Deep Sixer

Totally agreed Marc. They can turn this officiating debacle into a real rallying cry. And, for the record, I'm predicting a Sixers series victory in six games (I'd way rather play Detroit than Orlando).

On another note, I just watched the replay of the Cavs announcer getting very excited(his commentary was absurdly biased) when he found out that Cleveland was getting the 2 free throws. On the other hand, our numbskull analyst Bob Salmi tried to justify the official's call and didn't even mention the 3 1/2 steps that LeBron took or the elbow to the back that Dalembert took prior to the foul. The correct call was a "no call", genius.

Comcast...please do us a favor and bring back Steve Mix (or anyone else for that matter) to the analyst position. Pay him whatever he wants. Please spare us another season of Bob Salmi's ridiculous, monotone overanalysis of the game.

Marc,

A question: At the end of the game the refs watched the replay to determine whether there was a foul and with how much time, right? It seems clear that there was contact between Dalembert and Brown, but it was also clear that Ilgauskas pushed Sammy, which caused the contact. Even though one of the refs blew the whistle at the end, can they change their call because it should have been a no-call or a loose ball foul on Ilgauskas first? Just wondering what the rules are.

David Stern is the most crooked commissioner in professional sports. His agenda is portrayed loud and clear in how he betrayed a franchise like the Supersonics who has had their franchise over 40 years to move them to Oklahoma over arena profitabilty. What is even more telling is how much of a free ride he gets from the media dispite crooked refs and games like we saw tonight. No other sport controls the outcome of their product quite like ole David does. Roger Goodell models himself after Stern and up until that Pitt-Seat superbowl and spygate the NFL has been fine. With all that said I sure hope we get a fair shake in the playoffs...

Nobody respect the sixers, to get respect you must earn respect. I don't agree with Marc about a must win game Wednesday. If we keep putting pressure on this team, it is a matter of time before they break. This team needs a break, rest the starters so they can be ready when the playoffs come this weekend.

Dean

What I liked and respected about Steve Mix is that he didnt practice objectivity to the point of washout of the obvious. No he wasnt going to lie to the viewers which made him fair yet you knew he was on our side. Thats what made Mr. Mix a loved Philly Icon. Because he didnt compromise the truth, but you definately knew he was one of us.

Much more so than any emotional bonding that might occur because of a seemingly unjust call, the Sixers can feel good that they played a playoff-caliber 4th quarter and were one or two random bounces (Devin Brown's runner in the lane that bounced in and Dalembert's block that went straight to Brown) away from winning this game.

The ending of the game showed why the Cavs would be tough to beat in a playoff series, no matter how well the Sixers match up with them: LeBron will get all the calls (no traveling, dubious fouls) in end-of-game situations. In the series-deciding play against the Wizards last year, for example, it looked like he took 3 steps past Jamison before dunking in Game 7.

On the plus side, Lou bounced back from two terrible games and was clearly the star of the game for the Sixers, leading the charge both offensively and defensively in the 4th. I'm looking forward to his matchups with Stuckey in the Pistons series.

On the minus side, Iguodala shot very poorly for the first time in a while. He's shot 48% (37% from 3) since the beginning of March, 50% in April prior to this game, so I'll give him a pass for this game. The disturbing part of his game is that since his injury, he hasn't been penetrating as aggressively (his only FT attempts have come on loose ball fouls). If Iguodala doesn't have his penetration game, he isn't nearly as dangerous an offensive player.

Final thought on the foul call: technically it was a foul, but I've seen a lot worse over the years. I remember Cedric Maxwell getting whacked multiple times at the end of a 99-98 Sixers win in Game 4 in 1982, with no call. Or Hersey Hawkins going up for the game-winning layup but getting fouled across the arm (with no call) by Jordan in 1995. Then again, Hubert Davis got the call against Pippen in 1994. The fact is, NBA foul calls at the ends of games (esp. important ones) can go either way. The only way to avoid getting upset by the wrong call is to win by 4 or more!

