FanPost

Will the Sixers learn how to play offense together?



The Sixers haven't been a team known for running plays over the past few seasons. Since Larry Brown left, the Sixers have gone through a number of coaches and while at times they have produced results like a near .500 record, they have been a listless franchise, never getting consistent results on the court and never what one would call winning basketball.

In the past I have been vocal in my dissappointment about the coaching. Mo Cheeks didn't teach and neither did Tony Dileo. Eddie Jordan was a complete idiot and made the team worse last season by abandoning any kind of offense or even a consistent rotation.

This season is different, because Doug Collins is a real departure from the previous coaches. He actually understands the game, knows what it takes to win and how to teach NBA players to play the right way. After last season, the players know that the blame is either with them or the ex coach, and if they can win this season, everyone will realize why last season was so bad. They also learned that losing sucks and playing in an empty building is depressing.

All the players are motivated to learn and Doug is determined to teach. All the articles in the paper are about Doug making the team work on their offensive sets and how to set a proper pick. The team is struggling because all of this is unfamilliar- can you imagine an NBA team that doesn't know how to execute a proper pick and roll?

This is why the Sixers can't score in a half-court. They don't understand how to work as a team to get each other open! I'm being a little cute with my opening title. The players will learn or Doug will cut them, IMO. It's as simple as that.

They have to, since if they don't learn they will continue to be a bad team. I know that Doug knows how the plays should work down to the most minute detail. Precise spacing is so important, and so is moving at the right time. Fans take this stuff for granted, but there are fewer and fewer coaches that rely on fundamentals and the players only learn it if they're exposed to it.

I was thrilled when thy got Doug Collins, because he is a teaching coach, and exactly what the Sixers needed. Depending on the aptitude of the players, this may take a while. When they realize it will help their shooting percentage because they get the same open shot, time after time, they'll become even more enthused. It is simply a matter of time, and it will make the Sixers more interesting to watch, because you will see them grow as a team.

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