Deep Sixer

Their style of out of control run and gun and push the ball lends itself to a lot of TOs, especially with this many young players.

Good teams won't let them get away with that kind of sloppiness.

Good blog, Marc.

The knee jerk answer is to say they won't make it, based on the schedule and how bad their record already is. But I was just looking again at the standings, and the thing is... the East really does suck.

Barring a collapse, Boston, Detroit, Orlando, Cleveland, Toronto, and Washington are in. When healthy, those 6 are head and shoulders above everyone else in the East.

That leaves 2 spots.

First let's make some eliminations. Miami, New York, and Charlotte have no chance. Milwaukee and Indiana? Both are sub .400 right now and 3-7 in their last 10. Milwaukee is dead last in defensive efficiency and Jermaine O'Neal looks like he's done for the year. I'm going to throw them out too.

That leaves NJ, Philly, Atlanta, and Chicago.

You'd probably give Atlanta some points for picking up Bibby even though they're just 1-3 since the trade. Chicago has a mess of a roster but they've made the playoffs the last few years and have a habit of playing better after the All-Star break. Who knows what NJ has once Harris comes back, but maybe they come together.

Or all of these teams could totally suck.

The most interesting thing about the rest of the year is that Philly plays NJ, Atlanta, and Chicago twice, which will have a big impact on playoff seeding.

Not sure if the Sixers will make it, but honestly... anything seems possible in this conference.

And thanks for getting us refocused here Marc.

The obvious question that nobody wants to consider is What does this team stand to gain from making the playoffs?

This would literally be a Rocky type scenario where a bunch of han and eggers are going up against Creed. The only difference here is that there is no Sly Stallone to write the script in favor of the Sixers.

In other sports, teams make the playoffs or the tournament, and they have a puncher's chance. Football and NCAAB - one game and you move on. Baseball, a hot team can make a run at any time. Hockey is so unpredictable that a hot goalie can take a team to the cup just about on his own. Pro basketball is the one sport where the playoffs will expose you.

Still say have a shot for the playoffs with 10 games left, those 10 games will show how the young guys handle pressure. then we can miss the playoffs and get a shot in the lottery, best of 2 worlds!!

In a playoff series I think the Sixers could beat Atlanta, Possibly Toronto...nah nevermind...Definately Washington or if the Bulls make it...Maybe compete with Boston and lose because they play such a tight halfcourt game...But Cleveland Orlando Toronto Boston because of their 3 point shooting would give us problems...Everybody else is fair game..And we will make the playoffs...

Detriot neither

If Bibby plays well they pass us. I think Chicago!s roster is way ahead of us in talent, what do you guys think?

Optimistically speaking the only teams I think we would have no chance of beating is Cleveland and Orlando

Be carefull what you wish for.Hugh, Last time we made the playoffs who benefitted the most?Can you say 10 million a year.Sammy DDDDD!!!

Chicago is scary because of that late trade...They definately have all of the horses..Hopefully it is too late for them to regroup...I'm not worried about Atlanta, they have a whole bunch of pieces that dont match and a coach that just seems lost...That Mike bibby trade for them wasnt all that good...They needed more of a distributor type point to make their effective enough for consistent cohesion

Zeru, lets not kid ourselves, come playoff time the defense intensifies; what team in the east is less equipped than us to play in a 1/2 court offense. The answer is [0]

all we need is memhet the turkish bath okur..andrew bogut and nazis...not muhahmmed just guys in SS uniforms...then a little dose of brandon haywood..BOOM confrence finals....im drinking the cool aid baby !!!!!!

Thats very true...I was hoping the refs would allow us to play our brand of basketball in the postseason...a big if...If not we get blown out by everyone

If so it will be the andre miller show...co-starring Iggy with Timely clutch shots

Marc,
First off, you are the best- this Blog and its interactive setup, is tops. Props again to ya.

And I appreciate your willingness to tackle 2 sides of every perspective. Am gonna go off on slight tangent, now. lol. Related though.

First, I think its premature, although understandably provoking, to micro-analyze each game yet- from a playoff implication standpoint. This is not the Varsity Conference, where ea gamr might matter. lol, But more, its too early in an inferior Conference. Who knows. With 10 games remaining, fine. These kids have no idea, and the experience only, is great.

Here is my question, and its disturbing how the Phila media has ignored it. Miami, on a Saturday nite, vs the Sixers, reportedly drew 20,000 fans to that game. I have lived there, and believe me, there are tons as many, if not many more options, to choose to do on a Sat night than go see your 9-55? Heat tangle the Sixers, regardless of seats prepaid.

So, the Question is- why is the media in Philly dodging the attendance fiasco issue? Its not as if the players are not disgusted by Phila fans non-attendance, either. Its the first observation made on NBA League Pass broadcasters visiting; "the place feels, sounds like a morgue, etc. Why cant the media address this?

Its also not as if visiting players, some of the FA variety, inquire" What the heck is wrong with these fans?"

