Heard in the Cheap Seats

If the Eastern Conference playoffs started today, the Sixers would be sitting pretty in the fifth spot.  But the team is locked in a battle with the Miami Heat and has to continue winning games against teams it should beat.  That means there is no time for a letdown tonight against the Charlotte Bobcats.  With the Pistons on a sharp slide and the Bobcats remarkably only 3 games out of a playoff spot, you can bet that Larry Brown will have his team ready to go tonight.

This is a dangerous game for the Sixers and one that will provide an indication of where this team’s maturity level stands.  They showed their evolution by shaking off the rust and jet lag of a five game road trip by beating the Timberwolves.  Tonight they will need to continue that evolution by dispatching of the Bobcats.  The Sixers and Bobcats have been going in opposite directions.  The Sixers come into tonight’s game winners of 7 of their last 9 while the Bobcats are coming off a heartbreaking loss to the Wizards and a drubbing at the hands of the Pacers.

These Bobcats are not as bad as their record indicates.  They have a lot of high-energy players in the likes of Gerald Wallace, Emeka Okafor and Raymond Felton that give them the ability to get out and run with the Sixers.  However, the Bobcats are prone to prolonged shooting droughts and turning the ball over—providing the Sixers with ample opportunity to get out in run.  In addition, the Bobcats are a terrible free throw shooting team so the Sixers should not allow any easy buckets around the hoop and make them earn those points at the line.

The best indication of how this game will play out will be the defensive intensity of the Sixers from the opening tap.  As we have chronicled before, this team has a nasty habit of letting defense fall by the wayside against teams that do not slow the game down.  We saw it against the Suns and we saw it against the Warriors.  The Bobcats will look to get out on the break and the Sixers need to ensure they don’t have any lapses in defensive intensity and commitment.

The last few games have showed us that the Sixers are on the verge of turning the corner from a young, immature team, to one that understands what it takes to win in this league on a nightly basis.  If the Sixers continue to play the brand of basketball that has propelled them to this string of success, that transformation will continue.