Deep Sixer

if they continue to play like this, how deep can they go in the playoffs?

Sam, in the last week has been great. He seems to just be doing what he is capable of and nothing else. The energy was incredible, and before and after the game the players all seem to say the right things, this is amazing!!

While I really don't wanna be negative and take anything away from this run that I have been absolutely loving, there is one thing that worries me about the playoffs, which I think of as "Spurs Syndrome." With how hard this team goes out and plays every night, do they have a "playoff gear?" That extra motivation to D it up or take it hard to the hole once the playoff light shines..What happens when all these teams more or less coasting into the playoffs decide to rachet up their game to playoff gear?

Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love this year's Sixers. They make watching enjoyable and make me excited about it being a "basketball night." It's just when people start talking about how much we are gonna scare Detroit or Orlando in the first round I just can't help but have a little sense of fear.

Although simply making the playoffs is more than I ever expected and will be enough to keep me excited about sixers ball.

Matt, it will be a learning experience but the improvement in our half court offense will help in the playoffs along with our improving 3 pt. shooting. I said baby steps all year but I!d be disappointed in anything less than 3 wins in the postseason.

Dbeas, Prayerfully, with no serious injuries this team can go wherever they want to go and I'm not just talking smack. The higher they move up the playoff standings the better it will be for them. Like the old championship Sixers and the Jordan Bulls, they will run teams off the court and wear them down in a five or seven game series. They are quick, sharp, hardworking and very intelligent. I truly believe this team will go very far in the playoffs if not I'll be highly surprised. the only team that I fear playing against is the Toronto Raptures.Why because the one area defensively that I feel the Sixers are weak is to good outside shooting teams.

I hope the Sixers get Toronto. They should be fully prepared to go at them after facing them 4 times in the reg. season. But that Chris Bosh guy..watch out for him.

I don't want any of Lebron James either. I have a feeling that the officiating would definitely get in the Sixers way for that one.

What may be this year's best story in the league is finally starting to catch the attention of the major rags. Too late for any national coverage on the tube before the playoffs. Not even the return of Iverson (and the fabulous game that night) got any air time. Can't wait for the not ready for prime time players to wreck havoc. Does any of this remind anyone on the beginning of the Flyers run thirty some years back?

I'm as excited about this 76ers team as anybody. What a joy to watch these kids play!

But one thing worries me and I think it will come to haunt us in the playoffs... free throw shooting.

This team doesn't have any pressure on them and no matter where their playoff run ends, their accomplishments will exceed everyone's expectations for this "rebuilding" year. This teams nothing-to-lose attitude combined with their ferocious defense, and open court game, could send us deeper into the playoffs than many people think. The fact that we have the best record in the league in games played back-to-back after a loss will improve our chances of extending a series. This bodes well, I think, since our youth can finish off older more fatigued teams. It's hard to run up and down the court with this team during a single game let alone a 5 or 7 game series. I think we should trust our defense more in the beginning of games (especially shooting teams) and not double so much. I know it sets the defensive tempo but a lot of the games we lost this year were to teams who shot our lights out from beyond. The elite teams in the NBA can move the ball very well around the perimeter and crack double teams with skip passes. We need to keep the open looks down from jump street and prevent the opposing shooters from getting into a rhythm. I'm still shell-shocked from that last air-campaign by Orlando less than a week ago. (14 for 23 from 3 ~ 113-95 Orlando)

Do you think we can possibly snatch up Antwan Jamison next year as a free agent??

GO SIXERS!!!

Iguodala set the tone for this game by coming out smoking in the first quarter, defense and offense, a continuance of his great 4th quarter on Monday. I know there are other factors involved, but in the last 3 games, Iguodala has outscored R.Jefferson, Pierce, and Deng (all of whom would have rated ahead of him as SFs coming into this season) 79-31, holding the three of them to 9-29 shooting while shooting 26-49 himself.

Suffice it to say that if Lou & Rodney hit 9 three-pointers, there aren't many teams the Sixers are losing to. Rodney is finally ready to break through the 30% barrier on 3's this year (he's already above 40% for overall FG pct.).

Thad continues to play extremely well. Here's a question for all the bloggers: does Thad make 1st team All-Rookie this year? His lack of minutes hurts, but I would place him 4th (behind Durant, Horford, and Scola but ahead of Thornton, Conley, Navarro, etc.).

Only negatives for the game were Iguodala's continued poor free throw shooting (hope he can straighten it out before the playoffs) and Willie Green's continued horrid play. WillieG managed to jack up 14 shots in 19 minutes, hitting only 4 (that's 9-47 in the last 4 games) and also committed 4 turnovers, including a horrendous-looking try at a behind-the-back pass on a 2-on-1 break. He also managed a +/- of just +1, despite playing all his minutes with Iguodala (game-high +25) and Miller (+22).

I do see the logic of keeping Thad and Carney on the bench, though. It allows Mo to put in the quick lineup of Thad/Carney/Iguodala/Lou at the beginning the 2nd quarter, against the other team's reserves.