David Stern sucks and the media should start holding him accountible because it takes away from the ability to enjoy the games. Nobody wants to see or can enjoy a game if we know based on the roster he is a NBA doll. I have to agree with Rasheed Wallace and say its been like professional wrestling.

Dean got it right. I watched the replay several times on tivo. Zdrunas Ilgauskas pushed Sam from behind while he was in the air coming down from the block, and he continued to push him even after he landed. He was completely off balance and was just trying to remain upright when he ran into Brown. He wasn't even trying to make a play on Brown, he was moving from the force of the Ilgauskas push.

There is no way the refs could have missed the push on replay, it was very obvious. I guess their rationale must be that, according to NBA rules, the foul isn't reviewable, only the clock. So they took the win away from us, and followed the letter of the law, even though they knew is would perpetuate an unjust outcome. Something stinks here.

Everyone is talkin' bout Sammie's foul but didn't Lebron travel & commit an offensive foul on his way to the basket? If the ref doesn't call that, how in good conscience can he not take that under review at the same time and call it a draw?

Fun game to watch though. As a fan I appreciated it.

The refs had money on the game, Plain and simple

You know its unjust when Andre Miller is booting the ball into the stands after the game. It has been said that big Z pushed Sammy right into Brown. That was the most ridiculous thing I've ever seen.

On Sixers fan appreciation night you steal a game from the home team. I hope the Philly fans get some credit though. We get such a bad rap nationally. If that happened in Detroit there would have been a riot.

I thought David Stern hit an all time low with suspending Amare from the Western conference game 6 last year for standing up. I was wrong.

That right there ladies and gentleman is why you don't want to play the Cavs in the first round. Its playoff time and the NBA Bias for superstars is back stronger than ever. You can't have King James on the road for the first game of the playoffs. That would be bad for television.

This reminds me of the year before we made the finals. We never got any calls. I bet when we are fighting for the 3rd seed next year on our way to 50 plus wins that we will finally get the respect of the refs. Hey when the sixers finally dump that sh*t Bird Willie Green we should throw a tailgate party at the wachovia.

Check out this wuote by David Aldridge.
Indeed, the 76ers' core - Iguodala, Young, Williams, Rodney Carney, Willie Green and Jason Smith - is as good as any young group in the league (with the possible exception of Oden's Trail Blazers).

I always knew that Aldridge was a terrible columnist, but Willie Green? Come on dave, are you a WG apologist as well? I am convinced Willie Green has weekly poker games and bowling leagues with many members of the media.

Sixers have to win over Detroit. Game 1 looks like one we can steal. I dont know how the Detroit starters will adjust from playing 20+ mpg for 40+mpg.

This is just like 2001 Finals. All we need to see now is Tayshaun Prince cayaking 3 days before the game.

Dean
If you think that Salmi is bad you should try watching Yankee games when Paul O'Neill is announcing. And I am a die hard Yankee fan, Pauly never speaks about the present game, everything revolves around the same 5 stories that he always tells from his playing days.

I agree with the Greek about Willie Green- that guy is terrible. Mo better use Lou Will as much as possible in the 1st round because Willie can't make a shot to save his life.
Also- someone tell Mo to never put Booth into the game. Did anyone notice all of his screw up's when he came into the game with 2 minutes left in the 1st half?
I predict an upset in the 1st rd- sixers in 6!!!!

Dean - I could NOT agree more about Salmi - what an annoying $^#^#. I loved Mix - what the %^$# is going on? I want him back.

In regards to David Stern - I have been saying for years that he has ruined the league - he is the biggest weasel in professional sports. He is catering to the MTV generation rather than the real basketball fans. I can't stand him. Free pass is an understatement.

Last night was BS - LeBron will get every call in the playoffs - one quick note - why doesn't LeBron take 40 - 50 shots a game? He easily gets to the rim when he wants to and will either score or draw a foul almost every time. Mike Brown needs to go - could you imagine if he played for Larry Brown or Phil Jackson? If I coached them - Devin Brown would never shoot.

