Heard in the Cheap Seats

UPDATE: It’’s official: http://www.nba.com/raptors/news/evanspr_060909.html 

The Philadelphia 76ers have reportedly landed three-point sharpshooter Jason Kapono from the Toronto Raptors in exchange for Reggie Evans.  Andre Iguodala hinted at the deal on Twitter less than an hour ago and the Globe and Mail out of Toronto is now reporting it as well. 

As Brian over at Depressed Fan notes, the deal works from a financial standpoint and certainly fills the gaping hole the Sixers have for a long-range sniper.  Jason Kapono is a Kyle Korver type player but with a more consistent shot.  He has made a living knocking down shots from the perimeter and would be a very solid addition to the Sixers roster.

If this rumor turns out to hold water, Ed Stefanski is done an excellent job at addressing the biggest weakness on this roster.  Having Kapono on the floor will do more than add a three-point threat to the team.  It will open up the floor and provide room for Elton Brand on the block and for slashers like Thaddeus Young and Iguodala to get to the rim.

Good move for the Sixers.  I will let you know as soon as I see an official announcement.

The fine folks in the PR department over at the Philadelphia 76ers were kind enough to arrange a call for some of the Philadelphia sports bloggers to speak with new Sixers head coach Eddie Jordan.  So first off, thanks to both the Sixers and Coach Jordan for taking the time to chat with us today—much appreciated. 

Able to jump on the line for the call was Brian from Depressed Fan, Derek from RealGM and Philly Arena, Dannie from ReclinerGM, Ricky from Sixers 4 Guidos, Jeff from Philadunkia and my brother and I. 

As you can imagine, the line of questioning ran the gamut from the Princeton offense, to defensive philosophy, to what to do with Samuel Dalembert.  I will do my best to summarize here Coach Jordan’s answers in all departments and my take on those answers. 

On what to do with Samuel Dalembert:

It is clear to most observers that Samuel Dalembert is a colossal mismatch for the Princeton offense due to his limited offensive skill set in a scheme that demands versatility.  Though, it could be easily argued that Dalembert is ill suited for most any NBA offense other than one intent on throwing lob passes his way all game long.

Of course, Coach Jordan took a diplomatic approach when asked how Dalembert fits into the Princeton offense.  Jordan highlighted that Dalembert is an elite shotblocker that rebounds the ball well and can run the floor.  No arguments from me on that point.  But what was probably most telling was Coach Jordan’s take on Dalembert’s commitment to his teammates and his work ethic.  Jordan said: “He has to buy into being an unselfish player who cares about his teammates. That’’s always been the knock on him. If he can play unselfish basketball, and stop all the up and down stuff, the offense can either run through him, or around him, but he has to buy in.”

In my opinion, that is about as close to a public tongue lashing as you will see a coach give one of his players.  And personally, I like the approach.  Jordan is sending a clear message to Dalembert and any other player paying attention—the Sixers will play a team brand of basketball and if you can’t buy into the philosophy you will find yourself sitting at the end of the bench.

On the defensive philosophy:

Eddie Jordan is widely considered to be an offensive-minded coach.  Because of that, I was keen to hear what his philosophy was on the defensive end of the floor.  Essentially, Coach Jordan emphasized that a championship-quality team starts at the defensive end of the floor and must have a frontcourt capable of defending the basket.  When pressed on the weak perimeter defense of last year, Jordan stressed that the Sixers need to do a better job of containing the dribble penetration and rotate to the basketball better.

There is no doubt that the Sixers have the athletes needed to be a quality defensive team.  The question is: can coach Jordan motivate them to up their level of play?

On offensive philosophy:

There were no huge surprises on the offensive philosophy.  Coach Jordan said he firmly believes that any good coach adapts his system to the skill set of his players.  For this team, he acknowledged that meant a handful of players that essentially have the same skill set and lack a true outside threat.  Because of that, Coach Jordan said that each one of the players will be asked to be a chameleon and occupy different spots on the floor.  Andre Iguodala and Lou Williams will both be used as combo guards and Elton Brand will be moved around the floor in a variety of ways.

Most interestingly, Coach Jordan indicated that the Princeton offense thrives off of combo guards.  Does that mean a pure point guard like Andre Miller has no use for this team?  I think so.  Even more telling on this front is Jordan’s candid acknowledgement that players that can knock down the three are a huge priority.  It seems likely that Sixers will be shopping for a long-range threat at the expense of bringing back Andre Miller.   

My overall first impression of Coach Jordan was positive.  He did not shy away from questions and answered them candidly and in a matter of fact manner.  It is clear that he has a system in place and a plan in mind for this roster.  He is painfully aware of this roster has holes and admits it is a work in progress.

