The Celtics and Sixers teams who met in the Eastern Conference semifinals last season were both cut from the same cloth. Amazing defenses (the Celtics were #1 in DFR, Sixers #3), terrible offenses (Philly #21, Boston #25). This year, both squads are taking the more traditional statistical approach to mediocrity.
Instead of being lopsided in favor of defense, both the Sixers and the Celts have fallen back considerably on the defensive end of the floor and now hover in the middle of the pack on both ends. For the Sixers, the defensive regression was to be expected considering their personnel changes. The Celtics really didn't lose any impact defenders, so their dip is probably partially due to age, and partially just a byproduct of the same lackadaisical early season play we saw from them last year. Boston has to be wondering if they'll be able to flip the switch in the second half this season, and if it's even going to matter with the Knicks and Nets already separating themselves from the rest of the division. The Sixers, on the other hand, have to live in the moment and pick up as many wins as possible until they're a complete squad (if they're ever a complete squad).
Boston is one of the rare teams in the league who made a worse signing than the Sixers this past summer (Jeff Green's contract is worse than Hawes + Kwame any day of the week), but they also added a couple pieces that really fit on the perimeter. Jason Terry was made to play the Celtics' "path of least resistance" offense which basically consists of Rondo holding onto his dribble until he can find someone open for a 20-footer. That and Paul Pierce putting his head down, screeching at the top of his lungs when he gets close to the hoop, and getting bailed out by a bad whistle about 40% of the time. Yes, the Celtics are a pleasure to watch on the offensive end. Much like it's pure joy to watch Sixers bigs muff passes, fall away from the hoop and/or get pushed around by guys they have four inches and fifty pounds on.
There's a premiere matchup to watch over the next two days: Jrue vs. Rondo. The first thing I'm going to say about this matchup is I hope I don't see a whole lot of it when the Celtics have the ball. Put Turner on Rondo, Richardson on Pierce and Jrue on Terry. Jrue's much better at chasing shooting guards through screens and denying the pass. Turner gets lost in those situations more often than not. Plus, I think it's in the team's best interests to keep Jrue away from the cheap shot screens Rondo will run his man through all night long. They're going to need him to have his legs for about 80 minutes over the next two nights, give him a break on the defensive end.
Boston is averaging 23.1 long twos per game so far this season and shooting 44.9% on those attempts (second-best in the league). Jason Terry is shooting an unconscious 55% on such attempts. The good news is Garnett's jumper isn't connecting at it's usual high rate.
In the past, these games were pretty much decided by how well the Celtics bigs shot the 20-footers the Sixers gave them all night long on the pick-and-pop. If Bass and Garnett were knocking them down, the Sixers were in trouble. If they weren't, the Sixers probably had a decent handle on the game. The Celtics basically have two threats from three in Paul Pierce and Jason Terry (both shooting above average, but not great from deep.) The one area where I think the Sixers will get in trouble is if they put Turner on Pierce. Pierce will bully him mercilessly and get a ton of high-percentage shots. I like Richardson and Wright to split the time covering Pierce.
Like pretty much every game, Jrue has to be on for the Sixers to have a shot. This first game is huge, because the Celtics have extremely old legs. Get this win tonight and you've got a better than decent shot at sweeping the back-to-back and getting to the high-water mark of plus-four over .500. But you have to win the first...well, first.
The tip is at 7pm tonight on ESPN. Use this as your game thread.
Here's my question for the day: As currently constructed, without Bynum, exactly where do the Sixers stand against the rest of the Eastern Conference? Top 8? Lottery team? Ahead of Boston or behind?
Behind Boston.
Lottery team. I kind of hope so anyway, numb to first round pastings.
The three teams at or below them right now (BOS, IND, and MIL) are all better than them and will finish with better records as the season winds on. They're probably on par with an Orlando, somewhere around a 9th or 10th best team in the east.
Celts, dead last in rebounding (37.8 pg) but beat Wolves at it by committee Wed. night, resulting in win.