Next up is a string of 5 games that will go a long way toward determining their playoff seeding (PHO, at CLE, at NJ, at ATL, ATL). Cavs lost at the buzzer tonight and are only 3 up on the Sixers (with 2 to play head-to-head). Wizards struggled with the Sonics (down 17 at one point) before coming back to win. Raptors defeated the Pistons, who are doing the Sixers no favors. I do still think that the Sixers match up best with the Cavs, so a 5th or 4th seed would be optimal.

Suede,

Have you seen something where Robin Lopez would be coming out this year? He's more of a defender/rebounder for this team, but I like his length and his upside. If he comes out, I doubt if he'd last until the late teens, but he'd be a great fit.

But if he did, and we picked him no. 1, could we go and grab Artest then? Stick Lopez at the 4, Artest at the 3 and let our 19-year-old prodigy and the Red Bull bench continue to do their things.

Another year to let our young players grow, a good draft and Stefanski working his magic in free agency, and the arrow will keep looking up.

By the way, the shooter I want that we can get for cheap is Roger Mason from the Wizards. He can play PG-SG and would be a great fit with our bench, being able to spot up on Lou Will's drives or handling the ball so LW and Carney can get off.

And if you just want to stick with young players who will just play hard, then keep the draft pick (R. Lopez?), sign PF Ronny Turiaf and shooter Roger Mason and move on from there.

The Sixer win tonight made me think of the Chicago Bulls a few years ago. They were, just like the Sixers, a young team who used their youth to outwork opponents. They were exciting and looked like they were fast on their way to becoming a legit contender. Not only that but the Curry trade left them with New York's high lottery picks to help them fill out their roster with future stars.

I can't imagine a much brighter scenario and yet tonight showed how quickly things can turn ugly in the NBA. Tonight Chicago looked like a team going nowhere and in need of a major overhaul. It might be instructive for Ed to review what happened.

The beginning of the end started with Paxton giving a huge FA contract to Wallace. Detroit let him leave becuase they thought he was past his best years and boy were they right. Next Paxton traded Chandler to New Orleans for Brown, a proven veteran. You could guess Paxton's thinking was a vet like Brown could immediately help the playoff ready Bulls while Chandler still needed time. Not finished yet, Paxton followed this up with trading the pick that ended up being Lemarcus Aldride for the pick that ended up being Tyrus Thomas.

All of these moves proved to be disasterous and it demonstrated how foolish it can be to pin your hopes on a FA signing. Paxton would have been smart to stick with Chandler and not go after Wallace.

I also think Ed would have been smart to stick with Korver but now maybe he should take a step back and be very careful about who the Sixers sign this summer.

Y'know, the more I watch these guys, the less I want them to spend gobs of money on a free agent this summer. In a game where team chemistry is absolutely everything, a "superstar" coming in from outside is the most likely thing to mess with it. The guys we have are winning, beating the big boys, as well as the also-rans like the "Fashiona-bulls" (I lived in Chicago and worked for the Trib in the early 90's, and had to deal every day with some sort of nickname like that in the papers..."incredi-Bulls", "unbeata-Bulls", etc. Yuck.) who were the trendy pick to at least come out of the East this year.

I might be way off-base, but it seems to me that we would be better served spending the money on one or two mid-priced value players (an experienced backup 1 with a little more pizzazz than Kevin Ollie, maybe? Lou is an instant-offense 2 off the bench for now, whether we like it or not, although that is a very valuable kind of 6th man, especially given his recent commitment to playing D), finding a trade for Willie Green (I can't stand him, I'm sorry, I love the team, I love how we're playing, I desperately don't want to trash anyone and be a "Negadelphian", but he's just not a starting shooting guard on a playoff team), continue building through drafting value players (like Thad especially, and Jason, too), and invest the big cap space in extending our own guys as they develop.

That was a seriously long sentence, sorry.

Also, if Carney can continue to hit 3's like this, we are set, as far as I'm concerned. Could it have all been mental for him, and it took him a year and a half for the light-bulb to come on? Right now, he is playing exactly like the hypothetical guy I wanted us to draft. A shooting guard who is athletic enough to create his own shot, can knock down open 3's to stretch the floor, can get out and run with the rest of the team, and play tough D. If he can keep it up, we can save our cap space for the 2009 FA class, and draft the jazzier backup 1 (Darren Collison?).

I have this allergy to free agents, or other types of quick fix. We haven't brought in a real star and had it work out since Moses Malone.

And for the love of all that's good and fair in the world, give Mo a real extension. I mean really. Come on now.

Love what the Sixers are doing BUT....

Their free throw shooting is horrendous!! Worst in the league. I don't want to sound too nit-picky considering their great overall play of late, but this will come back to haunt them if they don't pick it up a notch or two. Iggy especially needs to shoot better from the charity stripe as he is likely going to get there a lot with his style of play. As it is now, teams are targeting him as the guy to foul...it shouldn't be that way for your star small forward.

The playoffs especially will require better concentration at the line where every point is even more crucial, especially against higher quality opponents over a 7-game series.

Having said that, though, no one is more surprised or delighted the way the Sixers have played down the stretch then me. The pressure is on and they are responding to the call, winnig games I never thought they'd be capable of winning. Keep up the great work fellas!

