Deep Sixer

Oh were pumped up for the playoffs, for sure. Lets be real here, anything they do in the playoffs is a bonus. None of us expected to be here, with our team in the playoffs. What we do this offeason will shape our team for a very long time. Will we sign AI? What about Lou? Can ES get rid of Willie G? Can we get lucky with that 17th pick? Can we get a top flight free agent? If they make it into the 2nd round this year then that will be a victory in my mind.

I think the Sixers will definitley give teams problems in the post season no matter who we play..I'm not looking at next season till this season is over..I just hope the Sixers keep running in the postseason and not try to adjust to the slow half court offense teams usually run in the playoffs..KEEP RUNNING SIXERS!! gotta love Andre Miller in the playoffs though..GO SIXERS!!!!!

"...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."

You just summed up the conversation about playoff positioning and potential match ups right there, Marc. Everyone agrees with that take, so what else is there to discuss?

We'll have plenty to say when the playoffs are set, and when the games begin, Until then, and especially since there is a 3 day break in between games, I don't think anyone should be chastised for discussing the fascinating off season.

I think most people here believe that the Sixers have a decent shot to win a round, but are certainly legitimate underdogs to do that. So, again, not much discussion opportunities there.

Marc, I think we can beat Orlando. If we start Iggy at the 2 our backcourt should dominate theirs. The two big mismatches have been Howard and Turkaglu; if you foul Howard early and put him on the line [get inside his head] maybe his 59% f.t. shooting affects the rest of his game. Turkaglu has used his height advantage against Thad when Iggy has been covering Lewis; but he is a crafty "finesse" player.Why not put the 6!11" Smith on him.Jason has trouble with physical players but moves his feet well. If it doesn!t work go back to what was being done, but its worth a shot.

My question is this, "Why are you fixated on the Sixers being the 5th seed?" The Sixers are currently 3 games behind Cleveland for the 4th seed and home court. Washington is ahead of them by 1 game. The teams that they have to play the rest of the season they are 6-6 against this season and you have to take the bad start into consideration. The Cavs are 5-8 against their remaining opponents with their only winning record coming against Miami (2-0). Washington has a 6-8 record against their remaining opponents (2-1 vs BOS)this year, their only win over the 76ers was in November. There's a possibility that the Sixers (DET, IND, WASH, CLE, CHA)can go 4-1 to finish the season while Cleveland (CHI, DET, MIA, NJ, PHI) and Washington (BOS, DET, PHI, IND, ORL)can easily go 1-4 each.

I don't know about you, but I'm rooting for them this year as I will next year too! It's not bad for a team that the "experts" were all picking to finish last in the division if not the conference.

I wonder if the reason that Sixer fans would rather talk about the upcoming draft and possible free agent signings is because they are so familiar with the warts of the current players but missing the bigger picture of how they've come together as a team.

I live in Colorado. I get to watch the highly paid, highly talented Nuggets stroll their way to 151-147 2OT losses to horrible teams like Seattle. I get to watch the likes of All-Stars Carmelo Anthony and Allen Iverson allow Seattle rookies Kevin Durant and Jeff Green score 72 points between them; the same Durant and Green who were outplayed in combination by Sixer rookies Thaddeus Young and Jason Smith last month. I get to watch Carmelo Anthony play 30 feet of floor; you get to watch Andre Iguodala make mistakes over 94 feet of floor!!! I get to watch Marcus Camby block shots but ball watch at the moment of truth rather than D up; you get to watch Sam Dalembert look awkward but defend with all his heart during crunch time.

See what I'm saying here?

The Sixers ain't perfect and its easy for knowledgable basketball fans like many in Philly are to look ahead to having better players. But they're also smart and savvy enough to enjoy this current ride.

This Sixer team really took off when they decided to put Thaddeus Young into the starting line-up. The following game Jason Smith got his first and only start. Next thing you know, Rodney Carney decided to come along for the ride and voila! A killer nine-man rotation that plays 94' for 48 minutes.

