I suppose if you combine Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett, add in Paul Pierce and Rajon Rondo you can still find a "big three" in there somehwere, but this Celtics team clearly is not what they were when they brought home a championship a couple seasons ago. How far have they fallen? Far enough to lose to the lowly NJ Nets, but probably not far enough for the Sixers to steal one from them tonight. Preview, game thread etc. after the jump.
Truly interesting matchups in this one, so let's get right to it:
- 18 minutes of Jrue vs. Rondo - Great matchup, really looking forward to the limit burn Jrue will get guarding Rondo. Jrue needs to be quick under the screens because Rondo will use them to penetrate, rather than beat you with his jumper. When Jrue's out of the game, expect Rondo to go bonkers against Lou or Willie.
- Lou vs. Ray Allen - The best way to get a slumping shooter out of his slump is to give him wide-open looks. Yes, Lou Williams is a perfect slump buster. If Allen is guarding Lou, we should see another offensive explosion from LW.
- Iguodala vs. Pierce - Like the other two-thirds of the big three, Pierce is clearly slowing down. Unfortunately, his game is morphing and he's quietly becoming a deadly three-point shooter while he continues to rely more on guile than athleticism. Iguodala needs to attack on the offensive end.
- Thad vs. Garnett - Garnett has slipped, but he hasn't fallen. Luckily, the Celts don't run a whole lot of offense through KG. I'd like to see Thad put his speed to use in this matchup tonight. (I'm assuming Brand is out tonight, haven't heard definitively though).
- Dalembert vs. Perkins - Sam need to concentrate all of his energy on keeping Perkins off the offense glass (for the 25 minutes he's on the bench, he needs to concentrate on watching Speights fail miserably at the same task).
- Bench - Sheed is having a terrible season. It may have something to do with the 30 extra pounds he's lugging around with him. Nate Robinson was brought in to provide a spark off the bench (hopefully the same role someone will overpay to get Lou Williams to fill next season). I'm very, very glad Leon Powe is no longer a part of this unit. The Sixers will hope to get some offense to offset the defensive liabilities they have coming off the bench. Correction, I hope to get enough offense to offset the bad defense. Eddie Jordan loves bad defense.
If the Sixers recent despicable play can be blamed on motivation, or a lack thereof, tonight's game has the potential to be an upset. The Celtics are one of the few elite teams who see to spark a fire in this Sixers team neither pride nor their hapless coach can anymore. Nothing would surprise me tonight. A blowout win, either way? Completely within the realm of possibility. I tend to think if the game is close, like decided by one or two possessions either way, the Sixers are highly unlikely to come out on top.
Key to The Game: The Celtics' energy level.
If ______ the Sixers will win: Big minutes and a big game from either Jrue, Dalembert or both.
This is your game thread. The tip is at 7pm, I'll be here throughout, procrastinating my weekend husbandly duties, so join me if your significant other can't believe you're wasting this much time watching a 22-38 basketball team.
I'm making a laundry list of Sixers concerns. Thought I'd get people to contribute and then send it to Tom and Kate.
I am partly doing this because some fans still believe that a simple change like firing ES would allow them to be a top 5 team in the east (over 500.) As bad as EJ is (and he is horrible), they have really suffered from the loss of Andre Miller, and the lack of expected improvement from Speights and Young. Their problems run deep and are beyond just the coach. On the flip side sometimes a few major changes (coach, add a SG) can have a positive domino effect.
Sorry, there is some redundancy in the list. Let me know if you have anything to add. I'm keeping the master list here: http://www.realgm.com/boards/viewtopic.php?f=26&t=993161#p22597130
Here goes:
-Horrible coach
-60% of their cap for the next 3+ year tied to Iguodala and Brand (non-superstars.)
-No superstar
-poor 3 pt defense (acute on chronic problem)
-lack of jump-shooters in the regular rotation
-Speights poor defense and seems unmotivated to improve
-Speight's seemingly worsening physical conditioning and ? sore knees?
