Fresh off a well-played 24-point loss to the Heat, the Sixers head to NYC to take on a
struggling Knicks team. New York has dropped four straight in spectacular fashion. If the Sixers regulars can muster the same effort tonight they did last night, they should be able to pull off the upset. Don't hold your breath, though.
Two keys to this game. (1) Jrue must absolutely abuse Raymond Felton like he did the last time these teams met. (2) Evan Turner must not take 19 shots. If Turner can keep his TO's below 5, that would help as well.
Rumor has it Thad will be back, which should help (and mean we'll never see Moultrie again). I got home about an hour-and-a-half ago, watched the Miami game and now I'm settling in for the game thread. The tip is at 7pm. Join me if you're looking forward to seeing Thad back on the floor.
I've been completely out of touch. A couple things just cracked me up yesterday. The first was at the end of the first quarter. LeBron went to the hoop, Hawes blocked his shot. LeBron wound up in like the second row and couldn't get back on defense. Turner somehow gets the ball and decides he's going to back down Chalmers while two Sixers are standing wide open on the other side of the floor, since they're playing 5-on-4, Turner instead tries to force his way into the lane, against a triple team, and turns the ball over.
The other was Ray Allen's banked three. Particularly, the homer Miami announcers' reaction: "He might not have meant to bank that."
Did I miss any Bynum news? I've been completely unplugged since about mid-day Friday.
he supposedly went through a 5-5 practice but collins didnt sound in-pressed and made it seem like he isnt close to returning
What did Bynum say a week ago? Two weeks after 5 on 5, right?
something like that i think
Do you have a link to Collins' comments. I'm reading different takes.
http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/8978920/andrew-bynum-philadelphia-76ers-not-close-return-according-coach-doug-collins
or without spin and with the slightly crazy DC look: http://www.nba.com/sixers/video/2013/02/23/130223collinsonbynummov-2395016
Collins really sounds like he's going insane
i would like to point out that while my infatuation with evan turner's potential is looking like a total loss, my speculation about doug collins' mental state looks more astute with every interview he gives. basketball, i am still learning. but crazy?i know crazy. reognize
In another article, what was strange to me was, supposedly Bynum asked Coach could he get in on the 5 on 5 going on and DC said sure. Something about that is rather odd. Like a heck of a lot of coddling to me, or a loose leash. Just weird. He's not told, he randomly asks.
That's really strange. What happened to their detailed 6-step plan?
Beats the hell out of me, it's like the management and staff are just as clueless as we fans are. Possibly, they're fed up with his act too. But I find nothing detailed or any semblance of a plan when the guy "asks" can he get in on a scrimmage. Not trying to be a conspiracy theorist, but that just smells.
Just saw the video. Seems like he's washed his hands of the situation. He seems to be doing this weird "I just work here" thing.
Either DiLeo or Bynum did say first 1-on-1, then 2-on-2, then 3-on-3 then 5-on-5. I remember that. Wonder if this was Bynum going off script or something. Who the fuck knows. 9 games under, only reason they still have a playoff pulse is Milwaukee playing like shit. Right now, they're 11th-worst, and pretty much the lowest they could get is like 8th.
Does Thad stick Melo in his first game back? Hmmmnnn
Thad's going to have his hands full w/ Melo. I hope Melo is in a facilitating mood, because that's just hilarious to watch.
Seems weird seeing the Sixers in another gym.
Aaaaaand we're off....Hawes wins the tip.
How does Kenyon Martin sit on his ass for 9 months and look fit while Turner has played every game and still looks like a dough boy.
knicks will switch with their guards, need to get kidd on jrue as much as possible
Thad w/ 3 hustle plays on the first two possessions. Make that four.
Evan did a great job of running his man right over to Thad leading that break.
ft in the first 5 mins!!!!!!!
Jrue +1. Pretty move and finish. Jrue, drop 40 tonight.
He's tenacious Jrue, can't be loose with that between the legs.
Sloppy dribble, but that ball was off Shump. Hope that pisses Jrue off.
How was that a foul on Thad?
Damn, long o-board off free throw 3 from Melo
5-point play. Can't get the fucking d-board off a missed freebie.
That was a BS call on Thad though.
sissy jumper
Turner to Hawes. Makes me want to puke twice. But he hits.
Nobody sprinted up court on our team but Nick and Jrue, Jrue bad shot.
