A Monday Look
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A Monday Look
A Monday always feels like a good day to take a step back and get the lay of the land. And what is the lay of the land with the Sixers? They're 5-8 after a pretty easy opening schedule. Starting tomorrow at the Washington Wizards, the Sixers begin a pretty legit stretch of games that could very easily leave them reeling. Let's take a look at it: At the Washington Wizards (3-9), at the Boston Celtics, vs. the Atlanta Hawks, at the San Antonio Spurs, at the Dallas Mavericks, at the Oklahoma City Thunder, at the Charlotte Bobcats.
There are some definite winnable games in there, but it's also a very competitive stretch with 4 of the 7 games against some of the NBA's best teams (I'm still considering the Spurs one of the best teams even though their record is a little weak so far). We know that Sixers coach Eddie Jordan is not looking at this stretch as a whole, because he's the head coach and that's his job to "take it one game at a time", but we can look at this stretch as a whole. When it's over, the Sixers will be 20 games into their season. That's a quarter through. It'll be done being "too early to tell." And if you look at that stretch of games, it's not inconceivable to think they'll come back from Charlotte with a 7-13 record, possibly even worse considering the Wizards are a talented team and the Bobcats nearly stole one at the Wachovia Center last week.
Maybe I was too positive while watching the Cleveland Cavaliers game on Saturday. Maybe because Cleveland looked like it was going to completely dominate (the game started 20-4), that I was overly impressed with the Sixers ability to come back and stay in the game until the end of the fourth quarter. Anyone watching knew that, more than likely, the Cavaliers were going to win the game. Regardless of the 6-point lead the Sixers built, you knew Cleveland would be too much at the end of the game. Who on the Sixers was going to stop LeBron James down the stretch? Regardless, after the game, you started hearing the same things you heard after other losses: We played hard, we just didn't make shots down the stretch. And walking away from that, I realized that, even with the addition of Jason Kapono, that's really the issue here again. The Sixers struggle to consistently make shots.
And in reading the comments after a recent story -- the one in which Iguodala said it's a positive because they have yet to all play well together in a game -- one of the comments really made a lot of sense. It's not really possible to expect, or wait for, a game when you're all at the top of your game. Because how often will that happen? On Saturday, the Sixers had three guys playing well: Brand, Young, and Williams. And that wasn't enough. How many games this year will they have 5 guys shooting and playing at the top of their game? Maybe a couple? They need to figure out how to win games when they have one or two guys scoring well -- because that's likely how it'll be most nights.
I'm not sure how many of you guys watched every minute of the Cavaliers game, but one play in particular stood out. It was on defense in the third quarter. Jason Smith was in the game. He was guarding a Cavs big man, can't remember which one. Either way, he hedged out on a pick and roll, slowing down I believe it was Mo Williams. He was all the way near the midline, along the three-point line. Williams fired it back to the big man Smith was guarding, who had rolled for a jumper. Smith sprinted back to his guy, flying past him to contest the jumper. The guy missed the jumper, but followed his shot and snagged the O-Board (cause Smith had taken himself out of the play). Smith changed direction and sprinted back into the play, blocking the shot from behind. The ball stayed in bounds, Rodney Carney grabbed it in the corner. A few seconds later, Lou Williams was making a three-pointer and the Sixers had their first lead of the game.
Honestly, realistically, this is how the Sixers have to play defense. They're never going to be a reliable, all the time, offensive machine. They'll have their games when the fastbreaking is working, they'll have their games when they happen to be knocking down shots from outside -- those games will happen, but they won't be consistent. But they can consistently give that effort on defense. And, through 13 games, that's not the kind of effort they're giving on defense. If an opponent makes one -- just one -- extra pass, the Sixers are behind on their rotation and there is an open shooter. And they're so far behind, you can almost see them shrugging, like "Well, I'm so far away now I might as well just stay in here for the rebound." They're talking a lot about defense, as is Jordan, but if they're going to end this 7 game stretch with their heads above water -- and not buried at the bottom of the Eastern Conference -- they're going to need to actually play defense the way they say they want to play defense.
* Check out the video in the Deep Sixer player below on the right. It's after today's practice. We all like shooting at the hoop when it's being dropped from the ceiling. If you want quicker updates, follow on Twitter, click here, Deep Sixer.