MO CHEEKS! MO CHEEKS!

Coach of the Year for the way he has kept this team together, led by example, recognized what he has in Andre Miller and let him run the team...great job MO!

ANDRE IGUODALA, ANDRE IGUODALA!

Why do the Sixers play HARD everynight...IGUODALA! He works at BOTH ENDS of the floor, and he can go coast to coast after a rebound...similar to Barkley yet quicker of course...great job franchise player ANDRE IGUODALA!

SAMMY! SAMMY!

Still want to get rid of him knuckleheads? Sam knows why he is on the floor, has improved his rebounding tremenduosly, understands when to go for the block, understands the value of the 4th quarter...great job SAM!

ANDRE MILLER! ANDRE MILLER!

Never since Mo was playing have we had a pass first PG who also knows when he needs to score. What is MOST REMARKABLE is not the 18 assists but that couples with that he KNEW he needed to score a couple of buckets in the 3rd quarter when Bulls made a run...great job Andre Miller!

Rebcalale: Excellent points! Ed absolutely needs to be very careful and pragmatic this off-season. It will be very easy to upset the promising yet fragile foundation we are building. Too much tinkering can be the tipping point back to the lottery.

Too often people in this space throw around lottery and free agent scenarios that like they are a magic bullet for catapulting the team to the NBA Championship (less now than early Feb thankfully). In my opinion, its ignorant babble at best due to a combination of things: failure to accurately judge talent and potential, disrespectful for chemistry, and disregard for long-term benefits in exchange for short-term gain. Signing Ben Wallace was a great headline for the Bulls. They attracted an All Star free agent to their rising team. However, it was a bad move and hindsight wasn't required to detect that. The Bulls weren't a step away from the title - THEY WERE YEARS AWAY, just as we are now. They could have continued on a nice upward trajectory, incrementally improving the team. Instead they tinkered too much, didn't recognize the talent they had, reached for the golden ring, missed and fell.

I work in finance. One gains wealth by continually investing intelligently, making the appropriate moves when necessary, ignoring impulse at all costs. I can only hope Ed brings the same type of knowledge and discipline to managing this team.

Marc,

didn't watch the Bulls game (yet) but few points:

1) I made a 31 W prediction at the beginning of the season so I guess I'd have to be counted among "Doubters" but here is where my positive attitude comes out: I'm HAPPY I completely missed that prediction (that at the half of the year looked completely on point, with only 16 W under our belt, yeah...)

2) the more I see Sam (who is having a good year) the more I think a Brendan Haywood or a Kendrick Perkins would do more or less the same things, but at half the price. He is doing ok but he can't get much better than this, problem is he locks way too many dollars and years in cap space, so if we want to build a contender team he might be one of the pieces to move I'm afraid... Again, not hating on him, just being realistic

3) similar for Green, I am ok with Mo keeping him in the starting line up even if he's clearly slumping because the team is showing it can overcome Green's current bad shape and it would be dumb to change chemistry now.

Also, Green was a part of the team's success, so it's ok to reward him for what he did before and stick with him in "bad times". Good short term move by Mo IMO, but in the long term we need something better than him at the starting SG spot (that to me has to be taken by Iggy, with Thad at SF)

4) as for possible playoffs matchup, I think BOTH Orlando and Tor are a bad fit for us, they both destroyed us in the regl season series with the combination of hot 3pt shooting and low post scoring (Howard + Bosh)

I'd rather face LeBron, Cavs look beatable in a 7 games series. Also the arena will be packed and we would (finally?) get the deserved attention by national media

5) are Sixers dancers anticipating the future team's run? They are Eastern conference semifinalists, LOL

Can we stop talking about the off-season? Really, let's enjoy the last 10 games and the post-season.

We have been talking about the draft and F/A for the last 6 years.

Forget about what Ed needs to do in July, let's enjoy the growth of this team right now.

I have a 7 year-old, I am not worried about where he is going to college just yet, enjoy the present. The future is not a guarantee!

To me, Turiaf would compliment us pefectly as he's a "lunch-pail" type of player who does all his talking on the floor!

Datrue4life, just recently R.Lopez has been added, along with B.Griffin, to draftxpress, which usually means he may be coming out. Reb. , seems the difference between our situation and Chicago!s a few years ago is A.Miller. When the leader of your team is a veteran, point guard, and somebody the young players seem to respect and admire it allows you to not bring in a "veteran" to mix the young and old. And the fact that he was here when it was bad is even better. I!m gonna predict the best "trades" that B.K. and E.S. will be remembered for are the ones they didn!t make[Yi and A.Miller ]. I don!t want anybody brought in that can!t be molded to fit what we have.

Case...moment of perspective here. Trust that few people are enjoying this run more than me. I simply think Rebcalale brought up a great point at an opportunue time: 2 years ago the Sixers-Bulls scenario was completely reversed. Thankfully we are on the positive side, and we'll continue to be if we make the right decisions going forward. Use the Bulls case as a history lesson. That's all.

