No closer=No win
Iguodala is trash and it's sickening how the big 3 get every call every time.
they had no chance at winning this series dude. we would have been better off in either the 6th or 8th seed to be honest. the heat, and the nba's officials, are just too damn good for a team like the sixers to beat. their big 3 played a total of 126 minutes or something last night......2 fouls total. f the nba.
judging by collins' comments, he's kind of treating this series as an audition of sorts. so the good news is, he's seeing iguadala for what he really is when the lights are the brightest.
other than thad having an off night yesterday and turner not getting many minutes in the 2nd half for some reason, i'm happy with how the young bucks have played thus far. holiday looks like he is a star in the making.
fixer--my wife said the same thing about that thing on hawes' neck. what the fuck was that?
No closer=No win
Iguodala is trash and it's sickening how the big 3 get every call every time.
they had no chance at winning this series dude. we would have been better off in either the 6th or 8th seed to be honest. the heat, and the nba's officials, are just too damn good for a team like the sixers to beat. their big 3 played a total of 126 minutes or something last night......2 fouls total. f the nba.
judging by collins' comments, he's kind of treating this series as an audition of sorts. so the good news is, he's seeing iguadala for what he really is when the lights are the brightest.
other than thad having an off night yesterday and turner not getting many minutes in the 2nd half for some reason, i'm happy with how the young bucks have played thus far. holiday looks like he is a star in the making.
fixer--my wife said the same thing about that thing on hawes' neck. what the fuck was that?
I never thought they could seriously win this series,anyone who did is a clueless. If they can some how get a star this team could be real fun to watch in the future.
No closer=No win
Iguodala is trash and it's sickening how the big 3 get every call every time.
they had no chance at winning this series dude. we would have been better off in either the 6th or 8th seed to be honest. the heat, and the nba's officials, are just too damn good for a team like the sixers to beat. their big 3 played a total of 126 minutes or something last night......2 fouls total. f the nba.
judging by collins' comments, he's kind of treating this series as an audition of sorts. so the good news is, he's seeing iguadala for what he really is when the lights are the brightest.
other than thad having an off night yesterday and turner not getting many minutes in the 2nd half for some reason, i'm happy with how the young bucks have played thus far. holiday looks like he is a star in the making.
fixer--my wife said the same thing about that thing on hawes' neck. what the fuck was that?
I never thought they could seriously win this series,anyone who did is a clueless. If they can some how get a star this team could be real fun to watch in the future.
they need a more physical center and another shooter. hopefully they can acquire some of those pieces by trading iggy.
they made the jump from bad to decent. next year they gotta from decent to good (4 seed-ish) which i think is definitely possible.
a lockout that actually accomplishes something combined with a shortened season along the lines of what they had in '99 or so may be the best thing that could ever happen to this team.
they've been decent for most of the decade. I don't think the improvement this year means much.
Holiday is awesome. Young is good. the rest of their pieces are nothing special. they're not close to being serious contenders.
different season, same story with this franchise. annoying
as for the fouls in the series...i don't know what all the complaining is for. one team goes to the hole at will...the other team shoots mostly jumpers.
they've been decent for most of the decade. I don't think the improvement this year means much.
Holiday is awesome. Young is good. the rest of their pieces are nothing special. they're not close to being serious contenders.
different season, same story with this franchise. annoying
as for the fouls in the series...i don't know what all the complaining is for. one team goes to the hole at will...the other team shoots mostly jumpers.
not sure how you can compare a team whose core's age hovers around 22 with a coach like collins to rosters filled with the likes of willie green, sam dalembert, andre miller (who had no future here), rodney carney, reggie evans, royal ivey, chris webber, kenny thomas, etc etc etc etc, who were coached by guys like tony dileo, jim obrien, mo cheeks (love him, got a bad rap--but wasn't ready), randy ayers and chris ford :roll: yuck . this team's been dreadful and filled with average older veterans going back to 2004. (my stomach is nauseus just typing this paragraph)
several building blocks are now here as i've mentioned all year long. team's moving in right direction for first time since late 90's. they will all be in their prime in a couple years when they will finally have significant cap space. important off season coming up.
regarding the fouls---anyone who watched the game can see the discrepancy. you can't breathe on their big 3. nba's always been like that.
they've been decent for most of the decade. I don't think the improvement this year means much.
