April might be an exaggeration, but if the Sixers can't knock off Orlando tonight, they probably won't be favored in a game again until maybe March 30th, vs. Charlotte (possibly the day before, if Kyrie is still malingering). Moe, Voose and Jameer are probably the Sixers best shot to win another before Easter and break their road losing streak that stretches all the way back to New Year's.
I can only assume Doug Collins circled this date on his calendar a few weeks back. After melting down in front of the media and saying, in no uncertain terms "My team sucks." The players appear to have gotten the message. We've seen much better effort from the Sixers (with similar results in the W/L column) ever since they laid an egg at home against the hapless Magic. They've competed on a nightly basis against better teams. The question is, will they be able to bring that type of effort tonight against the Magic, and will their struggling point guard be able to hit a shot to save his life.
Over his last three games, Jrue has shot 16/59 from the floor (27.1%) and 4/16 from three (25%). The good news, sort of, is that he's shifted to more of a facilitator's role as his shot continues to be dry. In each of his past two games, he's had more assists (25) than field goal attempts (23). If he played for a team with other viable offensive weapons, this might be a recipe for success, but the Sixers don't have the firepower to beat anyone when Jrue isn't scoring. They don't have the firepower to beat most teams when Jrue is scoring, but that's beside the point.
The formula for beating Orlando is extremely simple. In their starting lineup, they have two extremely weak links defensively. Jameer Nelson has always been a defensive sieve and Nikola Vucevic simply cannot move his feet. Put those two in a pick-and-roll every time down the floor and watch the dominoes fall around them. I'm sure Nelson will draw the easier assignment on the perimeter (either Ivey or Jenkins, whoever gets the starting nod), so maybe running a small-on-small screen first to force a switch would be a good idea. On the defensive end, concentrate on keeping a body or two on Vucevic and crash the glass from all over the floor. There's no reason to leak back against Orlando, secure the defensive board, then run.
If Doug Collins is still obsessing over Moe Harkless box score, he saw the rook score in double figures in 10 straight games before an 0/8 from the floor against Indy on Saturday night. Harkless and Afflalo will give Turner fits on the defensive end. That's not exactly a high hurdle, though.
Ultimately, it's going to take an extreme lack of energy to lose this game. If the Sixers think they can just go out there, run through the motions and they'll get the win, they're mistaken. If they take the game seriously, attack Orlando's multitude of weaknesses and don't run into some terrible luck, this one should be a win (and maybe their last for a while).
The tip is at 6pm. This is your game thread. I'll be here throughout, desperately searching for my lost hour of sleep. Join me, this week the game will be over before The Walking Dead starts, so that's a plus.
hmmm for some reason Simmons just predicted on the ABC pregame show that Collins will quit before the end of this season...sure sounds like a guy who has never heard Doug talk about how he knows this is his last coaching job ever...
I saw that too I believe it was a 'highlight' of something he said earlier - in the same Jalen 'predicted' derek fisher would help an nba team - before he was signed by OKC
This week - Simmons predicted that the knicks won't win the atlantic, magic predicted the lakers would get the six seed, and wilbon dropped his homer tip on georgetown
"in the same Jalen"?
Fun host-needling factoid: Ty Lawson, your NBA Western Conferencce Player of the Week, is averaging 20.5/7.3 on .599 TS% in 31 games in this calendar year, with an offensive rating over that span of 120. Jrue, over the same span, has averaged 19/8.5/4.1 turnovers (in our turnover-adverse offense) on a .507 TS% and an offensive rating of 98. Part of this is Jrue's cold shooting and Lawson's hot shooting, and part of it is Lawson's getting to the line almost twice as much over that stretch. A respectable recent SI piece ranked Jrue and Lawson 9th and 10th, respectively, among NBA point guards:
http://nba.si.com/2013/03/02/top-ten-point-guards-chris-paul-tony-parker-russell-westbrook-kyrie-irving-derrick-rose/
pretty fair rankings overall, except i wouldn't put Curry ahead of Jrue. amazing how little people consider defense at all.
D-Will is questionable because he's been terrible this season, but when healthy he is still probably ahead of Jrue too
My inferiority comple can't take things like this. Cut it out.
Well - it's hard not being the best 76er blogger in the universe - that there ever was - will be or even might be in quantum realities isn't it?
@preston76
#Sixers will start Jrue Holiday, Evan Turner, Damien Wilkins, Thad Young & Spencer Hawes tonight at Orlando.
Who knows how they'll end up, but I'd be pleased if we ended up with either Cody Zeller or Oladipo with this upcoming pick. They'd both be good partners for Jrue.