Will his plan work?  That remains to be seen.

I was at the Wachovia Center for last night’s embarrassing end to the Sixers season.  There were quite a few empty seats in the building, and as the final buzzer sounded I thought maybe they were the smart ones.  I am not going to break down last night’s game because it is pointless.  I am not even going to go too much into anything regarding the Sixers.  There is going to be plenty of time for all that.  I just want to say that I am disappointed and as I sit and think about this season, I really didn’t see any growth in this team. 

What bothered me about last night is the team clearly had no interest in fighting for their playoff lives.  There was no sense of urgency.  I never once saw any Sixer talking to each other on the bench during timeouts.  They looked like a combination of a team running in quicksand and being stoned at the same time.  Trust me, that isn’t a good combination.  What we saw last night from the Sixers is inexcusable.  There is nothing else to say about it.  The one thing I would tell any naysayers during this season was that the Sixers are a young team that fights and plays hard.  I can’t even say that anymore.  Not after last night’s game, and especially not after what they said after the Magic embarrassed them in their home building.

“I”m going to sit down with Ed and discuss what I think will get us over the [hump].”- Andre Iguodala

Really, Andre?  Dude, you are a good player, but come on!  Who the hell is he?  What has Andre Iguodala done to earn the right to even utter those words?!

“We weren”t always there.”

“We had mental lapses.”

“We had inner turmoil.”- Andre Iguodala

Maybe try being a leader and doing something about it instead of using it as an excuse after the season ends in a disappointing way.

“The coaches are responsible for guys [being] prepared and playing,”  “They have to hold guys accountable. It’’s been that way all year, so you couldn”t expect anything different.

“You have to step up and get into guys. If [as the coach] you don”t have that type of personality, to be able to go at guys . . . “

 “At the same time, it’’s your position. You”ve seen the mistakes and all that going on. Was anybody getting talked to about that? To me, this is losing if you have situations like that.”

“[The lack of that] has bothered me, and I”ve told them it’’s bothered me, that it’’s something you”ve got to deal with,”

“When you see the lack of effort, the lack of concentration, the lack of being able to get things done, and to stick with the same thing, to me you”re just trying to play guys, and I don”t feel good about it.”

“You don”t know if you”re going to get back to this position,”  “This is my 14th year. It’’s not guaranteed that I”ll be in the playoffs again. To not get the effort, to see how things went, the lack of hustle, that leaves a distaste.

“I”m not a coach, I don”t make the substitutions. But if you”re going to do it like that, then that’’s the way it’’s done, then you get that type of game. You”re going to get whupped, plain and simple.

“If you see mistakes and you don”t address them when it’’s going on, guys get comfortable . . . That’’s why you lose seven games while you”re trying to move up [in the seedings].- All made by Theo Ratliff

I understand what Ratliff was saying, but please enough with the finger pointing.  The Sixers for the most part did not stand up and hold themselves accountable.  Now we find out, that certain players on the team feel that other players lack focus. 

Believe me, that was just a sampling of the quotes from the spoiled mouths of the Sixers.  I am just glad I wasn’t holding anything that could have been thrown thru the window when I read them.  There is blame to go around on all sides here.  I personally don’t think Tony DiLeo should be back.  I think they need a tough minded proven coach who will figure out if these kids have any desire to be winners.  There are some pieces on this team, but tons of problems.  Questions surround this team at every position.  Like I said, we will be discussing all that in the months to come.  For now, I will just say I am disappointed and shocked at what I saw from this team, and especially at what I heard from their mouths after the fact.  I have been wanting this team to grow, and based on how this season ended, you would be hard pressed to convince me that they did any growing at all this year.  I am not sure if they “get it”.  I am going to step away from thinking about the Sixers for a bit, but we will definitely be looking at this team and its future very soon.  Until then, maybe we should just watch the Bulls and Celtics series to remind ourselves what NBA basketball is supposed to look like.

It’s pretty simple: There are a few things that I have liked about the Sixers play against the Magic, and a few things I haven’t liked.  I have refrained from writing about this series until now, because I wanted it to play out a little bit.  I didn’t want to just breakdown each game on its own.  Coming into this series, I picked the Magic to win in 5 games, so obviously I didn’t see much that led me to believe the Sixers could pull off an upset.  The Sixers have won more games than I thought, and have made this an interesting series.  I give them credit for that.  But, I have to say that I have doing a lot of reading during this series.  I have been reading a lot of the blogs out there that I respect, and there is a lot of stuff floating around that I just don’t agree with.  So, let me just kind of run through some different points that I have on my mind regarding this series.  It’s easier for me to do it this way because they are all over the map, so it just makes more sense.

