Deep Sixer

Good win for the Sixers. Marc I think its a bit too pessimistic to say the Sixers were "lucky" especially having beat them in Detroit when their starters played heavy minutes. Sure they took care of basically the Pistons bench, but they easily could have looked at the subs on the court and had a letdown and pissed that game away. Instead they stayed focused and got the job done. Remaining a full game up on Toronto in that very important 6th spot. If Sammy continues to play this way I truly believe the Sixers will beat Orlando in the first round - let's get it.
http://www.reclinergm.com/76ers-make-easy-work-of-resting-detroit-pistons/

Yes the Sixers weren't as sharp as they can be. Yes the Pistons rested key players. But when one team never trails for the entire 48 minutes as the Sixers did tonight, I would choose to categorize it as a solid professional performance by the good guys. Iguodala was tremendous, Dalembert played well, and both Lou Williams and Jason Smith made great contributions off the bench.

Close out with 4 wins and we don't have to worry about Orlando. We'll get to play the Cavs/Lebrons. We would be entering the playoffs as hot as anyone in the league- can't wait.

A Lebron/Iguodala playoff match would elevate his national presence to a star level. Fair payback for a guy who leads a team that is so far under the radar that they have played zero national TV games.

I hate to be the bad news guy...but if Iggy goes buckwild in the playoffs (esp if he goes out and outplays or matches lebron) his price tags rises significantly. I think he'd still be worth it, but just a careful what you wish for note.

If only Washington didn't win, we could have been in the 5th spot right now...regardless, a win's a win to me and Philly's looking to enter the playoffs on a bit of a hot streak.

Agreed, I hope the Sixers can pass the Wiz for the 5th seed. They should be able to win a round with that matchup. The Cavs aren't THAT good and it looks like Bron Bron is a little banged up.

Jesus.
You Philly media members must take a class or three promoting the Half Empty view of things.

Maybe you can view who the Celts put on the Court, too.

Its not as if the Piston starters blew The Sixer srarters OFF THE DANG COURT!!

Smell the roses, dang it!!

Iguodala has already earned a max Contract. Its merely an issue of where he may elect to play,all leverage is entirely his; he won his gamble, by earning it.

Was the only guy to do so, too; in his draft class. Props to him. He is a keeper, at any cost, without doubt. Unreplaceable type versatility.

Everything is going along according to script. Detroit doesn't have much to prove and is clearly ready for the playoffs. They have the luxury of resting their key players, the Sixers don't.

This is the East and it's a bit worrisome when you have to play your two best players the whole game. The Sixers need a rotation to be competitive in the playoffs and it would be nice to get Smith, Carney, maybe Randolph and Amundson minutes. Right now I don't see much of a substitution system and don't think Cheeks has time to get it right. But hey who expected them to even get this far?

For most intelligent fans it is pretty obvious that the Pistons are fair game...Yes their starters hardly played...Yes it really doesnt matter if they win or lose. What we saw from the last time we played them is our style overcomes their halfcourt rigidness. We are more athletic and also younger. We can defend ALL of their players man to man except rasheed wallace in the post and tashawn prince when he has one of our guards on him. Really..Without Ben Wallace's defensive presence the pistons arent that overwhelmingly good. They just know how to play together well. Another weakness they have is they are prone to depend on the refs to help them win games. And I dont think they are going to get that kind of help THIS year. They have got to win their games outright. You can see it on the floor they do NOT want to see us in the post season. We expose their sores like Orlando exposes ours

Jason Smith...What can I say? Can we get this man more minutes pleasssssssssssssssssssssssse?

Lou Williams...If I watch him pass up another open shot only to take a crazy off balance shot..I'm going to throw something at my t.v. When you are open just take the damn shot mannnnnnnnn!

Question for Sixers players...How are yall going to allow Willie Green to shoot the way he has but yet ignore Sammy when he is calling for the ball in the post. Give that man the ball and let him continue to figure out what he can do in game time situations. I'm not bashing Green but I think its fair and accurate to say his potential has been reached opposed to Sammy who I still see room for greatness. Give that man the ball..let him figure it out. Its better than Green chuckin up illadvised shots.

