Missing playoff experience
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Missing playoff experience
With the Sixers opening training camp at Penn State on Tuesday, I like the changes president/general manager Ed Stefanski has made to the roster.
Obviously, signing free-agent forward Elton Brand was the big move, but the bench is more solid with the additions of guard Kareem Rush, veteran forward Donyell Marshall and the return of center Theo Ratliff.
I do, however, see one glaring void in the "intangibles" category - playoff experience. Top to bottom, this squad simply does not have much playoff experience and has even less playoff success. That could be an issue in May if they are involved in a tight postseason series.
Who will the Sixers look to to provide the playoff savvy to get them over the hump?
Marshall leads the pack with 41 playoff games stretched over a 14-year career. He went to the NBA Finals with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2007, but two of his four playoff seasons ended in one-and-done.
Ratliff has played in 33 playoff games in 13 seasons. He made it to the Eastern Conference finals as a member of the Detroit Pistons last season, but before then he hadn't played in the postseason since being with the Sixers in the 1999-2000 season.
The anticipated starting lineup of Brand, Samuel Dalembert, Andre Iguodala, Andre Miller and Thaddeus Young have played in a combined 61 playoff games, with 24 of those coming in last season's opening-round loss to Detroit.
Brand, whose only playoff appearance came with the Los Angeles Clippers in 2006, is the only one who has won at least one playoff series.
Marshall and Rush (Los Angeles Lakers in 2004) are the only players in training camp who have been to a NBA Finals. Both lost.
Rookie Marresse Speights, a reserve on Florida's 2007 NCAA championship team, is the only player on the roster who has won a championship since high school.
JackJr - we can nominate this one for worst article of the year. Or was Smallwood forced to write SOMETHING?— dpcoz
Leave it to the clueless sports writers in this town to try and drum up some BS story...Smalls get a real job and why not wait to start some controversy after they "Tip Off" the season for crying out loud...you are the worst writer in Philadelphia's history.— JackJr- Leave it to the clueless sports writers in this town to try and drum up some BS story...Smalls get a real job and why not wait to start some controversy after they "Tip Off" the season for crying out loud...you are the worst writer in Philadelphia's history.— JackJr
- Leave it to the clueless sports writers in this town to try and drum up some BS story...Smalls get a real job and why not wait to start some controversy after they "Tip Off" the season for crying out loud...you are the worst writer in Philadelphia's history.— JackJr
- Playoff experience?Playoff experience?What in the hell is that?The Bills went 2 the Super Bowls sooooo many times with that good ole playoff experience.Who really need that bull? GO SIXERS— c6sailor
Comment removed.- Comment removed.
- No, there is a lot more difference then "players trying harder". Anyone who has played sports knows the nerves of the playoffs. Some guys rise to it, so do not. Also, the game is waaaay more physical in the playoffs. It is nothing like having 5 Reggie Evans' on a team that can shoot and defend. Bad defenders are bad in the playoffs, bad shooters are bad in the playoffs.— JonKap
- The only difference between regular season and playoffs is that players try harder on every play. It's kinda like having 5 Reggie Evans' on a team that can shoot and defend.— CallerNo9
- I get so tired of all the talk in basketball and other sports about needing to have playoff experience and "knowing how to win in the playoffs." Last time I checked the rims are still 10 feet high and the quarters are still 12 minutes long in the playoffs. If/when the sixers get to the playoffs, they'll turn to the same players who helped get them there. And as roberty said, KG, Pierce, and Allen didn't seem to be hampered by their lack of playoff experience last season.— Potus415
- That Sixers team learned alot from the Pistons. Detroit controlled the tempo, played their style, and were very focused in the games they decided to want to play. In one playoff game, Sixers were up double digits at half time and blew the lead throughout the 2nd half of that game. This team will be very different. We haven't had a really good power forward in about 2 decades. Mo threw out the old playbook, so hopefully the only offense that Dalembert gets this year is dunking the ball to the basket in his wide open lane. Or a five foot jumpshot at the very most. And no mohawks.— CallerNo9
- unless there is some statistical data to support it, playoff experience is seemingly overrated. and as others have mentioned, both our new and returning players have had sufficient exposure to easily handle it. between experience and talent, better to have talent if you have to choose one.— 127sixer59
- I agree. This whole core had playoff experience this past year. That's enough to work with and learn from. Let's roll out the ball, define roles, set a starting lineup and start opening that can of you know what on other teams in the league.— datruth4life
- if im not mistaken, i dont think the celtics had a bunch of experience in the playoffs. i think the sixers will do fine in the playoffs. as long as they are healthy and they have someone that can hit the 3.— roberty
- yea, the entire team, including our core group, went six games with the pistons last year. I think that's a good step, don't you?— dpcoz
- yea, the entire team, including our core group, went six games with the pistons last year. I think that's a good step, don't you?— dpcoz
- John, This is a good problem to have, I am happy that we can talk about playoffs before the season begins. I don't think lack of playoff expierence will be a problem, the team will have all season to build the continuity necessary to be sucessful in the playoffs. Besides, I don't think Ed has made his final roster move. Look for a mid season trade to address any area of need.— MSG71
Bob Cooney has been at the Daily News for more than 20 years, working in the sports department for the past 15. This is his third season on the Sixers beat. He has covered just about everything, but mostly college basketball, where he was the La Salle beat writer for six seasons. E-mail Bob at cooneyb@phillynews.com and follow him on Twitter.
