Sixers crying foul over lack of free throw attempts
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Sixers crying foul over lack of free throw attempts
Marc Narducci
The 76ers are admittedly a tired team. Yet it’s time to stop using the tired argument that the officials are not sending them to the foul line enough.
After Tuesday’s 109-89 loss to the Brooklyn Nets, Sixers coach Doug Collins was talking about fouls that aren’t being called. Actually what he didn’t say told his true opinion.
“I don’t want to talk of it because I will get fined,” he said.
Collins obviously feels the Sixers aren’t getting the calls, and so do his players.
“The last two years we really haven’t gotten calls,” said swingman Evan Turner. “We get to the paint and get hit and slapped.”
Turner added that he has bruises all over his body, presumably from fouls that weren’t called.
“We can’t worry about what we can’t control,” he said.
Actually, he is worrying about it.
The Nets attempted 22 free throws to just 10 for the Sixers, continuing a season-long pattern
The Sixers have attempted 630 free throws. Their opponents have attempted 809 foul shots.
Just because there is a discrepancy, doesn’t mean that the Sixers have been dealt a wrong hand.
They are a team that relies too often on jumpers. Jrue Holiday leads the team with 104 free throw attempts and Thaddeus Young is second with 96 followed by Turner with 95. All three have the ability to get to the line more than what they’ve done.
Either way, it’s dangerous for the team to keep complaining about their lack of free throw attempts. They should do something about it, be much more aggressive in taking it to the basket and force the officials to make the calls.
-Marc Narducci
Thanks Marc for being the first writer to start to hold Collins accountable. His blaming the refs for last nights loss was laughable. Hopefully the Philly media will finally start asking Collins tough questions at press conferences instead of the usual obsequiousness. Collins takes all the credit after wins and is full of excuses after losses. Can't have it both ways. Collins ran power play to gain total control of basketball decisions and forced out Thorn and Levien, and he has to be held accountable. Deleo was hired as Collins surrogate because no other GM candidate would take the job having to report to Collins. Hopefully More Philly sports media will do its job and hold Collins accountable for his decisions, which include all personnel decisions made this summer. Do you really think signing Kwane Brown was Rod Thorn or Dileo's idea?— Toomuchtotake- DC answered the question the same way after the recent loss to OKC (or maybe it was after the loss to the Suns). He probably feels somewhere in the middle with respect to his team not being aggressive enough and therefore they are not getting calls even when they should. But he can't say that without getting fined. I think sometimes the Coach needs to take a fine for the team. In this case though, the players need to be called out for not being consistently aggressive and driving to the basket. You can't teach aggressiveness but you can sure bench players who aren't playing the right way! btw- Good to see Maalik back on the team. He drove to the basket like a madman when the game was out of reach in the 4th quarter.— damageboy
- This team is just way too small across the board, and will just continue to get stomped physically day in and day out. And even the ones with a little size are just simply finess players. My goodness, Iguadala might not have been the biggest guy out there, but it is evident now how hard he played, now that he's gone. I just find it really hard to like this team right now, as it jut seems to be about 3 guys that really care. The rest of them, just give me my 24 foot jumpers and my paycheck and let me get back on twitter.— hawaiiphillyfan
- and why is "Iggy" gone because he wasn't thrilled w/playing for collins, like many before him. collins need to go!!!!!!!!!!!! team shoots nothing but jumpers, how and when will fouls be called???????????— Anguilla Al
- wayns got to the line, because he knows how to drive to the hole and draw contact due to his speed and quickness something holiday LACKS— Anguilla Al
John Mitchell is in his second year covering the 76ers for the Inquirer after joining the paper in November 2011. He covered the Washington Wizards for the Washington Times from 1998 to 2008. He's also worked at the Philadelphia Tribune, the Wilmington News Journal, Courier-Post, Trenton Times and Elmira Star-Gazette.Born and raised in West Philadelphia - not too far from Will Smith - he graduated from Overbrook High School the same year the 76ers won their last championship. He's a proud graduate of Howard University and the proud father of two sons, Jared and Jordan.
ABOUT MARC NARDUCCI
Marc Narducci has served in a variety of roles with the Inquirer since beginning in 1983. He has covered the 76ers as a backup and a beat writer. In addition, Narducci has covered everything from the Super Bowl to the World Series and a lot in between. Narducci also has a true passion for South Jersey scholastic sports, which he has covered for many years.