Holiday is awesome. Young is good. the rest of their pieces are nothing special. they're not close to being serious contenders.
different season, same story with this franchise. annoying
as for the fouls in the series...i don't know what all the complaining is for. one team goes to the hole at will...the other team shoots mostly jumpers.
not sure how you can compare a team whose core's age hovers around 22 with a coach like collins to rosters filled with the likes of willie green, sam dalembert, andre miller (who had no future here), rodney carney, reggie evans, royal ivey, chris webber, kenny thomas, etc etc etc etc, who were coached by guys like tony dileo, jim obrien, mo cheeks (love him, got a bad rap--but wasn't ready), randy ayers and chris ford :roll: yuck . this team's been dreadful and filled with average older veterans going back to 2004. (my stomach is nauseus just typing this paragraph)
several building blocks are now here as i've mentioned all year long. team's moving in right direction for first time since late 90's. they will all be in their prime in a couple years when they will finally have significant cap space. important off season coming up.
regarding the fouls---anyone who watched the game can see the discrepancy. you can't breathe on their big 3. nba's always been like that.
take the night and run
stay excited dude. the heat are the perfect example of what it takes to win in this league (star players). just like I've been saying all year. the sixers have no star players.
I'm just curious...who are these building blocks you're talking about? Because I see 2...maybe 3 (I think turner can be decent if he can develop an outside shot). They have no big man to speak of. And brand isn't gonna ever be better than he was this year. His best days are behind him (he's already 33 and has a history of injuries).
well, at least they finished 500 this year. YAY!!!!!!
they've been decent for most of the decade. I don't think the improvement this year means much.
Holiday is awesome. Young is good. the rest of their pieces are nothing special. they're not close to being serious contenders.
different season, same story with this franchise. annoying
as for the fouls in the series...i don't know what all the complaining is for. one team goes to the hole at will...the other team shoots mostly jumpers.
not sure how you can compare a team whose core's age hovers around 22 with a coach like collins to rosters filled with the likes of willie green, sam dalembert, andre miller (who had no future here), rodney carney, reggie evans, royal ivey, chris webber, kenny thomas, etc etc etc etc, who were coached by guys like tony dileo, jim obrien, mo cheeks (love him, got a bad rap--but wasn't ready), randy ayers and chris ford :roll: yuck . this team's been dreadful and filled with average older veterans going back to 2004. (my stomach is nauseus just typing this paragraph)
several building blocks are now here as i've mentioned all year long. team's moving in right direction for first time since late 90's. they will all be in their prime in a couple years when they will finally have significant cap space. important off season coming up.
regarding the fouls---anyone who watched the game can see the discrepancy. you can't breathe on their big 3. nba's always been like that.
take the night and run
stay excited dude. the heat are the perfect example of what it takes to win in this league (star players). just like I've been saying all year. the sixers have no star players.
I'm just curious...who are these building blocks you're talking about? Because I see 2...maybe 3 (I think turner can be decent if he can develop an outside shot). They have no big man to speak of. And brand isn't gonna ever be better than he was this year. His best days are behind him (he's already 33 and has a history of injuries).
well, at least they finished 500 this year. YAY!!!!!!
"YAY!" really? you need some new material.
i'm thinking i should just start copying and pasting my previous posts in reply to yours, cuz you always say the same shit. bring something more to the table.
but yes (hear we go yet again), those are obviously the 3 building blocks, with a potential star included who is only 20 years old. and they've got some nice young pieces to put around them but they're clearly not done yet. :roll:
how many building blocks should a basketball team have? 10?
8/28/98- Camden, NJ
10/31/09- Philly
5/21/10- NYC
9/2/12- Philly, PA
7/19/13- Wrigley
10/19/13- Brooklyn, NY
10/21/13- Philly, PA
10/22/13- Philly, PA
10/27/13- Baltimore, MD
4/28/16- Philly, PA
4/29/16- Philly, PA
5/1/16- NYC
5/2/16- NYC
9/2/18- Boston, MA
9/4/18- Boston, MA
9/14/22- Camden, NJ
9/7/24- Philly, PA
9/9/24- Philly, PA
Tres Mts.- 3/23/11- Philly. PA
Eddie Vedder- 6/25/11- Philly, PA
RNDM- 3/9/16- Philly, PA
sixers could have easily packed it in today (like the knicks did--hey oh )....but they've been fighting all year long and continued today. haven't lost back to back at home since november. proud of these guys.
few thoughts....
nice of "the franchise player" to show up...for the first half anyway :roll:
excellent team defense...banged the boards hard. nothing easy like they were allowing for the first two games. liked seeing turner and thad mix it up with jones too--that shit happens in the playoffs. good experience for them.
best thing about this game: the young bucks lead the way and they were the ones with the ball in their hands down the stretch (not iguadala) and they were actually making shots.......holiday didn't play his best game but dude makes big shots in clutch situations. i'm telling you guys he's a star in the making. lou will--huge 4th quarter......and you're 2nd overall pick in the draft? helluva a game by the rook. liked his aggressiveness. big shots at the end, played solid defense......ice water in his veins knocking down the free throws to ice it. he's played well this series.
this is the kind of game/experience you build on for the future. :thumbup:
a win tonight would be absolutely nuts, and would surely create a few tears along the heat bench ...but it's a huge long shot of course. heat are big time favorites.
just give another close competitive game with the young bucks leading the charge down the stretch and i'll be happy.
also--i knew iggy's knee has been bothering him for a while, but i had no idea he's got the same exact condition that utley has. got diagnosed with it right around the same time as utley too.
