Deep Sixer

Marc, you are lost, with due respect.

NO ONE has raised the dang bar, other than the pathetic media. Barkley is right. Philly media is BEYOND pathetic.

The freeking BAR was torn down a month ago. Unless, the media has their own sick bar that no other wants to hear about, or touch.

WTF is wrong with you Media negativists from Philly? How do you look in the mirror? Just awful subjective journalism, filled with Negadelphia crap. Yuk.

They keep raising the bar indeed.

whoooooooooo!!!

and THAT's the biggest win of the year! seems like we are saying that every other game right around now, and i love it.

we kept waiting for this bubble to burst but i think it's about time to wake up and realize that we have a damn solid team on our hands that plays the kind of ball everyone can get behind and appreciate.

Dude, the sentence has a couple typos, but read a little closer.

These kids are outworking so many teams now....this is so great to see in Philly. team effort EVERY night.....such a rare thing in pro sports anymore....nice to see the TEAM giving the fans their money's worth in thrills and effort and now wins on a regular occasion. Who would have dared to think 18-5 at this time of the year...Mo and the guys should be real proud of how they're playing and the groundwork they're laying for next year. Now Ed, be careful who you bring in and give bucketloads of money to this summer, ok?

Marc ignore the first poster's rants. The last thing I want is sugar-coated sports reporting. If things are negative, say it, if things are positive, point them out. Marc does just that. Philly sports media isn't all that bad.

Another great win by Philly. I work late so I didn't get to see the game...but at least I wasn't surprised when I checked the score. It may be too early to say but I think the Sixers will definitely be going to the playoffs. What makes me nervous is if they face Orlando in the first round...who unfortunately look like a better team whenever they play the Sixers. At least that last game.

Regardless this is an unexpected ride but Iggy always had a lot of heart, even last year. And the pieces were there...I would never have thought TY would have emerged like he has. Congratulations Sixers fans have a good night sleep.

Iggy slept walked through the first quarter of this season. Over the past 20-25 games, he has really turned it on and shown the leadership we've been wanting to see from him since AI was traded. Remember when some of us original posters were screaming for PT for Thad, Smith and Carney during the first half of the season Well, now they're playing important minutes.
Would like to see Ollie get some minutes during the stretch, there's a need for a vet like him who's been on a NBA Finals team.

Iguodala sleptwalked? Are u nuts?

Wen he had a shooter to kick to in Kyle? Now, he is a max player that cost Snyder an extra $3M per year. He is everything a team wants in a 24 year old complete player, who has yet to approach his ceiling. And has zero outside shooters to kick to, or a Big, who can catch a pass consistently and finish.

Who shoots a higher 3 pt pct, Andre or Bron?
Do some homework, a-hole.

We got something speacil brewing in our kitchen, This team is off the chain. Can you believe this? What's next? I have never seen a season like this that didn't end with something speacil.

Sixers start winning and many of the posters sound like they want to fight each other. Philly is nutz but you gotta love it.

Barton, i hear you man, i was about to say the same thing...

Trackboy, its real nice to see those guys coming into their own, isn't it? They had a great shot of KO on the bench after lou had that steal at the very end - he looked like a proud father. I think a lot of us could relate.

By the way guys, sammy has shut down duncan and garnett down the stretch to help close out huge games this year. If anyone told me he'd do that back in november i probably would have laughed and then laughed some more. He's maturing from a shot blocker to a genuine defender in front of our eyes (finally :)).

could go on and on, but just have to close by saying that Thaddeus and dala could be a very, very dangerous pair for a long time to come.

Little doubt that Iguodala will agree to the tender offer and go Unrestricted FA if ES plays games with him./ his Agent. He endured that last year. He wont again. Though, to think other teams are not lurking quietly to secure him is folly, via sign and trades, etc. MANY teams are watching, plotting. No, you will not hear reference to them on ESPN.

Dude's an Olympic level athlete. Kinda don't think he is too worried about his physical status ever, which is a testament to his value directly. He holds all the cards, if Ed gets remotely cute, which I doubt. ES is a smart guy, he needs to remove his big risk, in order to get his remaining work done.

That includes signing Iguodala at all costs, because he is irreplaceable. No one player can duplicate what he brings to the table. Thats a direct quote from 2 prominent NBA players within the last month. Two very prominent starters on opposing teams.

Seems all players have disgust for Philly as their home town, the fans and media both. (Iverson did put on a good con job tho!)
Anyone who takes Iverson's words literally is a flat out putz head.

ANOTHER awesome win.

I am so glad I plopped down the money to get the NBA ticket this year, what an investment! I just had a feeling!

Gritty win. Not much else to say about it. I just think this team plays as a team better than most other teams in the NBA. Would you have thought we would ever see the day we could say that?

Can't believe we are going to get to watch the sixers in the PLAYOFFS!

Yeah, dont think its a coincidence that both Barkley and Iverson had nothing good to say about Philly until they had long left town. '

Makes ya wonder, no? The Town cant see the future. At all.