--Kate
Kate, the Jason Smith play was a good one. The play that stood out for me was in the Memphis game, down 3 less than a minute needing a stop. Andre on Gay, Gay "walks" from elbow to baseline not even setting pick yet Andre switches off to Brand's man rather than sticking with Gay. Pul it up, you;ll see what I mean. Sign of brutal lack of accountability on the defensive end. That must change.— JBP- They will be 5-15 after the Charlotte game next saturday! Way to go Eddie/Eddie. Two goofballs that have no clue! UGH. this season was over before it started. What a sorry franchise the sixers have become— stefanskimakesmesick
- Also - I guess no matter how bad the record gets jordan will keep his coaching job because he is stiff-anski's boy. does anyone else get annoyed with they see big eddie smiling on the sideline? I need to know what's so funny?????— stefanskimakesmesick
- Hi Kate:don't agree completely with your blog here, as having watched every minute of the Cavs game (I need a life),I did not think Williams played that good a game, particularly down the stretch. I also don't think they will ever play sound defense, and thus need to outscore the opposition through their offense. They should have beaten the Cavs on Saturday evening, James notwithstanding. 10 points in the 4th quarter? I think there are three problems right now: 1. Iguodala; 2. Dalembert; 3. Jordan. While you are right about Jason Smith hustling on that play, Jordan took him out for much of the fourth quarter, went small, moved Brand to the high post and let Iguodala isolate, thereby stopping the flow of the Princeton offense, which actually was looking better than usual. Williams also gunned that quarter, with brutal results. Sixers may need to push the ball upcourt even after made baskets, like the Suns did to them. Of course, the Suns have Nash; the Sixers have Williams. No contest, admittedly. But all the Sixers have at the moment is this: 1. a group of athletes who can run and generally finish extremely well on the break. 2. Brand inside with Kapono and Smith outside for the threes, with occasional half-court set scoring by Williams and Young slashing and making the odd jumper.How to establish a rotation that fits those two schemes is up to Jordan, but as yet he has not found it. At least he is reducing the minutes for the woeful Dalembert. Iguodala is the wildcard. As yet, he cannot break down a defender off the dribble, lacks a consistent jump shot and loses the ball too often. He is excellent on the break. Why, however, is he playing 44 mpg? When he was hired, Jordan praised Smith's three-point skills, yet limits his minutes and rarely plays him with Brand. Stefanski praised Kapono as a key for the Princeton offense, yet Jordan often pulls him after one or two missed shots. I know he can't play defense, but he was not brought in to play defense.— chuckw
- Kate, nice job as always. You hit it on the head, defense! Memphis last week was especially brutal game. No defense and no rebounding. It's tough to follow a team that not only stinks, but doesn't play defense and rebound. Question: so far this year, any improvements from anyone, even on an individual level? Iggy's jumper looks better. Speights was improved from last year. Otherwise, is it me or am I missing even incremental improvement from the rest of the team/individuals? I know it's a new system but I don't see what we are building towards? Who are we? What is our identity? Who is the core? sigh— DennyP
- Stefanski made a statement by bringing in Jordan; he wanted more offense. He realized the Sixers could score on the break, as they did under Cheeks and Dileo, but he also wanted a better half-court playoff offense. Hence Jordan and his Princeton offense and hence Brand and Kapono. Jordan is not a defensive guru and Stefanski rightly believes that fans love high-powered offense. Yes, Sixers should play better defense, given their athleticism, but a weak center hurts; they double-down far too often, leaving the arc open, they rotate poorly and are not saved by a Ben Wallace or Dwight Howard or the old Shaq in the middle. Thus, need to score and score. They lost to the Cavs by playing poor offense in the 4th quarter, 10 points! That is pitiful and did not mean that Cleveland suddenly played lock-down D!— chuckw
- Should have drafted Ty Lawson. Huge mistake. Iggy is not a two guard. None of the starters can consistently make a three. The team cannot guard threes. Dalembert is clueless. This team is hopeless. At least the Knicks and Nets will have high draft picks and cap space at the end of the year. We're stuck w/ this for the next few years. I do think Eddie Jordan is ok as a leader and coach.— Shenkman3
Comment removed.- Kate- I like that video intro--I also notice all the sixers are still shooting bricks.— mawst95
- Should add that Carney could develop into a reasonably solid shooter from beyond the arc if given the minutes. Although I don't think the Sixers should have drafted Lawson, as a backcourt of he and Williams would be too small to adequately defend larger guards. However, if Holiday sits most of the season, then perhaps they should have drafted Lawson, but Jordan insists his Princeton offense does not need a point guard, as he demonstrates with Willie "stealing money from the NBA" Green and Iguodala often bringing the ball up. Might just as well put Jimmy Lynam in, as he was one hell of a point guard back in the day for St. Joseph's. Not looking so good these days, however.— chuckw
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.