Winning in AmericanAirlines Arena
Nothing too shocking about what I'm about to say, but nonetheless makes sense to iron out tonight's Game 5 at AmericanAirlines Arena: there will be no problem getting mentally checked into a Game 6 at the Wells Fargo Center or a Game 7 back at AA. But tonight's Game 5? That's a hurdle. Perhaps as difficut, mentally, as Game 4. Perhaps more difficult because there will be no home crowd, there will still be two games in front of the 76ers if they manage to win, and the Miami Heat have officially been forced to face the reality of this series: that they better bring it tonight, because the Sixers have been much closer than pretty much everyone anticipated.
Right now, the Sixers are holding morning shootaround inside AA Arena; the Heat held shootaround just before the Sixers. Tonight's Game 5 tips off at 7 p.m. and, realistically, there's no way to even remotely predict how the Sixers might play tonight. That's been the enjoyable thing about this season's team. They constantly surprise, occasionally disappoint, but usually leave you feeling they did all they could to try to win. We expect the same tonight, although the climb will be the series' most difficult.
Here are a few things to expect:
1.) Evan Turner & Tony Battie getting some love off of the bench. We haven't seen Andres Nocioni since Game 1 of this series, and rightfully so. We've seen some of Marreese Speights, but nothing he's done has been winning basketball. Because of that, Sixers fans, Turner has earned the right to his 18-25 minutes a game tonight. And he's precisely who Sixers fans want to see. He's had a remarkable way of disappearing and reappearing all season, but the hope might be that Sunday's performance finally nudged him over the top. That he can let go of whatever lingering concerns he has and just score the ball and play all out on defense. The Sixers need him to have a Lou-like mentality when he's in the game because the Heat have figured out a way to neutralize Thaddeus Young. Without Young's 15 points a game, the Sixers bench needs that boost from somewhere. And that can be Turner. As for Battie, he's exactly what Doug Collins needs off the bench at the center spot, especially if Collins can rely on the scoring from Lou Williams, Turner, and -- perhaps a little bit tonight -- Young.
2.) Andre Iguodala. OK, well, now I'm stuck because the headline for this is "a few things to expect" and this bullet point isn't so much about what to expect, but about what's necessary. Iguodala has to be mentally present and engaged. 10-10-10 is what the Sixers need from him tonight. 10 points. 10 rebounds. 10 assists. If he has 7 points or fewer, the Sixers will lose.
3.) Look for Collins to manage the Heat's bursts of scoring. It's happened in every game this series. Miami puts together a blistering run to the tune of something like 22-2 or 20-4 or anything in that range. The Sixers were able to weather these runs on Sunday, but only by putting together an improbable 10-0 run to end the game that included back-to-back three pointers. The point? That kind of finish might happen every 50 games for the Sixers. And it's quite unlikely it'll happen again tonight. Because of that, we expect Collins to be meticulous about what lineup he has on the floor. You could sense that in Game 1 and Game 2, he was feeling out which players might give him something (Speights, Nocioni, Turner) and evaluating which guys he could count on. That luxury just doesn't exist anymore. There's no cushion of games left with which Collins can work. He'll manage his lineups, and the flow of the game, as closely as possible. We'll see a lineup with Hawes and Battie -- like we did for the first time during Game 4 -- because Collins knows he can trust Battie. Collins just can't afford to take a flyer tonight. It's going to take some creativity, but we'll argue that no coach is more in tune with what he needs from each lineup.
Tonight's game is the last of the series in which the Sixers will be climbing a mental hill as well as a physical one. If they win tonight, all of the pressure moves onto Miami's shoulders. You think the Sixers will have any problem fighting to the final seconds of a Game 6 at the Wells Fargo Center? No. There will be no motivation and "test of human nature" speeches necessary. That game *if necessary* will be just straight-up competitive fire.
Game 5 first, though. It's going to be interesting
..holiday didn't play his best game but dude makes big shots in clutch situations. i'm telling you guys he's a star in the making.
I agree. This dude has some serious skills. I like Turner as well! As someone mentioned earlier, it is good experience to play the Heat in this series. Things are looking up for the Sixers, that's for sure.
..holiday didn't play his best game but dude makes big shots in clutch situations. i'm telling you guys he's a star in the making.
I agree. This dude has some serious skills. I like Turner as well! As someone mentioned earlier, it is good experience to play the Heat in this series. Things are looking up for the Sixers, that's for sure.
