Deep Sixer

The new address for our blog is
http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/deep-sixer/.

We're sorry for any inconvenience, especially doing this in the beginning of the postseason, but hope you will find you way there.
Those who want to post on wil have to re-register. If you have any questions, feel free to e-mail: mnarducci@phillynews.com.
The passion of the fans on the blog has been one of the most pleasant developments of covering the team and I look forward to hearing from the fans.

Thanks,
Marc Narducci

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. – The 76ers were once again aided by a mentality that never allows them to die. At least not for too long.
Raise your hand if you truly felt that down by 15 midway through the third quarter that the Sixers had a puncher’s chance at beating the Detroit Pistons.
Sunday’s 90-86 win in Game 1 over the Detroit Pistons would have been a surprise anyway it happened.
The fact that the game appeared out of reach against one of the best defensive teams in the NBA, made it more impressive.
What one has to admire is the team-oriented attitude of the players.
Nobody was probably more disappointed than Reggie Evans for not getting the start against the Pistons.
He’s a veteran who had the most playoff experience of the starters – 16 games entering last night.
Evans had to give way to rookie Thaddeus Young. And isn’t it fitting that Young gave the Sixers a serious spark in the first quarter and Evans took charge in the fourth period.
This might have been Evans’ best all-around game, especially considering the stakes and the opponent. He had 11 points, 14 rebounds and made scored six of the biggest points of the season in the fourth quarter.
The fact that the Sixers never quit, is what has made them so appealing to the fans.
We’re sure there will be a few fans out there who no doubt think the Sixers can win the series.
What matters is that the Sixers probably think they can win it, even though there are many of us out there who remain skeptical.
Even the biggest skeptic had to be impressed by the Sixers’ grit. The Sixers also went against conventional wisdom by attempting to run in the playoffs against the Pistons.
The Sixers had 16 fast break points (compared to 12 for Detroit). Considering that the Sixers only had 26 fast break points in their first three games against Detroit, that’s impressive (The fourth game with Detroit, the Pistons played many subs).
So the Sixers ran and clawed and fought and to the surprise of man, they won.
And now what appeared to be just a formality of a series, could turn into a dogfight.
The Sixers all of a sudden can be loose for Game 2 on Wednesday, while the stakes have dramatically increased for the Pistons.
“It’s a must win game Wednesday for us,” Detroit coach Flip Saunders said.
And who would have thought that Detroit would be saying that after just one game?

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. -- In a move that wasn’t surprising, 76ers coach Maurice Cheeks said at this morning’s shootaround that Thaddeus Young would start at power forward in tonight’s opening playoff game with the Detroit Pistons.
Reggie Evans, who started all four regular season games against the Pistons, will come off the bench.
After Friday’s practice Cheeks said that he was looking for more scoring from the power forward position, hinting that Young would be in the starting lineup.. The Sixers averaged just 85 points per game in their four regular season meetings with Detroit.
“Thaddeus, when we have him inside we score more,” Cheeks said after this morning’s shootaround at the Palace of Auburn Hills. “We get more opportunities to run up and down the floor and he runs extremely well.
Cheeks also mentioned that he likes the energy that Evans brings off the bench. Young started once this season against the Pistons, but that was at small forward when Willie Green missed a game with a back injury. The Sixers won that game, 83-82 on March 12 at the Palace of Auburn Hills.

CHICAGO – While waiting for connecting flights, it’s as good a time as any to comment on some of the interesting posts about the Sixers first round playoff series with the Detroit Pistons.
First of all, people like Ray and Zeru, who predict the Sixers will win the series, my hat goes off to you for going against the norm. We’ll see how it goes.
By the way, Ray asks if he is crazy for picking Denver over the Lakers.
The word may not be crazy, but let’s just say you’re wrong.
To the Greek – two words on your comment on Willie Green and I being bowling buddies – cheap shot.
My response on Green has been consistent. Sure they need to do better at two guard and he has been inconsistent, but Green has also had his moments.
Changing the lineup at this point to put Thaddeus Young at the three, isn’t something we would advocate. Doing it next season when the team has training camp to work things out, would be better.
Plus, I like Thaddeus at the four because he is more athletic than just about any power forward he goes against.
The fans seem to get hung up on who starts. The key is who finishes, and as Mo Cheeks said again today after practice, Willie Green usually doesn’t finish games unless he is playing exceptionally well.
And if Green isn’t playing well early, Cheeks won’t have him out there as long against the Pistons.
It’s as simple as that.
The best finishing lineup is Miller and Lou Williams in the backcourt with Iguodala and Thad at forward and Dalembert at center.
As for some of the other comments, Jason from Los Angeles was disappointed that I’m picking Detroit in five games and wondering why somebody who has followed the team all year wasn’t showing more faith.
The reason I’m not picking the Sixers is that I have followed them all year and have seen an inconsistent group, which is why they are 40-42.
Nothing would be more pleasing than to see the Sixers win this series, but you have to go with what you’ve seen, and they don’t match up well with the veteran Pistons.
The only chance is for the Sixers to get out in transition, but Detroit is one of the toughest teams to run against.
Either way, it’s good to hear the different views on this series, even if I have to duck from some of the shots being taken in blogsville.

