Bleacher Report - Articles by Jenise Rolle

Eddie Jordan Is 76ers New Coach: But The Sixers Still Have Big Problems

Jenise Rolle — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 13:08:28 -0400

The Philadelphia 76ers '08-'09 season undoubtedly ended on a sour note after losing by 25 points to the Orlando Magic at home. The fact that they lost to the team currently competing against the Los Angeles Lakers for an NBA championship should make the loss not seem so terrible, but with the high expectations that the Sixers had entering the season, it’s a huge loss.

This season, from a manager’s standpoint, could be seen as an absolute failure. From the firing of former 76ers coach Maurice Cheeks, to low ticket sales, and the season-ending loss of power forward Elton Brand, the (41-41) 76ers did not have a successful season overall. Although there were many obvious negatives throughout the season, a few stars did shine bright.

Royal Ivey averaged 11 points and 2 steals for every 48 minutes played, and his aggressive defense usually lead to costly turnovers for opposing teams. Along with Ivey’s good play, Thaddeus Young proved to be the nucleus for this young team’s energy. Young averaged 15 points and 5 rebounds per game, and without Young in the lineup, the Sixers were 2-6.

The rookie from Florida, Marreese Speights, exceeded the expectations of many and averaged 7 points, 4 rebounds, and 1 block per game. With more basketball knowledge, experience and strength, Speights should be a dominant post presence in the near future.

But back to the troubling reality for the Sixers. Guard Lou Williams did not display the high level of play that was expected from him at the start of the season. William’s highest scoring game came against the Washington Wizards in which he scored 26 points. His shooting percentage per game dropped by 3 percent from the previous season.

It is crucial that Lou Williams improves his offensive game during the offseason, especially with an aging Andre Miller as the Sixers current point guard. Williams settled for too many jump shots over the course of the season, which could be one of the main reasons why he only averaged 12 points off the bench this year.

With 34-year-old Andre Miller, a return next season may prove to be his last, but it would be a positive for the Sixers, especially for a young Lou Williams. But after next year, will Williams be prepared to lead this team to victory? After looking at his numbers this season, it does not look likely.

It is obvious that the 76ers need to find a consistent style of play and learn how to play half-court basketball to compete with the dominant teams in the Eastern Conference. With Tony DiLeo out as head coach and former Wizards coach Eddie Jordan in, the Princeton-style of offense will become evident at the start of next season. But before the beginning of next year, GM Ed Stefanski has a few missing pieces that need to be put into place.

Andre Iguodala may have averaged 19 points per game and Donyell Marshall may be the Sixers best 3-point shooter at 44 percent, but Marshall is aged and the Sixers still lack a go-to perimeter shooter. Competing with teams like Orlando and Boston will not be possible unless the Sixers acquire a decent outside shooter.

When it comes to interior defense, with Theo Ratliff gone, a decision must be made concerning Samuel Dalembert. The center who averaged 6 points and 8 rebounds is being paid over $10 million per year, but has sill not performed at a high enough productive level. Dalembert, on numerous occasions, has complained that he does not get the ball enough during games, and he has made the notion that he would prefer not to stay in the city of “Brotherly Love.”

Removing Dalembert from the roster will allow for the team to obtain an outside shooter, which would leave them with only Speights and Jason Smith, who was sidelined this season after suffering a knee injury, as their only interior players, since Brand plays better away from the basket.

Eddie Jordan is a valuable coach who helped as an assistant to lead the New Jersey Nets to two consecutive NBA Finals in the 2002-2003 seasons, but because the Sixers lack a “Superstar” player, Jordan must find an alternative way to create more offense for this up-tempo team.

The 76ers '09-'10 season does not look promising for fans. It may actually be worse than this year’s 41-41 record, regardless of the return of Brand as their power forward.

After spending $80 million to bring Elton Brand to Philadelphia, the Sixers have left themselves to “Look, but not touch” when the talented 2010 free agency class becomes available, which includes big names like: Chris Bosh, Dwayne Wade, Richard Jefferson, Kenyon Martin, and obviously LeBron James (who the Sixers have no shot at even obtaining).

Unless the Sixers obtain a dominant shooter during the offseason, fans can continue to pound their heads and yell at their TV screens as their team, once again, fails to make it out of the first round in the playoffs. It’s going to take much more than the signing of a big-name new head coach to turn this troubled team around.

Cleveland and LeBron's Path to the Finals: Eastern Conference Playoffs

Jenise Rolle — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 21:37:01 -0400

In my opinion, this NBA season has gone by much faster than others, thanks in part to the predictable Eastern Conference and the dominant Los Angeles Lakers in the West.