Dont wanna hear the We need a Winner BS if the Heat, w 9 wins, can draw a full house against our Sixers. thats BS. Maybe the team oughta move to Boise!! lol

This is more serious than anything related to winning, or Iverson. What does the Inquire think?

And if Comcast, as Owner, impedes the Inquirer response, then shame on them. Better yet, sell the dang team

lol you are crazy man

No low post threat, no outside shooting, no go to guy, all young guys that won!t get any calls; I!M GETTING DEPRESSED, WHERE!S BILL WALTON WITH THE MAGIC MUSHROOMS!!!

If the Sixers do make it in, it will be as the 8th seed. Maybe the 7th.

That means hypothetical matchups against Toronto, Atlanta, etc. are just that... hypothetical.

It will be Boston or Detroit in the first round.

Which brings us to Hugh's point.

There's no way the Sixers beat Boston or Detroit in a 7 game series. Maybe they steal a game at home, but more likely they get swept.

On the plus side, a solid showing in the playoffs could increase some of the players' value (would love to see Dalembert average 15/15/3 against Boston, then get shipped out for something good).

But it's hard to get too excited about a playoff run.

Joshua, we had the best show in N.B.A. history with McGinnis and Erving and had trouble drawing.There are too many basketball options in the area. Does Miami U. draw at all. The Heat may be their only basketball fix.

Heck, reading this Blog's respondents, more than would expect, NOTHING would excite them. Not a nite with Jessica Alba, Simpson, et al. Are you all lobotimized or broke?

And u expect a FA to wanna come to PHILLY? Spoiked brat fans, it appears. Too many, that is, sickening

Zara., we talk about the playoff experience for the players, I wonder how Mo handles it. Would love to see him throw caution to the wind and play a small lineup and run, run, run.

Here"s a tip.

STOP LIVING IN THE PAST. GROW UP

U think MIA people ...never mind....MIA has options that u would not understand.

Philly is just a chitty sportfan town, full of excuses. Like Villanova is some sone gate attraction? U are nutz

Joshua, I don!t know if your from this area but we have knowledgeable basketball fans, not just N.B.A. but basketball in general.The tradition of the big 5 is probably greater than our pro team. If you were in this city in 2001 it was an unbelieveable experience, and we didn!t even win. If you want to call me spoiled, well I agree.Ived been spoiled by watching some of the greatest players ever.Wilt,Barkley,Doc, Andrew,Billy C. and many more. As far as free agents, if you think money and winning will not outway a few empty seats I think you are being a bit naive.

The Big 5 had juice when all games were played in the Palestra.

Next excuse, please. Whose next?

Most fans in Phully are pathetic. Where is Bill Walton, dammit? hah

Zeru will have to fill in. He at least is candid, and objective. And he and Frank Beans were entertaining.

GROW UP AND GO TO THE GAMES, WILL YA?

The attendence question is simple. The Heat probably sold out all of their games before the season. Fans were buying tix to see Shaq and DWade and the team that won the NBA title two years ago. I'm sure the announced attendence was 20K, not the actual attendence.

It's like down at the Wachovia Center on a Wedensday night when they announce the attendence at 14K, but there is more like 9K in the building. Paid attendence, not actual attendence is what is announced.

Heat had 20,000 bodies at the GAME. And, they go by choice, regardless of prepaid season tix. Lotta wealth there. They dont go unless they feel like going

Anyone else? 5 mins left.

whatthehell is back - I will take Zaza Pachullia too over Samuel Dalembert. Throw in Chris Wilcox.

I agree Zara - that would be a positive to making the playoffs - Sammy posts good numbers and he elevates his value for a trade - hopefully to a division team, so we can take advantage of his $10M deficiencies 4 times a year.

Joshua, The reason nobody is going to these games is because the fans in this city are not stupid, despite what I read on this blog from certain posters. They know not to waste their time and hard earned money with a team/organization like this who is trying to sell us Sam Dalembert and 3 young SFs who can't shoot (Iggy is coming around but he is still streaky at best). We are not enamored with a sloppy team who turns the ball over and misses open jump shots and has 2 quality wins this season. We know that the run and gun or whatever you want to call it is just a guise for a lack of talent. Athleticism is a part of the game, but basketball fans in this city know that you don't win championships with just athleticism. You have to develop a jump hook when you are 7 ft tall and get paid more money in one year than most of us will make in our lifetimes by far. We do not get impressed with a 40 point win over a NYK team that has the biggest compilation of malcontents and paycheck players ever assembled. I don't know about you guys, but I am not going to rally my friends together to head down to the Wachovia center to spend time in the corporate filled arena just so we can meet some Sixers dancers after a Sixers - Knicks game (by the way, the WORST marketing ploy of all time). I think we are better than this.

I was at the Indiana game on MLK day (free tix of course) and we made Kareem Rush look like Reggie Miller. There was no life in the arena - granted it was a 2pm game - but it was kind of sad. I counted and Willie Green took 4 shots (missed them all if I remember correctly) before he passed the ball in that game. I think that this city is one of the most basketball intelligent cities in the country. As one of the posters said a week or two ago - why go down and support Comcast even more for a crappy product. My cable/modem/phone are so overpriced and they take advantage of all the sports fans who want CSN because we love Philly sports.

