Deep Sixer

Apparently I've posted a question on a blog that no longer exists. So I ask again...

sfw,
or anybody else who was at tonight's game, which team set the tone for the style of play. Did the Sixers impose their style and the Spurs were forced to adjust and failed? Or did the Sixers beat the Spurs at their own game? I think the answer to this question says a lot. If you make the reigning world champs adjust to your style of play, something tingly is going on here.
And the biggest question of all... do they still play that little sing-along?

I'll be honest. Seemed like San Antonio lacked the energy of the Sixers from the git go. So, we imposed our will on them. Could be different under different scheduling circumstances. Not sure about the sing along. Was a bit disappointed in the attendence. Looked like 75% full at most.

Let me get thid first part clearly stated. Andre Iguodala is one of the ten most complete players in the NBA. Toss in his warrior mentality, and that is why he is an unquestioned MAX CONTRACT player, if he wants. Forget the phantom FRANCHISE PLAYER label. At his 24 years of age, he is starting, repeat starting, to scratch at his upside. Its the upside that an Owner pays for, the years ahead.

Ed Snider should be blasted for cutting King's ability to sign him for a discount at $65M. Does anyone question who the heart and soul of the team is, or whom is the effective essential ingredient of all the success, who generates it, who all the players lean on to supply whatever is needed?

How it gets played out will be determined; we shall see how the Fans and media of Philly support, or discredit, this wunderfreak of a player whose teammates all swear by him.
And if that is his cost, pay him and move on to surround him with as many of this same crew that seems to bewilder its odd fans. If you dont, or if you blink, ES, or get cute, good luck. Cuz ES knows, he stepped in doo-doo; he hasnt really done ANYTHING to add value to this team, nor has he had the need to. But, rest assured, he detests in his mind whatever Snider was smoking so as to strip him of a whole lotta extra $$ to spend, had Snider been thinking clearly.

Second, great game for the fellas. Its all about stretches of games, not single games. And these guys seem to have grasped that some time back, while the Media and Fans awaited, still await, the standard Philly collapse. Just dont see the two Andres allowing that to occur, with major help from the supporting cast du jour.

Go home and rest boys. You have earned a day or two of downtime. Props to all of ya.

I think everyone needs to sit back and enjoy what this team is doing. I know I am.

I tell you what, Iggy is playing some fantastic basketball and is earning his contract. He is showing me he can make the big plays in crunch time with the game on the line.

Lou Will is sweet and a nightmare for opposing teams.

It is good to see Carney start to hit some shots from downtown. IF he can continue to do that, we will be a much better squad.

Evans has really settled into his role for this team. Gritty is all you can say.

Miller has been sensational and deserves to be the point on this team for the foreseable future.

I love Young. This kid is going to be great. He already is very good and does not seem to play like a rookie.

Dalembert played just an awesome game today. He really is starting to mature, they better take care of him.

Everyone should just stop and smell this roses because this team is going in the right direction when no one expected it. Poor Billy King...should be getting a job soon I would say.

said it before, a iverson is a bum. we will crush the nuggets.

Phenomenal win, the team has grown up before our eyes. Although the team has flaws and lacks a primary piece in an inside scorer, they are making up for it, by playing superior defense, and superior play at the guard spot.

Andre Miller and Andre Igoudala outscored the Pistons backcourt, and tonight they outscored Parker and Manu. They have to be considered one of the most potent scoring tandems in the league over the past 25 games.

They are playing well beyond expectations. I had them ranked generously as the tenth best team in the NBA, based on their play over the past 20 games including point differential. But even that can't explain knocking off Detroit and San Antonio.

Their ability to execute under pressure has been transformed. Carney has punished defenses for not guarding him, and scoring three-pointers with devastating effect. Miller and Igoudala can both penetrate and create space to shoot. Williams and Young also can create their own shots. They challenge defenses to cover all of them.

They may yet catch Washington, but the Wizards have started winning since getting Caron Butler back. Toronto is sliding sharply and if the Sixers can continue to play as they have, they can realistically get to the sixth spot if not the fifth.

They are becoming a real Cinderella team, pundits picked them to finish last in the East, now they've become the team no one wants to play.

Rest up, you've earned it. Great week of basketball.

One extra benefit of the Sixers' surge is that now it is realistic that only one under .500 team from the East will make the playoffs. It doesn't seem right that you can lose more than you win and get a shot at the title. At this point I want to see them bust over that hump, and expect them to do it.

Big difference between this Sixers win and the loss the to the Spurs in January that put them at 14-24. That game ended 89-82, and the Spurs overcame a five point fourth quarter deficit, as well as a 12 point third quarter, to win with a comfortable margin. That was definitely a Spurs game. Now they come to Philly and get pushed into the Sixers' style, with the same result as that Warriors-Mavs series.

