Sixers will face Nets tonight without Hawes and Vucevic
At shootaround this morning coach Doug Collins said Spencer Hawes and Nikola Vucevic will both be out again tonight with injuries.
Sixers will face Nets tonight without Hawes and Vucevic
Bob Cooney
The Sixers will again be short at the center position tonight as both starter Spencer Hawes (Achilles' strain) and Nikola Vucevic (quad) will be out. It is the fifth-straight missed game for Hawes and second straight for Vucevic.
"Neither one of them are ready to play yet," said coach Doug Collins at this morning's shootaround. "I don't know how much they've improved. Both are still a little ways away from playing."
With the shorthandedness, Collins again implored to his team this morning the importance of having a good attitude heading into the game. That and limiting Nets point guard Deron Williams.
"Basically everything on their team goes through Deron Williams," said Collins. "They get the ball in his hands the majority of the game. He's going to get in the post, he's going to penetrate, he's going to get into pick and rolls, get in the open court and they use the "three" as a big part of what they do.
"Once again, this is a game about our attitude. About us coming out and starting the game with the mindset we had the other night (a 103-83 win over Washington), You've got to move the ball and make the extra pass, and take care of the ball and do all the other little things we did the other night."
The matchup with Williams is something that excites Sixers guard Jrue Holiday, who has admired the veteran for a long time.
"It's a lot of excitement. He's one of the guards I grew up watching," said Holiday. "He's a tough point guard, big body, an All-Star. I've got my hands full. I just have to try to keep him out of the lane as much as possible.
The Nets have also been hindered by injuries as center Brook Lopez has yet to play this season due to a foot injury and Damion Jones has missed the last 11 games, also with a foot injury. Rookie MarShon Brooks is a game time decision with a strained left Achilles'
Jrue don't respect deron williams on the court!— cosmic- i'd be more concerned if they were playing. like to see vuc back saturday vs. detroits frontline and hawes back for the big game on monday. got to take 5 out of the next 6 to really get this town going. They'll sweep the creampuffs but need to get the win on monday vs. Orlando b/c they're the weakest of the three teams but it would give them the confidence they need to get a split from the next two games and be at 17-6.— 76ers in 2076
- Yeah we need to keep this thing going so doubt in anyones mind
that this is real.— Willysoup - Lavoy Allen chapter two. This is your chance to shine.— sixback
- Each year if it isn't one thing it's another thing with Hawes. Last year he was soft and this year he is fragile.— alwaysphil1
- Lots of Achilles strains. Jrue in preseason, Iggy last year, Hawes, Brand busted his a few years back. Too much padding on the sneaks is my guess, especially if they tend to heel strike at times pretty hard, which happens of course in hoops. I've had chronic achilles tendinopathy (~2.5 years) thanks to super-padded Asics Gel Kayanos 15s! Sixers trainers: reduce the heel padding on the team's sneaks and make sure they work to extra-strengthen their calves.— Leegles
- Interesting that the NBA does not follow the NFL and report doubtfull and questionable and out well before the game. What are gamblers supposed to do?— chuckw
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.
