Iverson returns; Sixers lose 10th straight
by jsams on Dec 7, 2009 6:35 PM PST
53 comments
Even as a non-supporter of the Allen Iverson signing, I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of his return tonight. Being a Sixers fan has been pretty depressing lately, so it was refreshing to receive some national attention and see more than 600 people in the Wachovia Center. I got chills during introductions and I got chills watching Iverson score his first bucket. His presence clearly inspired the Sixers, especially Andre Iguodala and Sammy D, as the both of them put together an incredible first half of basketball. Sammy looked like Bill Russell out there, blocking 6 shots and altering everything else. He protected the paint about as good as I've ever seen a big man protect the paint. As for Andre Iguodala, simply put, he was on fire. Not just, "he's feeling it" on fire. More like "NBA Jam" on fire. I think I literally saw flames trailing the ball as he shot it. His hot streak was capped off with a 93-foot shot to end the half. Unfortunately, it didn't count.
The Iverson honeymoon lasted for about three quarters and then reality set in. I realized that Eddie Jordan was still the head coach, and his awful rotations and defensive philosophy will continue to haunt this team. It's a real shame too, because I believe Iverson gives a healthy Sixers team enough of a boost to make some noise in the playoffs. If he's used correctly and surrounded by good defense, much like 2001, he can provide a spark to the much-maligned half court offense come April, and put the Sixers in position to advance past the first round for the first time since 2003. Unfortunately, none of that is possible with EJ at the helm. As a matter of fact, EJ will turn the Iverson signing into a top 5 pick -- which isn't necessarily a bad thing if a couple ping pongs bounce the Sixers way.
Enter: 10th straight loss.
The Iverson-adrenaline eventually wore off, and Andre Iguodala's hot streak eventually wore off. The Sixers stopped playing defense, and the Nuggets woke up after being in an Iverson-stupor for the first three quarters. The better team won tonight, but the Sixers have nothing to be ashamed of. They played their butts off most of the game, and did all they could to overcome the stupid rotations, defensive philospohpy -- or lack thereof -- and absolutely zero bench production (1-15 from the floor). It will be interesting to see how long the Iverson excitement can carry the Sixers, and how they play against a team who isn't as good as the Nuggets.
He was lost in the shuffle of Iverson and 90-foot shots tonight, but Thaddeus looks much better than he did earlier this season. His offense is really coming together and if my eyes aren't deceiving me, he's been crashing the boards -- something he hasn't done since his rookie year. On the downside, Elton Brand still looks awful to me. I thought he was "back" for a couple games, but then he hurt his hamstring and is back to "Reggie Evans 2.0", especially against legit big men like Nene and Kenyon Martin.
Player of the Game: Sammy D
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we wont get him we are not the worst team, maybe not even lottery we are not that bad
eff you we winning anyway
by eagleswin on Dec 8, 2009 2:07 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
Have you looked at our record recently?
by YoSixers on Dec 8, 2009 7:01 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
Do you know how the lottery works
second worst record in the east right now
by jemagee on Dec 9, 2009 7:42 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs
Our bench did it to us again 1-15, this time WITH Willie Green. Jordan is an idiot to lay the whole bench at once. This loss shows how important Speights and Williams are. That’s about 40 pts. missing from the team and 10 boards and 10 assists besides.
The Sixers were competitive for a while, but fell apart and stopped scoring once they got tired. Again their lack of depth is killing them.
by RickoT on Dec 7, 2009 6:43 PM PST reply actions 0 recs
The loss shows yet again that eddie jordan is a moron.
Rebounding sucked per usual
10 assists & 40 points combined from speights/williams is a rather insane assertion
by jemagee on Dec 7, 2009 6:51 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
not too insane think about it lou averages like 20 ppg and speights like 18 ppg
eff you we winning anyway
by eagleswin on Dec 8, 2009 2:07 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
But we’re not going to average 40 additional points, 10 additional boards, etc., I think that’s the point trying to be made.
by guitarmouse35 on Dec 8, 2009 2:20 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
Free Jrue!
Let the kid play!
