Heard in the Cheap Seats

Here it is folks—the start of the supposed “make or break” five-game West Coast road swing.  The general sentiment is that the Sixers need at least two and would be fortunate to walk away with three wins.  Tonight, they open with the toughest task of the trip against the Lakers.  

The Sixers are playing good basketball right now, having won 3 straight games and 4 out of the last 5.  A win tonight against the hated Lakers would be a huge boost to this young team’’s psyche as it continues on this road trip.  

What do the Sixers need to do to pull of the upset? 

#1 Don”t Allow Kobe to Beat You 

Kobe Bryant is a one-man wrecking crew that seems to always rise to the occasion of playing against the team located a mere 20 minutes from where he grew up.  Make no mistake: Kobe will get his points tonight.  The key is to make him work for those points. Shane Battier has made a living out of harassing Kobe Bryant for four quarters and forcing him into  hoisting up contested shots.  Unfortunately, Shane Battier is nowhere to be found on the Sixers roster.  It will be interesting to see who Tony DiLeo sticks on Kobe.  My guess is it will be Willie Green early in the game with a healthy dose of Andre Iguodala as the game progresses.

#2 Keep The Lakers Off the Offensive Glass

 Lamar Odom is one of the better offensive rebounders in the game and can cause significant problems for opposing defenses due to his length and athletic ability.  Keeping Odom and the rest of the Lakers off the offensive glass will be crucial tonight.  The Sixers are severely overmatched tonight; they cannot afford to provide second-chance points.

#3 Limit Turnovers

 In keeping with the theme of limiting second-chance points, the Sixers need to limit the number of turnovers in tonight’’s game.  This team often slips into the bad habit of forcing the issue on the fast break and making poor decisions.  It is not an uncommon problem for a team as inexperienced as the Sixers but it needs to be curtailed if they have any hope of a W tonight.

#4 Shoot the Ball Well 

This one seems obvious, but the Sixers need to come up with an above average game shooting the ball in all facets—from the field, beyond the arc and at the line.  The Sixers will not be able to trade buckets with the Lakers so they need to be efficient with the opportunities they do get.

#5 Start Quick

If the Lakers are able to jump out to an early lead in front of their home crowd the Sixers will have a difficult time clawing their way back into the game.  The Sixers need to come out sharp.

This is a tough matchup for the Sixers—a game where the cards are stacked against them.  The Sixers have not gone into the Staples Center and won a game in four years and there is little evidence to suggest they will be able to do it tonight.  But if the Sixers can do the five things above, they might just make it interesting.