I too thought Salmi's handling of the end was unsupportive of anyone but the NBA brass, the Cavs, and refs. All I wanted him to do was to present both sides of the argument, the steps, the push by Z, the unwritten rule of fouls in the closing seconds. He didn't have to proclaim it was a conspiracy of King James or to discredit the refs in any way. All he had to do was question the call. And he didn't. Instead, he discredited anyone who questioned the call.

Meanwhile, he called Devin Brown Devin Harris at least twice. And he called the fourth quarter the third quarter once. I liked the guy as a Post Game Live analyst, I won't lie there. I used to watch the show when I knew he was doing it that night. But more and more he's irritating me as a commentator. I honestly wonder how long he'll be around. Stick up for your team and tell it like it is!

I HATE SALMI. Lets get rid of him

I live in Ohio, so I watched the game with the Cleveland commentators (Austin Carr and some other guy). I can tell you... they weren't worried about objectivity. They were both screaming like the biggest Cavs fans in the world. Carr actually suggested, multiple times, that Sammy was admitting guilt when he had propped himself against the stansion. I thought it was pretty obvious to anyone with brains that he was reacting to the full-force shove from Ilgauskas. In fact, these guys made NO MENTION WHATSOEVER of the shove. I think they considered it their job to support the Cavs for all the Cavs fans watching at home. At the time, I thought it was pathetic. But now that I think about it, that's what I'd have wanted had I been a Cavs fan.

So, yeah... bring back Steve Mix. He'd have stood up for us and supported the Sixers on our behalf.

So... didn't see the 2nd half last night, did I miss anything?

But seriously, folks, is there a consensuses on whether LeBron took 3 steps or 4? I think 4.

Of course that is the "NBA playoffs superstar treatment" in full effect. Remember Wade in the finals? So maybe we are better off not playing the Cavs, any tight game is going to be full of BS like that.

Let's bring on the Pistons, the reining bully of the East. Here's an idea: if Mo wants to keep Green as a starter, and save Lou for the 2nd and 4th quarters, why not give Green the quick pull if he's not contributing in the 1st and 3rd quarters in favor of Carney? Why did Carney only play 8 minutes last night?

On another note...

What the hell is wrong with Mike Brown? Is it me or does dude always look like he is in a perpetual state of confusion...I hate seeing him on the sidelines with that dumb @$$ look on his face. Being the Cavs head coach has got to be the best job in North America. How hard is it to tell Lebron James to take it to the hole and wait for the refs to call a foul? Well at least we get to play the Pistons out of the playoffs. They dont really have a bonafide star that will get every call to go their way..

As statman pointed out, Lou was a monster last night.

As a few other people pointed out, this is exactly why i was worried about the cavs. If lou hadn't gone wild in the 4th, it wouldn't even have been close enough to worry about the final call. Z may as well be dwight howard as far as we are concerned, (alright, maybe a bit of hyperbole, but you see my point?) he's way to big for any of our guys to guard, and will probably score if he gets the ball down low. Sammy did a decent job on him, though, all things considered. Boobie didn't even have that good of a game. LeBron is LeBron, he's going to score at will and get calls.

I really hate complaining about calls, but I think it really tells you something when andre miller is kicking and tossing balls into the stands. I dont think i've ever seen him come close to loosing his temper. As others have observed, LeBron walked, I thought he cleared out sammy a bit with the forearm, and Z pushed sammy. It was pretty ugly.

Morty, I hear you on carney. I was pretty mad when he got pulled in favor of Willie right after hitting a nice J from just inside the 3 pt line. He was getting rebounds and playing D, too. In Willie's defense, he was playing fairly well before going down, but still didn't like seeing carney not get rewarded for his good play.