There is little to no doubt in my mind, that America will be glued into watching an six-game NBA Final Matchup that includes LeBron James guarding Kobe Bryant.

As far as the Eastern Conference goes, the only major upset will be Boston not making the Conference Finals to face Cleveland, but first let’s break down the first round.

Who would have thought that the Iverson—Billups trade would change the entire Detroit franchise into the disaster that it has become.

With the Pistons (39-41) sitting in the No. 8 spot, they will be facing the No. 1 Cleveland Cavaliers (66-16), giving me a high reason to believe that this playoff series will quickly end in a Cleveland sweep of the Pistons.

The Cavaliers are in no way going to be denied access into this year’s Eastern Conference Finals, so it’s just a waiting game for Cavaliers fans, as they ride LeBron’s back straight to the Eastern Conference Finals.

Expect this series to be a mid-tempo type game, and keep a tally sheet next to you, to check off how many technical’s Rasheed Wallace will be hit with. (Cleveland in four)

Now would be a good time for me to indicate that although I believe Dwyane Wade has proven to be this year’s MVP, by taking an inexperienced and not-so-well-rounded Miami Heat team to an above .500 record and the No. 5 seed in the Eastern Conference, ‘King James’ will be the man walking away with this year’s MVP trophy.

James will get the award not only for his leadership on the Cavaliers team, but his playmaking abilities that he has demonstrated on the court. (Wade still deserves the trophy in my mind though, but I don’t have a vote, so we’ll move on.)

No. 2 Boston facing No. 7 Chicago will be an interesting series to watch, mostly to determine where the Bull’s season will be headed next year. It should be automatically assumed that the Celtics (62-20) will be headed to face the Cavaliers in the Conference Finals, but with Garnett sidelined for the playoffs, that may not be the case.

I strongly believe that Boston will win their series against the Bulls (41-41), who’s roster includes ‘Rookie of the Year’ Derrick Rose, because with Rose in charge Rondo the rookie will be facing a monster truck that he’s just not ready to completely take down, at least not this year.

This should be an interesting set of games to watch that will display the future direction of the Bulls franchise and what their players are capable of. (Celtics in six)

"Superman" and the Orlando Magic (59-23) are seated No.3 in the East as they prepare to take on the No.6 76ers (41-41), who recently snapped their 5-game losing streak with a win on the road against Cleveland.

Thank God the City of Brotherly Love was awarded a World Championship Trophy because the Sixers are heading nowhere fast in this year’s playoffs. Orlando will win this series in five games strongly because of their consistent three-point shooters (Lewis, Lee, and Turkoglu) and the lack of Philadelphia’s perimeter defense.

Although Thaddeus Young has returned to the Sixers lineup, and has averaged 19 points in the last three games, they simply do not possess the depth to go into the second round.

This series will be different than the these team’s meetings during the regular season, as the Sixers will be forced into a half-court style of play and with Howard in the paint, the Sixers will need to shoot more jump shots, which is not one of their greatest strengths. (Orlando in five)

The most exciting first-round match up will be the Atlanta Hawks and the Miami Heat because of the youth and explosive energy that both teams possess.

The No. 4 Hawks (47-35) forced the Celtics to seven games in the Conference Finals last year, and they will be prepared to take on Wade and the Heat (43-39) no differently.

The speed and talent of Dwayne Wade may seem too much for the Hawks, but with a strong Power Forward like Josh Smith and their winning record in three of their four meetings against Miami during the regular season, the Hawks are the considerable favorites.

This series will be very physical and up-tempo. Both teams will be making strong runs to the basket and it will ultimately be a track meet that determines the winner of this playoff round. (Atlanta in seven)

With Philadelphia, Miami, and the Bulls no longer in the running, the Cavaliers will face Atlanta in the second round and Orlando will take on Boston.

The Cavaliers have won three of their four meetings with the Hawks and I suspect that Round two will last six games with the Cavaliers advancing. Orlando will defeat Boston, yes I said that Boston will lose to the Orlando Magic, in six games.

The loss of Garnett is a large step backwards for the defending champions and without his defensive presence, they will not make it to the Conference Finals.

These two teams split their regular season meetings, but the Celtics have lost a main component of their offense and defense that will prevent them from repeating as NBA Champions.

The Eastern Conference Finals will boil down to the No. 1 Cavaliers and the No. 3 Magic, with Cleveland advancing to make their second NBA final’s appearance. It’s important to note that Cleveland has lost two of its three meetings with Orlando, but the Cavaliers will be riding high on momentum from their strong playoff run.