Despite proving just about ever prognosticator wrong, the 76ers are generating very little support to upset the Detroit Pistons.
In fact most skeptics (including this reporter) don’t think the Sixers can win more than one game.
However, there are many who have written in and feel that the aging Pistons are a good matchup.
One key is that Flip Saunders did a good job of not burning out the Pistons this season and this veteran team shouldn’t be as tired entering the postseason.
That said, the Sixers should still try to run Detroit into the ground, although this season Saunders has gone to his bench much more.
Whether that happens in the postseason remains to be seen.
If one looked position by position, the Pistons come out stronger, at least as far as the starters go.
As well as Andre Miller has played, would you rather have him or Chauncey Billups, a noted Sixers killer?
There is no question that Detroit has a major advantage at shooting guard with Rip Hamilton over Willie Green.
While we feel Andre Iguodala is a better all-around player than Tayshaun Prince, is the difference that big? (In fact one NBA scout who was asked this question, thought I was crazy and that Prince was the better player).
As for the power forward spot, Antonio McDyess has to get the edge over Reggie Evans, although Thaddeus Young gives the Sixers a major plus if he comes off the bench.
And at center, Rasheed Wallace would be the choice here over Samuel Dalembert, despite the improvement this season by the Sixers veteran.
The one x-factor is Lou Williams. He has a chance to give the Sixers bench a true spark, but Detroit has a much deeper bench. And Rodney Stuckey looks like he is developing at a fast pace. It will be interesting how much rest the Pistons give Billups in place of Stuckey.
Either way, it would be a surprise here if the Sixers win more than one game. (Then again, this is the same person who predicted the team would win 32 games this season).
So the question is simple. Does anybody predict that the Sixers will win the series, or win more than one game?
The worst thing is after the fact, seeing people who said they felt the Sixers would be better than predicted.
Come clean and make the prediction now. Does anybody out there give the Sixers more than a passing chance against the heavily favored Pistons?

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Maurice Cheeks got everything he wanted except the win. He wanted to see his core of Andre Iguodala, Samuel Dalembert and Andre Miller play much fewer minutes (Two out of three isn’t bad on that front).
Cheeks also wanted to see the reserves receive extended minutes. And of course Cheeks would have liked to enter the postseason on a winning streak instead of a four-game skid.
Say what you want about the Sixers, but their games rarely lack drama. And coming back from 23 points down in the third quarter to take a one point lead three different times in the final three minutes, showed again the fight the Sixers have in them.
Of course the Sixers will have to hang their collective hats on the fact that they never give up, because they enter their playoff series against the Detroit Pistons having lost five of their last six after Wednesday's 115-109 defeat to the Charlotte Bobcats at Time Warner Cable Arena.
The Sixers fought hard in the last two games and showed true signs of life. They overcame a 12-point fourth quarter deficit before losing Monday’s controversial 91-90 decision to Cleveland.
Most of all, the Sixers didn’t let the disappointment from the Cleveland game to linger.
Cheeks’ game plan for fewer minutes worked with Miler and Dalembert, who combined to play about 39 minutes and 30 seconds.
Iguodala was a different story. He played the entire second half and logged 36 minutes for the game. That doesn’t seem like much of a vacation, even for somebody who ended the season averaging 39 minutes and 32 seconds a game.
And it wasn’t a coincidence that the Sixers were outscored 40-26 in the second quarter when Iguodala, Miller and Dalembert didn’t play at all
There are two ways to look at the way the Sixers never quit no matter how big the deficit is.
The positive side is that it shows a lot of heart. The negative side is that getting down by more than 20 points in a game or double-digits in the fourth quarter is not a good recipe to success.
Especially against a team like Detroit.
The players and Cheeks insist that the end of the season skid won’t affect them in the playoffs.
One feels there has to be some bit of doubt in the back of their minds, until the Sixers win their next game.
Here is the schedule for the Sixers-Pistons series