2 games over .500 from 12 under. Can you believe it???!!! I love these guys.

why is willie green getting so many minutes? i cringe everytime he tries to make a shot

Case,

Nothing to do with not enjoying what's happening now. In fact, i would say that much of the armchair GMing that goes on is in the hopes that it goes on for a while, and keeps getting better.

In addition, I think we all do recognize that as much fun as this run has been, and as much as the team is vastly improved, and how enjoyable they are to watch, it's not a finished product.

Besides, this is all entertainment. The game itself is entertainment, the following of our team is entertainment, and the "what would I do if I were in charge" is entertainment. Ed Stefanski doesn't have to, nor is he going to, check the fan blogs before making his personnel moves.

We're having a good time watching and discussing the games, and having a good time analyzing and discussing the draft and the free agent market. Not a thing wrong with that.

John, The Coach Of The Year Award is just that.
It's not The Coach of Feb & Mar Award. At 18-30, with a reasonable 'wait-and-see' new GM in place, Cheeks' head coaching future was in doubt. Since he's signed on for another year (a tepid vote of confidence), Sixers have become world-beaters. (I think it's more a function of late season opponent inattentiveness and a much junk NBA.) But the league officially recognizes long-distance excellence, not 440 ribbon-striding. It's premature to conclude, but stronger COY Award candidates are Rick Adelman, Byron Scott and Jerry Sloan, to name just a few.

Jumpin':

Are you really putting this year's run in the same context of last year? I just don't see it. We're not just beating lesser teams running out the string, we're crushing them. Plus beating legit contenders who are not at all playing out the string. I would agree, however, that Mo is probably not coach of the year.

I think most are right, above, that chemistry needs to be a key concern for adding pieces. Chicago is a real cautionary tale.

That said, this team is not a true championship contender. I still think it will be a real accomplishment to even win a round this year - we will be an legit underdog. So we do need to add at least a legit PF. If Carney's improvement is for real, and he develops into our bench shooter we may need to make one less move. But we still need to make some moves.

geeksavant,

Right on, we can enjoy this run AND think about trades and free agency at the same time. Sheep, we are not.

From John Smallwoods column today:

"BEFORE THE START of last night's 121-99 victory over the Chicago Bulls, Sixers swingman Rodney Carney was taking a break from pregame warmups when team president/general manager Ed Stefanski sat on the bench next to him.

Some players might get antsy when the boss, particularly one who took over after you came to the team, sits down next to you.

But what Stefanski said was something Carney definitely wanted to hear.

"He told me, 'When I first came in here, I didn't know anything about you,' " Carney said of the GM who came to the team in December with the authority to rebuild in the manner he saw fit. " 'But you proved to me that you belong here. All you have to do is keep taking advantage of your opportunities.' That's what I'm trying to do."

What Stefanski told Carney was the same thing he said Tuesday on Comcast SportsNet's "Daily News Live." He told me the same thing last night.

Of the evaluations Stefanski has made of the Sixers since he replaced Billy King, Carney is the player who represents the biggest change in what Stefanski thought he was and what he has shown to be.

"Rodney, when I got here, I said the jury was out," Stefanski said. "I said, 'I don't know if he's good enough or if he was a NBA basketball player.'

"He was the guy you really

weren't sure of. He was such an up-and-down guy. But he's proven to all of us that he belongs. I have no doubt that he can play in the NBA - that he can be a part of what we're trying to do."

I agree. The Sixers have what it takes to win, because they are doing so much, with frankly so little (Andre Miller who? Thaddeus Young? The only star was Iguodala, and hes got the star power of a Sam Cassell.). What you guys need is a Big Man/Power Forward without a lot of star power, who's just as blue-collar as this team. Robin Lopez comes readily to mind.

Unfortunately, the Philly fans are starting to do what the Philly fans always do when a team has a little bit of success--their expectations get "sky-high", and when the team loses (as they probably will in a first- or secound-round playoff series), they get all bitter and critical again. This is called a "set-up," and it's based on unrealistic expectations. Right now, the Sixers are playing with "house money" (love that cliche). They're way ahead of what anyone not smoking an illegal substance thought they would do this year, so the rest of the season and the playoffs are gravy. There's no question that they need a few more pieces, including a bonafide 3 pt shooter and a veteran power forward. The Celtics' run this year has been done with veterans, not kids, and they signed more veterans for the playoff stretch. The Sixers are playing great ball, and with their youth should be in a good position for several years. Judt don't hype them in your minds so much that when they lose badly in a playoff series (which they probably will) that the bitterness and bile return.

Morty, just another case of the impact that Ed S has had on the sixers since he came here. Big time schmoozer/button pusher/Salesman And a Leader. BK doesn't have all of those skills. Bright guy but not a leader/schmoozer. I think Ed also took pressure off of Mo in those departments. Mo can just coach and be himself.

sfw:

You can definitely tell ES was a great salesman back in his business days.

I've been on the Mo Cheeks bandwagon since he came here. He managed to get the 2002-2003 Jailblazers to the playoffs. The playoffs! Anybody remember who was on that team? "Rash-weed" Wallace, Scottie "I'm a superstar" Pippen, Dale Davis, Damon Stoudamire, Bonzi Wells, and Reuben Patterson.