Orlando may have decent outside shooters and Howard’s strong presence around the basket, but they still lack a go-to scorer that can get them a bucket when in desperation mode.

Cleveland will win the Conference Finals in six games, and this year’s MVP, or King James that is, will make his way to the NBA Finals to battle Kobe and the Lakers, to whom I believe will win this year’s Championship crown. (Lakers in Six)

Dwyane Wade Is the NBA'S MVP, Period.

Jenise Rolle — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 20:43:07 -0400

Every player in the NBA believes that they are, “that guy,” who deserves to be called the MVP, but becoming the most valuable player doesn’t mean just scoring a lot of points and ending the season with an above 500 record. Earning the MVP title places you in an elite class in the NBA, and it symbolizes your ability to make those around you better.

[Insert Dwayne Wade here]

Wade has proved to be “that guy,” and in the past few games, he has shown himself to be “The Man” in the NBA. Beginning with his monster game against Chicago where he scored the winning basket in double overtime to go along with his 48 points, four steals, and 12 assists, stretching to the Heat’s most recent win over the Boston Celtics where Wade had 32 points, four steals, and seven assists.

These are no ordinary statistics, and Wade has shown that he deserves the be this year’s MVP.

Flashback to last season when Wade was injured and Miami had ultimately turned themselves into the laughingstock of the NBA with a 15-67 record. Because of Wade’s absence, Miami became dead last in the league’s standings, and their games looked like train wrecks from start to finish.

Fast-forward through the summer when Wade played on the “Redeem Team” to help the USA win gold in the Olympics, and take a look at Miami now.

They look like a completely different team. Granted, they’re not going anywhere far into the Eastern Conference playoffs, but Wade has turned a horrible team into a playoff team over a single summer.

There’s no denying that LeBron James is one of the best players in the NBA today, as evident in his three straight triple-doubles, all resulting in wins for the Cavaliers. There’s also no denying that James has forced the Cavaliers to bring in better players, as evident in their roster.

James has the help of four other All-Stars, including Ben Wallace and Mo Williams, which has lessened the need for him to carry a huge burden on the court to help his team win.

Wade, on the other hand, has a shallow bench in Miami, but has still managed to get his team to become the fifth seed, ahead of Detroit, in the Eastern Conference. The lack of depth from Miami’s bench has definitely forced Wade to make more baskets, and he has stepped up to the challenge.

Wade is the league’s leader in scoring, averaging 29.4 points per game and 7.7 assists. Wade also has the ability to make others around him better, as seen in Udonis Haslem’s field goal percentage.

Haslem is now shooting 51 percent from the floor, as opposed to his 46 percent last season.

The Heat’s acquisitions of Jermaine O’Neal and Jamario Moon have helped Miami slightly, but they are no comparison to the help that James is receiving in Cleveland or the supporting cast that surrounds Kobe Bryant in Los Angeles. And still, the Heat are in the playoffs.

Bottom line: Wade has single-handily taken a team filled with amateurs and turned them into a middle-seed in the Eastern Conference. Wade should be this year's MVP based on his performance and explosive energy on the court when it matters most.

When the playoffs begin, the 2009 MVP, [Insert Wade here], will be receiving a well-deserved trophy that publicly separates him from being a basketball player, to a basketball star.

76ers Turn Around, but Will Elton Brand Keep Up and Andre Miller Stay in Philly?

Jenise Rolle — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 14:41:45 -0500

With the firing of former 76ers coach Maurice Cheeks and the loss of Elton Brand to a dislocated right shoulder, many things have been shaken up in Philadelphia, including the Sixers' sudden seven-game winning streak over teams such as the Houston Rockets and the San Antonio Spurs. Although the Sixers (20-20) are winning a handful of difficult games, there are still major issues that this team needs to address.

After the Dec. 17 loss of Brand, the Sixers have become the team they were at the end of last season and have returned to their fast-break style of play, averaging 21 fast-break points per game. With Brand on the floor, the 76ers played more of a slowed down, half-court style of basketball, which contributed to their slow start at the beginning of the season.

Instead of the Sixers trying to fit into Brand’s game, their offseason acquisition needs to find a way to play up-tempo basketball with this team, while maintaining his average of nine rebounds per game. This change will allow the Sixers to push the basketball up and down the court with their “explosive energy,” a vision that new head coach, Tony DiLeo, stresses before every game.