Obviously, I want the team to finish strongly but I'm really looking forward to the playoffs. I hope the Sixers draw Cleveland but not for anything but selfish reasons. The NBA will broadcast every move that LeBron and the Cavaliers make. He's the poster child for the current NBA and I'll be able to see more Sixer games on TV in Colorado as a result.

Yeah I personally dont want to have to match up with Magic because of the spacing they create in our smothing Defense. And I feel Lebron James' team is a upset waiting to happen because of his reluctant attitude towards wanting to share the credit for the teams sucess with another player capable of helping him...

But like Morty so eioquently put it...We pretty much already talked about this man. Yeah we dont want to face orlando and everybody else is game. At the end of the year the games are less frequent. More attention is put on college basketball who true fans scout for their favorate teams that make for interesting discussion. We havent forgotten about the playoffs we are just waiting for them to start. We know what we have..we know who we are..Only thing really left is to watch the actual games. Until they come people tend to stray towards open forum. Great point Mort.

if the 6ers continue their growth onto the playoff stage then its a fair assessment that they can beat anybody. nobody knows yet, not the fans, media, or the players what's going to happen or who's going to step up under playoff pressure. the 6ers may come across a first round opponent that may not be ready for the spotlight themselves.

Marc, biggest reason is we see what this team has done with some rather large holes in its roster and had set itself up for a big summer regardless of what it did this year...this year was supposed to be lost, right? trust us we're enjoying it, but we've been looking forward to this offseason since before this season even began...

that said, knocking off lebron would be sweet...

I got my tickets already and am ready for the playoffs! Hope the building is rocking, giving the Sixers the support they deserve!

'Off-day before an off-day' BACKBOARD BANTER:

- Will contemporary coaches, players and announcers ever stop saying "score the ball"? It's never been done any other way, far as I know.

- Louis Williams' sneakers resemble Bozo the Clowns' in length; check 'em out. Long fingers too.

- Jason Smith wears a quizzical look on court reminiscent of "Wally"/Tony Dow (from "Leave It To Beaver"); play sometimes matches. At least he's earnest.

- Sixers need a PF who combines "'Lumpy' Rutherford" size and "Eddie Haskell" attitude

- Reggie Evans likes his job, transparently so. Fun to watch...before the release.

- Andre Iguodala is cut like the Hope Diamond. Does he lift weights? Or is he a Jack LaLanne convert?

- On the other hand, Andre Miller looks like he could've been called "Pudgy" at his elementary school recess, before growth spurt.

- The "Haitian Sensation" hits foul shots at a decent clip for a big man; same goes for shots on their downward arc.

- Shavlik Randolph plays Duke hard, not Duke (of vintage years) talented

- Is Louis Amundson a player or a surfer on his way to OBX?

- Since Sixers employ Calvin Booth, why not call Jon Amechi and Frank Brickowski out of retirement? To contact, see John Bach or Dick Harter.

- Kevin Ollie is in free.

- UCLA freshman Kevin Love will be a high draft pick, should he declare himself eligible, because his name is easy to remember and spell.

- "Turning garbage into gold", "are trying to lock all windows and doors", "fighting the good fight", "young fella" -- put a sock in it.

- Detroit Mercy: Please.

I hope the Sixers are either the 5th or 7th seed. As the 5th seed, I think we will outright beat Cleveland. As for Detroit, I think it will be tough to beat them in a 7 game series, but I like the way we match up against them (as long as Mo keeps Willie glued to the bench, and starts Iggy at the 2 and Thad at the 3).

However I think the Magic, although not as good as the Pistons, present insurmountable matchup problems. We either let Howard run amok underneath, or give them open looks at 3s
all day. We still have not figured out how to defend a good 3-point shooting team, and along with Howard as one of the power bigs who Sammy can't defend one-on-one, I think an Orlando series will be depressing and embarrassing.

Before March madness I didn't even know who the top draft picks where. I didn't even cared, but now that I seen them, it nice to fantasized, about who the 6ers are picking. Now about the playoff, it hard to strati zed about opponents because the 6ers don't even know who their playing. I am in the minority because I would love for them to play Detroit or Boston first. Everybody wants to play Cleveland. Playing Cleveland to me would be a quick exit out of the playoff for the 6ers. Nobody on this team can defend Lebron. Lights, camera, action, Lebron would be unstoppable......tiger woods of basketball...it would be a disaster. Lebron would get Sammy D in foul trouble. Lebron would be penetrating and kicking out to open shooters.