After that loss, Mo credited his team with playing the right way and going hard, and said the positive results would come. He needs to get a lot of credit for maintaining that positivity and not decreasing expectations.

So 15 games to go. Sixers could finish anywhere from 10th to 4th, with the highest odds for 6th or 7th. So who do you want to see the Sixers go up against in the playoffs and who scares you?

I like them against the Pistons more than anyone else in the top 4 right now. The starting lineup we rolled out this week gave them trouble, their coach is not very good at creating mismatches, and they have less of a strong inside presence than Boston or Orlando. Still, the way the Sixers are playing right now, they could give anyone in the East a tough seven game series.

You know the 76ers are making a mark when you friends come over and instead of the game merely being the background it becomes the center of attention.

The high fives were flying this weekend! Way to go guys!!!

Some of the regular posters on this blog really know what they are talking about (except Dean is usually wrong).

Some said at the beginning of the season that Sweet Lou should be getting minutes. And they were right.

Some said that Thad and J Smith need to be slowly integrated into the rotation. And they were right.

Some said Iggy can and should play the 2. And they were right.

Some questioned whether Iggy was a leader worth $12 mil a year or more. He didn't prove it the first half of the season. But he finally had recently.

Some said Kevin Ollie was a stabilizing force who deserved minutes. And they were right.

Yes, some of us, especially me, questioned if Andre Miller should be traded. We were wrong. He still can't play any perimeter D, I mean no D at all, but he's been very, very solid. And Willie Green has been questioned, and he's had a nice run, but is he really a starting NBA 2 guard?

I'm excited about this crew. They can catch the Wizards for the No 6 seed, and they can give the Magic a run in the playoffs. We still need a low post 4 (Wilcox, Collison, Haslem, Villenueva, Turiaf, A. Jamison, Josh Smith/J Smoove, Kevin Love, Ty Hansbrough, Rider's Jason Thompson, etc.). But it should be a fun ride.

Thanks for the blog, Marc.

Yeah, Iguodala is the head of the Snake. Imagine if he actually starts to get fair treatment for all the "blocks" and Strips" that are called fouls? In a different contribution every game, his presence on either side of the Ball is an Opponents nightmare.

The two teams I would prefer to matchup against are Detroit and Cleveland. The Cavs because Iguodala, with a fair whistle, may be the one NBA player who can almost, dare I say, neutralize, at least minimize, the King. Singlehandedly. As their last two dramatic wins in Cleveland showed.

Detroit because they may have hit that age, or are so close to it, where they could stumble against the young, more athletic Sixers. In an upset, yes.

ORL and Celts, even WAS may have too much perimeter shooting for this squad.

First, let us help make sure they get there, which certainly appears quite likely, absent injuries.

They indeed are a Cinderella in the making, one that is growing into the team NOBODY wants to have to prepare for. Gotta love it.

wow, i game under .500 and we're primed to catch washington. this is getting exciting

I'll say it again, this is as proud as I have been of a Sixers team in 10 years.

i dont know what it is about San Antonio, but Dalembert always knows how to play against Tim Duncan. No idea why, considering he's one of the best power forwards of all time.

I can't believe we beat Detroit and San Antonio in the same week.

Good Game SAMMY D!!!!

I don't think Mo Cheeks is getting enough credit for his game management. He was one step ahead of Coach Pop all night. Four guards and J. Smith, what a lineup. And he knows when and how to get a lift from his bench guys.

Why not 41 wins? That would mean a run of 23-7 to close out the season. What an unexpected delight this season has become.

I don't think Mo Cheeks is getting enough credit for his game management. He was one step ahead of Coach Pop all night. Four guards and J. Smith, what a lineup. And he knows when and how to get a lift from his bench guys.

Why not 41 wins? That would mean a run of 23-7 to close out the season. What an unexpected delight this season has become.

I think today Sammy finally justified that crazy intro he gives himself...The Haitian Sensation - Shot Blocking, Slam Dunking - Sammy Deeeeee...well at least the shot blocking part. He just killed Duncan down the stretch there. Good on ya, boyo.

Carney over the last three games from beyond - 2/3, 3/3, 2/4. not to f'in bad, if you ask me.

Trackboy, haven't seen ya in a while. good assessment.

Timeout, i hear ya. Still cant believe it myself. craziest part is they should only get better...

The sign of a maturing and good team is that itcan win games without necessarily playing its A game. I think the term is "grinding" it out. That's what this team has been doing this week, grinding them out.

They have had games where they have played a lot better than this week. The difference is that they showed the will to close out games and the experience of playing in big games.