Why does everyone overlook Iguodala's defense? He's shut down virtually everyone he has manned up on; RJ,PP, the list is endless.

AI2 gets zero respect relative to his overall game. Zero. See my piece.
OCR
'

Do you think Detroit, Cleveland, Orlando or whoever is looking forward to facing this team in the playoffs? It's just so nice to seee things go RIGHT for a change. Thad Young over Al Horford? The right move! Patience over 3 years for Lou Williams? Again, the right move! Reggie Evans? Gives the team toughness and a defensive precense? The right move! Andre Miller? I give him my MVP vote!

Thaddeus!

great win! i'm lovin' this playoff run right now. i'm hoping we avoid orlando. i'd prefer to face cleveland or even detriot before we had to face orlando. turkalou scares me... but, this team continues to impress. they got me believing the second round is possible now... a couple home games coming up, the arena should be packed and loud!

Suede,

If Stefanski can't get the PF he wants in free agency, how would you feel about him signing Ron Artest and starting him at SF with Iggy moving to SG and Thad being your starting 4?

With Miller, Iggy, Thad and Artest, you'd stand a good chance of winning the battle each night at 4 positions. We all know the negatives with Artest, but I just thought I'd throw it out there.

Personally, I think adding Artest and keeping your no. 1 pick and drafting the best available big this year would have more impact on this team than trading that no. 1 pick and using your cap space to sign Chris Wilcox.

Then again, with Wilcox, Miller and Booth coming off the books, the 76ers could have $16M in cap room going into the summer of 2009 plus 2 no. 1 picks for that draft?

Which situation would you guys rather have?

After tonight's game and this recent stretch, I think Iggy has earned his next contract. Once he moves to 2-guard next year, he's going to be too much of a beast for anyone to handle there in the East. If I'm Big Ed, the highest I'd go is 5 years, $65M. If he wants more, he can just play out the last year or we talk sign and trade.

I think the earlier loss to Boston in Philly taught this team how to play a big game in a playoff atmosphere, including how to handle themselves on both sides of the ball in the half court during crunch time.

The fact that Miller and Iggy are doing what they are doing with no low post threat and no reliable 3 point shooters is even more amazing to me.

As for the game tonight, I liked the way Reggie Evans was laying wood on the Celtics each and every time he got a chance. Tommy Heinson was hilarious. He kept saying Reggie Evans should have been out of the game in the first half for all the contact he was giving.

Thaddeus is going to be a beast. He's using that right hand more and more. That move he made on the baseline against Big Baby involved him putting the ball on the deck and driving with his right hand.

He's also spending some time in the weight room, because he doesn't look like the same skinny 19-year-old that played in summer league. He is starting to fill out.

Dalembert played stellar D on Garnett, but he and Evans under the basket can still be comical. I just wonder what this team would do with big people who can consistently catch passes underneath and finish.

Herbert Hill would have helped with that this year. He'll be just like another draft pick next year. Hopefully, he's used this redshirt year as a time to put on some weight and get stronger while rehabbing.

5th seed, here we come! And the Mavs will be sitting at home come the playoffs. Mark Cuban is going to need a big hug!

Now living in Boston, the best part of this game for me was hearing TOM HEINSOHN WHINE!

Amazing defense by Iguodala and Dalembert in the 4th quarter. GREAT HUSTLE by entire team.

CREDIT to a true GENTLEMAN of the game, MO CHEEKS!

Daruth, please dispense with talk of who to bring in at PF, and of Herb Hill, There is plenty of time for that later...enjoy this TEAM.

The SIXERS have shown they go 9 deep with an occasional assist from two great attitude vets, Ollie and Booth.

Good guys, playing hard, playing as a team (the "right way"), and winning!

WONDERFUL SEASON!

Memo to Ed Stefanski:

Re-sign Andre Iguodala and Louis Williams.

Sign Antawn Jamison or Josh Smith this offseason to fill the PF spot.

Draft Darrell Arthur or J.J. Hickson to provide depth and develop the future starter at PF.

Next year we'll be a contender. Right now, just keep winning baby. We'll be the spoiler in the playoffs this year.

Living in CT have not watched much of the sixers this year. I did watch most of game last night.

This is a good team that is very fun to watch. They play very hard and with a lot of athleticism. Miller and Iggy are great leaders and they get a lot of support from the other guys.

They are young and seem to have a lot of upside.

They have great chemistry.

Billy King made some good moves toward his end.

Cheeks is a solid coach.

In terms of personnel, I hope whoever they draft or get in free agency fits within this team's chemistry.

They have a decent chance to be good for several years.

Go Billy King

Go Billy King

Wouldn't Leon Powe look good in a Sixers uni? The guy hustles his tail off, has good hands, shoots a high percentage...much more upside than Reggie. Granted he's only in his second but the Celtic's organization doesn't show him his due respect. Leon is a guy Philly fans would love!

Why pass the ball to Reggie Evans? He is the worst offensive skilled player in NBA history. I love his effort on D, and understand his role on this team. But, he plays too many minutes.