MARC, you are right on, it is brutal!

It is so PHILADELPHIA that we cannot enjoy the moment...we either tear it down or want it to be even better in the future.

This is a FABULOUS RUN this team is on. For me it rivals the Championship season BEFORE Theo got hurt.

The similarities, great pressing defense, team basketball, running...are all there. The difference is that we have two stars, Iguodala and Miller, not just one in Iverson.

I believe the SIXERS TEAM can win at least one series, and if they do win one, they'll gain confidence and the sky is the limit.

One never knows whether we will see this same TEAM this same MAGIC again...Philly fans, lets enjoy THIS TEAM and a great playoff run!

Marc,

The reason for all of the talk is the Tournament was going on and we were getting first hand looks at some of the players of tomorrow. Being that we defintely need improvement, and we will have a mid 1st round pick, possibly a late 1st round pick and some money to spend in FA - we have to weigh the FA options against who will be available in the draft.

This team is playing better than it is right now and those team eventually come back to earth. We know that improvement is needed in many areas - and after watching 77 games - I think we are entitled to our opinions of how we can improve.

Lets talk about the now. Hey Marc I remember how quick you were to point out how we were wrong for riding Willie Green. Of course this came after his bet set of games, and ofcourse he has dissapeared since then. And ofcourse I haven't heard you say a word about mediocre Willie since then. Myself all the other die hards on here can't wait to find someone to replace that one trick pony. And he doesn't even excel at that one trick.

Well said all the bloggers. Hugh, you hit the nail right on the head. With so many prospects playing over the past week that are in our draft zone, how can you not get excited? This is what I wrote the other day in response to those who don't want to hear about draft/future talk.

The casual fan doesn't care about the draft until the day of the draft. The die hard fan trys to think like the GM, always thinking ahead. Want to know why were talking about the draft casual fans? It's because we thirst for knowledge, and when the draft is completed you come to blogs such as this and seek our knowledge.

Greek, I will say this, Carney is getting more minutes than Willie and come playoff time, I expect Ollie to get some minutes if Willie starts slow. Reggies minutes have been down also, yet Jason!s are not going up, so we are playing small more lately.Still say against Det. Iggy should start at the 2 but who knows. Mo has been pushing the right buttons all year . Marc, our SUMMER banter is a way to pass the time, that!s all, we love what we are seeing!!!

Marc, we are excited about what this team has done this year, but it is still a team with a lot of flaws. We just have a GM that knows what he is doing and cap room for the first time in a decade.

We also now have our own no. 1 picks instead of constantly trading them for washed up, high-cost players. We have some talent, but it is not enough for that ticker tape parade yet.

By the way, did you ever get the scope on if the 76ers will get to keep this year's 2nd round pick, which was top 45 protected with Utah until the Hill and Fesenko trade?

I think this draft is deep enough where the 2nd rounder could actually make next year's team.

Suede, where you at? Drop some knowledge on us!

suede, I hear you dude. It's just a shame that Carney doesn't get all of Willie's minutes.

Suede, sfw, Morty, zeru

Is arthur back on our radar? He looked a lot better in the finals then he did in the semi's.

The Greek,

O wise one, I beseech thee, quench my thirst for draft knowledge. Whom shall I trust to perform well for my tender Sixers? And do your tootsies need a little olive oil while I listen to your perspicacious offerings? Or may I peel you a grape?

I'm not sure your commentary is 100% fair, Marc. Yes, this season has not only been exciting, but I'm sure whatever playoff run the Sixers enjoy will be as well. The team has far exceeded expectations and there is a pretty universal goodwill towards the general direction of the franchise.

But...the fans have been pointing at next year since before the start of this season. As good as this team has been this season, they actually have a chance to step into the Eastern elites by this time next year with the right move or 2. That prospect is even more exciting than the exciting present.