Just a note, it sometimes helps in life to take a step back and look at things from a broader perspective.

Another excuse, Best one yet, but Hugh, all garbage.

No reason to keep this franchise in Philly. Fans are effed up, excuses are el wacko, this or that is wrong. NO FAs wull come, Plus say farewell to Iguodala.

Thats reality, which is hard to accept, yes.
Good nite, all. Sweet excuses to all.

NO WAY DO THEY MAKE IT!!!!

why are you guys explaining your self to this smuck ?????

I watch the miami game , there wasn"t 10 thousand in the stands !!!!!!!!

Are you a drunk fish? Whats a Smuck

Hugh, if you were the g.m., what would be your first 3 moves this summer. Realistic moves.

theres not enough beer in the ocean to get me drunk, a smuck is kind for a**hole

Hey Tuna, watch Beasley tonight.Another fish that got away. Playoffs?

Hey suede, watched your boy love the other night, lots of short coming, can't cover anyone, s l o w, plays below the rim, no range on his shot, he can pass though

if they get free tickets

We should be 10 to 12 at worst Tuna, I hope he!s there.He was off but came up big at the end.

Joshua - you are coming off as an elitist, spoiled brat who probably grew up in Gladwynne and went to private schools his whole life. Who exactly are you calling out?

I think we should meet up for the next Nets Sixers game at the center - me, you, Zeru, whatthehell and whoever else wants to support this team. We can get a guys' night out plan. I actually know one of the Sixers' dancers - maybe I can hook one of you guys up. I think we should continue to go down to watch the struggling Heat or Knicks whoever on a frigid Wednesday night to show our support instead of watching the dreck in HD on Comcast. I am going to listen to you guys from now on. I have finally seen the light. Sammy is well worth the $10M he is getting. We should continue to pay $100 for lower level tickets to watch a team who can't seem to develop any of its players. I will hope for a playoff run so we don't get in the lottery too. Also, Korver is an all-star in this league - we should not have moved him to free up room to get a multi-dimensional player in here. Billy King was a great draft guy and he gives great analysis on NBA TV. Am I missing anything else?

miller, j smith, and our 2 #1"s for beasley

Hugh, Joshua had to get to bed, Mr. Snider needs a ride early tommorow.

I!ll drive them to the airport Tuna. Mo better watch it .Sampsons available.

hugh, you got called out by a penna. dutchmen

As much as I regret saying it, Joshua is entirely correct. And every post I read supports what he says.

What happened here? Everyone has these excuses that sound like whining. It makes me sick.

ellen, get back in the kitchen

Ed!s whole family is on tonight.

Maybe you ought get a job. One day, you even might afford a Sixer ticket. You sound like another loser.

We returned from Bookbinders earlier. Ever heard of it?

Tuna, you are right by the way - I watched the game too - there wasn't 20K there - maybe 12 as you said.

Suede,

It really depends on how it all shakes out with the playoffs and restricted FAs and what Iguoadala and Lou Williams want. What I would have done was try to move Miller at the deadline and get some cap relief and future picks. I would let Lou Williams start the rest of the season at the point. I would like to see him in an increased role before we re-sign him. Since we didn't do that, it is going to be hard to sign a Josh Smith type, so I would (1) draft a PF who can score on the block with his back to the basket (Love, DJ White).
(2) look to move Sammy D for anything with less years - I would love to get Mike Miller, but I don't see Memphis taking Sam's contract in exchange for Miller and something. Sam's contract is a killer and will prevent us from signing any real stars for the next few years.
(3) look to add a Jamison type as a SF and move Thad to the bench - he is the perfect 6th man who could develop into an energy guy who can spell a PF or SF depending on who we are playing and who is in foul trouble, etc. - if we can't get a solid shooting wing man, we should keep the money for next year, where we will have Miller's expiring contract.

Another huge thing that we need is a real coaching staff who will develop some of these players. Unfortunately, Iverson's entertainment value kept him here too long and it hurt us because it was hard for young guys to get minutes and develop on the court as a result of his style of play.

We have been here 3 years and we cannot wait to get back to Seattle. Everyone here seems so miserable. And your teams are exciting but the fans are SO awful here.

Well, the job market is bad here too. God help all of you.

Hugh, Memphis started K.Brown at center the other night, they are not real happy with Milicic!s play. Not a big fan of his but he makes 3.5 less than Sam and a Sam/ Carney for Milicic/Miller may work for both teams. Seems they want Gay to be the man.And they probably won!t draft a center in the top 5 picks.

Was the bookbinder's comment directed at me? If so, very funny - but don't worry - I am employed. I am actually a grad of SJU where I watched many games coached by a guy who knows how to execute a half-court offense and set an effective screen.

Wow, a round of applause for Baby Huey. Gee wiz

Guess Hugh just got back from Red Lobster.
Ahahahaha

Suede, I like the trade but they will probably want us to take Cardinal in the deal - I would do it if we could give them Green.