-          I want to start off on a positive note.  I am happy the Sixers have made this interesting.  I give them credit for coming into this series believing they could win and playing hard.  I have no doubt that they will come out in Game 6 and fight the Magic tooth and nail.

-          With the above being said, I think a lot of people are missing something.  There is one reason why this series has been interesting: The Magic allowed it.  As tough minded as the Sixers came into this series, the Magic were the opposite.  They aren’t a playoff tested team, and they started this series playing as if the Sixers would just roll over.  They didn’t play smart basketball and the Sixers outworked them.  In the last 2 games, that has changed.

-          I like the Sixers defensive strategy in this series.  They decide that for the most part they would not send a double team Dwight Howard’s way when he had the ball on the low block.  The Sixers know that meant they would have to shuffle big men in and out due to foul trouble, and that Howard would have some big games.  The strategy is a sound one because it has allowed the Sixers to stay at home on the shooters.  For the first 4 games of this series, the Magic did not really hurt the Sixers from long range.

-          Like I said earlier, an NBA playoff series is full of adjustments, and the Sixers and Tony DiLeo are losing that battle.  It was clear early in the series, that guarding Andre Iguodala was a problem for the Magic.  The adjustment they have made is to double and trap Iguodala as much as possible.  Now, there are times where it has seemed like this strategy isn’t working for the Magic, but I think it has.  You need to look no further than the fact that the Sixers have struggled mightily on the offensive end ever since the double team was employed.  You can look at stats until you are blue in the face, but I know what I see.  Yes, Iguodala had 26 points and went to the line 13 times in Game 4, but many of his trip to the line came when he forced the issue.  The Sixers have one primary offensive weapon and the Magic know it.  I would never watch a game where the Sixers can’t score 80 points and say that the double team isn’t working.  When the Sixers have screened high for Iguodala, the Magic are now using Howard to double aggressively.  It has largely forced the ball out of his hands in those sets.  The Sixers have not adjusted much to this at all.  They are still getting Iguodala the ball in situations that make it too easy for the Magic to defend.  This is what I mean when I say that DiLeo is losing the adjustment battle.  I’ll have more on adjustments in a minute.

-          The above defensive strategy has turned the Sixers into a jump shooting team.  That is exactly what the Magic wanted.  The Sixers have really done nothing to change this.  They are playing right into Orlando’s hands.  Most of the time, the Sixers are trying to play one on one basketball and it isn’t working. 

-          I just don’t understand why the Sixers think they can do the same things in every game of a seven game series and have success.  This is going back to the adjustments.  Stan Van Gundy saw how the Sixers were defending the Magic and has made a huge adjustment and it paid big dividends last night.  The Sixers have been switching on almost every screen, so the Magic have started using Rashard Lewis in those screens.  It has allowed Lewis to have a mismatch on the block, and he is either abusing his defender or kicking for a wide open 3 when the Sixers sent a double team like last night.  Where are those types of adjustments from DiLeo?  The Sixers have made a few small ones, but nothing to write home about.  Why not dictate to the Magic, rather than play right into their hands.  Maybe use Young and Miller in post up situations more, since neither Alston nor Lewis can guard them down on the block.  That would make Orlando have to adjust.  How about letting Iguodala bring the ball up some of the time, so that if the Magic want to double they will have to bring that double team from far away and if they don’t Iguodala can easily penetrate and get the Magic scrambling.  I just feel like the Sixers are making it easy for Orlando, and from what I have seen from the Magic, if you make them earn it, they may wilt under the pressure.

-          Other than in Game 1, Lou Williams has been awful.  I am a huge fan of Williams, and I think he can help the Sixers in a ton of ways.  There are two reasons he is struggling: 1) He is falling into the trap that most of the Sixers are and that’s settling for jumpers; 2) He needs to get stronger because even when he has been able to get to the rim, he isn’t finishing when he takes a hit, and you aren’t going to get those calls in the playoffs.

-          In 2 of the Sixers losses, they have been crushed by the Magic on the offensive boards.  That is inexcusable to me.  Orlando is one of the worst offensive rebounding teams in the NBA, so to allow them to get a ton of second chances just can’t happen.

-          I don’t want to make this a huge issue because it will be a discussion for the offseason, but can everyone please stop thinking the Sixers will go anywhere with no low post presence?  I am not saying Elton Brand is the answer, although I think he will prove to be a huge addition next year, but I think everyone gets caught up in the excitement of how good the Sixers are in transition.  Sorry to tell everyone, but if that is the only way they can consistently score, they have no chance to win an NBA playoff series.  It is another reason why the Magic have figured out an easy way to defend the Sixers and Howard can roam the paint.  Think about this series for a second.  Who would guard Brand in the post?  Lewis?  Turkoglu?  They certainly wouldn’t use Howard because that tales away his best asset as a defender on the weak side.  This is also the reason why I would like to see the Sixers post up Miller, or Young, or anyone who has an advantage on the low block.  When you are able to create that in your offensive set, it forces the defense to make a decision.  Instead, the Sixers hardly ever post up and allow the Magic to keep them on the perimeter.  Too easy.

