Posted: Thursday, February 12, 2009, 10:38 PM | 13 comments |
 

It's Halftime

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T.J. Ford, No. 3 on the "Worst Moments" list.
Okay, so it's past the halfway mark of this season, well past, and yet it's easy to look at this weekend's All-Star Break as the perfect opportunity to assess the "first half" of this season (we're 51 games in, 31 to go ...).

First, I do believe we'll be having a Live Chat tomorrow (Friday) at around 3:30 p.m. This hasn't been confirmed, but when it is, I'll add the link.

Topics: This weekend's All-Star Game (Yes, I'm in Phoenix), Thaddeus Young in Friday night's Rookie Challenge, assessment of the first part of the season, and, of course, as usual "What's up with Andre Miller?" and, "Are the 76ers going to make a trade?" We're a week away from the trading deadline. Might it pass without the Sixers getting that three-point shooter? 

Until then, let's take a quick look at the Top 3 Best and Bottom 3 Worst On-Court Moments from the first 51 games. Chime in with your own -- I'm not including injuries in this list because we're all aware that Elton Brand's Dec. 17 tumble at the Wachovia Center might have been the most important moment of the season (though in what regard, it's still unclear). And I'm not picking games, I'm picking singular moments (aside from the Nets game), regardless of how the game might, or might not, have played out.

Okay. Best Moments, in no particular order: 

1.) Andre Iguodala's pull-up jumper against the Boston Celtics with 6.8 seconds left: Why? Well, for a couple of reasons. First, because at the time it was probably the most important shot of Iguodala's young career. Feel free to correct me on that, but it felt like, in that moment, Iguodala had completely rid himself of the early-season doubters and the Sixers, in that moment, had completely rid themselves of a contingent of doubters. The Sixers had been playing well, had beaten some very good teams, but there's something a little different in the NBA right now when you beat the Lakers or Celtics (and maybe the Cavs, too, 'cause of LeBron). And in this moment, a win against the Boston Celtics seemed, if not secure, then darn close.

2.) Samuel Dalembert's defense on Tracy McGrady in the final seconds of a road win over the Houston Rockets. Why? Because it was the Sixers only good win with Elton Brand. And Brand played well that game (12 points, if I recall). And when Dalembert tipped that three-pointer, and the Sixers got that tough road win, it seemed maybe these Sixers, with Brand, might work. That win over the Rockets will remain the only winning team the Sixers beat with Brand.

3.) Donyell Marshall's late three-pointer that gave the Sixers a road win over the Detroit Pistons in early December. Why? Because, to that point, the Sixers had eight wins -- none against a winning team. Not one of their first eight wins was against a team with a winning record. They were 8-11, I believe. And there was very little on which they could hang their hat. This win, in Detroit, was absolutely the first solid victory of this season. And even though it was won by a guy who likely won't play many minutes down the stretch, it was important. The Sixers were without Brand (that strained right hamstring) and they had their first opportunity to play the way they'll have to play the rest of this season.

Worst Three. In no particular order.

1.) The fourth quarter of the loss to the New Jersey Nets. Now, I was not at this game (luckily, in retrospect). So I can't comment on how painful it actually was to watch, but I've heard the stories. Eighteen consecutive misses, 2 for 22 in the fourth quarter, and, most importantly, a loss to a bad Eastern Conference team. The Sixers had been playing very well, but this loss sent a lot of Sixers fans into a fit of doubt.

2.) Ray Allen's three pointer with five-tenths of a second remaining, giving the Celtics a 100-99 win. We've discussed this play at length. Plenty of reasons this hurts: it makes no sense to leave this guy, it would have been the Sixers trademark victory, and it came in the game after the New Jersey debacle, making it a difficult two-game stretch.

3.) T.J. Ford's last-second jumper that gave the Indiana Pacers a 95-94 win at the Wachovia Center on Dec. 20. I still think this is the worst loss I've watched this season (remember I missed the Nets game). The Sixers were about to embark on that seven-game road trip starting in Boston. The Pacers were missing like 11 players (okay, more like four or five). The Sixers needed this victory to pad the win side before heading on that grueling trip. And the Pacers just weren't a very good team at that time. But when it came down to that final possession for Indiana, you could sense Ford was going to hit the shot because the Sixers had no business being in that position. It was fate.