I miss Mix's deep, background chuckle when the sixers go on a run... (basket..heh, heh, heh...steal...Heh, Heh, Heh,basket HEH, heh, heh)

Do you think there is any chance of the Sixers getting Josh Smith?

Thanks,

Ron

Yes, the call at the end of the game was crap. While Sammy obviously made contact with Brown, it was also obvious Sammy was pushed into Brown. While technically Brown was fouled, the ref should've looked at the entire sequence and made a "no call." Meanwhile, it's difficult to imagine why Brown was able to make such an easy rebound and shot attempt. I know lots was happening on that last play, but someone fell asleep on Brown. That said, I like the fight in the Sixers and while I don't see them winning the series, they should win two, maybe three games. Next year ought to be fun!

Williams was great last night. Iggy could not dribble -- lost the handle repeatedly at end of game -- and he supposedly is our "go to" guy? I have never liked Salmi for too many reasons to mention. I enjoy watching the growth of T. Young; he makes a difference. I hope there are no consequences (suspensions) for behavior of some players after the loss --- Miller kicking the ball, etc.

Just watched the sequence on NBA TV. You all are right that Sammy was clearly pushed into Brown, but to me the more egregious missed call was LeBron walking right down the lane. That was ridiculous. He was bumped by the second guy (Iguodala,I think), but he had already walked by then so it was moot. Wow, two completely blown calls in 4 seconds. That's a shame. I don't think we'll beat the Pistons, but I hope they carry this anger with them into that series.

Ron: As a Sixers fan living in Atlanta, I just don't see the Hawks letting Smith go. I'd love to have him, but I don't think that even the Hawks messed up ownership group is dumb enough to let that kid go via free agency or trade.

Ron

It will be hard to imagine the hawks not matching any salary we can offer him...Especially if they have any remote sucess against Boston. 1 game 2 games and 1 competitive loss.

Its not hard to see the league is pulling for a rebirth of Lakers vs Celtics rivalry and it will most likely be the NBA finals.

I think it will be hard to pry Smith from Atlanta if he plays well this postseason..

KM - Agreed...if Lou hadn't hit some ridiculous shots in the 4th qtr, the Sixers would have lost by 10 or more. This is why we need a post-up big man at the 4 in the off-season...when teams slow it down against us, how great would it be if we could just dump the ball into Elton Brand and let him do his thing. And, if teams double team him, one of the Andres will be left open to go one on one in a mismatch.

I do disagree with your analysis of taking Carney out for Green, however. Before Carney hit the 3, Mo had already told Willie to go back into the game...Willie was sitting at the scorer's table whene Carney hit the 3. Until that point, he really hadn't done anything of significance, and on the other hand, Willie was playing very well and aggressively attacking the basket. For us to have a legitimate shot against Detroit, we need Willie's offense because, quite frankly, he's probably one of our better options when we have to play a 1/2 court style of basketball.

I cant stand Salmi - he steps all over Zu and says the same thing a million times. He is in love with Hamilton - watch how much praise he gives him in this series. You will be sick by half-time of game 1 - I guarantee it. He will rant and rave about his conditioning the whole game.

I think Salmi is angling for a coaching job here (seriously). I don't know if he thinks he can get the head coaching job at some point, but I bet he thinks he should be the head coach. I am telling you, he wants an assistant coaching job - he is trying to weasel his way in to one.

BRING BACK MIX, PLEASE.

What other color analyst would call out a player during a game?

215 - I agree totally in regards to the Amare & Diaw suspensions last year - they would have won the whole thing if not for that BS. Good call.

Will some of you losers stop writing six paragraph responses to Marc's blog? Get a hobby...or something.

I love the way this team is going into the post season. Although Cheeks would be wise to give Willie G. the hook a little earlier at times when he clearly doesn't have his shot.

GBA

I think Iggy is still having nagging injuries from his ankle. He hasnt played with the same confidence since he hurt it. He's not as aggressive..his jumper looks different. He's kinda shooting off of a one foot kick out now. I hope Mo rests him a little.