Jrue coast to coast.
Nice, Jrue.
Nice take Jrue
I hate watching Evan Turner play basketball. Ugly game and constant whining.
... while I'm on the subject, I also still hate watching Spencer Hawes play basketball.
Two on Shump? Why doesn't Jrue do that a couple times/game?
Hawes, that's pitiful.
x2.
x3...fuck it, x13,000,000
Hawes with that weak shit, can't even get a foul drawn. Wussy.
Evan can't get past Kidd. heh good pass
There is, in fact, one player who can't get by Jason Kidd off the dribble.
Jrue may actually be the Sixers best perimeter player off the ball. Too bad he's also the Sixers best perimeter player on the ball.
agree
Or, you know, just the sixers best player?:)
It really is a bummer to have to watch Hawes and Turner on your favorite team. Said it last night and may just have to say it every night the rest of the season, cause it's that damn bad on the eyes watching those two. Excruciating.
Was that Spence's obligatory 3-second violation?
Turner+1. Heh.
GET DOWN THE FLOOR TURNER!
heh evan got a call
Turner to the line.
Collins should just sit Jrue now. No one else is going to touch the ball while Turner is on his "hot streak"
heh
Like I said. Forced shot.
Um grab the ball Damien before running off.
Bad pass Jrue.
ET dumpoff to Damien. Bloop.
wilkins jumper on the break
Ragged out there. Turner to Wilkins in transition for a 14-footer.
evans gonna get a t real soon
Evan is bitching at the ref, saying "Look at my face, look at my face". apparently Amare hit him
Because obviously getting hit in the face means you're allowed to double dribble.
And Turner stuffed by the amazing defense of Amare. Turnover.
typical ET, really helping the team, does something stupid and now he's going to let it affect him for the rest of the night
Oh, ET did get a T.
oh he did get a t
Aaaand a tech on Turner. Wonderful. Love that body language. Where are all the fuckers that used to complain about Iguodala's body language? Why aren't they running Turner out of town on a rail?
Because it looks like they've been run out of the blog on that rail with their love affairs for him. Truth hurts sometimes.
I think it was weird that anyone ever complained about Iguodala's body language, and I think it's weird that a few of you obsess over Evan Turner's body language.
I typically don't care too much about begging for calls. I really care when it means not getting back on defense, or in this case, getting a stupid tech. In Turner's case, it's really the strongest thing about his game.
Doug tried to calm the guy down but he's a total headcase. Here he is coming out of the timeout and still talking/yapping to himself.
It's remarkable how much speed - especially in transition - the Sixers lost in the offseason by losing Iguodala and Lou.
Wow, Wilkins. That was an ugly shot.
Heh. Turner to the line again. He's gassed.
And Turner finally goes out, yet here comes Hawes plodding back in. I never get a break.
Pargo with the left!
Turner had 7 pts in 3 minutes, then the blowup and Knicks end on a 10-2 run. Make it 10-4 now.
PHI 22, NYK 24 after one.
Please put Jrue and Thad right back in. Pretty please. This team is unwatchable when they're both out.
we're going to lose by 15 or more, easy
Turner will have 25 shots tonight (he'll make 8 if he's lucky)
Spencer will have 3 rebounds, total
The Knicks couldn't stop my dribble penetration. Just fucking throw the playbook out and isolate Jrue, or Pargo. Or anyone but Turner, really.
Box him out, Thad.
second time it was Spence.
Box him out Thad again. Come on put a body on somebody.
Nope, it was Thad both times. Get Jrue in there, please.
Fuck you Spencer, you're terrible man, just disgusting. Can't catch for shit.
7-0 run to start the second. Spence doesn't seem bouncy, or whatever the fuck Collins called him last year.
i am worried about the mental health of doug collins
With a lineup to start the 2nd of Hawes, Pargo, Nick, Thad and Wright... I worry also.
All jokes aside, that's a legitimate concern.
In all seriousness, I think this is his last season as the 76ers head coach.
Just made me think of when there was so much talk of EB being earthbound, no one ever says that term about Hawes or Turner though.
Still no Jrue. Thad fouled.
nice thad
Jrue back. Nice drive, Thad.
Ugh, Thad looked mighty healthy on that drive and take of Chandler.
Ugh. That three has to drop. Best look Jrue has had in a month.