Detroit vs. Philadelphia

Game 1 - Sun April 20 Philadelphia at Detroit 6:00PM TNT
Game 2 - Wed April 23 Philadelphia at Detroit 7:30PM NBATV
Game 3 - Fri April 25 Detroit at Philadelphia 7:00PM ESPN2
Game 4 - Sun April 27 Detroit at Philadelphia 7:00PM TNT
Game 5 * Tue April 29 Philadelphia at Detroit TBD TBD
Game 6 * Thu May 1 Detroit at Philadelphia TBD TBD
Game 7 * Sat May 3 Philadelphia at Detroit TBD TNT

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – One person who definitely disagrees with this reporter’s opinion that the Sixers should pull out all stops tonight against Charlotte is coach Maurice Cheeks.
Speaking after today’s shootaround, Cheeks said he wants to get some rest for Andre Miller, Andre Iguodala and Samuel Dalembert, who have started every game this season.
Cheeks said the three will start, but he doesn’t expect that they will play major minutes.
“I am going to give Andre and Andre and Sam some rest and I don’t want anything to happen to them,” Cheeks said. “And I want to get other guys on the floor.”
Cheeks admitted that he could see understand this line of thinking and that it’s important for the Sixers to snap their three-game losing streak heading into the playoffs and win the game to finish off 41-41. It’s just that he won’t sacrifice the health of his team to win tonight.
“I understand where you are coming from,” Cheeks said. “We all like to be .500 and not have a losing streak. I told guys we playedwell enough to be .500 or better and it’s unfortunate we lost four of our last five games.”
So Cheeks won’t let this final game define the season.
“We are a better team than we have shown the last few games and we would like to win the game,” he said. “But if we don’t win the game it won’t shoot down the type of season we have.”

There has been quite an outcry by both the players and the fans over the Sixers 91-90 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The biggest complaints by the fans (and Samuel Dalembert himself) was that the Sixers center was fouled by Zydrunas Ilgauskas before Dalembert was called for the final foul on Devin Brown.
Many fans complained that LeBron James traveled on the play before his shot was blocked by Dalembert.
All are valid claims.
Yet none of them will change the outcome of the game.
And to answer a question, the officials couldn’t change the call after looking at the replay. The only thing the replay was there for was to determine if the foul that official Greg Willard called on Dalembert occurred before time expired.
No doubt it was a bitter way to lose, but how the Sixers react to the loss will determine how competitive they will be against the Detroit Pistons in the postseason.
After the game we suggested that the loss could bond the team.
The only way anything good comes out of the loss is if the Sixers go into Charlotte and win Wednesday’s regular season finale against the Bobcats.
First of all, the Sixers don’t want to enter the postseason with a losing record. A win over Charlotte would give the Sixers a 41-41 mark.
More importantly, the Sixers want to show that they are mentally tough enough to come back from such a devastating loss.
And that is why, the Sixers should pull out all the stops to win on Wednesday.
If it means playing Andre Iguodala and Andre Miller 45 minutes, so be it. We know that many fans want the Sixers to rest their starters for this final game.
Detroit has been resting its starters for the last few weeks.
The Sixers don’t want to enter the postseason on a four-game losing streak.
A win on the road, even though it would be against the Bobcats, would give the Sixers something to build on.
Plus the Sixers will have a few days off before the playoffs begin and with such a young team, fatigue shouldn’t be a factor. (Late Tuesday night the NBA sent out a release that the Sixers would open Sunday in Detroit although no time had been given).
Detroit is a much older team, and a deeper one, and the Pistons can still beat many teams while resting their starters.
The Sixers can’t do that. They should come out flying against the Bobcats.
Coach Maurice Cheeks gave the Sixers off from practice on Tuesday, so they should have plenty of energy. And they should treat the Bobcats game like it’s a pre-playoff matchup.
The standings suggest it is a meaningless regular season finale. Nothing could be further from the truth. The Sixers should treat this game with the utmost urgency, the best type of dress rehearsal before the postseason actually begins.

No loss is a good one, especially one that locks a team into a position where they have to play the Detroit Pistons in the first round of the playoff.
If anything good can come out of the Sixers’ 91-90 loss on Monday to the Cleveland Cavaliers, it could be a game that bonds the team together.
That’s because the Sixers were not hiding their anger about the end of the game. The players couldn’t believe that a foul was called on Samuel Dalembert and that 0.2 seconds was put back on the clock.
A game the Sixers thought they won after LeBron James’ shot was blocked by Dalembert and Devin Brown missed the follow, turned into a disheartening defeat.
After the officials looked at the replay and ruled that Brown was fouled by Dalembert with time on the clock, the Sixers returned to the court in disbelief. And 0.2 seconds returned to the clock.
Whether it was the right call or not, the Sixers feel it wasn’t. And this was the first time that the team showed so much collective anger about a defeat in quite some time.
Maybe this can bring the team together. If the anger is directed in the right way, the Sixers can benefit from this.
The last few games, the Sixers haven’t been showing their usual fight, especially in the fourth quarter.
That changed against the Cavs. Down by 12 points with under 10 minutes left, the Sixers showed heart and roared back.
Now that they have apparently gained their fighting spirit back, the Sixers have to do the next thing – snap their three-game losing streak. That’s why Wednesday’s season finale in Charlotte is important. The Sixers must show that they can direct their anger in a positive way and take it out on the Bobcats.

