Let's go Bulls!
The latest 76ers news from Philly.com.
Let's go Bulls!
John Mitchell, Inquirer Staff Writer
For many 76ers fans, reaching the playoffs this season is a bit disappointing.
Don’t get me wrong – I get it. Everyone is aware of the completely different arcs that this season and last season took.
The 2010-11 Sixers rallied to reach the playoffs after a 3-13 start. Meanwhile, this team arrives as either a seventh or eighth seed after firing out of the blocks early – with pretty much the same personnel – only to stagger in as the last guest to receive an invitation to the postseason.
The most commonly held position of those in favor of the team not qualifying for the postseason is that they would be better off in the lottery looking for some young talent that could possibly spur them on to the next level and out of their current mediocrity.
It’s a stretch, but I wonder if these same fans will feel this way if the Sixers, say – and yes, this is a reach – take the Bulls six or seven games deep in the playoffs?
Who knows? If they draw the Bulls, it’s a certainty that they are going to get them with their best player, Derrick Rose, nowhere near 100 percent. Yes, the Bulls have been very good without Rose (17-9) and even better with him (31-7). But with the reigning MVP still trying to get it back, now is a perfect time for the Sixers to hit the reset button and face the Bulls.
I think that the draft is deeper this year than it has been in recent years. And sure, the slim possibility existed that the Sixers could have leapfrogged over some teams and found themselves in position to pick even higher, although that’s not likely.
There are going to be some players that could very likely still be available (I’m thinking big men like Festus Ezeli or Fab Melo) that would be nice pieces to add to a Sixer team that could use a banger/shot-blocker.
Avoid Miami in the first round, take two games from the Bulls and then add a nice player in the draft. Sounds a whole lot better to me than the alternative. Thoughts?
Contact staff writer John N. Mitchell at jmitchell@philly.com. Follow him on Twitter @JmitchInquirer
I would like them to get BLOWN OUT in four games, so ownership realizes that BIG changes need to be made to this roster. I also want to see Jodie Meeks continue his PATHETIC play, so we can FINALLY blow up Collins' bromance with this guy and give Evan Turner the ball back.- I agree, as long as the boss thinks there is any improvement, any at all (no matter how slight), they will stand pat or only make minor changes. In my opinion, which only matters to me :-) this team cannot win as currently constructed.— CDR Little
- Some people expect miracles.They made they playoffs which means this current group will get more playoff type experience under their belts as opposed to having the (you choked from a great start and blew it you losers tag).They have a winning season--they were competitive in most games(as compared to the EJ year/s) with more to come.As you know if you watched-Thad-last nite 7-8 3rd quarter.-Jrue-6-6 3's 3rd quarter and Lou the same and Evan becoming deadly from 15 ft in(line drive jumpers-luv it) plus the others.THEY /DC etc know what is needed.Who ever leaves after the season will hook on with another team and most likely will play well.
I dread to think what these boards would be like if we had a team such as the Bobcats.They dont need BIG changes 2 maybe 3 players is all.
Bulls or Heat whats the difference?You would have to meet one of them sooner or later.So get it over with.The diference is 5 or 6 games.I hope they get the Bulls as i feel the Knicks match up well with the Heat--consider Wade-Melo------LB--Amare----Bosh--Chandler----Baron Davis--who?-----Novak--against Heat 3 shooters.That will be a great series.So lets roll the dice.— HO HUM - I'll never root against the Sixers in the playoffs, and I'll enjoy watching them against the bulls this year. But how can 'taking two games from the bulls' possibly be considered a success? A championship is a success. A step towards a championship is a smaller success. 'Taking two' from the bulls gets us no closer to a championship. Acquiring a more talented player (I'm thinking Henson, but there's no way he drops to us now) in the draft does get us closer to a championship, so yes, the alternative is better.— J.P.Melle
- "Hit the reset button"? Is this jargon for finding a new way to lose?— 2smart4philly
- Come on Ho Hum, this team is terrible and has no hope of improving in the foreseeable future. No one wants Elton Brand, his knees are shot and his career is over. Iggy is overmatched as the star of the team and is overpaid. They had 2 point guards before this year, got the #2 pick, and added another point guard. The only power forward they had is now starting for Memphis. Their center spent the year injured and if he's re-signed will probably do the same next year.