Coach Rivers: "I'd like to beat [Sixers] once, because they've handled...I'd like to beat them both times, but they're playing well against us and we're going to have to deal with that. They must have great confidence against us. So those are going to be hard games." [Mark Murphy, Boston Herald, 12/7/12]
without Bynum they're in that 6-9 range, or maybe even 7-10, definitely behind Boston.
i think i figured out why i am having such a hard time caring about this team right now. i stuck with them after trading AI and loved watching the 07-09 teams that played Orlando & Detroit in the 1st round. i felt like they were building something.
in landing Bynum i felt like my loyalty had paid off, and now they were just a piece or two away from true contention.
with so much anticipation and excitement heading into this season, the disappointment over the Bynum injury has left me totally demoralized. feels like no matter what this team does, something is always going to go wrong.
I think that's a common feeling. I refuse to believe Bynum isn't going to pan out until...well, I guess I won't believe it until he's out for the year and signs with someone else this summer. That's pretty much the only way I can stomach giving up hope. I'll probably be sucked in even if he doesn't play a game this year and they re-sign him anyway.
You were more fun when you weren't so blindly optimistic with no evidence to support it :)
They're in the playoffs mostly because the bottom of the east is weak.
I just hope they avoid playing the knicks in the first round, the way the knicks are playing now, the sixers would be pasted by them, and I couldn't stomach that as much as any other team in the east.
Well, there's no evidence to support it either way, really. All we know for sure is he's had bad knees in the past, hasn't played to this point and he's being reexamined on the 20th. There's no evidence that he isn't going to play at all this year, or not be effective when he comes back. That's just a doomsday outlook on the situation w/out evidence to back it up.
Well, maybe because I live in out in Laker Land I see more 'anecdotal' evidence than you do regarding Bynum, knee injuries, recovery and his ability to tough it out.
Good thing TMZ isn't hanging out in Philly or you'd probably all be having apoplexy...Bynum had a knack for being injured but still showing up on TMZ, a lot :)
Plus, I've had bad knees since I was a kid.
And unlike you - i'm truly a pessimist in general :) - though I'm hardly ever disappointed (my gf on the other hand, optimist, so very exited the red sox signed the flyin hawaiian, i did warn her).
I think Bynum plays just enough to show people he's healthy, get that max deal from the sixers, and like I said before, maybe plays 50-60% of the game while he's under contract.
Seen nothing recently to deter from that, aside from the sixers being more vague on when they expect Bynum to play.
Then agaim, I'm the guy who believes they don't give a good damn how many games he plays, the splashy trade got them some season tickets probably, and out from under the 'horrible' Iguodala contract...
I still don't believe the franchise decision makers know how to build a winning team...and every game you reflect that whenever you talk Spencer :)
Whatever boost they had in season ticket sales is being undercut by half-empty houses now, I'd think. They should care if he plays or not.
And how's that for a pessimistic view - "half empty."
Nicely done, but I think the 'iguodala savings' makes them happy :)
Seriously though - when BYnum was injured and showed up on TMZ, Laker fans were NOT happy - and these are 'nice' fans - I couldn't imagine what Philly folks would do.
Yeah, the savings thing doesn't really work, though. They're spending $18M more than they had to this year (amnesty Brand, replace his salary), which is more than Iguodala would've made next year. If you're talking about trying to clear cap space, there might be an eventual savings if they don't re-sign Bynum, but then that's a basketball, or at least a basketball economics, decision, rather than just a bottom-line decision, which would go against your point, right?
Can't tell until what they do in the off season - I think it was about saving money - we'll see...they were paying brand no matter what this year - but now they have less money committed for next season unless they re-sign Bynum
Yes, Brand's $18M was a sunk cost this season, but when they cleared that cap space, they then filled it. So in terms of real dollars, they're paying him twice. Once to play for the Mavs (which was the sunk cost) then twice in the guys they signed using up the created cap space. Look at it this way. If Bynum walks and they don't replace his salary, they're still paying more next season in terms of real dollars, because Brand's salary this year (or the added money into the cap space his amnesty created) is more expensive than Iguodala's salary is next year. They're spending more money no matter what they do. Keeping Brand and keeping Iguodala would've been cheaper than what they did. If they wind up extending Bynum, it would've been much cheaper.