Reggie Evans has seen his playing time dwindling lately and a number of fans have noticed.
Evans has not played more than 20 minutes in any of the past six games. In Friday’s loss to Indiana, he played just 52 seconds.
During Saturday’s defeat at Washington, he played just under 11 minutes, and was in for 1 minute and 21 seconds of the fourth quarter.
After his brief appearance against Indiana, this reporter asked Maurice Cheeks if he felt he had to sit down and talk to Reggie and explain why he played less than a minute.
Cheeks felt no reason to talk to Evans and said the veteran forward understood that it had to do with matchups. A three-point shooting team like Indiana, which spreads the floor, isn’t a good matchup for Evans, according to Cheeks.
Evans for his part says he has no injury problems and he has not complained publicly about the decreased playing time.
Another reason his minutes have been down, especially the last two games is that Thaddeus Young has been playing well. And had Young not picked up his fourth foul with under five minutes left in the third quarter against Washington, Evans may have received even less time.
As mentioned in a post to the blog by Dean, Evans does bring energy and intangibles to the team.
And while it’s agreed that he is a 20-24 minute a game player, it’s tough to take Young out when he is also being so productive.
Even if people wanted to put Young at small forward when Andre Iguodala rests, there still wouldn’t be many minutes there. Iguodala has played 42 or more minutes in six of the last seven games. And Iguodala would have played more minutes against Indiana had he not been hurt.
Evans has also played center when the Sixers go to a small lineup, but again, Samuel Dalembert has been logging major minutes, so there aren’t as many opportunities.
If the Sixers end up playing Detroit in the playoffs, one would expect Evans to play more minutes because of the physical nature of the Pistons.
Nobody can argue that Evans, despite his troubles on offense, has been a major upgrade over Steven Hunter.
Evans has brought toughness and leadership to the team, but it is harder to lead when you’re not playing as much.
It’s easy to say he should get more minutes, but the game has to dictate that. If the Sixers are behind in the fourth quarter, it’s hard to have Evans out there if they need offense.
Still, Evans has the ability to give the team a spark either as a starter or reserve. With his playoff experience, it would make sense that he will see a few extra minutes in the postseason.

WASHINGTON – The 76ers said all the right things after Saturday’s 109-93 loss to the Washington Wizards at the Verizon Center, but the team has to be worried about this weekend’s performance.
More specifically, how poorly the Sixers played in each of the fourth quarters.
In Friday’s 85-76 loss to Indiana, the Sixers trailed by six points entering the final period, only to shoot 7 for 24.
Against Washington, 7 for 24 would have been welcomed with open arms.
The Sixers shot just 1 for 15 in the fourth quarter and were outscored 31-9 by the Wizards.
They also had no fastbreak points in the final period against Washington.
The Sixers got in the bad habit of settling for jump shots. It appears as if the Sixers will see more and more zone defenses, especially if they play the Detroit Pistons in the playoffs.
Against zones, the Sixers still appear indecisive. And obviously the book on the Sixers is to make them beat you from the perimeter.
It certainly didn’t happen over the weekend.
The players insist that they will keep plugging away and that they remain confident, but one has to wonder how much their confidence has been dented by this weekend.
Especially by the fact that the Sixers have prided themselves as a fourth quarter team.
The Sixers can now only earn either a No. 6 or No. 7 seed and it’s looking more and more like a first round matchup with Detroit.
More importantly, they can’t enter the playoffs losing games and confidence. That is why even if they are the No. 7 seed, the next two games against Cleveland and Charlotte are important.
Because the Sixers have to rid themselves of the aftertaste of consecutive clunkers this weekend if they have any hope of showing some sort of competitive spirit in the postseason.