ANDRE IGUODALA may be the new version of an NBA star that other teams will try to emulate.

Iguodala plays all facets of the game. He plays unselfishly. He doesn't DEMAND the ball. He doesn't sulk when he doesn't get "his" points.

He is a throwback to the era of Bird and Magic ( no I am not suggesting he is in their class!) in that he truly looks out for HIS TEAM first.

Rarely do you see a "star" player who is not a PG display such an all around game, such unselfishness.

I am proud of ANDRE IGUODALA and hope he is the NEW FACE of the NBA and the SIXERS for years to come!

Jason was great . Mo, just 5 more minutes a night, ppplease!!.Sixerzguy; You talked about maximizing Willie!s positives, and stressed the offensive end of the court.I think the key is using Willie when the backup guards are in the game for the opposing teams. Defensively is where he hurts us most. For us to have the best chance of winning in the playoffs we have to start games with a good defensive team because, realisticly, its going to be tougher to score. E.S. has stated Thad and Iggy willbe our 3 and 2 next year, well with 4 games left, do it now. By the way, Willie made 2 nice passes last night, if he could improve that aspect of his game he could serve a purpose off the bench for 15 minutes a night.

By the way, in the last 2 weeks Sam has been "Theolike" defensively and seems to be getting the ball less in situations where he turns it over.A.Miller last night made sure he came back for the ball on defensive rebounds by Sam after a bad outlet led to a turnover earlier.These guys have each others back. The way they talk when interviewed after a game, it is really something special they are building. I don!t care who we end up playing because no matter what happens in the playoffs I don!t see this team getting down on itself.

not one of those top 4 seeded teams wants the Sixers. They will take on anyone else, but the Sixers will give them fits for at least 192 grueling minutes.

Post player? nope. Pure shooter? yeah right.

this team IS Philadelphia.

I agree with Suede about not worrying who we get in the playoffs. Certainly we match up better against certain teams on paper, but (I can't believe I'm about to say this) the Sixers are mentally tough enough to handle whatever they are given. Whenever I count the Sixers out, they prove me wrong so I have no reason to think otherwise in the playoffs. Something tells me Miller and Mo (and to a lesser extent Ollie) will get these guys ready. Don't forget Dalembert and Iguodala have both logged significant playoff minutes.

Rebcalale, I disagree with your assessment that the Sixers need to expand their rotation for the playoffs. While a rotation in important, we just need to make sure it is well defined but not necessarily expanded. My sense is that younger guys like Lou, Carney, Thad and Jason will not start out with major minutes and gradually get eased in. You advocated working Shav and Admundson into the mix. No offense, but giving them minutes is probably the worst possible thing Mo could do to this team at this point.

Watching the Sixers move the ball in transition is just breath taking. It's like watching Rollins at the plate in a big spot or Westbrook with the ball in the open field- you just know something special is going to happen....

DOES'NT MATTER WHO WE PLAY IN THE FIRST ROUND,I LOVE MY SIXERS.WHAT EVER HAPPENS THIS SEASON,WIN OR LOSE....JUST TILL NEXT YEAR BABY

Why do people want the 5 seed? If the Sixers actually beat the Cavs they'd have to play Boston in round 2. Wouldn't you rather play Orlando and then the Pistons?

suede, 3 things:

1) Thanks for mentioning Kyle Weaver under that one blog, I love the guy, if we take a guard in the draft, I hope it's him, how often do 6'5" point guards come along? Wouldn't he be perfect alongside LouWill? Have you "scouted" him a lot? I think he'll be the 2nd or 3rd best point guard from this draft. People have a point regarding CDR - not another swingman!

2) Kudos for never giving up on Carney, he's just sick from 3-point land now, I hope that confidence doesn't go away in the playoffs. I like that moniker his teammates have given him, "Big Shot"... Hmmm... "Big Shot Rod", that has a nice ring to it, doesn't it? Oh wait... That'll never get past the FCC...

3) re: Willie, good points, but basically, I think Mo's gonna do what he's gonna do, and given the results, I really can't question him. ES has to step in here, and he did - we'll see some changes for next year. But for this year, I ain't Willie-bashing anymore, it's playoff time. Like it or not, this is our team - I'd rather focus on what they CAN do than what they can't! GO SIXERS!!!