Defense is lackadaisical. As shit.
annnnnnnd a STAT banked jumper.
Jrue realizing this game is slipping away... and that there basically is nothing he can do about it.
We're so relaxed and non-active on D.
15-point game. Just a bunch of slop falling for the Knicks, and the Sixers aren't even getting slop looks.
Is this game just another game in a long line of the - Bynum effect?
Just like last night and nearly all nights, Lavoy can't do squat in the post with a look.
Jrue, tough shot.
Turner got away with a walk there, nice look from Thad though
I missed Thad.
He's the only guy that consistently hustles his ass off on this team
Melo to the line. Wish Jrue would've initiated contact like that when he went to the hoop on the other end.
The coach more or less gave up on the playoffs in his most recent comments, why should I expect any defensive effort from this team?
Really disappointed in the way Doug has handled himself as of late.
Doug has checked out. The Michael Curry era next???
I hope not. No retreads, let's bring in someone new
I don't care about retreads, just don't want guys who were abject failures in the first stop.
true, I guess I meant retreads who sucked somewhere else before
I wouldn't automatically write Michael Curry off.
If Doug moves to the front office, Curry is the coach.
17-4 so far in the second quarter.
Melo to the line, again.
Jrue's first assist. Team's 6th, I believe.
Box the eff out!
Turner having to turn his back to Kidd with his dribble still alive is funny.
jrue jumper
Fucking Pargo pullup 20-footer? Come on.
I'm perfectly fine w/ leaving Shumpert wide open to double Melo.
They're free. Especially that one, Jrue.
lavoy
Going small here has helped us, but it's also hurt us too.
I'm so shocked Turner took that J.
Mike Breen: “The Knicks might be a bit vulnerable inside defensively [with Chandler coming out of the game]”
UHHHH NO YOU WON’T
Hawes has came back in to close both quarters. Stud.
fuck. you. spencer. hawes.
Nice box out Hawes. Pure comedy!!!
Did you see that shit? Hawes literally hugged Melo and he still got the tip in. That's so sad.
Hawes had to literally hold onto Melo to do nothing more than block him out on a free throw.
get a good shot here, cut it to 10
OK, get a shot for yourself, Jrue.
or just throw it on the floor.
PHI 40, NYK 52 at the half.
Every single bleeping time.
Dammit Jrue
Reporter: This is your most complete half in awhile. What's the difference?
Amare: Duh and/or hello! We're playing the Sixers!
And no Moultrie yet
No Moultrie and no Charles Jenkins yet either. Let them play and see what you have for the future.
I have to admit my halftime BM was much more satisfying than the 6 quarters of Sixers hoops I've watched tonight.
This Sixers team blows in so many different ways, but down 12 to the Knicks is far from insurmountable.
18 now
See, why close on Shumpert to leave an average three-point shooter open?
and Shump hits an open three the next time down. No whistle for Jrue.
I like how Turner conserved energy on that timeout.
Well that was a nice slap upside the head from the players there to start. They look lethargic and just don't give a fuck it seems. Poor Doug.
Any chance they can sleep walk through this half and get it over with by 9?
Heh, that's how I feel sometimes, just want it to hurry up and be over with.
Jrue has a pulse
Jrue to the hole. Hawes held shump on that drive. I'll take it.
Hawes converts on the P&R! Jrue dime.
Hawes with the studly finish over Tyson.
It was Melo :)
Nice find by Turner. Jrue scores.
Thad to the line.
1/2. Thought maybe the injury would fix his foul shot.
Turner tripping me out with his hand held high.
There's nothing I love more than Shumpert long twos.
Awww. Hawes and Chandler about to fight. heh
Spence showing some life! After the whistle, obviously.
Double techs is my guess.
Melo hit him in the back of the head while Melo ran away. It's bad when you get in a confrontation with Spencer Hawes and wind up looking like the bitch.
Damn Melo just flat out smacked Hawes upside the head, then Chandler tried to come to Melo's defense and shoved Hawes back.
Cheap shot by Melo. Melo keeping it classy as always.
Should be 3 techs. Melo, Chandler and Hawes.
Flagrant 1 on Melo. 2 shots and the ball, right?
Flagrant 1 for Melo. Can it both be a Flagrant and a tech called also for the same action/play?
It's funny watching Turner waddle into the fray.