Behind Boston, probably the 8 seed and a 4-0 sweep from Miami if Bynum never plays.
Any idea if Swaggy P is playing tonight...I can't believe this but...I miss him.
That second unit really needs him to hit a couple terrible shots, at least, to tread water.
In my opinion the Sixers can be good but they need Bynum for consistency. It's hard to rely on jumpshooting every night. Bynum gives that extra interior option on offense, extra big body on defense, and an extra rebounder. Without him i think we're a fringe playoff team but it's hard to say because I don't know what kind of consistency we will bring and we dont have much depth.
I just hope that when Bynum eventually does heal that he is completely better and this doesnt linger. Is there any evidence that the delay in his return this season is for something that will heal completely or linger for his career?
Bynum's head will linger for his career, which is the sad part. Manchild in a promissory note land. At least Darryl Dawkins had entertaining charm, including colorfully titled dunks. Current sidelined dangly dude, a dud. Basketball passion, slim to none. Was a contributing 3rd fiddle in L.A. Won't be a savior here. Book it, Dano.
I share your concern but don't share your certainty on the matter. Neither Bynum or Dawkins has the focus of Moses Malone. But when healthy (admittedly big caveat) Bynum is a more consistent performer than Dawk was. Much more reliable. Dawkins was maddening the way he'd land and completely take over a game for four minutes and then return to Planet Lovetron for the remainder.
Too much is subterranean with Bynum's situation - from both player and team fronts. I don't trust it at all. Am afraid they've been had once again.
You're right - "Sir Slam" could dominate in stretches, when the spark ignited, which was too seldom. Hard to dislike Darryl though.
Darryl's worldview emerged in its glory with repeated listening to George Clinton. Kids just don't have role models like that these days.
I think the Sixers, without Bynum, fall in the 6-8 ranger in a weak East...
Going to the game tonight, my first of the year, hoping for double digit assists for Jrue, single digit assists from Rondo, 20+ 50% shooting from my man ET, and a Sixers W
no nick young tonight
also no ivey but not a lot of people would notice anyway
Would love for ET to build himself a rep playing well against the Celtics, would really fit the Villain moniker
it may even get Brian and Eddie's to hate him slightly less
Who's the "Villian"?
turner
turner on rondo jrue on terry
JRich on Pierce.
JRich steal.
Evan cheats way off Rondo, He makes a j.
good ol' Jon Barry...i say that sarcastically
KG
Mighty darn quiet in there tonight....
nice stuff j-rich
Evan with an up-the-floor bounce pass.
JRich finishes.
evan to the rim
Good help defense there from everybody, Bass misses
ET!!
nice thad
Don't jump and pass Jrue... come on
Thad cleanup.
Shoot that 3 there Jrue.
Runout after he shoots, at the arc...foul on us. geez
moultrie first big off the bench!!
Jrue contested long two.
Doubling Jrue off the pick. He's being forced to give it up..
Uh oh JRich down hard, he's ok.
Wonder if the message will get through to Spence, probably not
evan jumper
Moultrie short-arms a J.
PP on other end from deep.
ET parades around the key, jumper.
There's my buddy Hawes...!
Moultrie stuffed.
Please bare with me when I just have to keep saying to myself....
6.5 per
evan corner 3
He skiesssss for a board...lol
ET 3!
Pierce gets every fucking call, no matter what building he's in
6.5 per
......
Moultrie is very uncomfortable with the NBA pace.
Moultrie stripped. ugh
3 from Lee on other end. ughx2
ET
Yep, there's Mr. Hawes,
6.5 per
His foot was out of bounds when he touched that lol.
No Evan, Doug should spank you on the hand.
Don't pass it into a window that isn't there, but don't fucking pass it to him!
6.5 per...