The fact that the Sixers have played hard under him, night in and night out this season and the second half of last season isn't a shocker. What he's accomplished with as little supports as he's had speaks volumes about his talent. He's probably not going to win COtY, but he should be a candidate for it.

I fear the playoffs in general, especially with such a young team. The "world is against us" chip on their shoulder they've been playing with will certainly help, but playoffs are a completely different beast.

I'm a Carney believer now, he should be starting over Willie 3-17. I've never been happier to be wrong about someone. He is just so confident right now, he's shooting like he knows every three he takes is a good shot, a la Korver. And these kids have gotta love Stefansky, they probably think he's the reason they're getting so much playing time (again, who knows what Mo would've done had Billy not gotten canned).

I hope either a) Mo starts playing Carney over Green, or b) Stefansky ships Green out of here so that Mo has no choice but to play Carney.

Toronto would be a great place for Willie, they have too many shooters, not enough dribble drive penetrators. Orlando could also use him. Willie for a pair of 2nd rounders and some cash would suit me fine. How about Willie to Miami for Marcus Banks?

Morty, No, my reference points are this year.

Chicago (now), Miami, NY, Charlotte, Memphis, Milwaukee, LA Clippers--dysfunctional hors d'oeuvres for a hungry Philadelphia bunch.

If you're veteran Detroit, Boston, San Antonio, Dallas and Phoenix, how jacked do you think they get for a game against the long-humbled Sixers? Approaches may start to change but that element has affected outcomes.

How about Willie for some beautiful ocean front swampland in Florida?

Jumpin':

But almost all those contending teams, and you've got to include Denver in that group, and especially the Western teams are jockeying for playoff position. They need each and every win. I will give you that Detroit and Boston just got caught with their pants down. But a 19-0 run against Boston in the 4th on the road? Leading the Spurs wire to wire? Beating Detroit in a half court game on the road? That's more than teams merely taking the Sixers lightly.

Again, I would surprised if the Sixers won a round, especially against Detroit or Boston, but I do think this run is legit.

Morty, he's worth SOMETHING! He'd be okay with the right system. Against teams where you can't pack it in, like Orlando or Toronto, he'd be decent. Miami's not the best fit, but he'd be an upgrade over Jason Williams. Remember, shooting guards have rarely killed us this year, which is a testament to his decent defense, both team and one-on-one.

Sixerzguy:

What? Florida swampland is now worthless?

Man, I've got to talk to my accountant!

SFW & Morty - Saw that article too... Have also noticed that you often see shots of Ed sitting and talking to guys, trying to school them a bit. It's encouraging. Also interesting was in the post game yesterday - i think it was thaddeus who gave ed a nod when asked about the recent run. how often do you hear players (especially that young) talking about gm's like that?

Also, i hate to be negative, but as several have observed lately willie is really dogging it. In addition to the behind the back pass attempt statman mentioned, there were those three 3 bricks, and the attemped no look dish back in the general direction of reggie evans that wound up out of bounds with no one coming close to touching it... It didn't cost us the game or anything, but it might against a detroit or a boston in the playoffs... Morty, you've been talking about how his leash is way to long and im going to have to agree with you, especially when carney is as on has he has been. At any rate, If we can extrapolate from the quote you posted about carney, Ed seems to be on the same page in the long term.

Morty, As much as you're fixated on Willie Green's playing demerits, I continue to applaud his being a member of the squad. Did you see him clapping his hands on bench last night after a Carney 3? Not close to a premier shooting guard, but a quality guy who contributes. And last night's around-the-world, dipsy-doodle errant pass tells you he's catching the playoff fever!

Jumpin':

Just fooling around, I would want more in return for Willie than swampland.

But seriously, Willie has had his best year as a pro, and he's still below average. If he's not shooting 50% from the field I don't see all that much value.

He's a total gunner who doesn't know his limits, and an average at best defender.

But you're right, I am a bit fixated. In my defense I didn't bring him up this time.

Morty,

ha ha ha, stop it, my stomch hurts, you and Bob Salmi doing stand-up would be priceless...

Sixerzguy:

Thanks?

Another difference between PHI and CHI:

How their respective young stars have elevated themselves, as well as their teams, after not signing extentions last summer.

In all seriousness, we're a really, really good team. What is it exactly that OTHER teams do that make them so much more superior to us? Why is everyone so cautious? Morty, did you listen to that Bill Simmons podcast? Neither of them (Marc Stein) really knew how to describe the Sixers, I don't think anyone does. Near the end, Simmons wanted to talk about teams in the East who could challenge the Celts, and all he could mutter out was, "The Sixers..." and then was at a loss for words. I keep waiting and waiting for a decent analysis of why this team is so good, and nothing's coming out. This is a new kind of team, I don't know if the NBA has seen anything like this before.

Was at the game last. Team and crowd were GREAT. Game was over in first 10 mins.
I must admit that I was praying that Deng fell to the Sixers in that draft where we got Iggy, but it looks like we got off much better now. Deng may have been better the first two years, but Iggy really stepped it up this year. (however, I still think they should have took Josh Smith with that pick).

