Collins looking for answers with help of leaders
For the first time this season, Sixers coach Doug Collins was unsure about his team after its loss in Washington on Friday. Saturday, he got help finding answers.
Collins looking for answers with help of leaders
Bob Cooney
“I don’t know.”
It was a response by 76ers coach Doug Collins that he hadn’t uttered all season long, but he was saying it following his team’s bad loss to Washington on Friday night. Collins was responding to a question which asked how he thought his team might come back the next night when they faced the Atlanta Hawks.
It was a bit of an eerie response and said much, much more than the three words. It made you wonder if there was something deeper going on with this team than that was brought to light by that 97-76 loss to the Wizards.
“It was the first time I said I don’t know because I didn’t know,” said Collins, after his team bounced back with a 95-90 win over the Hawks on Saturday to improve to 29-23. “I was having nightmares of 3-13 and I told our guys that story. I said that I wanted to believe that that’s not who we are and they showed me (Saturday) that that’s not who we are.”
Collins was speaking of the team’s start last season, in which they almost invented new ways to lose games. It was also a time when the team and coach didn’t appear to be on the same page very often, when doubt seemed to be getting to a boiling point.
But after a loss in Miami, forward Andre Iguodala told the players that they were close, that things were coming together and that they were on the verge of turning things around. The Sixers finished the rest of the season 38-28, and showed themselves nicely in a first-round, five-game loss to the Miami Heat in the playoffs.
So as confidence appeared to hit a season-low after Friday’s game, Collins went to Iguodala and veteran forward Elton Brand, asking for a bit of leadership in trying to pull the team out of its funk.
For a game, at least, it worked. Iguodala (18) and Brand (25) combined to score 43 of the team’s points, but more importantly spearheaded big plays when they were needed most as the Sixers improved to 3-14 in games decided by seven points or less.
“I talked to (Brand) before the (Atlanta) game and I talked to Dre before the game and I said ‘Guys, for two years we’ve put a lot into this to get it turned around.’ And those are two special guys for me. E.B. has suffered through a ton of injuries and to see him last year get resurrected and Dre, to see all that he’s gone through here, with all the coaching changes and for him to step up to the plate and do what he did…That was great leadership they showed.”
Leadership that is sorely needed as this grind of a season seems to be hitting many of the key players at once. Saturday, Collins played Thaddeus Young just 20 minutes, 39 seconds due to heavy legs. Lou Williams played under 17 minutes as Collins said he thought his sub guard was tired and starting point guard Jrue Holiday sat through long stretches early before finishing strong. When tiredness sets in, sloppiness rises while the attention span decreases. Hearing the same voice (Collins) preach about it over and over again becomes like background music, eventually you just tune it out.
“I think guys are tired, they really are,” said Collins. “Coaches are tired, players are tired. I sent an email to my boss at 4 (Saturday morning). That’s how (restless) I was. I stayed in bed till 3:30 in the afternoon (Saturday), I couldn’t even get out of bed. I just laid there and thought about our team and how can I get us back on track, that was my only thought.”
Collins must have come to the conclusion that he needed help. That’s why he approached Brand and Iguodala.
“The thing is I tell him we do speak, we have meetings before we talk to him and I tell him that,” said Brand, who posted a season-high in points and assists (five) Saturday and also grabbed 10 rebounds. “We speak among ourselves. But coach is emotional, coach is with us and he wants to hear it too. But we already have the talks sometimes before he talks, but he wants to be a part of it, which he deserves, because he puts so much into all this.
“He’s balancing things out, but I don’t mind hearing him at all. I’m under the tutelage of him. I’m all for coaches trying to get under your butt and getting the best out of you, which is what Coach does. I remind our guys of that. I do. Because a lot of these guys are so young, right out of college, so it’s a little different for them.”
“I think it was important for me and Elton to get us through (Saturday’s game), and for the rest of the season, actually, especially going into the playoffs,” said Iguodala, who also posted eight rebounds and four assists. “We’ve been through so many game situations we need to show the young guys that we have been through them and the right way to get through them.”
The mentality of DC going forward with this team is going to be a problem. If he thinks EB and Dre are the leaders, then how on earth can he amnesty Brand in the off season? And what about Dre? Dre and EB together can no longer be the nucleus of a real contender. This doesn't bode well for the future. We don't seem to be moving away from these 2 players, instead, we're embracing the past while not developing the future(ET). Wow. Not good.— wilmington- I don't have the same attitude on the matter. This team only has a few veterans and the young guys really need their guidance. While I agree that Dre and EB should eventually leave this team, I think Doug is doing the right thing here. The young players need a couple guys to look up to.— rockon573
- why would you want young players to look up to players who have NEVER won anything, (specifically Iguodala)??? Makes little sense. Its time to embrace the future like Wilmington suggested. Turner and Holiday should be given the keys cause the future of the franchise is dependent on these young guys (Thad Young), not Iggy or Brand (who I love). Jrue ET and Thad are part of the core, build on that base.
- Wilmington, good point, but Doug is literally thinking only about 1 game at a time. He can see what we all see, that this team COULD further regress and miss the playoffs. Then instead of having an ascending team, he would have to admit that HE and his team are not that good. Plus Doug KNOWS he is losing some of his young guys because of his over-emotionalism and over-play. So it is natural to turn to those players who have been through it all. But this has NO bearing on what they do this offseason. Doug understands that EB is not his future Heck even EB knows that!— JBP
- This is simply a feel good spin after a big game where certain players ACTUALLY came through...Iggy and EB played 43 and 38 minutes versus the Hawks, and with tendonitis and father time creeping into the picture, that course of action helped Saturday, but will not pay dividends down the line...The team still has many of the same holes, the best they can do is put forth the best effort daily, as defensive intensity is their current best trait...Regarding the future, that's a term one hears yearly...The Sixers are what they are.— bearsfriend
- Wilmington, good point. We'll see how many of this year's team are back for next year and if Collins can separate his emotion from needed business decisions.
It could be: Spencer walks/not re-signed, Meeks walks/not re-signed, LouWill walks/opts out for more $$, Brand amnestied, Dre shopped (draft night for a higher pick?), plus new players for the end of the bench.
This summer's decisions will be critical for the future of the organization. Can Thorn & DC lead the way?— PhillyBill
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.