It's been a while since we've had a team with a horizon that could include a title, and with the right couple moves I don't see why the Sixers can't win something in the next 4 or so years.

Marc,
Hugh, Morty & company hit it just right.

It's a timing thing. couple days off. Tourney time. Dratable players from the top of the draft to the bottom. Great overtime finish. Time to focus on the phillies, I mean Sixers. By the way for the first time last night I saw why Arthur was so high up on those draft projections. He has talent but should stay one year to become a top 10 pick.

John, I disagree. It isn't a brutal tack taken here. Playoffs were achieved. Team celebrated, fizzled the next night, followed by 3 open dates. Matchups yet to be determined. What's there to say? Concentration on team hasn't waned, just paused. Your strong belief in Sixers as a winning entity doesn't remove their spots. Thus, draft, free agent and trade dreams and schemes exchanged - understandably so, especially with many prospects on tournament display.

Philly sports is good right now, Flyers get ready for the playoffs wednesday, Sixers are trying to get the highest seed possible, Phils are just starting their season, so fans are probably split up in mulitple directions. What's left are guys watching the tourney and the hardcore sixer armchair GM's getting their team ready for next year.

When the nba playoffs start I fully expect this site to explode.

Jumpin':

Could I add to your list of Zumof-isms?

"taking him to the weight room" "down it goes!" "Instant Korver, sip it it's hot" "got it going on"

I also want to add that although Jason Smith may look earnest, he is enjoying the less earnest perks of NBA membership.

Going to be better than people think:

Kyle Weaver
Tyler Hansbrough
Sherron Collins - like a Kyle Lowry/Tyronn Lue hybrid
Darrell Arthur - won’t be consistent, but will have more good games than bad
Stephen Curry
Mario Chalmers - great defense, and will be a combo guard like LouWill
Pat Calathes - 6’11” Kyle Korver? Mo Cheeks would love this guy...

Disappointing: Darren Collison, Ty Lawson

Will need more time to develop than people think: Kevin Love

Will live up to the hype and more: Derrick rose

What you see is what you get, but this isn’t a bad thing (though it is bad for their draft stock, since upside isn’t as great as others’): CDR, DJ White

Sixerzguy:

What have you seen in Love that makes you think that? He was player of the year at 19 in the Pac-10, the consensus best conference in the NCAA. Very impressive in my mind.

Morty, like your additions to the list of cornpone, hyperbolic, microphonic struts.

Also, don't doubt your JS assertion.

I am glad that Marc posted this. I for one can't stand all the incessive discussion about this player or that one-whoever we might get in the draft or free agency.

It is as though people are more interested in playing at being GM's rather than enjoying the work of Billy King and Ed Stefanski.

I was one of the people hoping for the team to tank games to get a better draft pick, but the winning has been much more enjoyable.

I think it is absurd to talk about free agents, or draft choices now, there will be plenty of time to do this after the end of the season. Logically, we know we're not adding any more talent at present so why worry about it!?

I am only focused on the team continuing to improve it's quality of play and their possible playoff seedings. I still have hopes that we will catch Clevland.

Why is it that no-one puts Cleveland in the mix with Washington, Philly and Toronto. Their lead is not significant and they are playing badly. I would love to see the Sixers face the Cavaliers, as it stands now, Cleveland would loose in a series with the Sixers.

The next game with Detroit is huge. Not only do the Sixers need the win, they need to develop the confidence that in the playoffs they can beat Detroit.

The team has made great strides since the beggining of the year, and are better, but no-one knows how much better. Where do they rank? I was speculating on this a while back and figured with their recent improvements they were about the 10th best team in the league.

Finally, this week, the Sixers have broken into the top 10 in power rankings. That's great for a team that the prognoticators picked to finish dead last in the East.

I give them better than even odds to get an upset in the playoffs this season, particularly if we face Cleveland. I don't like matching up with Orlando; I would rather we face Detroit instead.

Only 5 games left and the Sixers have just dropped to 6-4 in their last 10. They need to buckle down and take these next 5, to get the best postion possible in the playoffs and to develop the confidence that they are a playoff worthy team, and that Igoudala and Miller and Williams will find a way to get us through the first round.

