Wade Outduels A.I. As Heat Beat Sixers

Wade Outduels A.I. As Heat Beat Sixers, 103-91 |Sure AI went for 45, but the supporting cast was too intimidated by Mourning (7 blocks). Tonite the Sixers had 11 assists,11. By comparison the Heat had 22.

Here's the understatement of the game for ya 'We get out to a nice start, and once again, we didn't sustain it,' - Maurice Cheeks

King James & Company reign over the 76ers

Cavs 108 76ers 95 | Nobody said life in the NBA would be easy. A day after blowing out the Bulls the 76ers are in Cleavland to face King James. The 76ers got off to a good start in the 1st period, but a 13 point 2nd period sealed their fate. Bubba Chuck scored 31 to lead all scorers, but the telling stat was a team total 10 assists, 10.

Sixers smoke the Bulls on AI's return

Sixers 123 Bulls 108 Wow, let me tell there's nothin' like seeing 120+ points scored in a game and there's nothin' like seeing AI in person as I did last nite.
When he's got it going on (15-30) everyone else looks like they are in slow motion. The speed, the quickness, the ball handling skills were all on display last nite.

That being said, the Bulls were not impressive. Chicago's busy off season has yielded a bag of mixed nuts. Sporting a 3-9 record they showed zero inside presence and poor rebounding. Those attributes were the trademark of their biggest off-season acquisition, Big Ben Wallace. Wallace was a non factor in the game as he appeared to be a fish out of water in Chicago's scheme.

I want to give some props to Allen Henderson (27 minutes, 13 points, 4 rebounds). The Sixers were short on BIGS, and starter Shavlik Randolph's high energy game was not getting it done. Henderson came in to do the dirty work. The boxing out his defender to allow a teammate get a rebound, flashing to an open spot for a pass when Green was falling out of bounds, executing the pick and rolls, getting fouled and making free throws. It was exactly the kind of performance he was brought in for.

On the negative side, Willie Green's defense is atrocious! He should not have been on the court if he hadn't scored 20. The Bulls drove right past 'em, shot over and he barley raised his arms! He's like a black hole on offense. When he gets the ball its either drive to the hoop or shoot the jumper. He turned his teammates into spectators. You have to wonder how much of this Mo is taking in. Supposedly you have to play defense to stay on the floor. Hey Mo, whazzup wit dat?

Enuff with the these 'great' efforts ... its not enuff

Don't get me wrong ... I love the fact that Mo is giving the young bucks more playing time. I love the fact that Iggy scored a triple-double against Milwaukee. I loved the team efforts on the recent road trip against the Clippers, Suns and Sonics. Rodney Carney has been a pleasant surprise with his savvy defense, crisp picks and the opportunistic thee ball. He may be sidelined for a bit with a hand injury that changed the dynamics of the Bucks game when he exited. I'm sure Mo did not plan to play Kevin Ollie as he did in the 4th.

The spin doctors are tellin' us that its been a great effort ... playing without Webber, Hunter and AI.

But you have to win more of these games! Hello fellas, in the NBA the game is won in the final stanza. You can't beat anyone, not even the Bucks (losers of 3 straight and 7 out of their last 8 games) without showing up in the fourth quarter. 4 for 17 from the field ain't gonna cut it. Where's the attitude? AI is the only player with ice in his veins in the fourth. Is this a Philly Thing?

The enigmatic swingman must continue to step up. The Triple double was nice, but getting fouled late in the fourth on that drive to the hoop ... with the game in the balance ... was what I need to see. Iggy has been a nice kid and an all around good team player, but that's not what's needed. He needs to make his presence felt in the fourth, like Mello did in his game here. He needs to be even more aggressive in the fourth. We need to see that rim shattering dunk, we need 'em to call for the ball, we need 'em to not just take the shot, but MAKE the shot.

Right now their play is good, but its not enuff.

Road Trip yields no answers

I wanted to withhold judgment until the Sixers played all 3 road games. Least I get too bummed or too euphoric over a given game. Now I still don't know what to think after going 1-2 on the trip. The Seattle win was just the kind of effort you what to see. Iggy stepped up and they focused on rebounding and defense.

Then Webber filled the papers during their day off with his cry baby routine about playing time. Webber back pedals the next day. But the damage is done. Then he goes out and throws up a stinker against the Suns. The Suns loss you can easily say "Well, what did you expect". The Suns just out ran them, but they do that to a lot of teams. They're a tough team to prepare for in a day.

So Webber pulls up lame the the next nite and they lost Hunter to injury in Phoenix. So they were short handed on the road against a team that's undefeated at home. Last years model would have folded up like a cheap tent. But they jumped out to a lead and held it until the 4th period. But in the end ... they failed. Was that good effort? I dunno? Games can be lost in the 1st period, but they are won in the 4th.

If they continue to play like the team in Seattle they should make the playoffs. But they gotta do it every nite. Andre needs to play like that every nite. And Webber needs to improve his play or ride the pine. His contract is already an albatross. The Sixers should let their progress suffer for the sake of his ego.

Sigh ... it's only November ... I think it will take 15-20 games to know for sure. A win against the Pistons tonight would be nice.

Road Trip ... to Health or Hell?

The Sixers are in Seattle tonite. The 1st of a 3 game swing to the left coast against the Sonics. The 1st of 3 games in 4 days. With back to back games against the Suns and the Clippers. To be a good team you need to win a few on the road. This year's schedule is front loaded with plenty of road games. These trips are usually pretty good thermometers for a team. Right now at 3-3 the Sixers temperature seems to be luke warm.