Our transition defense is lacking at times, cause when we usually take a bad shot, we just don't even get back quick enough to set up a defense. They seem to score more times than not against us.
sissy jumper
We've given up 30 pts already in this game, not literally but..the D just isn't alert enough, or rather the guys in it.
Spencer keeps reminding me that the banks open...
6.5 per
nice evan
Hawes poke-away. heh
ET holding it ... Dances w/ the dribble to his spot, bucket pull-up.
Tie game? I'll take it.
That was pretty slick, made another move after that crossover left he likes.
So I guess that quarter should cure us all of wanting to see more moultrie
sissy jumper
Wish the crowd would get more into it, this is the C's you know..
Jrue pass to Wilkins...nothing...my buddy Hawes j.
THey're going right at Spence with KG..and rightly so ...heh
DC wired: "i love you guys..." heh
Dorell is struggling so hard just to find his niche.
Jrue airball. D3 just doesn't look right, not in a rhythm way.
KG. shit
Dorell w/ a lazy perimter pass. Rims out a 3.
jrue
Jrue with a hard earned lefty drive!
JRich overplaying, causes a steal. Nice.
man, Thad always misses bunnies.
come on Evan, move the ball man
Love a few things so far:
- Moultrie was first big off the bench
- early minutes for Dorell
- Turner posting up Terry
Looks like this is another one of those games where Turner plays with an edge.
thad jumper
Thad out of the timeout behind-the-back dribble and float-back J.
sissy jumper
Ol Spence with the J. You go boy!
Bynum looks like a clown,.... has me frowning like one too.
Tighten up the D blessdarnit. come on...shit
on that Wilcox being wide open
thad!!!!
Thad follow!
Box out Evan...Bass foul? need to see replay
looked like thad got him but they called a clearout on bass
DC: "if PP gets that ball to Rondo, don't let him get it back, he can's score if he doesn't get it back"
sissy putback
As I was saying, Boston will likely have a better record than the Sixers when it's all said and done, but we're the better team when we play each other it seems
Hawes, there you are.
6.5 per
Keep your head about you Evan...stop mugging at the refs so much.
Jeff Green takes Spencer to the hoop.
Spencer offensive foul. Pushed the man down.
6.5 per you son of
Did I forget to say
6.5 per?
just sayin'.
too many blown bunnies damn where are our points gonna come from
we've missed 9 of our last 11 shots.
Jrue and-one!! bout time
looked to be a questionable foul, i didn't see anybody that got him out of the three of em
Down 4. Wish Thad cold make some of those close-in ones.
We don't have any semblance of a fast break anymore either, our fast break pts are always slacking.
They just can't win while relying so much on halfcourt O. And their D leaving alot to be desired doesn't help any either. Their help and on-the-ball D is often not present.
They don't board well,... they don't play D well enough to where the opponent often misses,... so they never get runout opportunities anymore. That's what I really miss from Andre. He would either cause a runout or get the board and create one himself.
jrue jumper
guard the rim
Jrue forcing an early shot. come on
RondoJrue steal..ET finish nope ugh
evan corner 3
ET corner 3!
Turner Feeling it.
ET possessing, takes his own J. good.
nice pass evan
Great look Evan, Lavoy! come on dammit@!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I despise the Celtics.
And did I say I despise the Celtics?
D up here now...
Move the ball Thad come on!
Shit JT 3. off an o-board.
evan jumper
ET looks him in his eye. Bloop. heh
Jrue loose with it.. foul on Rajon.
Doc: "..right now we're trying to trick em" ..referring to the Sixers.
Jrue w/ the body. I don't particularly like that call, Jrue didn't impede him that much nor bump him.
Now that was more of a foul there on Jrue...
ROndo putback shit
jrue in the lane
Jrue probing deep, depositing.
Evan w/ the pressure D. Wall off the rim please...!!! GEEZ
j-rich 2 or 3?
JRich popout for 3!!!!!!
-1
They're playing hard. deflection
Jrue to JRich. foul to the line
Thad hustle...!