Go get that star player!
did you see holiday's spin move between bosh and wade and then laying it in over lebron? it was a thing of beauty.
good game thus far. defense is stout again. need lou will to start hitting shots...gotta finish on the break...and need to contend the fucking 3. mario chalmers can go f himself......go sixers
so proud of this team...obviously you gotta defend the 3 better and make your foul shots. despite a great 2nd half, i certainly did not want iggy taking that last shot.
oh well. 3 of 4 losses came down to the final minute. could have folded like the knicks but didn't. love the fight.
most enjoyable season, for me, in about a decade. definitely something to build on with all these young bucks...
another first round playoff ass kicking. great season guys. you even finished 500!!
can't wait to see how much they give spencer hawes this offseason
How can u not see the progress this team made and applaud it? They started out 3-13 i believe and finished 500 thats pretty damn good for a young team.
another first round playoff ass kicking. great season guys. you even finished 500!!
can't wait to see how much they give spencer hawes this offseason
How can u not see the progress this team made and applaud it? They started out 3-13 i believe and finished 500 thats pretty damn good for a young team.
they went from horrendous to average. they've been average for a decade.
another first round playoff ass kicking. great season guys. you even finished 500!!
can't wait to see how much they give spencer hawes this offseason
How can u not see the progress this team made and applaud it? They started out 3-13 i believe and finished 500 thats pretty damn good for a young team.
they went from horrendous to average. they've been average for a decade.
the franchise defines mediocre.
Major progress was made,u have 3.5-5 good pieces,Jrue,Lou,Thad,Turner and Brand.
Major progress was made,u have 3.5-5 good pieces,Jrue,Lou,Thad,Turner and Brand.
The chances of brand repeating/bettering his season are slim. Lou Williams is nothing special. They should try to trade him. I'd try like hell to trade brand, iggy, and williams this offseason (getting rid of all 3 isn't realistic...I'd be happy dumping 2 of 3).
I like holiday and young. and I thnk turner is gonna be good if he improves his jumpshot.
Their frontcourt sucks. They need to get rid of hawes, nocioni, battie, speights and bring in some guys that can play.
The only way this team gets to contending status is if they sign a quality big man and get lucky with their draft picks. Even then, they are still 2-3 years from being serious contenders.
Call me when they make some moves. Until then they're the same mediocre sixers that we've had to watch since barkley left (save for the one finals run with AI).
Major progress was made,u have 3.5-5 good pieces,Jrue,Lou,Thad,Turner and Brand.
The chances of brand repeating/bettering his season are slim. Lou Williams is nothing special. They should try to trade him. I'd try like hell to trade brand, iggy, and williams this offseason (getting rid of all 3 isn't realistic...I'd be happy dumping 2 of 3).
I like holiday and young. and I thnk turner is gonna be good if he improves his jumpshot.
Their frontcourt sucks. They need to get rid of hawes, nocioni, battie, speights and bring in some guys that can play.
The only way this team gets to contending status is if they sign a quality big man and get lucky with their draft picks. Even then, they are still 2-3 years from being serious contenders.
Call me when they make some moves. Until then they're the same mediocre sixers that we've had to watch since barkley left (save for the one finals run with AI).
You'd ruin a wet dream i bet,your the most negative sports fan ever.
Major progress was made,u have 3.5-5 good pieces,Jrue,Lou,Thad,Turner and Brand.
The chances of brand repeating/bettering his season are slim. Lou Williams is nothing special. They should try to trade him. I'd try like hell to trade brand, iggy, and williams this offseason (getting rid of all 3 isn't realistic...I'd be happy dumping 2 of 3).
I like holiday and young. and I thnk turner is gonna be good if he improves his jumpshot.
Their frontcourt sucks. They need to get rid of hawes, nocioni, battie, speights and bring in some guys that can play.
The only way this team gets to contending status is if they sign a quality big man and get lucky with their draft picks. Even then, they are still 2-3 years from being serious contenders.
Call me when they make some moves. Until then they're the same mediocre sixers that we've had to watch since barkley left (save for the one finals run with AI).
You'd ruin a wet dream i bet,your the most negative sports fan ever.
big realistic between negative and realistic. I'm the guy that's been saying the flyers are winning it all since january
the personal attacks are cool though. also, nice to see you still havent figured out that ever-difficult use of your and you're. keep trying, you'll get it
Personal attack??? Seriously that was a joke not even close to a personal attack. And ur reality isn't a place i wanna be as a sports fan. I appreciate a young team taking steps forward while u don't.
Personal attack??? Seriously that was a joke not even close to a personal attack. And ur reality isn't a place i wanna be as a sports fan. I appreciate a young team taking steps forward while u don't.
jeez. getting upset over saying he'd ruin a wet dream and then dropping the grammar card on you....come on fixer.
i think if all you do is look at the record, and read some box scores, you'd have fixer's opinion. because .500 is the definition of mediocre. duh. but this is the guy who was mad that they were not bad enough to get a top ten pick (as if anything in the nba draft is a sure thing) and then seems super upset that they lost to the miami heat. what else would you expect from someone with those wildly different expectations?
it's all about being realistic, being rational, and being consistent. if you were those three things you're pleased with the growth and progress this team has made. this team performed pretty much how i expected them to all season long. i expected them to win a game or two and keep things competitive against the heat, one of the best teams in the league. so i'm happy. very interested to see what happens next.
