Depressed Fan

Big, Big Loss

2010-03-20T06:01:09Z

This season, and this team, have become a horrible, horrible punchline to a joke that isn't all that funny. Eddie Jordan coached this game to win tonight. 100%, he was pulling all the strings he could to get a W. The players weren't exactly lazy out there, they just have absolutely nothing to fall back on. Their systems are flawed, their priorities are out of whack and to top it off, the wrong players are on the floor at the wrong time. Andre Iguodala is lost, Elton Brand is resigned, Sam Dalembert is clueless, Willie Green and Lou Williams are useless, Marreese Speighs is still hurt. Anything and everything that can possibly be wrong with this team, is. And I can only hope that things stay like this for another 13 games.
]]> Two positives to take away from this game, then your rotation chart, then bed:

The loss dropped the Sixers to the 8th-worst record in the league.
I hope we're in for about a decade of Toney Douglas and Jrue Holiday going head-to-head. I love the way these kids play the game and it'd be great to see a rivalry develop between two young guards. It'd be even better if both teams were actually good, but that may be asking too much.

I haven't read Jordan's post-game comments, but I can only assume that he said something like, "The team competed for 48 minutes." I'm sorry, but that's complete B.S. If you compete vs. the Cavs and come out on the wrong end, fine. They're clearly a better team. I don't care how much effort you put forth against this putrid Knicks team, you should be able to sleepwalk through the game and get a W, if you're trying to. From a basketball perspective, look at one thing from this game. The Sixers gave up 15 offensive rebounds to a team that was missing their only rebounder. Without Lee, the Knicks don't have any semblance of an interior presence. Eddie Jordan's response to these facts was to use a small lineup for 23 minutes total, and the final 18 minutes of the game. A cynical man might also point out that Jason Kapono was on the floor for the final 6:20 of what was mostly a one-possession game coming down the stretch. You may also be interested to learn that Andre Iguodala and Jrue Holiday didn't sit for a second after the half, and tallied 43 and 42 minutes, one the first night of a back-to-back.

Player of The Game: Jrue., 15 points on 12 shots, 8 boards, 2 dimes, 2 steals and 2 turnovers. He had a rough turnover down the stretch when he probably would've been better off forcing up a shot against the shot clock. This was in his 24th consecutive minute of action though, so I'll cut him a little slack.
Team Record: 24-45
Up Next: Chicago Bulls, Saturday night at the Wach.

Swing Game

2010-03-19T21:30:46Z

Any damage the Sixers did to their lottery hopes by beating the Nets on Wednesday can be quickly minimized by a defeat tonight. If the Sixers fall to New York, they will finish the night with no better than the 8th-worst record in the league, and the very real possibility of dropping lower. If they win, it's 9th-worst by themselves, and only one game behind the Clippers for #10. Swing game, indeed.

]]> I'm sure you remember the last meeting between these two powerhouses, a 94-84 win for the Knicks in Philly. Jrue had a big game. Iguodala had 10 more rebounds than three-pointers attempted (and that wasn't a good thing), Jason Kapono hit his first three of the decade, and so on.

The potential storylines are a bit thing, unfortunately:

Jrue is averaging 18.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, 6.5 assists, 2.5 steals and 2 turnovers over his past two games. Can he keep it up?
I actually like the Jrue/Toney Douglas matchup, Douglas may just be a keeper for he Knicks (who bought the pick from the Lakers to draft him, I believe)
Iguodala bounced back in the Nets game, can he retain his shooting touch tonight?
Elton Brand got off to a quick start, working down low against a pitiful Knicks interior defense, then those plays were scrapped. Will EFJ find something that works and stick with it? (Can't say this likely, considering the way he's coached all season)
25 minutes for Kapono on Monday as Jordan decided to go small vs. small. Same tonight?
Jodie Meeks saw first-quarter minutes against the Knicks, more of the same?
Willie went from a DNPCD to starting in less than a week, can we expect 30+ minutes from him tonight?

I was thinking about this on my way home last night, and decided to file it under "Reasons Why I hate EFJ," but ten years ago, or maybe even five, I'd be embarrassed if the Sixers finished with a worse record than the Knicks. I mean, I'd be rooting for a win tonight so hard you wouldn't believe it. Today, my head and my heart both realize my team needs a loss. I hate this feeling.

