Video: Lou Williams and Andre Iguodala
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Video: Lou Williams and Andre Iguodala
After last night's blowout loss to the Orlando Magic, 76ers coach Eddie Jordan didn't have a whole lot of nice things to say about his team. If you're looking for the quotes from last night, scroll down a little on the blog and you'll see a post from last night.
This afternoon at practice, Jordan didn't exactly step away from his words. Here's one of Jordan's quotes from this afternoon: "Sometimes you control your emotions and sometimes you try and sometimes there’s temporary insanity along the line. I just felt that with the team we played last night, with the history with that team, and the results were close to being the same way. And I mean the spirit that was lacking … and [ability] to respond to a good team when they are kicking your butt. It was the same sort of thing and somewhere along the line we all have to stand up and not take a beating anymore and move forward and it was almost like the same thing repeating itself."
Jordan said he wasn't calling anyone out in particular. Here's another Jordan quote from this afternoon: "They’re a better team than we are, but still when you’re getting your butt kicked you have to bring some sort of confrontation back to them, somehow, and we didn’t do it."
We asked Jordan if, when he took the job, he thought this team would have more resolve and a better demeanor. He paused for a second, said he needed to think about the question, and then answered as such: "I think that I try to talk to them in terms of what we need to have to be competitive and maybe sometimes it’s slow to come out, maybe it won’t come out. It certainly hasn’t been as much as I hoped it would be."
Jordan said he addressed the team during today's practice about what he said last night. Asked if the communication was a two-way street, Jordan said, "No, they didn't have anything to say."
As for the players, they seemed much more accepting of Jordan's words one day later. Much of the talk was about Allen Iverson and how his absence might affect the team going forward, but when asked about Jordan's words from after the game, both Iguodala and Williams were diplomatic. You can check out both Iguodala's video and Williams' video in the Deep Sixer video player below on the right. Williams even mentions something about the team still striving for the playoffs ... but we won't go there right now.
Here's the news coming out of practice today: Elton Brand (right Achilles tendinitis) did not travel with the team to Atlanta this afternoon. Brand had an MRI on the injury: The MRI showed no tear and no degeneration in that right Achilles. So, in a way, that's good news. Brand is officially listed as day-to-day ... Jordan was asked if there was any chance Iverson might come back for next season and Jordan said, quite simply, "No."
--Kate
The spirit is lacking because of YOU Jordan. There was way more spirit before you arrived!!!!!— CBent1- Maybe he brought some of the players' indifference on himself by not being consistent in his policies, demeanor, rotations, etc., but this team has to be held accountable for playing no defense last night. One may not like his coach, but respect the game, team and fans by playing with some pride.— Lyonsden
- IS IT JUST ME OR DOES ANYONE ELSE HAVE A DIFFICULT TIME UNDERSTANDING WHAT THE HELL JORDON IS SAYING— soliteryman
- EJ IS A PUTZ TO THE NTH DEGREE— richsal
- I do wonder if lashing out on the team is calculated by Jordan. You know, "I'm a good guy but I have to pretend to be mad so that people don't think I accept this dung..." That's my sense, anyway.— jimmy76er
- They are ALL dogs. One day all the millions will end and the joke will be over.— q2again
Andre who??- Solitweyman, you hit the nail right on the head. I am amazed every time this man speaks. Not only does he talk jibberish, day after day, but he mumbles it like some stooge. I have never seen anything like it in my 40 years of sports. There is absolutely no doubt that he will be whacked and NEVER coach in the NBA again.— TheSage
- What do you guys want, a new coach every year? Sooner or later you all are gonna have to realize that the Sixers stink!!— oldhat
He takes the "kid" out with 4 fouls in the 3rd-and all of a sudden turnovers and no movement.Orl was going to win-no matter what--but EJ-let Jrue play with 4 fouls--or is that a no-no.EJ -just as frustrated as the rest of us-but let Jrue play!!-fouls or not. Who do you want to run your vaunted Princeton offense--Thad-Mr Speights?--Ironicaly? all the teams in front keep losing-and sixers are not losing ground--just less games in front of them.— HO HUM
Comment removed.- No wonder the team doesn't respect the coach. He sounds like a fool.— Phillies2008WSChamps
- EJ = DOOFUS— boomartin
- Philadelphia was asked whether there was any chance Jordan might come for next season and Philadelphia said, quite simply, "No."— boomartin
- Tough poll. Stefanski hired Jordan who was a proven loser so who's more to blame. I'll go with Stefanski since every single move he's made has been bad. Of course then you have Ed Snider who can't hire a GM in any sport.— pgcd3
- Anyone named Ed in the Sixers organization needs to be sacked immediately!— Greg V.
