Tonight's game in Memphis is a perfect opportunity for the Sixers, and that's how they need to approach it. Calling it a must-win is silly at this point in the season, so let's just call winning a priority. The next five games are crucial, Memphis is a bad, bad team. Just get the job done. Philly is a five and a half point favorite, on the road. After the jump we'll take a look at the stats, talk a little bit about what the Sixers need to avoid and have our in-game discussion.
Soak it in, Sixers fans, because this is one of the few games where the Sixers will enter as the clear superior team on offense. Surprisingly, Memphis only holds the edge in free throws, an area the Sixers usually dominate. On the other side of the ball, Memphis takes care of their defensive glass much better, the Sixers own them in every other category.
Memphis is coming off a win against the Clippers in which Marc Gasol nearly notched a triple-double. Prior to that, they had dropped 8 straight games. Mike Conley left their game on Wednesday with a chipped tooth (that knocks you out of a game? Sissy.), but he'll be back tonight.
I took a quick look at Memphis' box scores since they last played the Sixers on February 11th. A couple things jumped out at me:
- Rudy Gay, O.J. Mayo and Conley dominate the shots for this team. Gasol is very efficient, but he rarely gets shots.
- Hakim Warrick, who torched the Sixers back in February, is having a hard time finding minutes.
The way I see it, there are two pitfalls the Sixers need to avoid against Memphis, the first is turnovers. Memphis does a good job of converting them, and they have the athletes to convert in the open court on the wings. The second is to protect the defensive glass. They nearly lost to Memphis in February, and the simple reason was 14-5 o-board advantage Memphis had. Warrick had 6 o-boards by himself, to go along with 31 points.
If the Sixers can force turnovers, get stops and get out on the break, this one should not be close. Mayo and Gay will dominate the ball, pretty much ignoring their most efficient option on offense, Gasol. Meanwhile, the Sixers should be able to run Gasol right out of the game, he doesn't seem to be the most fleet-footed big in the league, and to be honest, the guy is a little chubby. He can't keep up the pace.
The tip is at 8pm. I'll be right here, so join me for the in-game discussion in the comments.
Be nice if they could get a win - not sure my plans for today (birthday) but we'll see - was considering watchmen but now not so much - probably be home to watch the game
Happy birthday, man.
Happy Birthday! Have a good one.. regardless of the game.
Lets Go Sixers. (clap, clap, clap-clap-clap) Let's Go Sixers!! Headed to the gym, will try to practice a few jumpers for both Lou and Thad :)
LETS GO SIXERS!
I have Rudy Gay on my fantasy team, and I check his box scores every night.
I wouldn't be surprised if I checked in late and saw Rudy Gay was 5-28 from the field. I think I read it on this blog somewhere, but someone compared him to Thaddeus Young. I hate to admit it, but that looks like the path Thad's heading down. He better start rebounding.
Thad can at least spell defense, so I don't think he'll ever be as bad/over-rated/one-dimensional as Gay.
Thad does seem to be going down that path lately (I made the original comparison) but he has shown at times he can defend, rebound and pass. Thad's problem, to me, is that he seems to be forgetting the other parts of his game and only emphasising scoring. He'll never have Iggy's versatility but I do think he could (if he keeps working at it) have a game like a much better defending version of Carmelo. He already has the components of the inside/outside game (he is good in the post, can slash, needs work on the intermediate jumpshot). He only needs to rebound a little lower than last years rate (he's way down this year) and add some more passing.
I have 2 tickets for Wednesday night game against Toronto ( my season tickets). I bought some 1st level tickets and would like to offer them to someone who honestly cannot afford to go otherwise. They are decent seats, 210A, 4th row. If you are interested AND QUALIFY, email me at dharner@yahoo.com. They cost me $40, fyi.
I hope you don't mind me posting this Brian, delete if you do!
Don't mind at all, Dean.
Griz go to Gasol early and he delivers.
Anyone with any slight atheleticism and offensive skill set can beat out sam pretty well - he's too easy to fake out
I swear Gasol looks like a WNBA player from the back.
So it's one of those 'hot nights' for willie huh?
Yup, and right on cue he throws up a fifteen-foot one handed shot that misses everything.
Willie starting hot.
