Frustrated Collins Threatens Lineup Changes
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Frustrated Collins Threatens Lineup Changes
The starters have been put on hold. Doug Collins said he would give his starters one more chance before looking into making changes.
He referred to the 76ers slow starts in the first and third quarters of Saturday’s 88-82 loss to the Orlando Magic as evidence that the starting units aren’t cutting it.
So Collins has told the starters – perform in Boston, or else.
Actually if the Sixers team doesn’t perform well in Boston, they would fall three games behind the Celtics in the Atlantic Division with 10 to play.
Unlike last year when the Sixers played so well after a 3-13 start, they are floundering now with fewer than three weeks left in the regular season.
Collins said how much he likes Jodie Meeks and what he provides, so if there is a change, that will likely be the first one. And Evan Turner could go back to being a reserve.
Collins says that Lou Williams would remain a reserve, so how many other moves could he make?
One if anybody asked this reporter is find some minutes for Nik Vucevic, who has played 26 minutes in the past nine games, including five DNP – Coaches Decisions.
The problem is that Collins can’t make too many changes because his bench is among the best in the league with Williams and Thaddeus Young leading the way.
Young, like Williams, he is better suited coming off the bench.
So there aren’t a lot of moves to be made.
Against Orlando, the Magic started off with a 12-2 first quarter lead. The Magic also began the third quarter on a 15-7 run.
When asked if the poor starts were both at the offensive and defensive ends, Collins said, “That is just not a cohesive group. It’s just not, and the minute we put Jodie out there and we’ve got Thad, and we’ve got some movement and stuff, all of a sudden the game changed immediately.”
The Sixers clearly need a change because this lineup isn’t working. Yet what is not encouraging is that there aren’t many alternatives.
The starters can change, but if the team collectively doesn’t pick up its game, the Sixers will be the lowest of seeds, if they make the playoffs at all.
Comments (39)
While DC's composure was strong and assertive,I'll be bummed by the outcome.This team has tried everything....EXCEPT starting Lou. Before, when the team was doing well, I heard "if it ain't broke, don't fix it". Well, it's broke. I've heard "Lou's fragile, he'll get tired". He's 25....Let him run start, share intiating duties with ET (best suited isolating his two dribble into the baseline J), and bring Jrue off the bench to stifle teams with defensive intensity...DC won't go this route, but he shouild..Expect to see Jodie Meeks to space the floor, and run hard off the ball...He'll get to do it against weaker teams,as well.— bearsfriend- The Milwaukee Bucks are printing Playoff tickets formerly reserved for Sixers fans.Lousy shooting and total lack of toughness can do that to the have-nots...and just did.— gentian
Maybe it (after the celts game)is time to go back to the starting 5 that began the season and -get someone in there to inject energy.
They seem to just go thru the motions early.........Celts really becomes a must game..............— HO HUM- I will enjoy DC putting Meeks back in the lineup. It's all DC knows and what he's comfortable with. Sure allow Meeks to spacing on both sides of the floor. He will allow spacing on the defensive side for easy buckets in the lane or getting torched by opposing players like last night against Reddick. And this what DC likes seeing in a player? Oh joy can't wait! Shame on you DC in being closed minded. Lou should be starting over Meeks any day. Also, Holiday has been playing awful as well, but he'll never see the pine same goes for Iggy. What's the use of defense when the player cannot score on the other end?— Manok
- It sounds like Evan is going back to the bench. It shouldn't make much of a difference, he only played 20 minutes tonight. I would have liked to see him run the point a little bit more, but maybe he will next season. I know Iggy had 10 assists tonight, but it should be noted that they are all off jump shots and not lay ups. He is completely overrated, and I expect that it will be obvious once he moves on.
Holliday should be a spot up shooter, he is not very adept at running an offense. His defense is good against mediocre guards, and terrible against the upper echelon . If the team embraced him as the starting 2 guard instead of the one then I think he would be a little more consistent.