They might go after a Thabeet from UCONN or Lopez from Stanford, but both guys are limited offensively but won't give them much different than Sammy - maybe they will do it and draft a PG like Rose or something.

By the way, I love Rose's game - he needs to improve his J, his shot is kind of ugly, but he has Jason Kidd like vision and that is hard to find.

last post was Hugh

LOL - I don't eat seafood. I actually had some Ellios - yeah, get some.

I forgot Lopez, he will go top 6 probably. If Sam gets us a p.f., Thebeet is interesting but I hate to start over with a project again.He could be Mutombo in 3 years.We need the main pieces in place this summer so they get used to each other. I hate constant changes.Young in Korvers role is ideal.I!d like Iggy at the 3 and a shooter at the 2, but if M.Miller is here Iggy can defend the tougher player regardless.

Yeah, I am not crazy about Thabeet either. I don't want another project as you say. We need a Love/White type. I would be fine with either. I think White will hold up more in the long run, but Love will have a more immediate impact.

More than cap room, I wanted extra picks this year. We won!t have a 2nd rounder and a late 1st gets us a p.f. if the best player available when we pick is another wing, that would be just our luck. Gotta get to bed, yes Ellen, I!ve got work tomorrow too. Good night all.

Man Joshua, you got it straight. I grew up in Philly, and now live in Santa Rosa, CA. Aint no worse fans than Philly fans anywhere, I been to some Warrior games and the place rocks crazy. Out here, they dont even tolerate booing. Throw ya out.

Aint got any family left in Philly that wanna stay there. Still root for em, the teams, but the peeps there aint screwed on straight, hear me? All they got are problems like others dont. Right.Crazy folks. Peeps in Philly all need to get outta there for a trip to see the sunshine, man.

Do y'all good

Second round picks are obtainable on draft night.

I am out too - peace.

Yeah, word here is Nellie and Mullin wanna make a run at your boy Iggadola. That dude is one sick do all type that has Warrior flavor.

He played at Aeizona, had triple doubles like Kidd here at Cal, Maybe they work a trade with Philly.

He fit like a glove with Nellie style ball, hear me? Seen him play. We see

Sam Dalembert is a better than average defensive center, weaker than average offensive center...that makes him average.

Average centers are tough to come by in the NBA.

Like anyone on the roster, if Eddie can bring in a SIGNIFICANT UPGRADE AT ANY POSITION, he will trade them. If not, he won't.

All the contenders for an NBA title would take Sammy in a minute. He may not start for some, but he would get meaningful minutes and be expected to play D and block shots.

Put a strong PF next to Sam, and he would be better.

Re playoffs, Sixers have a chance because so many other teams will give up towards the end of the season...the Sixers will not give up.

Thanks Marc.

wow, whole lotta haters out here last night...

Why is it that none of the posters speaking out against the philly fans can write in full sentences? It sounds like they all dropped out of 4th grade, in which case, their opinion doesn't hold a lot of stock.

They do have somewhat of a point...philly fans can be the worst. But in the same sense, what makes philly fans the worst (their knowledge and passion for all sports) also makes us the best at the same time. Put a winner on the field...hell, put a respectable team on the field and look at the love they get. (Ask the Phillies...ticket sales are way up, and technically I don't think many people feel they got a whole lot better in the offseason...but they're a team of likeable players who play their hearts out...hmm so far, they sound like the sixers...except they actually have some semblance of high grade talent on the team. It'd be harder to find a better infield in the majors even with a weak third base)

Compare the phillies to the sixers though...I've been reading this blog for a few weeks now and one of the comments repeated over and over is "he's a great 6th man off the bench". Evans, Lou Williams, Green for offense, and now Thad. Sammy on a good team would be a defensive 6th man. Well guess what, when you're entire team is made up of guys you think make great 6th men...what's that going to get you? Not too much. Yet you all want these gigantic trades to happen (I'm not even sure why trades with Memphis are even still being talked about...I swear the deadline passed already). Think to yourselves, if you're offering 2 sixth men, some of who you say have awful contracts...why would you get a starter back? Why would another team even want 2 sixth men?

Also, I love the talk about Billy King being a really good drafter when the evidence presented is who he drafted. That's not at all the full picture of whether or not he drafted well. If you want to know if he was a good drafter, then look at everyone who was available when he made a pick, and tell me that the guy he picked was better than all the rest...that's a good drafter. Getting value out of the second round isn't great when you lost out on a better talent who went lower. (For that one, ask every NFL team that didn't draft Tom Brady if they had a good draft that year...they should all be saying no.)

The Sixers have demonstrated this season that they can compete with any team in the NBA.

I think the question, at this point, is not can they make the play-offs...but how badly they want to make them.

We shall see.

(Marc, you've done an incredible job here with Deep Sixer. As I wrote to you personally, I am so impressed with your inclusiveness. I just love it when you incorporate contributors' comments in your blog offerings from time to time. Great stuff! Keep it up.)

Who cares!! they will get swept and the two games at home they will still play in front of 12,000 fans.

