First of all, happy 30th birthday to Elton Brand.
Word on the street is that his rehab is on schedule, so get healthy and we'll see you this summer.
Now, the matter at hand. I've spent the past couple of days alternating between shock, rage and disappointment in this team. I'm still having a hard time reconciling the fact that they had four days to prepare and rest for a two-game road trip against two very bad teams, and they looked wholly unprepared on both nights.
My list of who deserves the blame is growing by the day. You can't pin the whole thing on Iguodala, although I was certainly disappointed in him following the Thunder game, but he played an excellent game at Memphis. Andre Miller has been Andre Miller. Thad played fairly well in both contests. Dalembert barely played in either. Speights' minutes were up a tick, although not really enough in my book.
After going through the roster, I finally came back to the coaches. I'm not in practices, so I don't know what kind of preparations they're going through. They have some minor injury issues (Miller and Ivey both missed practice yesterday, but will be on the floor today). I'm not really sure I have a philosophical problem with DiLeo et al. I think my main issue is that they're so damned rigid.
This team played unbelievable basketball for about 20% of the season before the break. They did it with the starting lineup they continue to trot out there, but you know what, it just isn't working anymore. OKC used their subs to effectively cut off the lane and the Sixers had no answer. In fact, they seemed completely reluctant to even run plays against the defense. They resorted to isolation and bad drives to the hoop which were met with two or three OKC defenders each time.
They didn't utilize their mismatches, they didn't move the ball. They basically sat back and waited for the hot-shooting Sixers team from January to show up and punish the Thunder. It didn't happen, and honestly, if they keep waiting for it, they're going to miss the playoffs.
Kate Fagan wrote a piece last week calling for Speights to enter the starting lineup at the power forward, just as I had a week or so earlier. We still don't really know why the team is so reluctant to make the move. Both DiLeo and Stefanski hinted that Speights at the four was something they wanted to explore. Unfortunately, they have yet to properly explore it.
After four days of practice, you'd expect the Sixers to come out and show something new. I mean, they were coming off a 2-6 stretch after the break heading into last weekend. You'd expect maybe a shake-up in the rotation. You'd expect a renewed focus on the aspects of the game that made them so successful prior to the break. You'd expect something. Instead, we got nothing.
At this point, the team philosophy seems to be hampered by a false self image (read the player quotes if you don't believe me), and a stubborn streak. Look at it this way, if you can't admit what you're doing wrong, how will you correct it. If you won't change anything, how can you expect to get better.
Before the Grizzlies game, I firmly believed the Sixers would use the off days to address some key issues. I thought they'd come out and use the back-to-back as an opportunity to get the team kickstarted, and they'd parlay those two wins into a five-game winning streak. Even after the Memphis game I hoped they'd realize they were handed a gift and they'd refocus for the Thunder game. None of that happened, in fact, they played worse in those two games than they did in the first 8 after the break.
So, where do we stand now? Exactly where we did a week ago. The Sixers have spent the past two games, hopefully, figuring out what their issues are and how to solve them. They have two winable games coming up, and I'm sitting her shaken. I'm trying to figure out if the coaches have the answers, and more importantly, if he coaches know what the right questions are.
The headline to this post was the precipice because that's where the Sixers stand right now. At some point very soon they're going to have to decide if they want to be bold and make adjustments, or if they're going to sit back and wait for things to break their way. I'm afraid if the answer is the latter, we won't even have the opportunity to see the Sixers make a first-round exit.
The pregame will be up later this afternoon.
Head case aside, I was rather disappointed to see Sam on the bench for so long in both games even when, I think, Theo was on the bench too.
And the lack of ball movement against the Thunder was puzzling. It seemed eerily similar to the beginning of the year except instead of standing around watching Brand they were standing around watching whoever was iso-ing up.
I'm still perturbed that when we need some shooting or we are behind, this staff refuses to put in either of the guys who were brought here specifically for that. I mean, if you can find some minutes here and there for Theo, are you telling me that you can't do the same for Donyell at least - since management is supposedly upset with Rush. Dileo seems to have fallen into the mindset that his rotations have to stay the same b/c it worked for him for a period of time and he doesn't want to stray from it but change is definitely needed on this front.
I think I responded to most of your comment below. The ball movement thing I don't get. I mean, every single time someone drove the lane there were three defenders standing right there, but no one else was moving. There should've been lob opportunities, wide-open 15-footers, open threes. I don't recall seeing any pick and roll plays w/ Speights either.
Y'know, I'd say Friday is more the precipice game. Chicago is desperately trying to fend off a bunch of bunched up teams for the last playoff spot. Philly wins that game, I think they can breathe a lot easier, they should make it given the relative strength (weakness) of the games remaining.
Whether it's the seventh or eighth spot (let's face it, neither detroit nor miami are coming back at this point), they're in.
The Nets are likely to make it real interesting tho.
Persistence is an admirable quality til it becomes pig-headedness. I think it's been clear for a while now that DiLeo's as obstinate (read: unimaginative) as they come.
There are two ways to go when you come in as a new coach. You can try to keep things as much the same as possible, and gradually work your changes in, or you can blow the whole thing up and start from scratch.
I don't think DiLeo was ever in the positions to do the latter, especially considering he came from the front office, and he had a big hand in each one of these players coming to the team, but at some point, he's going to have to put his stamp on the team.
I understand Rush's disappearance, that guy hasn't done a thing at all this season. He got a couple of opportunities and did nothing with his minutes. Marshall, on the other hand, has actually been very productive when he's gotten some time. When the team is in a scoring slump, I'd definitely go to him. In fact, I'd like to see him take Reggie's minutes some nights.
You may be right that the Chicago game is more make-or-break than this one, but after that Thunder loss, I just see this as kind of a defining moment of the season. How will they react?
Damned fine point.