When the 76ers have their running game going, they are one of the most entertaining and effective teams in the NBA.
And when they are forced to beat teams with a steady diet of jump shots, they become exposed as they did during Friday’s 85-76 loss to the Indiana Pacers at the Wachovia Center.
The Sixers performed the unwanted trifecta – lousy shooting from the field, from the foul line and from three point range.
They were 33 for 95 from the field (34.7 percent) from the field, 1 of 14 (7.1 percent) from three-point range and 9 of 21 (42.9 percent) from the foul line.
So it was no major surprise afterwards that Indiana’s Danny Granger, who scored a game-high 30 points, said the Pacers’ strategy was to make the Sixers settle for jumpers.
“They are a good driving team and have a lot of speed in the open court, but as far as shooting three’s they are not a great three-point shooting team,” Granger said.
The Pacers went 3-0 against the Sixers this season, employing this strategy. Do you think whomever the Sixers play in the postseason, won’t also try to force the Sixers to beat them from the perimeter?
The Sixers still do too much standing around in the half-court sets and they aren’t very comfortable playing against zone defenses.
And what’s worse, the Sixers weren’t much better on the defensive end.
This was a game that the Sixers said they want to quickly forget. And for anybody who watched, that shouldn’t be too difficult to do.

Is seems more than a little ironic that the 76ers can help ruin former coach Jim O’Brien’s season and he can makes things miserable for his ex-team.
Indiana is two games behind Atlanta for the eighth and final playoff spot with four to go, but the Pacers own the head-to-head advantage over the Hawks, so a tie would go to Indiana.
And we all know the Sixers are one game out of fifth and one game out of seventh with four left, trying to stay away from a meeting with Detroit.
Don’t be fooled by the two recent wins over the Pistons, the Sixers as mentioned many times, would do themselves a big favor by staying out of the seventh slot.
If the Sixers lose to Indiana Friday at the Wachovia Center and Toronto wins at home against New Jersey, the Sixers and Raptors would be tied for sixth. And Toronto, based on a 3-1 edge in head-to-head competition, owns the first tiebreaker in a two-way tie.
O’Brien didn’t endear himself to people in the Sixers organization during his one year, but sometimes it’s forgotten what a good job he did.
The Sixers went 43-39 in his only season, earned a playoff spot by going 8-2 in their final 10 games. And even though the Sixers lost in five games to the Detroit Pistons, they were were more competitive than expected in the series.
O’Brien said early this season that he would be disappointed if the Pacers didn’t make the playoffs.
And at that time, Indiana was one of the NBA’s early-season surprises. The Pacers started the season 15-13. Injuries have hurt the Pacers, none more than the absence of Jermaine O’Neal, who has only played in 38 games due to knee problems.
O’Neal has recently returned and even though he’s not playing full-time minutes, it’s no coincidence that the Pacers are 4-1 in his five games back.
By the way, the Pacers, even without O’Neal for one game, are still 2-0 against the Sixers.
Indiana has received a nice boost from Strawberry Mansion’s Flip Murray, who is averaging 11.6 points in 19 games for the Pacers. He had appeared ready to sign with the Clippers, but chose Indiana at the last minute. Looks like a good move.
Not only are the Sixers 0-2 against the Pacers, but they have played two of their worst games of the season. The lost 102-85 in Indiana after committing 19 turnovers compared to eight for Indiana.
Then in Philadelphia, even without O’Neal, Indiana won 110-103 as the Pacers shot 14 for 25 from beyond the arc.
Indiana has won three in a row and is 7-3 in the last 10.
So this will be another major challenge for the Sixers. They have faced bigger challenges over the last month, but that doesn’t mean they won’t have their hands full, as O’Brien and company try to keep their own playoff hopes alive at the Sixers expense.

With the way the 76ers are clawing for the highest possible seed, they will take wins any way they can get them. And while Wednesday’s 101-94 victory over the Detroit Pistons won’t come marked with an asterisk, coach Flip Saunders sure did the Sixers a big favor.
Saunders is resting his players in games for the rest of the season.
That means the starters haven’t seen much of the fourth quarters.
With Rip Hamilton out with a sore left hip, the rest of the starters joined him on the bench for most of the fourth period. Only Tayshaun Prince saw 49 seconds of action in the fourth period.
And despite that, the Detroit reserves kept the Pistons within distance, but the Sixers finally pulled away.
One can only imagine what may have occurred had Sixers-killer Chauncey Billups played in the fourth quarter.
Then again, that is the way Detroit has been playing it and the Pistons are willing to accept the consequences, even if it mean a loss on Tuesday to the New York Knicks.
Still, when the playoff seeds are announced, nobody is going to care whether Detroit rested its main players for extended periods. Or that the Sixers needed their key players for extended minutes.
Andre Iguodala had to play more than 42 minutes and Andre Miller played 39 minutes and 51 seconds.
Iguodala had 25 points, five rebounds, six assists and five steals. And it doesn’t matter who was on the court, that is an impressive night’s work.
This was a game the Sixers had to win and they won it. The Sixers need to go into the postseason with some momentum because they are young team whose confidence can’t match that of a veteran team like the Pistons.
Detroit realizes it has the No. 2 seed locked up and now the Pistons are just trying to get to the finish line without any injuries or tired bones.
So give the Sixers credit for taking advantage of the break that the Pistons gave them.