We were there last night, and my 10-year-old son was appalled at how Lebron could hack away at Iguodala without a call. At the end, he said, "I think these refs must have bet on the game." I could almost see his innocence evaporate.

One thing - we also missed a bunch of FT's - if we had a better FT percentage the end wouldn't have mattered.

I agree with everybody that Lebron walked and Z shoved Sammy into contact. The "review" at the end was technically correct, but in the face of everything else it was ridiculous. Rules are fine, but 999 times out of 1000 that game is waived off and no one would complain because Sammy didn't actually commit the foul given what happened just before.

Oh well - as Marc suggests, I think this may help the Sixers get back their aggressive mindset.

I agree TomD...

I have noticed that the league has given Lebron the hack you defense that Kobe has been allotted when LJ so choices to use it.

Zeru, Iguodala's jump shot is always gonna look different in its present version because he uses too much arm in shot, as opposed to balanced jump momentum, followed by snapping of wrist as in the form of true jump shooters. There's too much room in his mechanics (term used loosely) for variance or error, from shot to shot. Until he changes form, it'll remain an inconsistent threat.

Dean, maybe im just partial to Carney. Checked his stat line, and i must have imagined those rebounds i mentioned(he had 0). He did come up with a block and a steal in 7 min, though, so i must not have completely imagined the defense. At any rate, i did mention that willie was also having a decent game last nite. don't know if i'd go so far as very good, but i wasn't trying to knock him. Also, didn't notice him already about to come in at the point you metion, fair enough if so.

Jumpin'Johnny: interesting analysis of Iguodala's jump shot, and believable too; even though he's improved this year, his jump shot can disappear for long stretches (entire quarters or halves). In your opinion, can someone who isn't a 'natural' jump shooter (like, say, a Ray Allen) improve his technique/form over time and become more consistent? I recall that Dr. J (Iguodala's predecessor in many ways) wasn't that consistent with his jump shot over his career.

Yes, last night we got jobbed. And yes, Steve Mix needs to come back. He has a great basketball mind and terrific rapport with the players, fans, and coaches (not to mention Zumoff). That being said, it's time to turn our attention to our first-round opponent, the Pistons.

The Pistons are deeper than in past years, but depth tends to matter less in the playoffs. There are no back-to-back games and every possession is important, so coaches shorten their rotations. Because of that, I think we need to focus on getting good match-ups with the Pistons starting five. To that end, I propose moving Iguodala to the 2 (Andre Miller and Willie would get torched by Chauncey and Rip) and starting Thad at the 3. Thad has played well recently, and his size and speed make him an ideal match-up with Tayshaun. As for the bigs, Dalembert and Evans should rotate on Rasheed and McDyess to give them different looks. I think this line-up gives us the best chance. It makes our frontcourt a little thinner, but i think that's a sacrifice that has to be made. Remember how Tayshaun destroyed McKie in the '03 playoffs.

Pace will be an important factor. The Pistons are really disciplined at keeping teams from running. Should we try to run anyway or focus on our half-court sets? What do you guys think?

MEMO TO DAVID STERN:
Give the paying NBA customers a gift and send those whistleblowers on an early summer vacation. This crew of zebras should not be allowed to attend any NBA playoff games. The replay showed the hand of the official raising to call a foul, after the red light flashed on the backboard. The cardinal sin of officiating is when an official determines the outcome of the game, and these guys are guilty of this. I wonder if this happened to the Sixers at Detroit in the playoffs, if the officials would bring the Pistons back on the court, put time back on the clock, and allow the Sixers to win a game at the Palace of Auburn Hills.
I think not.
Jason-Los Angeles

Recently, I accepted the fact that Willie doesn't shoot the highest FG% in the world, so I started looking at the other things he does. I think he could be a decent point guard. His handle isn't the best, but it's on par with Iggy's, maybe a little better. On the Sixers fastbreak, he makes great decisions. He doesn't make purpose-less passes, like Iggy or LouWill sometimes does. I don't know if anyone noticed, but he posted up someone last night, and made the shot.

