, I was at a loss for words. Mike sent me his
, I gave it a quick read, and I was somewhat comforted that I wasn't alone in being disgusted by this loss. After the jump we'll check out my game notes, place some blame and maybe try to move on.
Coming into the game, I pretty much knew the three-pointer was going to decide it. If the Sixers could avoid doubling Howard, and avoid leaving the shooters open, they had a shot. If they didn't, well, they were going to lose. It turns out they decided to go with a criminally insane game plan to double everyone, at every opportunity just to see if Orlando could knock down open threes. The funny part is that it worked, basically, for three quarters. The sad, and unavoidable, truth is that it came back to bite them in the fourth, just like you knew it would.
I tracked Orlando's threes tonight, and nearly ran out of ink. Below are my notes, if there was a Sixer close enough to contest, it says covered. If not, it says how they got open for the shot. (parental discretion is advised):
First quarter (6/10)
- Lee, left unguarded, miss
- Lee, open on kick, miss
- Lee, left unguarded, miss
- Alston, off double, make
- Hedo, in transition, make
- Lewis, covered, make
- Lewis, covered, miss
- Lewis, down-screen, make
- Reddick, in transition, make
- Lewis, off inbound pass, make
Second quarter (2/11)- Reddick, covered, miss
- Pietrus, covered, miss
- Pietrus, in transition, miss
- Reddick, down-screen, miss
- Hedo, pick-and-pop, miss
- Lewis, covered, miss
- Alston, swing, miss
- Lewis, in transition, make
- Hedo, covered, make
- Alston, kick out, miss
- Hedo, covered, miss
Third quarter (2/9)- Lee, kick out, miss
- Lee, kick out, make
- Lee, kick out, miss
- Lewis, kick out, make
- Lewis, swing, miss
- Lee, kick out, miss
- Lee, swing, miss
- Johnson, kick out, miss
- Johnson, kick out, miss
Fourth Quarter (5/8)- Lee, left unguarded, miss
- Johnson, kick out, miss
- Lee, kick out, make
- Lee, kick out, make
- Hedo, double screen, make
- Lee, kick out, make
- Johnson, kick out, make
37 three-pointers attempted, the Sixers really challenged 7 of them. The game plan against a team that shoots 39% on the season from three was to dare them to beat you with three pointers. Keep in mind, if you will, that Dwight Howard was in foul trouble in the first half, and Orlando rarely went to him in the post. How the hell do you leave them open for 30 threes? I mean, that's 30 threes that they took. Lee was so shaken at one point that he refused to take a wide-open look.
It's mind-boggling. It was pure, dumb luck that the Sixers had a double-digit lead in the fourth quarter. If you want to know how the lead became a deficit, let's take a look at a crucial stretch in the middle of the final quarter.
With 7:41 left and the Sixers holding an 85-78 lead, Sammy commits a stupid foul on Hedo, it's non-shooting, but it's his fourth, which is important. Courtney Lee immediately hits a jumper after the foul to cut the lead to 85-80. On the other end of the floor, Sammy airballs a shot from the foul line, then doesn't hustle back on defense. Rashard Lewis takes the long pass, lays it in, he's fouled and Sammy gets called for goal tending as well. After the foul shot, the score is 85-83. The Sixers come down the floor and this time Sammy throws a shoulder into Hedo as he's setting a baseline screen for Iguodala. He's whistled for the offensive foul, his fifth. Orlando comes right down the floor and drills a three to take the lead 86-85 with 6:28 left on the clock.
It wasn't Sammy's fault they lost this game, but I just had to point out what may have been the most self-destructive 1:13 of basketball I've ever seen played.
I had a couple of positive notes, so I'll give them to you as bullets.
- Tony DiLeo getting his first T of the season. More funny than positive, I think.
- After Dwight Howard doubled Miller for about the fifth time on the low block, Sammy finally dove to the basket for a nice alley-oop. Not sure why it took five times, but at least they finally figured it out.
- Andre Miller did everything he could to get this W. You can't place any of the blame on him (other than that stupid T)
- I really thought the charge Thad drew on Lewis with 0:59 left and the Sixers trailing 100-99 was going to be the play that won this game for the Sixers. Unfortunately, it was Howard's block on the ensuing play.
Finally, Bob Salmi kept praising the Sixers coaches throughout the game for, "Choosing which guys to leave open for three." What he should've been doing was praising Stan Van Gundy for telling his guys to keep shooting them if they aren't going to guard you.
Player of The Game: Miller
Team Record: 29-29 (I'm so sick of .500)
Up Next: New Orleans, on Monday night.
The Heat beat NY tonight, so the Sixers fall two games out of the #5 seed. Again, make sure you check out Mike's
first-person report.
Hi Brian,
I'm surprised the Sixers had a chance to win the game having given up that many 3s at that high a percentage. Still, I think it was a foolish game plan with Howard in foul trouble. Play everyone man on man and let the chips fall where they may.
Here is something you'll enjoy. Kate Fagan (Inquirer writer) is clamoring for the lineup everyone here has been waiting for (Miller, Iggy, Thad, Speights and Sammy).
http://www.philly.com/inquirer/sports/20090301_Inside_the_Sixers___Sixers_should_borrow_page_from_Phillies.html
Haw! Tell it, sister. He's an uncommon rook and management's refusing to recognize they have a tiger by the tail there. He may have some flaws -- what player doesn't -- but the most important thing is the net effect: does he give you more than he takes away?