Wilkins in the starting lineup. Heh.
Heh. Good one.
They missed the tip, but Hawes lost it. We're off.
bad shot jrue
Jrue, bad shot.
Hawes abusing Voose! Weakness vs. weakness.
vuce jumper
Spencer 3! heh
Hawes three. Jrue to him out of the post.
Evan hollered to everybody "Backdoor!" but it was his man I think he was alerting other to that had broke contain.
Turner gives up the open three for a Hawes long two. Love it.
Wilkins being aggressive for the 2nd straight game.
Back-to-back turns.
Chicken-wing, Damien.
good outlet thad
Damien Wilkins shot out of a cannon!
Good up-the-floor by Damien, good look ahead by Thad. Damien and-one.
et 3
ET3!
TURNER43!
And that ET triple was off an ended Damien spin move and subsequent kickout. Wilkins in the house!
Spencer commits and gives the weakest damn fouls.
Damien J. heh
thad steal, hawes layup
Bitch-sissy break.
ET3!
TURNER43!x2
another et 3
Wilkins looks at Afflalo pull a 3.
What was Damien doing there? ha
Damien block!!! Shit we turned it back on a travel by Thad? Bullshit!!! He didn't even have the ball yet how can he travel?
double dribble
I never saw him do that either. He never had it to double dribble it.
they said the tip was controlled
Even if it was, it shouldn't matter. Never touched it w/ two hands, it's just a dribble.
Tie game.
Damien with a bullet pass down low to Dorell cutting baseline. Layup.
Damien pulls a 3. too long. I said the other night he's angling for that next contract. heh
Jrue to Thad. Penetrate, cut. Not that hard.
jrue jumper
Jrue finally hits a jumper.
That's an accomplishment these days.
Dorell pull the damn 3 man, the clock was running down man.
PHI 30, ORL 28 after one.
Jenkins J.
Spence with the manly D on Vuc.
Dorell J.
A barrage of long twos.
Jenkins oddly reminds me of a cornerback or something.
Spencer being agitated letting loose a "GD". heh
Thad bad shot.
wright to thad
The barrage has ended, but they keep shooting the long twos.
Thad dunk.
Good probe and delivery Dorell.
That's the first shot I remember Evan looking for tonight.
Lavoy getting some burn coming off a DNP-CD. Moultrie got all his minutes last game.
Lavoy gets burnt on a Vuc pick and roll too.
Thad J.
Vuc over Lavoy with the hook.
Doron Lamb killed us in that brief rotation. We should've listened to Mr. Toll.
Credence isn't warranted.
Game over?
Jrue terrible move. Two the other way.
Think Jrue might be getting the hook here. Collins was giving him crazy eyes when he was walking to the bench in this timeout.
Are you sure that's who he was looking at? Camera cut away. I assumed that's who he was casting his scorn at too.
Looked like it to me. Jrue was the only guy in that direction before the camera switched to Collins.
lavoy jumper
If we lose, it looks like we'll gain a game on Cleveland. They're up 50-33 against a Gay-less Toronto.
You mean "with", not on?
No, I meant we'd gain a game on Cleveland, narrowing their deficit against us from 2.5 to 1.5.
Royal 3!
ivey 3
Ivey loses Jameer backdoor.
Come on Damien catch the damn ball.
Why are you passing it to Wilkins w/ Jrue standing right there? Stupid.
Who threw it?
Lavoy.
bad shot thad
Jrue turnover.
There's the stupidest play in basketball. Giving the foul when you would've gotten the ball back if you'd just played defense.
I'll never understand why coaches try to employ that, especially when your defense has done an adequate job up to that point and the shotclock is ticking down.
Jrue with outstretched lefty finish.
PHI 51, ORL 56 at the half.
Doesn't get much worse than that.
Just a couple of evenly matched teams doing the best they can, as Elvis once sang around the time of Dollar Bill's 25th wedding anniversary.* (See also Rasheed - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BrOH-KHxXg0 )
* http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fv89Vqai3PM
That 2nd quarter started all good and then just went
blah
Started w/ them hitting 3 long twos, then they just kept shooting them.
is it bad i wont be upset if they lose?
nah. I mean, hopefully a disgraceful finish to the season would result in both a higher pick, and a lower opinion of bunch of the scrubs on the roster, meaning large-scale roster changes.
Where'd the fans go? lol
sissy hook
Hawes!
Everybody just left didn't they? They can't still be obsessing over the concourse offerings, no?
Good transition off the Jrue steal.
This looks worse than some D-League games. heh.
Come back everyone!!! IT's the Magic-Sixers.