-          I realize Dwight Howard is a beast, but I won’t accept that as a reason the Sixers aren’t getting to the rim.  He is on the Orlando Magic, deal with it.  Figure out a way to get the Orlando defense to move around and scramble.  Having Iguodala come off screens and then try and beat a double team himself or kick it to a guy who can’t shoot, won’t get it done.  You can’t play a drive and kick game if you have terrible outside shooting.

I could probably go on forever, but I won’t.  The Sixers have had their chances to upset the Magic in this series, but have not taken advantage.  It is disappointing as a fan, but I won’t sit here and make it sound like this Sixers team deserves to win.  They haven’t earned it.   But, the Sixers came to play and I won’t take that away from them.  I just feel like there are a lot of similarities between this series and the entire season.  The Sixers can go into L.A. and beat the Lakers, but lose all 4 games to the Nets.  They don’t seize opportunities when they are there, and in facing the Orlando Magic there was an opportunity.  I didn’t realize how soft and undisciplined this Orlando team was.  I hope the Sixers can come out with a great performance in Game 6 and then see what happens in Game 7.  In order to accomplish that, though, there will have to be some major changes, because at this point, Orlando is very comfortable on both ends of the floor.

What a day for Philadelphia sports!  Yesterday could have been an absolutely horrible day, or an amazing day, and thanks to the performances of the Phillies, Flyers, and Sixers it ended up being the latter.  I had wanted to do a diary of the events of the day, but due to a nasty head cold I didn’t have the patience, so instead I just enjoyed the festivities like everyone else.  That nasty head cold I just spoke of is also the reason I am going to be short and sweet on this post.  Aren’t you glad you now know that and can continue with the rest of your day?  Plus, my timing isn’t great here so I think everyone knows what happened by now.  The great thing about yesterday was that it was a day where the teams epitomized Philadelphia, the city they represent.

We Philadelphians are a proud people.  You know when someone is from Philly because we make sure you do.  We are scrappy, tough, we can be a little brash and nasty at times if you deserve it, and we relish being the underdog.  One of the best things as a fan is when you can relate to the teams you root so hard for year in and year out.  We want teams and players that will represent the toughness of the great city and people of Philadelphia.  To me, that is why yesterday was so special as a Philadelphia sports fan. 

First, the Phillies looked like they were going to lose yet another April game.  This team has had a tough week with the passing of Harry Kalas and all the tributes surrounding it.  They continue to blow late leads and really just haven’t played very good baseball.  So yesterday, down 4-3 in the bottom of the ninth, and staring another possible loss in the face, up stepped Raul Ibanez.  Ibanez sent a towering fly to right field and into the stands for a walk off 2 run home run that sent the fans at home and at Citizens Bank Park into a frenzy and got the day started off right.  Oh, but that was only the beginning!

Next came the Flyers, a team that I have been quite critical of lately.  What did they do?  Well, in true Philadelphia fashion, they decided enough was enough and they pushed the Penguins around all day long.  They shoved gloves in Sidney Crosby’s face, hell even Claude Giroux dropped the gloves.  But, even with all that, the Penguins tied the game at 2-2 and the Wachovia Center was eerily quiet.  But, not for long.  You see, you may be able to knock a Philadelphian down, but we will always get back up.  The Flyers showed grit, determination, and a little nastiness in stomping the Penguins 6-3 to fight back in their series.  All in the spirit of Philadelphia.

Finally, the underdog Sixers took center stage in their first game against the Orlando Magic.  The Sixers were not playing in front of their fans, but they certainly did them proud.  The Sixers hung around for awhile, but then it looked as if reality had set in and the Magic were up 18 and looking like they were going to be able to rest their starters for much of the 4^th quarter.  Not so fast.  The Sixers stormed back behind Donyell Marshall, Lou Williams, and Andre Iguodala.  Iguodala hit a game winning bucket with 2 seconds left after almost blowing the game with 2 missed free throws.  The Sixers played the underdog role well and showed that they are in the playoffs to win.  After the game Tony DiLeo said “We won’t back down.  Let the chips fall where they may.”  Beautiful.

Yesterday was a day to remember for Philadelphia sports fans.  It wasn’t just because all 3 teams won, it was because of the toughness, the scrappiness, the nastiness, and the fight that all 3 teams showed.  Just like the city they represent.

