When the Sixers and Bucks take the floor tonight, take a hard look at both teams, then take a hard look at both coaches. One of them is led by a buffoon who speaks in pointless riddles, cares only about 20-foot jumpers and playing head games. He takes losses one of two ways, either shaking them off as flukes, or pointing fingers everywhere but at himself. The other coach seems to be on the verge of a heart attack, living and dying with losses. He demands perfection from his players, he preaches defense and hustle at all times and won't accept anything less. Look at the records, look at the rosters and tell me coaches don't matter in the NBA.
Skiles isn't the perfect coach, obviously. His style can be grating, and eventually he'll probably wear out his welcome in MIL like he did in CHI (unless he can build up a body of work that gives his system and style more weight, it's going to be really hard to get this kind of effort out of a team year after year.) Offensively, let's say he's challenged. You know what, though, I'll go ahead and say it. Put Skiles on the Sixers bench this summer and Eddie Jordan on the Bucks' bench and I bet the teams flip flop in the standings.
After setting the league on fire early in the season, Brandon Jennings has settled into pretty much the type of player people expected him to be from the get go. He's got electric tools, but maybe not a great understanding of how to use them, yet. He shot the ball unbelievably well early in the year, but his numbers are kind of dismal right now. When your point guard is taking 15.2 shots/game and only converting on 37% of them, your offense isn't going to be very productive. At least two or three of his shots, per game, should be going to Andrew Bogut. As a playmaker, though, I think Jennings is ahead of the curve. 2.4 assists/turnover is a nice mark for a rookie who has started every game in his rookie season, especially playing on a team without solid jump shooters around the perimeter (providing easy assists).
Bogut has turned into an animal. Delfino, Ilyasova and Mbah a Moute provide defensive intensity. John Salmons has joined another team making a playoff push and seems to fit perfectly as a secondary scorer.
The Bucks have won 8 straight at home, and sit comfortably in the #5 spot in the East, while the Sixers are fighting it out for the 5th-worst record in the league. Yeah, I know it's depressing.
Anyway, if you need some good news, we won't have to see Lou Williams "guarding" Jennings tonight. I expect Jrue to get the call for most of the game, and that should provide a nice matchup. Jrue should be up to the task. I'm guessing we'll see the same starting lineup, so Iguodala on Salmons should also be interesting.
This is your game thread. The tip is at 8pm. I'll be around, stop by if you dig John Salmon's King Tut goatee.
By the way, Wizards at Pacers (go Wiz) and Kings at Nets tonight (go Kings).
LATE EDIT: Completely forgot the most-compelling storyline. Jodie Meeks' triumphant return to the city he first called home in the NBA. I don't know about you, but I can't wait.
John Hammond deserves much credit for his shrewd moves in constructing this Bucks team. Bill Simmons made a good point in his latest column about Detroit falling apart after he left.
Man I want a good GM so bad. I also want a tiny white coach who goes crazy after every loss in the good way. (or a black coach, green coach, purple coach, asian coach, whoever can just get this team to play hard D, treats the players like men, expects professionalism and gets a culture started)
I just want to get these next 11 losses out of the way so we can start focusing on something positive. Or at least something that could in possibly be positive. Or even have a hint of positivity.
More Eddie Jordan love. From Brendan Haywood :
"Coach dictates the minutes," Haywood said Monday. "That's his job. In Washington, [coach Eddie Jordan] made it known it was an open competition. This isn't a competition.
"[Jordan] felt like that competition fueled the team. It was actually terrible for the team. This is more along the lines of, whoever is playing the best, put him in the game and let's try to get something done."
http://sports.espn.go.com/dallas/nba/news/story?id=5023864
It's like beating a dead horse, but there are so many other teams out there who I feel have much less talented rosters and are making us look D-league. It's %100 coaching. Whether its his system or personality driving players to medeocrity, I'm not sure. Most likely both.
It's weird when I think about next year. I'm already feeling excited, because I know there is more to look forward to with this team, even if the roster doesn't change a bit. I don't think they're contenders, but without bias, I know there a mid pack playoff team as constructed at worst when coached up to their abilities.
I love EFJ comments about there being no leadership on this team. Wouldn't that then be your responsibility jerk? But he can't be because he's an asshole who knows shit and everyone knows that. I just still cannot believe this guy has a job, how are we benefiting in any way? Why on earth must they wait til season's end? I just don't understand the organization's rationale.
Self preservation. Wait until the season is over, everyone's focused on the NBA playoffs nationally, and the Phillies locally. Then you fire Jordan (and maybe Stefanski too) and it's a footnote on the second page of the paper. Do it now and there's a spotlight on what a failure the franchise is, and what a shitty decision it was.
Exactly. Even better yet you on it on a Friday afternoon and it generally gets blown over.