-Young's regression overall
-Youngs seeming inability to grasp a structured offense ("run plays")
-Young's inability to get defensive rebounds
-Young's problem staying with jump shooters
-Young's problem guarding quicker "stretch" PF's in the post (like Jamison, Lewis and Warrick)
-Young's substandard handle as a SF
-Overall Young seems ill suited to play PF but also struggles at SF
-Iguodala's over-reliance on his jumper as compared to last year
-Smith's complete inability to secure defensive rebounds (as bad as Young despite being 7')
-The team's lack of an NBA ready PG
-The team's lack of an NBA ready SG
-If Sam leaves after next year, the potential lack of an NBA ready C
-Lack of a back-up defensive PF or C
-Aside from Sam and Iguodala, everyone else is a below average to horrible rebounder
-Brand's huge contract, but regression in rebounding and overall level of play
-Kopono is a 6M shooter who suddenly can't shoot. has hit one more shot this year than I have.
-GM seems to have the reverse Midas touch, despite some seemingly rational decisions.
by ankle420breaker on Fri Mar 05, 2010 12:43 pm
- no set rotation... still.
- lack of leadership in the locker room
- once again playing for a middle of the pack first round pick
- despicable attendance
- completely deviated from our up-tempo style with zero improvement in the half court
- princeton offense was a massive failure
- no consistency with regards to our young players minutes
- front office completely overrates our players
- team owner is uninterested in the team
- league is fiscally tight and a projected lowered cap makes our players contracts exceptionally undesirable around the league.
by corwin on Fri Mar 05, 2010 2:21 pm
My thoughts & some have been mentioned.
-No sense of what kind of team they are or what style they should play.
-Minor league coach.
-The confused promotion of Iguodala as a star & primary offensive option. I don't think he can revert back to a lesser role.
-Lack of development of Speights & Thad.
-Regression in defense & the lack of emphasis on it has ruined Lou Williams & the other young guys might not be far behind.
-Capped out for the next 3 years because of the Iguodala & Brand signings.
-No leadership.
-No toughness.
-Poor fundamental rebounders.
-No back-up center meaning Sam will have to be re-signed.
I don't disagree this team has issues that go beyond the coach, by the same token, though, I do believe that merely replacing the coach and setting a rotation based on some kind of logic could lift the Sixers as high as the #5 seed. We're talking about 3 games over .500 to get the #5 seed right now, that's doable with this team and a pick next season.
I guess a pesky, overachieving .500 team is not beyond reason. maybe back to where they were before Miller left.
Not sure that is a great long-term goal- but it may be the best case scenario assuming they don't win the lottery and are stuck with Brand's contract for its duration.
I'm hesitant to project best-case scenarios when you have guys between 19-23 playing significant minutes for your team. It's really hard to figure out why they all seem to have regressed this season without putting at least some of the blame on leadership (and no, I'm not talking about the players). But to expect them to fail to improve for the next three to four seasons doesn't seem reasonable to me. There will be growth, and I have no idea how much.
Big night for the sixers - a good loss to the celtics combined with a win by the wiz breaks that pesky lottery tie for the moment
Kate Fagan just said on Twitter that EB is shooting around right now and they're (the team, not EB) making a decision on whether he's going to play or not.
I say sit him, let him get 100% healthy and let him get a couple practices under him before you throw him back into a game. What's the friggin' rush?
Jordan said Brand would play and start tonight.
Thanks, Tom. I assume he'll start for Thad and we aren't going to see some kind of crazy lineup shuffle.
Chris Bosh is not playing tonight in Knicks game - went to hospital with stomach pains
HGH will do that to you, sometimes.
Alright, here's your starting lineup. About to tip it off...
Jrue Holiday
Lou Williams
Andre Iguodala
Elton Brand
Sam Dalembert
vs.
Rondo
Allen
Pierce
Garnett
Perkins
Excellent start. AI9 in the post, hacked by Pierce, hits the short jumper in the lane for the &1.
Jesus, do they have Lou on Rondo? Yup, they do.
Same play again, AI9 finds Brand for a 12-footer.
And Jrue loses Allen on the other end for a three.