Glad this topic came up, lots of ideas why, sorry if they’ve been mentioned before:

(in no particular order)

1. Hip-hop, the mascot, sucks, what a horrible mascot, let’s just rent the phanatic, the Sixers don’t really need a mascot, what New York Madison Ave schmuck came up with him?
2. The Wachovia Center has a horrible basketball atmosphere, ugh, no wonder we can’t defend home court, I’m no architect but it feels like it was made for hockey; I miss the Spectrum.
3. They should bring back that multicolored ring at center court.
4. Someone screwed up our uniforms, it doesn’t match Philly at all, gold and black what the $%#$%... plus that new logo? It’s better than the Shawn Bradley-era vomit some brain-dead higher-up came up with, but it’s not a brand name; I saw some kids walking to school today, if you showed them that logo, I don’t know if they’d recognize it at all, I think that old basketball logo has more recognizability.
5. Race is definitely an issue, here’s a link from ESPN the Mag discussing that:

http://sports.espn.go.com/espnmag/story?id=3243624

6. When marketing basketball, I think the Sixes need to go fully one way or the other: emphasize the hip-hop aspect, or harken back to the days of yore and short shorts. Examples:
a. I don’t like the area announcer messing with people’s names. Very annoying – again, it sounds like it’s a voice trying to make everyone happy, it should go fully hip-hop, or have some old fogey do it.
b. The arena music – very little traditional fare, or blast rap and r&b at every possible chance.
c. The intro to the Sixers games on CSN: what is up with that “Blade Runner” city of the future and that music? I would love something showing the players when they were back in high school and college (showing full houses at games), and rap was playing in the background. Set the tone for NBA Basketball!
d. This goes for all NBA teams - get rid of that ridiculous dress code! Let the players show their personalities!
7. Speaking of personality, this team has very little. They’re just a boring team. Thaddeus’s blog on sixers.com is a joke. The most interesting guy on the team is Sammy D, my goodness…
8. Give your average joe a gimmick to grasp, like let’s get all Nigerian players, or let’s all go see Iverson, the one-man show! I hate this idea, but again, we’re talking about what would get fans in seats, right?

Ed, they haven't proven that they can play with any team in the NBA - their biggest win came at home against a banged up Dallas team and their second biggest was against Houston on the road without T-Mac.

Sixerzguy, Excellent post - this team definitely has no personality. I can't stand the arena announcer either and the blasting of rap during offensive posessions is a joke.

The arena is so corporate and there are no real superstars to go watch now. While AI had to go for obvious reasons - there was always a chance that he would do something amazing on any given night. People don't want to pay to see Carney miss a dunk or Sam goaltend a shot or Willie Green take a fall away jumper over 2 guys. They often look like a bunch of guys in disarray. Nobody on this team looks to be special. Iggy can be a solid player and Lou Williams can be exciting at times, but no player is special.

I live out of town so I'm not qualified to comment on the ambience of the Wachovia Center.

With regards to the original topic, my heart says yes to the Sixers making the playoffs. My brain also says yes based uponm a glance at the schedules. The Sixers have a beneficial schedule in terms of the number of back-to-back games they play compared to the other teams in the race. And those other teams have terrible records in back-to-backs.

I look for the Sixers to get to the 7th spot as long as Iguodala and Miller stay healthy. Unfortunately, the 7th spot will most likely yield the Pistons who I believe will end up representing the East in the Finals.

Wow, some people are really out to prove their "fanhood", eh? I was reminded of those stupid espn commericials reading those late nite posts just now. The demographic was most interesting i thought, particularly the comment about bookbinders. Ties right in with sixerzguy's post about the crappy marketing - they've priced that tickets at bookbinders level but the product is chicken wings.

Do us all a favor, eh? if you think you're such great fans, and so much better than us, stop posting here. The general forum has all sorts of people that will agree with you.

I hate being negative, but barring a Nuggets like miracle from past playoffs, I do not see this team beating anyone it gets seeded against. Unless we get up to 5 seed, and I can't see that.

Also, does anyone else have the sinking suspicion that Igoudala is gone this summer?

I don't understand why you feel you need to defend yourself against Joshua, who doesn't even understand how to open a can of beans!

Fans deserve a championship!? What a bunch of baloney. You think the Boston fans did anything to deserve all those wins by the Pats or the Red Sox? It MEANS NOTHING!

The bottom line is entertainment value. The fans aren't going because they don't see the value. Why should they? The Sixers don't have a winning team, and haven't fielded a playoff team in years.

We got to the finals 6 years ago and we're still rebuilding. The team that we faced the LA Lakers are already back contending for a title.

Phila. fans deserve a better franchise- one without a faceless corporate owner who seems more interested in extracting any penny he can. One with a little Philly personality, like Pat Croce who could build a little rah-rah spirit. It isn't any accident the team went down after that. At least Croce cared about the fans. There's no personality coming out of the Sixers is there?

Besides there's a recession going on in case you didn't know. People are loosing their homes and having trouble filling the car, and now Joshua thinks there's something noble about going down to watch an inferior team.

Well, the team has to earn my loyalty by showing some in return.