There's probably a restaurant for the "good"seats.
Damien take.
ET heavy with his 2nd straight shot. I don't know who has worse touch, he or Thad?
Spence to the line!
SPencer blows a spoonfed dunk from ET, ref bails his lardass out.
eh. he did get hit.
Leaving Jameer open.
Damien J. They should have picked up his option instead of Turner's.
They're switching too easily on the perimeter.
Thad bailout J.
Damien Wilkins back home for 3!!!!
Wilkins three!!!!
Big run to start the third. How are they going to blow it? Think they can cruise to a win?
It'd be nice but I wouldn't be the slightest bit mad if they cruised to an L.
They'll blow it by ceasing to score at a 136 pts/48 minutes pace/ceasing to hold Orlando to a 56 pts/48 minutes pace. Just a guess.
Even if they win tonight, this will be only be number 2 of probably a max 3 for the month.
Off-balance three in transition. not a good shot, Jrue.
And a bricked long-two to follow.
And then a contested/blocked long two.
That's how they let Orlando back in.
This is a novel way to tank, having your one borderline All-Star sink to replacement level. The more traditional method is resting the All-Star, but this works about as well.
Below replacement level tonight.
ugh jrue
What the issue is, is Evan usually can't shoot for shit, but now Jrue can't either, when he usually can. Tired legs I'd say, that's normal. Evan taking less shots is a good thing too.
Damien showing him up with 6 dimes too.
Team's actually scoring pretty efficiently tonight. "What the issue is" is defense.
Wasn't referring specifically to tonight's scoring, was referencing the two ongoing struggles shooting the ball simultaneously occurring from both.
thad jumper
Thad J. He's been knocking them down tonight.
Big game for Thad, huh?
Heh at Spencer's LEAP at the 3 attempt from Tobias.
Didn't Harris kill the Sixers last year when he was in MIL?
this game?
http://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/201204250MIL.html
Yes. I think it was the MLK Day game. But I could be completely wrong about that. Harris was generally good when he played last year, though, and pretty good since he got to Orlando.
Terrible last shot attempt there. ugh
PHI 72, ORL 73 after three.
Think they said the Sixers haven't won a game when trailing after three yet this season. That can't be right, can it?
The Cavs blew that big lead. Up 2 a second ago. Did Kyrie get over his "flu-like symptoms?"
He's out there, quiet 11/4/4. The Hornets are up 8 early at least.
Dorell putback.
Jrue w/ another miss. Tipped in this time.
Jrue out, down 1, about 11 minutes to go.
Jenkins cleanup.
Good break there from Ivey and Dorell. Making the defender have to choose eventually.
They're free.
Ugh missed both maybe not so good break
3 from Jameer.
Lavoy Dorell give and go. Dorell, he's got a chance at an and-one.
Still -1 when Jrue comes back at the 8 minute mark. Bench held its ground.
GOod find Jrue, Thad.
Jrue finds Thad for the easy one. Sixers lead.
Not for long. Harrington three.
Thad scoop up from the right side. With the left though.
Thad steal!!!
Ugh he turns it back over though.
Terrible pass, Turner. Come on, had Beno on Thad. Just be patient.
Do you ever think that Thad, more so than Jrue, is the reason we're not the Charlotte Bobcats?
Nah. It's both of them. When only one is playing well, they are the Bobcats.
Agree. Was about to say in response that in actuality they 'are' the Charlotte Bobcats.
jrue layup
Jrue has no legs.
Beno 3.
Jrue gets the roll.
Game?
I'd really not be ticked in the least if they just couldn't find a way to pull this one out. Cause I know full and well what's ahead with the schedule as this post touched on.
wilkins
Jrue to Wilkins for an ugly shot that falls.
Jrue to the line. Good move driving by him when he had the mismatch instead of trying to shoot over him.
They're fucking free.
jesus christ. Misses both.
At least they got a shot for Thad.
One more bucket, it's done. L for the books.
Ugh they missed Udrih steal heh
dagger?
Damien is a gift from the tanking gods, I suppose.
March 30th folks. Place your bets. Next one or not?
Host to determine the prize.
I'm predicting a home win against Portland. Failing some injury to Jrue or Thad, so will the oddsmakers. Portland's a bit worse than their record and they're very poor on the road.
Don't fucking foul them now. 4 seconds on the clock. Don't back off a shooter. Just play some smart defense here, make them take a tough shot. If they hit it, they hit it. Don't shoot yourself in the foot anymore than you already have.
Jrue backed off him.