The NBA playoffs are finally here and the Sixers have made it to the second season for the 2 consecutive years.  Once again, the Sixers are a heavy underdog.  Last year, they surprised a lot of people by taking the Pistons to 6 games, so what will happen in their series against the Orlando Magic? 

The Magic are a very different team since losing Jameer Nelson before the All Star break.  Before Nelson’s injury it looked as if the Magic had a real chance to contend for the best record in the Eastern Conference.  Rafer Alston has done a nice job filling in for Nelson, but the Magic are not nearly as dynamic as they were with Nelson running the show.  What the Magic do have going for them is Dwight Howard.  Although, the Sixers have defended him well in their 3 games during the season, it has led to the Magic having a field day from beyond the arc.  That is exactly how the Magic play, and we all know that the Sixers do not defend three point shooters well at all.  After one game against the Magic this season, Tony DiLeo remarked that the Sixers have to “pick their poison” when defending the Magic.  I’m not sure I agree.  I think if your objective is to stop Dwight Howard from going off at the expense of leaving the shooters open, it plays right into the Magic’s hands.  The Magic surround Howard with 4 shooters, including Rashard Lewis who is as dangerous as anyone in the league when he gets going.  I went back and checked, and the Sixers went 11-22 this season against the top ten 3 point field goal percentage teams in the league, including 3 losses to the Orlando Magic.  Some of those teams were not very good basketball teams either.  The bottom line is that the Sixers do not match up well with the Orlando Magic.  They have lost 8 of their last 9 games against them.  With or without Jameer Nelson, this is a tough match up for the Sixers.  Both teams struggled down the stretch, but the Magic were missing Howard for a game, Turkoglu for a game and Lewis for 2 games.  So, do the Sixers have a chance to pull off the upset?  Here are a few keys…

TURNOVERS- The Magic have a tendency to turn the ball over.  The Sixers need to win the turnover battle and jump start their transition offense.

DEFENSE- This is really their only chance in this series and it includes a million different things.  Every series has adjustments, so DiLeo will have to make them throughout.  But, as I said previously, I don’t think they stand a chance if the focus on Howard too much.  The Magic will shoot 30 threes a game if you collapse on Howard.  I think DiLeo should throw every defender he has in has in his arsenal and use up as many fouls as possible.  Be physical with Howard, and understand that occasionally you will give up some easy buckets to him.  But, what I wouldn’t do is double and triple team Howard and leave the shooters open.  That is a recipe for disaster.  I would hit Howard with double teams once in awhile to change up the looks.  The Sixers need to show up in this series defensively, because if the Magic are able to hit 50% of their shots, this will be a blowout.  Another important aspect defensively will be the Sixers transition defense.  The Magic are not necessarily a running team but what they like to do is spot up for threes on the brak as well as hit Howard on a quick low post.  It is important that the Sixers communicate and match up quickly in transition.

OFFENSIVE GLASS- I think the Sixers should have an advantage here.  Orlando is not a great rebounding team other than Dwight Howard.  The Sixers need to hit the glass hard and look to create as many second chance opportunities as possible.

BE AGGRESSIVE- It’s the playoffs.  The Sixers need everyone to be as aggressive on both sides of the ball as possible.  Take the fight to Orlando.  I don’t care if the miss shots, get it blocked, get called for a charge, or even a flagrant foul, they must show Orlando that they are ready to play.  Orlando has never struck me as a particularly tough team.  The Sixers need to be the tougher team.

I could go on and on, but I won’t.  Orlando is the better team.  They have shown themselves to be better than the Sixers on both sides of the ball.  In order to take this series, Andre Iguodala, Andre Miller, Thaddeus Young, and Lou Williams are all going to have to be at the top of their games.  Not just for one game, but for the entire series.  So, is it possible that the Sixers win this series?  Yes, it’s possible.  Do I think it will happen?  No, I don’t, but I will as happy as everyone else if they surprise me and pull it out.

PREDICTION: MAGIC IN 5

With 12 games to play in the regular season the Philadelphia 76ers dropped two winnable games against the Detroit Pistons and the Charlotte Bobcats.  At the time, the losses were detrimental because they dropped the Sixers out of the fifth spot in the Eastern Conference. 

But after those two setbacks, Philadelphia rattled off three consecutive victories and appeared destined to fight its way back into the fifth spot.  The two poor losses were a distant memory—nothing more than a small misstep on the path to the playoffs.  As it turns out, those three wins were the aberration and not the two losses.  The Sixers were on the verge of a free fall that very few people saw coming (well except for me). 