There's 6.5 per again...Hey!
active hands ET
Wow wilkens has been surprisingly not terrible so far
Damien Wilkins with the aggressive D. Turnover and foul.
4 on jrue
There's Hawes again.
Foul on Jrue? come on his 4th
Close out harder than that on Green. Damn.
I really hope they can finish and win this one.
4 on rondo
How is that a foul? On Damien. come on call that the other way then...
fucking more PP free throws
2 min to go. Close this one out properly and don't give anything up. up 5 now
Def 3 sec? wow
Wow everyone in here just said "hey bynum touched the ball omgz
Foul on Thad, they get freebies. ugh
They can get 3 more possession here if they play this last 1 min+ correctly.
sissy jumper
Pierce makes Evan look like the old man! damn
6.5 per.
turnover on them
Evan nolding again.
Pass to Dorell back to ET, he walks.
think that was goaltend
Ahahaha you got hawesed Pierce!
Gave up 3. Only up 2. In that last 2 minutes.
Not a good close of the quarter. Long way to go.
Somebody just stay the fuck with Rondo no matter what he does, he's absolutely killed us and had a superb game. Let's see a change in this 4th quarter.
JRich...BRICK!
The thing that pisses me off the most about our 7 footer, he handles the ball on the perimeter just as much as our guards/wings do.
6.5 per
Come on,..... don't let them get the lead. Tied now.
D3 fake and rimout again... shit
jrue!
Win this first game please.
Jrue steal...AND-ONE!
thanks to the good hands from JRich
they're free
Rondo back in w/ 9+ left.
What was that?...Our ball, ET in Dorell out.
Come on yall...
PP w/ an ahhhh andone
Come on Evan work the ball around.
ET to the line.
Play some D.
Ugh. Not kg.
Jrue working hard for one, swiped away.
Jrue to Lavoy to THad. Yea!!
This game is so far from over. Please don't lose this mofo.
Ugh they have a lead back finally and NOw they play 10-9-8-76ers #blowstheleadeverytime
We only have 6 friggin turnovers, they have 16, we only up 2 though.
Thad.... foul? yes thanks
Thad made both. Stops dammit!
evan getting shot happy
Bass walks.
Doug calls something I couldn't understand.
ET to JRue back to ET penetrating, miss.
Keep playing aggressive here now...
Thad with a terrible shot.
Layup for them fuck.
and PP w/ the layup of all people.
Dammit Lavoy
Tied w/ 5:46 to go. How will it end? I wish I knew. I really do.
W.i.n. this.
5 on jrue
Jrue. blocked.
Cheap foul on Jrue. On Pierce of course.
Penalty w/ 5 left for the C's. That's not good.
ET pushoff, good call. shit he extended.
they keep traping the pick and roll, and you keep doing the same thing
Too quick of a shot by JRich, not enough legs under it.
j-rich
JRich! up by one
What a brick Evan from the stripe.
shit a JG 3.
from RR he's deadly w/ the ball
Can we get Spencer out of the game please? He holds what value?
........(prove me wrong big guy, please do.)
BOS missing some big shots that could've put them up a couple possessions
jrue long 2
Up 1 w/
Jrue! up 3 w/ 2 to go.
ET rims out, we're only up one.
No, Jrue. Our ball.
Fuck Lavoy, make him work for something at least. Shit.
evan!!!
Tied w/ 1 to go.
ET ... pullup blocked ET recovers and converts!!!!!!!!
Up 2 dammit
Get. this. stop.
Come on.... we get 2 possessions to end it here. Just get one stop
another stop?
You lucky sons of bitc...
they missed twice. heh love it
damn
bunnies they missed too.....
40 mins for PP.....
We up 2 w/ 14 to go...
PPto KG.
F me he made it dammit
But, we have 7+ seconds to win this one. How can we not?
evan contested jumper calling it now
Draw up a shot for JRich coming off multiple screens. No iso shit.
