 Golden Opportunity Five times in this disappointing 09-10 season the Sixers have won back-to-back games, four times they've lost the third game. Will tonight be the game when they break through and claim an actual win streak? If it was ever going to happen, tonight would be the night. The Hornets are without Chris Paul, they're also missing Marcus Thornton. They're going to be forced to start either James Posey or Morris Peterson aside rookie Darren Collison in the back court. The question is, will the Sixers come out hungry enough to take a game on the road and extend this streak. By "hungry enough" I don't mean will they play with harmony and effort, or any garbage like that. What I mean is will they play well enough to overcome the Eddie Jordan handicap? For the Sixers, Iverson will miss his second consecutive game due to personal reasons. Whatever it is, I wish him the best. Dalembert has a bad back and he's listed as questionable, but I'd be surprised if he didn't play. It looks like Jordan is going to start the same lineup, with Willie Green at SG and Jrue at the point. If memory serves, Dalembert guarded West the last time these teams met, but I think Thad was starting at the four, so that was kind of an odd adjustment, one I doubt they'll make with EB at the 4. So here are your matchups: Jrue vs. Collison - This should be fun to watch, teammates last season going at each other. Willie vs. Posey (I'm guessing) - Not so much fun to watch, thankfully Posey's game is pretty much limited to jacking threes at this point, not blowing by inferior perimeter defenders off the bounc. Iguodala vs. Peja - Mismatch on paper and on the floor. Brand vs. West - A very good matchup, and a tough cover for Brand when West is picking-and-popping. EB needs to go right after West if he's got him on the other end, though Okafor could switch onto Brand if he's getting the ball on the blocks. Dalembert vs. Okafor - Okafor's got the girth to give Dalembert problems, and has in the past. The key will be for Sammy to stay out of foul trouble so Jordan can use him for his allotted 25 minutes. Key to The Game: Threes. Peja has torched the Sixers in the past, Posey can shoot them as well. Keep them under 8 made. If _________ the Sixers will win: Dalembert + Brand = West + Okafor. This is your game thread, I'll be here throughout. Join me if you wish the Sixers would trade you for an expiring contract. 
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I watched a bit of the Hornets' game on Wednesday night vs. the Thunder and was surprised that David West wasn't in the game in crunchtime. They played Songaila (who went 2 for 9) instead. From the boxscore, it looks like West didn't play the last 15 minutes of the game. Not sure what was going on there.
By the way, ESPN is still reporting the Amare-Iguodala trade as "hot" and current (Marc Stein in his Weekend Dime and the RumorCentral Twitter refer to it). Can they all be recycling the same old rumor??
Like Howard Eskin says; Just lose baby.
Wow, HD on league pass again. Two games in a row.
Pinckney and Zumoff doing their best to avoid criticizing Jordan in any way shape or form.
Alright, here are the confirmed starting lineups:
Jrue -- Collison
Willie -- Peterson
Iguodala -- Peja
Brand -- West
Dalembert -- Okafor
Seems like a good opportunity for Peterson to get healthy from three.
I don't even know what to say about the New Orleans alternate unis tonight.
Here we go.
I hope EB and Iggy stuff the stat sheets, and we lose. Every time i see EJ on the sideline before the game, i just shake my head. How does a guy so unqualified to be a head coach land that distinction THREE times? Maybe its his good looks? Or his undeniable charm?
I'm going with the orthodontics. They must be hypnotic in person.
Jrue breaks the seal with a nice drive to the hoop and finish.
Moving screen by Okafor. No need for a whistle.
Beautiful cut by Jrue, find by Iguodala, and the finish.
the find and laser pass was my favorite
We'll I'll be Andre!
(....still thinking......)
DAMN!
Man, that Iguodala guy sucks, they need to trade him.
Jrue looking aggressive early.
Willie started hot, shot himself right out of it :)
Sammy w/ 5 boards and 3 blocks, I think.
Hell, I was thinking EB shot him out of it...and himself too.
That Sixers kids camp commercial gets me every god damned time.
don't call child protective services now.
Dalembert is dominating this game so far.
5:52 PHI - A. Iguodala dunks the ball
5:55 PHI - A. Iguodala defensive rebound
damn its nice to see that again.
