The basketball gods a really frowning on the Sixers these days. It seems like every team they're "chasing" for better lottery position can't help but lose (the Knicks lost to the Nets last night). And the tough teams the Sixers are facing during this grueling stretch of their schedule are either playing horrible basketball (like the Celts) or down a couple key players (like the Raptors today). Preview and game thread after the jump.
It looks like both Chris Bosh and Hedo Turkoglu will probably miss today's noon game against the Sixers, in Toronto. Take away arguably a team's best two players, and the Sixers should be able to beat them, I don't care how deep they are. The five-game losing streak should come to an end today.
I fully expect Eddie Jordan to smell blood in the water and go for this win with everything he's got. Which will probably make the win a bit harder to grab, but I'm still putting odds on the Sixers taking the win if Bosh and Hedo are both out. If it's only one of them, flip a coin.
Here are your matchups:
Jrue vs. Jarrett Jack - Jack has turned in an extremely strong season for the Raptors since taking over the starting spot from Jose Calderon. Jrue needs to stick with him from distance, where he's shooting better than 40%.
Lou vs. DeMar DeRozan - DeRozan has been a high-flying decent contributor in his rookie season for Toronto. This is a size mismatch, so there's a chance Eddie Jordan foolishly switches Jrue and Lou. Actually, that's probably what he'll do. On offense, Lou should have no problem penetrating against either, though we'll undoubtedly see more of the weave and heave.
Iguodala vs. Sonny Weems - I'm assuming Weems will get the start over Antoine Wright, but you never know. Either way, this is a huge mismatch and Iguodala needs to exploit it.
Brand vs. Amir Johnson - An old guy struggling with athletic limitations getting by with know-how vs. a young guy who uses his athletic prowess to cover up for a low basketball IQ, sometimes. Pretty interesting matchup, and one that Brand needs to win if the Sixers have a chance.
Dalembert vs. Bargnani - Maybe the defining matchup of the game. Sammy is going to have to really do a good job on the high pick and roll, making sure not to leave Bargnani open for threes. He also needs to dominate the glass in his limited minutes.
Bench - Reggie Evans is all the rage in Toronto these days. Expect to see the crowd go nuts when he comes on the floor. They've also got Jose Calderon as their backup PG, and Calderon can really shoot the ball. I'm not sure exactly what to expect from the Sixers' bench, other than 30+ minutes for Willie Green. I'll give the edge to a depleted Toronto bench, I guess.
Key to The Game: Defending the three.
If ____________ the Sixers will win: Hedo and Bosh don't play, and Jrue/Dalembert score the ball well early on, earning extra minutes.
Since the All Star break the Sixers have been outscored by 112 points in their ten games. That includes two wins. Stellar, stellar basketball.
This is your game thread. I may not be able to watch it live, if I'm not here, keep it clean and positive, as always, in my absence.
According to K. Fagan: Bosh in Turk out
Also Sammy not starting for disciplinary reasons.
Wow. Sammy not starting because of a disciplinary reason.
I hope we get the story behind this. Wonder if he told Jordan to fuck off.
Brand on Bargnani now, and Thad on Bosh? Probably vice versa, I guess.
This should be interesting.
There's a chance Jrue could get extra minutes. Need to jack up a couple more jumpers, though.
16-7 start. Moving the ball extremely well.
I heard Dalembert tried to play defense in practice.
:)
I can't wait to hear what happened. Jordan is just so tough.
Sam doesn't seem too bothered by the disciplinary action. Smiling on the floor.
The Sixers go to him in the post immediately, twice. One time he drops the pass, the second time he breaks a baby hook.
Nice shot Willie. Really glad Jrue was yanked early again.
Jason Smith just bricked a 1-foot layup that would've given the Sixers the lead after one.
And when I say bricked, I mean he banged it off the backboard like he thought he was 10 feet away. Not sure I've ever seen an uglier layup attempt.
13-point lead, already blown.
Kapono could at least pretend to care...
Hey guys,
I am not living in Philly right now, so I can't see the game, but is there any place you guys know of, where I could see it online. (atdhe.net is not working)
http://channelsurfing.net/watch-nba.html
see if that works
http://p2p4u.altervista.org/a1.html
Seriously, our fucking medical staff/coaching staff are a disgrace. It's no coincidence that Arenas/Butler/Jamison were banged up in Washington, our coach is a fucking idiot. This all started when they rushed Mo back 2-3 weeks ahead of schedule and now the guy doesn't look right/cant stay healthy....ugh
It's no coincidence that Arenas/Butler/Jamison were banged up in Washington, our coach is a fucking idio
Do 'training staffs' usually transfer with Coach's.