They can hunker down and get a stop when they need to or get a score when they need to, either by hitting a shot or getting to the free throw line. When something goes wrong, they just don't hang their heads.

The Bulls announcer actually said on air near the end of their game that the Bulls "need to stop hanging their heads" because they can still win the game. Wishful thinking on his part. The point is you don't see these players hanging their heads after a bad play, even the rookies. You've got to give Mo credit for that.

Man, I'd love to know what Stefanski planned to do about our 4 spot in the offseason. You've got $10M to $12M in cap space, a no. 1 pick in this draft, and some tradeable assets (Willie Green).

The 76ers still have a rough closing schedule, but they should be playoff ready by the end of that string. Iggy has earned his pay day. So has Lou Will. Give me Turiaf, Charlie V. and a shooter (PG-SG Roger Mason), and I'm ready to go to war with those additions and what we have now.

Your thoughts?

I think its just about the right time for a sports magazine to have a picture of all Sixers players AND the Coaching Staff, with no names attached, with the Storyline, Label that reads

"WHO ARE THESE GUYS?"

Ala an old spaghetti western. Its coming, just a question of who has the cajones. Since they ALL forecasted doom, loval, national media alike. So, who will be the first to declare "I WAS WRONG".
My vote goes to USA TODAY Sports. Why, I don't know.Maybe because their sportswriters appear so anonymous.so can more easily swallow their ego, bite the bullet. It HAS to happen. Soon.

Its gotta be one of the most under-media represented sports team surprose stories of the year, to date. Zero national media recognition, credit. ZERO? Nationally telivised games, including NBA TV? One? lol

time to put this team on national tv already! just too darn entertaining to watch. espn, tnt, nbatv....WAKE UP! the sixers are for real!

So, the Sixers are now 13-1 on back end of back to backs?

Maybe I am just dreaming, that just cannot be.

This was the Sixers best win of the season. After being down 8 at the half, the Spurs came out of the locker room with a lot of intensity, like okay we are going to assert ourselves now. And the Sixers had an answer for everything the Spurs dished out. It reminded me of an Ali- Frazier fight, two heavyweights going toe-to-toe, punch counterpunch. And when they were getting desperate in the 4th, the Spurs raised their defensive intensity a few notches. Earlier in the season, the Sixers would have wilted under the pressure, but they handled San Antonio like a veteran club.

Tony Parker was incredible. He kept slicing threw the Sixers defense, getting one layup after another. But Andre Miller was even better! It seemed that every time Parker scored, Miller would answer at the other end with a 12 foot jumper, Look at his line: 11-14 FG, 10-11 FT, 7 assists, 5 boards, 2 steals and 0 turnovers. And it looked like his back was killing him the whole time. Talk about profiles in courage.

I would not say the Sixers imposed their style on the Spurs. They were not able to get out on the break. But the Spurs really could not shut down either of the Andres in the half-court offense.

Sixers Handle Spurs – ‘Tough Stretch’ Becomes Win Streak...
http://reclinergm.wordpress.com/2008/03/15/sixers-handle-spurs-%e2%80%93-tough-stretch-becomes-win-streak/

I was at this game and at no point did I think the Sixers would lose. That was the most impressive thing. You really couldn't tell who the defending NBA champion at all. This team has finally figure out how to win consistently. If they continue this pace they could end up with the 5th seed but I still rather see them at 6 playing Orlando in the first round who I think they can beat in a series.

William and Mike d - you catch the spot on Sportscenter just now? they gave us some love, before laughing when asked if we had any chance in the playoffs...something about how we cant play half court ball. would have agreed with them before we took Detroit at their own game, then SA on our terms. who knows what could happen now...they may just have a puncher's chance to be this year's 1st round upsetter.

speaking of which, thought it was a little ironic that they ended the spot by saying fastbreaking teams can't get past round 1 of the playoffs, then cut to a story about golden state...

I've been one of the optimists on this board, even back in the dark days of January, so it's nice to see that the Sixers have to a large degree realized the potential that a few of us saw back then. Coming into this game, I expected the Sixers to win ('expected' meaning I gave them > 50% chance of winning), given how tough they played the Spurs in January and much the Sixers have improved since then. The game played out pretty much as I expected, with the Sixers' athletes doing enough to offset the Spurs' shooters. One thing to keep in mind was that this was just another game for the Spurs, who have all been through dozens of 'big games' more important than this regular-season game.