I am encouraged by the recent changes. I enjoyed being a fan when Larry Brown came here and started to build a team. If Cheeks and Stefanski can really build a competitive team I'll come.

They may be able to make the playoffs- but if they do it will only be against Boston or Detroit, so it is to their advantage to not make them- and it will improve their attendance figures next season, if they get a high first round pick.

You know what's going to happen? We'll make the playoffs and make it to Game 6 of the 1st round against a top tier Eastern team.

Andre Iguodala will explode in the playoffs against Detroit, making his agent demand more than $57 million in the offseason.

Sounds familiar doesn't it?

Spurred by interesting Sixerzguy commentary. Recently attended a game, sat close to court. My observations:

- half-full, soulless 'state-of-the-art' arena

- Barnum & Bailey circus atmosphere/special effects; extraneous bull**** abounded, distractions galore; music/noise unrelenting, and unrelated to basketball

- distribution of 'college field house' visitors shooting-end white noisemakers to distract oppenents? - bush; lame idea

- announcer reverb on Sixers' player names - laughable; as is dismissive microphone whisper of opponent credits

- Hip-hop - Revolutionary? Spirit of '76? No, just asanine.

- Uniforms: Red & blue warmups - sharp. Game duds - multi-colored, overdone jersey logo & black-colored away threads are dated; should be replaced with clean, fresh, simpler red, white and blue schematic; incorporate traditional logo

- concession stand prices - yikes!

- To Sixers' front office (if any are reading): the game, played well by players who know and respect the game, is true entertaiment; I think some of the above runs counter to your purpose of drawing fans

FYI: I have watched EVERY edition of the Philadelphia 76ers. The present one is notable for its general blandness and lack of definition/continuity, even while recognizing SOME laudable individual efforts. I hope the organization finds its way back to respectability, court performance and prestige. Footnote: What a shame that Hal Greer is a mostly forgotten GREAT PLAYER AND CORNERSTONE of a once-proud franchise.

Despite a couple of compelling reasons for optimism, this season seems to be playing out just like the last couple of years. The worst thing the team could do is miss the playoffs and end up with another double digit lottery pick. (Granted they may have pulled out a real gem with Thad, thought the guy they passed on, Al Thornton, is turning the chip on his shoulder into a strong all rookie bid.)

I don't knock those who say that playoff experience is important for a young team. But I still want to know what exactly they got to work with. Jason Smith may not be the future starter at 4, but why not max his minutes to help him develop into a strong rotation contributor? Then we could see how good Thad and Iggy look at SF and SG together. And if you're not going to give Carney major playing time now, then when? You hate the idea of giving him away for cheap only to see him blossoming somewhere else.

I'd say let's give them a couple of games to see if they can knock off the Orlando's of the league and deserve a serious run. Otherwise, this is the time to play their recent picks and try out others in what eventually will be their natural positions.

Playoffs?????

I say as they have done all season long, they compete right up to the wire...

BUT THEY JUST DON'T HAVE THE TALENT to make it.

Grit, Hustle, Heart..the Sixers have it.
I like that it bodes well for the future.
It speaks well of the guys here and the coaching and the organization.
BUT TALENT WINS OUT MOST OF THE TIME
no different this time around.

The QUESTION all true Sixers fans should be asking is Who or What do you get with the
12-13th pick in the DRAFT and can that help us going forward????

What REAL deals can we make?
What does getting even younger look like?
Where is the TALENT going to come from to a difference in the long run?

Make the playoffs or not thoes are the question we need to answer.

I still say we do not make them

I've been to 5 or 6 games this year and the atmosphere is terrible. The "rah rah" music, etc. is awful, and inappropriately loud. In fact, crowd noise is often pumped in through the sound system at "raise the roof" moments. It is really insulting to my intelligence, and I imagine other fans as well.

The team has become much more fun to watch recently, but for the better part of this year, they were bland and discombobulated. Seriously, who wants to come watch Wille Green and Reggie Evans in the starting lineup? My buddy and I were timing our arrival to miss those two. In sum, the place is not a "cool place to be," and in a big city with plenty of basketball and non basketball entertainment options asking fans to pay good money to watch a starting lineup with Evans and Green in it is not reasonable.

That said, and sheerly anecdotal, but the last game I was at (Memphis) the crowd, although still small, was much louder than previously. Perhaps the team's new style (having a style) is making an impression?

rzzz:

If the kids get playing time (at least 20 minutes a piece for Carney and Smith) and the Sixers make the playoffs, I've got no problem with that.

But if Carney and Smith only get 10-15 minutes because Mo is trying to max out the number of wins, I do have a problem.

Play the kids, and let the chips fall where they may.

Sixerzguy & Jumpin great posts. I do not enjoy the announcer's emphasis on the names whatsoever. When I attended games last year more frequently, I would get fed up with the same antics game in and game out. I'm old school, I don't need any of it BUT I'm not the target audience for that.

how can you not like "IGUOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO DALA (dala) (dala) (dala)"

As always things are never right with the Sixers. This team needs a coach, superstar and a few other pieces to be a legit contender. Right now they are not close to being a competitive team night in night out.