Hawes is juiced, off the back rim hard.
Turner to the line.
Hawes could've cut it to 10 w/ that 15-footer. Ugh.
Hawes is tired, off the front rim short. He can't shoot for shit tonight.
keep shooting jumpers Spencer
That's stupid, Thad.
Good work, Thad.
not so good on the Stoudemire dunk.
Turner misses a 5 footer
at least Turner can pass tonight
Thad+1.
-1.
lol
turner over felton
Heh. Who was guarding Turner there?
Novak.
Turner's taking over before his next meltdown.
This is actually a really good game for him. Mendoza-level efficiency, with boards and assists.
Ramiro?
Turner wishes.
Always liked him.
Mario, it's a baseball reference. Batting average of .200, below that and you really shouldn't be in the big leagues
good job on the o-glass
3rd chance point from lavoy
Wow. Sixers on the o-glass after Turner almost broke it.
Wow. Sixers on the o-glass after Turner almost broke it.
Good ball movement.
Attaboy, Jrue. 8-point game. come on, close this fucking quarter.
This team is so awesome at fucking themselves.
never seen a team so bad at getting missed free throws
Why can't we box out melo?
ET with the takeover!
Good attack, Turner. How about a stop?
ET iso to end it here .... And he drives baseline and shoots a fucking airball over Amare's outstretched hand.
Turner airball to end the quarter...ok then
Aaaaand Turner airballed 8-footer to end the quarter.
PHI 67, NYK 76 after 3.
How about not letting them go on a monster run to start the fourth here?
Btw, Jrue should be rested enough to go the rest of the way, he's played off the ball SOOOO much tonight.
Have you ever seen a team where every night 2 or 3 starters give you absolutely nothing?
Is Thad taller than Lavoy? Thought he was almost as tall as Amare, but Amare looks like he has a couple inches on Lavoy.
Good job going after Novak.
Great job Turner.
I hope Turner can get Chandler into another double tech here. Probably just going to be Turner's second tech, though.
4-0 start, right? Get a hoop here. Nope, bad shot Jrue.
Hawes to the line. Sissy.
uggh Jrue going out, don't like this
Jrue out.
In games when hawes hits free throws why can't he make 15 footers?
Now, you know you're just asking for too damn much.
i guess it only happens in the games right after he gets a haircut.
Bad shot, Dorell.
They answer shit.
That's ballgame. Only reason to keep watching is to see if there's a fight, which there won't be. The Sixers are too pathetic to punch.
Put Jrue and Lavoy back in. Or Thad. Just get Hawes out of there. Lavoy is 5/6 w/ 8 boards.
jrue 3
JRUE43.
nice spence
Nice tip Hawes.
Thad, you gotta get post position w/ him on you. Don't catch out at the elbow.
Nice tip by Hawes to Thad there.
JRUE43 again.
Jrue 3 at the buzzer off Pargo drive and kick.
Good foul, Thad. Wow, they called that on Hawes, Thad wound up .
Chandler looked to have tried to take a cheap shot down at Thad there at the end of that play. After Thad fouled him hard.
bad pargo shot goes in
Who was supposed to have JR there? shit
Maybe stay on Smith?
JRUE43.
holiday is scorching!
How are we only down 10?
It's going to be 11, or maybe 14 if the Knicks get the board when Chandler misses the second FT.
Of course Turner's late getting back. Lucky Smith airballed that three.
not enough time left unless Jrue just goes bonkers. Love how Turner pulled up for a jumper when he had a transition layup there. Pretty stuff.
Way to telegraph the pass for 6 secs Turner. Sweet.
Wow, he missed them both. Please get Jrue a shot here.
YOU FUCKING SUCK TURNER.