Here's a question for you, what would Eddie Jordan have done in this situation?
I like that Houston's jersey looks like it says HUSTLE on the back. We need more players like that.
Don't under estimate the importance of John Salmons
I love that jvg did that, zo landed a nice elbow there. JVG would be awesome for this team in my opinion.
Hell Brian you got me thinking showing the pics of JVG and Skiles, you have me thinking that alltime prick Bill Laimbeer wouldn't be a bad choice to lead these patsies.
Do you think that pissed enough people off to not get a job as a HeadCoach by now?
It seems like C.Villanueva has a B. Abreu type effect on a team.
So he makes them smarter players in their chosen profession with a better approach to the game that is mis understood by most unintelligent fans?
But he is no D.Eckstein. (: Jrue!s mom was just on sportsnet, she is a fiery coach. His sister plays "D" like him.
If they were all david ecksteins - buzz bissinger would be happy and baseball would suck :)
I have a good Skiles story. He played 10 games for the Sixers at the end of his career (1995-96 for John Lucas). He retired during the season and was so unhappy with the experience that the Sixers received a big cardboard box in the mail soon after he left that contained every piece of clothing with the word "Sixers" on it that he had.
That's awesome. Maybe we can have a big bonfire in the parking lot of the Wach and burn every piece of marketing copy with Eddie Jordan's name on it the day he's fired.
Bucks have won their last five against teams ahead of them in the standings; Sixers have lost their last five against teams ahead of them.
Just realized I have a baseball fantasy draft conflict, so I'm going to be watching this one on DVR. Keep it cleanish in my absence and I'll check in late tonight after I watch the game. Enjoy, guys.
Stat Geek
I love when I see Jason Kapono starting
There go those annoying horns in MIL again. Baannnhhh!
Kapono starting off hot, man.
Iggy's form looked as good as it has in awhile on that one.
I should wear my stackhouse jersey for good luck tonight.
could the bucks beat the hawks/celts in the first round this year?
Kapono's form looks too good to be playing the role of tankman.
Jrue smelled blood on those last two. Ridnour couldn't guard me.
fuck. too much harmony and effort out there so far. I can't condone this level of spirit.
Gotta get Jrue out, he's freaking KILLING the Bucks.
This all while Brandon Jennings sits on the bench.
JRUE! Save your maturation for next year man! Now we need to get you a guy to run Pick and Rolls and throw lobs to for the next 10 years man! Calm down!
whats the over/under on times per game pinckney says "WOW"?...its usually over that isn't even that impressive
Hahaha, that's very true, it sounds like 'woooooww.'
Jodie for Jrue, sounds about right. Gotta give Meeks a good homecoming, right?
A Jerry Stackhouse jersey. That's freaking funny. The only current Sixer jersey i would buy is an Elton Brand jersey because he is the only Sixer guranteed to be here next season.
so im watching and i see a commercial that says "watch as the sixers use home court advantage to fly past the hawks" and i laugh so hard i choke on my dinner. it comes back to the game and we now have a lineup in that has 4 wing players and a power forward. no center or point guard. god i cant wait for this painful season to be over.
Ahhh, Jodie for three.
I was looking at http://twitter.com/TheIdleRich and was directed to find this link-
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1167626/index.htm
Holy crap, look at that shot the scout takes at the Sixers. I think he's a good bit off giving NO blame to Jordan, but he certainly believes in the team's talent. This is a bomb though.
Thank goodness someone else called out these sad-sacks besides me. And a league scout at that. I'm no scout but it takes serious blinders to not see it, and see it since pretty much mid-season at that.
Matter of fact, there were signs of it very early in the season here and there, but it really reared its head big time the last time we were in MIL way back on Jan. 27th.
And yet this is the same team that didn't have issues before the idiot coach got here.
Where were you before doing your whining bitching calling out the players act.
Why is it on joran? Cause it was never an issue before his useless ass became the head coach
He didn't really have enough space to really tear into jordan, but he is right. Thad, Speights, and Lou are young babies.
As things wind down I am findingout quickly that Jrue is the only player I really care about and want to keep. Everyone else can go to begin putting pieces around Jrue. Getting a Favors or Turner to go next to him would be a great start. Lets get this new GM and coach quick so we can start making moves right when the season is over.
Speights does have some random stretches where he plays hard.
The Bucks have been the best team in the league for the last month? Could've fooled me. Jodie Meeks, Willie Green, Jason Smith, Rodney Carney are a part of a unit that's killing them.
Playing down to the competition :)
Wow, that was not expected. Up 13 at the half and it could have been a lot worse. Jrue and EB played only a combined 21 minutes, wow.
The Kings need to get with it vs the Nets. And fast. Dag.
Jrue to Sammy, sweet dime. We're still winning though...
Bucks are really screwing us.