Tip is at 7:30, I'll be right here throughout, suffering in relative silence. Join me in the game thread if you have a few f-bombs to spare, or if you want to talk about the NCAA tourney game you've decided to watch instead of the Sixers. Either way, I'll lend a sympathetic ear.

Bring Your Kids to the Game

2010-03-19T15:31:14Z

Tomorrow night, the Sixers are holding a special promotion to try to pack a few extra fans into the Wach. The first 5,000 kids through the doors for the game against the Bulls will receive Andre Iguodala action figures (pictured above). The obvious question here is what will the Sixers do with the 4,000 or so leftover action figures? The sad thing is, I'd actually probably take my kids if it was an afternoon game.

NCAA Day 1 Impressions

2010-03-19T04:59:01Z

I missed all of the early games due to, well, putting food on the table, but tonight I got a chance to watch a decent chunk of basketball. Some quick thoughts after the jump.]]> I wanted to see two players, in particular, Greg Monroe and Cole Aldrich. Mixed results from what I saw:

Let's start with Monroe, this is the third game in a row of his that I've seen, and I have to say I hope he goes back for another year at Georgetown. Not because I think he needs more polish, but because I think there's an outside chance the Sixers could draft him and I want no part of that. I understand his exceptional skill level for a big man, but I truly believe he has the wrong skill set to be a dominant big in the pros. It's nice for a center to be able to pass and dribble, but it's not important. I should say, it's not important enough to overlook the crucial skills for the position in the NBA. To me, he doesn't look like much of an athlete, he doesn't impact the game on the defensive end, even at the collegiate level, and all of his production seems to come from the fact that he's got a handle and some moves in space. I don't see him dominating down low, which a legit big man should be doing at this level. Perhaps some of the offensive problems I've witnessed are a result of the offense Georgetown runs, but to me, he just doesn't have the all around game, nor the demeanor to be a dominant big in the pros.
Aldrich, on the other hand, absolutely changed that Kansas game. He was a beast in the middle, and when he was on the floor North Texas simply had no chance. He was in foul trouble in the first half, and seemed winded after a couple times up and down the floor in the second, but overall, I liked what I saw from him on the defensive end, which is the most important thing, for me, out of a big. You can find minutes for a defensive big who rebounds no matter what. You can work to develop a dependable offensive move or two. If a big is going to be one-dimensional out of college, I think it's important that defense is that side. You just don't see too many guys developing defensive skills, and blocking shots is something that I consider almost genetic. Whatever it is, he's got it. Do I want the Sixers to draft him? Probably not. I still wonder how he'll compete when he isn't the biggest, strongest player on the floor, I also wonder how he'd hold up if the Sixers continue to run, but at the same time, I wouldn't be pissed if they drafted him.

My biggest takeaway on the night, though, was Avery Bradley's exceptional play. He only shot 4/15 from the floor, he's a tweener, he only shot 55% from the line this season, and I'd still absolutely love to have him on my team. He put more pressure on the ball than you could possibly imagine, picking up his man full court, harassing him into multiple turnovers. It was honestly a thing of beauty. Do I think he'll be a star at the next level? Not unless his offensive game improves by leaps and bounds. Would I use a lottery pick on him? Absolutely not. Could he step in and be a rotational, change-of-pace guard on a playoff team next season? Yes, I think so. Think of him as the anti-Lou Williams, a combo guard to come off the bench and harass the opposing team's PG. A guy to hawk the ball, and make it extremely difficult for the other team to get into their sets. Think of him as a cooler.

Chad Ford has Bradley going in the late lottery, which seems high to me based on what I saw and his numbers, but mark my words, he's going to be a pro for a long time, and that defense is going to make one team extremely happy.

It's funny that I'm raving about the defense of a guy whose man hit a game-winner to knock Texas out of the tourney, but don't overlook the fact that Bradley forced Ishmael Smith into 8 turnovers and very nearly put the game out of reach with a big steal early in overtime.

Leave your thoughts from the tourney in the comments.