Why are they trying to post Hawes up with Chandler on him? ANd why is Turner throwing that fucking pass. GOd damnit.
great fast break pargo
Why is Turner not handling the ball? I mean, come the fuck on. It's the final four minutes.
unfair. does anyone complain about turner not touching the ball down the stretch when he is having a shitty game and jrue is en fuego?no, i sthe answer.there happened to be a game where turner was by far their best offensive player, against memphis. jrue was off. nobody else was stepping up, and they didn't let the guy who HAD stepped up for the first three quarters of that game, get a chance to salvage it down the stretch.
turner is flat out terrible right now. has been since mid december, really, although there have been maybe three or four games where he's been an effective and efficient offensive playerand not killed us with mental errors.
he is playing like a zombie out there sometimes. he will make some truly incomprehensible decisions. he is totally disengaged
When Turner attacks the glass energetically, he seems to keep his head in the game and make some positive contributions/no inexcusable blunders
he stopped attacking the glass energetically on a consistent basis in about mid december. my numbers are probably off here, going by memory, but i BELIEVE he had something like eight double doubles by mid december. how many does he have now, ten?
in the past week he has thrown up some decent counting stats but he has not played well at all. he's been playing dumb basketball and theres no excuse
Two chances to get it under 10, two turnovers and your best player never touches the ball. Neither does your second best player.
Jrue to the line.
30 for Jrue. Needed 40 to this point, though.
30 for jrue. GET A STOP
Doug has lost it
nice to see jrue have back to back good games
Yeah. Not crazy about him playing SG for about 30 minutes tonight, though.
agreed
So frustrating watching 6ers try to defend Melo without Iggy.
thad is doing okay but just jumping for shot fakes
WTF turner?
Damn that pass was too high for Thad
Terrible pass turner
Shitty oop pass. That'll do it. Two trips w/out Jrue touching the ball. There, he got a board, got to touch it.
Pargo hits the three. Get a fucking stop.
pargo 3 I knew the tease was coming.
aaaand, they can't get a d-board.
Too many rotations going on leaving JR Smith loose to chase that board. Not sure why Turner was down there helping Spencer block out Chandler, while on Chandler's back.
sissy tip in
Give the ball to JRUE.
Hawes follow. Get another stop. 5-point game.
Spencer follow. Get one stop.
Turner is so fucking pitiful.
How many timeouts did they have left when they got that rebound w/ 20 seconds left?
What the fuck evan? Two people on you. Jrue clearly has the hot hand and you shoot jumper
They had 3 timeouts and he didn't use one? What the fuck?
doug is tanking
apparently. "Evan, I want you to get 20 shots up there every night."
i didnt mind but jrue should of gotten the ball
I will be damn, Pargo hands it off to Turner. Shit
At least they went to Jrue for the last shot attempt. Ashamed they didn't do that about 5 other possessions in the clutch in the 4th.
The one that was the most absurd was the Turner turnover where he was trying to get the ball to Hawes who was trying to post up Chandler 20 feet from the hoop. Just pitiful.
PHI 93, NYK 99 Final.
Didn't play bad. They just suck. Jrue POTG.
well at least they'll have a nice long offseason in which to blow this damn team up
There's been some talk by DiLeo about a "plan B." Does anyone really believe they have a good one? I think plan B is like Austin Powers: "I plan to soil myself and then regroup and come up with a new plan."
I'd assume it means clearing cap space. Nick Young, Hawes, Kwame, Dorell probably Lavoy. All those contracts off the books or used in a trade for someone/something. Who knows. Whatever it is, I'm sure it'll be just as successful as all the plan A's they've had over the past decade.
The only hope this team has in the next 4-5 years is re-signing Bynum and somehow having him be healthy for 50-60 games/year and through the playoffs a couple times. They also need a GM to build the team around Jrue and Bynum.
The only hope this team has in the next 4-5 years is re-signing Bynum and somehow having him be healthy for 50-60 games/year and through the playoffs a couple times. They also need a GM to build the team around Jrue and Bynum.
You're probably right, and that is frightening.
Maybe plan B is moving Jrue to SG and making a run at Chris Paul or Jennings in free agency this summer.
Or keeping him at PG and going after Dwight.
They could luck out, get a top-three pick in the draft, then package that with Turner/Spence/Kwame and put together a nice trade package for a disgruntled star somewhere, if there is one who's forcing his way out of somewhere. They'd have to get a first rounder in return, though, or they can't trade this pick away. They could also just luck out and get another underwhelming top pick in the draft. That would probably be the most fitting scenario. They get a lucky ping pong ball in another shitty draft and wind up with another bust.
If Dwight decides to sign elsewhere for less guaranteed money it will be for either Dallas or Houston.
With Doug Collins as our HC, I wouldn't be surprised if they decided to use that package to get a David Lee or an Andrea Bargnani. My hope is that Kevin Love goes ape shit crazy on the Timberwolves and they decide to trade him somewhere outside of the conference.