Thad should get 30 mins at a minimum. Reggie is a 15-20 minute player, he has "zero" offensive skills.

Great win last night, Sixers will not be a easy out in the first round of the playoffs.

Orlando who?, my defensive strategy for Magic in playoffs, Thad on Turkaglu, Iggy on Lewis, Willie and Carney on the 2 guards and hack a Dwight,[59% fr.th.]. Get inside his head and no switching on the perimeter, Mo it would work.Use Reggie, Calvin and Shav, 18 fouls!!

Once again, this is all about chemistry. I will admit I slammed AI2 sometime ago for looking lackadasical. Now? No. He's got fire taht I haven't seen since Allen Iverson went to the Finals. This is a team learning just how dangerous they can be. Now Mo Cheeks is going to have to learn how to continue to drive this team. He's raised them from being a scrapper that never said die, to a true competitor. If he can keep them successful, he will truly continue to establish himself as Coach of the Year. Seriously, who's done a better job?

the sixers are SCARRRRY. you just give them a tiny window to come back, just one mistake by the opposition and you can kiss that lead goodbye!

No need to discuss any of the negatives, just talk about how we stole one from Paul Pierce who was trash-talking with Iguodala the whole entire game! What a jerk. I've never liked that guy. Good player, but he's a jackass.

Physically-stiff Celts starters (after sitting too long) wanted nothing to do w/yelping defense of Philadephia Braying Hounds in quarter 4 (played D reminiscent of their coach). James Posey was unavailable last night (would've helped). Rivers fatal coaching decision: not deploying "Veal" Scalabrine, whose presence on court psychologically softens up opponents.

Sixers were on heels at start of last Celtics scrap; acquitted themselves well last night. Which edition will be viewed in the playoffs, assuming they make it?

Celtics didn't bring defensive commitment of previous Sixer game for whatever reason. Once Sixers' colts start galloping, hard to get 'em back in the barn. When Sam and Iggy scowl, you know it's showdown time.

To repeat a couple things from the last thread, last night's game was about as dominant, on both ends of the court, as I have ever seen from Dre. He has definitely won me over. He's kinda like a poor man's Dwayne Wade.

Also, I can and will critique Mo for substitutions, lineups, etc. but those are all things that can be corrected with a couple better players. What he deserves praise for is the way his team has no memory, and no fear.

The entire team played fantastic D in the 4th. Sammy was a force in the middle and on Garnett. Lou has shown real improvement defensively (that was a big steal), and Thad has so much talent it's scary.

Nice observation about using his right hand, Datruth. And to answer your questions about those 2 scenarios, I would choose Wilcox because of salary flex ability, but I would not use our #1 to get him, only Utah's since we would not be sending salary to Seattle. But I'm not off the fence about Josh Smith, either.

We are over .500, Gentlemen. We are a winning team.

Let's take a few moments to bask in that fact.

As much as we love this team, no one could have imagined a winning record this year, especially at this point this season.

We still have a ways to go but, for the moment, we're back. And it couldn't have occurred against a more despised foe.

Tormented:

I never imagined this at all. I thought this was a year for the kids to learn, not win.

Also, it must have been great to hear Tommy Heinson during the 19-0 run. I went to college in Boston and remember him as the biggest homer I have heard in my life. Worst. Announcer. Ever.

Morty,
I would love to have Wilcox here, but I'm not sure Utah's pick (I believe in 2009) would get it done... maybe we could through in Booth... haha, I thought you could use a laugh.
B Franklin

that was "Throw in Booth."

It would be driving a hard bargain. For Seattle it would be a straight salary dump, of which they've been doing a lot. Because of our cap space, it would be like trading an expiring contract that has already expired. I think our #1 is too high a price to pay for a potential rent-a-player.

I love this team's energy, effort and desire.
When will the rest of the city get on board and get behind this team. They show so much heart.
I had to watch the game on NBA TV so I had the Boston homers and they were complaining about the Sixers getting all the calls ... and shooting so many more foul shots... well maybe it was because the Sixers attack for 48 minutes and the C's were drifting around taking 20 footers.
It was also ironic to see the post game show on NBA TV with Billy King in the studio and him interviewing Thadeus.
He must have to hold his tongue every game so he doesn't say " I told you so "
Go Sixers!

Time_out, couldn't agree more with you about Pierce. Great player, but he seems like such a punk to me. I was thinking last night how Boston basically instantly bought a contender with the Garnett and Allen moves. Part of the fun of being a fan is going through the tough times and then watching the team develop into a winner. I am really proud of these guys and would rather support them than a team like the Celtics who basically bought their way to the top.

I am a big Sammy supporter, but he had me shaking my head last night for about 3 quarters. He was awful offensively...stone hands, no post moves (the one where he got rejected by Perkins was one of the worst attempts at a post move I have ever seen), but he continued to rebound and hustle. He seems to have learned the nuances of rebounding and is snatching the ball away from the opponent. Then in the 4th quarter he focused on what he does best. He has come up with some tremendous defense late in games this year (SA, Den, BOS, Hou) just to name a few. If we can get that inside/outside scoring presence at the 4 spot, Sammy will benefit tremendously.