With the return of Brand on the horizon, another issue that faces this confused but suddenly hot Sixers team is the consistency of their small forward, Andre Iguodala.

It is clear that the small forward position is where Iguodala plays his best, since he now averages 17 points and two steals per game, about five points higher from his average at the start of the season. But with Brand back on the court, Iguodala will no longer be the go-to guy when the team needs a bucket, a tough reality that could affect his performance from game to game.

Iguodala has made it clear that he wants to be the face for this 76ers franchise, but so far this season, with Brand on the floor, Iguodala’s numbers have proved that he prefers not to be the second man on the team.

The trading deadline in the NBA is shortly approaching, so does that mean that Andre Miller and Samuel Dalembert could be wearing different uniforms by the end of the season?

Miller has proved to be an effective point guard for the fast-paced 76ers, but if the Sixers fail to make the playoffs, will Miller’s value decrease at the end of the season? Many NBA coaches recognize the talent and efficiency in Miller’s game, and for the past two seasons, Miller has been the motor that has kept this Philadelphia team running.

There is no debating that Miller is a serious asset for this team, and without him the Sixers are much more likely to miss the playoffs. But with his 33rd birthday approaching, it may be a good idea for GM Ed Stefanski to think about getting a quality player for Miller now before time runs out.

Center Dalembert is a big man that can run with this team, but he has had his share of struggles over the course of this season. Dalembert averages eight rebounds per game, but is constantly committing silly fouls that place opposing teams on the free-throw line.

Dalembert is also being paid more than $10 million per year, which puts the 76ers at a large disadvantage with the 2010 free agency class, that is filled with decent jump shooters. Dalembert is a serious trade option for the 76ers, and removing his salary can free up monetary space for the Sixers to get the shooter that they need.

Philadelphia is one of the worst three-point shooting teams in the league, but in the Sixers' recent winning streak, the team has shot 50 percent from arc, a statistic that many thought was not possible for the Sixers early in the season.

In Philadelphia’s game against Portland, the 76ers ended the game with 11 three-pointers and went on to defeat the Trail Blazers 100-79. In Thursday’s win over the Spurs, the first three quarters ended with buzzer-beating three-pointers by the 76ers.

If that is a sign for what is to come from the Philadelphia 76ers, then they have a chance to make the postseason. Still, the real test for this team will be for them to keep their speedy identity with Brand as their power forward. But when put to the test so far this season, the Sixers have failed to reach a B+ on that assignment.

Donovan McNabb and the Philadelphia Eagles Get Their Playoff Miracle

Jenise Rolle — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 14:37:43 -0500

What else can a Philadelphia Eagles fan say except, “Wow!”

To be honest, before Sunday, not a single person in Philadelphia believed that the Eagles would make it into the playoffs, and not a single person believed that out of all the NFL teams, the lowly Oakland Raiders would defeat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on the road.

A Bears loss and a Raiders victory, along with the Eagles 44-6 victory over the Dallas Cowboys, placed the Philadelphia Eagles into the NFL playoffs, a scenario that nobody saw coming.

After the Eagles loss to the Washington Redskins on Dec. 20, it was a sure fact that the Eagles were one of the most inconsistent teams in the league and making it into the playoffs was a only a dream to many Philadelphia fans.

Week by week, Andy Reid would change his playcalling drastically, a major factor that would impact the team's record. One Sunday, the team was passing on every play, but then the next, they were pounding the football into the end zone.

The Eagles victory over the Dallas Cowboys, displayed the talent on the Eagles roster, and although fans were overjoyed that their team had finally made it into the playoffs, after missing them last season, fans were also left scratching their heads wondering where was this intensity all year.

Let’s not forget that this is the same Eagles team that could not score at the one yard line against the Chicago Bears, nor defeat the 4-11-1 Cincinnati Bengals, which resulted in a tie game.

After Sunday’s blowout win against the Cowboys, Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb spoke at his usual post-game press conference and said, “I’ve been revived… People have thrown me out, ran over me, spit on me, but you know what, I continue to prevail.”

There’s no doubt that the media in Philadelphia have been preparing their farewell to McNabb since his benching in the loss against the Baltimore Ravens, but now that the Eagles are in the playoffs, McNabb has a high chance of being the starting quarter back and returning to Philadelphia next year, despite some of his bad performances throughout the season.

The Eagles were picked to be one of the top teams in the NFL at the beginning of this season, and although this year has been filled with highs and devastating lows, miraculously, the Philadelphia Eagles are in the Wild Card Playoffs.