Jameer dagger-smear.
expect a dollar bill comment about Jameer tonight/tomorrow morning
though he did outplay jrue tonight
Yep, he did.
So honestly, did you think the effort wasn't there tonight? Did you think they played a particularly bad game by their standards? I don't. They just suck.
Yup.
The Nelson/Udrih/E'Twaun PG combo combining for 39 on 24 shots seems suspect. You expect Vuce to dominate Hawes.
Tanks bestowed.
People, why so serious? Stop by for a visit and everyone's upset. They're like 8 1/2 games back from the 8th seed. Everyone should be rooting for ping-pong balls.
And before anyone yells, I'm just playin', regarding how far back they are from last, suck-ass 8th seed (didn't check but it ain't close, and who wants to draw the Heat). And I'm not calling for a tank, just noting that fans may as well hope for losses.
Can't speak for anyone else, but I just don't like watching my favorite teams lose. No matter what the circumstances are. It's not why I watch.
So if this were 2003, LeBron's draft year, you wouldn't be excited about this loss?
Couldn't agree with you more about watching your favorite teams and rooting for them to lose. The reality is that fans did that in the Eddie Jordan year and they got the 2nd pick in the draft. We all see where it got this team. Unless it is a year where you get very, very lucky it takes years to build in the draft. Look at Washington, couple of high draft picks over the last couple years and they have gotten nowhere. The fact of he matter is that the NBA is a flawed product with too many teams and too few stars. Look at all the finals for the last I don't know how many years and the only team the got there and lucky in the draft was OKC and because of the $ they had to give up Harden. Developing that losing mentality is never good. I can't understand what kind of enjoyment someone can get out of rooting fo your team to lose.
Calling for a tank and noting fans may as well hope for losses are the same thing, no?
There's a difference, I guess. He's saying the team should keep trying to win, but fans should be hoping they lose. As opposed to the team trying to lose and the fans being happy about it.
Hah, OK. They don't have to try to lose at all.
Thank you, for that.
This entire season was fucked once Bynum got hurt in the summer or whatever.
Shit happens. The only thing the team can do now is try and salvage the situation and be realistic about a rebuild.
The thing that gives me pause is management saying Bynum was plan A and plan B. They took a risk, which is fine, but never had a plan in the first place (Hawes, Kwame, Brand amnesty, etc...) which should concern us even more.
The cold hard truth of it is, we just have to wait and hope we land somebody in the draft sometime in our lifetimes that is a HOF type player, and the fact that the Sixers have had many legends in the past, whose to say we won't have a dry spell that lasts a long fucking time.
Ugh, this is brutal. I understand playing for the lotto at this point but its just too painful to watch. Plus I hate watching Jrue's fall off in the 2nd half of this season. I know its probably too many minutes but I just can't stand to see it.
I want no part of Zeller. I have watched a decent amount of Indiana games and I really don't see him being a difference maker on the next level.
Oladipo will be a fine pro and I do believe he has shown the ability to develop different parts of his game as he ages... I think that his what makes him stand out from other upperclassmen.
At this point I am holding out false hope that Shabazz falls to wherever our ping pong lands us. He becomes James Harden-like and we find a good big man. Easy enough.
this is a pretty good dunk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_rKW3HL9GE&sns=em
This win was huge in our quest for the 3rd pick and McLemore/Shabazz. We have a shot at only winning twice the rest of the way. And if we get to 3rd or 4th, who's to say we can't trade up? Maybe you could interest MJ in Turner. He's the guy who drafted Morrison, Kwame, Augustin, and Sean May. Other than the draft ramifications, I enjoyed this quote from Doug in the recap:
Collins said the biggest change that he's seen in Vucevic's game since the Sixers dealt him to the Magic is as simple as him getting more playing time. "I saw him at draft camp and said, `That's my guy," Collins said. "Skilled, big, strong, and got a good feel for the game. A great kid. I love Nik. When he got minutes for us last year he performed very well."
If Collins thought he was this good, where was that playing time last year? He played about 5 minutes against Boston.
Anybody notice just how much more athlectic and fluid Vucevic looks compared to little Spencer? I was fine with trading him for Bynum but Doug basically chose Hawes over Vucevic last year. Vucevic is a hard worker. He improved a ton while at USC. Thats why I think Victor Oladipo will be an excellent pro. He has worked to improve his game and on top of that he has all the physical gifts.
Since Bynum clearly isn't going to play this year, the team should start spreading word discreetly that he's never going to be the same. Drive the interest down around the league, see if maybe you can get him to re-sign on a short "prove it" deal.
And then get found out and face the 'wrath' of the CBA and agents no longer wanting their players to negotiate with you