Kate Fagan analyzes why Ray Allen was open.

Apparently it was more Sam's fault than Thad's. Surprise.

over 3 years ago Jordan Sams 22 comments 0 recs |

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I didn’t see it – but reading about it it sounds a lot like the game against the rockets – where sam did it right – a week later he did it wrong

And thus the problem with sam?

by jemagee on Feb 4, 2009 6:54 AM PST reply actions

Thad She Keep Quiet

While that is not wrong in what he said, he should not throw a teammate under the boss. Essentially what he said is, “Sammy should have made the play and he didn’t and that is why we lost.” If you take a closer look at the tape, it is clear that That shares some of the blame in overcommitting on the help of Paul Pierce.

On the game itself, I have trouble taking a solace in the “moral victory” of hanging in there. You mentioned earlier that you feel confident in saying this is a good team. I’m not so sure. Good teams finish when their opponent is on the ropes. Good teams do not lack the presence of an outside shooter. I hate to say it—but I think this team is average.

Chris Iafolla http://heardinthecheapseats.com/

by Chris Iafolla on Feb 4, 2009 7:51 AM PST reply actions

These games are all learning experiences for a young team.

One mistake cost them a W against the champs.

Pimpin' ain't easy and neither is being a Sixers fan. I manage to do both. Join me at Liberty Ballers, the SBNation 76ers blog. Don't make fun of the name either. It has nothing to do with the New York Liberty of the WNBA.

by Jordan Sams on Feb 4, 2009 9:06 AM PST up reply actions

Missing Kevin Garnett

by jemagee on Feb 4, 2009 9:11 AM PST up reply actions

Still.

Did the same thing against the Spurs, then blew ‘em out. Beat the Rockets. Ever since they’ve “turned it around”, they’ve either won or hung in there in every game, minus the Hornets.

by Jordan Sams on Feb 4, 2009 9:15 AM PST up reply actions

This is a mediocre team – they’ll win games they shuldn’t and lose games they shouldn’t

As for throwing sam under the bus – WHY THE F NOT? Dude throws the team under the bus any times things don’t go his way and he’s spared from criticism time and again when he does stupid crap (which he does in every game) – maybe a little public humiliation from a player better than him (everyone on the team) will spur him to be less stupid.

by jemagee on Feb 4, 2009 8:31 AM PST reply actions

Sammy is Ridiculed

I wouldn’t say that Sammy is spared from ridicule. We have been calling for his head for months and pleading for less minutes. His stupid plays are acknowledged. But the fact is, that final play was as much, if not more Thad’s fault, than it was Sammy. Thad was not even in the vicinity of Ray Allen long before the pick was set. I have no problem with writers or fans pointing to the mistakes of a players, but I have a big problem with a second-year, 20-year old player passing blame. If you are a leader of a team you might get away with it, but Thad is not the mouthpiece of this team and it should stay that way. No matter who is at fault, you don’t air that out through the press.

Chris Iafolla http://heardinthecheapseats.com/

by Chris Iafolla on Feb 4, 2009 8:48 AM PST up reply actions

Being called out by a player on your team is much different than being ridiculed by the fans or even beat writers – i would have thought the difference is obvious.

by jemagee on Feb 4, 2009 9:00 AM PST up reply actions

The Difference is Obvious

It is obvious and that is exactly my point. It is never right to call out your teammate. Ever. Unless you are the leader of the team and have served as the mouthpiece through the media before.

Not to mention, he was wrong in many respects.

Chris Iafolla http://heardinthecheapseats.com/

by Chris Iafolla on Feb 4, 2009 9:11 AM PST up reply actions

And II don’t think it’s wrong to call out Sam publicly – Sam has a history of whining in public when things don’t go his way – I have no problem with Thad calling him out if it was on sam.

And as for whether he was right or wrong – unless Tony DiLeo publicly says ‘Thad didn’t do what I told him to" – then i’ll believe it. Until then it’s purely speculation

by jemagee on Feb 4, 2009 9:18 AM PST up reply actions

I hear You

Not trying to argue with you, just merely saying that players have an unwritten code on this type of thing. Whining or not, I don’t think Thad should air that out to the dirty laundry.

As far as the final play, I don’t think there needs to be much speculation. If you look at the tape, Thad strayed real far from Ray Allen long before the pick was set. To be fair, he was trying to help on the Pierce penetration but there is no way in the world DiLeo told him to leave Allen to help in the circumstance. You just can’t do it. I am not saying that Sammy is not partially to blame. They both are. Both players were out of position neither held up their end of the bargain.

Chris Iafolla http://heardinthecheapseats.com/

by Chris Iafolla on Feb 4, 2009 9:22 AM PST up reply actions

Players have an unwritten code that’s broken all the time – it’s not like Thad is the first (or last) player to call eople out – shall we go through the list – it happens – a guy is emotional after a game asked a question and they talk..