If there is anything that the Eagles have taught fans this season, it’s that anything can happen in the world of sports, especially when your back is against the wall, and almost everyone has counted you out.

For the Eagles to succeed in playoff game No. 1 against the 10-6 Minnesota Vikings, the Eagles must do three things.

One: Stick to the running game, and run the football more than the pass.

Two: Create more plays for Correll Buckhalter, who has proved very effective for offense, when Coach Reid decides that he wants to run the football.

Three: Stop Adrian Peterson for all four quarters. Peterson can be explosive and dangerous, especially in late game situations.

There finally seems to be a little hope for this up-and-down Philadelphia football team because for the first time since week one of the regular season, the Eagles control their own destiny. Wow! Miracles really do happen.

Is Mo Cheeks Job in Jeopardy?

Jenise Rolle — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 03:50:49 -0500

“With great power comes great responsibility.” Ahh, a famous quote from Spiderman the movie, but there seems to be no “super-coaches” in the city of Brotherly Love, except Charlie Manuel of the World Champion Philadelphia Phillies, of course.

The off-season acquisition of Elton Brand was supposed to make the Philadelphia 76ers a “legitimate contender in the East.” It was supposed to bring the Sixers more opportunities to knock down open shots.

It was supposed to get the Sixers past the first round of the playoffs, but with a 9-14 record, this team has fell way below its pre-season expectations.

Nobody would have expected that one summer and the addition of Mo Williams, would bring the Cleveland Cavaliers a 20-3 start with a 13-0 home record, but it did. It was a given that the Boston Celtics would be the No. 1 team in the Eastern Conference, but did we really know that their 22-2 start would be the best in Celtics franchise history.

Although a lot was unknown at the start of the season, one thing was sure, and that was if you were a coach of a poor NBA team, you were out the door.

Numerous coaches were “let go” at the beginning of this season. With Eddie Jordan’s poor 1-10 start with the Washington Wizards, and the firing of Sam Mitchell in Toronto, no coach was promised to see another game.

But with the NBA season already ¼ over, the 76ers still have not gotten things together. In Friday’s 88-72 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Sixers gave up 20 turnovers and shot 43 percent from the floor.

Due to the team’s bad beginnings, Maurice Cheeks did what any other coach running out of options would do, he switched up the starting lineup. With Willie Green playing shooting guard, Andre Iguodala has been able to move back to his natural small forward position, which is where Iguodala needs to stay. At small forward in the past two games, Iguodala has averaged 21 points, six points higher than his current season average.

Regardless of Iguodala’s improvement and Cheeks decision to place Thaddeus Young on the bench, could things be too late for Cheeks in Philadelphia? Maurice Cheeks understands, as a player, what it means to be at the top, but with this Sixers team he has much more work that he had hoped for at the start of this season.

Let’s not forget that Cheeks was a member of the 1982-83 Sixers championship team, but let us also not forget that Cheeks was fired from his 2004-05 coaching job with the Portland Trailblazers after a 22-33 record.

Even though Maurice Cheeks received a multi-year contract extension with the Sixers at the end of the season, it’s never too late for a coach to lose his job. If Maurice Cheeks wants to keep his job with the Philadelphia 76ers, this team better execute more defense, which will allow them to score more points on the offensive end.

Clearly the Sixers poor performance is not solely based on coaching because this year’s bench has not been consistent or productive. It seems that when one Sixer has an outstanding game, everyone else falls short or below average.

Cheeks may have a great personality, but unfortunately charm does not win games. If the Sixers continue to lose games, there is no doubt that there will be a coaching change.

They will have a chance to redeem themselves during the next few games, when they face a majority of below .500 teams. One thing to keep in mind, is that 76ers General Manager, Ed Stefanski, has a good relationship with former Wizards coach, Eddie Jordan.

Jordan, a coach that likes to run, and the Sixers, a team that wants to run, could be a perfect match. Maybe the East Coast hasn’t seen the last of Eddie Jordan as a head coach on the sidelines. Hey, It’s just a thought!

Philadelphia's Uphill Battle with Kobe

Jenise Rolle — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 15:53:55 -0500

The King of the Hill, or West that is, made a stop in Philadelphia Wednesday night to prove why he’s one of the best in the league. Kobe Bryant and the 15-2 Lakers came out with a 114-102 victory over the struggling 76ers after their road loss to the Indiana Pacers at the buzzer.