Even though the 76ers don’t particularly match up well with the Detroit Pistons, Wednesday’s game at the Wachovia Center offers the Sixers a golden opportunity.
That’s because the Sixers have much more to play for. Even though Detroit continues to win, the Pistons are set as the No. 2 seed.
They also will be playing the second of a back to back, while the Sixers have been off since Saturday.
The Pistons have been resting the regulars, although their reserves are hungry and pretty talented.
That said, it’s not like facing the Pistons with their regulars playing full time.
The Sixers should try to pound Detroit early, play a trapping style, go for steals and continue to use their athleticism to their advantage, possibly tire out the Pistons.
With five games remaining, it’s important for the Sixers to get any seed above seven, and everybody knows that their best chance for any first round success lies in earning the No. 5 seed.
That’s why every game is big for them, while teams like the Pistons are just counting down the final five games.

Item: Many of you responded to the question as to why so much talk about next season when this season still has plenty of life. If read correctly, the main answer was that the NCAA Tournament was going on and the fans were excited to see players who could possibly be future Sixers.

Response: That is a fair statement, except that many of the players that have been mentioned will already be selected by the time the Sixers are on the clock.
And here’s another legitimate question. Will there be somebody on the board when the Sixers select who can help this team immediately?
If the Sixers draft, say 16th, is that player somebody who could make an impact? As the Sixers have improved, it will be harder for young players to come in and earn significant minutes.

Item: The Willie Green detractors are disappointed that we haven’t mentioned him lately because he is slumping.

Response: There is no question that Green hasn’t been the same since hurting his back March 10 against Boston. To his credit, Green won’t use that injury as an excuse. And his first two games after the injury, against San Antonio and Denver, he played well. Green also had consecutive strong games in wins last week against New Jersey and Atlanta, but there is no question he hasn’t been consistent.
Still, he has overall had a strong impact on the team and has been one of the great presences in the locker room. The best thing about playing for Maurice Cheeks is that if a player isn’t going well, he will lose minutes and Green has seen that happen. If he plays better, he’ll get more minutes. He still serves a valuable role on the team, but nobody can also criticize Cheeks for giving Lou Williams major two-guard minutes in the fourth quarter. If Green keeps having those 1 for 11 nights, then he might not see much of the third quarter, but it says here that he will be a key for this team down the stretch.

Item: A reader (Rick) points out that the Sixers are 6-4 in their last 10 and have to buckle down in the final five games.

Response: While we couldn’t agree more, a few things have to be noted. First of all, it shows how things have changed. Who among Sixers fans wouldn’t have taken 6-4 in any stretch even two months ago? And while they are actually 9-4 in their last 13, a team doesn’t want to get into a win one, lose one scenario entering the playoffs. Seeding is also important, but so is momentum. Would it be unrealistic to expect a 4-1 end to the season?

Item: One reader, KM says that it wouldn’t be so bad if the Sixes had to face Detroit in the playoffs.

Response: We would stay away from the Pistons at all costs. Regardless of what happens on Wednesday, this is a team that while showing some mileage, is still playoff-tested. The Pistons have big guards who give the Sixers problem and negate the ability of Andre Miller to post up. Also, Detroit is the master of controlling tempo. The Sixers’ running game has been severely limited by the Pistons. Plus Detroit has arguably the most balanced team in the East. While nobody wants to see Boston, playing Detroit isn’t much better. If the Sixers are looking for any first round success, the advice here would be to stay clear of the No. 7 seed.

It’s interesting to note the many posts on this blog because the fans have been knowledgeable and passionate.
One major beef – most of the posts are still talking about next season.
Doesn’t anybody care about the playoffs? Or is it a forgone conclusion among fans that the Sixers are one and done?
In the NBA, or any league for that matter, making the postseason should never be taken for granted. There will be plenty of time to talk about potential trades and college players who the Sixers may draft, but right now, the team is involved in a pretty interesting Eastern Conference playoff race.
And the difference between finishing fifth and facing Cleveland and ending sixth and meeting Orlando is huge. Again, while meeting LeBron in the first round is no picnic, it probably beats having to match up with the Magic. And the Sixers really don’t want to fall to seventh or eighth for obvioius reasons.
Yet, most of the fans are writing about potential lineups for next year.
The offseason is long enough and there will be plenty of time to dissect all the potential offseason moves.
Are there fans out there whose main priority happens to be the next few weeks?
Because what happens in the postseason will no doubt help shape the Sixers for the future. The experience gained will be invaluable. And it will be interesting to see if the Sixers can carry over their impressive play from the last two months into the postseason.
There is nothing wrong with speculating about the future and most would agree the Sixers might actually have a bright one.
Yet there is a lot going on in the present. Are the fans just happy to see the Sixers make the postseason, or do you think they can steal a round?
At least for a few weeks it seems that projected lineups for next year can be put on hold.