Someone Has To Win

2010-03-18T18:23:41Z

After tomorrow night's game against the Knicks, the Sixers will only have one chance left to lose to one of the teams they're battling for lottery position. After the jump, we'll take a quick look at the matchups of the league's pitiful teams remaining on the schedule.
]]> The important column in the standings right now is wins. Here's how the lottery shakes out currently:

10. Clippers (25)
8(t). Sixers (24)
8(t). Knicks (24)
6(t). Detroit (23)
6(t). Sacramento (23)
5. Indiana (22)
4. Washington (21)

And now the remaining games where someone has to win (plus any games left against the bottom three teams)

Clippers (25 wins now)

Sacramento
Golden State
Knicks
@ Sacramento
Golden State
Projected Wins: 30

Sixers (24 wins now)

@ Knicks
Detroit
Projected Wins: 27

Knicks (24 wins now)

Sixers
@ Golden State
@ LA Clippers
@ Indiana
Washington
Projected Wins: 28

Detroit (23 wins now)

@ Indiana
Indiana
@ New Jersey
@ Philadelphia
@ Minnesota
Projected Wins: 27

Sacramento (23 wins now)

@ LA Clippers
@ New Jersey
@ Indiana
@ Minnesota
LA Clippers
Projected Wins: 26

Indiana (22 wins now)

Detroit
@ Detroit
Washington
Sacramento
Knicks
New Jersey
@ Washinton
Projected Wins: 26

Washington (21 wins now)

@ Indiana
New Jersey
Golden State
@ Knicks
Indiana
Projected Wins: 24

If the Sixers simply play to their record, meaning lose to every team they play with a better record than them, beat every team with a worse record, they would finish with 26 wins. They have the hardest remaining schedule of all the teams in this group, with only 2 games remaining against cellar-dwelling teams. Every other team has between 5 and 7 games against terrible teams, with Indy leading the way with 7.

The only thing that can stop Philly from improving their lottery standing is picking up a couple of meaningless wins against better teams in the league. Looking at the remaining schedule, I'd circle Chicago and one of the Orlando games, simply because Chicago is struggling and there is the potential for personal motivation against Orlando (plus, Orlando may have their seeding wrapped up when the teams meet on the final day of the season).

Win #24

2010-03-18T14:05:36Z

I've kind of written off the whole, "worst team ever" thing where the Nets are concerned this season, mainly because I thought they had some decent pieces and they've just run into some bad luck from the jump this year. After what I saw on the floor last night, though, I'm pretty sure they've earned their record.
]]> Devin Harris was out with an injury, Brook Lopez is apparently MIA, they don't defend, they don't have any semblance of an offense. I'm almost 100% sure this Nets team wouldn't make the final 4 in the NCAA tournament, and that's not an overstatement.

For the Sixers' part, their pride actually showed up for this game. Guys were hustling, diving on the floor, boxing people out. It was clear they didn't want the distinction of being one of the unlucky 8 to lose to the Nets, and they made sure it didn't happen. I suppose it's good to see that they're capable of getting up for a game, though winning is counterproductive at this point.

Here's your rotation chart:

The Sixers were led by an absolutely superb game from Jrue Holiday.

36 minutes
8/11 from the floor
1/2 from three
2/3 from the line
7 rebounds
7 assists
2 steals
1 turnover
1 foul
19 points

Monster, monster numbers from the kid. Andre Iguodala bounced back from his recent shooting woes to drop 20 on 14 shots, more importantly, he went to the line 7 times, hitting 6.

Elton Brand had an all-around game that we haven't seen out of him too often this season, finishing with 8 boards (7 defensive) and 4 assists.

Jason Smith continues to challenge Thad Young for the title of worst rebounder I've ever seen. Smith played 18 minutes, and only grabbed one board.

If you're looking for a negative (besides, you know, winning the game) I can't understand why Jodie Meeks rotted on the bench until there were less than 2 minutes left. The Sixers had 20+ point leads several times throughout the game, there were ample opportunities to get Meeks into the game, perhaps to take some of Willie Green's 26 minutes, or Jason Kapono's 19. Meeks is apparently part of this team's future, Green is not.

The Knicks and Indiana both lost, but luckily the Clippers won. This win dropped the Sixers back to a tie with New York for the 8th-worst record in the league, 1.5 games ahead of the Clippers for 10th, 1 game behind Sacto/Detroit for 5th, 2 games behind Indy for 4th.

Player of The Game: The youngest player in the league.
Team Record: 24-44
Up Next: @ New York, Friday night.

Worst Matchup of the Year?