I want to make one comment in response to those who say Andre Miller plays no defense: I don't agree. He's certainly below average at preventing penetration and at rotating to open shooters, but he gets his share of steals, he's a good post defender for a guard, and he's an above average defensive rebounder for a guard (and I always say a large part of defending well is protecting the defensive glass). Overall, I would say Miller is a definite improvement at the defensive end over what Iverson was providing his last few years here. If you think about it, Miller is a much better matchup defensively for somebody like Chauncey Billups than Iverson was. (And thankfully, Miller probably won't have to play Chris Paul again this year ;-)

Next up, the Nuggets. Again, I give the Sixers a very good chance at winning that game, if they aren't too hyper going in. The Nuggets have been a poor road team all year (12-19) and will be coming off a road game against the Pistons the night before. It should be a great atmosphere in any case.

At least we can finally put the whole "who have they really beaten?" argument to bed after this week. I think we can all agree that Detroit and San Antonio are good enough teams, and were healthy (unlike Dallas), and knew how to play together (unlike Phoenix). Are they going to get out of the first round? I don't know. I don't know how well they match up against some of these teams in a 7-game series, but I don't think they're going to be embarassed, and they are going to make some noise. Whoever gets them in the first round will know they've been in a series. And how many of us thought we could say that at the beginning of the year? Well done, guys.

Another great win to top off a great week. To beat the Pistons on the road and the Spurs at home on the back end of a back to back where they had to travel is impressive.

If I'm one of the top 4 seeds, I don't want to see the Sixers in the 1st round. Not that they're going to win a playoff round, but I think they are the kind of team that is scary because they are getting better very quickly.

The question now is: Who do we want to play first round out of Boston, Detroit, Orlando, or Cleveland? Orlando is the scariest because of our inconsistent perimeter defense and the inability to do anything about the man child. The fifth spot against Cleveland seems tempting, but it's hard to ask for an LBJ matchup. Boston and Detroit are both flat out better.

armchair GMs:

Maybe the rebuilding is over, and it's time for tweaking? I think the Sixers have showed that if you have the players on this roster, you will win games, so why not start asking for more in your trade proposals? The following trade would've been preposterous just a month ago, but now, I don't think so:

Rodney Carney + $3M for Mike Miller

I'm not big on armchair GM-ing, but I know a lot of you guys out there can get creative. Let's stop asking for trades that would've been even a month ago, let's think of trades that would be even right now. How about this one:

Sammy D straight up for Josh Smith in a S&T?

If ATL offers that to us, I don't think it's one of those in-a-heartbeat trades. Given how well Sammy plays the league's big guys, and his 99% FG% alley-oops.

How about Jason Smith straight up for Charlie Villanueva? Again, Jason's showed he can help you win, right?

The Sixer are so good right now, and the best part it, it doesn't feel like it's part of a hot streak. Your Philadelphia 76ers in the NBA Finals? Not an impossibility...

There is no question Allen Iverson hurt this team's growth over the past few years. Andre Miller is the MVP of Philadelphia sports right now. Because Miller plays the game "the right way", the younger players are maturing and the team is improving.

I enjoyed watching this team's passion and togetherness in Friday's win at Chicago. They displayed excitement and enthusiasm that you see at the college level.

Finally, winning basketball is coming back to Philly!

Datruelife, starting to sway to your way of thinking, maybe not Charlie V., but a young egoless player in that mold. This is"THE DRE!S" team and Iggy has lately made a believer out of me on the offensive end. Didn!t want Iggy at the 2 but our scoring has been good this week against good defensive teams and no matter what pt. we go against, even Paul, they have to guard Dre down the other end. A role playing 4,[Foster,Turiaf,D.J.White,Plaisted,Hendrix] and a shooter[ C.J. Miles,Azuibuke] may be the additions to add this summer. Chemistry seems to be our main strength and Iggy and A.Miller seem like they can lead us where we want to go.Iv!e talked about needing a 10 man rotation to play this style of ball; we are almost there.

Statman - You're right on about Miller. In terms of perimeter D, Andre is pretty atrocious. It's not his fault...he's just not fast or quick. However, as a post-up defender, he can more than hold his own. Unfortunately, the PG position calls for much more perimeter D than post-up D. Nice observation though.

Great win last night!! I was down there, and the crowd was about as loud as it's been all season long. There's an aticipation of success for this team now, as opposed to an anticipation of dread just six short weeks ago. It's amazing how that transformation has occurred. Major props go to Mo Cheeks for preaching positive mindset and standing by his young players. Great job!!

And Trackboy...it's pretty ironic that you called me out on your post. I've been the biggest champion of Iguodala on this board to date, yet you fail to mention that after saying that I'm "usually wrong." Wasn't it me that said to acquire Mike Miller and keep Iggy at the 2? Didn't I just say yesterday that you couldn't start or give major minutes to Thad at the beginning of the season because of his youth and inexperience? So, before calling someone out next time, know your facts, especially when you suggest that one of the potential answers for us at the PF position is a guy from Rider yet you don't even mention Elton Brand. Check yourself son.