Maybe plan B is moving on without Bynum, rebuilding with Jrue Holiday and clearing up cap space for 2014 free agency. Maybe DiLeo knows something we don't know about Bynum's health or maybe he doesn't want to risk his career on Bynum's health
I get the feeling we know more about Bynum's health than DiLeo does. The whole plan A, plan B thing doesn't mean anything. If they're the least bit responsible, they had an alternative plan in place just in case he didn't re-sign.
There's no way they actually offered him the preemptive extension, right? I mean, he would've signed it prior to the season you'd think.
Not hating that as a plan B. Is Jrue an undersized 2?
Nah, he can handle SGs on the defensive end.
Problem is they won't get either of those guys.
Assuming Bynum keeps up his charade, looks like they may only win 6-7 more games the rest of the year. Of course, him easing back for his league-GM's showcase will probably screw it all up by way of reducing ping pong balls with several more wins. That seems about par for the course when it comes to his so-called tenure here. Fuck up the majority of the season by not playing, and then fuck up the rest of the season (offseason) by finally playing.
Word.
I'm still trying to figure out how the MRI's, etc. from October/November are so much worse than the ones the doctors reviewed before the trade (per DiLeo). What high impact activities could Bynam have been doing over the summer to make them worse, other than bowling?
I'm leaning toward the opinion that it was another screw up by Sixers staff, rather than some kind of major change.
Winning 6 or 7 probably puts them no worse than 7th or 8th. I think they probably win more than that. They didn't play poorly in the last two games, those efforts are good enough to beat a lot of teams.
If they just play to their record, you're looking at 10 more wins. I think that's probably a minimum number. 32 wins. Somewhere between 9-12th worst is my guess for lottery position. No lower than that.
It's ironic that the team finally made a "boom or bust"-style move that many of us have longed for, and it will likely result in beautiful mediocrity once again.
Yep. In the past three years they've hit the lottery to move up #2 and selected a scrub, and they've made a swing for the fences trade for a legit superstar and......
A few points:
our scoring differential says we should be two wins worse than our record, and the 6th worst team in the league;
17 of our remaining 28 games are on the road and we're a .250 road team, we only have 11 games left against teams currently in the lottery, and 10 games left against teams with records worse than ours, but worse still, seven of those ten winnable games are road games, including both games against Washington;
we only won 10 of our last 33 games, so going by recent play we should only win 8 or 9 of our next 28, and we have six fewer home games in that stretch than we did in the last 33;
Minnesota will pass us when Love returns;
Toronto's clearly passing us;
Washington, 13-9 over its last 22 (i.e., since Wall's return), is in striking distance;
New Orleans has been a .500 team since Christmas and is just 3.5 games back.
So basically, I have us finishing 6th to 8th.
I'm assuming you're assuming Bynum doesn't come back at all. Let's say the Sixers win 7 more games this season (which would mean a team w/ a .407 winning % would finish .250 over their last 28 games). here's what every team below them would have to do to pass them:
Detroit - 7 w, 17 l (.291 wp / current wp .379)
Cleveland - 11 w, 15 l (.423 wp / current wp .321)
Washington - 12 w, 16 l (.429 wp / current wp .315)
Orlando - 14 w, 12 l (.538 wp / current wp .268)
Charlotte - 16 w, 10 l (.615 wp / current wp .232)
Minny - 9 w, 20 l (.310 wp / current wp .377)
New Orleans - 9 w, 16 l (.360 wp / current wp .351)
Sacto - 10 w, 15 l (.400 wp / current wp .351)
Phoenix - 11 w, 14 l (.440 wp / current wp .316)
So if the Sixers lose three of four the rest of the way (after winning 4/10 thus far), only Detroit and Minny should be expected to catch them, assuming they keep up their current level of success.
And if you're handicapping the Sixers for their terrible road record, then you should apply the same logic to the home games they have left, correct? Meaning they should be 6-5 in the home games (16-14 at home on the year).
Where they are now is OK. Willie Cauley-Stein projected at 10 or 11 on NBADRAFT.net. Victor Oladipo at #9. Kelly Olynyk at #13. Glenn Robinson III at #14.
Just no upperclassmen who needed several years before they suddenly became dominant against one-year-wonders. No underwhelming athletes, either. I'm fine w/ average NBA athleticism along w/ a position-specific skill, just no clutzes who do shit that doesn't matter for the position.