Is the training staff Joran had in Was the same as in Phi - cause if not then your point has none
Even if the training staff isn't the same, Jordan can shoulder some blame for guys coming back early. Calling your players a bunch of pussies to the press leads to stupid decisions like that.
Do you know the inner workings of the infrastructure of the coaching/medical staff? If so, please share. I can tell you that I don't recall players being rushed back in previous years.
Well that didn't seem to be the point you were making, you were blaming training staffs.
Additionally you also seem to be implying that the coach's decide when players play and if the player feels unable to play they can't say no - they have no choice but to play?
Stupid player whose coach calls him a pussy, publicly. You don't think that could be a motivating factor in coming back too early from an injury?
So, what you're saying is that name calling makes the players more likely to ignore their injuries. Name calling from a coach most of them don't even seem to respect?
Wow, that would be awesome if the players on the sixers were such spineless idiots
I don't think there's really a question whether Speights is an idiot or not, is there?
And I'm not really talking about him playing now w/ the bad knee, my complaint is that he came back way too early a couple months ago. And I do believe that's a decision that involves the head coach, both pushing players to get back on the floor, and pushing the trainers/doctors to OK them. Just my opinion on the matter.
I think Brians point very well sums up what i was trying to say. From an outsiders point of view, it seems as though Jordan puts pressure on the players to get out there and suit up, I'm sure the medical staff feels some of that heat as well
And I'm sure the players can say no if they don't feel they're ready to go.
Especially for a coach they have 'quit' on
you win man you just love to argue more than i do
Yeah, that's what it is.
Defending a pointless irrational point is difficult
I can see why you aren't allowed on BSG anymore
It's not the only place his act isn't allowed anymore. And it sucks because he knows basketball...he's just too f'n arrogant for rational people to deal with for long.
Coming from you that's actually laughable
Perhaps you can see why I feel what you think of me is irrelevant?
Well if they haven't listened to him all year, what makes you think they are paying attention when he spouts off to the press?
Like I said weeks ago and Fagan said today - they still get that check at the end of the week. Who cares if they get called a pussy?
Actually, considering they've played defense like it doesn't mean anything all season long, I'd say they've been listening to Jordan since day 1.
Or possibly they were just never good defenders to start with.
Sam Elton Andre Jrue
WHo else on this team doesn't suck at defense inherently?
You've all heard of selectively hearing I'm sure
Well, you seemed to be mighty quiet on that 15 game stretch of holding to around 94 points a game I broached yesterday.
Somebody wasn't listening then, no? Or they were just finally trying and giving full effort I think.
Fuck, they're going to win this game.
lol....i'm saying the exact same damn thing
I wasn't really around yesterday. Saw one diatribe about how the Sixers need to draft older players and figured I'd heard it all before.
Don't use PPG as a defensive metric, it's meaningless in a vacuum.
I'm not using it as a metric. I'm looking at it from a 'team' defense standpoint. Cohesive-like. Not to mention, from an individual effort standpoint.
PPG isn't a way to look at offense or defense period pretty much, efficiency is more useful
You're using ppg to say they played good defense. that's silly and meaningless. If those games had 80 possessions each, they would have been playing shitty defense.
But those games didn't have 80 possessions, so it's not meaningless. If you're holding teams from scoring overall, you're holding teams from scoring - efficiency and metrics be damned. The game is simple and was invented that way.
All those numbers just add complexities, when in fact the game is very basic.
Well hey look, that's a falsehood strawman argument promoted by those who can't be bothered (or just can't) to understand the evolution of the understanding of the game.
The same folk who still cling hopelessly to BA HR and RBI as a way to determine if a hitter is good or bad.
ppg is meaningless when observed in a vacuum. you can try to argue it, but that's just a fact.
The Knicks score 101.5 points/game, the Blazers score 97.9. Which is the better offensive team?
Well what about the other games, looking at a small window and one point within that window proves almost next to nothing
It's like someone saying Andray Blatche is now a superstar after a few good performances
Sort of like saying Jrue's the next coming from just a handful of respectful games but nearly double the not-so-respectable ones?
Hmmm, that sounds like all the chatter on here last year over Speights and the year before with Thad.
Selective memory is one of your most awesome traits.
People have said Jrue plays great defense, cause he does.
He's also a better point guard than any one else on this roster, cause he is (and the only point guard on the roster)
You got people lamenting picking Holiday because of Ty Lawson cause a career is defined in one year.