Personal attack??? Seriously that was a joke not even close to a personal attack. And ur reality isn't a place i wanna be as a sports fan. I appreciate a young team taking steps forward while u don't.
jeez. getting upset over saying he'd ruin a wet dream and then dropping the grammar card on you....come on fixer.
i think if all you do is look at the record, and read some box scores, you'd have fixer's opinion. because .500 is the definition of mediocre. duh. but this is the guy who was mad that they were not bad enough to get a top ten pick (as if anything in the nba draft is a sure thing) and then seems super upset that they lost to the miami heat. what else would you expect from someone with those wildly different expectations?
it's all about being realistic, being rational, and being consistent. if you were those three things you're pleased with the growth and progress this team has made. this team performed pretty much how i expected them to all season long. i expected them to win a game or two and keep things competitive against the heat, one of the best teams in the league. so i'm happy. very interested to see what happens next.
go sixers. "YAH!" :roll:
I don't get it either,oh well i could care less any way. Some people have to much hate to see whats really going on right in front of them.
Personal attack??? Seriously that was a joke not even close to a personal attack. And ur reality isn't a place i wanna be as a sports fan. I appreciate a young team taking steps forward while u don't.
jeez. getting upset over saying he'd ruin a wet dream and then dropping the grammar card on you....come on fixer.
i think if all you do is look at the record, and read some box scores, you'd have fixer's opinion. because .500 is the definition of mediocre. duh. but this is the guy who was mad that they were not bad enough to get a top ten pick (as if anything in the nba draft is a sure thing) and then seems super upset that they lost to the miami heat. what else would you expect from someone with those wildly different expectations?
it's all about being realistic, being rational, and being consistent. if you were those three things you're pleased with the growth and progress this team has made. this team performed pretty much how i expected them to all season long. i expected them to win a game or two and keep things competitive against the heat, one of the best teams in the league. so i'm happy. very interested to see what happens next.
go sixers. "YAH!" :roll:
You guys stay excited about mediocrity. I will stop raining on your .500 party
Personal attack??? Seriously that was a joke not even close to a personal attack. And ur reality isn't a place i wanna be as a sports fan. I appreciate a young team taking steps forward while u don't.
jeez. getting upset over saying he'd ruin a wet dream and then dropping the grammar card on you....come on fixer.
i think if all you do is look at the record, and read some box scores, you'd have fixer's opinion. because .500 is the definition of mediocre. duh. but this is the guy who was mad that they were not bad enough to get a top ten pick (as if anything in the nba draft is a sure thing) and then seems super upset that they lost to the miami heat. what else would you expect from someone with those wildly different expectations?
it's all about being realistic, being rational, and being consistent. if you were those three things you're pleased with the growth and progress this team has made. this team performed pretty much how i expected them to all season long. i expected them to win a game or two and keep things competitive against the heat, one of the best teams in the league. so i'm happy. very interested to see what happens next.
go sixers. "YAH!" :roll:
I don't get it either,oh well i could care less any way. Some people have to much hate to see whats really going on right in front of them.
it's all good.
this team reminds me of the phils in the years leading up to '07...eventually the sixers will have all kinds of "new" fans hop on board. and they are more than welcome too.
let's just pray rod thorn and collins have more control over this offseason than stefanski does. package iggy and speights for a big man or something
Just wanted to say great job sixers this year! Nothing to be ashamed of and hope they get better next year
8/28/98- Camden, NJ
10/31/09- Philly
5/21/10- NYC
9/2/12- Philly, PA
7/19/13- Wrigley
10/19/13- Brooklyn, NY
10/21/13- Philly, PA
10/22/13- Philly, PA
10/27/13- Baltimore, MD
4/28/16- Philly, PA
4/29/16- Philly, PA
5/1/16- NYC
5/2/16- NYC
9/2/18- Boston, MA
9/4/18- Boston, MA
9/14/22- Camden, NJ
9/7/24- Philly, PA
9/9/24- Philly, PA
Tres Mts.- 3/23/11- Philly. PA
Eddie Vedder- 6/25/11- Philly, PA
RNDM- 3/9/16- Philly, PA
The list of FA centers doesn't sound appealing to me. Neither does bringing Hawes back. Young should be kept...hopefully they don't go too crazy with his contract.
Philadelphia 76ers (41-41)
What they need: A center and Elton Brand's successor
The Sixers surprised virtually everyone this season (our ESPN experts panel projected 31 wins), but they have some tough decisions to make this offseason. The only players nailed down to the roster are Jrue Holiday and Elton Brand (no one's taking on that contract). Outside of that, everyone could potentially be on the move.