Yes, comfortably yes. But Brand's existence makes the whole thing uncomfortable, unfortunately.
I thought Howard has been held in check by playing him straight up leading up to this game.With 18 fouls between Sam,Theo and Reggie I don!t understand the need to "bring a knife to a gunfight".We shot well from 3 early but we can!t try to outshoot this team.Why give up 3 instead of banging Howard around and making him hit foul shots.
$ for Damon
I've come up with some money making schemes for those MLB players effected by the Stanford Financial Group fraud investigation.
Link: http://morehardball.blogspot.com/2009/03/money-making-schemes.html
Give it a plug if you like it, thanks.
No real need to go into too much analysis about this one. The Sixers are a mediocre team that was swept by a good Orlando team.
Orlando is better than Philly. Swept them just like the Sixers swept the Knicks and Wiz. One team is just better than the other.
The game was close because the Magic were at the end of a 4 game in 5 night run (o the road.) They played flat, and the Sixers (or anyone) could have put them away. Since they did not, the Magic played hard for a few minutes at the end and the Sixers were over-matched. The Sixers could not even generate shots that reached the rim.
Because of the farce that is the bottom of the East, the Sixers can try and sell a bill of goods that they are a good team that just needs to find itself. If they were in the west they would be 4 games out of the 8th seed and focusing on player development.
When I watch this team I try and focus on how the young players are developing. Focus on playoff seeding and wins and you will be disappointed. They are just not good. They are streaky, and that's good for a run, but we know who they are.
Actually, they would be 6 games out of the 8th seed in the West...
They did miss an opportunity because they were at home against a tired Orlando team playing their 4th game in 5 nights. But don't confuse that for a chance to assert themselves as a legit playoff team. Sorry, not trying to be as much a downer as a realist. They need to forget 'the 4 seed' and learn all they can about the team heading into next year.
They need to learn if Iguodala/Thad can play 2/3. And if they can do that next to a lousy shooting PG in Miller(who is otherwise great.) They need to learn if Seights can start next to Brand (and if they can afford to unload Sam.) They need to learn if Lou is a complete loss at PG (and if they should trade him for a shooter.)
We have some sense of those answers, but we need to be sure heading into the Summer. They can't afford to waste next year, becasue they have a lot of resources locked up in Iguodala and Brand, and next year they have to hit the ground running.
Hey TK,
Agreed, though I think the answers to your questions are clearer than you suggest...
"They need to learn if Iguodala/Thad can play 2/3."
They can't. They're both 3s. Iggy's closer to a 2 than Thad, but that doesn't make him a natural 2... it makes him a 3 trying to fit into a 2's role. We need a natural 2 on this team, particularly when Brand's getting the ball down low and looking for a deadeye spotting up on the wing. The team needs a better shooter than Iggy getting that pass.
"And if they can do that next to a lousy shooting PG in Miller(who is otherwise great.)"
The answer above answers this question as well. With a real 2 on this team, Miller's just fine.
"They need to learn if Speights can start next to Brand (and if they can afford to unload Sam.)"
Offensively, Sam isn't close to Speights. Defensively, it's quite the opposite. I'm not saying Sam's a great center, but it sure as hell looks like this team needs him to do what he does on the defensive end. If they're forced to give him up in a trade, they better recognize what they're giving up.
"They need to learn if Lou is a complete loss at PG (and if they should trade him for a shooter.)"
Yeah, he's definitely a COMPLETE loss at PG. No doubt about it. The BEST thing Ed can do in the offseason is to package him for a real shooter.
0-8 against the top three teams in the East pretty much says it all. Can't defend the 3 or shoot it, which is a huge problem with no signs of improving.
I am a little surprised by the way Speights goes from seven minutes one night to 22 the next for no apparent reason. He still has a ways to go, but he is fearless at the offensive end.
I couldn't stomach looking this up last night, but here you go.
the Sixers game plan appeared to be leaving Courtney Lee and Anthony Johnson open from three all night, correct?
Well, Lee is a 41.4% shooter from three. Johnson only shoots 40.6%.
Can anyone explain this coaching decision to me?
The other guys are better?
seriously, 3 point defense has been a problem with this team for years now - and it's sad it ain't getting better.
I don't know if it's systemic or if it's just the players unable to learn.
Hey Brian - quick question for you - do the sacramento kings fear you if they have 10 mil in cap room and target andre miller?
They won't have that much, but if they target Miller w/ their 5-7M (depending on where they pick) it could be a problem.
Did you read the Ford column?
He says 7-9 depending on what they do with their two draft picks.
I just did the math, they're at 49M if they let McCants and Diogu walk, for 10 players. Add a minumin contract to that and you're near $50M, add their first-round pick to that and they're up around $52M or $53M.
I'm not sure why the Kings throw the money at Miller. They are a young team that is years away. If anything, they should go after Sessions. Even if they can't get Sessions, I still would not go for a long term deal for Miller if I were them.
FYI: DiLeo's technical was his second. He got one Dec. 23 at Boston.
Doesn't seem like Miller would be an ideal fit for Sacramento. With cap going down next year, probably couldn't resign him for $8 mill and get a shooter with the mid-level without going into luxury tax territory.
Thanks Tom, I didn't remember that T vs. Boston.
I had to look it up, Brian, because I wasn't sure if it was his first.