A Tall Order So the Sixers finally pull off a win and then they have this to come home to this. The Celtics may be the champs, they may have beaten the Sixers like a rented mule less than a week ago, but this Lakers team is the most talented in the league.They have not one, but two options on the low blocks, a point who can distribute, defend and knock down the three, two defensive stoppers coming off the bench, two Euro shooters who can light it up from deep and, I almost forgot, Kobe Bryant. On top of all the talent they should be extremely unhappy after dropping a game to the Pacers last night. If the Sixers are going to win this game, and I'm not going to lie to you, that's most likely not going to happen, they're going to need a huge game out of just about everyone. A combination of Sam Dalembert, Theo Ratliff and Marreese Speights is going to have to be able to handle Bynum down low. In two games against the Sixers last year Bynum totalled 41 points on 16/19 from the floor to go along with 27 rebounds, 7 assists and 4 blocks. In the game at Staples Center I don't think he even broke a sweat. If the Lakers can just pour the ball into the post this game is going south quickly. That's priority number 1. If you can somehow manage to keep Bynum under wraps I truly believe Gasol can be taken out of any game with physical play. We saw it in the finals last season and we saw it again in the Olympics this Summer when Kobe manhandled him and made him turtle up. So far we have 1: Contain Bynum, 2: Push Gasol around. Now, once you have those two things under control you have to realize who you can leave and who you can't leave to double. This is pretty simple, you can't really leave anyone. Fisher is shooting 44% from three, Radmonovic is shooting 45%. Kobe is all the way down to 25.5% from downtown, but doubling off him is pretty much insane. If you need to double to contain Bynum and/or Gasol you're in serious trouble. Now it goes 1: Contain Bynum, 2: Push Gasol around, 3: Accomplish 1&2 without doubling. If we get to that point, all that's left to worry about is who's going to stop Kobe. Last year, I would've said put Thad on him. This year he just doesn't look as quick to me. Kobe would eat him alive and Thad's long arms and height probably wouldn't help him too much. It's going to be Iguodala who gets the assignment. He needs to be up to the task. Off the bench, Ariza and Odom have both been playing well. Farmar and Sasha have been having some shooting woes, but Vujacic remains solid from three. If the Sixers can find a way to win this game I'll be suprised. It would be a huge boost to a team who desperately needs one. Tip is at 7:00. Post game will be late tonight. 19 Comments | Leave a commentLeave a commentLatest Posts• The Rockettes Come To Town • Iguoadala As Playmaker • Welcome To The Network • Stefanski Does the Legwork • I Hate Texas • Can They Salvage the Trip? • Dirk Is Still A Bright, Shining Star • The Trip Continues In Dallas • The Celtics Deserve Stephon Marbury • Ending On A High Note • Closing Out 2008 • Four Factors, New WorksheetSearchBlogs in The NetworkSixers BlogsPassion and Pride Sixers 4 Guidos Liberty Ballers Recliner GM | ||||||||||||||||
Brian,
Of your matchups up top, I'm hoping Speights can play Bynum to a draw (or at least not get killed). Unlike Sammy, Speights can at least force Bynum to guard him. I think Brand can muscle Gasol around so I think we are good there.
Kobe is a huge problem. If he is 'hot', then nobody is going to stop him. I'm not sure who'd be the better matchup for him, Iggy or Thad. If Thad has an off night shooting, it seems he plays D a lot harder. Thad has been caught cheating off his man more this year too. When he played PF he had so much of an advantage athletically he was able to recover. Not so anymore as he's having to handle the uberathletes or someone like Ray Allen, who only needs a sliver of daylight to make the shot. Iggy is more consistent now even though he doesn't seem to defend like his rookie year either. You see a lot of the guys, once they are established either ignore or scale back on D. Of all the attributes of Michael Jordan, the one I respected the most was no matter how much he was scoring he'd always put everything he had into shutting his man down.
If they were sitting Thad a lot of minutes last game because he was shooting poorly, I'd have rather put in Rush than Green.
Ironically, Green earned those minutes because of his shutting down of his man last night in Gordon. He was denying him at every opportunity and if Gordon got a half step on Willie he moved his feet nicely to recover without reaching.
The Lakers are really good. The Sixers can't compete with them. I think the Sixers would win 1 in about 8 games normally. With the Lakers coming off THAT LOSS, I say 1 in 20.
Nice to see Mo go back to predictable
Sam and Thad go out - Theo and Willie come in
Both Sam and Thad were playing well when Mo took them out. From that point on the bottom fell out. Most disappointing stretch of the game, and so predictable.
I voted to live blog this... mostly because i can't watch the game. I wish you did.
Andre Miller is back to shooting like crazy. 18 shots midway in the 3rd. And can't he find some more minutes for Speights (only 3 so far)?
Well wasn't Miller only shooting lay ups, many of which weren't contested too badly. I don't think you want Miller taking a ton of shots, but can you fault him for shooting so many lay ups?
And Speights' numbers were brutally bad.... like Willie and Lou. Lou pumped them up late, btu he was surely a poison early.
Mo is probably on his way out soon.
Miller did get some layups and shot a decent percentage but the thing is, when he's taking a lot of shots, it takes away shots for the other guys. If his name isn't Chris Paul, I'd prefer our PG to shoot less than 15 times a game, run the offense and get better than 8 assists.
Speights was bad when he was in. But in the middle of the 3rd he hadn't had many of his fouls or misses yet. For that matter, most of the Sixers had a lot of fouls on them today.
As a person was a class act or as a player Mo was great. Last year, he seemed to be a good motivator for that team. But this year, with this team, he seems in over his head. The parts aren't coming together.
Individually, these guys are talented, more talented than they've been showing. I know they don't call plays for Thad, but the way things are going it doesn't look like they call plays for the others either, as they seem lost or stand around while someone pounds the ball. Last year, they were one of the best defensive teams by the end of the year. Now, they've added Brand, who is a better than average defender and suddenly even the Bobcats can score on them easily.
Agreed on all points. Mo may have to go, there are too many trade options with all the bad contracts, so it'll be hard to move players. Are the players really sniping at each other? Is anyone noticing this?
I didn't notice much of it tonight, last night EB was pissed at Sammy.
Those are the two that Thompson commented on when Sam (for the 1 billionth time, without hyperbole of course) failed to rotate properly defensively.
I don't think Elton realized he'd miss the defense of a guy like Chris Kaman :)
Miller took Brand's shots tonight, because Brand was playing like crap and then got hurt. Miller played an excellent game tonight.
yet ANOTHER announcer, michael thompson, points out that the sixers are snipeing at each other and man i've never seen a team look so apathetic
Lakers shot 58+% from the field. You aren't going to beat many teams when you let them shoot like that. It seems every time they did miss they drew a foul.
I didn't expect the Sixers to win but I was hoping for a better showing. I don't think this team is devoid of talent but it is looking like they individually just don't mesh.
The Lakers are an offensive juggernaut, 114 points wasn't exactly unexpected. The fact that the Sixers scored 102 was actually a pleasant surprise.
Toronto just fired their coach...I think Mo is next.
I've given up thinking Mo is going to get fired, I've been waiting and expecting it for too long
It's very possible, but it's not going to happen after a loss to the Lakers or the Pistons. If they lose to NJ on Saturday, and look bad doing it, Mo might be fired when they have three off days before playing the Cavs.