"They say that nobody is perfect. Then they tell you practice makes perfect. I wish they'd make up their minds." - Wilt Chamberlain
by soman319 on Dec 7, 2009 7:14 PM PST reply actions 0 recs
2 points from the bench. That’s downright impressive, especially considering that the only reason Willie Green and Jason Kapono are in the NBA is for offense.
by zfg on Dec 7, 2009 7:15 PM PST reply actions 0 recs
The lineups EJ put out there are terrible. We should just DNP EJ. I think all of us can collectively coach this team, how about it?
"They say that nobody is perfect. Then they tell you practice makes perfect. I wish they'd make up their minds." - Wilt Chamberlain
by soman319 on Dec 7, 2009 7:19 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
Oh, and over 60% from 3. Not that that’s unusual. Still, there’s nothing you can do about that… sometimes they just hit shots. I guess I shouldn’t complain though. Being mediocre in the NBA is way worse than being terrible. Still, it’s really strange to root for your team to lose.
by zfg on Dec 7, 2009 7:20 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
if the threes were contested i would agree about there being nothing you can do but this team consistently gives up uncontested shots which is the real reason the percentages are so high – in this case there is absolutely something you can do about it (such as..ummm… the coach making adjustments…which eddie jordan refuses to do)
by tsteidel on Dec 7, 2009 7:31 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
Unfortunately, my comment was a joke based off something Eddie Jordan actually said.
by zfg on Dec 7, 2009 7:37 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
“Being mediocre in the NBA is way worse than being terrible. Still, it’s really strange to root for your team to lose.”
I disagree. If your mediocre, youll be mediocre for 10 years. If your downright awful, youll get a high draft pick and turn your team around. The only way to win in the NBA is by being really bad first.
by philiafan14364 on Dec 7, 2009 7:37 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
Im going to go back to first grade to learn how to read
by philiafan14364 on Dec 7, 2009 7:58 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
This is basically why I didn’t have a problem with the Iverson signing. Admit it, you had fun seeing him. People actually paid attention to the Sixers. People actually showed up. Honestly, as long as the Sixers have a coach who does not value defense, they’re never going to compete for a title, so it’s not like he can hurt them that much. I’m hoping the Answer can generate enough revenue for the team that ownership doesn’t go into cost-cutting mode. I also hope that he can at least make the losses entertaining on the way to a top 5 draft pick and a record that gets Eddie Jordan the boot.
by zfg on Dec 7, 2009 8:45 PM PST reply actions 0 recs
I’m hoping that AI’s return will shine a spotlight on EJ’s ineptness
by MojoPharoah on Dec 7, 2009 9:31 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
maybe the pistons can hire him. they don’t have any defensive potential and eddie jordan does not want to coach defensive potential. it is a match made in heaven!
by el on Dec 7, 2009 10:23 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
I was at the game
Eddie Jordan cannot even count. Why do you play a bench that can only score 2 points at all the 2nd half, ie Bill Green? Can we start a letter writing compaign to Ed Snider?
ED SNIDER
Chairman of Comcast-Spectacor
3601 S Broad St
Philadelphia, Pa 19148
215-336-3600
by DeanH on Dec 7, 2009 9:38 PM PST reply actions 0 recs
unless you can get half the season ticket holders to sign a petition that says
“we will no longer attend this game until eddie jordan is fired”
nothing will happen. that would definitely be an interesting prospect.
by el on Dec 7, 2009 10:21 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
How much does an Ad in the Daily News cost? Nice full-page spread?
by MojoPharoah on Dec 7, 2009 10:26 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
i didnt know that there were any season ticket holders.
by philsfreak6 on Dec 8, 2009 12:02 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
there weren't any
until iverson came along and changed all that
by el on Dec 8, 2009 6:37 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
GAme.
we gotta keep attending the games until AI gets his first W. Its only right. BTW really enjoyed the post!
by cmg on Dec 7, 2009 11:51 PM PST reply actions 0 recs
The more you attend the games the more money comcast makes off this ridiculous signing the more it seems like the right thing to do.
And all your comment does is encourage them to lose :)
by jemagee on Dec 8, 2009 7:30 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs
Jason Smith’s new nickname is butterfingers.
by jefu on Dec 8, 2009 5:42 AM PST reply actions 0 recs
Intros
Did anyone notice that, lost in the celebration with Iverson and center court, once Iverson got up the team rallied with him and starting doing their dance/cheer to kick off the game….but Andre wasn’t even announced yet! haha.