Rick:

Not much to add to your summary, thus the reason why the conversation flows in a different direction.

Sixers are 3 back of Cleveland with 5 to play. Sure it's possible to tie or go ahead of them, but very extremely unlikely. And haven't we exhausted the topic of the Sixers pleasantly surprising us?

Much more interesting at this moment in between games to discuss possible improvement's, funny Zumof-isms and Jason Smith living the dream by making out with a porn star.

“Snarf = Anyone who feels the need to advertise themself as a "die hard fan" “

How does one proclaim to “think like a GM” when one is not a GM?

(so called)Casual Fan + (so called)Die Hard Fan = FAN.
No more...no less!

Morty, that link re: JSmith was great. Im still chuckling. its always the quiet ones...

As far as playoff matchups, I actually wouldn't mind seeing detroit. I never would have said that until we pulled out that win against them a few weeks back, but now i think they're our best shot.

LeBron is just plain lights out in the playoffs, and even though some folks bashed the big bulls cavs trade, i think it really impoved them. Joe Smith is the consumate role player and provides the same steady hand he did here. Big Ben adds some toughness, and hes woken up since departing chi town. And now they've got decent outside shooting to boot. We have a shot, but i don think its our best one.

I cant imagine a scenario where we take 4 games from Boston...i think nuff said on that.

Orlando has given us fits all year. We could be looking at the beginning of a long rivalry with them, but they're closer to a finished product than we are right now. as others mentioned, we cant guard superman and their three point shooters at the same time. Maybe with some defensive upgrades...(hence the offseason talk.)

As for detriot, i just think we be able to run them ragged over seven games. They're getting old, and while their bench has strong potential i think ours is better now. They key though, is to focus on Defense. all of our success this year has come from getting stops FIRST and THEN getting out on the break. Detroit is not the highest scoring team out there, and if we get some stops and push the pace i think we have a shot.

Thats my view of things, perhaps a little unconventional as always.

Seriously, though, there's no reason for people to be upset about offseason talk. Skip over it and post something else if thats not what interests you. We're capable of holding more than one idea in our heads at a time :)

The only way we steal a round is if we make the 5th seed and LeBron's back tightens up for four games. We already know Orlando easily outmatches us and that Detroit's depth and playoff experience are too much to handle in a 7 game series. Let's not think about what would happen against Boston.

I'm fine with us losing in the first round as long as we steal a game or two. Enough for the guys to know that they can compete with the East's best and enough for Mo and the guys upstairs to know how much work this team needs.

Morty,

The skills are there, the quickness isn’t. His competition in the Pac-10 wasn’t as tough and physical as Memphis. He wouldn’t have done squat against Kansas. But like I said, the skills are there. He’ll need to be crafty and use other players to get good shots (pick and rolls, mismatches, cuts). But forget about throwing it in to him in the low post, it’ll be a couple of years before he’s effective down there.

I wouldn’t mind seeing Love here, but he’s far from a finished product.

In defense of Hansbrough – if Hansbrough is Reggie Evans but he has a jumper and decent touch around the rim, wouldn’t that make him one of the better power forwards in the league?

But I like Darrell Arthur better than those two for our draft slot(Blake Griffin would be even nicer).

Marc,

Come on, the championship game was last night, don't you like seeing the players before they get into the league? Anyways, less draft and FA talk from me from now on, the Madness is over.

Marc,
I agree will what Morty said early on (7:19 PM last night)... there's just not too much to say. Yes we're excited for the playoffs... can't wait. Hope we get the Fifth or Sixth seed! I think we can win a round... heck, we could go all the way, but realisticly, it's unlikely.
Having said that, we know we are close. We love the core of this young team and we know with a couple more pieces we could be contending for Championships for the next decade. However, the window is small. Hugh said it yesterday, after this year we have to resign Miller then Carney... we'll back over the cap and picking up scraps at the end of the first round in the draft.
We like our young team and don't want to trade any of our core (with maybe the exception of Green, but only because he might have some value and we still have Iguodala, Carney and Willams). If we're going to "Win it all" sometime in the next decade, we have to get this off-season right. We have to use our "Cap Space" correctly and we have to find a player that will contribute (even as a back-up) in the draft.
We're so close we can taste it.
Yes, we are excited about this team, about the playoffs this year, but there's not too much else to say until the playoffs start. And we are even more excited about the real possibility of having an elite NBA team with the chance of winning it all, every year for the next decade.
-B FRANK