ESPN did a study a while ago - Sophmore numbers - 2 years - that's the sweet spot where guys tend to show who they are without over playing against weaker talent later in college
Well, I see your point. Olynyk is a fourth year player (redshirt junior) but the others are young. Still, I would draft Olynyk (or senior Jeff Withey with a lower second pick) if they were available. They are centers and they usually hit their athletic stride later.
Victor Oladipo is the player I want. Athletic feak, good fundamentals and decent all-around game. He might be a little small for a SG but my main concern with him is his drastic increase in FG% this year compared to the past two years. His FG% went from .471 to .639 and his 3pt% went from .208 to .511. Could be a 1-year wonder
I'm with you on Oladipo. He's big enough to play shooting guard at 6'5 214 (i'd probably say he's 6'4).His ball handling doesn't look that good though.
Who says plan B is all about this offseason? Maybe they'll sit on the cap space, signing guys to one year deals until they can get a star free agent.
Also, i think, if it's up to Bynum he'd sign here. I;m not sure he will be healthy enough to deserve a contract though.
Well, Bynum isn't exactly going to be in a position to turn down the biggest contract, you wouldn't think. If they want him, they can get him.
Well, that was sort of my point but i do think he wants to play in Philly. The real question is what is his health situation. And i don't think anyone really knows. Not Bynum, not the FO, not the medical staff nor any expert in the field.
It'll be interesting to see if he will get a max offer in the summer. A lot of teams look weary about giving big contracts after the realized the effects of the new CBA. Speaking of CBa effects, apparently the value of draft picks has skyrocketed. Noone wants to trade a first rounder anymore because of the fixed low salary. Atlanta couldn't even get a pick in a weak draft for Josh Smith. It would be interesting to see if we are going to see teams selling first rounders in the future. I doubt it to be honest.
jameer Nelson ruled out for tomorrow
really good Zach Lowe column about the lack of activity before the trade deadline, along with players to watch:
http://www.grantland.com/blog/the-triangle/post/_/id/52210/youre-on-notice-the-players-to-watch-post-trade-deadline
Evan Turner
Philly stood pat at the deadline, but the organization is still trying to suss out what Turner can be exactly in the NBA, and whether Turner and Andrew Bynum are worth sacrificing future flexibility. Turner has a tantalizing skill set, but he’s been uneven defensively, and can get both shot-happy from the midrange and turnover-prone when he takes the controls from Jrue Holiday.
Tantalizing - you keep using that word - I do not think it means what you think it means
ha. i actually think "skill set" is the incorrect phrase in that sentence. tantalizing describes Turner pretty well imo, as in he submits a tantalizing performance about once every four games.
played pickup ball at the y today. had a ton of fun. been years since ive played ball like that. im twenty five and have been working to add muscle(six three and skinny)
although i was a non entity offensively(i crashed the oboards tho_)...i turned in a lockdown defensive performance that was so, so satisfying. my guy was a thirtyfive ish jumpshooter. i was directed to stick with him and play him close. on the first play, i pulled an evan turner and stood still when i was supposed to be moving, he got free and drained a three. he didnt get enough space to get off a sht again, despite employing ray allen, reggie miller schemes to run mee into multiple screens and picks....every time, at the end of the obstacle course, he's call for the ball, catch the pass...and look up to see my smiling face and long arms. he wanted to punch me. it was fucking awesome. great workout too
Favors with his 3rd foul with 9 min left in the 2nd Q. He's not looking terribly impressive tonight, haven't watched him play in a while. Had higher hopes for the consensus #2 of the DF community
He's still better than Turner. If I could re-do the draft it would be:
1. Greg Monroe
2. Paul Goerge
3. Derrick Favors
5. John Wall
6. Larry Sanders
7. Ed Davis
8. Eric Bledsoe
9. Avery Bradley
10. Patrick Patterson
11. Evan Turner
12. Kévin Séraphin
13. Epke Udoh
14. Al-Farouq Aminu
15. Gordon Hayward
16. DeMarcus Cousins
then what's the point in tanking if you can get a Cousins with pick 16?
yep. paul george is the one who haunts me. i just love his game, i think he is gonna be a star for some time to come. he is bizarro turner. the way he plays on a nightly basis is very similar to the way turner plays at his absolute best