--Kate
Posted by Kate Fagan @ 10:38 PM  Permalink | 13 comments
13
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  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 9:06 AM, 02/13/2009
    Worst - Elton Brand's injury... because now we have to wait another yr to see IF this team can play together.
    — AllDawk_AllTheTime
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 9:20 AM, 02/13/2009
    Best - Elton Brand's injury. Did they really need him? All he does is slow everyone down.
    — cityslickerktm
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 9:35 AM, 02/13/2009
    the brand injury was terrible, not b/c the sixers missed his play, but b/c now having played less than 30 games over 2 seasons, any trade value he might have had is shot.
    — jazztafari
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 10:42 AM, 02/13/2009
    Can someone show Dalembert one post move during the All-Star break?
    — G
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 10:57 AM, 02/13/2009
    The best move the Sixers made was making Tony Dileo coach. Once his style was impressed on the team they started to win and started to believe in themselves. The defense is much better at getting stops and forcing turnovers. The offense executes much more crisply and produces more open shots. The loss of Brand just delays the chance to see how much he'll help the Sixers, but the Sixers are not the same team they were last year without him. In the first place they are one of the youngest teams in the league and didn't have an identity. Their best player is only 25, and he and the other younger players are developing and improving as the season unfolds. The loss of Brand also opened the door for Speights who demonstrated what he can do when given minutes. What's big in my eyes is the fist 7-game win streak and now the subsequent 4 game one we're on now. It took a few games for Dileo to imprint himself on the team but since then the Sixers are 14-18 or over .750 ball. Only Elite teams put together winning streaks like that consistently. If the Sixers continue to play this way they will be recognized as an Elite team themselves. There are only a handful of teams good enough in the NBA to represent a significant challenge for the Sixers. In general sub-.500 teams just can't stay with them. This means we just have to wait until they play those games to see how good they really are. We're up to 6th place in playoff seedings and heading higher. Assuming the team continues to play at this place and improve, they should get the 4th seed or possibly even the 3rd, as Orlando slumps without Jameer Nelson. For the best moments how about Mareese's comming out with a 24 point performance in 24 min. Iguodala's clutch last minute shots against Memphis at the end, and Dalemberts defense play agasint McGrady. The worst was that last second rebound and shot by Tony Parker, the 4th quarter of the NJ game, and that made shot by Nowitsky.
    — ricky
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 11:12 AM, 02/13/2009
    Kate, great work as usual. The Dalembert block would be in my Top 3 as well, because it punctuated one of their best wins of the year. The whole team played extremely well to finish the comeback in that game. Unfortunately, the Iguodala jumper against the Celtics is a mixed bag for me and doesn't rank in my Top 3, first because (obviously) it didn't result in a win, second because the reaction to that play in Sixer blogville showed not how far the Sixers had come (as far as earning respect) but how incredibly negative Sixer fans are, to the team in general and to Iguodala in particular. The commentary that I read on that play was basically (a) the Sixers ran a disorganized play and Iguodala was lucky to hit that shot, and (b) Iguodala shouldn't have celebrated like he did. After that, I realized (and Iguodala has too, judging by his recent comments) that he is never going to please a certain segment of the Philly fans, just like McNabb. Anyhow, here are my Top 3 moments, other than the ones Kate mentioned (all good): (3) Iguodala's dunk on Yao, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eUNks91tlQc, illustrating two of the biggest strengths of this team -- Miller is one of the best lob passers in the game and Iguodala is one of the best finishers in the game [I love Clyde Drexler's reaction: "That was vicious!"]; (2) Miller's 3-pointer to ice the Bucks game [Bucks announcers: "That was a dagger!"]; (1) Iguodala's game-winner and subsequent defense to clinch the Memphis game. From a team psyche standpoint, getting the lead and keeping the lead in the Memphis game will be valuable in the long run, I think, because the Sixers will have to get better in close games to get to the next level.
    — Statman
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 11:41 AM, 02/13/2009