Just listened to Tim Legler, ESPN, on 975. He states the sixers should either blow it up and trade for McGrady or no way trade AI9/Dalembert for what, the same stuff. He thinks the players do not believe they can win.
Jrue looks like he is on a mission so far. Great to see! I assume he will be benched soon, however.
As I stated, Jrue benched.
Yep.
J.R.U.E.
Man, did Jrue just block that?
That's a three you don't mind. Brand kicks it out of the double for a set look.
brand's leading the team in assists whaattttt???
Now let's watch Collison dissect the defense since Jrue got the hook.
Notice, as soon as Jrue is benched, Collison starts scoring. I am sure he is glad for Eddie Jordan.
Two nice dishes so far for Willie. The first one EB couldn't handle though.
ugh. there goes jrue. see you in the second half.
if last game is an indication, he'll be back before then.
He played the entire second and third Qs last game, if memory serves. then was nowhere to be found when they really needed his D.
Ugh, Speights defending in the post is not a pretty sight.
Speights' defense looks even worse than usual.
Iguodala, the exact opposite.
Iguodala really needs to abuse Peja.
Brand is struggling from the line recently.
Up 2 after 1, 25-23.
I'm guessing it's a money thing, but Brand, Iguodala, and Dalembert are clearly not the problem with this team. Yet they're the ones involved in all the trade talks.
And Ivey's taking Jrue's minutes now. Outfuckingstanding.
Have I mentioned today how much I loathe Eddie Jordan?
I'm surprised we almost survived one Q without going that far.
Loathe him big time.
Nice finish by Thad, avoiding contact.
Posey for three on the other end.
Three fouls on Speights in 7 minutes. That one was just lazy.
this is fucking b.s.
Score it and one for Thad.
thad looks like a new man.
And he's out.
Dag, Thad's family members need to come to the home games too - if he's going to play this feverishly.
If there are any Jordan defenders left, can you explain to me what Jrue did wrong in his 8-minute run.
Come on man, he only got up 2 shots to Willies 7.
Even if Andre didn't go all the way to the hole there. I still liked that he power dribbled and went in a few feet before launching and sinking the jumper. If picky, I wish he would attack deeper, but...
I honestly think once he gets in to about 17 feet and in, he's pretty darn good. The closer the better though.
BTW, what is all this recent talk of 'cringing' when he shoots?
Jrue's coming back!
Yeah, was he at the scorer's table?
Why are they in this stupid zone w/ this personnel on the floor? This is probably their best defensive lineup.
This guy is such a fucking moron.
the best defensive lineup actually has willie green and lou williams in the backcourt and thad young as the 5
This had me in tears.
We have our best defensive unit in and come out in a fuckn zone.
And they're raining threes over it.
Zum: Sam is the sixers leading free throw shooter, 80+%.
That's good. And bad.
It would be bad if he was leading at like 75%
Man, that's bad. Dalembert? Leading in percentage? Sam?.......lol
Carney is working himself right into a seat on the bench in the second half.
Out of the zone now and we get a steal and a dunk on the other end in transition.
Jordan goes zone for no reason, and like the other team always does, the Hornets hit an open three. I wonder what percentage of the time that happens.
I think Carney should play in the 2nd Half. His coach probably doesn't.
I like this lineup alot.
cherish it. you are likely to never see it again :(
Rodney should have pulled the trigger there before the buzzer instead of passing it to Jrue.
Agreed.
Up by 9 at the half. Any chance they put the Hornets down early in the third?
Did anyone catch that savvy play by Jrue at the end there? He drove and kicked to get Carney a look where he hit one a few possessions earlier.
This kid has a great head on his shoulders. That's the point guard instincts we talk about.
"As a basketball player, I'm obsessed with stats. Points, rebound and assists." - Lou Williams.
I realize he didn't write the script, but come on.
He still thinks he's playing some damn AAU...
I mean, if he was more obsessed with learning the game and the finer nuances of it, but we don't want to ask the non-student to study, now do we?
On a totally unrelated question - does anyone here know how to use photoshop/illustrator or indesign to mock up a 3d rendering of a box of specific proportions for use in 'vanishing points' on photoshop cs3?
No, but I can make Eddie Jordan's head 5x larger than the rest of his body in photoshop.
Yeah, that i can do also - image masks are fun...
I can also put his head on someone elses body if you want me to
Doesn't help with my problem :)
11/7/5/1/1/1 for Iguodala in the first half.