I am trying to enjoy the ride, but I can't help but be worried about Iggy's contract this summer. Is HE really going to be our best player for the next 5 years, is he asking for MAX money, or should be count on Thad to become that player???

For all of Billy King's horrible contracts, he truly deserves A LOT of credit for draft days. Korver (turned him into a 1st round pick), Iggy, Sweet Lou !, and Thad. A really excellent job by BK.

Why does Green still play when it is clear to almost everyone that Lou is a better offensive and defensive player ?

Sixerzguy:

I did listen to that podcast. The best Simmons could come up with with that it's their "style" that's winning. And Stein really did just want to move on, didn't care.

And I agree that their style is unique, in that they do want to fast break (by the way, their fast break was incredible last night), but they don't play the type of constant fast break that Phoenix, Golden State and Denver play. They don't play every possession like its a fast break and take the first open shot. Their fast break is more based upon steals and blocks.

Instead of "run and gun", it's "steal and run." I think you've noted that previously.

Wow! This team is really on a roll. Its tough to go on a 19-5 roll in the NBA without being a good team.

As for the future, not worrying about it now, but if it were up to me, Andre I would get his money, LouWill would be resigned, and an extension for A miller may be in order. Forget a superstar in free agency, most guys are available because they play on bad teams and haven't made them better. Let this team grow, draft smart, and sign a few role players.

Gotta get off the Green stuff.
I think he played 18 minutes last night. Would it be different if those minutes were off the bench? I prefer the spark we are getting now. When he doesn't produce he's getting 2 or 3 runs a game. No big deal.

As Ed said, Iggy is our future 2 guard, Thad the 3. I think we should relax on this. Willie is our Marc Iavoroni with different position/strengths. He just has to break this slump.

sfw:

Don't forget the 14 shots and 4 turnovers in 18 minutes.

However, if Willie's leash shortens, I'm fine for the rest of this year, but he's been getting a consistent 20-25 minutes regardless of how he plays.

I'm not asking for him to be banished, just controlled - that's what a coach of the year should do, no?

Morty, yes!

This team is what the NBA should be: and athletic, unselfish, well-coached team that is winning because they play good basketball. I have said this before and I'll say it again...there is no one this team can't beat. Period!

Morty, Was that you at the game last night wearing an "Alligator Alley 4-Ever" t-shirt?
I considered your trade proposal and think that in trading Green, should that be your route, you must net swampland AND condo zoning variances AND Sunrise Senior Living stock. Hold on anything less.

Morty,

Have I got a deal for you. I'll trade Willie Green AND Florida swampland for a 3rd round pick.

Great posts today! Very insightful. I would be happy if the Sixers took two games in the playoffs, but if they keep playing like they have been (other than the need to improve their free-throw shooting) I think they can make it to the second round.
DaTruth, please stop with the Artest talk. I know he's a great, great player, but I would worry about how he affects this teams chemistry. Love your other ideas though. I have confidence Ed can make the right moves to get us back in contending in the East... and beyond.
Willie has been too streaky... I wouldn't mind trading him this off-season. Especially if you bring in a starting PF. I think Thad will be ready to start at SF and move Iguodala to SG. With Williams and Carney coming off the bench (and if we are able to sign a guy like Mason as DaTruth suggested), that leaves Green as the odd man out.
I really do love this team and the situation they are in right now.
Thank you Billy, Ed, Mo!
B Frank
PS - Yes, give Mo at least another year if not two.

Jumpin'/ Larry:

I've reconsidered. With the market tanking in Florida, I'm holding out for not just zoning approval (non-appeal able, of course), but also infrastructure improvements. Stock options are a given, and the 3rd round pick Larry offers is intriguing - get BK on the phone.

I would also consider a three team deal where we net a trailer home community in Phoenix.

Morty,

If BK is involved, we have to swap our first round pick and cash for their second round pick.

Larry:

Have you read about how BK traded the 30th pick of last year's 1st round, a young promising Euro guard who is still in Europe, for a second round pick which became Derrick Bryars who we cut, and then also traded our original 2nd round pick for a lower 2nd round pick? What?

And people want him back!

Morty,

That was kind of what I was referring to. Also, don't forget in the same draft when Pat Riley stepped in front of us to pick Jason Smith, a player he did not want, just to get some cash (and a future second rounder?) from BK.

In BK's defense, he did draft well. Unfortunately, he was real bad at all other aspects of his job.

I have made many posts in the past that advocated losing and getting into the lottery. While I will admit that I may have been wrong here given the team's turnaround, I do stand by my other points that

A) Sammy D is the most unfocused player and has the lowest IQ in the league. He played like crap against Boston for 46 minutes and then had a couple of nice plays and he is worth the $10M that is killing our cap space for the next 3 years. He blocks a few shots and grabs some rebounds but he does not do anything above what his size/frame should do.

B) Willie Green is the biggest gunner in the league. He never looks to pass and when he does, he seems to find the opposing team more often than someone on the Sixers.

