The photog who nabbed this shot must've been on cloud nine, it's like seeing a unicorn.

Brian http://www.depressedfan.com
...or are we? That's pretty much the theme of tonight's game in Washington. The Sixers and Wiz have similar records, the only difference being a couple extra road wins for Philly (both teams enter 22-18 at home). Since there's nothing to play for and less reason to watch, I dug deep and found this picture of John Wall celebrating after hitting a three. The photog who nabbed this shot must've been on cloud nine, it's like seeing a unicorn.
]]> My bar is set pretty low. I'd be satisfied if the Sixers (outside of Thad) could at least drum up some interest in playing the game.

The tip is at 7pm. Use this as your game thread. There's no way I'm rushing home to catch this one live. Jrue's 18/8 season is slipping away (he's at 17.9 ppg after the Hawks game), maybe that will motivate him.
]]> tag:www.depressedfan.com,2013://1.21287 2013-04-10T13:25:23Z 2013-04-10T13:40:06Z

The Hawks and the Celtics are in a nail-biter of a battle for playoff seeding. Neither wants to finish #6 (and have to face Indy and Miami in the first and second rounds, should they get that far). Finishing 7th would mean avoiding the Heat until the conference finals, again, should they advance that far. 1.5 games separate the teams, and falling to 8th is an impossibility. I'm sure Boston realizes this, I kind of doubt Atlanta does.

Brian http://www.depressedfan.com
The Hawks and the Celtics are in a nail-biter of a battle for playoff seeding. Neither wants to finish #6 (and have to face Indy and Miami in the first and second rounds, should they get that far). Finishing 7th would mean avoiding the Heat until the conference finals, again, should they advance that far. 1.5 games separate the teams, and falling to 8th is an impossibility. I'm sure Boston realizes this, I kind of doubt Atlanta does.
]]> So the question of the night: Will the Hawks tank for playoff position? Gripping stuff. As for the Sixers...well, the ghost has officially been given up. We saw vintage Hawes and Turner. Jrue finally had an efficient scoring game, and he accomplished it with a really lazy offensive effort. Thad couldn't be bothered to put a body on anyone on the defensive end, and Kwame Brown never took off his eco-friendly NBA Green Week t-shirt at the end of the bench.

Had a great time at the game. Said a quick hello to Tom Moore. Interrogated Adam Aron about Bynum, "I don't know, his knees are pretty bad. He killed us this year," was his response when I asked him if he was going to re-sign Bynum. The team, well, if you watched you know what happened. If you didn't watch, it's not hard to guess. When I say Jrue was lazy, what I mean is that he didn't seem interested in expending the effort to drive. The Nets essentially had Reggie Evans slack off on the pick-and-roll, playing right at the foul line, meaning Jrue had three or four feet of space when (if) the pick was applied out past the three-point line. Plenty of room to simply put a move on Evans and get in the lane for a layup, a dish to a big or a kick out to a shooter. Instead, he floated on the perimeter, let Williams get over the pick and was happy to swing the ball around the perimeter. Early on, he punished this defense by pulling up and hitting three triples. After he missed his next two, though, he decided not to go that route. So 15 points on 10 shots in 28 minutes. Bleh.

Anyway, Atlanta...ah, who cares. Horford and Smith are going to kill them if they play like they did last night. I feel as tired as the players look.

The tip is at 7pm for the penultimate home game of the season. Use this as your game thread. I'll be watching on DVR, as much as I'd love to be doing something more productive.
]]> tag:www.depressedfan.com,2013://1.21286 2013-04-09T12:45:49Z 2013-04-09T14:50:33Z

If you're able, try to sit back, relax, and enjoy the basketball game tonight. The Sixers have been mercifully eliminated from playoff contention, the odds of moving up or down in the lottery are pretty low, and really, one spot either way doesn't matter a whole lot. Put your feet up and soak it in. We only have to watch five more after this one.