The perfection expected from professional athletes in ALL ASPECTS of their life is asinine since most people don’t hold themselves to the same level of perfection or performance.

As for ‘no way in the world’ – i bet there is a way in the world – not saying it didn’t happen – just saying no one knows what happens in the huddle and this is being blown WAY out of proportion by a fan base that likes to attack players more than most (from what I’ve seen)

Thad is getting more grief about this than Sam got when he whined about ‘his minutes’ be it this year or when Jim O’brien was coach.

This is stupider than caring if michael phelps smoked pot i

by jemagee on Feb 4, 2009 9:26 AM PST up reply actions

Fair Point...

…but you can list all the examples you want, it doesn’t make breaking that code right. I’m not expecting perfection by any stretch. Just as i would never throw my colleague under the bus if something went wrong at work, I expect the same to take place with athletes. I don’t expect them to never make a mistake.
Again, I am not saying that Sammy is not at fault or that he hasn’t broken this code himself. He is and he has. I am simply saying I don’t like when players air this sort of thing out from the media. If it were Sammy saying it I would be saying the same thing.

I guess on this matter we will have to agree to disagree.

For the final play, it was simply a breakdown across the board. That’s not speculation, the end result shows us that.

Chris Iafolla http://heardinthecheapseats.com/

by Chris Iafolla on Feb 4, 2009 9:33 AM PST up reply actions

If you say so…I expect people who make mistakes at work to speak up – they hardly ever do and i have to take the blame AND clean up their mess EVERY DAMN TIME whereas they always say ‘i didn’t know’ or ’it’s not my fault’ – if it ain’t sams fault THEN SAM needs to speak up – as no one from the sixers has yet to contradict Thad – silence speaks volumes if you know how to listen.

Also let’s remember that Thad is 20 years old – in his second year in the NBA and bearing unrealistic expectations to have his game fully mature already

by jemagee on Feb 4, 2009 9:37 AM PST up reply actions

Singing the Same Tune

I am with you and I think I may not be clear enough in what I am trying to communicate. I too expect people to own up to their mistakes at work. But if a client has me on the phone and wants to know what wrong, I will never point the finger at a colleague, even if I know full well it was their fault. Internally, I would expect that person to own up to their mistake.

Same thing here: I think the silence is more to do with players not wanting to pass blame. I doubt we will hear any explanation because they are all teammates and take no solace in passing blame.

I 100% agree on the point on Thad. I am by no means crucifying the guy for what I consider to be one slip up. I think he is a good player with some upside. He is also 20 years old but expected to act like 30. It’s not easy and I’m not going to sit here and pretend it is or that I think this suddenly makes him a bad teammate or player. Far from it.

Chris Iafolla http://heardinthecheapseats.com/

by Chris Iafolla on Feb 4, 2009 9:46 AM PST up reply actions

You can't put this one on Sam

Better breakdown here: http://www.depressedfan.com/basketball/sixers/the-allen-shot-breakdown.php

Sam was in great help position. Thad blew it. No other way around it. The pick on Thad did not even come until after Allen was wide open. Thad was helping off of Allen when Sam already had proper help in place.

Thad is 20, he will make these mistakes and learn from them… but he needs to man up to it.

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by tk76 on Feb 4, 2009 8:39 AM PST reply actions

And since we were all in the huddle we know what thad was told to do and not told to do?

by jemagee on Feb 4, 2009 9:00 AM PST up reply actions

So

you think Thad was told to abandon Allen to contest what would’ve been a contested foul-line jumper for Pierce, before any kind of screen was set?

Send GT Green packing.

by depressedfan on Feb 4, 2009 11:02 AM PST up reply actions

No need to have this discussion on two blogs

But then again – in Houston Sam rotated to the open 3 point shooter and stopped the shot and then didn’t in Boston.

Maybe I’m just more prone to believe Sam F’d up than Thad -what with Sams history of being one the dumbest basketball players on the court at any given time – not knowing where to go or how to position himself over and over again -so I don’t have a hard time believing he messed up this time either.

by jemagee on Feb 4, 2009 11:11 AM PST up reply actions

It's what some people do

If you don’t like Sam putting this on him is easy and natural for people. Thad is everyone’s annotated golden boy so the thought that he messed up and then blamed it on a teammate is unfathomable.

by Dannie on Feb 4, 2009 11:12 AM PST reply actions

Who annointed Thad golden boy – he takes more than enough shots from people when he has an off game – sam on the other hand has been in the nba for close to a decade now and still doesn’t know the fundamentals – sam is a BAD basketball player so it’s not hard to believe he made a BAD mistake WHEN HE HAS A HISTORY OF IT

by jemagee on Feb 4, 2009 11:14 AM PST up reply actions