Go Sixers!!! It's great to have my team back!

I have the greatest respect for the Boston Celtics. Without them thriving, the NBA is just another league. Due to Red Auerbach, their 16 championships and litany of great players, they are the maypole around which all other franchises dance, the organization of big shoulders. Hit a long drought, partly through the tragedies of Len Bias and Reggie Lewis. Now, if only the Knicks would rise again to prominence. Wouldn't that be great? Eastern seaboard battles redux - Boston, NY, Philly, Wash.

Philly Fan living in Boston who went to the game last night.

The first half was so/so. I was describing the pick and roll to my friend who is a novice basketball fan. I tell them that when Boston runs it, they pass to Garnett and he always sinks the open jump shot. But when Philly does it they don't have that option because their bigs (sammy and Reggie) can't shoot. Sammy D sometimes looks LOST on offense which would be an understatement. He made up for his slopply play in the fourth quarter with clutch rebounds and defensive play.

If this team can get a running PF who can hit the 15 foot jumpshot, and a 3 point threat off the bench (house?) they will be very dangerous...considering they are scoring now with no spacing do these holes...what would be even better if the running PF is Young, and the 3 point threat is Carney!

Very exciting team we have here....GO sixers!!!

Congrats Tormented!

With the Iggy's power display down the stretch last night he reminded me of Charles.

Also, great point by the announcers team regarding pierce getting in Iggy's head during the first half. I guess we saw how that motivated him. Another, very good sign. Maybe, we have another boston strangler in the making.

I am so proud to be a sixers fan right now. When the sixers were down by ten, I changed the channel for a minute or so, but when I turned the game back on they were tied. I love how this team plays, they are a very balanced team offensively. I love how they use the fast break and they play very team oriented basketball. Iggy is really stepping up his game and earning that big contract he wants. Thad is getting better and better every time I see him. Thaddeus reminds me of a young Tayshaun Prince, a long athletic player that can play small foward or power foward, can score at will, pass well, play good defense, and shoot the three very well. Even though he only scored six points, Dalembert deserves some credit and did a good job out rebounding Perkins. I am very proud of how our team has been playing.

I've got a PF candidate for you. What do you all think about us trying to trade for Udonis Haslem next year? He's a good rebounder, solid defender and can score a little. He's only 28 and has played on a championship team. Not sure what he would cost us in trade, but dollars wise he'd be much cheaper than Brand or Jamison. Just a thought.

If we have learned anything to this point it's that it really doesn't matter who we play or where we play them. In Phoenix, Detroit or Beantown, our Sixers are bringing it. And you'd better knock them down hard for 3 Qtrs and run your guts out in the 4th because these young studs can drop 30 or 40 on you.
I really don't know where they are going to end up in the playoffs but all I can say, if this year has taught us anything, it doesn't matter who they play. They are young, fearless, well-coached and can go all night long.
Imagine that Andre Miller didn't even want to come to Philly. I'm thinkin' he's realizing that this was probably an 'ok' move after all. Whether this west coast boy will want to stay, not sure, but it'll give him something to think about this summer.
Oh and I'm seeing the Sixers beating Cleveland in the first round.

Mo Cheeks, coach of the year? Who's done a better job?

Charles at 23 yrs. of age and 6' 4 1/2" of true height averaged 14.6 rpg - a fact which still amazes. Talk about will and thrust - and activating booster rocket quickly!

Paulie won't be tryin' the trash-talkin' get-in Iguodala's head approach again. It was pure sports when Andre slammed a rebound hard and then turned to Pierce and trashed talked him hard. He looked in the eye like a man. The next time down the floor, Andre went around Pierce and smashed a two-fister and again turned to Pierce screaming at him.
Folks, I'm thinkin' he was pissed off and wanted to show Paulie that he's no kid. After the 10 point run from Iguodala and a 95-90 win, Paulie aint' gonna be trash talkin' Andre anymore. Andre literally took over that game.
Andre's jumper and cluth play are comin around. The playoffs are now a lock.

So proud of the sixers and our young guns!! Iggy stating/showing that he has no problem PROVING his worth on a nightly basis..Proving it to himself, the fans, and the league.

He's still capped @ $12mill per year IMO, Al Jeff signed for $13mill per and 20/10 pf's are still harder commodity to come bye in this league. Very intersted in the offseason and the steps we take to get to the next level.

What a great win for the dangerous Sixers. Watching the game on NBA TV, had the pleasure of listening to Tommy Heinsohn cry over the Sixers getting all the breaks, what a clown. Iggy outplayed Pierce, Evans was real physical with Garnett and the Big three from the Celtics looked like they were aging by the minute. With the eleven point lead, the camera shot to the Boston bench, and the big three were laughing and pointing to fans in the stands. What a sweet victory!! Marc, please touch on the obvious, nobody in the Eastern Conference wants to face the Sixers in the first round.
Jason-Los Angeles

A real pleasure to watch the game last night. AI2 has lately become a beast, an all-star, and that's an honest assessment - not just wishful thinking. Let's see if he can gain some consistency.