There was too much love on this board, so here it goes, for those who hated the "K" trade; Giricek in the last week has outplayed "K" bigtime. If we didn!t need the cap room, and with the way he can defend, Giricek and the pick was really a better fit for this team than "K".

Marc

I want to start off this e-mail by giving Sammy Dalembert the highest of praise. I have been very critical of him at times this year because of his lack of toughness against the better centers in the NBA. But Sam gets an A Plus + Plus for the over all game he played against Tim Duncan. 10 PTS and 10 Rebs.seem to by just ok to the naked eye. By his defense and over all game was maybe the best of the season. He flat out stopped Duncan basically by himself. That being a stud when you can slow Duncan like he did.
Marc by the way what do you think of the wonderful play that were now starting to see from Rodney Carney. Man he is fun when he is playing like this.Rodney still has some things to work on but he has so much raw talent.
Last but not least I would like to remind all the old A.I / Answer sixer fans out there that cried badly about the direction the team was going and how bad this team was going to be without A Iverson. Please let me ask how would you like your crow served fried,grilled or other wise.
Marc, I think that I truly was one of the few that loved the trade. I always liked A Miller because he has a leaders and worriors heart.And then look we ended up drafting T.Young who will not only be a good player but right this down a Allstar player.And we have J.Smith who I think will be an above average power forward and H.Hill who as an NBA body and who knows what he could be in 2 or 3 years. Bottom line is like or dislike what B. King did this helped turn this franchise around.
Mo Cheeks again deserves at least some thought for coach of the year! Marc his demeaner and coaching of these fine young players has been next to incredible and shows he understands their stengthes and weakness as a coach.Marc by the way if he takes this team to the playoffs and if our management has any class at all they will add another year to his new contact and now make it a new 2 year.
Please give me your opinions Marc.

Thanks Aaron

Marc

I want to start off this e-mail by giving Sammy Dalembert the highest of praise. I have been very critical of him at times this year because of his lack of toughness against the better centers in the NBA. But Sam gets an A Plus + Plus for the over all game he played against Tim Duncan. 10 PTS and 10 Rebs.seem to by just ok to the naked eye. By his defense and over all game was maybe the best of the season. He flat out stopped Duncan basically by himself. That being a stud when you can slow Duncan like he did.
Marc by the way what do you think of the wonderful play that were now starting to see from Rodney Carney. Man he is fun when he is playing like this.Rodney still has some things to work on but he has so much raw talent.
Last but not least I would like to remind all the old A.I / Answer sixer fans out there that cried badly about the direction the team was going and how bad this team was going to be without A Iverson. Please let me ask how would you like your crow served fried,grilled or other wise.
Marc, I think that I truly was one of the few that loved the trade. I always liked A Miller because he has a leaders and worriors heart.And then look we ended up drafting T.Young who will not only be a good player but right this down a Allstar player.And we have J.Smith who I think will be an above average power forward and H.Hill who as an NBA body and who knows what he could be in 2 or 3 years. Bottom line is like or dislike what B. King did this helped turn this franchise around.
Mo Cheeks again deserves at least some thought for coach of the year! Marc his demeaner and coaching of these fine young players has been next to incredible and shows he understands their stengthes and weakness as a coach.Marc by the way if he takes this team to the playoffs and if our management has any class at all they will add another year to his new contact and now make it a new 2 year.
Please give me your opinions Marc.

Thanks Aaron

Marc

I want to start off this e-mail by giving Sammy Dalembert the highest of praise. I have been very critical of him at times this year because of his lack of toughness against the better centers in the NBA. But Sam gets an A Plus + Plus for the over all game he played against Tim Duncan. 10 PTS and 10 Rebs.seem to by just ok to the naked eye. By his defense and over all game was maybe the best of the season. He flat out stopped Duncan basically by himself. That being a stud when you can slow Duncan like he did.
Marc by the way what do you think of the wonderful play that were now starting to see from Rodney Carney. Man he is fun when he is playing like this.Rodney still has some things to work on but he has so much raw talent.
Last but not least I would like to remind all the old A.I / Answer sixer fans out there that cried badly about the direction the team was going and how bad this team was going to be without A Iverson. Please let me ask how would you like your crow served fried,grilled or other wise.
Marc, I think that I truly was one of the few that loved the trade. I always liked A Miller because he has a leaders and worriors heart.And then look we ended up drafting T.Young who will not only be a good player but right this down a Allstar player.And we have J.Smith who I think will be an above average power forward and H.Hill who as an NBA body and who knows what he could be in 2 or 3 years. Bottom line is like or dislike what B. King did this helped turn this franchise around.
Mo Cheeks again deserves at least some thought for coach of the year! Marc his demeaner and coaching of these fine young players has been next to incredible and shows he understands their stengthes and weakness as a coach.Marc by the way if he takes this team to the playoffs and if our management has any class at all they will add another year to his new contact and now make it a new 2 year.
Please give me your opinions Marc.