Marc,
Good job, obviously you were getting tired of reading about the draft on your blog. I really like the Sixers chances against an Orlando team in the first round, due to their lack of playoff experience, and up and down play. Put Iggy on Turk, Carney on Rashard Lewis, Miller on Nelson, Sammy on Superman, and I like our matchups. These guys will have a hard time winning away from Florida, especially in a hostile Philly environment. The Sixers- Wizards game will be very interesting coming down the stretch.
Jason- Los Angeles

Orlando - I'd prefer to put Thad Young on Rashard Lewis, with Carney helping out off the bench.

I'm ready for the playoffs...I don't care about next year - we might not make the playoffs next year

re: Phila/Detroit

Are the Pistons still "resting" their players? If so I dont see it being such a big game from their side if Billups, Hamilton, and Prince log about 20 minutes.

Sixers should take this one tomorrow because they want it more. Hopefully they've scouted their bench players.

We will get to see a lot of Rodney Stuckey tomorrow night - the guy i was hoping the Sixers would pick at 12 last year. I think Thad is coming along nicely, but it will be interesting to see what he does.

Guy who is going to be garbage in the NBA - CDR

He has no handle (can only go right and it is a high dribble)) and his poor FT shooting cost me my office pool ($300).

I have been touting Rose since day 1 - check the blogs - I wanted to deal Miller and lose and try to get a shot at Rose - his stock has soared, so I doubt we would have a shot either way - especially since the East is so weak - we probably still would have made the playoffs anyway.

Please recognize Hugh's eye for talent - maybe i can get a scouting job with the Sixers - they hired Bobby Hurley a few years ago.

B Frank, Sixers are on ascent, but are not that close. Here's why. Andre Miller is having one helluva year, minus Nov; a career year. Still, no matter how savvy, age catches up, especially at the point. The younger player he's outsmarting today will be a little quicker next season from natural growth and lessons learned; will have better overall NBA footing. Miller might be be a mite slower in speed and reaction. Matchup advantage: probably a shave smaller, at the key position. As it stands now, his inferior foot quickness on defensive end is camoflagued by helping teammates - sometimes. Of course, natural improvement at other positions can compensate some for Miller fade, but he's been so instrumental in this year's success; it's hard to overstate his importance.

Don't forget, while Iguodala is flexing leadership of late, it was Miller who got the train rolling and kept it on track with a never-say-die attitude, clutch shooting and strong decision-making when Sixers were on the brink of collapse in mid-year. I think there will be a natural decline in his play in next two years. Not big, but enough to effect.

Don't mean to be a wet blanket but things have swung right in some respects for Sixers, i.e. injuries. Also, with more success, will collegiate team attitude and spirit - another key factor this year - remain the same?

Enjoy their '08 run, however long it lasts. Still some infrastructure missing as is often alluded to here. And chemistry changes each October.

great points, jumpin --> re chemistry and infrastructure

Willie Green and Jason Terry appear to be having the same season. Either they score alot of points or they go 3-18. But they are both in the game because they are given the benefit of a doubt that they will eventually regain shooting form.

I wonder if anyone in Dallas is calling for Jason Terry's head like many here are calling for WG's?

Time-Out, i think you usually have good stuff to say, but Terry is 46% on FG's and 37.8% from 3 and Willie is 43% and 28%. Terry is 3 assist per game to a little over 1 TO, Willie is 1.9apg to about 1.5 TO's. Willie is 77% on free throws and Terry is 85%. Terry may be streaky like green, but he has a track record of success - his numbers this year pretty well track his career numbers(8yrs). Unfortunately, we dont have any reason to feel like willie will pull out of it, because even if he's putting up his best numbers I'll still take terry.