No series against Miami or Chicago will be great, or even good. And now they are stuck in the middle of the draft.— TongueWagger - I am definitely one for the benefit of playoff experience. This is very valuable for players like Holiday and Turner and hopefully we will see what kind of players they really are. The regular season is one thing, but the greats set themselves aside come playoff time. Jrue showed us flashes of this last year against Miami and ET did as well. If we play Chicago I expect an exciting series and with Rose not at 100% and us seeming to have regained our lost confidence you never know what can happen.— Mattb
- The Cardinals squeaked into the playoffs on the last day of the season. The New York Football Giants, the same. Neither were juggernauts during the regular season. But they got hot and rode it to a title.
Do I think the Sixers will do the same? Probably not. But watching them in the playoffs beats hoping that .8 percent chance at winning the lottery comes true.— Iron Giant - Sixers have a very nice team of approximately twelve role players. That's why they're consistently around .500. Who could ask for anything more than Generic Brand Stomach Turner, etc.? I'm all in. Hope you are too. Maybe they'll win a playoff game. That would be awesome.— baabyrrej
- No series against Miami or Chicago will be great, or even good. And now they are stuck in the middle of the draft.
— TongueWagger----------------
Thanks or the reply- a lottery is a lottery--a chance and that is all.
THEY have enough YOUNG players-they need proven talent to take the next step quickly.Trade for what they will need You will know what you are getting--maturity.talent,locker room attitude and all that.
People think if IGGY gets traded (and i hope he is not-haters will love that) Well here is another stat that makes him even more valuable to the right team.
IN 3 POINT shooting he is ranked in the top 5 in the league for S FORWARDS--Novak,Korver,R Jefferson,Dunleavy. and Iggy and Buddinger? tied for 5th.That is a telling stat and he is @60%(18 for 30 attempts) from the 3 line in the last 5-6 games.
If he were to go to a team where he is not the #1 and the pressure and responsability? that comes with it an added plus and he leaves a harsh media behind...........I would love it for him-if he were to go- to end up with -S Brooks,MO,Durant and Westbrook.--or the Heat or the Spurs...............
— HO HUM - I remember a couple years ago rooting for the lottery. They wound up in the lottery, even got lucky enough in the lottery to nab the 2nd pick. That guy is still coming off the bench because Jodie Meeks reminds the coach of his son. Say they were to get the No. 1 pick this year, who's to say Anthony Davis wouldn't get buried behind a 96-year-old Elton Brand because he's Doug Collins' glue guy?? I'd rather watch them take their chances against the Bulls with a gimpy Rose
- I think Sixers can take on Bulls but not the Heat.— Ace-Philadelphia
- Sixers win NBA finals this year. Beat bulls and make a huge run. People should be talking about how good this team is rather than "take two games" nonsense. This team was 20-9 at one point was dominate. Sixers!!— DonovanMcNabb
- Win game one! Then.....— philsix6
Of course the Sixers are better off in the playoffs and yes they matchup better vs the Bulls than the Heat. Rose is hurt and the Bulls starting PF is undersized just like EB & Thad. The Bulls are a better team but they don't overwhelm us.
The tank and get in the lottery theory is hilarious. There's not much difference in draft picks between the last teams in the playoffs and the last teams in the lottery so what's the advantage of tanking?. The teams with the best shot at great players are the Bobcats, Wizards, Hornets, Cavs, Kings & Raptors. Despite some of your pessimism about our players they are certainly better than the dregs of the NBA. Therefore their shot at a top 5 draft pick is slim to none.— mtairy1
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.
