Tonight will be the Sixers first game in five nights. During that time period, we as fans have had a lot to think about. How good is this team? How bad is this team? Can they make a run similar to last year? I think tonight's game is going to provide a lot of answers.
Grizzles/Sixers really doesn't jump off the paper as an important game, but if the Sixers are going to make any type of push for the fourth or fifth seed, it's going to have to start tonight -- have to. I've been quoted recently for saying, "it's a given the Sixers are going to make the playoffs". Well, at 29-30, and a brutal west coast trip on the horizon, it may not be that easy. As of right now the Sixers are only 3.5 games behind four-seed Atlanta. But they're only three games up on the ninth-seed Milwaukee. Missing the playoffs would be devastating, absolutely devastating.
Back to that run needing to start tonight. Check out the Sixers next five games:
- @ Memphis
- @ Oklahoma City (Hopefully without Kevin Durant)
- Toronto
- Chicago
- Miami
I'm setting the bar high right now. I expect nothing less than five wins. 5-0. I want to see the team head out west with a 34-30 record. Here's how they can do it:
- Shoot better. That's pretty simple.
- Defend the three-ball better. Also pretty simple.
- Get more out of the role players. I'm looking at you Lou-Will and Sammy D.
If the Sixers do those three things down the stretch, they have a chance to go into the playoffs with momentum, and who knows, possibly advance a couple of rounds. When this team is on, they're on. We saw it last year, and we got another glimpse of it earlier this year.
It all starts tonight. The Sixers need to get the fans excited. They need to get the city involved. They need to give me and John a dope birthday present (a 20-point win, for the age difference between the two of us :) Ha! Just joking). Show me something tonight Sixers! Show me that you can rattle off five straight wins. Give me a glimpse of that team that went 14-4 before the All-Star break. Give me a glimpse of the team that went on a 19-5 run last year. Please! It'd be the best birthday present ever.
A couple more quick things before I peace out:
I probably won't be watching tonight, as it is my birthday and all. I'm contemplating taping it and watching it later, but I seriously doubt I'll find the time to watch it between tonight, and tomorrow's rare Sunday game. I'll check in as much as possible, especially because it starts at five, but as the game goes on, my appearances will dwindle.
The game thread will be posted soon, and if anyone feels like writing a recap, do so in the FanPosts, even if it's a bunch of unorganized thoughts. It's better than nothing.
And if it means anything, the Sixers are 3-1 in the past six years on my birthday.
One more thing. The last Grizzles game I missed,
ended like this. Just saying. How sick would it be if a repeat of that occurred tonight? Go ahead and click it a couple more times. Zumoff's reaction is well worth it.
