Xposed.com: Hawks Beat 76ers 96-92 to End Losing Skid

The title of the online magazine is as revealing as the article linked to. This recent road trip has 'exposed' the Sixers. There is 'No Fear' factor when a teams laces 'em up against the Sixers. 0-5 on this road trip. They lost a game to the Hawks, the worst team in the NBA, after leading for most of the game. Outscored 20-6 in the final minutes. SIX points!

Everything aches when you're losing. Now 6-11, the Sixers weaknesses are now officially problems. They are not stuff we gotta work on. They're not things we gotta do better at. They are not something that will work it self out. They are real problems:

• Defensive Rebounding - the Hawks had 19 offensive rebounds
  
• AI at the point - AI started hot, but cooled in the second half. This time he chose to take his own shot instead of passing to his teammates when the game was on the line. Bad shot ... turn-over ... Bad shot, but it's tipped in ... turn-over. This was the prognosis at the start on the season when O'Brien put a scorer at the point.
  
• The gang that couldn't shoot straight - You can hardly blame AI for trying to put the team on his back. Earlier on the road trip, he was making the pass and guys were missing bunnies! He scored 18 of the Sixers 26 point in the 1st period. Nobody picked up the slack.
• Where the BIGS at? - The Sixers are perhaps the smallest teams in the league. If you're that small you better be able to shoot (okay, we're working on that) or a great rebounding team (well that's a work in progress also). The Sixers don't have enuff size to rebound, block shots, control the paint or any of those hardhat tasks that don't show up in the stat sheet. I like Marc Jackson, but he needs help! What up with Sammy D. He's down to ~25 minutes/game to ~8 minutes/game I know he gotta a low basketball IQ, but it won't get better on the bench!
  
• What with that defense? - O'Brien's rally cry was "D + 3" (I'm paraphrasing). His insistence on fronting the post seems bizarre. Most players, especially ours, don't know how to do it. It has to be more difficult when the defender has a height disadvantage and it leads to that rebound deficit. The Sixers were out hustled 51-42 on the glass. Both teams had 33 defensive rebounds. The difference was 19-9 on the offensive boards. Jimmy O'Brien's defense ranks 21st in the NBA (97.7 ppg) , but they only score 93.67 PPG. Do you see something 'we gotta work on' or a problem.
  
• Lost Dog - What's up with Big Dog. He's taking up a roster spot and CAP space we could be using for another BIG.
  
• Rotation Notation - There's a different starting team every nite. There seems to be no rhythm to the people on the floor. Earlier it was full scale substitutions. "Hey, everybody not named AI is out". Last nite 2 guys had DNP's (the BIGs Dalembert & Davis). The coach doesn't admit it to the public, but he's got a dog house that seems easier to get into than out off. Jimmy I hope you can admit that to yourself. Sammy D hasn't played in the last two games. Willie Green's minutes have diminished (but it has nothing to do with his recent shooting slump; wink-wink). We should know what the line-up is after 17 games, right?
• The Killer Instinct - What's up with all the close games. You need to crush weak teams like the Wizards, not win in overtime. You jump on teams in the midst of a long road trip or in back to back games. You need to out hustle a team on a losing streak like the Rockets on the road. And you MUST close-out against the worst team in the league. Those games are the one that make a difference between a contender and a pretender!
  
• Should I go on?

Well I'm glad their at home the next few games. Watch out Timerwolves! Maybe some home cooking and "Mommy Loves U" is the ticket after getting spanked in somebody else's house. I will let you know.

Xposed: Hawks Beat 76ers 96-92 to End Losing Skid