I’m still against the signing, but last night was exciting and I hope it continues.
by ajr142 on Dec 8, 2009 5:57 AM PST reply actions 0 recs
beautiful.
human beings, who are almost unique in their ability to learn from the experiences of others, are also remarkable for their apparent disinclination to do so.
by variablesdont on Dec 8, 2009 9:57 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs
yep
caught that too. That’s messed up.
by guitarmouse35 on Dec 8, 2009 2:23 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
Speights and Williams are needed badly. The Sixers are short on talent after they get past their first 6 players. Even Holiday would help a lot. It wasn’t that the Nuggets scored 22 points, it’s that the Sixers only managed 3! They ran out of energy, pure and simple.
What is dissapointing is that this entire loosing streak can be blamed mostly on the bench, as no one has stepped up other than Willie Green. Rodney Carney has given us nothing. Jason Kapono looks awful. Jason Smith isn’t getting any minutes and when he does, he doesn’t look good. Royal Ivey tries, and every once in a whole makes a good play, but the less time he’s on the court the better.
Iverson, Iguodala, Young, Brand and Dalembert is a pretty good line-up. Willie Green is a decent back-up guard at times. But after those six the talent drops off dramatically. Unless these player show improvement, they will wash out of the league. Jordan exacerbates the problem by playing them all together, but it would be hard to just keep rotating the Six players in and out for 48 minutes, keeping enough talent on the floor to be competitive.
Add three more decent players in Speights, Williams and Holiday and we will have a very good team. But until then their chances of winning are marginal. Six good players is at least one short. And counting Willie Green as a good one is pushing it.
by RickoT on Dec 8, 2009 11:59 AM PST reply actions 0 recs
for the first three quarters the sixers looked fantastic, I think the real problem in that game was the bench didn’t score at all, once lou will and Speights are back that won’t be an issue, if AI can bring that sort of intensity the sixers played with through the first three quarters, this will be a totally different team that pre AI
He's back
by IverSun on Dec 8, 2009 12:58 PM PST reply actions 0 recs
just to be official, The sixers had a whopping 2 points off the bench, both of them from Willie Green, check the stats yourself. That must have been AI’s fault though or Eddie Jordans, not the fact that the sixers have garbage coming off the bench, How much more can you ask for out of Iggy, Thad, or Sammy they played their best games of the season with AI out there, the bench has to contribute more than 2 points, we should have won that game.
He's back
by IverSun on Dec 8, 2009 1:02 PM PST reply actions 0 recs
it wasnt our starters that lost the game it was the bench by farrr
eff you we winning anyway
by eagleswin on Dec 8, 2009 2:09 PM PST reply actions 0 recs
I hope M16 isn’t rushing back, I’d hate to see him re-injure himself.
by Sorry About Dresden on Dec 8, 2009 3:55 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
He's supposed to be back in January
that sounds pretty good to me.
by guitarmouse35 on Dec 8, 2009 7:53 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
With a name like M16, he’s bound to be back as soon as possible.
by jefu on Dec 8, 2009 10:23 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
Troubles beyond the arc
My story for today is on the Sixers’ 3-point defense. They are on pace to break NBA records for most 3-pointers allowed in a season (Eddie Jordan’s 2007-08 Wizards own that one) and for highest 3-point percentage allowed.
by tmoore on Dec 9, 2009 6:10 AM PST reply actions 0 recs
Eddie Jordan really is just a phenomenal coach. I think we should restructure his contract to give him more money, more years, and maybe even the key to the city. The Princeton Offense has been quite effective so far this year.
/sarcasm’ed
by TheArtistFormerlyKnownAsMichaelBourn on Dec 9, 2009 12:36 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
Troubles ...
Oops, that’s actually my blog on the subject.
Here is the full story: http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/news_details/article/117/2009/december/09/its-raining-threes-2.html
by tmoore on Dec 9, 2009 6:11 AM PST reply actions 0 recs
Pretty cool little link...
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/hollinger/playoffodds. 14% chance of making the playoffs – but a 6.9% chance of landing in the lottery! Might as well keep Jordan for the rest of the season to improve our odds.
by mopey on Dec 9, 2009 12:14 PM PST reply actions 0 recs
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