I remember hearing Tom say that he had felt that some members within the organization weren't sure if Jrue could be the PG of the future... I think I've seen more in limited minutes in Jrue than I saw in Thad/Speights from their rookie campaigns
The Sixers should be ashamed of themselves. Absolutely ashamed.
the funny part is that this is a tie game, but you are probably sitting there like me knowing that they have zero chance to win. This feeling sets in for me every game.
Thad will have 2 points in the 2nd half
Weak on the defensive glass and shooting the 3 pointer better than they should.
What was that game they ahd a 30 point lead in the first half but still almost lost?
Jack blows right by Lou like he isn't even there on back to back plays.
Easy Ed pickney said Lou was "dogging" Jack on those drives to the bucket. I can see why he is no longer employed as an assistant coach. It's time to get Donyell to be the color guy, he is hysterical and actually has an opinion worth listening to.
I think Pinckney said something like, "Lou working hard to keep Jack out of the lane, from behind."
Yeah, but did you see that clap in frustration after the second time? He obviously cares so much. His defense will come around.
That's leadership.
The starters came back to in get the lead back at the end of the second.
Up 55-47 after two.
Jrue has 9 points, 4 boards, 4 assists, 1 steal and 2 blocks at the half.
Not exactly the starters. Dalembert was in instead of Brand.
I love Lou's "lean over way to far, throw your arms all the way back, and wobble" defensive stance. He did make a decent defensive play on Jack to end the half.
Thad with 16. He's made some nice defensive plays. 0 defensive rebounds in 18 minutes. Jrue's been the best player.
a young Damion Stoudamire. Easy Ed doesn't even know the guys that played on his own team
Is Holiday the best shooter on this team?
You must be thinking of Jason Kapono, our Shooter.
Does his release look a little quicker? That corner 3 he hit after handling the bad pass from Lou was pretty impressive
Willie in for Jrue, I believe. There loss is very much alive, folks.
Does thad have the potential to be a number 1 option 2-3 years down the road?
If you want your number option to be erratic and play absolutely no defense...and have no real shooting range past 15 feet or so
Sure
hes 21
Once one is in the NBA for more than one season, one's age is irrelevant.
Thad's played shit defense for 3 seasons
I don't know about that. The player someone is at 20 is not the player they are at 23 or 24 and beyond. That's like saying someone reaches their ceiling as a player after their rookie season
3 years in the NBA and still shitty defense.
What makes you think he'll suddenly start playing defense?
Kobe Bryant, Tracy McGrady, Kevin Garnett, Jermaine O'Neal and a whole slew of others disagree with you.
And Thad's defense was not "shit" in years past. Did he have holes? Yes, mostly over rotating. But he had a lot of positives as well. 14.9 opp PER last year was worlds above his atrocious 20.6 this year.
Oh, Derek...there you go with those "stats" again.
Don't try to diffuse a perfectly good rant with logic...this is an INTERNET FORUM - remember?
Better to have an attitude than to have facts, bro.
Again there you go being all hysterical
have you read the majority of your rants - you calling anyone out for any sort of 'bad' internet behavior is like Sam Dalembert calling people out for playing stupid basketball
And if you can't reply to me directly, please refrain from responding to me indirectly, it's kind of pathetic
OK, here's a direct response.
You are EVERYTHING that is wrong with forums like this.
How's that?
There is a REASON why you have been banned from multiple forums...and what frustrates me, of course, is that you are an intelligent observer of basketball and share valid insights here (just as you did on RealGM and other places). You just don't know how to play nice (and please don't insult my intelligence by saying you don't know what I am talking about)...and what's worse, is I think you KNOW when you are being an asshole - and you just don't care.
I think Thad can be a 20 ppg scorer one day, yes.
The key is whether his all-around game improves enough that he deserves the minutes).
Hey look - you can put Speights in place of Thad and make the exact same statement...that's always cool :)
Whereas I *think* Young can be a 20 ppg scorer in his prime, I *KNOW* Speights can. Heck, you give Speights 35 mpg he might average 20 ppg right now (assuming he had a functioning knee0.
Whereas Thad's D concerns me, Speights D scares the shit out of me. I at least see effort out of Thad most of the time, and think that if he was back at his natural position, and had a good coach, he'd work hard and get his way to at least an average defender. I don't have the same optimism for Speights.
Well sure if you wanna write qualifiers about it :)
Thad can easily be a nuber one or number 2 scoring option. SPeights sucks balls and while were at it he sucks Ayndrey Blatches balls.
