#9: The Turning Point

by Jordan Sams on Jul 29, 2009 6:50 PM PDT

This game was the turning point in the 2008-2009 season. People tend to forget how disappointing the first 35 games were. The Sixers were coming off a year were they forced the Pistons to play a much tougher first round series than anyone anticipated, and proceeded to shell out over 100 million dollars the following off-season.

All the team was missing was a go-to scorer and a low-post threat. Along comes Elton Brand, and all of a sudden the Sixers are the sexy sleeper in the Eastern Conference. After all, Brand was the guy who helped lead the Clippers -- yes those Clippers -- to the Western Conference semifinals.

Even I was buying into the hype. Weeks before the season I went on record saying the Sixers would finish 50-32, so you can understand how devastated I was when Elton Brand dislocated his shoulder, Andre Iguodala grossly underperformed, and the Sixers sat at 16-20 nearly halfway through the season. Not only were they 16-20, but they had looked awful in doing so -- extremely awful.

Then they played this game, and the season did a complete 180.

Make the jump.

#9: The Turning Point

Game Thread

Box Score

I remember watching the conclusion of this game and thinking, "The 2008-2009 Sixers have officially arrived."

The Sixers were playing a red-hot Hawks team in Atlanta. At this point in the season, the Hawks had an impressive 22-13 record, and an even more impressive 15-3 record at home. Although the Sixers were riding a 3-game winning streak of their own, the previous three wins were very uninspiring.

Not only did the Sixers beat the Hawks in Atlanta, but they out-played them in every sense of the game. The proverbial switch had been flipped, leading to a "very happy Sixers blogger".

Ladies and Gentlemen, I just witnessed the best Sixers game I've watched all season. They went into Atlanta, which isn't an easy place to win these days, and out-played and out-hustled the Hawks en route to a 15-point victory. This was our first blowout win without Elton Brand and it was just magical to watch. Great win, plus entertaining basketball equals a very happy Sixers blogger.

After destroying the Hawks the Sixers had themselves quite a week. First they blew out Portland, then San Antonio, then the Knicks.

From January 11 on, the season was much more entertaining, competitive, and satisfying. Andre Iguodala eventually took the "next step" we all expected, and it all started with this game.

Here are the highlights:

Tweet Comment 9 comments | 0 recs |

Do you like this story?

Comments

If nothing else,

at least Speights’ jumper is oh so smooth.

by guitarmouse35 on Jul 29, 2009 7:13 PM PDT reply actions

great one man. i really almost forgot about that first part of the season and u can delete this lol but i think u mean 180

the season did a complete 360.

http://www.libertyballers.com/

by Remis on Jul 29, 2009 11:37 PM PDT reply actions

lol whoops

Liberty Ballers.com.

by Jordan Sams on Jul 29, 2009 11:37 PM PDT up reply actions

I’d just like to say something

I find it tiresome (it’s not your fault jordan – everyone does it) when people say a team ‘shelled out’ 100 million or 400 million for player/players in one off season because they didn’t. These are yearly expenses so th4ey aren’t paying them all up front – they gave out 100 million dollars in contracts yes but that’s not the same as handing out 100 million dollars.

Probably just a pet peeve – but again – i think it’s the journalistic trick of trying to stir outrage over costs of atheltes when it’s unwarranted.

Don't frack with me or you'll get a punch in the kidneys...you've been warned

by jemagee on Jul 30, 2009 8:55 AM PDT reply actions

Pet Peeves

We all have ‘em. I’ll try to avoid this in the future :)

Liberty Ballers.com.

by Jordan Sams on Jul 30, 2009 10:25 AM PDT up reply actions

My problem with it is that it’s a mis-statement of fact – they didn’t give out 100 milllion dollars – they signed contracts whose totale value is 100 million dollars (or whatever) but paid out over 5 years (or so) so they gave out 20 million thie year let’s say (they actualy signed closer to 150 million in contracts I think when you compare brand/lou/Iguodala, but the point is it isn’t all paid out at once)…just a thing I think people do too much that is inherently incorrect to me.

It’s like resign and re-sign. One applies to contracts and FA and one doesn’t :)

Don't frack with me or you'll get a punch in the kidneys...you've been warned

by jemagee on Jul 30, 2009 11:44 AM PDT up reply actions

I really thought Jason Kidd was old enough to re-sign, so I was surprised to hear when the Mavs decided to resign him.

Just felt like making a bad joke.

by jefu on Jul 30, 2009 7:40 PM PDT up reply actions

For my money

The season really turned on this game: http://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/200901030SAS.html

13-20 and really nothing looking up for the Sixers, then they do into San Antonio and really out-play the Spurs. They lost on Parker’s last-second shot, but playing like that in San Antonio told me a lot about the team and I think it gave them the confidence to rip off 10 wins in their next 12 games against some stout opponents.

They went on a 27-15 run before the bottom fell out after Thad’s injury from that point. Just looked like a completely different team to me.

Send GT Green packing.

by depressedfan on Jul 31, 2009 11:17 PM PDT reply actions