Does making the playoffs change that? No! As others have written, it is fool's gold for a sub .500 team to make the playoffs and have any expectations.

For my money, this team should be playing the kids much more than Cheeks has. Getting them court time and not worrying about winning meaningless games sounds like a plan. Maybe, just maybe, Young, Smith or Wiliams will show they can start for a contending team in the future. Might as well play Carney and Randolph as well. This is going to cost games but it is a whole lot better than Cheeks playing Igoudala and Miller 40 plus minutes like did this near the end of the season last year.

What did that accomplish? Nothing and it probably cost Billy his job. Given what Ed has done so far, lets hope he doesn't want to make the playoffs either? Otherwise he is more of a goof than he already appears to be.

Whether or not they make the playoffs is less important to me than if they stay in the race or not. Ironically, the goal for this team should be to end the season disappointed, with a bad taste in their mouth, whether it be through a first round clobbering or through a narrow miss. The only thing to avoid is the business as usual, pack it it for the last five games, laisez faire attitude. As long as this group can put itself in a position this year where it truly believes it can compete next year, I'm good with that.

Time_Out, Because I don't (on't),(on't),(on't).

If I wanted the Electric Factory, I'd go to the Electric Factory.

Good translation to print though--funny!

No matter how hard the Sixer's schedule is, they will win one, lose one, the rest of the way. NJ is the only team I see that has the talent to solidify one of the remaining spots. I honestly say it will be between Philly and Indiana. The Pacers have more talent than we do but we have been playing more consistent ball of late. I honestly don't see the Sixer's losing tons of games in a row, they always play .500 ball this late in the year.

A post about Reggie Evans............

I know the negatives, no offensive game, crowding the paint as if Jenna Jameson was in there in her prime.

Lets talk positives.

1. Rebounding
2. Defense, one man trap bisatch
3. Great practice player, which has helped Sammy really improve on his aggressiveness when attacking loose balls
4. The first person to box anyone out for the sixers since the round mound left town for tim perry and the boys
5 Toughness, without reggie these guys are a bunch of p's.

For 4 million a year Reggie is well worth the dough, and I am happy to have him locked in for another 3 years.

Now, if we can get rid of Willie Green and his billy king infested contract that would be amazing.

I believe the sixers will make the playoffs. The East is just bad. If the sixers can play around .500 ball such as going 12-13 to finish the season, what team below them is going to play .500 or better to catch them?

At this point, it would be a shock to miss the playoffs.

Joshua- Its paid attendance that is announced not the actual # of people that show up! And if you think there was 20k people there, your BLIND! I was watching the game with a friend from Tampa and we both commented on how many empty seats there were.

Yes, Philly fans can be a little fickle. But most have a high sports IQ. My problem with the Sixers and the reason I don't attend games is: They seem to be lost! I'm not talking about the players, I'm talking about the management! They don't seem to have a plan, there's no continuity! They trade Iverson and BK announces he has a multi-year plan. Less then a year later BK is fired! Ed trades a "fan favorite" in Korver for cap space but then keeps players like Green, Evans, and Sammy. I know the jury is still out on Ed but I'm not to confident in his beginning moves (or lack there of)!

And about Iggy. I can definitely see him gone next year. He isn't worth much more then the contract he turned down. He's BK's pick not Ed's. And as many have pointed out, we have an abundance of SF/SG combo players. And if the team likes Thad at SF then trading Iggy might fill more then just one hole. Maybe Iggy gets that PF we need and the 3-pt threat of the bench in a package. Ed has his work cut out for him this summer. Lets hope he's up to it!

I forgot to address the playoffs.

I think they'll be in the hunt right to the end but fall just short. If Ed would have added a player(Artest), then I would've said its a lock we make it!

Somewhere in the middle there someone said a smuck is another word for a**hole. It's actually the part that gets taken off in a circumcision, (ouch). I would spell it "schmuck".

Hopefully the Sixers either make the playoffs and play competitive, (even if they get swept), or bombfor the next 25 games. Almost getting there, or getting blown out four straight, would be a waste.

Personally I think Reggie Evens could make a huge difference in the playoffs. He's a hard-working guy, and how many times have you seen a playoff team without one of those guys coming off the bench play competitive against a superior opponent. I'll guess zero. The depth of the great teams kills you without pros like Evans around.

Also we were garbage without Reggie's toughness against the lowly timberwolves last week in the first game after the break.

If they do make the playoffs, I just hope they don't get swept in the first round. I'd be very happy losing to Boston or Detriot in game 6.

No doubt Reggie has some value off the bench, but it's just silly that he's started and played so many minutes for the team this year. Reminds me of the early 90's when we had such talents as Trevor Ruffin, Willie Burton, Dana Barros, Charles Shakleford, Tony Massenburg and the hits keep coming.

We should be aiming for a team where Evans never ever plays more than 20 minutes.

Why do all these haters waste their time on other team's blogs??? Is their life really that pathetic?

is it too late to pick up Shawn Kemp? If he's not cracked out, he would be a decent player.

good question.