This is Reggie Evans' impact. He makes all these impressive looking plays...and his team's deficit grows by 4 points in his time on the floor because he he's taking too many shots, and missing too many free throws.
Hmm a 14 point lead heading into the 4th quarter... with any other team it wouldn't be a question but...can they hold on??
http://www.knickerblogger.net/stats/2010/d_de.htm
haha lou
There's the perimeter defense we've all come to know and love.
Single figures now, wonder if Jordan will consider putting some defense on the floor.
And by defense you mean more offense right?
Well, yeah. You can't win if you don't score the ball efficiently, and our best defenders are our best offenders.
Well when you've got the 21st most offensively efficient team in the league you must be doing something right
Why isn't that a tech on Bosh?
You mean on the backcourt violation?
Generally, showing frustration at yourself isn't as likely to get you a tech as showing frustration at a ref/opposing player.
Sloppy turnover by Jrue. Probably getting yanked here.
Nope, he's still in. Glad McKie was the one talking to him. They should have a rule that Jordan isn't allowed to address him directly.
Wow. Pretty move and lefty finish by Jrue.
You see these numbers?
http://www.phillyarena.com/archives/2010-03-03/Jrue-Holidays-weak-hand
Yeah, he finished the other drive w/ his left too, off a righty drive from the right side.
Yeah. The other one was at least a natural finish with his left off the spin move. That last one, which was incredibly, you don't often see people go up with their right in that situation.
JRUE!!!!
J R U E!!!!!!!!!!!
Holy shit!
Jrue just took this game over on the offensive end.
I know this hurts our draft position and all, but isn't it nice to see Jrue turn into a closer at the end of the game? It's not his game, but at least we know it's there. Looked like Chauncey at the end here.
Jrue's best game as a pro? Even got away with a vet-like move on Calderon getting the foul call and then nailing the 3 in his eye the next time down the floor.
that 3 makes it career high for Thad.
Well, in typical Sixers fashion, I can't really be happy about anything. LOVED seeing Jrue come through when the game was really on the line. Hate the fact that the win hurts the lottery standings.
I tried to have some psoitivity - but the Wiz the past week have been very disappointing and the knicks choked against the nets.
I'm thinking 9 is 9 is 9 and we just have to accept 9 is our fate
Though the movie with those cloth things wasn't so bad...
I see the negative in things too. One of those drives Jrue had at the end was for Bargnani too. He didn't do shit to stop it :)
Typical Sixers point of view on that.
weak reboudning game by the sixers.
I can't wait 'til people give me shit for giving Jrue the player of the game even though Thad scored 32 points.
No one will do that we all accepted the fact that you have a crush on Jrue :)
washington detroit and new york should start winning soon.
At what point does this 'hot streak' from the 3 become that Jrue just is a good 3 point shooter?
3-ball is supposedly Jrue's favorite shot. It's just taken him this long to adjust from college 3 to NBA range I guess.
He didn't have a college 3 to adjust from.
Probably never for some people.
Sammy D was late for a team meeting this morning, which is why he was benched.
Jordan will go back to the previous starting lineup.
Sixers are 5-2 when Holiday plays at least 35 minutes.
does that include today?
technically, he played 34:59 ;)
Yes. They round off onm nba.com, so he's listed at 35.
Ah. I was looking at yahoo.
Holiday since Jan 1st: 21 mpg, 8.7 ppg, 3.1 apg, 46% fg, 49% from three (25-51), 86.4% ft
Actually, my math was a little off. 7 ppg. Rest of #'s correct:
http://nba.phillyarena.com/last/?last=30&startdate=2010-03-07
Damn, Wiz choke away end of game in Boston, one of the most gutless choke jobs I've seen in my life.
The Celtics are in for a rude awakening come April.
They're currently tied for the 3rd/4th seed and were desperately shopping Ray Allen at the trade deadline to try and improve.
I think the Celtics know where they're at - they aren't good enough to beat Cleveland or Orlando in a 7 game series, possibly against the hawks too.
However, as they say on the news, there's no back to backs in the playoffs which helps the celtics a little.
It's truly amazing that Jrue is our best 3 pt shooter. In the shittiest of season at least we have found our playmaker for the next 12 or so seasons.
Off-topic but did anyone see the hammer Andre Miller just threw down in the Denver game? I'm sure it will be on SC but he cocked it back and flushed it down like Iguodala on the break. I never saw him do that once here.
Didnt' know he had it in him. Seriously, my jaw dropped. WOW. The wow from the fact that it was Andre Miller. Unreal.
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