Thanks Aaron

I'll be the first one to admit that I thought the Sixers would be no better than 2-2 in this most recent stretch. Especially with the Spurs coming off a loss the night before and in need of a win as they fight their way down the stretch. Any win over the Spurs is a good one.

The interesting thing to me in last night's game was the decision by Cheeks and staff to go with the young line-up very early to overcome a bit of a slow start. Somehow that line-up of Iguodala, Williams, Carney, Young, and Smith got the ship righted from a 5-point deficit to a 3-point lead at the end of the first quarter.

And then the Sixers never looked back. It is not very often that you see a team execute in the lead for more than three quarters like the Sixers did last night. They defended, they ran, they thrived in the half-court. Not once did they allow the Spurs to go on an extended run to get back in the game. Vey impressive to say the least.

I'm starting to reach the point where I get annoyed at fans who can't post here without trading away half the team. There is something special going on with this group of players - the classic case of the whole being greater than the sum of the parts. Every night there will be a player on another team putting up numbers who looks like he would help the Sixers. But the question fans need to ask and the challenge that the Sixer front office faces is how to improve the team and improve the chemistry at the same time. Easier said than done.

A note to Mark:

It struck me after the comeback against the Bulls that maybe the reason Cheeks and staff went to the line-up of Ollie, Williams, Iguodala, Carney, and Smith to start the fourth quarter was because they had thrown in the towel and were saving energy for the game the next night against the Spurs. And that somehow the Sixers caught a bit of lightning in a bottle when that group got the Sixers into a winnable position with 5 minutes to go. I know Mo is a very positive thinker but I'd love to hear his take on what he was thinking.

IRONIC that after such a great game that some of you are still calling out Andre Miller re his D.

Guys, no one can stop the quickest PGs 1-1...no one!

Is anyone attcking Tony Parker for his D? After all, he couldn't stop Miller!

Stop with the nonsense guys...Andre Miller is showing he is a top 5 PG FOR THIS TEAM!

And we are very fortunate to have MO CHEEKS and JIMMY LYNAM!

It may not be a coincidence that in both the Spurs and Bulls(4th qtr) games that there was a 3PT threat on the court for much of the game and we had success in the 1/2 court offense.

Carney played the 4th qtr of the bulls game(25 minutes) and Thad sat. He also played much of the Spurs game(29 minutes). He also provides defense, length and athletism. Hopefully, his play continues to improve.

I believe the opposing teams were not prepared to focus their defense on him. That will probably change after the past week. It will be interesting to see if more attention is paid to him. Of course, we know denver doesn't play 'D' except for Camby.

suede,

You beat me to that Giricek post! Excellent observation! Do you think that reflects on the types of players Mo knows/doesn't know how to use? Because Mo runs that motion offense, maybe he prefers player who can dribble drive penetrate at his 3 swing positions (is point guard considered a swing position?)

U know, I hope you stick around for the offseason, with the players' higher values after the playoffs, I'd like to see what kind of moves u can come up with, lol...

Wanted to give some props to a couple guys because I've been reading (I stopped posting a couple months ago b/c its too congested) since the blog started. It's hard to believe it was only getting about 5-7 posts per day at one point...

Craig
Dean
Datruth
Trackboy1

We've lost some good men along the way when a lot of the new posters came in but you guys have been there pretty much from the beginning. We've all had our disagreements, from Andre Miller, to Kyle Lowry, to Rodney Carney but I'm going to say that you're all diehards like myself who probably read every article on the internet even in those dark years when Kenny Thomas was running the show...Doesn't it make right now that much sweeter though? We've surely ridden through some dark times here over the past 6 years. I'm one of the few Philadelphia fans that would probably get more satisfaction out of sixers championship than an Eagles Super Bowl (I do love them too by the way).

Craig, Dean...true O.G.'s on this thing, enough said, dudes are like Cain and Abel. Trackboy1, always consistent and intelligent, always liked your stance on Andre Miller. Datruth, you were a little newer than the other three guys but there was a time there, and Marc, no knock on you, but Datruth was writing longer and more insightful posts than our beat writer right after every game consistently for about a 3 week stretch.