Shit. They are going to win this damn game. Reminiscent of the Sunday game vs TOR a few weeks back.
Hahahahaah, Primoz drops in a long jumper. I didn't know if he did that once with the Sixers.
OK, now where the heck did all this gusto come from tonight? Geez...
I guess if we are going to win, it might as well be looking good instead of winning a close game which is just a waste.
I'm dissapointed in the Milwaukee Bucks.
I bet Jrue is done for the night. 15 and 6 in 20 minutes is good, but too many TOs.
That Iggy dunk was insane, even more so that his foot is painful to move on.
sacremento is gonna lose...Say goodbye to the top 5.
Damn, we're gonna win, SAC is going to lose. At least IND won b/c we weren't going to catch the Wiz anyway.
I thought coaches mattered in the NBA. More like talent and, even moreso, effort of whatever-level-of-talent matter.
Don't follow, and how can you come to that conclusion from one game?
One game? I came to that conclusion from watching them play @ POR, vs DAL, vs CLE, vs BOS, @ HOU, @ DEN.
While coaching is a factor, it has always been overrated particularly on this level. Talent rules, and when that is absent effort does.
Alright, do you think this team has the same record with Scott Skiles as the coach? I don't think anyone could say that with a straight face. With the coaching staff changing, (like with Tony DiLeo for instance), this team had more wins, so it can't be overrated. I think that Skiles has done a fantastic job with this team, and they do play hard for him every night. He has been very important.
A big part of coaching is getting your teams to play hard every night if you don't have elite talent.
I think the Bucks laid an egg tonight, nothing more. The Sixers shot well too. It's not a great amount of effort. Did you watch the Orlando game on Monday? I thought the team played very hard, but their defensive schemes against three point shooting were a mess. Van Gundy is up and calling out the other team's offensive plays? Is Jordan doing that? I don't know, but it would be news if he did.
Yeah they had more wins with DiLeo but so did they with a guy named Miller too. It's too convenient to leave that out. So yes, it is overrated and always has been on every level. But I also said it was a factor which is in agreeance with your last paragraph above.
You think Phil Jackson would be the shit without MJ, Shaq, or Kobe? Exactly, he wouldn't have won the first title.
Van Gundy can call out all the offensive sets he wants but when it comes down to it the man has talent and a nice amount of it too.
Jordans defensive woes have followed him at every stop. His teams have all had historically bad 3 point defense. You're telling me that Andre Miller was that great of a defender? I agree his loss has hurt them, but you can't say the dramatic falloff on defense is because of the subtraction of Miller
We're not talking about winning titles. Hopefully one day we will be, but Phil Jackson is not who we are comparing ourselves too. There are very few times when the team doesn't build to winning a championship. We're talking about coaching in general. Of course our talent is not up to snuff and that needs to get way better, but our coaching isn't either.
Has Andre Miller made Portland any better too? They are going to finish with a worse record so I don't believe he is the be all, end all when it comes to the team's record. Especially because he wouldn't fit Jordan's "system." Greg Popovich has been blessed with great players, but his system and philosophy are dynamite. Same with Phil Jackson. Larry Brown helped to put Detroit over the top, so did Pat Reilly even with a good coach being kicked out. Point is, talent is needed, but if your coach is not good, you aren't going to roll the ball out and win a title despite him. So coaching is definitely an intricate part of the game. Doc Rivers is the only questionable coach to win one, and he had great leadership. I'm hoping to build talent with a coach a la Scotty Brooks in OKC and Jackson and Popovich did.
So we need to get a solid coach to build our way up with a solid system. We need order to get on the long path to winning a title.
Cleveland and Boston were losses, and Portland and Denver were heavily decimated by injuries too. So this is not really a huge sample size, and it's the NBA. If one team doesn't bring it, the other team has a great chance to win.
"If one team doesn't bring it, the other team has a great chance to win."
Welcome to your '09-'10 Philadelphia 76ers. Exactly my point.
The Boston game referred was a win (on the road) and remember the egg laid the next game vs the Clips. Sure the CLE game was a loss but the effort when we play them is so rarely seen.
This whole season is certainly enough of a sample size. Take those games mentioned and then compare them to UTAH at home, vs MEM, @ MIL, @ MIN, vs IND, vs MIA etc.
We could go on for days but that isn't coaching, that's effort and hardheaded, stubborn, low IQ players too.
Ha, jokes and jokes and jokes, oh players taking a night off.
Couldn't they just have won THIS game? Is a top 4 pick TOO much to ask for?!?!
All I want is a good new gm, a good young coach who wants to play d and run, and a great young piece to put next to Jrue. Why can't I have that?!? AHHHHHHHHHH
Well, I didn't see that coming... No need to Fear the Deer. Sacramento really wants to lose more than us.