Jon Barry. calling it a Jure
F me... wow
wow b/c they sent the play toward the damn sideline. heh
terrible terrible, ET should have been the guy inbounding the ball
over time, jrue and lavoy have 5 fouls
Overtime. Man they made this one way harder than it should have been.
5 more to decide it. Go and get it dammit.
6 on jrue
Play D now...
O foul on KG yes a moving screen.
DC: "Let's get every board, and push the ball, attack OK."
thad
Silly as shit. Yes shit 6. Bye Jrue.
KG.
THey up 2.
Evan to Thad Hard earned one. Tied.
nice thad!
bad shot j-rich
Just can't get a look worth a fuck w/o Jrue out there...
ET initiating again...TO Doug.
The despised up 1 w/ 1 to go. come on guys a lot left here.
Dorell to ET thankfully, ET had to force one
Gets fouled...Reset...ET w/ a drive. no...shit
he hit one!!!
Ohhhh I wish ET would have kept attacking.
He still MADE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YES YES YES
P.L.E.A.S.E get this stop.
no slip to the hoop!
Good one to give there.
Ball
game.
evan fell asleep and got away with it cause rondo slipped
He would have had a layup if he kept going.
Evan Turner
for tonight
= Villian
Everybodyyyyyy Philadelphia.... 76ers!!! Everybody...
So sweet. Will have to watch it on the replay. Had to work, but my nerves wouldn't have been able to take it anwyay.
Great game by Turner?
"Great game by Turner?"
first half was good, second half not so much
No not great. Shot like crap in the second half (and poor shot selection) and too many turnovers but he did hit the most important shot.
10 for 26. If he can fight through that and hit the last shot in a win, that's something.
JRich had 5 steals and no TOs.
Sixers only hit 2 3s, both by ET.
I don't know how but Sixers won this one. Great night. No better feeling than beating Boston.
Evan Turner
for tonight
= Villian
Everybodyyyyyy Philadelphia.... 76ers!!! Everybody...10,9,8,76ers
Sixers postgame video: Evan Turner after hitting game-winning shot against Celtics:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oSQYbxI8U3Q
Without Turner tonight, the sixers would have lost by 20. He has really given this team a boost this year, and certainly tonight. It's all about confidence with him. I know a bad game is probably right around the corner with ET, but he is shown major improvement this year. Small sample size or not.
Weird quote from Collins in the AP recap:
"I feel a real connection with Evan and it feels great," Collins said. "I don't know that Evan has trusted a lot of people in his life, but I hope he trusts me."
One example of how Collins has changed over the past twelve months is that final play of regulation. He would've lost his shit over that turnover, but he remained calm. Still can't believe they won. They would've lost that game 20 out of 20 times prior to the playoffs last year.
Remember the conspiracy theorists that said Collins had it out for him the past couple years?
Rajon Rondo. wow he's good
Is Evan Turner attempting to stake his mark to the modern day version of the "Boston Strangler"?
What a good exhilarating game to watch. Hope tonight turns out the same. Still can't believe they pulled it out like they did. When Evan lost Rondo I just knew he was gonna hit that baseline shot but luckily for me and Evan, he slipped. heh
I still can't believe how much and how bad Evan was ball watching after Rondo passed that last one in to KG.
The fine line and difference in verbal bombardment of Turner vs total relief and elation. He should feel rather lucky this morning when rolling out of bed. Thank goodness for that 50 year logo on the court.
Not to excuse Evan, but he was probably as surprised as I was that KG didn't take that shot.
So wait a minute, only 4 games against each team in your own division in a season (the lowest percentage of any of the major sports leagues by the way - one of the scheduling issues I think the NBA needs to fix) and the genuises at the NBA scheduling office put the sixers on a Friday Saturday back to back with Boston less than before 1/4 of the season is over.
Man that's stupid.