It would be easy to point to the injury of Thaddeus Young as the catalyst for this free fall.  His injury did coincide with the sudden slide to playoff doom.  But the injury to Young is more of a convenient scapegoat for Philadelphia fans than a viable explanation.

The lack of effort on the defensive end cannot be explained by Young’s injury.  The complete and utter lack of rhythm on offense surely cannot be pinned all on the absence of Young.  The spike in dumb turnovers would not suddenly vanish had Young been in the lineup. 

The Sixers were playing bad basketball before Young was injured and his departure made it worse. 

But should we really be surprised by this rapid descent?  Why is it that a team can look so good against the Lakers and so bad against the Nets?  There are two reasons: the first has to do with effort and the second with the personnel of this team. 

Because this is a young team, they have peaks and valleys in their effort level.  This is not to say they are mailing it in when they lose—but like all young players, have difficulty sustaining max effort for an entire season.  The best teams are able to maintain an energy level throughout the grueling NBA season.  The Sixers found that energy level against the Lakers but left in the locker room against the Nets.

Consistent effort is paramount in the NBA, but it is not the biggest problem plaguing the Sixers right now.  Want to know what is?  They simply are not that good.  The reason this team is so streaky is because its best players are not consistently good at the fundamentals of basketball.  On any given night, Andre Iguodala can put up 35 points, 10 boards, and 6 assists.  But he can also easily throw in an 8 point effort that is highlighted by 10 turnovers.  When athletic ability is your only gift—you will hit cold streaks.  And therein lays the problem. 

The Philadelphia Sixers are comprised of a bunch of players that are excellent athletes and only average basketball players.  On some nights, their athletic ability allows them to masquerade as great basketball players.  But in a long NBA season, the truth almost always reveals itself and it has been rearing its ugly head as the Sixers stumble into the playoffs.

“This is a game we won’t forget about and also will forget about.”  Uhhhh…What?!  That is what Tony DiLeo was quoted as saying following Sunday night’s awful loss to the New Jerset Nets.  Now, I know what DiLeo meant, but that doesn’t make it any less funny to read.  That is one of those quotes that can make your head spin, very similar to the way the Sixers play can do the same.  I chose not to write a single word after the loss to the Nets, because it really didn’t deserve any space on this website.  Plus, I probably would have been arrested for vulgarity had I written anything at all.  Instead I want to simply look at the remaining six games, and the Sixers chances of snagging the 5^th seed in the Eastern Conference.

There are a few factors that play into the remaining games as I see it.  I am basing all my predictions on possibilities.  Three of the final 6 games will be against Boston and Cleveland and there is a chance that the Sixers may not be facing their best squad, but it remains to be seen.  Here’s how I think it will play out between the Sixers and Heat in the battle for the 5^th seed…

Tuesday, April 7th

Sixers @Charlotte- Tonight’s game is huge.  While it is not a must win for the season, I believe it is if the Sixers want any chance of beating out Miami.  The Bobcats are going to fight tooth and nail, as they cannot afford any more losses if they want to sneak into the 8^th seed.  I think/hope that the Sixers come out with aggression and play from in front and win a close game.

New Orleans @ Miami

Obviously Miami has the same motivation in their final 5 games as the Sixers do.  But, tonight I think a good New Orleans team will win in Miami.  New Orleans is fighting for playoff seeding as well.  They currently sit in 6^th in the West, but can as high up as 3^rd if they play well down the stretch.

Sixers- 41-36     Heat- 41-37

Thursday, April 9^th

Sixers @ Chicago

It is looking like the Bulls have secured either the 7^th or 8^th seed in the Eastern Conference, but they aren’t going to be assured anything at this point.  It will be a tough road game, but I am going to go with the Sixers in this one.  Andre Miller is going to put up big numbers against the Bulls.

Sixers- 42-36     Heat- 41-37

Friday, April 10^th

Cleveland @ Sixers

The Sixers have no shot in this game.  Not only is it a road/home back to back, but it is against the best team in the conference.  The Cavs are fighting to beat out the Lakers for best overall record in the NBA.  They have only lost one game (albeit to the Lakers) at home, and have their sights set on the NBA Finals.  You better believe they want home court advantage.  Sixers will be beaten handily in this one.

Miami @ Boston

The Celtics are tough at home, and they definitely want to ensure having the home court advantage in a possible 2^nd round match up with the Magic.  I think Miami is going to play tough in this one, but the Celtics prevail.

Sixers- 42-37     Heat- 41-38

Sunday, April 12^th

Sixers @ Toronto

The Sixers have a lot to play for, and Toronto has absolutely nothing to play for.  That should be a recipe for a win, although you never know with this Sixers team.  I will give them the benefit of the doubt and put this one in the win column.