Sam's game was interesting, I agree he was just lost for 3 quarters but kept his head in the game and was huge down the stretch. And I love Thad's presence - he always seems to be battling for rebounds despite his thin frame.

As for adding a PF in the offseason, we have to be really careful about chemistry - this team is all about hustle, mental toughness and team play. Artest is a great talent but too dangerous. Brand would fit perfectly but he's too expensive unless we can do a sign-and-trade that I can't fathom (I'm sure someone else can).

Yeah it was ironic that Billy drafted Thad and interviewed him last night. BK KNEW this was the team the city was waiting for and what did he get? Canned. What a joke and ES can't take credit for a damn thing this team is doing right now. Yeah he let Kyle go and freed up some cap room but so what. When the playoffs begin, don't forget the man who made it possible. Thanks Billy!

OK, I am on board. Every time I trash this team, they go out and play like they did last night. I hope they get the 5 seed. I still think that Sammy is the most unfocused player in the league. Miller and Iggy are constantly yelling at him.

Best Win Of The Year (that title seems to change every week these days).

Did this blog ever have a spell check?

re: Thanking Billy King. How bout we all reminisce about Ed Wade while we're at it?

Wish Iguodala would salivate over rebounds (at both ends) like he does over breakaway tomahawks; he'd be a better player for it.

Has cut down on sloppy play/TOs as season has progressed.

7 missed foul shots. Not from '57-plus'! Say it ain't so.

Last night: C in 1 (passive), B in 2 (asserted O-end but 3 Pierce 3s/primary responsibility), B in 3, A in 4. Overall, another nice game. But for his load of 28 pts., still only a +4 in sum.

Was definitely team's spiritual leader on court though, driven by Pierce prodding and competitive instincts.

One thing that has been a revelation to me, courtesy of this blog, is the incredible number of Billy King fans that exist. I had no idea that the man who failed year after year to field the right type of team around AI, and who sent the team into an ever deepening spiral of salary cap hell in his attempts to do so, would have such a following.

BK made some good draft choices, especially Dre and Thad (although Dre kinda fell in his lap, think Toronto wants their pick back?). But if you take a step back, you'd realize that "what-if's" only exist in fantasies. And there is no way of telling how this team would be playing if BK were still here. I have my own opinions, people are welcome to theirs, but you can't assume the season plays out like it has with different leadership.

I couldn't help but think last night that if you took Miller off this team and replaced him with Iverson, leaving everything else the same, they'd be nowhere near as good as they are now.

Iverson is one of the handful of most individually talented players ever, but I have a tough time thinking of any other all-star players over the years who do less to make their teammates better than A.I. We'd have no idea how good all of these talented young players that they have are if they were standing around watching A.I. dribble out the shotclock or bringing the ball up the court and shooting without getting anyone else involved in the offense. The trade was brilliant, if a bit overdue.

Jumpin':

Don't forget that Dre had to play all those minutes with Evans and Green - that's bound to hurt the ol' +/-.

I'm still not on the ride-his-back-to-a-championship bandwagon, but he sure doesn't look like a #3 on a good team to me either!

John,

I guess I should be just enjoying the moment, but every time I watch this team, I just daydream about what it could be if it had a legitimate low post option at the 4.

Willie Green is not a starting 2. I'd like to see how he would be with a bench role next year, but I'm leaning towards just giving those minutes to Carney next year and trying to include Green in a deal to either get that shooter or that PF. Iggy should be at the 2, with Thad at the 3.

I'll try to just enjoy this stretch, but I can't wait until this team has talent 1-15 and can become a true contender.

John,

I guess I should be just enjoying the moment, but every time I watch this team, I just daydream about what it could be if it had a legitimate low post option at the 4.

Willie Green is not a starting 2. I'd like to see how he would be with a bench role next year, but I'm leaning towards just giving those minutes to Carney next year and trying to include Green in a deal to either get that shooter or that PF. Iggy should be at the 2, with Thad at the 3.

I'll try to just enjoy this stretch, but I can't wait until this team has talent 1-15 and can become a true contender.

Morty, Early in 1st quarter that you missed, Green dropped a nice pass to Evans on the block, who proceeded to whirl right for an early left-handed bucket. Shortly thereafter, his pass to an open Evans at 14 ft., resulting in a missed J, was not as nifty/advised. Anecdotal, mixed-result evidence of a budding 1-2 combo!

You're probably right about their effect on Iggy's overall +/- # last night (especially with Green slumping a bit). Conversely, he didn't help their +/- any in 1st quarter.

Dala's playin' closer to a #2 than a #3 lately, no question.

I went to the game last night with my friend, also a Sixers fan. I took some pictures, which I've posted on my website (along with some commentary): http://www.nigelandlaifong.com/sixers-celts.html

This was one of the most exciting games I've ever been to, especially given the opposing team and the environment. It was great to see the crowd stunned into silence, especially after the second Iguodala steal and slam. The Boston fans started leaving with a minute left; I think they've been spoiled by their team this year.