Brian http://www.depressedfan.com
If you're able, try to sit back, relax, and enjoy the basketball game tonight. The Sixers have been mercifully eliminated from playoff contention, the odds of moving up or down in the lottery are pretty low, and really, one spot either way doesn't matter a whole lot. Put your feet up and soak it in. We only have to watch five more after this one.
]]> With nothing left to play for and the stakes at an all-time low, I'm not exactly sure what to expect. I do know, however, there's no reason left to be upset or overly invested in the outcome. That can be a liberating experience as a fan, if you squint your eyes and only examine the situation from a certain angle, in a certain light. At least that's what I'm telling myself. Jrue vs. Deron is typically a fun matchup. Reggie Evans plays nearly 25 minutes/night for a playoff team. If that isn't worth the price of admission, I don't know what is. Evan Turner is riding a string of six consecutive games above the Mendoza line of efficiency. Perhaps Doug will put Moultrie into the rotation for these final six games, see what the kid can do (not holding my breath). You can cut the drama with a knife.

Back in July my family and I made the exodus from Brooklyn to the wilds of New Jersey. For the past ten years or so I walked past the corner of Flatbush and Atlantic nearly every day. First it was an empty lot, then it was an empty lot surrounded by protesters, I once bought a Christmas tree from a fly-by-night operation set up amid "Don't Develop Atlantic Yards!" flyers at this very corner. Then came the lawsuits, the financial crisis and what was once supposed to be a humongous new live/work/play development project (with 17 buildings taller than the Williamsburg Bank Building), was scaled down to a stadium and really nothing else, and not even the stadium they wanted to build. All the protesting was for naught, as is so often the case. Anyway, tonight I'll make my return to Brooklyn to see the old neighborhood and my beloved Sixers one last time in this lost season.

The tip is at 7:30pm. Use this as your game thread. I'm going to be under the hoop on the same side of the floor as the Sixers bench, but a row or two up. See if you can see me on the tube.
]]> tag:www.depressedfan.com,2013://1.21285 2013-04-06T14:47:58Z 2013-04-06T15:08:52Z

When the Sixers take the floor tonight there's no way to tell if they'll be the attacking team we saw in Atlanta last night. Will they be the team that smothered the Hawks on defense, or the team that couldn't get a stop or hit a shot against Charlotte two nights early? The sad fact is, it doesn't matter. The real question is whether Miami will continue to toy with the league and rest LeBron James and Dwyane Wade (neither has played since their streak ended on March 27th).

Brian http://www.depressedfan.com
When the Sixers take the floor tonight there's no way to tell if they'll be the attacking team we saw in Atlanta last night. Will they be the team that smothered the Hawks on defense, or the team that couldn't get a stop or hit a shot against Charlotte two nights early? The sad fact is, it doesn't matter. The real question is whether Miami will continue to toy with the league and rest LeBron James and Dwyane Wade (neither has played since their streak ended on March 27th).
]]> Believe it or not, and it's certainly hard to believe, Jrue had a stretch of quite good games not so long ago, with a near giant-slaying performance against this Heat team, at full strength. I suppose I'm still watching to see if he'll somehow snap out of this funk...they're going to need him to do so if they have any hopes of winning this game and keeping their laughable playoff hopes alive. Speaking of the playoffs, they might have had a legitimate shot had they not dropped that game in Charlotte. Forgetting the Sixers for a minute, it seems plausible if not likely the Eastern Conference will have two playoff teams under .500, and the #8 seed could finish 5 games below .500, or worse. That's a sad state of affairs. One final note on the playoffs, the dream will most likely come to an end tonight. Milwaukee is home to face the Raptors.

In terms of scouting Miami, it's not a complicated formula when Wade and LeBron don't play. Get the ball out of Bosh's hands and don't leave shooters open for threes. Beyond LBJ and Wade, Miami has no one on the perimeter capable of truly pressuring the defense. Make sure you cut off the roll portion of the pick-and-roll, if their bigs want to take 20-footers, let them. If you double Bosh, don't double off one of the shooters. Quick dig-downs from the perimeter should suffice, or send another big at him.

Turner has had solid efficiency in 4 of 5 games, and even decided to rebound in two of them. Please, please keep it up, Turner. Salvage something out of this season.

The tip is at 7:30pm. This is your game thread. I should be here throughout. Join me if you'd like to watch when the season officially ends (and the quality of play in the NCAA tournament doesn't resemble basketball to you).
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