New York @ Miami

Dwayne Wade will make sure that Miami takes care of the Knicks in front of the home crowd in a big game. 

Sixers- 43-37    Heat- 42-38

Tuesday, April 14^th

Boston @ Sixers

There is a pretty good chance that this game will mean something in the playoff seeding for the Celtics.  I will base my prediction on that premise and say that the Celtics take down the Sixers in order to secure the 2^nd seed in the Eastern Conference.

Miami @ Atlanta

This game could very well be a first round playoff series match up.  Depending on where the Hawks stand at this point, this game could be to lock up home court for the first round.  I think the Hawks will want to make sure the Heat don’t feel good on Atlanta’s home court.  Atlanta wins a close game.

Sixers- 43-38     Heat- 42-39

Wednesday, April 15^th

Sixers @ Cleveland

The more I looked at the schedules for each team, I decided that the race between the Lakers and Cavs for best record in the NBA could very well come down to the final regular season game.  With that theory in mind, the Sixers will not win in Cleveland.  If they have already clicned by this point and decide to rest some players, the Sixers may have chance.  I am not sure that will be the case.

Detroit @ Miami

If everything breaks down the way I have laid it out, then this would be a huge game for Miami.  At this point, Detroit will likely already know it can do no better than the 8^th seed, and will pack it in like the Pistons tend to do.  Miami wins their final regular season game.

Sixers- 43-39     Heat- 43-39

So, that would mean the Sixers and Heat end their battle tied.  The two teams split their season series, so the next tiebreaker would be conference record.  If we use my scenario, the Heat would finish with a conference record of 28-24, and the Sixers would sit at 27-25.  Obviously, this would mean that the Sixers would finish 6^th in the East and face either the Magic or Celtics.

I am hoping that it plays out differently, of course.  I am simply laying out what my prediction would be if you put a gun to my head (please don’t, I don’t want to have to get physical).  I know I am making a big deal out of this whole thing, but it’s because I truly believe that if the Sixers can somehow get the 5^th seed, they will win their first round series.  I believe just winning a series and getting to face Cleveland in the 2^nd round will benefit all the young Sixers heading into next season.  This team needs to grow and learn what it feels like to win a playoff series, and getting the 5^th seed is the only way for the Sixers to do that.

The Sixers clinched a playoff spot today by beating the Detroit Pistons 95-90.  It was their second straight win since Thaddeus Young went down with an injury.  The Sixers look like a team that really wants to secure at least the 5^th seed in the playoffs to avoid playing facing the Cavs, Celtics, or Magic in the first round.  Playing behind for most of the game, the Sixers used a 27-16 4^th quarter to secure the win.  Let’s take a look at some things on both the positive and negative side that stood out to me.

POSITIVES

-          Andre Iguodala was excellent. Due to the fact that the Sixers are short handed and fighting for playoff positioning, Iguodala played 45 minutes and had a season high 31 points on 13 of 19 from the floor.  He had a tough match up against Tayshaun Prince and clearly came out on top.  His night included some nice outside shooting as well as a barrage of dunks and alley-oops.  Iggy also had 9 boards, including a few crucial ones late in the 4^th quarter.

-          Andre Miller was as solid as usual.  Man, I hope the Sixers can keep him around.  Miller literally just gets the job done, especially when the Sixers need it.  He has an uncanny ability to make a big play when the Sixers are struggling, and there really is no better floor leader in the NBA.  Oh, did I mention that Miller had a triple double today, to the tune of 21 points, 12 assists, and 10 boards?

-          Lou Williams- Lou played 29 minutes and continues to be aggressive with the ball in his hands.  He really can be an “X” factor for this team.  It says something that every time Williams is on the floor, the Sixers look to get the ball in his hands as much as possible.  He was able to pitch in 15 points off the bench, and again played most of the crucial minutes as the Sixers made their run in the 4^th.

-          Marreese Speights had another solid effort off the bench offensively.  Speights chipped in 10 points.  More importantly, even though he missed a few open looks in the 4^th, he showed confidence in taking big shots.

-          Tony DiLeo- I thought DiLeo did a nice job in feeling out the game.  He went with a lineup of Miller, Williams, Iguodala, Speights, and Ratliff for most of the 4^th quarter.  When the Sixers were struggling to control the defensive glass, DiLeo subbed in Evans to help on the boards.

-          Speaking of Reggie Evans, he did a nice job of helping out on the glass when the Sixers needed it late in the game, including a rebound he fought for and got fouled on with about 40 seconds to go.  Evans subsequently stepped up and knocked down both free throws to make it a two possession game.  This is the 2^nd time in a row I’m praising Evans.  I think it’s a record.

