When the Sixers last played host to the Chicago Bulls
the result was a resounding 16-point win which pushed Philly 10-games over .500 for the first time in a long time and still signifies their best win of the season. Tonight, the Sixers enter with eight straight losses to teams with winning records.
There were a couple keys to the Sixers success against the Bulls last time. First, Jrue Holiday executed a brilliant scheme to slow Derrick Rose down. He completely took Rose's right hand away, forcing him to go left into a big who was waiting at the elbow to meet him on that side of the floor. Rose had no answer. Second, the Sixers kept the best offensive rebounding team in the league off the offensive glass (80% DREB rate). Third, they didn't let the Bulls score a ton of points at the line (11/16, total).
These are obviously great keys heading into this game. The biggest difference is Luol Deng will be playing, which gives the Bulls another offensive weapon on the outside, and a guy who can make a couple of plays for others if the Sixers are successful in limiting Rose's efficiency again. The good news is Deng will have to go against Igoudala, who has really been locked in on the defensive end recently.
If the Sixers can make this game about perimeter play, they've got a shot. If they can keep the Bulls from exploiting their tremendous advantage up front, another upset is not out of the question. If Noah, Boozer, Gison and Asik are a big part of the game, however, it's unlikely the Sixers will snap their string of losses to winning teams.
The Bulls have won five in a row, and they've finally got their preferred starting lineup on the floor thanks to the return of Rip Hamilton. Hamilton has been pretty bad in his 14 games of action so far this season, he's looked pretty much like the guy who was washed up in Detroit the past couple of years. Hopefully, the Bulls will identify Meeks on Rip as a mismatch and go to him way more than they should.
Thibodeau has done a masterful job in Chicago, so I'm really interested to see if his vision on the offensive end is equal to his overall reputation. The Sixers used a game plan to take away Derrick Rose's strengths, a great offensive coach would have a counter ready for that. My guess is we'll see a play they ran to perfection when they wiped the floor with the Sixers early last season. Rose/Deng in a pick/pop way out on the floor. The purpose of which is to get Jrue on Deng and Iguodala on Rose. Then Deng posts Jrue up. If they do go to that, Jrue should go way under the screen and stay with Rose. If they do wind up switching it, however, I don't think it's going to be automatic for Deng. Jrue has grown up a whole lot as a defender since late 2010.
This should be a fun game to watch if you like defense, let's just hope it's not another close loss.
The tip is at 7pm. Game thread will land around 5.
I will be at the game tonight sure hope its a win where 1-0 at games I attend lol.
Brian - thanks for choosing this pic! I'm actually quite visible in the background.
7pm...damn whatever happened to the Sixer sunday afternoon games---tough to take a family to a game at 7pm on a sunday night.
Anyhow---winning this game would restore some confidence to the Sixers after all their losses to over 500 teams.
Love to see it happpen, don't think it will.
Bulls 81-Sixers 74
Deng playing also means that the Bulls are better defensively as well.
Interesting thing I read today, not that I agree or disagree with it, but interesting in how one time may evaluate their players versus another team.
According to a report, the warriors feel that Joe Johnson is an inferior player to Monta Ellis, sure probably more expensive, but ignoring salary who do you feel is the better basketball player?
In his prime, i'd say Johnson was the better player. He was and still is a better defender and shooter than Ellis, but Ellis is better in almost everything else right now. Also Ellis is 4 years younger and one could say he is just entering his prime.
I honestly think Johnson has become one of the most overrated players in basketball over the past 2 years after he got his monster extension. I honestly have no idea how the Hawks are winning so many games without Horford and with Johnson leading the way.
As much as Ellis has been bashed, and deservedly so, he has played a meaningful role on a serious team only in his early career in his second and third years in the league. In his third year he was actually pretty good. Don Nelson completely lost his mind later on and to me evaluating a player during his last years is the same as evaluating a player under Eddie Jordan. And Nelsons replacements in GSW haven't been much better. During the time when the Warriors had something resembling a team Ellis was a very good player. I wonder if he can revert to his pre-moped-injury self if he were thrown into a situation where he only needs to be one of the guys and not the guy on a terrible team. I am not saying it will happen but i don't think we should rule that out as impossible until he is actually thrown in that kind of situation.