This post isn't to say that there aren't some good and loyal newer posters, seude, sixerzguy, Morty, etc. but there is also a lot more nonsense on here now too, I used to LIKE to read every post. Marc, keep up the good work, hopefully get 2 nice long articles over the long break? Tell Jasner to help a brotha out more often!

Anyway, I have to say this was one of, if not the most enjoyable weeks of Sixers basketball in the past 6 years. So let's rejoice in these good times that we haven't had in way too long. ESPN's new power rankings will be released tomorrow and its likely we'll be in the top ten. Hard to imagine getting that kind of respect from national media 5 months ago. Maybe now we can even get a game on national television next year. Let's close out strong.

Go Sixers.

I feel like i am losing my mind.

I actually went into last night's game thinking we were going to win. Against the spurs! I expected the Sixers to lead the whole game, hit big shots and play solid D. I had a similar feeling back in the day when the Finals team started to pull it together. I remember watching matt geiger and Theo and McKie a couple of years before they went on that run, and i remember watching those guys hit shots and start playing with the confidence of a team that wins. That is what i am seeing in lou and iggy and of course Andre Miller is 100% times better than we give him credit for. My big concern now is whether or not we can re-sign him after next year. He is the reason we are playing like a team and smacking these teams without a real point guard around, teams like the Bucks.

I am interested to know what you guys think about the future. What do we really need to do?

Iggy is going to be the 2, but he is not really a shooter
Thad is going to be the 3, and he needs to become a shooter (if keith bogans and bruce bowen can become three point specialists, thad can shoot 40% from 3 too. Bowen couldn't hit a barn when he played here)
Miller is point, hopefully for 3 more years ( i cant believe i am saying this, but i watch him play and i can see him making the other guys better)
Sam is the center (Sam if you are reading this, don't ever demand the ball in the post. It just pisses us all off. We are paying you 10m a year to hit the glass and block shots. So on the offensive end, set 10 picks and look for the lobs. You are not a post player and we are ok with that. What drives us nuts is when you think you are and kendrick perkins owns you. Be who you are. Be the ball, Sam.)
So we are left with a big question at 4??? Who gets us to the next level? brand? I doubt it. We are the new suns, we are golden state, in a couple of years we are going to run the celtics right into retirement. Does brand make Iggy better? or thad? Brand would make korver better, buit our guys are not pure shooters so 260 pounds in the lane every possession scares me...i don't know?
Maybe the answer is Charlie V. He certainly would help the shooting percentage, but he is bit of a wiener on the glass for a guy that is 6'11. Right??

Then who? Josh Smith? Isn't he just like Thad and Iggy? Only an inch or two taller? Then again, add his 2.3 blocks per night to Sam's and add him flying down the court dunking on every fool he sees and i start thinking, screw it. Let's run, Ed.

Thanks Sixerzguy, With A.I. and Carmelo at the 2 and 3 this week, will be curious to see Mo!s strategy; can A.I. be out scored early by Willie till we go to Iggy at the 2 and how does Iggy guard the smaller A.I..With Cleveland and Boston loading up on older players to make their runs, will 2010 on be our time, let!s hope.

Suede, You're my favorite blogger! Keep up the good work. Maybe, we need a blogger of the Blog contest.

I'm new to the blog thing, but the fever is rising. Great week. By the way, to those who think the Sixers are not getting national pub: watching the ABC game, first Hubie Brown, then Tirico after the Suns win talking up the Sixers! Don't worry, its coming. Perhaps the most positive aspects to the surge are beating the teams near or below them record-wise and winning close games they previously found ways to lose. These are leading indicators of a team on the rise. And Mo! My most favorite of all Sixers(sorry Doc,Mad Andrew,Bobby), of all teams, he's doing this! This team plays with the same heart and quiet intensity he did. I really believe this team plays the way he played: d-ing up, running every chance they can off turnovers, not giving up. They just kept playing against the Bulls when things were not going their way. This seems much different than when the Iverson-led(what a concept!) Sixers were on the rise.And I am not bashing Iverson. I'll be crying on Wed night.

I've been hearing people crying about the death of small ball since Phoenix decided to go Shaq (and Webber signed with GS). Most people don't seem to think a team like that could ever win a championship.

However, the Sixers are a Josh Smith away from being the most dangerous fast team in recent history. And, unlike Phoenix or GS, they are a very good defensive team. Can we do a few years down the road what those teams couldn't? Or do we already know that they will fall short in the playoffs?

As a fan, I won't be disappointed either way, whether ES decides to go small and athletic or build a more traditional team. Watching Iggy and JSmoove on the fast break sounds orgasmic. And all those swatted shots...