Comeon. pump up that trade value, Iggy, pump it up. The better you play the more we'll get for you...
Brand should've shot that.
Sammy is possessed on the boards right now.
Sammy's just padding his rebounding numbers now :)
That was the old Moses trick I believe...
I'm sure AI9 wanted the assist though.
That was a bullshit call, took away a dunk from EB and an assist from Jrue.
Come on Jrue, after you cut him off, you can't let him ease away for the runner.
meaning, be just as good off-the-ball as you were on it.
What a terrible freakin call!
Taking away Jrue's assist.
What a drive by Jrue, and one. Really glad he didn't settle for the contested jumper with the SC running down.
that's what i wish andre would do more of. because really, Jrue isn't any quicker.
Driving isn't always about quickness, change of pace is more important.
and Andre possesses a respectful change of pace with his dribble too.
I was more meaning I want Andre to not settle so much, plus Andre has slower guys guarding him than Jrue. He should stay in attack mode.
I think there's a fine line between being aggressive and over-confident.. He gets a lot of assists from driving.
There is no overconfidence in applying pressure on a defense.
Just like that probe and lob to Sammy. Sweet.
I meant out of control. No excuse for that typo.
JRUE
He looked like Derrick Rose in the playoffs last season contesting that three in the corner. While Willie stood in the lane and watched (it was Willie's man).
Andre had Peja committed, where he could have drew the foul. But he gave another pump and allowed him to recover and contest. He should have just drew the cheap foul.
Willie looks hurt. Why he brought the ball up when he was clearly hurt is anyone's guess.
Aaaand, see you tomorrow night, Jrue.
Wow, 5 turnovers for Brand. that's just ugly.
Threes. Ugh.
That was a bad decision by Iguodala to give the ball to Lou on that break. Didn't hurt them, but I don't want Lou making decisions in transition if it can be avoided.
Thad guarding West is a problem.
This must suck for Jrue. He matches up with his less talented college teammate who got to run the point last year simply because a. he was more suited to play the 2 and b. The other guy was a senior.
Now they are in the NBA where Jrue knows he is going to be used better than this guy. Although he knows he is a better player, he doesn't play that much and plays for a guy who tries to make his game what it isn't. This while the other guy has the keys to the car to do whatever he wants. Stinks.
Up six after three. That third quarter was a slow slide. Need to play some D in the fourth if they're going to hold on.
At least thad's first miss was a legit miss. Bricked 15-footer.
1 on 4 break. lou charges.
Come on Lou, learn to run the damn break properly.
Gotta think Jrue comes back in, right? Willie's hurt and no AI.
God Lou pisses me off. Carney was wide open.
No, he was wide the fuck open...
Why isn't jrue in????? It's really pissing me off royal ivey isn't the future of this team stop giving him legit minutes when you have jrue just sitting on the bench
Why isn't jrue in????? It's really pissing me off royal ivey isn't the future of this team stop giving him legit minutes when you have jrue just sitting on the bench
Lou complained to the press about his fourth quarter minutes. Therefore, Lou gets all the fourth quarter minutes now.
Lou's being showcased for a trade, I hope. Ohh, do I hope...
Ohh my god me too I want Lou off this team.
That should be ball game.
Thad Young, where have you been, or, is this you?
Maybe they'll push it to 25 and Jrue will get some garbage minutes at the end.
Saving Jrue for tomorrow night?
Must be.
I prefer the Lou showcase.
What a find by AI9.
Man, what a bounce pass by Andre.
Zum: ..that is indicative of the effort and hustle tonight."
Yeah Zum? Where's that been all year, tell me about it.
Talent overcoming coaching, three straight games.
Against really three sub-par teams.
He may be bad, I don't know. But effort of talent makes good coaching. It always has.
That's a catchy thing for shitty coaches to say as an excuse, or good coaches to say when they're being modest, but it's bullshit. Bad coaches exist, and we have a front row seat for probably the worst I've ever seen.
And I won't agree but maybe so.
But passioned effort, can mask bad coaching, when in the context of 'playing' the game. Meaning even John Wooden would lose if he got half-hearted effort the majority of the time.
Getting the effort is also part of coaching. A guy like John Wooden would get the effort out of his players. This group of players gave 100% effort to Mo Cheeks and Tony DiLeo, this guy is just a joker who cares more about being a dickhole than inspiring and leading his team.