I bet if you tasked him with leading the offense, not with his scoring, but with his playmaking, he wouldn't embarass himself, he'd do pretty well. Cheeks should look into making him the backup point guard next year.

Zeru,

Regarding whether or not the NBA is fixed, I follow the NBA, I'm totally aware of the one-sided officiating that's occured in certain big games, and some of Stern's bad decisions. I think David Stern could do a lot better than the current system in place. But for me, if I think about that too much, it just pisses me off, so I don't. I kind of don't wanna convince myself the NBA is fixed, 'cause it's my favorite sport, I like the Sixers better than both the Phils and Eagles. What if you were so jaded that you go into every season thinking that the Sixers have no chance just because of how the league is run? It wouldn't be a lot of fun. I hate that the Suns were robbed last year, but there were other good stories in last year's playoffs, I tried to focus on those.

is Andre Miller going to get suspended for punting the ball into the stands? The last player I remember doing that was Scottie Pippen.

JumpingJohnny

The form did seem to vary throughout the season. But it also seemed of late he was using more of his entire body of late to get his shot off. And it started falling more consistently but we will see. I've also noticed his willingness to take it all the way to the basket has decreased. And his off the ball shot creation has went back solely to that step back fadeaway...But we will see..

Sixerguy

Point taken... I feel the same way..Probably why I get so outraged when things are blatant

Statman, Correct form and consistency of such is what it's about. Think of Allen, Dale Ellis, Reggie Miller, Larry Bird, Rick Barry, George Gervin, Austin Carr, Dave Bing, Calvin Murphy, Jerry West, Joe Dumars, Drazen Petrovic, Hal Greer, Sam Jones, Bill Bradley, Chris Mullin...virtual launching machines - same form and release point every time.

I think any player can improve technique given dedication to it, though as with any endeavor, it's a confidence game too and part of shooting development includes natural gifts--if it just came down to work, there'd be an abundance of high quality NBA jump shooters instead of a shortage.

Dr. J didn't have a soft or classic outside shot (used the backboard from side decently); he was handicapped some by huge hands and probably just leaned on other areas of his considerable arsenal. By the end, through his work, was a respectable outside shooter but he willed the ball into hole more than he applied textbook technique.

Statman, Correct form and consistency of such is what it's about. Think of Allen, Dale Ellis, Reggie Miller, Larry Bird, Rick Barry, George Gervin, Austin Carr, Dave Bing, Calvin Murphy, Jerry West, Joe Dumars, Drazen Petrovic, Hal Greer, Sam Jones, Bill Bradley, Chris Mullin...virtual launching machines - same form and release point every time.

I think any player can improve technique given dedication to it, though as with any endeavor, it's a confidence game too and part of shooting development includes natural gifts--if it just came down to work, there'd be an abundance of high quality NBA jump shooters instead of a shortage.

Dr. J didn't have a soft or classic outside shot (used the backboard from side decently); he was handicapped some by huge hands and probably just leaned on other areas of his considerable arsenal. By the end, through his work, was a respectable outside shooter but he willed the ball into hole more than he applied textbook technique.

I agree with the earlier post, that Willie might be a better point guard than a shooting guard. At least Willie wouldn't have to guard RIP! Willie always plays well aganint Detriot! I look for Willie to get increased minutes in this series.

I'm sure the Steve Mix fan club was waiting for this.
I couldn't stand steve Mix's analysis. Grade school stuff. Same game every time, The chuckle. Fouls shooting technique. No intelligent insight. Got fed up with him.

Salmi is much preferred by me than Mixville.

KM:

Green had a nice 1st quarter, played about 10 minutes and had 4 of his 5 makes for the game. He then plays 15 more minutes unproductively. Now if this is either of the 2 Andres, he gets the benefit of the doubt, but Green is not on their level, so I just don't understand how the amount of minutes he plays is not responsive to the quality of said play.

sfw:

Can I choose none of the above?