Some observations on the game ... Iguodala was magnificent during the 19-0 run (10 of which was his own run). I counted two steals for breakaway slams, one follow slam, two free throws, one ferocious rebound, and one beautiful fadeaway over Pierce to seal the deal. Jumpin'Johnny, is he starting to make a believer of you? I will admit he needs to improve his free throw shooting (a problem for the last two months).

Dalembert again showed his best and his worst. My friend and I were debating which turnover was worse: his fake free throw or his rebound/try-to-dribble/travel. On the other hand, he stoned Garnett on at least two possessions down the stretch, just as he did to Duncan. I'm hard-pressed to name even five other centers in the NBA who could guard Garnett and Duncan one-on-one like that (Camby, Chandler maybe, Garnett and Duncan themselves).

Willie Green continued his horrible recent stretch, going 1-7 (that's 5-33 in the last 3 games, in case anyone's counting). The last few misses were 'good' misses, though (after drives). If Green isn't shooting well, he hardly contributes anything. The Sixers were lucky that Ray Allen was way off all game on three-pointers (1-8). Still, Allen's dominated Green all year (58-16 the last three games).

Thad Young was great, and he showed what having a good finisher can do for the Sixers' offense. It was his 3-point play that cut the lead from 11 to 8 to start the comeback. One wonders how many assists Evans and Dalembert have 'taken away' from the Andres this year?

The Sixers were fortunate in several respects actually. Jumpin'Johnny mentioned that Posey wasn't there, and Posey usually defends Iguodala well. Instead, when Pierce went out, the Celtics went to a (very ineffective) three-guard lineup with Allen at SF. Also, Pierce had a very weird, passive game where he took only 6 shots, 5 of them 3-pointers. With Iguodala in foul trouble, it was surprising that they didn't go to Pierce more. And most importantly, Doc Rivers kept his starters on the bench too long at the start of the 4th. Sometimes it's not so easy to 'turn it back on' when the other team is making a run.

Finally, two more out-of-the-ordinary moments ... The first was a strange play coming out of a timeout where Iguodala put his hands on his head and turned toward the stands (away from the play), not even paying attention to what was going on. Green wound up taking a wild jumper as the shot clock expired. I wonder what that was? (If you see a replay, it happened at 3:30 left in the 2nd quarter.) The second was the non-Iguodala moment of the night, not sure if they showed it on the Philly broadcast: a Navy guy came out of the audience and swished both a free throw and a three-pointer blindfolded, winning $5K (for eye surgery). My friend and I were joking that maybe he should teach his technique to WillieG.

Next up: a fading Bulls team. The Sixers need to avoid a letdown in between the Celtics and Suns. They've got a good shot at 43-39 or so (and it's great that that number keeps getting better).

datruth, we agree on need for offensive big and deep shooter (preferably 2). Also think a big defensive guard is a missing ingredient. As for Green & Carney, haven't closed judgement on either (Green - injury, next year will tell; Carney - inexperienced, still need more evidence). Team on the rise. Lots of options. Chemistry effect now looms large in any move. This off-season will be fascinating.

Morty, I caught the local replay of the 4th quarter, and Tom Heinsohn was actually fairly subdued during the 19-0 run, more disappointed in the Celtics' play than anything else. If you think about it, there weren't a lot of close calls in the run to complain about.

You're right though, Heinsohn is the worst homer around today (though Scott Hastings in Denver and Red Kerr in Chicago come close). However, nobody alive can come close to legendary Celtics radio man Johnny Most, who was doubly bad in his 'homerism' (is that a word?) because he was the play-by-play man. Sometimes Johnny would go off on his rants and you couldn't even tell what was happening in the game.

Some have said that perhaps BK deserves more credit than he got. I agree with that up to a point. He should get credit for drafting Lou Will and Thad for bringing us Reggie Evans. All were very good moves. But I also say that even though he has only made one personnel move (trading Korver) Stefanski deserves some credit, too, because the Korver trade freed up important minutes for Carney and Thad and because he suggested to Cheeks that he not only play the kids more, but also that the Sixers become more of a fast breaking team. I don’t know if this development would have occurred if Stefanski hadn’t made those recommendations.

Personally, I never liked the Korver trade because I felt the same thing could have been accomplished simply by playing Korver fewer minutes. He certainly didn't seem like the kind of guy who would have caused trouble in the locker room or yelled at the coaches if he played less. But I also can't argue with the results. Korver left and Thad, and to a lesser extent Carney, took advantage of the increased playing time. The team won more games, the young guys have improved and our future is bright. I just don't know if the same thing would have happened if BK had stayed. A GMs job is to not only find the right players, but help find the right system and fit for the players he has. Let's give Stefanski credit for recognizing that the Sixers best chance to win was to take advantage of our youth and athleticism. And while, I'm at it, keeping Andre Miller was an equally important move. Like Barry said, I doubt this team would be this good if AI were still here and Miller were not. What we needed was a pass-first veteran PG and Miller has given us that and more.

