The effort was better tonight. The results were the same, but the effort was better. I'd say about 80% of where it needs to be, which is much better than the 30% we saw against Utah. Forget about everything we've seen throughout the first 9 games,
The Bulls were well-rested and playing on their home floor. The Sixers were playing the back end of a back-to-back, and their fifth game in seven days. The odds weren't in their favor going in. Even if they were playing their best ball coming in, coming out strong and fading in the second half would be the likely conclusion.
So it's a loss, it's disheartening, recurring problems were still there (dribble penetration, at times. Open shooters throughout. Too much Willie, etc.) but overall, they performed about as well as could be reasonably expected. Here's a look at the rotations:
Let's get the Eddie Jordan complaints out of the way. In the first half, Willie should've been yanked almost immediately. He was a negative on offense (missing open men to brick three jumpers, and missing a gimme at the rim), on defense, Hinrich was abusing him. The game turned when Willie was the first guard off the bench, Jordan stuck with him for over 10 minutes and watched a 10-point lead turn into a three-point deficit. Personally, I would've liked to have seen him go to Jrue, but Carney at the two and Iguodala at the point or even Ivey for a brief run would've been a better decision.
The small lineup continues to disappoint. The 34 points the team scored in the 15 minutes they used the small lineup is enticing, but the 37 they allowed is downright dreadful. And this was a good night for them.
Down by 6 with 33 seconds to go, needing a three, Jordan doesn't put the team's only legitimate three-point threat into the game. Instead, he draws up a play that nearly results in a five-second violation, then gets Rodney Carney a contested look from 5 feet behind the three-point line. He doesn't even draw iron with the shot.
Again, Elton Brand got was given his run with the starters after the half, then disappeared for the rest of the game. On one hand, I thought this was the best Brand has looked all season long. He was active on both ends, hitting the short jumpers he had been missing, kicking the ball out of the post when the situation called for it and aggressively trying to back down smaller players. On the other hand, he scored 11 points on 11 shots. That's not very efficient. In this game, it was pretty much on par with the team's performance (88 points on 81 FGA). The more I see of Brand, however, the more I'm convinced that he's knocking the rust of being inactive for basically two solid years. The touch is coming back on his short jumpers, the quickness and strength is coming back in his post moves. He may never be what he once was, but he's going to be a productive player. He just needs the minutes.
This is important for a couple of reasons. Number one, the Sixers need him to be effective, and on the floor, if they're going to have any chance. Second, even if EB does come back to be a productive player, it may not be enough for this team. If that's the case, they need him to prove he can produce or it's going to be virtually impossible to even get 50 cents on the dollar if they need to move him.
I would've liked to have seen the ball run through Brand more often. I would've liked to have seen fewer jump shots, more driving to the tin. I would've liked to have seen more movement on offense. In fact, right now the Princeton offense the Sixers are running goes something like this.
- Bring ball over mid-court
- Dribble handoff from PG to SG
- Cursory look into the post, usually to Sam
- Dribble back to the top of the key, dribble handoff to Brand
- Dribble handoff back to the other guard
- Another quick look at the post
- Another dribble handoff
- 10 seconds or less left on the shot clock, guy with the ball tries to create while everyone else stands around on the perimeter
That is not an exaggeration. This happens on at least half of the team's offensive possessions in the half-court offense.
And now, a bit from the comments. We all had one of the keys to the Sixers season as the improvement of Andre Iguodala's jumper. Well, here's a look at how he's shooting from all the different zones on the floor (from nba.com):
As you can see, he's shooting the two-point jumper extremely well. The threes, well, they leave something to be desired. This doesn't include tonight's game. (He was 3/6 from range tonight, one was a tough, contested shot at the end of the game from about 5 feet behind the line. Another was a half-court heave that he nailed at the end of the first quarter).
That's all I have for tonight. The Sixers have three off days before they play an extremely winnable game against the Bobcats. Three days to rest weary bones and figure out how to right the ship. I've got plenty planned to get us through the off days, so stay tuned.
Player of The Game: Iguodala. He's doing way too much at this point (more on this later).
Team Record: 4-6
Up Next: Charlotte, on Wednesday.
I got up to get a drink during the game... then heard a whistle.