I think a lot of the credit for the Hawks not collapsing this season goes to Josh Smith. He's having a tremendous season and was the best player on the court yesterday in a game that included Durant and Westbrook.
Jeff Teague deserves a ton of credit, if not more, imo.
When watching games there usually is an opponent who jumps out as a guy you wish was a Sixer. Sometimes that guy is a star, or sometmes a role layer who would just fit.
I think when other teams fans watch the Sixers there is one guy who consistently jumps out as the player they would want for their team.
Lou right?
I'd say Thad Young. He is consistent, it's obvious he plays hard and he makes the kind of plays that can easily fit with any kind of teammates.
I am not saying he is the best player on the team, but to me he is the guy that stands out in terms of other fans wanting to have him on their team. He has slowly developed into something of a glue guy and i am really glad that he is having his best season of his career after he got a contract and in a lockout year no less.
Interesting exercise, most answers are fairly easy if contracts are no consideration. Just taking the Sixers' recent opponents: GSW-D.Lee, OKC-Durant, DET-Monroe, HOU-Kev.Martin, MEM-M.Gasol, MIN-K.Love, DAL-Nowitzki, ORL-D.Howard, CHA-Biyombo?, CLE-Irving, LAC-Paul, SAS-T.Parker, LAL-Bynum, ATL-Horford, MIA-L.James, CHI-D.Rose.
I'm actually not certain who you are referring to on the Sixers. From the tone of some of your past comments, I'd think you were referring to Jrue, but there are many more good point guards in the league than good small forwards, so I think the answer would be Iguodala based on need (my answer would also be Iguodala independent of need, but my answer is, of course, biased).
Depends on the team. OKC fans would want Iguodala to complement Westbrook and Durant. Magic fans would want Lou to initiate the offense, Knicks fans would want Thad as a scorer off the bench and Lakers fans would want Jrue so that he can defend.
Yeah, wanted to hear responses first. But for me thinking as a fan (and not as a GM) the answer is Thad Young. Whatever team you root for, having a guy like that come off the bench and give you energy, scoring and athleticism is something every team would want.
IMO, his performances often jump off the screen when you are watching. he both changes the dynamic of a game and is incredibly consistent game to game. He is not a starter or a closer, but from the late 1st to mid 2nd qtr of every game he gives the Sixiers a clear mismatch advantage. It would be great if at some point they learn to utilize his skills with equal impact in the later stages of games- and I think that will be the next step in his progression.
I think he deserves a lot of credit for improving his jumper too. Not always pretty but he clearly put in work in the offseason. Love Thad.
Yeah i am thinking pretty much the exact same thing about him. I am very encouraged that he is performing better after he got the contract (unlike a lot of other NBA players). And he is still young and developing. I feel like his new and improved mid range jumper has really helped him. So has his new defensive mindset.
Agree. His jumper is much smoother and has a better release point. He shot 35% from 30t a few years back and expect him to add that back into his arsenal in a couple of seasons (maybe if he starts to slow down.) He also has a much better handle on positional defense than he once did.
I think allowing him to spend a couple of seasons exclusively at PF has helped him improve. Maybe later in his career he will add more of a wing game, but for right now its best that he sticks to areas where he excels. And I feel like his rebounding is a bit better- although his numbers point against this perception.
Having an 8M bench specialist is a "luxury", but one that has won the Sixers a bunch of games this year (and will continue to pay dividends moving forward.) But it does put pressure on the GM to not waste money elsewhere on the roster, because there is only so much you want to pay for your bench.
Sort of like a baseball team paying for a top flight middle reliever who can eat up innings. Not your primary cornerstone but still a really valuable luxury when everyone else is trying to make due with second rate talent and rerteads.
Having an 8million guy coming off the bench when he is your 3rd or 4th best player isn't really a problem IMO. The real problem is having Lou and Turner as well basically playing the same role (scorer of the bench who brings energy) and long term probably getting paid the same amount of money. You can't have that because it prevents the team to have superstars.