The Evans-Green 1-2 combo is comedy gold.

Datruth:

My preference is to draft a SG who can stick the 3 ball, and dump Green. Barring that, the only difference between Green and Carney, as far as proving they can be contributors, is two months with a decent FG %. I am continually mystified by the length of Willie's leash vs. Carney's, especially when one considers Carney's upside.

For what it's worth, the Sixers are 6-2 when Green doesn't play this year.

Great post, Statman. Thanks for your full, nuanced, inside-the-building perspective! Enjoyable.

As for Iggy, steady improvement through career? - definitely! Still a ways to go though. Am not yet a torch-carrying acolyte.

Derrickh:

Billy King seems like he should seek work as a talent scout. But keep him away from the purse!

Jumpin':

This promises to be a very interesting off season.

Statman:

I, luckily, haven't had the pleasure of hearing Heinson for a while, but the memory of his Boston accent crying about yet another unjustified foul on a Celtic still lingers.

final eastern conference standings:
05-washington 42-40
06-toronto 42-40*
07-philadelphia 41-41
08-atlanta 38-44

*play 3 of 12 remaining games against teams with winning records.

first round
01-boston over 08-atlanta (4 games)
02-detroit over 07-philadelphia (5 games)
03-orlando over 06-toronto (7 games)
04-cleveland over 05-washington (7 games)

conference semis
01-boston over 04-cleveland (7 games)
02-detroit over 03-orlando (5 games)

conference finals
02-detroit over 01-boston (7 games)

Mike

So the Sixers...who are playing over .700 basketball will finish the season 5-6? with games against Chicago, Charlotte, NJ, Atlanta twice and Indiana.

While the Wizards go 6-7 with a 5 game western swing including back to back games against Lakers and Utah...then 4 of their final games vs. Boston, @ Det, vs Philly, @ orlando?

I predict

5 Raptors: 43-39 (cake schedule)
6 Sixers: 43-39 (lose tie breaker)
7 Wizards: 41-41

This year's Golden State Warriors. This team could upset anybody they'll match up with in the first round.

That is, if the home crowd can at least attempt to be as wild as the Bay area was for the Warriors last year.

But I hope they make noise. The fans and the team. I want to see some of where that amazing happens. And all these wins lately have been pretty much just that.

I could have never have guessed in November that I'd be excited like this, possibly for the postseason.

Yeah, don't even think about doing anything but keeping Iguodala here, Ed. He took his risk to play for his contract this season, and he's proved to be worth all the money you're going to pay him in the future. I don't care if he'll ever be like Allen, he's special in his own ways, and he needs to stay.

It's impossible not to feel excited for this team. I'm stuck here in Northern VA, but I hope Philadelphia is ready to show some passion for these young guys this upcoming weeks.

Jumpin'Johnny: thanks for the kind words. Regarding Iguodala, I'm probably not a "torch-carrying acolyte" either yet, but I'm probably sitting in the pews already, whereas I picture you standing in the back. But at least he's got you in the building!

before we give BK too much credit, remember that:
1) he tried REAL hard to trade up and get either Chairman Yi or Jeff Green, who may or may not turn out to be good players, but not at Thad's level.
2) He would NOT have traded KK for salary cap relief and a first round pick, which may turn out to be a valuable chip in the future. Having KK on this time would cut into the PT of the kids who are playing well now and could be playing great in the future.
3) horrible contracts to Kenny Thomas, Greg Buckner, Aaron McKie, Brian Skinner, et. al.

In the end, BK is a pretty good evaluator of talent, but a fair to poor GM. He's Isaiah Thomas w/o the sexual harrassment suit.

I'm a 76ers fan since 2001 final. It makes me suffering for there is no chance to watch sixers game on TV(raptor and Sun are their priority choice to live) for I live in Vancouver,Canada. It's really unbelievable that sixers beated Boston with such big bounce back.But I still miss KK,maybe some game will not get so toughly when he could shoot from the arch.

Agree with recent comments regarding BK. BK would've felt pressure to make moves when Ed had the confidence to stand pat with the exception of the KK trade.

Seems like Ed had a vision for this team based upon it's current personnel of pressure 'D' and pushing the ball. KK didn't fit in that plan and the young guys who are getting those minutes (Thad, Carney, Lou) did.

It took a confident GM to allow the young guys to play without being concerned about his job. BK could not have had that confidence. He would have been concerned about losing his job.

Statman,

Your post about Sammy's turnovers had me cracking up in my cube! I particularly liked the time when he tried 2 spin moves and a shot fake which resulted in Perkins blocking the shot without even jumping. Sorry Sam, it was funny, but we still love you. Thanks for the great up close and personal insight.

sfw:

Totally agreed, with one exception. It took some balls to take Thad over Al Thorton when everyone projected Thorton as more immediate help, and Thad as a project. Not that I think BK projected Thad to contribute this year. If you go by the beginning of the season, he was happy for Thad to essentially red shirt this year.

But BK did pursue Joe Smith very hard as well which was a bad idea to preserve his job. And thank God we did not have cap space last summer to sign Darko like BK wanted.

