7-22
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7-22
I'm waiting for my flight to Portland, where tomorrow night the 76ers play the Trail Blazers and last season's starting point guard, Andre Miller. A lot has changed this season, not just Miller's departure, but seeing him again might get you thinking about what exactly has happened to this team.
The e-mails I get from Sixers fans include a bunch of different reasoning. Some believe when the Sixers lost Miller, they lost the last player on their roster who could provide veteran on-court leadership and that this season's team has no veteran leadership (and perhaps no leadership at all). Right now, this appears very true. Not necessarily that Miller would have this team somewhere they're not, but that this team doesn't seem to have someone that stops in-game slides. Look at last night, the Sixers are ahead 19-15. Just under 4 minutes later, the Jazz have scored 17 points and are ahead 13 ... game over. During this run, pretty much everyone out on the court just sort of let the run happen, waited for it to be over (it ended on a three-pointer by Jrue Holiday). You would think the leadership would come from either of two places: Andre Iguodala or Elton Brand.
Perhaps earlier in the season it came a little from Lou Williams, but he's been out for a chunk of time and is just working his way back into form. Brand is now coming off the bench, so he seems worried about what he has to do, and not really taking on the role of getting the entire team in order. Iguodala appears a little disheartened, like it's taking most of his energy just to get through a game, let alone provide any leadership. Both these guys seem worried about their own games and for Iguodala, that includes passing and getting his team involved, but there doesn't seem to be a huge portion of energy going towards keeping this team together during games.
In conclusion: The Sixers look lost. So it's easy to fondly remember Miller and remember how smoothly last season's second half seemed (although at the time it didn't seem smooth at all).
Other e-mailers are infuriated with Sixers coach Eddie Jordan. They believe he was the wrong hire for this job. Right now, there's not a lot of information saying otherwise. So either one of two things has happened. 1.) It is as the e-mailers say, Eddie Jordan is wrong for this job. After last night's game, Iguodala said the team "doesn't have a rhythm on offense." OK, so I'm assuming I speak for most Sixers fans when I say I'm tired of hearing about "rhythm" when it comes to poor offensive performance. At what point is it not rhythm, but rather just "this isn't working"? I asked Iguodala that question and he said his job is to go out there and try to make it work, that's all he said: His job is to try to make it work. Feel free to infer whatever you'd like from that. Here's the other of two things that might have happened. 2.) Jordan has a free pass this season to implement his stuff while Stefanski tries to make some player personnel moves. (I get this e-mail a lot.) If this is the case -- and I don't believe it is -- the Sixers are very convincing in this role. After every game they look frustrated and, more and more, despondent.
Right now, they need to go on a 14-game winning streak to get back to .500. Right now, this season is in the middle of the second quarter and the Sixers are down about 17 points. Even if they claw their way back, you must wonder how much energy they'll have left once they do so.
Okay, flight is boarding to Portland.
--Kate
In the past, when I complained about Miller artificially keeping this team afloat, one of the counter arguments was you need structure to evaluate/develop your young talent. I'm starting to see how important this is. Yes, getting a high pick has the potential to save this franchise- if we get lucky. But Its hard to actually figure out what this team has when it implodes on a nightly basis. On top of that they seem to be playing non-traditional schemes on offence and defense, further muddling player development and evaluation. I hope management can make heads or tails out of what we are seeing from some of the young players- because I sure can't. It will soon be time to decide whether to build around or trade some of the young mismatched players while their value is high. Big picture they should fire E.J. and try desperately to uload Brand without taking back long contracts. Beyond that its becoming increasingly unclear.— tktk- The Sixers look lost. The Flyers look lost. Two words ED Snider!— Philly-d-kidder
- With a few minor changes this team is about the same as last year in terms of talent, yet it is performing worse. It is the coach. I don't know how to make it any simpler or clearer than that. Eddie Jordan is in way over his head, and it is beyond him to coach this team at this level. This team is so poorly managed during games that wins are simply a matter of luck and not intelligent decisions. It was a mistake to fire him, but keeping him on means no more games for me. Nothing is more frustrating than watching a team that should win under-perform, because their coach makes stupid substitutions.— ricky