The 76ers were so satisfied with clinching a playoff berth on Friday that they took a little extra time off – like the first three quarters of Saturday’s 92-85 loss to the Hawks at the Wachovia Center.
Even Maurice Cheeks admitted afterwards that the Sixers were flat, as if we needed him to tell us what we saw with our own eyes.
The Sixers battled in the fourth quarter, but it wasn’t enough to overtake the Hawks.
The danger is if the Sixers aren’t be able to regain the fire in the final five games and enter the postseason with no momentum.
Their history, especially recently, suggests that they can rebound. The Sixers are 21-8 in their last 29 games.
The chase for a playoff spot was long and arduous and it’s possible that the Sixers can be given the benefit of the doubt for being flat.
There is no time, however, to be flat in multiple games. Besides not wanting to go into the playoffs on a downward spiral, the Sixers also don’t want too low a seed. (It wasn’t that long ago that Sixers fans would have taken any seed, just to see the team get into the playoffs. Now they are getting picky).
The No. 8 and 7 seeds should be avoided at all costs, but that doesn’t mean it would be any picnic if the Sixers finished sixth and had to play Orlando or even were fifth and faced Cleveland.
No matter who the Sixers meet in the playoffs they will be underdogs, but that doesn’t mean they can’t compete hard or even pull off an upset.
The Sixers have shown that they aren’t good enough to win without putting out a maximum effort.
They were a little full of themselves after wins over Boston and Chicago and paid for it in a 113-95 loss to Phoenix that wasn’t as close as the final score indicated.
The Sixers played much harder in last week’s 91-88 loss at Cleveland and then followed that with wins at New Jersey and Atlanta.
It’s been an up and down emotional cycle and during Saturday’s loss to Atlanta, the Sixers were mentally spent before the opening tap.
Now they have to refuel and play the final five games with the urgency they showed during Friday’s win in Atlanta and hope that Saturday’s effort proves to be an aberration.

ATLANTA -- There was no champagne in the locker room, just a lot of smiling faces and outward pride.
It seems fitting that the 76ers clinched their first playoff berth since 2005 in a game that sort of epitomized this unpredictable season.
Friday’s 109-104 win over the Atlanta Hawks was one where the Sixers were far from smooth. In fact they had to fight their way through some difficult times, and to the Hawks credit, they didn’t give up either.
The Sixers looked a little exhausted in the third quarter, but as usual, the opponent couldn’t apply the knockout punch.
Despite being out played by a decent margin in the third period, they led 77-74 entering the fourth when Andre Iguodala hit a 28-foot three pointer with 00.4 seconds left.
And the Sixers never trailed in the fourth quarter, despite repeated runs by Atlanta.
After the early going, when the Sixers had a 16-2 first half lead in fast break points, the Hawks forced them into a knock-down, drag out game.
That meant the Sixers constantly had to score from their halfcourt offense.
They weren’t always smooth and forced their share of shots, but here’s a phrase that continues to characterize this team – they got the job done.
Iguodala again showed he is a prime time player with 15 fourth quarter points, including the Sixers final 10.
We’ve seen him do this continually, especially during this impressive 21-7 run.
Not known as a good free throw shooting team, the Sixers were 25 for 28 from the foul line, including 11 for 12 by Iguodala, who hit all nine foul shots in the fourth quarter.
This was an exciting game, arguably one of the best of the season, especially with what was at stake.
More important than the playoff berth was the fact that had the Hawks swept the Sixers this weekend, they would be one game behind with five to go.
Now the Hawks are four behind with six left. And the importance of keeping ahead of Atlanta is obvious. Nobody wants to play Boston.
So now the Sixers will try to improve their seeding, and keep the momentum heading into the postseason.
For the many people who still don’t believe how much ground this team made up, here’s something else to chew on – Playoff tickets go on sale Monday.
Could anybody have imagined this two short months ago?