I'll take debates about win-quality and playoff seeding 7 days a week and twice on Sunday. Sure beats talk about draft positioning.

...to be more specific, Lottery positioning.

Its time to start believing the sixers are for real. In the last 30 games, their record is 22-8. Thats a .733 win pct. Translate that over 82 games and its a 60 win season. Now, I'm not certain they are a 60 win team, next year will show that, but they are certainly playing as well as anyone in the league right now. They have become much more efficient in the half court offense and the fast break is a major weapon.

The young guys are believing in themselves. Last night was Jason Smiths turn to step up. He played hard and with confidence. Took shots when he had them and battled for rebounds. I was very impressed when he knocked down a 18 ft jumper off the dribble with the shot clock winding down in the 4th quarter.

At this point, I would be disappointed in a first round exit because they have shown they can accomplish more.

Benny - I was just thinking the same thing. But to be honest I'm not 100% how 2nd round seeding works. If a 6 seed beats a 3, and 1 beats the 8, does the 1 play the 4/5 winner regardless? Or do they refactor so that 1 plays the lowest remaining seed, which in the case above would be the 6? Please excuse my ignorance - its early.

Since I live in Boston, I have to say I wouldn't mind the Sixers playing the C's at all. At least I would have an chance to catch a game!

Second straight game where Lou has had 7 assists and no turnovers. Pretty pretty good.

Jason Smith also played great. I also finally understood the source of his facial look during games - he's a mouth breather. Fantastic shot off the dribble as Borderline Stiff mentioned above, very much like his hero - Nowitski.

The announcers were talking during the game about whether Mo would shorten his rotation in the playoffs and I could not imagine a worse idea. I don't think Mo is dumb enough to do so, however, even for one game.

Andre Ig's jumper and Andre Miller's leadership are keys.

Sam continues to improve.

The Sixer's will face who they face. As Reggie said, 'you can't run and hide in the playoffs'. So true. You get who you get and all roads eventually go thru Boston and Detroit.

Guess we're finally getting that playoff discussion Marc was talking about!

Feel free to chime in here, Hugh: as bad as Sammy's hands are below his shoulders, they are good above.

I think the Sixers may be able to win a first round series if they can keep the fifth or sixth seed. The Sixers have struggled at time with free throws, guarding the perimeter and stopping great point guards like Billups.
I think we need to let Carney take more minutes from Green because he has more height and is a better perimeter defender than Green.
Believe it or not, the guy that worries me on Cleveland (other than James) is Delonte West. He had a great game against us the other night. I think we need to put Iguodala and Young on James and put Carney on West when he comes in the game.
-B Frank

Morty,
If it were up to Hugh, we'd draft DJ White and play him at center next year.
-B Frank

Sammy played well last night - although most of his shots rolled around the rim 30 times before dropping. He was in the right spots offensively very often and was doing what he was supposed to do. He was also getting away with a lot of hand checks on Wallace. but hey, if the refs aren't calling it - keep doing it. He also looked like he was focused last night, and I can't talk bad about him today. Yes, I would love to draft White - a low post threat who can rebound - yes, I would like that - but obviously not to start at center, B Frank - you probably want CDR, that stiff.

All of that said, Marc makes a good point - if that three ball goes down late in the 4th (I think by Stuckey) - it would have been a one possession game. As good as everyone played, it would have been a one possession game. That worries me a little going into the post-season. But all and all - I was very impressed. I wish Mo/Lynam would have taken a queue from Saunders and use Iggy and Thad like they used Prince - pick and post up with them and take advantage of their size over smaller guards.

Finally, Lou Williams should be commended on his ability to get to the rim - he was possibly the most impressive to me last night. He was taking it to the rim and blowing past Afflalo and Stuckey regularly. I am really starting to like Lou Williams. That is how you create shots for offensively inept big men (Evans, Dalembert) and spot up shooters (Smith, Iggy - becoming a really good shooter as of late).

Just wanted to add a few observations to the many good ones already made ...