With him and Reggie Evans on the floor at the same time, we are playing 3 on 5 in a half court game. I am looking forward to the playoffs, but the lack of a big man on offense will prove detrimental to this team. Also, the fast paced - shoot-quick - transition offense that we are running allows for Sammy to run to the paint and get some dunks and stay out of the way, but in the playoffs, he will be his old self ---> goaltending, out of position, jumping over backs, getting 3-second calls, etc.

TRADE SAMMY!

DRAFT DJ WHITE!

Right on Morty!

Hugh:

If you rec call, it was Sammy's huge performance in our last playoff appearance that got him his monster deal.

Larry:

Right. Despite making some good picks, especially Lou and Thad (Dre was a bit of a no brainer), BK definitely seems like the kind of guy you want at your Friday poker game.

Hugh,

I agree with you about Willie, but not about Sammy. While it is very frustrating to deal with his low basketball IQ, I think Sammy has made significant progress this year. He has learned to stop going for every shot fake, and consequently, is staying out of foul trouble. The Sixers cannot play serious defense for any length of time when he is not on the court (unless you want to play Booth, who is way more 1-dimensional than Sammy). On offense, I would just never give him the ball in the low post. He has no moves and can't dribble. But I don't mind his 15 foot set shot from the elbow-- he has been very consistent with that.

As for the playoffs, I seem to recall he played great against Detroit the last time we got ther. I hate myself for saying this about Dummybert, but as the team is currently constructed, he might be the most indispensible player we have.Ugh.

Oh, I do recall unfortunately. Please recall for me the outcome of that series. Also, please recall the number of times Sammy went for a rebound he had no chance at and was the last guy down court - causing odd man breaks that lead to easy points for Detroit. I wish I had the ability to pull game film from those games. Stats are so overrated. Billy King was scared that he was going to let Sam go as we was starting to peak - he misread the situation. Do you remember his record setting goaltending numbers in that series?

BIlly King belongs in politics.

Morty,

I was just about to make the same comment-- boy, would I love to play poker against BK!

C'mon Larry - I hear you - but think about what you are writing - doesn't it bother you that guys like Kendrick Perkins and Leon Powe are better offensively than Sam.

Hugh:

I disagree with you about the current value of Sammy to our team, despite his maddening lapses.

But I can't disagree with you about his contract. Another case of BK negotiating against himself.

Billy King in politics-- good one, Hugh. Perhaps he can chalk up his mistakes to being rattled by the Bosnian sniper fire.

LOL - He can make repeated mistakes and then smile and retain his job. He and Isaiah in 2012.

Hugh,

It does not really bother me, because Sammy's role is rebounding and defensive stopper/shot alterer. He fills those roles fine. Sure, I would prefer that he had some offense, but I think his offensively deficiencies are magnified by not having a scoring PF in the post. Hey I wish he was Olajuwan, but he is what he is. I dont think the Sixers would have much success with Perkins at center, they could not stop anyone from scoring.

Maybe I am just too hard on him, but he drives me crazy. I just get so mad when I watch him play.

Sammy must be a stoner.

It does seem like it. And then it wears off around the 4th quarter and he can focus a bit.

Morty,

That is too funny. Whenever my buddy and I go to the games, we blame the all-too-frequent 3rd quarter blahs on Sammy passing around a joint in the half-time locker room.

By the way, I spoke to Stefanski at a Fan Forum this week. He says that "Sammy is a genius. On the road, he takes apart and puts together computers for fun". I guess he is a true idiot savant.

Charlie Rosen writes the best analysis I've seen on the 6ers...this is really well written stuff. He gives the team prop's for all the good stuff, but calls it like it is, like Miller and Sweet Lou still needing to improve bigtime on D, because the team's perimeter D is still an issue.

http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/story/7957264

Defense
This is where it starts for the Sixers, and for most winning teams.
Sam Dalembert's defense is a key part of the Sixers' success. (Jesse D. Garrabrant / Getty Images)
The Sixers came out of the gate with incredible intensity on defense.

Their quick, active hands created numerous steals (12 for the game) and a slew of deflections.

Every pass, catch, passing lane and dribble was challenged.

The Sixers were quick to jam the middle on the Bulls' penetration, but were also able to swiftly recover in time to make effective closeouts on perimeter shooters. The only problem here was that skip passes generally produced open looks from downtown.

Anchoring their scrambling, gambling defense was Sam Dalembert, who had 9 rebounds, 4 blocks and 12 points. Not recorded in the stat sheet were Dalembert's six intimidations. Yes, he frequently gets out-muscled — Andres Nocioni did this on several occasions — but Dalembert has quick ups and rarely bites at fakes. It's also true that Chicago had no post-up threat to challenge Dalembert's straight-up defense.

The Sixers looked to switch on most screen/rolls, handoffs and interior cuts.
From time to time, they also resorted to two-timing the Bulls guards as they approached the mid-court line. While this tactic generated precious few turnovers, it did succeed in shortening the Bulls' available attack time.
Not every aspect of the Sixers' defense was first-rate, however.

-Andre Miller made several late rotations that led to layups.
-Rodney Carney was repeatedly taken to school by Kirk Hinrich.
-Louis Williams was easily lifted by ball-fakes far from the basket.
-When Dalembert was on the bench, the paint was clearly unprotected.