Imagine the thought of hoping your son looses a critical basketball game.
That is the difficult predicament that 76ers assistant Henry Bibby faces during the two weekend games against the Atlanta Hawks.
The Hawks have won 9 of 11 and one of the main reasons has been the addition of Mike Bibby, Henry’s son, who was acquired by Sacramento during the all-star break.
Henry Bibby says he and his son talk frequently and were scheduled to go out together when the Sixers arrived in Atlanta on Thursday.
“I’ve always said my kids are the love of my life but when it comes to a basketball game, I want to win the game,” Bibby said. “I always want him to play well, but the bottom line is the basketball game.”
Still, it must be an odd feeling to hope that each other comes out on the losing end.
“It’s nothing personal,” coach Bibby said. “We are both in a business where our paths are crossed and there are games we have to play against each other. It’s the same as it was in college and hopefully we will win.”
The problem is that if the Sixers don’t win, Bibby's son will likely play a major role.
The Hawks needed a veteran point guard to run the offense that is filled with young players.
It’s sort of the same role that Andre Miller has played with the Sixers.
This is such a huge series because if the Hawks sweep the Sixers in back-to-backs on Friday and Saturday, they would only trail them by a game with five to play.
Atlanta is currently sitting in the dreaded eighth spot, where nobody wants to remain once the postseason begins. That would mean a short series with Boston.
So both teams will be fighting like crazy. As Andre Iguodala said after Thursday’s practice, the game will have a playoff feel, but so have many of the most recent Sixers games. (Iguodala will have much more to say on TNT's Thursday pre-game show from Atlanta).
While the Sixers wouldn’t admit it, a split wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world.
Atlanta needs a sweep.
And besides stopping Bibby, the biggest concern will be containing Josh Smith. In the Hawks’ 96-91 win on Feb. 4 in Atlanta, Smith had one of the best all-around games of the season against the Sixers - 19 points, 9 blocked shots, 9 assists, six rebounds and four steals.
If he gets going, especially with blocking shots, it could be a long night for the Sixers.
So there are your two keys - containing Mike Bibby and Smith. This is as difficult a task, as having to root that your kid looses one of his team’s biggest games of the year.

Maurice Cheeks was a talented NBA player and he knows the toll that an NBA season takes. So Cheeks has been good at not overworking his team.
He gave the 76ers off from practice on Wednesday after Tuesday’s 108-99 win at New Jersey.
Cheeks often decides on the bus ride or airplane ride home whether he will practice the next day.
A lot of it has to do with the team’s effort. Earlier in the season he was leaning toward giving the Sixers a day off, but after a blowout loss in Washington, they were back on the court the next day.
That wasn’t a way of punishment, but of trying to iron out some problems. OK, maybe it was a little punishment.
Some coaches are creatures of habit and believe that the team needs to practice every day.
It’s not as if the Sixers have had many days off, but Cheeks even admitted that later in the season, he scales down what he does.
It’s likely had the Sixers lost to New Jersey, they would have practiced on Wednesday.
Now, they should be much fresher, have a good workout on Thursday, board the plane to Atlanta and play back-to-backs with the Hawks this weekend.
The fact that the Sixers are continually playing harder then their opponent, with a few exceptions (i.e. Friday’s loss to Phoenix) shows that the team is in good physical shape. And that the players aren’t being worn down and losing their legs in practice.
On a team with three players who have started every game (Andre Miller, Andre Iguodala and Samuel Dalembert), it’s important to make sure the players are fresh physically and mentally.
That is not to suggest that the Sixers have a country-club atmosphere, just a smart way to approach a grinding NBA season.
The fact that his team isn’t worn down at a time when many others are struggling to cross the finish line is another reason why Cheeks should earn some mention in coach-of-the-year balloting.

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ -- The Sixers were really serious about not extending their losing streak.
They hadn’t lost three in a row since late January and kept that in tact with Tuesday’s 108-99 win over the New Jersey Nets at the Izod Center.
Afterwards, Andre Iguodala, who had 17 points and 10 assists, talked about how the team was intent on snapping the two-game losing streak after defeats to Phoenix and Cleveland.
And this was a Sixers win that demonstrated their depth. The Sixers bench outscored the Nets reserves, 33-18, with Lou Williams and Rodney Carney combining for 13 fourth quarter points.
More than the bench, was the fact that Iguodala and Andre Miller willed this team to a victory. (The two combined for 21 assists and two turnovers). Miller also had a team-high 24 points.
“Neither Andre wanted to come out at all,” coach Maurice Cheeks said.
And both played more than 42 minutes.
Samuel Dalembert had a dominating defensive effort, with five blocked shots and many others that were altered.
What was most impressive is how the Sixers tightened up defensively. The first half, New Jersey was scoring at will and nobody had an answer when Devin Harris drove to the basket.
Two other keys were the fact that the Sixers shot 29 free throws compared to 13 for the Nets and that the Sixers committed just 11 turnovers (compared to 16 for New Jersey).
The Sixers, especially Iguodala and Miller, realized what a third straight loss would do to the psyche and they both showed veteran leadership.
Now the Sixers are almost mathematically in the playoffs, but more importantly, Cheeks talked about playing with some momentum entering the postseason.
A loss in the Meadowlands would have kept the Sixers confidence low, but now the win has them feeling pretty good about things with seven games remaining.