While the sixers do play great defense, they do absolutely get torched on pick and pops. Please spend a couple practices on defending against it, and executing it on the offensive end.— Junkman - @Junkman - Very good analysis. I won't expect much changes to happen unless Thorn or DC are out next year. There will be much less change if DC still remains and Thorn out. DC hasn't managed in the last 2 years in teaching the young talent except for Thad. Now he has ET on a yo-yo rotation, Jrue regressing, and Nik and LaVoy getting DNPs... while tiring out the players on a shorter rotation.— Manok
- IMHO, the DNP's need to play. DC is looking for cohesiveness, but he's just getting tired out guys....— Eagle_1960
- Water seeks its level which is certainly true in this instance. Time for a new mascot or other big time owner decision!— pedge
- Holliday is the one to sit.— bilmarz
- It's funny to see the word "rebuild" on some of the other article comments. This team IS building. A lottery pick may not be the worst thing in the World. Any of the teams would be excited about facing the Sixers in the first round. They had no shot at all to win anything. They are so lost offensively right now, I don't know if they can beat anybody. Their sets were terrible. What has happened to Holiday? He was supposed to make the leap this year, instead, he fell in the toilet.— Lobo19722
- more Meeks.........I really don't think I can take much more of this insanity— dave13
This team was built around Egodala and Brand. This is the result.- Doug loves Duke...Where did Meeks go to school???— softballdude
- Meeks went to Kentucky. — ersjam
- smh..more and more starting to lose more respect for collins as a coach. meeks misses more shots than he makes and he plays terrible defense. meeks has a good game once every other month. I was on the turner is a bust mentality until I saw him play point and ran it better than anyone currently on the team..yet..he starts and is moved back to two guard and he doesnt even sniff the 2nd or 4th quarter..smh..holiday all of a sudden cant play defense and hes selfish with the ball. if ur going to be selfish with the ball at least drive inside to get some baskets and draw fouls..dont take jumpers all game...lets not get started on iggy..love his defense but he stinks on the offensive end. u dont have to score 20 points a game but at least be consistent.. drive the ball stop taking jumpers its not ur strength. if ur open fine take it if not drive it or look for a teammate that has a better high percentage shot. im going to be positive this team can compete with anyone but until collins stops being stubborn and plays some of the young players that he suddenly doesnt play anymore and stops his personal vendetta with turner, and if the players stop taking more jump shots than driving to the basket they might just miss the playoffs— bigjay215
- meeks went to kentucky
— jnsjr - We need a Moses.— jrsbarfarm
- Sounds more like "I've found my excuse to put my buttsex partner Jodi Meeks, whose flat out terrible and would be sent to the d-league with any "GOOD" coach, will bench my arch nemesis and only bright spot when running point, Evan Turner"— cflip12
- Haha classic — The Villain ET
- *by any GOOD coach*— cflip12
- This comment has been deleted.— vegasscott
- We have a winner! — bearsfriend
- The whole team needs benched!!!!! Are you kidding me! Spencer Hawes couldnt guard my 75 year old MOM.He is worthless as mud.
When you can beat a depleated Magic team at home that had lost 5 games straight just how much lower can a sorry team sink.
Hey lets bring in philly's top high school players.They would have to play better and give a more consistant effort.
This team keeps getting lower & lower by the game!
My best hope is they will lose out the rest of the way. And the way they are playing currently that just might happen.
At least by doing that we can get another 15th overall pick and draft another Nick Vuc when we really need nothing but lottery picks on this team to ever get better. LOL— ALO - About time Collins decided to make a change. My preference: Turner and Meeks in the starting backcourt. Collins' choice: Holiday and Meeks. Collins spoke in his press conference last night about coaches making mistakes. No doubt, he now views his insertion of Turner into the starting lineup as a mistake. The problem -- taking the long view -- is that we've already seen what a Holiday/Meeks backcourt can produce: wins against bad teams, but no shot against playoff teams.— iceman
- It's so funny how the Thunder didn't make the playoffs until Durant's third year I believe as an 8th seed. I am telling you if DC was hired to coach that team he would have been benching Durant and Westbrook to play veterans and win now and not go through their growing pains.
We need to let Aaron Mckie or Curry take over. Trade everyone. Blow it all up except for Jrue, Turner, Thad and Lou? Then play it out and see what happens.