9-3 start. Yup, playing the Celts was motivation enough, at least in the early minutes.
It lasted about 4 minutes. Now they're turning it over at an alarming rate.
Brand starts 3/3, with a dunk.
4/4 for Brand. Jrue is the first guy to the bench. Sixers up 5 with 2:54 to go in the first.
Rasheed Wallace looks like he ate Nate Robinson.
Sixers finish the first quarter up by 2, 25-23.
Brand shot 6/9 in the quarter, 12 points. I find it kind of odd that the guy played all 12 minutes the first night back after missing a couple games with an Achilles injury and not getting any practice time, but hey, Jordan's got a job to worry about.
Let the three-point barrage begin.
Scalabrine with early minutes. Celts apparently got the memo that the Sixers blow.
There was no doubt in my mind that Willie Green was going to take it himself on that fast break. The Sixers' two most selfish players are on the floor right now, and they are happily cementing their reputations.
I hate to say it, but the refs are the reason the Celts are winning this game right now. Complete bullshit. The Sixers have attempted 2 free throws, and they've been taking the ball to the hole regularly. No whistles at all.
Down 46-43 at the half.
Detroit up 9 on Cleveland at the half...go celtics
They finally go back to AI9 in the post, Pierce fouls him again.
The refs in this league are such a fucking joke. Sixers get 4 FTA in the first two possessions in the third quarter after they realize they completely fucked the sixers in the first half. Just do your damned job and stop worrying about makeup calls.
remember when joey crawford tried to fight tim duncan?
Yeah, he's a class act.
Wow, pretty give and go between sam and jrue, really pretty.
jrue comes out of the locker room dishing out the dimes
Lou getting beat by Rondo a couple times in a row there.
They need to switch Jrue onto Rondo.
Three and then a pretty dribble drive by Jrue.
Jrue is really feeling it right now, time to sit him down EJ...gotta get willie his burn
I was just thinking the same thing. If this play doesn't get him more minutes in the second half, what will?
a new coach, not sure if you're watching the CSN broadcast but they're talking about Aaron McKie being Jrue's mentor,especially working on his offensive game. At least that shows a little promise that there might be ONE competent coach on our staff
You know what makes Garnett a special player? The fact that he sets moving screens all game long and they're never called fouls. That's just a natural ability that you can't teach.
Lou is getting abused by Rondo,its making me cringe a little. but EJ is satisfied because he's really got it going on the important end of the floor
You don't have to yank him, you know. You do have a pretty good on-the-ball defender on the floor. Two of them actually. Fucking moron EFJ.
Oh, and Lou, when the guy can't hit a jumper to save his life, how about going under the screen once in a while?
Finally put Iguodala on Rondo, and he's playing like 12 feet off him. Like Lou should've been.
Lous instinct when his man penetrates is to get out of the way as soon as possible
Now Jrue is on him and he completely cuts off the lane, fighting through a bunch of screens.
And Jordan actually takes Lou out instead of Jrue. Wow.
Jrue should've given him more room on that last play. No need to crowd him, he's not a threat to hit a jumper. Give yourself more room to take away the angles.
Down by 7 heading into the fourth. If this hits double digits, it's over. EB should be in to start the fourth, he sat the last 4:40 of the third. Give him 5:00 to start the quarter, a couple minutes of rest, then let him finish it. That's if the goal is to win, of course.
Behind-the-back pass, Thad? Really?
Jrue pushed that three.
You know, as much as I am frustrated and want every available odd at a higher pick, I still want them to beat the hell out of the Celts tonight.
I just despise them that bad. And SJax's comments only comfirm my despising. Disrespectful excuse for a team.
I'm with ya. I want to see the Celtics lose, and I want to see someone punch Garnett right in the fucking face.
lol...well J Smith already gave him the fakey. Letting him fall flat on his ass losing grip.
The quest to get blown out again is on
Big three by Thad. Thought it was on its way to getting ugly.
Thad's first points? Is that right?