First, I don't know why the Pistons are not trying harder to win these games. Though their seeding is set in the East, they still can be passed by one or more teams in the West, which becomes important should they make the Finals. This came into play in 00-01, when Larry Brown rested Iverson and Mutombo in the final game or two (a habitual Brown thing) and the Sixers fell behind the Lakers, who wound up having homecourt in the Finals. (Not that it made a difference that year -- road team won 4 of 5 in the Finals.)

As far as last night's game, Iguodala was by far the star, playing one of his best all-around games of the year. His two 3-pointers in the 3rd were the Sixers' only baskets in the first 8 minutes of the quarter, when the whole team was playing nervously. In all, he had 8 bigs points in both the 3rd and 4th. Even more impressive was his defense on Prince. By my count, Prince scored three times on switches (with Green guarding him) and once on a fastbreak dunk, but ZERO times when Iguodala was guarding him. Combined with the three times that AIG stripped the ball from Prince, it might have been AIG's finest defensive performance all season (and he's had some good ones in the last 30 games).

Kudos also to Willie, Lou, Sam, and Jason Smith for good games. I liked two things about Green's game: improved defensive effort (when's the last time he's had two blocks in a game?) and zero three-pointers attempted. Meanwhile, Jason Smith provided some much-needed jump shooting in the second half. The Sixers got very little done early in the 3rd (other than AIG's two 3-pointers) because Rasheed was coming hard on Evans-like double-teams of the Andres, and Evans was incapable of making the Pistons pay. Look for other teams to do that to the Sixers in the playoffs when Evans plays.

The biggest minus of the game was that Andre Miller got nothing from the post-up game all game. In fact, Miller basically got dominated by Billups, who was the main reason the Pistons were within 10 points going into the 4th quarter. Billups is one of the better post defenders among point guards, and it doesn't bode well if the Sixers face the Pistons in the playoffs, because Miller's post offense is a big part of the Sixers' halfcourt offense.

Next up, the Pacers on Friday. I think the Sixers will be motivated to beat a desperate Pacers team, which is the only East team the Sixers haven't beaten this year. The key at the start will be how well Green contains whoever he is guarding. Last time they played, Green got torched by Rush, 25-9, and the Pacers as a whole shot 14-25 from 3. We'll see how much the Sixers have progressed in their 3-point defense this time.

enjoyed watching last night. Statman is thorough and on-point as always. Just have to underline that Jason Smith's improved jump shooting is HUGE. Maybe some magic rubbed off on him from his encounter with (porn)stardom....(im still kinda chuckling about that, morty).

True, the Pistons were resting starters, as expected. again, im not saying we can definitly take them or anything like that, but when we talk about the Cavs as a preferred matchup, lets not forget that LeBron and Co. has already exposed Detroit in the playoffs. There are no easy matchups, but i still think either one of those would be our best shot.

Statman - great post - great points.

Yeah, if we are to have any success, there will have to be a wild card of some sort - and that has to be Jason Smith. Iggy and Miller are going to see a lot of doubles come playoff time - leaving Sammy and Evans open - they are not capable of consistently knocking down shots - but Smith is.

I also would like to see Lou Williams a little more in the last few games - maybe get him a 33 - 35 minute run - I would like to see what he can do both at point and at the 2. He is playing really well as of late - kind of quietly - and that bodes well for him and us.

I would also like to give some recognition to Snider/Lukko/Stefanski - since his coming on board - the team seems to be playing with a sense of urgency that they weren't playing with before. This might have to do with the chemistry of playing together for more games - but there definitely seemed to be a noticeable difference in the coach and players after BK left.

Marc,
How about focusing on the positives like a 40 win season when all you media experts had them winning about 20. Billups played in the fourth quarter at Detroit, and the Sixers still won. Beating the Pistons 2 straight might play with their head, similar to the Wizards beating the old Celtics three out of four. The Sixers have beaten some pretty high profile teams this year, they certainly don't fear anyone. They have put the rest of the league on notice.
Jason- Los Angeles

Marc,
How about focusing on the positives like a 40 win season when all you media experts had them winning about 20. Billups played in the fourth quarter at Detroit, and the Sixers still won. Beating the Pistons 2 straight might play with their head, similar to the Wizards beating the old Celtics three out of four. The Sixers have beaten some pretty high profile teams this year, they certainly don't fear anyone. They have put the rest of the league on notice.
Jason- Los Angeles

Hugh:

Smith is our only big man with whom we can consistently run the pick and pop, and hurt teams with it.