they're lost - its what hppened when you have teams full of 'potential' and 'high ceiling' in lieu of instant contributors like other leagues. Raise the draft age to 21, lock out the players in 2011, end these 'sign and retire' contracts, create a cap system similar to the NFL that promotes parity, and refocus NBA marketing efforts to teams in lieu of individual players to give fans something in their backyard to cheer about. We can slam the sixers all we want, but the league's operations is what is truly failing us.— dpcoz- I did not think that Ed Snider and Comcast-Spectacor would fire yet another coach so early in his tenure, a coach they would be paying for years of inactivity, BUT Jordan has lost this team, has completely alienated the dwindling fan base, and has failed at his forte: offense. This team has been anything but an offensive juggernaut, and thus has been unable to mask its defensive deficiencies, which are legion. Everyone focuses on the loss of Miller on the offensive end, but fail to mention the loss of Reggie Evans at the defensive end. Evans lacked scoring ability, but he brought energy and defensive toughness off the bench, two qualities lacking now, while Kapono, for whom he was traded, has added virtually nothing at either end. This team reeks at both ends of the court right now and both Stefanski and Jordan need to be replaced, the latter by Jeff Van Gundy, who has the experience, has the ability to coach winning basketball, and is available. College coaches usually flop in the NBA and Doug Collins last coached a winner in 1996-97; hence my desire for Van Gundy. Admittedly, as a number of posters have noted, this team also needs a bona fide star to take control down the stretch. Cheeks and Dileo were fired after having taken the Sixers to the playoffs and Jordan is 7-22 and rather than seeing his team improve as the season wears on, is 2-16 in his last 18 games, with more losses on the horizon in the West. To make matters worst, Lou Williams has looked tentative since his return, firing aimless long-range jumpers rather than slashing, and Speights looked awful at both ends last night after the public tongue-lashing by Brand, who is not a dynamo himself on the defensive end. Dalembert also demonstrated last night why he is not a starting center in the NBA, as too often he is a foul waiting to happen, leading to diminished minutes. This team is a certifiable train wreck and is becoming increasingly more difficult to watch.— chuckw
- Kate, great job. This season is well beyond the tipping point, it's lost. I didn't think this Sixer team could win more than 30-35 games this year with Lou and Jrue as the PG's getting the brunt of the mins, but I didn't think it would be this depressing. This team has no heart whatsoever. At this point, it's like their waiting for that huge run in every game from the other team to put them away. There are only a few keepers on this team, and Dre Dala and Brand are not in that group. Just let Jrue start and get mins now and hope for a top 3 pick. This team isn't even enjoyable to watch.— Flock
- Kate, Thanks for the brutal honesty of your last two postings. The dissection was very much needed. Keep it up. You have the moral authority to help end this awful nightmare. Hate to say it, but Jordan has to go, so does Stefanski. They will not lead this team out of the wilderness.— prudential2
Comment removed.- I know we have to write and post stuff to fill the paper. But its all so simple. The NBA has 6-7 teams that actually matter, the ones with the superstars. A few other teams have cap space to dream of getting a superstar. The rest are either mediocre teams or just plain bad like the Nets and Sixers. But since there is no franchise savior in the draft this year, there is not anything to hope for. Until the Sixers land a top 6-7 player, its all just for nothing.— JonKap
- We should sign a petition for Kate to be hired by the Boston Globe so that she could cover the Celtics rather than have to watch this slop. By the way, some posters have perhaps pointed to the real problem, that is, the head of the organization of two under performing teams in this city: Ed Snider, or, as he is known to the media, "Mr. Snider." Comcast, looking for quality sports programing now that it is taking over NBC-Universal (if the Feds approve), needs to look at the chairman of Comcast-Spectacor and his record leading the Flyers and Sixers. Fish rots from the head.— chuckw
- Bag the season. Give the young guys P.T. and shoot for a lottery pick.— Chadds Ford
- Jordan is a horrible coach. He shows no leadership and that is where it starts. His "plan" is haphazard. Team at its best is a low playoff team so more players needed, but to be the wort team in the NBA, that is on the coach!— JBP
- The problem is not the coach. He was a playoff coach with the forever losing Washington Wizards. (The Wizards have Gilbert Arenas and without Jordan they are still 10-18). The problem is the General Manager: Last year he had Theo Ratliff protecting the paint and the blue collar Reggie Evans rebounding and hustling all over the floor, essentially performing like Dennis Rodman. Stefanski let both players go and has not replaced either player. The Sixers have never won anything with just one REAL center (Jason Smith is far too soft to be a defensive stopper like Ratliff). So, in effect, Stefanski's inability to sign two tough front court players that rebounded and defended has doomed this team. Last year, they were 41-41 with Ratliff starting in the playoffs and, with Evans, giving Orlando major problems. This year they are a disgraceful 7-22. Every Sixers team that has ever won anything has had at least two physical centers: (Darryl Dawkins had Caldwell Jones, Malone had Clemon Johnson, Ratliff at least had Matt Geiger and Todd McCullough...later we had Mutombo). Even Wilt Chamberlain had Luke Jackson. This year, all we have is Sam at center? Why are the Sixers always looking for a first time general managers instead of one with a long track record in the fifth largest city in America?— 21stCentury
- when a realalistic view is finally taken of this team,it will show iggy is all athlete avg player,brands injuries have taken there toll,dalembert got the money and retired,williams cant decide if hes ai or moe cheeks,speights kind of reminds me of george mcginnis hollow numbers,green is a world b free wanna be,add the rest up and you got a top three lottery pick,ty ed— soliteryman
- Comment removed.
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.