To paraphrase Morpheus from 'The Matrix': "They're starting to believe."

I've said it before, the 6ers are Phoenix with D. Too many people still looking for major changes. When you are improving and winning on a consistant basis you tweak, you add, you don't replace. An additional 4 would help. He doesn't necessarilly need to start but give us 20-25 hard minutes a game. Would love to be able to afford Jamison. But overall I like the squad that we have right now. I wouldn't give up any of our younger players for other young players, draft picks or retreads. I live right off Times Square and have always worn PHILLY gear. Now people/strangers are starting to come up to me and discuss the 6ers and I am loving it. 'Living the dream baby'.

YO! WHAT'S UP MARC,
I'd just like to say as one of SIXERS biggest fans!..They too have impressed me. Even though i knew what they was capable of. But without a threat at power foward, is definitely impressive! All hats goes off to Mo Cheeks,he got these players well focused, & disciplined.
While we must not forget Billy King,who put together this team, young, energetic, & well athletic. I think we're going to make the playoffs quite interesting. Well i'm A-M! SIXERS GURU FAN & I'M OUT MARC!

YO! WHAT'S UP MARC,
I'd just like to say as one of SIXERS biggest fans!..They too have impressed me. Even though i knew what they was capable of. But without a threat at power foward, is definitely impressive! All hats goes off to Mo Cheeks,he got these players well focused, & disciplined.
While we must not forget Billy King,who put together this team, young, energetic, & well athletic. I think we're going to make the playoffs quite interesting. Well i'm A-M! SIXERS GURU FAN & I'M OUT MARC!

YO! WHAT'S UP MARC,
I'd just like to say as one of SIXERS biggest fans!..They too have impressed me. Even though i knew what they was capable of. But without a threat at power foward, is definitely impressive! All hats goes off to Mo Cheeks,he got these players well focused, & disciplined.
While we must not forget Billy King,who put together this team, young, energetic, & well athletic. I think we're going to make the playoffs quite interesting.Well i'm
A-M!.. SIXERS GURU FAN & I'M OUT MARC!

What a week! I am impressed! I would have never thought they would have a week like this. Beating Det and SA in one week! Only one game below .500! I never thought I'd say either of those statements this year. I agree that Mo should at least get consideration for "Coach of the Year" award.

I hope Miller will sign a 3-4 year extension. I'd love to see him running this team when the team is complete and when the younger guys(Young, Smith,etc) get even better. I can only imagine how good they will be when these guys realize their true potential.

Sammy had a great game last night! But this is the whole reason he drives me nuts! He has a great game against a player like Duncan, but can't be found against players like Kendrick Perkins. He had a good week but two weeks ago he looked like crap. He is just so inconsistant. And then he says some of the strangest sh*t! I really don't know what to think of him. I wouldn't consider moving him in the off season out of the question.

Love those guys who want to trade Slammin Sammy for a PF like Smith. Then we would have the 4 we want but would then need a center. And I feel that there are more opportunities out there to find a decent 4 than there is to replace a center like Sammy. He may not be perfect but there are few others out there that fit into what Mo and the 6ers are trying to do. Even if the PF came by way of the draft I would rather do that than give away players who are on the upside. Ridding yourself of your center to get a PF is nothing more than sports 'wack a mole'.

Barton,
Would you be happy with a guy like Nenad Krstic from New Jersey? He might be the best the Sixers can afford if they aren't going to trade someone who's on the team.
I wouldn't mind trying to trade Willie Green, packaged with Amundson or Randolph, but I don't think they get you a whole lot.
For the Sixers to move forward They may have to move Miller for a big and use their cap space to find a PG like Calderon (but it looks like Toronto has moved on from Ford and will likely lock him up).
Franklin

Ben, our 10 mill. cap space will allow us to acquire a 13 mill. player for W.Green if we prefer, as long as we are under the cap, which we are.Hopefully E.S. has somebody in mind.

Suede,
Do you think there's a guy out there making $13M that a team would give up for Willie... and is playing well enough to pay $13M?
Unfortunately, with the NBA cap, you can't afford to overpay when you are re-building.
Franklin

Ben,
I do like Krstic's game but he spends too much time in the trainer's room. I guess if there was one player that I would think of trading it would be Willy. Carney's upside is huge. When I look at our guards I am starting to see a surplus instead of an area of need. they play off each other very well. We could afford to let Willy go in order to get that PF, but not much else.

Suede

I take it you are talking to me. So lets talk about the difference between Kyle and everybody else. Giriek got an opportunity to play here but it seemed as if he thought he didnt have to work for his opportunities. And when he got in the game he wasnt all that effective. For the Suns who play a different brand of basketball the spacing allows you to get ideal