Please omit the word "consistently" from the above sentence.

statman:

Thanks for describing what you observed last night. I was limited to the radio and that doesn't paint the level of picture that you do.

I think it was interesting how Cheeks and staff used Jason Smith last night. In the first half he was the 4th player off the bench in a typical 5-6 minute energy spurt. In the second half, he was the first player off the bench and probably meant as more of a strategic counter to how the Pistons were using Rasheed Wallace.

I'm dying to see how Cheeks and staff use the young ones in the playoffs. Williams, Young, Smith, and Carney have been integral components of the Sixers run-in but if Cheeks gravitates toward the veterans, it wouldn't be the first time in NBA history that has happened. Personally I would be disappointed if that happens, but I won't be surprised.

John,

I like your progressive thinking about Iggy. I love this team. Mo's done an excellent job of cultivating a no-spoiled-athletes-up-in-here atmostphere. Mo has to get a lot of credit for our players being more "throwback" than other teams' players.

The Sixers aren't playing above their heads, this is what they SHOULD be doing, and this is how other teams SHOULD be playing, but because other teams don't, we beat them. I hate, hate, hate how the media still buys into the star system in the NBA, how that's the only thing that'll work. It wasn't like that before Nike and Michael Jordan. And what I'm saying right now isn't new, it's something Red Auerbach has talked about before.

I think we have a shot at the championship this year just because of this. For me, the so called "superstars" on the other teams are the weak links. They think, "well, I'm the best guy out here, our best shot of winning is if I take the most shots." Hopefully, this is how Iggy thinks: "I'm the best guy out here, but our best shot of winning isn't me taking the most shots, but making sure that on every possession, we get a good shot." And this is what I love about this team, that's how they play.

stop it the pistons r a good team in a weak conference they had this team for years and won 1 title . sixers are 1 player away from dominating the east. and if rasheed wallace played with his back 2 the basket instead of at the 3point line they have at least 1 more ring

why so few minutes for Rodney last night? i don't like Willie's game. on many plays when he starts dribbling, you just know the ball is going up. i'm surprised he's shooting ~43% on the season. it seems like a lot worse.

willie is a gunner but does anyone remember when iverson was hurt and willie lit it up those few times

willie is a gunner but does anyone remember when iverson was hurt and willie lit it up those few times

willie is a gunner but does anyone remember when iverson was hurt and willie lit it up those few times

I'll say this about WG. He has never bitched out anything. He averaged about 5 minutes a game that season due to some dumb statistical analysis by Jim O Brien. And when he was in the game for an extended he would be the only guy other than AI that would take it to the hole.

I doubt that knee is still psychologically affecting him, hopefully he starts driving on every play because he's good at finishing.

Not too many teams can match the heart of the Sixers. I would say it's stronger than it was in 2001.

The Pistons are lucky that we didn't smoke them out of the building Cheech and Chong style.

Suede, your post about willie G at 7:51 hit the nail on the head. Smartest post of the day, hands down.

just wanted to stop by and wish the sixers and their fans all the best of luck in the playoffs. i root for the blazers, but you will be my adopted team for the playoffs.

A couple thoughts:

I know the Pistons weren't playing their starters the way they usually would but hey a win is a win. After the last Atl game, I'll take this win anyway it comes. I expected a bit of a let down in the second Atl game, after clinching the night before. But coming back and taking care of business against the Pistons shows a lot to the teams character.

Willie Green is OK. Thats it. He really shouldn't be starting. He is more of a come-off-the-bench player, that brings a little energy and scoring. The problem is, we have too many of those players(Lou Will and Carney). I would rather have either of those two. I know this isn't the time for this, but I hope E.S. can move him this off season. He has already said Iggy would be starting at the 2 spot. So trading Willie would just mean more minutes for Lou and Rodney. But hey thats not until the off season, lets just enjoy this year.

ptownblazer- Thanks for the support! Hopefully more fans across the country are taking notice to this team. They deserve it!