Yes, I'd been called for traveling.
BTW, it was clear the Sixers initial 6 minutes of intense effort was done when I saw Sam and everyone else laughing coming out from the initial Bull's T.O. Maybe its a good sign they at least started the game with some passion, but it would have been even better to see them sustain it. Well I guess baby steps.
Brian, I agree with your Brand comments,he isn!t even back to what he was last year yet.Kapono not being inserted at the end when we need a 3 reminds me of the movie line; "dumb so and so, brought a knife to a gun fight ."Bad news from a Wash. D.C. blogger on recl. g.m.[DaveT.], he said recently Jordan!s rotations never made sense down there, so they may not get better.Sidenote; after last night you better put a [no Jennings talk] rule in.He is playing like Tiny Archibald did early in his kings career.
At least we never had a shot at Jennings. Man he looks good. Holiday won't score 55 points total until 2010.
Instead of trying a defensive approach by using Brand/Sammy in the 4th to stop the other team, we went small again which hasn't stopped the other team all year. Again, let's out score instead of stopping the other team when trying to come back in a game. We have the anti-larrybrown coaching this group.
It was a better effort of playing hard and substitutional coaching. So, we'll see where it goes from here.
Another game , another loss for a pitiful sixer team. Maybe I am not a true fan but when this team is as disgustingly mediocre as its been for almost a decade its really hard to watch them. I honestly don't know how a lot of you even have this much interest in this joke of a franchise. It would be one thing if they were rebuilding..they are not. It would be one thing if they were competitive....they arent. If the flu plagued nets werent on their schedule they would be 2-8. And they even had trouble beating THAT team which was down half its roster. They also barely beat the Knicks (OT) who have only won a single game themselves. The sixers medical staff did a terrible job evaluating brand and basically gambled and lost. We could have had Josh Smith but they blew that too...
They could have drafted Ty Lawson but didnt. JRUE *may* be better down the road but so far Lawsons a contributor and Jrue is a non factor on a team that NEEDS a guard right NOW. Eddie Jordan ? I dunno why everyone is so excited by this guy anyway. He did OK in Washington but had THREE, count em, THREE all stars on the floor. When he was with the nets they had a ton of talent on that team and he was an assistant, which may be a better roll for him. He may be a good X/o's type of guy but the teams piss poor effort on most nights tells me they dont really play hard for him. (see washingtons 1-10 start a year ago for further proof of this)
You can break it down in as many spreadsheets as you want....this team is a bad friggin team. They are a mish mosh of talent which to be honest isnt much better than the Knicks or Nets...and I would say the Nets when healthy are a better team. At lest the Nets have a good chance of landing lebron or wade next year. The sixers ? We may be lucky to land Rafer Alston. Friggin sad...
Maybe I am not a true fan but when this team is as disgustingly mediocre as its been for almost a decade its really hard to watch them
Nonsense, this whole 'root root root' nonsense as a 'true fan' is silly to me. A true fan is honest when their team sucks but still stands by them, if you jump ship and become a fan of another team, then you're a too - but until then - a fan is someone passionate about a team, and hoping for their success...
Can I just say that I didn't think it was possible but Eddie Jordan makes me miss Mo Cheeks
something i don't understand. we are supposed to have the most athletic, well conditioned team and the league. how come the team never plays to those strengths any more. on defense, we should be thinking one thing. DENY! they are all so athletic that all this switching crap is really pointless unless one of their defensive liabilities (like kapono) is in the game.
if jordan started holiday (i know, 1 in a million chance) and we had defenders at all 5 positions and all the sixers did was stay in front of their man (and nothing else), we had easily have a elite defensive team. it is obviously too late to hire tom thibodeau, but there needs to be someone that tells them DON'T OVERSWITCH, JUST KEEP YOUR MAN FROM SCORING!
also there was a stretch last night where i swear the team missed like 10 jumpers in a row. if they have an open mid range j, the team should see if they can still drive closer rather than front rimming jumpers all the time
Athleticism, if utilized, can help a team tremendously. However, basketball is so much more than just athleticism. If you watch basketball, you should know that.
Right now, what I`m seeing is a bunch of veteran guys and/or good systems out-smarting the sixers, who seem to be struggling with new coach and system. Also, there are enough inexperienced players on the team to really make the difference between consistency and inconsistency.