Two core members of their rotation, Thaddeus Young and Spencer Hawes, could both flee once they hit the market this summer, but the 76ers will have the final word whether they return or not. Even if Hawes comes back at a reasonable price, the Sixers could use a stronger defender to anchor their back line (Hawes graded out as a 22 out of 100 on that end of the floor according to our new metric). The frontline needs to beef up.
How they get it: Re-sign Young (restricted) and peruse free agent market
Sure, Young has his weaknesses, but how many forwards age 22 or younger matched his 18.4 PER last season? Three: Kevin Durant, Blake Griffin and Kevin Love -- all All-Stars. He's young enough to work on his ability to draw contact (he had a terrible free throw rate for someone who hangs around the rim) and improve his defensive consistency. In terms of upside, versatility and production, few players can match what he brings to the table. He's far from a finished product, and he's a keeper.
The center market will be flooded with serviceable centers, and the Sixers should be on the hunt for a bargain to solidify their back line. Keep an eye on Greg Oden (if the Portland Trail Blazers let him go), Kurt Thomas and Ronny Turiaf (player option) as the summer moves along. The Sixers won't contend for a championship with this core, but they're a couple moves away from threatening the 50-win threshold.
Comments
Iguodala is trash and it's sickening how the big 3 get every call every time.
they had no chance at winning this series dude. we would have been better off in either the 6th or 8th seed to be honest. the heat, and the nba's officials, are just too damn good for a team like the sixers to beat. their big 3 played a total of 126 minutes or something last night......2 fouls total. f the nba.
judging by collins' comments, he's kind of treating this series as an audition of sorts. so the good news is, he's seeing iguadala for what he really is when the lights are the brightest.
other than thad having an off night yesterday and turner not getting many minutes in the 2nd half for some reason, i'm happy with how the young bucks have played thus far. holiday looks like he is a star in the making.
fixer--my wife said the same thing about that thing on hawes' neck.
they need a more physical center and another shooter. hopefully they can acquire some of those pieces by trading iggy.
they made the jump from bad to decent. next year they gotta from decent to good (4 seed-ish) which i think is definitely possible.
a lockout that actually accomplishes something combined with a shortened season along the lines of what they had in '99 or so may be the best thing that could ever happen to this team.
Holiday is awesome. Young is good. the rest of their pieces are nothing special. they're not close to being serious contenders.
different season, same story with this franchise. annoying
as for the fouls in the series...i don't know what all the complaining is for. one team goes to the hole at will...the other team shoots mostly jumpers.
not sure how you can compare a team whose core's age hovers around 22 with a coach like collins to rosters filled with the likes of willie green, sam dalembert, andre miller (who had no future here), rodney carney, reggie evans, royal ivey, chris webber, kenny thomas, etc etc etc etc, who were coached by guys like tony dileo, jim obrien, mo cheeks (love him, got a bad rap--but wasn't ready), randy ayers and chris ford :roll: yuck
several building blocks are now here as i've mentioned all year long. team's moving in right direction for first time since late 90's. they will all be in their prime in a couple years when they will finally have significant cap space. important off season coming up.
regarding the fouls---anyone who watched the game can see the discrepancy. you can't breathe on their big 3. nba's always been like that.
take the night and run
stay excited dude. the heat are the perfect example of what it takes to win in this league (star players). just like I've been saying all year. the sixers have no star players.
I'm just curious...who are these building blocks you're talking about? Because I see 2...maybe 3 (I think turner can be decent if he can develop an outside shot). They have no big man to speak of. And brand isn't gonna ever be better than he was this year. His best days are behind him (he's already 33 and has a history of injuries).
well, at least they finished 500 this year. YAY!!!!!!
"YAY!" really? you need some new material.
i'm thinking i should just start copying and pasting my previous posts in reply to yours, cuz you always say the same shit. bring something more to the table.
but yes (hear we go yet again), those are obviously the 3 building blocks, with a potential star included who is only 20 years old. and they've got some nice young pieces to put around them but they're clearly not done yet. :roll:
how many building blocks should a basketball team have? 10?
10/31/09- Philly
5/21/10- NYC
9/2/12- Philly, PA
7/19/13- Wrigley
10/19/13- Brooklyn, NY
10/21/13- Philly, PA
10/22/13- Philly, PA
10/27/13- Baltimore, MD
4/28/16- Philly, PA
4/29/16- Philly, PA
5/1/16- NYC
5/2/16- NYC
9/2/18- Boston, MA
9/4/18- Boston, MA
9/14/22- Camden, NJ
9/7/24- Philly, PA
9/9/24- Philly, PA
Eddie Vedder- 6/25/11- Philly, PA
RNDM- 3/9/16- Philly, PA
few thoughts....
nice of "the franchise player" to show up...for the first half anyway :roll:
excellent team defense...banged the boards hard. nothing easy like they were allowing for the first two games. liked seeing turner and thad mix it up with jones too--that shit happens in the playoffs. good experience for them.