Is it possible that Willie goes to dallas and puts up similar numbers to Terry or on the other hand is it possible that Terry comes here and has Willie-like numbers? quite possibly in both cases, but that just further underlines that a Willie type player is a bad fit here. I do think Willie is a great story overcoming the injuries the way he has, and I'm not trying to bash him, but he does seem like the weak link at this point. Its not personal, just business...

I don't think it's fair to say that just because nobody's talking about potential playoff matchups that everybody's just "assuming we're one and done".

At this point, I think we can all agree that this squad is a dangerous matchup for all but one (the Celtics) of the top 4 teams in the conference, and that knocking off Detroit, Orlando, or Cleveland would be a HUGE step in the right direction for this franchise.

BUT - at the same time, I think it's also safe to say that we can all agree that this squad isn't ready to win a championship just yet, so why not at least have some fun discussing what possible moves are coming to get us closer to hoisting a trophy?

Oh yeah...and Mareese Speights from Florida declared for the draft today - if Love's off the board at 17-20, might this be the guy to take with the pick?

KM:

Thanks for shooting that down. There is no comparison to be made between Jason Terry and Willie Green.

KM - you have become one of my favorite posters on here because you are the most objective of all - besides maybe statman - jk. I don't always agree with you, but you will at least try to support your argument with objective evidence. I've enjoyed the banter with everyone as of late, actually. This might be due to my lack of Sam bashing over the last few days.

A few points about last night's game:

Calipari seemed to be less of a strategist and more of a motivator throughout the year, and it was very noticeable last night. It worked, I guess, but last night - it backfired. Memphis shoould have easily won that game, but Calipari seemed to rely too much on his guys' athleticism and strength and not enough about designing plays to get his guys open. He had maybe the best PG in years at the collegiate level and he didn't use him to the best of his abilities, in my opinion. Bill Self seemed to have a gameplan and it was a plan that stretched over 40+ minutes. Even though it cost me some money - it was pretty impressive to watch a coach control a game the way he did - from attacking Memphis' big guys and getting them into foul trouble to trusting his bench guys in tight spots. The fouling with 2 minutes and making Rose work defensively. I just wanted to put it out there that College ball was great this past month - as it usually is and it is fun to watch a coach leave his mark on a game like Bill Self did last night.

Hey folks, I've been taking a break the past couple days while impatiently awaiting the Sixers' next game ...

Marc: I was frustrated at one point because people kept talking about trades and future players even while the Sixers were improving before our very eyes, but in the end this is a blog and there will always be a wide (and colorful) range of opinions about what is important. Hope for the future is an important coping mechanism for sports fans (I remember how the Kearse signing helped Eagles fans everywhere get over the Panthers game in 1/04), but different people do their 'hoping' differently (no surprise). For my part, I've stuck to game analysis and statistical analysis of current Sixers, because that's what interests me now.

Hugh: thanks for the compliment, if it was meant as such.

Jumpin'Johnny: that was a gem of a post at 9:54 PM last night. What would you call Jason Smith's "jumping jacks" when he tries to rotate out to a 3-point shooter? (It's remarkable how ineffective that is -- I'd think it would be pretty distracting.)

As for my own take on the playoffs, I've said before that Cleveland is the best matchup, but if the Sixers are playing well, I believe they will give anybody (including Boston) a run for their money. That's why it's important for them to finish well these last five games. I remember in 02-03 when they went on a 20-5 run (similar to this year's) but finished the year 3-5. I wonder how the Detroit series that year would have gone had they had homecourt advantage (they finished only 2 behind Detroit for #1 seed).

Much of "Sixers playing well" depends, of course, on Willie Green NOT getting badly outplayed by the opposing team's starting off guard. I can't take too many more of these 1-11 games. When he plays like that, the Sixers would be better served on offense by replacing Green with a cardboard cutout of Andrew Toney at the three-point line (at least the cardboard cutout wouldn't be jacking up bad shots).

Sammy is jacking up 100 off balance off the wrong foot jumpers as we speak.

Thalia, yiasou re

Statman - much love cuz