We could go on and on, but you know yourself, whether bad or off-kilter or what, they never gave it a chance. Whether it was the offensive or defensive systems (before they abandoned it too late just b/c AI3 was signed, which is BS, abandoning a system not even implemented, for an added player after the season started), these guys didn't bring it early.
The calling-out to the press can be construed as arrogance, but how much effort can you coax out of grown men - spoiled, paid ones at that. I mean, whether they liked him, or liked what he said publicly, or liked what he said behind closed doors at practice, you don't just sacrifice the effort nightly.
Apparently the answer to that question is that Tony DiLeo and Mo Cheeks can coax a hell of a lot more out of these guys than Eddie Jordan.
And at this point half of them are probably playing hard in the hopes that they can get the hell away from this guy via trade.
Yeah their best player is out but then again we've lost more than once to teams without their best player
EB, nice job on West tonight for the most part.
You know, up 12 with 4 minutes to go is really a time to go with your defensive lineup. Put Sammy and Jrue in here and they wouldn't be able to score 12 the rest of the way, even if you don't score a point.
"The best defense is a good offense"- Anonymous
Lou's deal might be like Willie's in a few years if we can't get rid of him. I genuinely dislike watching him play basketball.
Nothing against the person, but genuine doesn't do me justice when it comes to the basketball player.
Eddie Jordan just doesn't fucking get it this is what happens when you play guards who can't defend for shit I absolutely hate this coach
And Willie is back in on a bum ankle instead of Jrue or Sam for that matter. Awesome.
I despise Eddie Jordan. I hope they lose. Substituting Willie instead of Jrue. First play, turnover after a wide open 3 for Collison.
Nice foul, Willie.
And another turnover.
Lou's Plus-9 tonight is one of the more misleading stats of the season.
Willie at the point for the defensive stop. Oh brother. Better than Lou, I guess.
Willie got veerrryy lucky collison missed that easy floater because he got blown by soo easily I hate our coach I can't stand watching these guards play anymore
Unreal.
Awesome defense by our guards. I am sick and tired of an incompentent coach. Sick.
That's right Jrue, Collison can play mediocre basketball for 40 minutes a game. You on the other hand can play solid ball for 17 minutes and that's all your getting.
Then another 3 by Collison. Jrue's probably foaming right now.
I am so sick and tired of watching other rookies get time to develop their game on the court. Sick.
If Jrue had the amount of time Lawson, Collison has had this year, he maybe an allstar. But we will never know.
I DESPISE EDDIE JORDAN. I WISH SOMETHING BAD WOULD HAPPEN TO HIM.
so now he's telling Willie go come get the ball so he has a ready-made excuse why he didn't sub Green out. "he was shooting the free throws"
Here is what I find as the most mystifying part of Jordan's subsitutions/minutes:
Why does Sam play so little? His production per 36 recently must be amazing. 15 boards in 23 minutes tonight! Yet Jordan has him play around 25 minutes every game. Amazing. I know a lot of people have been on this but it really struck me tonight. Sam might have had 25 boards if he played as much as he should have.
Because he is going uptown!
Notice that we can only beat above .500 teams IF they have hurt top players???????
That sound you hear is ping pong balls bouncing away. At least Indy and WASH won.
At least it might prevent an awful trade.
Was it just me, or did the rotation actually make sense?
Carney with quality minutes - including some 2nd half run. Lou generally TRYING on defense (except where he gave up on that high screen late and basically let Collison tee up a 3). Iguodala in control of things out there. Sammy with 16 rips...ho-hum (admittedly against a donut front-line).
Not a good game for Brand to look like crap, now that there actually may be a chance to move him (natch). But if I'm Mark Cuban, and I want a shot to win a title before the lockout, I might actually do that deal - Iguodala could have that big of an impact on that team, and Brand can help them this year.
7 wins in their last 10 on the road. Damn. Even if there were a few cuppies on that list, that IS something.
I'm so confused.
How many minutes did Holiday have tonight?
I don't know - check the boxscore.
I'm not worried...if they blow this team up he'll get LOTS of minutes.
You said you liked the rotations
Jrue had under 20
Ivery had under 10
I never like rotations like that...even if Iverson is unavailable