best thing about this game: the young bucks lead the way and they were the ones with the ball in their hands down the stretch (not iguadala) and they were actually making shots.......holiday didn't play his best game but dude makes big shots in clutch situations. i'm telling you guys he's a star in the making. lou will--huge 4th quarter......and you're 2nd overall pick in the draft? helluva a game by the rook. liked his aggressiveness. big shots at the end, played solid defense......ice water in his veins knocking down the free throws to ice it. he's played well this series.
this is the kind of game/experience you build on for the future. :thumbup:
just give another close competitive game with the young bucks leading the charge down the stretch and i'll be happy.
also--i knew iggy's knee has been bothering him for a while, but i had no idea he's got the same exact condition that utley has. got diagnosed with it right around the same time as utley too.
Winning in AmericanAirlines Arena
Nothing too shocking about what I'm about to say, but nonetheless makes sense to iron out tonight's Game 5 at AmericanAirlines Arena: there will be no problem getting mentally checked into a Game 6 at the Wells Fargo Center or a Game 7 back at AA. But tonight's Game 5? That's a hurdle. Perhaps as difficut, mentally, as Game 4. Perhaps more difficult because there will be no home crowd, there will still be two games in front of the 76ers if they manage to win, and the Miami Heat have officially been forced to face the reality of this series: that they better bring it tonight, because the Sixers have been much closer than pretty much everyone anticipated.
Right now, the Sixers are holding morning shootaround inside AA Arena; the Heat held shootaround just before the Sixers. Tonight's Game 5 tips off at 7 p.m. and, realistically, there's no way to even remotely predict how the Sixers might play tonight. That's been the enjoyable thing about this season's team. They constantly surprise, occasionally disappoint, but usually leave you feeling they did all they could to try to win. We expect the same tonight, although the climb will be the series' most difficult.
Here are a few things to expect:
1.) Evan Turner & Tony Battie getting some love off of the bench. We haven't seen Andres Nocioni since Game 1 of this series, and rightfully so. We've seen some of Marreese Speights, but nothing he's done has been winning basketball. Because of that, Sixers fans, Turner has earned the right to his 18-25 minutes a game tonight. And he's precisely who Sixers fans want to see. He's had a remarkable way of disappearing and reappearing all season, but the hope might be that Sunday's performance finally nudged him over the top. That he can let go of whatever lingering concerns he has and just score the ball and play all out on defense. The Sixers need him to have a Lou-like mentality when he's in the game because the Heat have figured out a way to neutralize Thaddeus Young. Without Young's 15 points a game, the Sixers bench needs that boost from somewhere. And that can be Turner. As for Battie, he's exactly what Doug Collins needs off the bench at the center spot, especially if Collins can rely on the scoring from Lou Williams, Turner, and -- perhaps a little bit tonight -- Young.
2.) Andre Iguodala. OK, well, now I'm stuck because the headline for this is "a few things to expect" and this bullet point isn't so much about what to expect, but about what's necessary. Iguodala has to be mentally present and engaged. 10-10-10 is what the Sixers need from him tonight. 10 points. 10 rebounds. 10 assists. If he has 7 points or fewer, the Sixers will lose.
3.) Look for Collins to manage the Heat's bursts of scoring. It's happened in every game this series. Miami puts together a blistering run to the tune of something like 22-2 or 20-4 or anything in that range. The Sixers were able to weather these runs on Sunday, but only by putting together an improbable 10-0 run to end the game that included back-to-back three pointers. The point? That kind of finish might happen every 50 games for the Sixers. And it's quite unlikely it'll happen again tonight. Because of that, we expect Collins to be meticulous about what lineup he has on the floor. You could sense that in Game 1 and Game 2, he was feeling out which players might give him something (Speights, Nocioni, Turner) and evaluating which guys he could count on. That luxury just doesn't exist anymore. There's no cushion of games left with which Collins can work. He'll manage his lineups, and the flow of the game, as closely as possible. We'll see a lineup with Hawes and Battie -- like we did for the first time during Game 4 -- because Collins knows he can trust Battie. Collins just can't afford to take a flyer tonight. It's going to take some creativity, but we'll argue that no coach is more in tune with what he needs from each lineup.
Tonight's game is the last of the series in which the Sixers will be climbing a mental hill as well as a physical one. If they win tonight, all of the pressure moves onto Miami's shoulders. You think the Sixers will have any problem fighting to the final seconds of a Game 6 at the Wells Fargo Center? No. There will be no motivation and "test of human nature" speeches necessary. That game *if necessary* will be just straight-up competitive fire.
Game 5 first, though. It's going to be interesting
I agree. This dude has some serious skills. I like Turner as well! As someone mentioned earlier, it is good experience to play the Heat in this series. Things are looking up for the Sixers, that's for sure.