I don't think Nate is a good fit for boston at all, thought it was a strange trade when they made it
I mean, the game is within 8 and just look at their body language. They look slumped, disinterested, thinking about what they're going to do afterward.
And sadly for the Celts sake, this a very winnable game for us.
And sadly for me, it looks like no one even cares........maybe..EB.
The body language isn't the issue, it's the fact that Boston gets to the rim whenever they want.
But I have seen it, especially on that play where they played solid D, then Big Flabby slammed home the o-board.
Thad has no idea how to guard anyone in the post, yet they keep trying to tell themselves he can play the 4. Just once I'd like to see a lineup of iggy,thad,brand at 2,3,4 but that never seems to happen
Hmmn. Any reason Sam isn't in the game right now? I realize Jrue's on the bench because he's a rookie, but why not Sam when they can't get a board or defend the rim to save their lives?
The tank is in order. We must be the only one's still fooled.
All of 'em are in on it.
I might cry.
Can we get just one shooter. Just a shooter.
Jrue starts to build a house. Thad short arms and misaims. Dre continually clanks. ugh
wtf? He just took Thad out for 20 seconds, then put him right back in for Brand.
Shit, Brand's hurt, that's why Thad came back in.
Well, at least they made the Celtics regulars play a full game. that's an accomplishment at this point.
If Elton ends up having any kind of significant damage to his other achillles his days as a productive player are probably over. Was it really necessary for him to try and play through an injury when the team is this bad?
Jordan needs him on the floor to save his job. Stefanski too.
Thanks for adding Stefanski too, since he's the one given all the credit for the calls.
But is he really hurt? Or was he? Maybe he acquiesced with their request? Is it part of the tank ala the C's sitting Pierce that year?
You just said the other day that w/o him they are pressed to win.
Why would he have come back tonight if they were faking an injury to tank games? Doesn't make sense.
To make you, me, and esp Stern not notice. Who fucking knows?
Because EB said he would go public w/ the tank if they didn't let him suit up?...... I don't friggin' know....it's just laughable the ineptness displayed by these guys.
Like Mark just said, 'no FG over the last three minutes'....disgraceful.
I think Stefanski is safe for at least one more season,not sure why. On a side note, his profile on the comcast website is hysterical. His resume includes drafting Kenyon Martin number one overall, and on the international front, he was instrumental in drafting Nenad Kristic...really impressive stuff
pretty move by iggy, ugly finish
Iguodala switched onto Rondo, and they put Green on Pierce. That worked once, I highly doubt it'll work twice.
Somehow, Lou wound up on Perkins that time.
You know it's gotten ridiculous when I don't even bat an eye when Jordan sends Lou and Willie out there to get a key stop late in the game.
He wants his veterans out there. Ability to defend is irrelevent. The veterans are able to make key plays. This sound strategy has obviously worked the entire season.
Jesus, Brand is back in. I have no idea what's going on anymore.
Pierce 1/9 for 5 points against AI9, mostly.
I'm trying to be cool about it.....but.....this is fucked up. I haven't been this disheartened since maybe the '84 first round flameout to the Nets....naw, not that bad, because that was reallllyyy bad. But at least as bad as the Lucas reign maybe. I love these frackers so much and yet they make me want to be slumped and disinterested. Friggin' bullshittttttttttttttttt!
Pistons and Wizards probably blew it in their games. Knicks have a shot against the Raptors, Warriors have a shot against the hawks, kings are beating the mavs and indy is just getting started. Be nice to see a couple of the teams below us pick up wins tonight.
Sixers lose by double digits, again.
Thanks for hanging in there, guys.
just turned on espn, what happened to Rodney Stuckey? he was rushed to the hospital?
Don't know, just saw on Twitter that he was conscious at the hospital.
looks like he had a seizure on the bench
Sixers are 17 games under .500 for the first time this season.
Jordan: "We’re going to take some positives into the next game and bring the energy we’ve had the last couple games. I think we’re going to be OK."
I'm not sure he understands what OK means :)
Iguodala on the free-throw disparity, which Jordan attributed to the Celtics' aggression and strong low-post players: "The refs called more fouls for them than us."