I'm reluctant to give E.S credit for this team because he hasnt really done anything. The truth of the matter is this team was playing like this after the A.I trade last year with Billy King still here. The sixers went on a simular run without Ed. Matter of fact Ed is just as surprised by these turn of events as anybody if you listen to the interviews. Giving this guy even 20% of the credit for the Sixers turnaround is absurd. You know who isnt surprised by the turnaround? The architect of this movement. All this team needed was time to gel again. Giving Ed credit for the turnaround is like giving Rich Kotite credit for Buddy Ryan's team when they became the greatest defense of all time with that extra year of seasoning. Its just absurd. I'll give Ed is due this offseason..until then he's just enjoying the ride like we are

Willie Green isnt that bad it just takes him a really longggggggg time to rebalance himself with the teams rhythm. I vowed not to diss the guy at all for the rest of the season. Now I have to get at Moe for playing him too much if he struggles and Carney keeps getting better. One thing I do value about Green is he takes it to the hole and gets foul shots. If Carney mixes it up a little he could start for us

Ptown - welcome to our disfunctional community. Glad our boys are getting their props from other cities.

This is the first time I've posted on here for a long time. I've been so hooked on how well this team is playing that other than willie green's recent struggles, there is nothing really to complain about this team. I just got back from my docter in Mercer county, who is a big Philly fan and told her about this sixers team. She told me that the sixers are terrible. When I first heard this I was in complete shock at first, but then found out that she hadn't been following the sixers at all this season because she assumed that they were going to be bad. I immediately gave her an update on just how good this team has been playing and told her they have a playoff spot locked up already. She assumed they were going to be bad because they didn't have any superstars. I then told like I have been telling a lot of other sixers fans, you don't need superstars to win you need teamwork to win. The problem with the other teams in the NBA with the exception of the Pistons and Spurs is that they rely too heavily on one or two specific star players. Sure Iguodala and Miller put up star like numbers but, they are more like leaders of their team instead of superstars. Unlike a lot of these other prima donna star players, Miller and Iguodala put up star like numbers, but put their team first instead of putting themselves before their team and don't hog the ball or take a bunch of arid shots (cough, Iverson). There are other players like Iggy and Miller who are considered stars by some(Chauncy Billups, Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, Richard Hamilton, Tayshaun Prince, Manu Ginoboli) but are really unselfish players who put up star like numbers. A team led by unselfish star players who act more like role players who's role is to be leaders of their team wins championships, look at the Spurs or the Pistons . None of the players on the Pistons are really stars but lead by a group of unselfish players.

True, none of the top four seeds in the east want to face Philly in the first round. Then again the only team in the bottom four (should ATL clinch) who is not hot is Toronto. Philly, Wash and Atlanta have played some of the best ball in the league for some time now.
Washinton can shoot and Atlanta is athletic like Philly. Even Toronto has Bosch and he can be a difference maker in a short series.
I would love to see us get Cleveland in the first round. They have surrounded Lebron with a bunch of career underachievers, replacing another bunch who had the same track record. I like how we matchup with them, especially when we go to the bench.
I see a lot of Lebron going one-on-3 or 4. The key might be to keep Daniel Gibson from going off from deep. When we lose usually it has to do with our inability to guard the perimeter. I trust Mo and the staff to devise a defense that will take Lebron's crew out of the equation.

Hugh, it seems the 1 year extension sort of rallied the troops around their coach like they want to prove he belongs here for good. Going to scout E.Brand tonight against the Lakers, he played center the other night because Kamen is out. Jamison went at it tooth and nail with Garnett last night. Love the fact he is at the Dre!s level as a player and ego wise. He WOULD be a nice addition.Reggie had some interesting comments on Iggy in the daily news today.Sixerzguy, love Weaver. B.Griffin not coming out but Alexander is.

Suede:

I saw the Evans' comments you reference about Dre improving his body language, taking more responsibility for his teammates, etc.

Also great quotes from Mo about how he's learned that players get better by playing, not watching, and that he had to give them a longer leash and not pull them after one mistake.