76ers in need of a character check
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76ers in need of a character check
John Mitchell, Inquirer Staff Writer
It’s kind of hard for me to get this notion out of my head that the 76ers have bailed on coach Doug Collins and tuned him out.
Let’s back up for a minute. Wasn’t this the case when Eddie Jordan was here? Didn’t this team – with virtually the same core of players – start dropping hints that Jordan and his “Princeton offense” were bad fits here?
I wasn’t here then, but that’s how the story has been related to me on numerous occasions.
You know what this really means in the larger scheme of things? It means that whoever the player is that’s casting bad aspersions on Collins’ heavy handed coaching style isn’t bright enough to know that the coach-is-too-hard-on-us card has been used and is no longer in the deck. Jordan wasn’t known as a coach with a heavy hand (in fact, compared to Collins, Jordan’s style could probably be best described as placid).
Their criticism of Jordan was that he was trying to plug a square peg into a round hole. And you know what? Most people who saw that offense and recognized how bad of a match it was will give the Sixers that pass.
Not today, though. If the Sixers are tuning out Collins, this says more about the players’ (whoever the snitch or snitches may be) lack of character and respect for the game than it does anything else.
Think about it? Shouldn’t a general manager about to bestow millions upon a player be allowed to ask any member of this present group the next time his contract comes up whether or not he was a part of the contingent that conspired against Collins as the team tried to win its first Atlantic Division title in a decade?
Sounds like a fair question to me.
What does it say about players who could start 20-9, go 9-18 since, crumple in the face of some adversity and then mail it in because the coach raises his voice a little more than does, say, Miami coach Eric Spoelstra?
And if the above isn’t true, and there is no mutiny in progress, then it means unequivocally that Collins (and please don’t get it twisted; he’s made his mistakes, too) coached up a team of mediocre NBA players early on NOW they are quitting.
In the meantime, here come the New Jersey Nets, winners of six of their last nine games and playing better than your hometown heroes, losers of three in a row and four of the last five.
Zeru, I can see you don't watch much basketball. Collins is trying to teach a team of unteachable, surly, low BB IQ clowns. How can you respect players that run to Kate Fagan ( who hasn't been on the Sixers beat in over a year) to whine about Collins' coaching? He's forgotten more about basketball than the kids on this team will ever know. Most of the players on the Sixers are young. NONE have a resume of success ( and yes, that includes the overrated, whiny 80 million dollar man, Dondre) where they get to feel they have nothing to learn from Collins. Left to their own devices this group will go 27-55, we know that from 2 seasons ago when they had the "players coach" they all crave.Any success they've had recently , they owe to Collins. After Collins said he would "back off" on Saturday morning, they lost at home to a team that had lost 5 straight, then were blown out the next night. Sorry, but if you ask the coach to lighten up, you create a covenant or promise. The players violated it by showing everyone that they have no charcter. Collins does not tell them to crank away from 25 feet everytime down so that the other team can shoot 10 more free throws, nor does he tell them to take any old shots without creating off the dribble , that's all them. People forget that the core of this team pre-dated Collins. We know who they are. Back up the truck.— drbob1- Leegles and blah: This is not an attack or a point if disgreement so please don't get defensive. I'm just curious. When initial comments were made about internal problems you both were skeptical. Now that Hochman, Fagan, Cooney and Mitchell are hinting at issues are you starting to believe or are you still waiting for specifics?
- Since they all have the same story, I have to believe it came from the players, and for this group of players to have issues with this caoch is laughable. This time it isn't Jordan or Grant Hill, it's just one stiff after another. — drbob1
- Because the initial comments were about one player, and not the whole team. And no one had written about it at all. Cooney, Mitchell, Mikey Miss, Smalls, nobody put out anything of any sort. Plus the internal problems were laid as the feet of that one player, with no back up evidence to support it.
Now, someone who has contacts, covered the team, and was the most respected beat reporter during her tenure, actually put something out. And it's the WHOLE team. It is also not about being bad actors, it's about being worn out. Worn out by a coach who has a history of doing that. So that certainly makes it plausible.
If you note however, I have not criticized DC for being over bearing. I said today that they should have stuck with the evaluating process longer. I have consistently held that belief.— blah - I'm having trouble deciphering your response but I think you're saying you still don't believe your boy was the epicenter of internal issues. It's ok lbecause it will all eventually come out. Probably long after the season or when someone gets traded or signs with another team.