NEGATIVES

-          Samuel Dalembert got into early foul trouble and only played a total of 10 minutes.  He didn’t grab a single rebound and lost his battle with Kwame Brown of all people.  At least, DiLeo was smart enough to sit Sammy down.

-          Lou Williams played very well offensively and they needed his spark.  He is one of the few Sixers who can get to the rim consistently.  Unfortunately, he was overmatched on the defensive end.  Both Bynum and Stuckey were able to consistently penetrate past Williams or post him up, leading to quite a few buckets and open threes for the Pistons.

-          Speaking of weak on the defensive end, Speights really needs to get better there.  But, there was no excuse for his terrible defensive rebounding, particularly in the 4^th quarter.  The Pistons continued to get second chances and almost all of them were a direct result of Speights doing a poor job of blocking out.  It led to Speights being taken out in favor of Evans because it was so obvious that he was getting killed down low.

-          Giving up 17 offensive rebounds is unacceptable.  Luckily, the Pistons shot poorly from the field, and much of that had nothing to do with the Sixers defense.  It was just a case of the Pistons missing open looks.

All in all, it was a huge win for the Sixers.  They are holding on to the 5^th spot in the East and need to continue to play every game like it’s a playoff contest.  Like I have said, I think Lou Williams can be the “X” factor for the Sixers down the stretch.  Seven games remain, including the next three on the road.  Every game is a big game from here on out.

Now that was a weird road trip.  The season is winding down for the Sixers and they couldn’t afford to go out to the west coast and lose 4 of 5 games or even worse all 5.  When the trip started, I was hoping for a 3 – 2 record, and that’s exactly what they are coming back with, after last night’s big overtime victory over the Portland Trailblazers.  The weird part was how they got to that record.  The trip started off with an unlikely buzzer beater by Andre Iguodala to beat the best team in the West, followed by an ugly loss to the Suns the next night, then a bad loss to a Warriors team that looked like they were doing lay up drills, a blow out of the Sacramento Kings (worst team in the NBA), and then last night’s win against the team with the 5^th best home record in the NBA.  So, they lose to a bad Warriors team and a struggling Suns team, but beat the teams with the 2^nd and 5^th best home records in the NBA?  That’s not how I envisioned the trip playing itself out, but I will certainly take it.

The Sixers were led last night by the trio of Andre Miller, Andre Iguodala, and Thaddeus Young.  The Sixers played front runners for most of the game, but in the second half Portland was able to knock down their perimeter shots and fight back to take the lead late in the 4^th quarter.  The Sixers fought hard in a game that for awhile seemed to be going against them late.  I rarely criticize officiating, but there was a 5 minute stretch in the 4^th quarter where literally every call went against the Sixers, and they were not all good calls at all.  But, to their credit, the Sixers were able to stay focused on the task at hand.  That is when it is great to have a guy like Andre Miller leading your team.  Miller seemed to take control of the game in the waning minutes and ensure that the Sixers would be flying home with a winning road trip. 

Yeah, it went to overtime, but the Sixers were able to make plays down the stretch to win a big game.  They did the same thing against the Lakers.  Could we be seeing this team starting to understand how to win close games?  It’s possible.  I definitely see a difference in one player in particular: Thaddeus Young.  Thaddeus Young has now scored over 20 points in four straight games for the first time in his career.  It is blatantly obvious that he is more aggressive and confident.  Instead of deferring to his teammates all the time, Young is looking to score.  This can only help the Sixers.  It gives them another reliable option in their offense that they can utilize in their half court sets.  In the previous 4 months of this season, Young took 15 or more shots a total of 13 times.  Already, in the month of March, he has done so 8 times.  He knows he can score, and he is being aggressive with his touches. 

On the negative side, the Sixers gave up 100 or more points in 4 of the 5 games on this road trip.  I know that the Suns and Warriors are high scoring teams, but the Sixers didn’t put up a fight.  They need to tighten up their defense.  You can’t head into the playoffs with bad habits on defense.

So, the Sixers have 13 games remaining in the regular season.  Seven are at home, and 6 on the road.  The goal should be the 5 spot in the Conference.  They are currently 1 ½ games behind the Heat for that spot.  I know the Sixers aren’t winning a title this year, but wouldn’t it be nice to at least have a chance of winning the first round series?  If they don’t catch the Heat, then they have zero chance of advancing past the first round.  I think the Sixers can take that 5^th spot.  They need to set it as a goal and fight for it.  The Heat have 12 games remaining, with 7 of those coming on the road.  The Sixers have the easier of the two schedules.  The battle for the 5^th spot begins tomorrow night against Minnesota.  Will the Sixers be up to the challenge?