Thad and Speights are the only guys who play significant roles who you could consider inexperienced, right?
So one of the blames on the head coach is Willie G in this one, huh? It was stated that the game turned when Willie G was the first guard off the bench. So does the same not apply to Marreese Speights who came in a short minute after Willie? The hot shooting had begun to cool before Willie even came in anyway. But the game turned with one substitution of a heavily disliked player? What about the run the Bulls bigs had as soon as M16 came in?
So the head coach doesn't let Willie take his warmups off in the second half and brings in the drooled-over Jrue (say that three times real fast! :)) who, while he was in, turned the game the furthest in the minus column of any other combined unit that was played. But the coach is the one always screwing up?
Kapono was an 0-fer in his limited run and Carney had at least knocked down a three moments earlier, so not such a bad decision to call Rodney's number regardless of the percentages. It's not like the defense would have keyed on Kapono anyway and he may have struggled to get enough separation off of picks to get his shot off anyway.
Take the blinders off already. There is minimal talent and a bunch of wannabes assembled here. But let's blame the coach for preparing a mismatched meal with the groceries he was given.
It is a bad coaching move, when down 6 with little time left to have your best shooter on the bench, this isn!t horseshoes or handgrenades,close doesn!t count.It is inexcuseable!!!! That being said, the coach didn!t lose this game on his own, he had help. As far as Willie,speaking for myself I don!t mind losing a game as much when Marreese or Jrue are out there and part of the reason they lost. Because they are part of this teams future.Sam is a necessary evil,we have nobody else that can do what he does,but Willie, other than experience has nothing on Jrue and especially Carney.I want to see more Iggy/ Carney myself.
You know, it is easy to pinpoint one coaching move and be way too critical of it. Kapono was struggling with every shot he took last night. But that one move is magnified because this non-shooting gang missed 8 free throws and 13 three pointers, most of which were wide open and good looks. That's not even mentioning the 16 turnovers, with 8 to 10 being unforced. And at least 7 or 8 of those were our guys propensity to take more steps than allowed. Guess the coach can work on repetitions with the guys to only take two steps.
When some have made up their mind about the coach already and refuse to releave him from being under an unrelenting microscope, then it's not very difficult to find fault with the smallest of decisions. Whereas when you start looking at what he has to work with and the dearth of a lack of shooters, and the fifth-grade-like effort and intensity, and the kindergarten-like attitudes - what excuses or blame are there for that?
So does the same not apply to Marreese Speights who came in a short minute after Willie?
If you bothered to read words that weren't your own you'd see Speights was called out repeatedly in the game thread.
Willie was just completely atrocious
Did Holliday do anything last night to deserve all the play Holliday demands? From the box score it looks like he didn't, but maybe those who actually watched the game saw something.
Willie being put in wasn!t my issue, if he is playing well fine, but 10 straight minutes of no points and Hinrich taking him to the hoop was 6 minutes too many for me.
Jrue didn't do anything. One turnover on a play where he was going weakside, jumped to make the pass, then the lane disappeared so he tried to drop it off to Iguodala in the post. Shouldn't have jumped to make the pass.
On defense, I think it was Rose who tried to go in the paint on him, he made a nice challenge on the shot, then grabbed the defensive board.
Jordan had Iguodala bringing the ball up. Guess it's a trust thing or something.
Forward Marreese Speights to miss 6-8 weeks; MRI reveals a partial tear of the Medial Collateral Ligament (MCL) in left knee. - per sixers twitter
I was going to post that. You think now maybe we'll see Brand playing in the 4th quarter or are we just gonna see small ball with 5 guards on the floor every night?
Who knows, but this sucks for the long term success of this team, that's delayed development
The glass 1/2 full view is what can Jason show with more minutes and who picks up the scoring load.Elton, it is your time to shine.
It's just 4-6 weeks.
Sure, torn MCL - he'll be back in a month and a half and he will be in great shape as well
@Tray
Jrue didn't play particularly well, but Willie Green and Royel Ivey never play well, and they won't improve. That's why I'm still solidly on the play Jrue bandwagon.
Totally agree on Iguodala having to do way too much