2010-03-17T21:00:21Z

Some movies are so bad, they're good. So horrible, you can't help but watch. Drama becomes comedy, comedy becomes tragedy. You get the picture. I'm wondering if tonight's Sixers/Nets game will have that same sort of train wreck atmosphere. I guess at least the Nets have something to play for (avoiding the worst record in the history of the league). Preview and game thread after the jump.
]]> The Sixers marketing department sends me an e-mail prior to every game, usually with some kind of ridiculous discount offer for tickets under a propaganda headline. Today, the e-mail was titled, "Come see the Sixers try to sweep season series vs. the Nets." Like that's supposed to be some kind of accomplishment.

Anyway, we haven't taken a look at the advanced stats for a while, so here's the worksheet for all games since the All Star break. Not for the feint of heart:

3-12 record since the All Star break, with 11 of the 12 losses coming by 10 or more points. Included in this stretch are losses to the Pacers and the Knicks. I think you could easily make a compelling argument the Sixers are playing demonstrably worse basketball than the Nets right now, and this very well may be the matchup of the two worst teams in the league.

I'm not sure Eddie Jordan could survive a loss in this game tonight, I think he knows that, and I think he's going to be coaching like he knows that. Whether or not that means a higher likelihood that the Sixers actually do lose this game is anyone's guess, at this point.

I'm not sure I can really come up with a reason to watch, outside of the slim chance that Jodie Meeks will see some time, and the high probability Jrue will see 40+ minutes.

This is your game thread, I'll be here throughout. Join me if you love effortless basketball played by two franchise scratching and clawing their way to the bottom.

One Year Ago

2010-03-17T15:53:56Z

Exactly one year ago, the Sixers were preparing to play the Lakers on the road. They were firmly in the race for the #4 seed in the East, playing very good basketball. Andre Iguodala's game-winning three that night was definitely the highlight of the regular season for me. How can everything go so wrong in only 365 days?
]]>
I didn't post that video to taunt or torture you guys. I simply thought we could all use a reminder that watching basketball can be a rewarding experience.

That win put the Sixers three games over .500, they would reach their high-water mark on April 4th with a win over the Pistons (40-35), before limping into the playoffs and struggling mightily after Thad Young's ankle injury.

This season, I'm trying to figure out how they're going to lose to the worst team in the history of the league. Bah, Happy St. Patrick's day.

Tanking Wounded

2010-03-17T07:10:23Z

If you look at the teams who have tanked successfully, without having a roster devoid of talent, traditionally they've had injuries to grease the skids, if you will. The Sixers have had some injuries this season, but none to the players who really matter when we're talking about winning and losing games. Heading into tonight's game against the Nets, perhaps quantity will make up for quality, where the injury bug is concerned.
]]> If you missed the news yesterday, Thad Young broke his thumb in Monday night's game. He's out for tonight's game, as is Marreese Speights. Lou Williams is a game-time decision.

Personally, I think Lou should rest his back. I think everyone and anyone should rest whatever ails them. If Lou, Thad and Speights are all out, we're talking about a seriously thin roster for the game. Expect every able body to appear, maybe even Jodie Meeks. The Sixers will be down to Brand, Dalembert, Iguodala, Jrue, Willie, Kapono, Smith, Carney and Meeks, so 9 bodies. Assuming Willie starts, that means your bench consists of Carney, Smith, Meeks and Kapono. That rivals NJ's pathetic bench.

Forget about tanking for a second, though. Even if you're a purist and you're worried about the integrity of the game (even if the league isn't, Donaghy, cough, cough) what's the point of rushing any of these players back at this point? Even if there's a 5% chance of aggravating the injury, play it safe. Get these guys some rest if they aren't absolutely 100%.

For the record, I believe Eddie Jordan will do everything in his power to win this game tonight. He's more worried about the headlines if he loses to possibly the worst team (record-wise) in the history of the league than anything else. I wouldn't put it past him to pressure Lou to play.

Movement

2010-03-16T15:18:42Z

After months of hard work, the Sixers have finally moved out of the #9 spot in the lottery. Above is Chad Ford's latest mock draft.
]]> Ed Davis doesn't really float my boat. It took me 2 clicks to get Evan Turner with the #2 pick. 3 clicks to get up to #3, where he has the Sixers taking DeMarcus Cousins, which is interesting. He has Cousins ahead of Favors on the Sixers' board. I clicked 30 times and never got up to #1.

It looks like he has the Sixers taking Wesley Johnson, if available, followed by Ed Davis, followed by Cole Aldrich. All three of them ranked ahead of Greg Monroe.