But a road trip can be a good thing. Teammates spend more time together. Time to reconstitute themselves to defense. No distractions from the life at home. The bunker mentality ... us against them ... play with a chip on your shoulder [insert additional clinches here].

But it could also be a bad thing. A loss tonite means they're still in a tailspin. A game below .500 in the NBA's weakest division. A losing road trip might further expose them as the team they were projected to be in the pre-season. They could be smoked by any or all 3 of these teams. But Seattle would seem to be the most likely win (if we can win any of them).

Frankly I don't know what to expect. We gotta win at least one don't we?

Snider takes down 'For-sale' sign

Snider takes down 'For-sale' sign.The Sixers are no longer for sale. I never thought this was gonna happen. Content distributors like Comcast need content to distribute and there's nothing better than distributing your own product. Even with the current state of the Flyers and Sixers.

Sixers lost in a must win game

The shrieking sounds you hear throughout the Delaware Valley are Philly fans jumpin' off the bandwagon. Philly Sports Net fell off before the game (So Much for the Sixers). Close games are no consolation. They could have .... correction ... they should have won the last two games. Now at 3 and 3 the Sixers appears poised for another charge at mediocrity.

76ers Must Win 2nite over Nuggets

Right from the start I will apologize for using the over-hyped "Must Win" phrase in any story less than a month into the season. But if the 76ers wish to continue to ingratiate themselves with the Philly faithful ... they "Must Win".

Because of the sad state of sports in this town. More than a few folks have taken a peek at the 76ers (much sooner than normal). That attention could willow away just as suddenly if ... the Eagles could go on a winning streak or ... Pat Croce could run for mayor or .. the DEMs could win the House & Senate (wait that did happen) ... Anyhow, the point is that they stand to gain props from their fan base if they continue their quick start. If I had said that after last year's dismal season, after this summer's draft & free agency, after all the do/don't trade A.I. talk ... you would call me crazy!


But its true.

The recent two game slide has given people cause to say "It was just a matter of time before the old 76ers showed up". Indeed some of the old habits seem to creep into the Pacers game (76ers got waxed). But the Raptors game ... I don't know what happened. Back to back round games are tough. Could it be that Chris Bosh Is Jamming 3s Down The Sixers’ Throats and the 76ers are powerless to stop him. Chris Bosh is a heck of a player. But the how lucky was his that 3? I listened to this game on the radio and did not see it. So I ask you .. did Iggy miss a golden opportunity to step up to the next level? It sounded as if he got off a good shot. It's the shot we need him to make if he is to become the 76ers 2nd banana. It's the shot that would silence the nay sayers .

Had they stolen a game in Toronto we would not be here. But the bottom line is the Sixers Lose To Toronto 104-106 and they need to beat the Nuggets 2nite to keep the fans stoked and protect their own turf. Denver is 0-3, playing on the road and they just lost Kenyon Martin (see preview). So you might be tempted to call it a must win from both teams, but I already apologized once for that.

Sixers lay an egg against the Pacers

Nobody thought they were gonna go undefeated and every team has a bad game. But they looked liked last years model. Let's see how they respond. Sixers lose control of Pacers' house. Sixers 86 Pacers 97 [box score].

Move over, Webber: It's time for Andre Iguodala to shine.

Stephen A. has got it right this time ... "It's also a must that the secondary offensive option for this team becomes a 6-foot-6, 22-year-old guard with fresh legs out of Arizona. Not a 33-year-old former member of Michigan's Fab Five, with legs that appear so much older."
Chris Webber gets too much playing time for what he produces. Sure he's a smart guy. Sure he gets double figures on the boards. Sure he can play defense (for a little while anyway). But even he knows that's not the the C.Webb of old out there. In the Hawks game he was freakin' 25% on 4 of 16 shots. I can recall him chucking up as many as 8 shots in a quarter. His minutes needs to come down to 20-25 minutes (I think its around 33 right now) and for the love of basketball give those shots to Iggy!!!

Sixers Sack Shaq-less Miami to Start 3-0

Shaq scratches and the Sixers win at home. You gotta give them credit.

Mind you that last time they were 3-0, the started the season 10-0 in 2001 and went to the finals. Yea, I thought you'd get a chuckle out of that.
NBA.com Korver, Iverson Propel Sixers to 3-0 Start [box score]

Sixers win a dog fight in the Magic Kingdom

It wasn't perfect, but winning a close game is a positive thing. Rodney Carney had a good game. Mo Cheeks showed faith in the rookie with late 4th quarter minutes (21 total). Carney had his hard hat on ... setting picks, scrumming for balls and hard nose 'D' against Grant Hill.
The 76ers defended Dwight Howard well and shutdown Nelson in the second half. Grant Hill was Grant Hill (good but not great). But clearly there is more work to be done. They got out rebounded and gave up over 100 points. Still, you can't underscore the value of finding a way to close out games.

Sixers 105 Magic 103 Philadelphia Only number that counts is score BTW, did you see King James posterize Tim Duncan last nite. Awsome!

Sixers hit the easy button in season opener

Sixers pass easy test. I read alot of dribble this AM 'bout how the Sixers tipped off the season with a great win over the Hawks ... well maybe they didn't say GREAT win, the consensus was more like "it's a good start".
Get a grip people! The Hawks stink! The only thing you can take away from the game is that we didn't lose.

However, I did notice that Mo Cheeks had a pretty short bench last nite. The rookie Carney got 7 minutes. None of the other new arrivals checked in. Both A.I.'s logged over 40 minutes. Webber was 4 for 16 in 33 minutes (freaking 25%).

Sixers Win 88-71

The Sixers Season is here ...

I hope this doesn't hurt too much!