- light the match, it's over...— snakeplissken
- pgcd3-Snyder hired Stefanski even though Stefanski was the GM of the Nets (not former GM..he was the actual GM) and Stefanski had ruined tht team. Snyder refuses to allow this team to make trades for cap reasons or to get younger and worse to get a better pick. Whose more to blame? Firing EJ does nothing. Firing Stefanski isn't enought. Get rid of Snyder if you want to see us move in the right direction.— PhillyFanSince86
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How do you account for the falloff in Thad's spirit? Jason Smith, Kapono, Lou Will, Iggy, too. The only player who's playing harder this year is Sammy, and really only because he's probably inspired by his contract situation and realizing that the more money he gets the more he can help his home country. Everyone else has fallen off. Andre Miller isn't the only reason they were having fun last year. Think of Thad's move on Dwight Howard during the playoffs! Would this falloff have happened with Larry Brown? Eddie Jordan is anti-charismatic. Anyone can tell that from his interviews. The organization needs to rebuild, starting with an inspiring coach.— Leegles
Sixers could have sent Brand and Iguodala to Houston for McGrady and Cook (Now released) - we would have reverted the mistakes of the great catastrophe of 2008, kept the latest version of a young core (Young, Williams, Holliday, Speights), freed up a ton of cap space for a great 2-guard, and STILL would have had Dalembert's contract coming off the books after 2011. Stefanski has no plan whatsoever, unless its to wade in the water for Brand's contract to expire. Addition by subtraction would have been a better option at this point, its not 'blowing up' the team, it's allowing the younger guys to take control and move forward.— dpcoz- Oh, by the way, the Young Guys played for Mo Cheeks. Thaddeus Young looked better, cash cow vets stepped up their games and the team played DEFENSE. I'm not going to attempt to convince anyone that Mo Cheeks is the greatest coach and savior, but he should still be the coach of this team, and if he was, we'd be better off for it.— dpcoz
- "Watching the Sixers hurts Mommy, make them go away"!!!— DJ
- I think the Players could have called out the coach about 20 times this year due to his lack of competence. he has a lot of nerve to complain about what he created...a team that does not know if their coming or going. Stefanski hired a loser instead of proven winners that were available ( A. johnson, Van Gundy, Collins). That makes him a loser...they both need to go !! Things would have been so much different if Snider gave ownership to Croce ! It was fun to come to the games when Croce was involved !!— dagmo67
- Ed Snider has already shown that he can bring back Allen Iverson; maybe he is looking to bring back Larry Brown now. Brown would get them to play defense, or else start making trades(like he did both here and in Charlotte)to bring in guys who are more to his liking. I am not sure that that should happen, but Brown has been the only top coach hired by this ownership(Cheeks was one of my favorite players, but he isn't in Brown's league as a coach).— 76erfn
- You need a GM that doesn't put his friendships above the team's need like Stefanski did when he hired Jordan... the whole organization right now is the biggest joke in the NBA, even bigger than the Nets !!!!!!— lalleva
- Yawn, NBA teams with one of the top 5 players matter , the other 25 are meaningless.— JonKap
- It would be great if the NBA went bankrupt so that these dopes would have to get real jobs and see what it's like to suffer.......crash and burn, baby, crash and burn. I'll be glad to hold the match.— BlueHen56
- i live in the orlando suburbs,so i see them alot. i usually enjoy watching my 2 favorite teams play each other.the 6ers ,don't match up with the magic,and they haven't for years.the team has to look at itself in the mirror,and ask........what do do now? and the reflection in the mirror says.......snider get better gm,coach,and some heart and hustle players.( stole that from the magic),but thats what this team needs...a TOTAL makeover top to bottom! dang, i miss the days when the 6ers would cake walk over the magic...those days are gone.jordan, isn't the answer here ,buy em out and get someone in with a clue on how to coach!this team is suffering,and so are the fans. A.I, LOVE U MAN HOPE THINGS WORK OUT FOR U MAN..........— t_darb_56
THE PLAYERS STILL HAVE TO PLAY! HELLLLOOO! YOU PLAY. TO WIN. THE GAME!— combocancer1975
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.