I'd rather have 30 wins with developed young guys or show our young guys suck than these 7th seed first round exits by great teams like the Heat.— The Villain ET - Andre Iguodala = Bobby Abreu. This team will not take the next step until the alleged "leader" is out of the way for the younger, more promising guns have the room to assert themselves, on the court and in the locker room. Too much deferring to Iggy, whose high maintenance, sulk act is tired. (Witness his refusal to foul down 5 with 15 seconds to play, still sulking because he got his axx booed for predictably missing 2 FT's with a minute left in a tight game.) Get this guy out of the way, once and for all.— EaglesWest
- It's obvious that Collins has no idea what he is doing. He has even admitted as much in his interviews. Putting the same starting lineup out there ever night with the same losing results every night is insanity. Even when the team was winning the backups had to come in to bail out the starters who always get off to a slow start. Now Collins is saying his team is not a cohesive group. Maybe that is because no one is put in the proper place in the lineup by Collins— mcchucker
- The Sixers are better off missing the playoffs. This late in the season, there shouldn't be threats of potential lineup changes. The team is simply not good enough. They got off to that fast start by having a favorable schedule. It would be more exciting seeing them in the lottery than watching them bow out in the first round of the playoffs.— ersjam
- Y not go back to what worked at the beginning of the season. Go ahead and start Meeks and Jrue, give Hawes his best shot, and then bring in Lou, Thad with Turner handling the rock, with Brand on the floor. It was when Doug took the ball out of Turner's hands with the second unit that the team started to dive. (Turner doesn't have to start. He and Jrue play the same position. But at least play him correctly.)— rzzzzz
- I don't think I have ever seen a Front Office/Headcoach jerk around their top 5 draft pick from just a season before like the Sixers are doing. Listen, I'm not saying Evan Turner doesn't have any flaws. There are many parts of his game that need work. But it is absolutely ridiculous that he is forced to be subject to his head coach basically blaming his insertion into the starting 5 as the reason for their recent struggles. When given the opportunity to run the show he showed the strengths of his game. Spencer Hawes comes back and Doug goes right back into his high school flex offense taking the ball out of his hands. Don't think it's a coincidence that the Sixers have score 82, 78, and 76 points in 3 of their last 5 games. A truly great "X&O" coach has Doug has been dubbed would be able to adapt his offense philosophy to cater to the strengths of his players. Not blame the most talented player on the team because he doesn't space the floor like a certain undrafted guard who can literally do nothing but hit open 3s when the defense loses him on a fast break. I think as true fans we have to root for the team to fail the rest of the way as Doug plays his way with his guys and miss the playoffs. Then the owners clean house including firing Thorn, Collins and moving Iguodola, brand, possibly Holiday or Thad if needed to get a big man from Utah in a trade and hire a head coach that will let young guys play and develop even if it means losing games for a year or 2.— Nuke LaLoosh
- Evan Turner doesn't belong in the starting lineup and sans a handful of games this year, he's been a major disappointment. Being drafted #2 overall and having tons of potential doesn't give him a free pass to start; he should have to earn that right. So I agree with Collins in that Meeks should be the starter after the Boston game.— Melvin Finkelstein
- Can you explain to me what he has to do in your eyes to earn his starting spot then? Should he play like Jrue and turn the ball over 6 times a game but proclaim his love for Doug so he can keep starting? — Nuke LaLoosh
- Nuke you are 100% correct. It is amazing to see a #2 pick get benched and ridiculed for every mistake when he plays with a bunch of overpaid, underachieving, mistake prone players. If you are going to lose all these games who would you rather have in there? The 27 win and three first round exit non winners or your #2 pick trying to gain experience? Why the hell is Jodie Meeks getting all these minutes in crunch time when we are like 3-10 in games decided by 7 points in less but Turner has never been able to take a big shot in crunch time except the Hawks game where he nailed one in Kirk Hinrich's face.— The Villain ET
- This comment has been deleted.— alphamale
- How's Lou in that? — bearsfriend
- They gave the Sixers' heart to Dick Cheney.— 2smart4philly
- I personally hope we don't make the playoffs & force ownership to actually make some changes. This "team" is a embarrassment to Philadelphia sports & watching them "play" makes me want to vomit.— buy_me_toys!
- There is a reason why Collins sat on the bench for TNT all those years begging for another opportunity to run someone's club. He is a spaz man. And his coaching decisions seem to be made for emotional reasons instead of functional reasons. I wouldnt mind at this point if the Sixers fell out of the 8th seed and got a lottery pick while they fired Collins. Get Cheeks back in here and try to bring back some bigs. Seems like Collins doesnt like front court players. He either gets rid of them or doesnt play them at all. Elton Brand is not a center. He's even small for a powerforward.— Zeru
- sit holiday on the bench— teebone40
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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.
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