That was one of the most bullshit calls I have seen in a basketball game in a long time. I think that the only reason why the Cavs got away with that is because all three refs were in bed with Lebron James. Those were some of the most crooked refs I've ever seen, Lebron clearly traveled to the hoop and the only reason Devin Brown got flailed a little bit on the arm was that Big Z pushed Sammy into him, which the refs also never called. If I see one of those refs walking down the street I swear I'll punch them out. The Sixers should be 41-40 right now and preparing to play the more formidable Orlando Magic, but now that the refs screwed us over we are forced to play the Pistons.

Morty, I'd consider that but I much prefer the impartial Salmi style. Not in love wit homers. Maybe, I should stop posting....

LOL. You're definitely entitled to your opinion, dude. I don't know... I'd rather have Mix. He always seemed like a regular guy and, as a former Sixer, you got the feeling he felt the same passion for the team as fans like us do. Salmi, on the other hand, does absolutely nothing for me.

Basketball play of the night, moreso than his right side rumble and thunder dunk or extra-deep middle 3-pt. shot: James' 35 foot two-hand jump pass cross-court to Ilgauskas on opposite side of basket, in the face of a double team. Takes a special athlete to see that and get that done. Of course, our defensive titan - Sam - gambled on pass, ended up out of position, and lost.

Sixers and fans can cry about end of game refereeing, but that's the risk you take when you fiddle around and bank on comeback adrenaline and last 9 minutes of game to pull out a W. You essentially place game's outcome in fallible/biased(?) referee hands instead of grabbing control early of an important game and maintaining it. What of the other 39 min.? Loss: Own fault, Sixers. Look in mirror.

3:54 post, mine

sixerzguy

I also agree that willie should be playing backup PG. I mean it would be insane for him to be used as a SG right? haha, oh the pain of your favorite team starting one of the shortest SG's in the league. Arent undersized SG'S usually able to bomb treys?

Haha, its hard to even mention Green anymore without stiring up a bee's nest. Let me try to make myself completely clear - Morty, I still am in agreement with your general sentiment that green's leash is disproportionally long. In spite of that, I did give him credit for a decent game, which in fairness he had. As i also said, i would not go so far as to say he had a very good game - as you mention, production did trail off after the 1st. I also had to correct myself since i said carney was rebounding, and the stat line proved me wrong. But, still also in agreement that i would have liked to see more Carney after green's production did trail off. All things considered, its probably easier if i just avoid aggravating this issue further.

and i'm certianly not a mix partisan or anything, but that chuckle did make me laugh a bit.

Jumpin':

Watching the first half, I did not see much play making from our play makers, the 2 Andres. I saw a lot of passes to Sammy and Evans in spots they should never touch the ball. If I ever see Sammy passing the ball form the high post to Evans in the low post again I will throw my TV out the window.

Another observation, Evans is sort of a homeless man's Ben Wallace, without the shot blocking ability.

One last thing, with all due respect, I think Willie Green as PG is not among the best ideas I've read here.

I agree with Marc. After the game my intial reaction was that this team is going to use this brutal loss as a motivating factor. Their mojo was back in the fourth quarter. Hopefully they can keep that edge because a pissed off team can be a dangerous thing to an opposing team. This could have been better than a one point win.

I agree with the sentiment above about how frustrating it is that the officials give certain players the star treatment. Lebron got away with murder last night. The treatment of Dwayne Wade in the Finals a couple years ago was a complete joke and sadly, I have a feeling the Cavs (Lebron) and Celtics (Big Three) will get similar leeway throughout the playoffs in the East. As sad as it is, I think that drawing the Pistons does give us an advantage in the fact that we don't have to deal with a particular golden boy. I don't mean to sound too paranoid but this is a real problem in the NBA and one of the most disheartening things in professional sports today (along with steroids in MLB and the NFL Network). With that being said, it's easy to forget we benefitted from this for quite some time with A.I. on our side.