I like what Evans brings to this team. I wouldn't have traded him, I was just pointing out the inconsistencies in Ed's plan. Korver and Evans would have been perfect for this team off the bench. Green should have been traded before Korver.

No one would have given an expiring contract for Green, I think that's the conclusion to take away from the trade deadline.

I love what reggie brings to the table also. I commented on how we really missed his toughness after the last orlando game too. Ya'll left out all the fouls he draws, though. I think that's his best value - drawing the contact and wearing down the opposing big men in terms of foul trouble. But having said that, yes, his role is obviously as a bench player - i think he understands that as well, and understanding all that, i'd love to have him here until he retires. He's a philly type guy all the way through.

Im worn out discussing the playoffs - its not a concern this year, nor should it be. The concern should be to really shake up the lineups and see who steps up. Will carney find his game again? can lou amundson contribute as an energy player off the bench (personally, i kind of like how he brings the aggression, rebounds, appears to be able to find the basket, etc.) Can Jason Smith break through the wall? is lou williams a point gaurd or a sixth man? I'd love to see herb hill or shav, but i understand they've both been unable to heal properly, so have to assume they're gone this summer...

If the playoffs come and its because some of those guys really stepped up, then so be it. what i dont want to see is a return to riding guys like green, etc, for big minutes hoping for a few extra wins (which is kind of a joke in and of itself).

KM:

Stop making sense. If you read last night's comments, you would recognize this thread is a "sense" free zone.

Respectable hustle aside, Reggie Evans in 24 min gives ya 5 pts, 8 rbs, a turnover and a half and 43 pct shooting from field AND foul stripe; he's a journeyman, an also-ran's part. He bodies people up, but he flat out misses the basket too much. Let's not overestimate 'im.

Can anyone remember a year having such extreme disparity between 2 Conference teams records? I just looked and its crazier every week.

I have a question maybe someone can answer. How is the draft ping pong ball order (chances of winning it) get set; is it based on W/L Record only, or is it derived from where a team finishes in each Conference?

Example- Say the Sixers end up with a record of 35-47. and they finish 9th, in East, and are in Lottery. At same time, HOU say finishes at 47-35 and finishes 10th in the West, behind say GS, who finish 49-33, 9th in West, also miss playoffs.

Do the Sixers and Warriors get slotted with equal probability of moving up, or do Sixers get better odds with the worse Overall record?

Jumpin Johnny, the reason people love Reggie is he!s the exception to the E.S.P.N. athlete. He is B.Bridges like; no gliss, no glamour. Go down most N.B.A. rosters, its hard to find another player like him. Maybe C.Smith, but he at least can make a layup. I know YOU can respect that.

Morty, did you watch Beasley last night and what did you think? Augustine looked good but I think we have a player like him in L.Will.. Hopefully?

Suede: Decent different era conversion attempt but Bridges in his prime was far superior to Evans; his teammate Paul Silas was too. Bridges and Silas were bruisers, and made dents with their play. Evans is a reckless banger, makes havoc, sometimes for his own team. The former two had more sensible and complete games (check their stats). I like how Reggie leaves it out there, but he needs to hire a shooting instructor and also harness his energy some to eliminate mistakes, to justify 25 min.

It just seems like guys like Hansbrough and Love get noticed as much for their style of play [more old school] as for their talent.Seemed like Silas never missed a followup.

I am a Heat season ticket holder, and attending the Sixers game. I can tell you. The crowd at that game was just the same as almost every game here. But here like in LA, the people dont all come until late in Quarter 1, or by beginning Quarter 2. It wasnt a full house, but in the arena it was close, somewhere between 17,000 and 18,000 fans there. They leave early on Saturday here to go to South Beach for dinner and stuff, or to beat traffic alot.

On TV, it always looks less full because of the wide walkway to get to the seats in the new Arena. As a Sixer fan, the fans here also like LA are kinda quiet, which is strange for me.

As for the teams, both teams played very hard, and the Heat really wanted to win. The Heat fans, who are obnoxious, were laughing at Sammie. But were oohing and ahhing Iguodala, wishing they could swap Marion for him. He did play real good that game.

We have this awful PA guy who we all cannot stand here. I wish the Sixers played here more than once, 1st time can remember that.

Maybe our new Arena helps attendance. Its much better than the old one, and in a good location in comparison, to get over to the Beach restaurants and Clubs. We are a late town, with all we amigos, Latin style, we eat late.

You guys are lucky to have a young, entertaing group players and if you get a inside scorer and shooters our Sixers will be real good in 2 years. Heat fans were jealous. I loved that turnabout in OT.

Go Sixers.

I forget one thing about da Heat games

You think I crasy but our Dancers are all amasingly beautiful, and have outfits that cannot describe. They have so many dancers too. If you go to the Heat website, you si what I mean.

For this, the Owner has been very smart. Miami is a sexy town, with girls from everywhere international. It is so good, the Dancers, that they liven even many bad games this year. I cannot let my wife see this Blog now. Vamoose! I leave now!