    I'm with Ricky. All of those last second shots by the opposition, by Parker and Nowitzki as well as Ford and Allen, were tough to take. Also, one more thing. That 4th quarter against the Nets was HORRIFIC but, at the risk of adding insult to injury, it extends beyond just the 4th. The Sixers only scored 25 points in the ENTIRE SECOND HALF of that game! The Nets had a long dry spell which led to a poor 3rd quarter for them, yet we did not make them pay for it. We "won" the quarter 17-15, if memory serves. Anyway, I think that entire second half against the Nets, with special mention being made of the 4th quarter, was the worst of the season so far (hopefully we won't see it's like again).
    — bski
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 1:22 PM, 02/13/2009
    I actually posted something similar to Ricky about Brand on Kate's other story today. I dont have much to add on the best/worst moments (i think we're pretty well covered on that at this point) but i'll add some trends that i like: (1) Ivey's 3 point shooting. This is why we never see Rush. The thinking was that we were getting a shooter and a defender, and it turned out to be true. Its just sort of a bonus that they turned out to be the same guy. Its too bad Rush didn't get much a of a chance to prove himself, but hey, thats how it goes sometimes. Now, if Ivey can just figure out how to hit a 2pt field goal, we're in business. (2) Reggie's free throw shooting. While still below NBA average, he's improved substanially over last year. For a guy who can draw as many fouls as he does, every little bit helps. also makes it harder to employ the "hack-a-reggie" strategy that we saw in some key games last year. (3) Igoudala's attitude: He seems to roll with things a little better nowadays. I feel like in years past, and earlier this year, he would get frustrated with calls, with not hitting shots, or whatever and it would affect his game. Seems to be improving on that.
    — K,M
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 2:55 PM, 02/13/2009
    kate: excellent comments and topic generating ideas throughout the season so far. rather than highlighting specific moments which you and others have done to fine effect, my points are more of an overview of the season. best developments: 1) iguodala's continued progression of play/leadership-while some will always sell him short, he is an upper tier player; 2) speights game as a rookie-the talent/skills are there for a very nice career; 3) dileo's recalibration of the rotation-he is not an elite coach (at this point) but overall, he has been a calming and structured influence. negatives: 1) failure to integrate brand before the injury-cheeks did not handle this well and dileo did not have much of a chance to fix it; 2) continued defensive lapses-aside from the celtics game winner, the defense schemes still fail to prevent basic offensive sets (rebounding helps offset this weakness only to a point); and 3) trajectory of young and williams isn't as fast/consistent as hoped-both are talented and have had very good moments but neither has consistently performed up to their levels (recognizing their youth/inexperience). hope the next 31 games provide wins, entertainment and good playoff position!
    — 127sixer59
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 5:00 PM, 02/13/2009
    I have said this from the day one. The reason and the only reason the sixers are where they are at today is one man and his namesake is DiLeo as in Tony DiLeo..If there ever was a true genius living on this planet today it is Tony. Tony understands the game of basketball like you or I would eat a hamburger or use a tissue to blow our nose. DiLeo is a true genius a genius I say....Check the definition of a genius and you will know all there is to know of the man Yes the man names Tony Dileo
    — donofrio
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 5:18 PM, 02/13/2009
    More HIs: 1) Every Evans ally oop to Thad, Iggy or Speights. There all great to watch. 2) Whenever Dalembert hits a 10 foot fade away jumper. . . unfortunately not frequently enough 3) Ivy's 3 point shots from the corner. Sorry that but clear out that spot, that's Ivy's shot. 4) Evans realizing no one else is stepping up and single-handedly keeping the team in the game.
    — phasor
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 9:45 PM, 02/13/2009
    Kate you're like Marreese Speights--a rookie coming in and making an impact well beyond what we could reasonably expect. I haven't seen a minute of the Sixers playing because I live on the west coast, so it's tough to pick out a highlight of watching. I've loved, however, reading Kate's analysis and watching it play out. It's great to be able to read someone who's on the money so often. I love Tony DiLeo coaching this team. The man knows how to lead a winner and that's all there is to it.
    — the_other_craig


13 comments
About John Mitchell
John Mitchell is in his first 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.

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