Who knows whether BK would have traded Miller for partial cap space and a stiff, like many posters wanted. I would not have been surprised if he did.

Sometimes less is more.

THANK YOU FOR THE THRILLING WIN LAST NIGHT KEEP IT UP....... GO SIXERS

A few points:

-Was on the road today and listening to 610 and 950. Seems like everyone is hopping on the bandwagon after last night. Today is the first day I can remember that the airwaves have been dominated by Sixers believers. Hopefully we can start rocking the Wachovia Center like it was 2001 again. Dave is right. For us to have a Warriors-like run in the playoffs, we need to establish some kind of home court advantage starting with the fans. We're capable of it.

-David Thorpe has an article on espn.com today where he lists the top rookies in the league and lists a player that they should study in the offseason. The idea is not to mimic their game, but rather to take a particular aspect of it and apply it. Thorpe says Thad should study Kevin Garnett, saying:

"Young is ultrasmooth and talented, and he plays harder than I expected considering his age. Still, learning to play with supreme intensity and studying Mr. Intensity himself, KG, would add another dimension to his game. On days when his shot is not falling, he could use that fire to overwhelm his competition physically. This could propel Young to All-Star status."

Obviously, KG is a player every young stud should study. In terms of fierceness and competitiveness, he has no equal. However, I don't know if I agree with all of Thorpe's reasoning here. Regardless, I think Thad has the desire and willingness to improve and expand his repetoire. I would really love to see him and Iguodala reach their primes together.

-It's a pretty fun time to be a Philly sports fan. Nova is in the sweet sixteen. We're looking at playoff runs for the Flyers and Sixers. Neither team may be championship caliber, but they both have the talent to make runs. Opening day is less than a week away with our young nucleus and an incredibly fun rivalry with the Mets. And lastly, the Eagles just made a splash in free agency and McNabb's leg should be a bit stronger this year. Don't mean to sound like too much of a homer, but enjoy it people!

Iguoadala had one of the best halves of his career last night. He really shohewed up. As much as I wanted Miller moved at the deadline, he has been nothing short of spectacular. I agree with the previous poster in regards to the Allen Iverson comment. Miller knows how and when to pick his spots as good as anyone in the league. I still think they will get Orlando or Detroit and get bounced in the first round, but with the way they are playing, teams will not want to see them in the first round. Dalembert continues to show how limited and much of a cap hog he is night in and hight out.

I meant showed.

Apparently ES, on Daily News Live tonight, said that he is now a Rodney Carney believer.

I hope this run finally silences naysaying commentators like Rhea Hughes and Mike Missanelli. These people do not know sports. They are merely typically negative Philly commentators. Barely a day went by this season without them positing that the Sixers' best move was to tank for the season. The fact that MM said something like that as recently as two weeks ago shows mostly that he actually knows abso-frickin'-lutely nothing about basketball. And if you listen to him talk, he proves it over and over again, because he says nothing of substance. For those of us who only have CN8 and this blog as our sources, Marc Narducci and Brian Startare are the man. Or men.

Mike, I believe the Sixers will split in their four toughest remaining games and go 5-2 in the others. That 7-4 finish will leave them 43-39. I have no idea who they will face in the playoffs and I don't care. They are rockin'.

Brings me back to the upstart days of Lloyd Free, George McGinnis, Dougie Collins, Fred Carter, and the Kangaroo Kid. Those pre-Doc Sixers were fun to watch, physical, gritty, and almost as surprising. If only there was still an ABA from which we could pluck the best player...

Hugh,

Can't disagree more with you re your disrespect of SAM.

We must not be watching the same games, or you don't understand the absolute necessity of a defensive post presence.

We all agree SAM is not an offensive post up player, but as a defensive presence, he is top 5 at the center position. His 4th quarter defense vs Garnett and Duncan was been superb and direct related to two wins vs great teams!

John

Top core players in order - Iguodala, Miller, Dalembert, Young.

Game changing players just off the core in order - Evans, Williams, Carney

Potential game changer/needs another season - Smith

Valuable but expendable - Green

Valuable Vets for Minimum salary - Ollie, Booth

John, I knew Sam could block shots but he actually got in a defensive stance a few times and stayed in front of 2 very good offensive players recently. Stoudemire is the next test.If the 4 we get next year is not very mobile then Sam!s ability to defend some 4!s could be very important.

Suede,

Agree.

Also if we get a strong 4 for next year, SAM will look even better because he won't be asked to do as much that he cannot do.

He really showed me something during this streak...he can still be maddening, but one can't ignore his defensive presence and improvement.

John, Next year I could see Sam hanging at the high post and hitting the foul line jumper consistantly.With a low post 4, his main job will be to not close off driving lanes for our 1, 2, and 3.His problem is when he tries to do too much. He may get most of his lobs next year from the 4 we acquire, that is why I love K.Love so much, he would be the second best passer here next to A. Miller.

Suede,

Exactly right re SAM at high post.

LOVE will be long gone by the time we draft though.