- Here is what I have said about 'my boy'. He should play point guard, that would be his best position. If not point then the 3 (that would involve moving Iggy). I said he could someday average 14pts, 8 rebs and 6 assists. I don't think that is too outlandish. YOUR constant reference to ET supporters always seems to manage to overblow what other posters say about him.
Now I see, you are throwing out the same thing again, but I've gotten nothing more from you then the previous night life that you said he enjoys, that the other players don't seem to. I've gotten nothing on him blowing off or being late to practice. I've got nothing on him bad mouthing teammates. I've seen nothing of him being lackadaisical when he plays.
The only thing that appears as a valid complaint is that he does not like the way he is being used. As apparently other players don't. I think he is being used poorly. I also think he is being treated differently by Collins then they way other players are treated (esp. Meeks and Iggy and to some extent Jrue). I think a wide array of Sixers fans feel that he is being misused.
I certainly don't see him as the epicenter of turning players against the coach. He doesn't have to clout to be able to do something on that kind of scale.— blah - I hope people aren't falling for the Doug Collins damage control okie doke. This team has more than enough talent to get to the playoffs. And depending on the matchup could have won a first round series. But again, you can have all of the talent in the world, but if the coaching scheme stinks along with the lineups and rotations... talent can't overcome that.
The Knicks are winning WITHOUT Amare and Lin. They couldn't win when they had all 3. Why not? D'Antoni and his schemes stink. They always stunk which is why he never could get the best out of that team. Fast forward to a coach who stresses defense and maximizes a teams talents and now the Knicks are headed in the right direction... while having two starters injured mind you.
Same thing is happening in Orlando. I like Stan Van Gundy, but his offensive scheme is not that good. One big and 4 perimeter players is nonsense. Has that system ever won in this league? No? As Shaq, Greg Anthony, Rick Fox, Kenny Smith etc have stated on tv, systems count as much as having great players do. Check out the championships won over the years. Have any of them been small ball teams? So why is Doug Collins playing small ball in a league where small ball has NEVER won. Wasn't that D'Anotni's approach as well for years?
You can try to blame these players all you want, but when you play Brand at C, Thad at PF and Meeks at SG... every coach will lose. It's a losing formula. Cheeks and Eddie Jordan tried the same small ball nonsense before Doug. They got fired because they lost a lot. Same thing is happening now. Coincidence? No.
If your coach doesn't know how to utilize the players and has a losing game plan every night, then.. .no... the team won't win. The Knicks are a perfect example right now of how a change in philosopy with the same players can make a difference.— emg2 - caught-u-sleepin, I assume your talking about the issues with the players you posted a while back. Yes, it's apparent there are underlying issues and I mentioned in my previous post that you and others were way out in front of this. IMO, there are probably several players at the root of this. It's a shame because prior to all this middle school nonsense the Sixers were a feel-good story. To quote a Sixers commercial, I guess this is what happens when America's youth come together"— mtairy1
- its interesting to see people so pro-doug Collins and evan turners isnt a #2 overall pick in 90% of drafts and the team was better with meeks spacing the floor.and its ether evan or jrue. come on lets call as spade a spade and use facts collins is a good guy who is probably one of the smartest bball minds u'll come across and he's done what he could with this team but he's maxed out it aint he teaching its his coaching thats wearing on the team. and as for Evan, ppl do you research he's been successful at every level he's played at he was one of four players comin out of the chi along with rose that went toe to toe constantly. the kid as the pedigree so don't down him because of the situation he's only in his second yr. jrue is gonna b a player and him and Evan can really get this team right in the future. but they have to co-exist and play together... down the stretch which they don't do because Collins doesn't have turner out there late in games. he has meeks out there. and Meeks.. come on meeks! he's not The future he shouldnt be out there late in games period. a #2 investment is far more of a bigger investment than a second rounder who's contract is up this yr and can decide whether HE wants to come back or not.— Phillyphan@27
- don't get me wrong i like Collins i would mind him staying if he would just give the turner at point and jrue at sg and commit to it over some time and allow them to play not looking over their shoulder! y not he's tried just about everything else! give it a FAIR shot and see if its a fit. what can it hurt? we maybe lose some games ? arent we doing that now? he's here to develop the you players not put his trust in eb, iggy, and lou— Phillyphan@27
- everyone is blaming Collins? you win in the NBA with talent and experience. they are a good young team with not enough talent to take the next step just like 90% of the other teams in the league.— dwilly
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.