Offense
Their sniping defense generated dozens of fast-break scores. In the first half alone, Philly had 22 fast-break points, which was 22 more than Chicago could manage.
Andre Iguodala — 8-for-15, 9 rebounds, 4 steals, 21 points — set the tone early, when he converted 2-for-2 from 3-land. He can get to the hoop (and finish) with an imposing combination of speed, trickiness and sheer power. And he's just as happy to drive-and-dish than to assault the rim.

What Iguodala can't do as well is shoot — 3-for-9 from the stripe. All told, his initial brace of treys were the only outside shots he hit in nine tries, which included an air ball and a baseline jumper that cracked against the side of the backboard. Iguodala's flawed jumpers keep him from being a franchise player.

Andre Miller did whatever he had to do — 2-for-4, 8 rebounds, 18 assists, 2 steals, only 1 turnover (which came when he over-handled the ball and was ripped from the blindside), and 9 points. He sees and delivers as well as any of his peers.

When the Sixers offense hit a dead spell in the third quarter and the Bulls had cut a 16-point lead in half, Miller took Ben Gordon one-on-one and hit a driving layup to get Philly back on track. This important score was Miller's first bucket of the game.

A few possessions later, Miller posted Gordon and scored a turnaround jumper that put the Bulls to sleep for good.

Thaddeus Young — 8-for-11, 6 rebounds, 20 points in 27 minutes — has a lively body and plays like a veteran. This rook has the goods to someday become an All-Star.

Louis Williams can scoot-and-shoot with anybody — 8-for-13, 5-for-6 from beyond the arc, 5 assists, no turnovers, and 23 points in 23 minutes. More and more, this hot-footed, sure-shooting youngster is playing under control. For sure, he's often overanxious on defense, but the dude is a bonafide player.

Willie Green was out of synch — 4-for-14, 4 turnovers, 9 points — but showed a powerful approach to the rim.

Reggie Evans — 2-for-3, 6 rebounds, 6 points — hustled, bustled and demonstrated that he understood his limitations.

When the running game was unavailable, the Sixers offense was crisp and selfless. Curls off weak-side screens and tight handoffs produced clean looks.

When the Bulls attempted a full-court trap, the Sixers ran and passed their way to a dunk by Evans.

In the second quarter, Chicago tried to slow down the Sixers with a 2-3 zone. At first the Sixers were hesitant, but Williams shot holes in the zone. After a few possessions, Philadelphia was able to smartly move the ball well enough to find layups galore. The Bulls just as quickly abandoned the zone.

For the game, the Sixers' 44 baskets were aided by 36 assists.
For sure, this team has a golden future, but only if they can maintain their full-court, full-time intensity. Bringing in a big who can score in the paint wouldn't hurt either. If these two needs are met, the Sixers won't be surprising anybody in the future.

Kudos to Mo Cheeks and his staff for hanging in with the young guys and hanging on to an older guy (Miller) and letting him lead the way.

Trackboy, thanks for the link.

Larry:

Did ES really say that?

What does Sammy have to do to get credit. Top 10 in blocks, FG%,double-doubles but you overlook that for the sake of a few mental lapses. How many of you are in the top 10 at your job? Did you hear Moses comments on him the other day? To paraphrase he said that if Sammy grew up in Houston he would be comparable to Olajuawn whom he schooled while he played for the Rockets. I would agree with Sam that he needs a full time big man coach like Dwight Howard has(Patrick Ewing) in Orlando. He won the San Antonio(Duncan),Boston(Garnett),Chicago(Noah?)games just to name a few. It wasn't Howard that won the Orlando game it was the rotations off the dribble drives of Nelson and Turkolu. That being said he needs to develop a go-to move in the post and about 15 lbs of muscle. Anyone know Rogers number how about Barry? We'll go as far in the playoffs and the 2 Dres and the ability of Lwill and Carney to strech the D with their new found 3pt shooting. I'm all for moving Iggy to the 2 and staring Thad at the 3 and drasticlly reducing Green's minutes. GO SIXERS!!!

Morty -
I just noticed that as of 4:15 EST, there were 77 posts, of which you submitted 85 :-p

That's it?!

I really should actually work. Home offices can be de-motivating sometimes...

solidifies your standing as Fan of the Year

Lol. scary thought, too nerdy, don't want the title. I'll have to slowly walk away from the computer.

I understand the love for the Sixers and everyone's appreciation of Sammy protecting the rim and filling his role, but he gets way too much credit - is he really playing any different than he was at the beginning of the year? No. It is Iggy's development and the stellar play of Miller and the progression of Lou Williams and Thaddeus and Carney. Dalembert is doing the same things he has always done. I love how he is Olajuwon now - LOL. Lets please refrain from such silly comparisons on this blog. Who is Igouadala? Clyde Drexler? I guess Willie Green is Joe Dumars.

I love the pic from the Rosen article - Dalembert is committing 2 fouls - his one hand is on the hip and his other is hitting Gooden's forearm. Very funny. I wish I was 7ft tall and my wingspan was 11 feet - I would be a top 50 all-time.