Although the Sixers got off to a double-digit lead early in the game, they were no match for the dominant Los Angeles Lakers. Bryant ended Wednesday’s game with 32 points and broke down the 76ers defense in the fourth quarter, proving why he is the reigning MVP. Los Angeles shot 58 percent from the floor and with a healthy Andrew Bynum, they are in a strong position to make another NBA Finals appearance.

As if things couldn’t get any worse for the 76ers, Elton Brand was 1-for-7 and only had three points in Wednesday’s loss. Brand played only 27 minutes due to a hamstring injury. For some reason, the “Brand” new power forward doesn’t seem to be working out in the Sixers favor. Philadelphia is now 8-11 for the season and has won only one out of their last five games.

Andre Iguodala had 19 points, and had begun showing a spark in his game when he scored 25 points in the Sixers win over the Bulls in Chicago. Andre Miller also had a great game, scoring 26 points against the Lakers.

Philadelphia has had a tough time with consistency from game to game, as well as holding on to leads when they trail by more than a dozen. It seems like an uphill battle that never ends. The 76ers are not the same team that they were at the end of last season and their turnovers continue to be high. They do not get into the open court as much, where they excel the most. The first two months of this season look like a reflection of last year’s beginnings, when they were 15-30 going into the month of January.

Since this is the season to be jolly, Sixers fans should be glad that Iguodala seems to be out of his slump and headed into the right direction. But, until Santa brings the Sixers a decent jump shooter, fans will be wishing for a lot more wins this holiday season.

Philadelphia 76ers' Rollercoaster to Success

Jenise Rolle — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 15:40:27 -0500

The Sixers had gotten off to a slow start at the beginning of this season, but the team is finally above .500 after defeating the Golden State Warriors Sunday night. The road hasn’t been easy for the 76ers especially after a 102-96 loss to the lowly Minnesota Timberwolves Wednesday night.

The 76ers defeated the Golden State Warriors (5-8) 89-81, with Elton Brand leading the team with 23 points and 12 rebounds. The 76ers, who are the top fast—breaking team in the league, made six three-pointers, including one by Andre Miller, and did not have a single fast—break point during the game, which was mostly due to Golden State’s 14 blocks.

Rebounds have been a major factor for the Sixers success and the Sixers' center, Samuel Dalembert, pulled down 11 rebounds in the first quarter alone, adding to his total of 16 rebounds for the game.

Getting over the hump to be an above .500 team has not been easy for the 7-6 76ers. The team gave up an 18 point lead after halftime and in Friday’s game against the Los Angeles Clippers, the Sixers committed 19 turnovers and shot 42% from the floor.

The Sixers have won five of their last six games, but a majority of those wins came from teams below the .500 mark. The real test for the 76ers will come on Wednesday when they face the Orlando Magic (9-4) at home in Philadelphia. Until then they will have their eyes set on beating former Sixers coach, Larry Brown, and the Charlotte Bobcats on Monday—a team that the 76ers should have the upper hand against.

Philadelphia 76ers Struggles Continue with Elton Brand As New Centerpiece

Jenise Rolle — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 03:13:37 -0500

So far, the Philadelphia 76ers have not lived up to their preseason expectations with the addition of their new power forward, Elton Brand. The two time All—Star has been averaging 14 points and 10 rebounds in his start with the Sixers so far. But, let’s not make Brand the No. 1 reason why the team has fallen to 2-5 at the start of the season.

For the past year, Philadelphia has been known as a fast—breaking team that likes to run the floor and force an up—tempo style of basketball. But, so far this season, their fast—break points have been limited. Teams who have played against the 76ers this season are playing a half court, slowed down offensive and defensive game.

Last night, the Sixers lost 93-80 to the Utah Jazz (6-1) at home. The team ended up with 17 turnovers, 38 percent from the field, and the team’s third straight lost of the season. Thaddeus Young, who has been one of the Sixers top scorers, was limited to only nine points and 11 rebounds in last night’s game.

Although the Sixers had a 20-4 run against Utah during the third quarter and erased a 12—point deficit from the half, the team’s biggest struggle seemed to be defense and careless turnovers. Utah scored 16 points off of Philadelphia’s 17 turnovers, and Carlos Boozer ended the game with 19 points and 16 rebounds. After the game, Brand talked about his team’s defensive struggles, “The defense is how you win games...and we have to step it up."

Even though the Sixers are off to a bad start, fans should not see the 76ers season as near over. As if the addition of a true power forward in Brand wasn’t hard enough, the Sixers are learning how to play a half court style of basketball, which has contributed to their losing. Once they understand how to play half court basketball, they will be a legitimate contender in the Eastern Conference.