I must say I've always had an NBA soft spot for Mike Conley
I always thought the only thing that'd hold him back was his lack of a jumper. He seems to have improved upon that, though.
I liked him for his passing :)
Conley has been immensely disappointing during his short time in the league so far. portland should bring him in to reunite him w/ Oden.
Key is 'short time' in the league not mention bad team and poor coaching and franchise.
I wish people would stop writing guys off so soon - took me 3-4 years to realize sam was never going to get better
yea of course it's too early to write him off. still though you have to expect more out of the #4 overall pick.
haha this is an interesting night. watching the sixers and getting texts from my friends at the Phish reunion show in Hampton, Virginia (home of the original AI).
Jesus, I just realized that the Phish concert I went to was 15 years ago. I'm old.
Sam - WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT - cause it sure as hell wasn't a hook shot
Interesting, I just notice that todays sixers feed on in demand wwas the cw feed which i can't remember seeing.
Hey look - bad rebounding
Sp8s first man off the bench. in for thad, though.
And nice defense on Mayo there :)
Ugly start. They look like they're trying to do whatever they worked on in practice and thinking about it too much.
Iguodala over-passed on that drive. They don't have anyone to guard him, he needs to take over.
Miller ran that break perfectly.
Why is Warrick the best offensive rebounder ever when we play them?
we got lucky there as willie probably should have went up with that himself
You don't get many opportunities to criticize Willie for passing up a shot :)
ha seriously
whers darko?
27-26 after the first. Not exactly good, but they have the lead.
Wonder if DiLeo runs with this lineup to start the second. Ivey, Lou, Iguodala, Sp8s and Theo.
Doubling Darko with Theo on him in the post? It resulted in a turnover, but I seriously question that strategy.
That's a stupid statistic they just gave for Lou
FG made off the bench? Yeah, I'd like to see where he ranks in FG attempted. Probably first.
It's a horrible counting stat that means absolutely nothing :)
He probably averages a lot of minutes compared to most average players.
I don't care where he ranks in takes or makes per se- i care where he ranks in percetange fo them going in :)
Wow. Lou causes two turnovers with on-the-ball defense.
Seems that Ed and Tony's off week evaluation axed into Reg's mintues.
God, I hope so.
Speights looking good.
Shocked me when Thad picked up his 2nd and he came in instead of Reg.
That pass from Iggy to Lou was insane.
Court vision - i'm telling you
Lou is playing well. Notice he hasn't taken a jumper yet?
There goes Speights. I don't think you really need to sit him w/ two fouls, unless you're planning on heavy minutes for him in the second half.
This is dangerous. Zero Andres on the floor.
With Miller getting this extended rest, looks like DiLeo is watching minutes due to the back to back on the road.
6-0 run for Memphis w/ the Andres out? Wonderful.
Lou is looking very Lou-ish again.
Man he sat Miller around 9 minutes game time I think.
They double Gay in the post w/ Iggy on him, leads to a wide-open three for Conley, which he hits.
i can't believe i called out conley earlier. what was i thinking?
:) that's how it usually happens.
Fuck. They double Gasol w/ Ratliff on him in the post and another wide-open three gets hit. You don't have to automatically double the friggin' post, come on.
We could've used a guy like Quinton Ross..
yea during their 1st game last month, ross completely shut down iguodala. then for some reason he barely played in the 2nd half. i've always liked his game a lot.
Down 55-51 at the half. DiLeo went for a long stretch there w/ both Andres on the bench, and paid for it.
Speights was +10 in his run, but got yanked for Reggie after picking up his second foul.
hey brian, what do you think about making a trip to vegas for the summer league?
I'd love to. I don't think "I'm going to Vegas for a while to watch hoops while you stay home and deal with two babies" is going to fly w/ my wife though.
lol i feel ya
After Willie got torched by Conley in the first, they started Miller on him in the third. Conley drives by him for a layup right away.
Ivey Ivey Ivey
Excellent hustle from Thad. Zumoff and Salmi are going to go nuts over that, and they should.
Detroit lost to Atlanta. Miami is trailing the LeBrons in the fourth. Big opportunity here.
Willie cannot guard Mayo.
Name someone Willie can guard.