Go get that star player!
did you see holiday's spin move between bosh and wade and then laying it in over lebron? it was a thing of beauty.
good game thus far. defense is stout again. need lou will to start hitting shots...gotta finish on the break...and need to contend the fucking 3. mario chalmers can go f himself......go sixers
oh well. 3 of 4 losses came down to the final minute. could have folded like the knicks but didn't.
most enjoyable season, for me, in about a decade. definitely something to build on with all these young bucks...
can't wait to see how much they give spencer hawes this offseason
they went from horrendous to average. they've been average for a decade.
the franchise defines mediocre.
The chances of brand repeating/bettering his season are slim. Lou Williams is nothing special. They should try to trade him. I'd try like hell to trade brand, iggy, and williams this offseason (getting rid of all 3 isn't realistic...I'd be happy dumping 2 of 3).
I like holiday and young. and I thnk turner is gonna be good if he improves his jumpshot.
Their frontcourt sucks. They need to get rid of hawes, nocioni, battie, speights and bring in some guys that can play.
The only way this team gets to contending status is if they sign a quality big man and get lucky with their draft picks. Even then, they are still 2-3 years from being serious contenders.
Call me when they make some moves. Until then they're the same mediocre sixers that we've had to watch since barkley left (save for the one finals run with AI).
big realistic between negative and realistic. I'm the guy that's been saying the flyers are winning it all since january
the personal attacks are cool though. also, nice to see you still havent figured out that ever-difficult use of your and you're. keep trying, you'll get it
jeez. getting upset over saying he'd ruin a wet dream and then dropping the grammar card on you....come on fixer.
i think if all you do is look at the record, and read some box scores, you'd have fixer's opinion. because .500 is the definition of mediocre. duh. but this is the guy who was mad that they were not bad enough to get a top ten pick (as if anything in the nba draft is a sure thing) and then seems super upset that they lost to the miami heat. what else would you expect from someone with those wildly different expectations?
it's all about being realistic, being rational, and being consistent. if you were those three things you're pleased with the growth and progress this team has made. this team performed pretty much how i expected them to all season long. i expected them to win a game or two and keep things competitive against the heat, one of the best teams in the league. so i'm happy. very interested to see what happens next.
go sixers. "YAH!" :roll:
You guys stay excited about mediocrity. I will stop raining on your .500 party
it's all good.
this team reminds me of the phils in the years leading up to '07...eventually the sixers will have all kinds of "new" fans hop on board.
let's just pray rod thorn and collins have more control over this offseason than stefanski does. package iggy and speights for a big man or something
10/31/09- Philly
5/21/10- NYC
9/2/12- Philly, PA
7/19/13- Wrigley
10/19/13- Brooklyn, NY
10/21/13- Philly, PA
10/22/13- Philly, PA
10/27/13- Baltimore, MD
4/28/16- Philly, PA
4/29/16- Philly, PA
5/1/16- NYC
5/2/16- NYC
9/2/18- Boston, MA
9/4/18- Boston, MA
9/14/22- Camden, NJ
9/7/24- Philly, PA
9/9/24- Philly, PA
Eddie Vedder- 6/25/11- Philly, PA
RNDM- 3/9/16- Philly, PA
The list of FA centers doesn't sound appealing to me. Neither does bringing Hawes back. Young should be kept...hopefully they don't go too crazy with his contract.
Philadelphia 76ers (41-41)
What they need: A center and Elton Brand's successor
The Sixers surprised virtually everyone this season (our ESPN experts panel projected 31 wins), but they have some tough decisions to make this offseason. The only players nailed down to the roster are Jrue Holiday and Elton Brand (no one's taking on that contract). Outside of that, everyone could potentially be on the move.
Two core members of their rotation, Thaddeus Young and Spencer Hawes, could both flee once they hit the market this summer, but the 76ers will have the final word whether they return or not. Even if Hawes comes back at a reasonable price, the Sixers could use a stronger defender to anchor their back line (Hawes graded out as a 22 out of 100 on that end of the floor according to our new metric). The frontline needs to beef up.
How they get it: Re-sign Young (restricted) and peruse free agent market
Sure, Young has his weaknesses, but how many forwards age 22 or younger matched his 18.4 PER last season? Three: Kevin Durant, Blake Griffin and Kevin Love -- all All-Stars. He's young enough to work on his ability to draw contact (he had a terrible free throw rate for someone who hangs around the rim) and improve his defensive consistency. In terms of upside, versatility and production, few players can match what he brings to the table. He's far from a finished product, and he's a keeper.
The center market will be flooded with serviceable centers, and the Sixers should be on the hunt for a bargain to solidify their back line. Keep an eye on Greg Oden (if the Portland Trail Blazers let him go), Kurt Thomas and Ronny Turiaf (player option) as the summer moves along. The Sixers won't contend for a championship with this core, but they're a couple moves away from threatening the 50-win threshold.