| 17 March 2010
He's amazing.
This year without him would have been better boring.
Unfortunately I watched the 84-94 home loss to the Knicks with a two day delay but I think some observations about the 23-44 (.343) Sixers are worth reguardless.
While I'm typing this, Sixers are playing the Nets so I'll kep the post extremely short, waiting for a possible explosion today, if we will lose again.
THREE ANSWERS
1) Yes, we were outscored 29-50 in the second half. Or, ir you like this better, 19-38 in the last 17 minutes of the game, because we were leading 65-56 with 5.10 to play in the third, on a beautiful reverse dunk by Iguodala.
2) Yes, believe it, that is our coach's explainations of Iguodala's recent struggles (1/19 from three in the last four games) during his last tough stretch, with 129 minutes played in four days:
Jordan attributed Iguodala's shooting performance to tired legs."He played a ton of minutes the last two nights, a ton" Jordan said. "He does everything for us out there. . . . I mean, come on, he's human, his shot - anybody's shot - would look a little weary."
I have news for Eddie Jordan: I've made some research and I found out that players can be substituted. Their minutes are not set before the games. This might come as a shocker, I know. Further researches helped me learning that coaches get paid also to do substitutions.
I will keep Meeks out of this argument, for credibility reasons. But Rodney Carney (Iguodala's "natural" back up) played less than FIVE minutes against New York. All of this while Andre was dying on the floor, trying to destroy the glass with an embarassing sequence of bricks.
Carney played a total of 23 minutes in the same three game-four day stretch. So it's 129 vs 23. Got the difference? It's 106 minutes. Do you see anything wrong?
3) No, don't be suspicious this time. Sixers tried to win the game. They really did. No tanking. I'm dead serious. Eleven point half time lead. Ridiculous dominance under the boards (27-13 at the break, to finish 54-38). It's simply that they couldn't win. Which leads to the Q section (after the jump)THREE QUESTIONS
1) What's worse? Tanking or trying to win games against awful teams and not being able to? I'd pick #2.
2) Why seven threes? Why seven? I can understand three, fine. Four, uhm. At five without a make, I'd stop. Seven ???? Iguodala felt the needing to take the seventh at the final buzzer, from way behind the arc. He hit the backboard. Fitting conclusion for the game.
3) This is becoming sad. How can Brand fail to get ONE defensive rebound playing against basically no opponents ?? Z-E-R-O def boards !!!
Interesting also how Brand played a good 9 minutes in the third and his stat line was: 1 missed shot - 2 turnovers. NOTHING ELSE. Not a rebound, not an assist, not a steal, not a blocked shot. Nine minutes of nothing. I know it sounds like beating a dead horse. But holy crap, you were facing Al Harrington, not Dwight Howard.
Jasono Kapono got two defensive rebounds in 25 minutes. Brand zero, in 22 minutes. In the night in which a 6'7 swingman set a new career high with 17. F'n unbelievable.
REASONS
Why we lost the game
I'm going out on a limb there but shooting 27% in the second half might have played a part.
To be optimistic
Jordan is a warranty for any good tanker. He's our best ally, the greatest reason for hope. There is no game won with Eddie Jordan at the helm. Long life to Eddie Jordan and his classic rotations.
To be worried
Losing to New Jersey would mean helping Jordan's former team to surpass the 9-73 Sixers, a record I'd gladly leave the Nets, instead. I'll root for the 2009-2010 Sixers to win tonight, and go back to tanking mode after the NJ game.
Thad has a broken thumb and will be out.