Division games should not be on back to backs let alone the same two teams
Actually, I would scrap the divisions altogether. They have very little history or meaning to anybody. Granted there are certain rivalries that happen to be intra-division, but most good rivalries are inter-division (Spurs and any of their rivals over the past decade, Lakers and any of theirs, Knicks/Heat, Celtics/Heat, and so on). Aside from our one epic series against Toronto, I don't think anyone who follows the Sixers feels any more of a connection to the Raptors than to the Wizards, or would like to see more games against them. I'm sure Heat fans aren't really dying to play more Bobcats and Wizards games either (though it would artificially inflate their record - which is another problem with more divisional play, teams being helped or hurt by the random luck that they happen to be in a strong or weak division). I like the current schedule; I'm glad that we get to see teams like the Warriors, Grizzlies, Rockets, Thunder, and so on twice. It gives us more exposure to all the interesting talent and styles of play that are out there in the league.
They have lots of meaning to a lot of people - the sixers boston rivalry may mean nothing to you but it means a lot to a lot of people - your grand generalizations, as all grand generalizations tend to be, is way off base and lacks nuance...baseball is the sport where divisions mean the least as they are a 'relatively' new invention.
The issue is one of 'division games', as I said, the NBA has the least percentage of division games of any league, the divisions mean nothing to those who don't understand history because the impact of divisional games is least significant in the NBA as a grand part of the season
This is what frustrates me about purely analytical evaluation of a basketball game. Evan won them the game last night, yes, he shot inefficiently, but I don't think he took many bad shots. They just didn't drop. On a contender do I want him taking 20+ shots a night? Of course not, but last night, these were shots that had to be taken.
You add the 10 boards and 5 assists to go along with the GW, hard to see how you can call it a "bad game" or that he didn't play well.
I think my point is, there needs to be a balance here. Of course 26 pts on 26 shots isn't cutting it on a nightly basis, but last night, they had to grind it out in the 4th Q and OT. Sometimes it's about having guys that are willing to keep attacking to try and keep the game alive.
I think you'd have a much harder time convincing people Turner had a good game if the turnover he committed at the end of regulation had resulted in a game-winner for Boston.
Ultimately, he entire team was shit in terms of efficiency last night, so I don't have a problem with Turner taking 26 shots (and no, they weren't all good shots). The problem is when the rest of the team is performing to their normal levels and he's still taking 20 shots with no efficiency.
Not for nothing, but Thad was more important in OT than Turner was. Turner was 1/5 in OT, Thad was 2/2 with 2 offensive boards.
something tells me you'd excuse inefficiency is Iggy hit an OT game winner against boston
something tells me you'd be calling it a lucky shot if Iguodala hit it.
haha, you know that's not true. I like Dre, and commend him for his time in Philly. I was always somewhere in the middle between the advanced stat idolatry of Dre and the people that thought he sucked. I was more on the stat guy side of the things, but now that he's gone I don't think they miss him that much. I'm kinda surprised by how marginally I think that they miss him actually. Expected the bottom to fall out with his departure and not having Bynum. They miss Lou more IMO.
also worth pointing out that the Sixers hung with a fully manned Boston team the entire game, even if they did get lucky at the end, with a short rotation and no Swaggy, Kwame or 33
Is anyone as concerned as I am with Jrue's on-ball defense lately? When they played the T-wolves, Ridnour was able to blow by him at will. Even Paul Pierce was able to get by him with relative ease last night. I'm not too worried about what Westbrook was doing to him because he blows by everyone save Evan Turner (ET/Westbrook that night reminded me of Chris Therien on Jagr back in the day). I don't know if he's being lazy, or if he is just trying to conserve energy because the team relies on him as the main offensive option. But he should be stronger either way IMO. The season is young and he's what, 22?
Only so much you can do when you have to play the minutes he's playing and carry the team offensively. He might just get more and more tired as the season progresses unless other folk start stepping up more often and consistently
Don't really remember Pierce blowing by Jrue last night. When Jrue was on Pierce, he was mostly posting up around the foul line. Remember him blowing by Turner a couple times, though.
And there's a difference between a guy getting past you in isolation and a guy getting to the rim on a pick-and-roll, which is what Ridnour was doing.