Free throws.
it would be an atrocity if they lose this game
Factoring in their 11 offensive boards they haven't been all that great on the defensive glass either
If only it were something DIFFERENT than the rebounding and free throws - i turned it off though in the first half - decided to watch RENT on PPV instead...the travelling show i saw years ago had terrible seats
Shut up
oh my
Rebounding has been poor. Theo + Daly only have 5 rebounds
tie ball game after 3.
I'm hoping we'll see the team's best lineup out there for the stretch run. We still haven't seen it tonight.
if this isn't all the evidence they need to start speights at the 4 for more rebounding, i don't know what else is
He doesn't really help the rebounding
The one thing I miss about last season was that we were defensively tough. I wonder what happened to that side of this team.
It isn't just this game. But Memphis of all teams is shooting 59.6% after 3 quarters.
I really can't explain it.
They keep blaming that mayo break on Iggy, but Lou had the angle, and he pulled up.
Ratliff's 'stache cracks me up.
THEO!!!
I really wish Gay hadn't gotten hurt.
man i'm gonna stop posting. i'm jinxing this team all over the place tonight.
One thing about Iggy is that there are too many games like this one where Miller (the "old, slow" point guard) is carrying the team.
Could someone explain to me how that was a foul on Theo??
Because Gasol flipped his girl hair violently, sold the foul.
Please get Lou out of there and put Miller back in.
And Dalambert out of there, please NOW!!!
speights' shot selection is terrible sometimes. they're going to lose this fucking game aren't they.
I'm glad they focused on defense in practice this week. Memphis would've shot 75% from the floor if they didn't put all that work in, I guess.
You know, I wonder why they don't let Sp8's operate on the blocks.
Yes Lou, go to the hole and stop jacking them up.
Nice drive by Lou. Tie game, timeout Memphis. Please come out of this timeout with a real lineup in there.
What the hell, man. Why isn't Miller in there right now?
Because we have a floor general in Lou?
heh.
Miller's doing everything he can for this win. 10 boards now.
Brian and Mike, do not dis opposing players before or during games again :) Re: Conley and Gasol in the pregame.
Guys, give Lou a break. I don't see anyone else driving and getting fouls.
You're right. This has been the best game we've seen from Lou in a while.
Just giving it away from the line.
FREE THROWS grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
Lou I am sorry I take it back.
Son of a Lou Williams!
Lou Williams: Floor General :)
Williams, a 2 and 3. I stand by my point.
I was in the middle of writing he still hasn't hit a jumper when he buried the two. Then he came back down and drained that three. Huge shots. Where has this Lou been all year?
And a steal and assist to Iggy.
lou!! where you been all my life?!?!
Well it's been a while since he hasn't killed this team. So 3 cheers for Lou tonight.
30 fast break points. Wow.
And Lou led the fast break w/ Radcliffe's miss. Maybe he is starting to play b ball, finally.......
Big Shot Miller.
At least only 2 Griz players are going for career highs tonight. Gasol is hurt. Good play by Ratliff there to draw the charge.
Game. Set. Match. Three to ice it for Iggy. All set up by Miller actually using a high screen by Ratliff to his advantage. Pretty play.
WOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YEA BABY
Just like last year Iggy except about 9 feet farther!!!
So, guys, I think there is hope for Lou.
The one thing about this team, when it goes to the playoffs, it's going to be insane watching when the team is up in the last minute and sent to the free throw line because everyone bar Miller is at league average or worse.
It'll be exciting, if nothing else :)
How hard is it going to be to close out games when the team is rubbish from the free throw line?
Alright. That's one down, 4 to go on this streak.
Defense needs to be about 10,000,000 times better than it was tonight.
Not many teams are going to give the sixers the game the way the griz did tonight - worse from the line and on the defensive glass - but they shot better from the field than the sixers.
The grizz are a horrible team - and the sixers were given a gift, I hope they realize it
That effort is a loss 9 nights out of 10, without a doubt. Count your blessings and improve the defense tomorrow night.
13 3-point attempts is too many for this team, I think. Funny how the most reliable free throw shooters, Miller and Speights, accounted for half of the team's misses tonight.
Iggy took over the scoring, right on cue, in the fourth with 12 points.
i haven't seen a player that hits so many clutch shots in a long time. even the original AI never hit this many. iguodala is really ::this close:: from getting to that next level.