Posted: Tuesday, November 3, 2009, 4:19 PM | 6 comments |
 

76ers vs. Celtics
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Maybe because it's a World Series off day, tonight's 76ers game against the Boston Celtics at the Wachovia Center will draw a little more attention than their home opener on Friday against the Milwaukee Bucks. Plus, it's the Boston Celtics, who are 4-0 so far this season with those victories being relatively convincing. The Sixers are 2-1, with a loss to the Orlando Magic and a win each over the Bucks and the New York Knicks.

After what happened at Orlando, the Sixers should be looking at this game as a way to show they can compete. Wins over the Bucks and Knicks don't stretch too far in that department. Tonight's game doesn't have to be a victory, but it would say something if the Sixers were in the game from start to finish. And if not, then they're still in need of proving exactly where this team will be this season. Here are a few things to watch: 

1.) Lou Williams vs. Rajon Rondo: Wrote about this in this morning's Inquirer. Williams' numbers through three games are All-Star level. Rondo is averaging 11.5 assists a game. Both guys are crazy fast and athletic. It'll be interesting to see Williams in a starting role against a team like the Celtics. He's said lately that he's specifically concerned with his turnover numbers. He's actively keeping them low and challenging himself to go games at a time without one.

2.) Elton Brand: (and, of course, Kevin Garnett): Brand has played very well the last two games. Against the Knicks on Saturday night, Brand had a plus/minus number of plus-33. That's incredible, obviously. His jumper has looked decent and he's been very effective. Tonight will be good to see if he can keep doing that against a much better team. He didn't look too good against the Magic in the opener.

3.) Celtics' defense vs. Sixers offense: The offense looked good enough against the Knicks, but the Knicks don't actually play defense -- it seems to be part of their philosophy to not play defense. The Celtics are one -- if not the NBA's best -- defensive team. Could give us an idea of how the Sixers will run this offense against a strong NBA team ... and a smart NBA team.

4.) Jrue Holiday. He's only played in one game so far this season, playing 7 minutes and scoring a bucket. I think fans want to see a little bit more of Holiday and I get the impression that as the season progresses, we'll see more of this kid. As far as tonight goes, first thing will be to confirm he's off the Inactive List (and Brezec remains on it).

If you want faster updates, follow Deep Sixer on Twitter. Click here: Deep Sixer.

More later ...

--Kate
Posted by Kate Fagan @ 4:19 PM  Permalink | 6 comments
6
Comments   
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 6:37 PM, 11/03/2009
    Definitely a nice test for the Sixers tonight, going against a top-flight defensive club, with smart veterans. If the Sixers can run, they can hang in, as their half-court sets are still in the learning stage to some degree. Need to keep Wallace and House in check off the bench. Also need to defend the Celtics' perimeter shooting better than they did against Orlando and, even to some extent, the Knicks. Even though the Knicks don't play defense, as Kate notes, when was the last time the Sixers scored 141 points? Fun to watch.
    — chuckw
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 9:25 PM, 11/03/2009
    BEYOND EMBARRASING.......DOES ANYONE CARE THAT OUR ONCE PROUD FRANCHISE LOST BY 40 AT HOME 3 GAMES INTO SEASON...........DOES ANYONE CARE...SNYDER? LUUKO? STEFANSKI? JORDAN? YOUPROUD????????? NOBODY ANGRY EMBARRASSED?????? YUKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK....BUT ITS OK THEY'LL WIN 41 GAMES AND PLAY 6 PLAYOFF GAMES AGAIN............
    — ILUVPHILLYCITYOFLOSERS
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 9:33 PM, 11/03/2009
    The Sixers can score as shown the other night vs. the Knicks and we should be an average team this year (around .500). Obviously tonight's game versus the Celtics we were not expected to win. Horrible shooting and not playing defense tonight against the best team in the NBA right now gets us a huge blow-out loss. So what....dust ourselves off and we're home against the Nets Friday.
    — dciara20
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 10:56 PM, 11/03/2009
    Sorry, but tough to watch as the Sixers are not in the same league with the Celtics right now. What is hurting them, as seen in the Orlando game (48-21), almost in the Knicks game (42-9), and now with this game (27-3) is the huge disparity in points scored from beyond the 3-point line. The Sixers do not defend the perimeter well and cannot shoot from distance, other than Kapono, who cannot play defense. Will beat the Nets on Friday, but at some point fans will want to see a quality game against a quality opponent, not blow-outs like the games against the Magic and Celtics. Not sure Jordan's Princeton style offense can work without consistent outside shooting either; not only that, they tended to stand around tonight, little motion or ball movement, too much one on one. Tonight the offense was awful. If they can't run, it will be a tough night against quality defenses. Fortunately, not many teams play defense as well as the Celtics.
    — chuckw
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 8:35 AM, 11/04/2009
    OK, so us Philly fans have been watching this Samuel Dalembert act for 6 years now. 95% of the fans in Philly (I don't think I'm exaggerating at all here) KNOW FOR A FACT that SAM DALEMBERT DOES NOT KNOW HOW TO PLAY BASKETBALL. However, 55 year old lifelong "basketball man" Eddie Jordan doesn't seem to understand this. It's absolutely infuriating. Anyone who doesn't see that Sam Dalembert does not know how to play basketball after 6 YEARS, 6 FREAKIN 6 YEARS is incompetant. Please, please, I beg you, stop putting Sam Dalembert out there to embarass himself and the city of Philadephia. He was done 4 years ago but "lifelong basketball man" Eddie Jordan is just too mind numbingly stupid to see this. We all can see it, why can't he? Absolutely pathetic.
    — brmorgen81
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 9:50 AM, 11/04/2009
    I couldn't watch much of the game- what I saw of Brand makes me think that last year's first 20 games was less about Cheeks' inability to create an offense that builds on his strengths and more about that Brand's strengths are gone, or significantly less than a few years ago. Re: Sam, it's either play or sit- no other options exist. I'm OK with sitting if the approach for the season is to work to build for several years from now, after contracts have ended and a core nucleus remains. That's assuming there is a nucleus worth building around. And I agree that, given the prominence the 3-ball has assumed in the NBA, our inability to shoot it coupled with our inability to defend it is deadly. Last year I linked the inability to defend with Miller's defensive weakness, forcing need for help that left guys open. Is this year's problem Williams' lousy D? Defending the 3 should be one thing that the team has control over and could improve on.
    — doctorj


6 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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