I'm cautiously optimistic about our chances against the Pistons. There is alot to be said about the playoff experience of the Pistons, especially when you compare it to the lack of for the Sixers. However, throughout the years the Pistons have been prone to periods of flat-ness in the postseason. This was the case last year in the Eastern Conference finals vs the Cavs. I like the Sixers in a series where they are basically given no chance. I think they will be a bit looser and hopefully they can channel some of the anger from last night. Sure, Detroit poses matchup problems (namely Wallace and Billups) but the bottom line is that the Cavs and Magic would have presented their own problems as well.

Also, does anyone have any idea when the playoffs actually start? I could have sworn I saw 4/20 (which is Sunday) in an NBA ad but I also think I heard Zumoff say they started on Friday. I searched the web but couldn't find anything. Shaping up to be a great sports weekend with the Mets in town and some Sixers and Flyers playoff games...

Morty, I agree that willie G as a pg is a bad idea but willie g as a starting sg is even worse. I think that 8 minutes a game would be what he should be getting.

Willie has a great 10 minute run in the first quarter, it's just that he did not earn the other 15 minutes. If Green's not hitting shots, he tends not to contribute in other ways. Green is streaky, so Mo has to know when Green's gotten his good streak in and is due for a bad streak that hurts the team. That what coach of the year candidates do, right?

I'm not a big Willie Green fan but lets be realistic. He is one of 4 players on our team that can create his own shot without you looking at the tv scratching your head saying "What the hell was that?!". Granted alot of those shots dont or havent gone in lately, you dont come away dissatisfyed with the effort or question the shot selection like we did earilier this season. No dude is not the answer at starting 2 but I no long walk away from games thinking These were the SIXERS and was WILLIE GREEN. Like it or not for the time being..We need dude. Hopefully Cheeks goes back to the long lineup of Miller Iggy Young Evans and Sammy...

Morty, Iggy was uncharacteristically flat last night. The other Andre has been off a peg last two weeks. Long season.

Sammy high to Evans low: Dean Martin to Jerry Lewis. Laughed at your TV comment.

Ben Wallace is a shell of his peak self. Where'd his game go?

WG getting some PG play? Never mentioned it. Not the best idea, but I've read worse. Believe it or not, I've noticed a few shortcomings in his game. Still like him though.

Jumpin':

Shortcomings, you say?

Jumpin':

To add: I know you've not suggested Green as PG. Just reponding to others, sorry if that was unclear.

It really is a moot point to talk about getting rid of Willie until that happens, because Mo likes the guy, and even if he's on the team next year, he will get a good amount of minutes. Mo plays him because experience counts for something, you don't know sports if you think otherwise. We've seen the rookies play for long stretches recently, and you can't say they were all bright and sparkly every second they were on the floor.

The dumbest thing Willie does on the court is try to score. He's what we've got, and he'll be on the payroll 'til 2011. You wanna get rid of him? Who'll take him as he is, huh? Even if he plays a limited amount of minutes, it ain't gonna change his FG%. So he'll go 1 for 4 instead of 2 for 8. As a point guard, hopefully he'll shoot only 0 for 2, while making good plays, racking up a few assists, swaying the point differential in the Sixers' favor. We can't get anything (in a trade) for him right now, how about focusing on how we could develop some value in the guy.

I won't be sad to see him go, I'm with people in that regard. But constantly dwelling on what you don't have isn't a great idea, either. And this why Mo has swayed my opinion of him - he's got what he's got, and he made the best of it, unlike other coaches we've had who constantly complained about not having this or that.

Please please please watch his passes, watch when he's not focused on scoring. I know it's like a horrible car accident when he's trying to score, and on defense, as was pointed out, he ain't GP, but if you exclude his decisions to try to score,