Sixers vs Wizards Game Reca...

My expectations for this year are minimal. If the Sixers do scratch their way into the playoffs I give them very little chance of winning a round, much less making any real noise. Due to my tempered expectations, player development is my key to the season, and watching Jrue go out there and perform the way he did gave me chills. Almost enough to compensate for perhaps the worst quarter of basketball imaginable.

Jrue displayed the all-around point guard play that made scouts drool when he was a senior in high school. On the ball defense (did you see the frustration on Gilbert Arenas when he was stripped driving to the basket?), team defense, ball pressure, court vision, shot from distance. A more complete 9 minutes and 40 seconds could not have been asked for from anyone in the league, much less from the youngest player in the league.

Within a minute of game time Jrue Holiday stripped Gilbert Arenas on a drive and blocked Antawn Jamison's shot.

The best play of the night from Jrue? Not the three 3 pointers, or the Gilbert Arenas strip. Not the tip in on the break or the Antawn Jamison block. The play that made me excited for the future was the dime to Jason Smith on the pick and roll. That kind of timing and vision, to wait for the passing lane to open up and thread the needle, is an innate skill that is generally not taught or learned. The kid's going to be special.

Although I'm sure after his showing tonight he won't see meaningful minutes for at least a week.

Small ball / Brand game time decision
At one point during the early 4th quarter Eddie Jordan had a lineup of Jrue Holiday, Willie Green, Rodney Carney, Thaddeus Young and Jason Smith. This team already had serious problems grabbing defensive rebounds throughout the game (the Wizards ended up getting offensive rebounds on over 42% of their opportunities, nearly 20 percentage points higher than league average), and putting in two of the worst rebounding SF's in the league (Carney and Young) on the court at the same time, with one of them at PF, and with a weak rebounding SG and C in Green and Smith, was asking for disaster. Luckily Jrue caught fire near the end and saved what could have been a disastrous period of the game. The second chance points allowed nearly killed any opportunity for a come back.

This becomes increasingly troublesome with Brand being listed as day to day with a strained hamstring. Recall that it was merely a week ago that Jordan contemplated putting Carney in the starting lineup in place of Brand. Boston is a below average offensive rebounding team, but if that starting lineup holds true for the Atlanta game it could get ugly.

Iguodala's struggles.

Iguodala struggled again tonight, going 2-10. That brings him at 25% (8-32) for the last two games, and 35.2% for the last seven.

Afterwards, Iguodala was less than happy with the coaches decision to leave him out most of the 4th quarter:

“I’m one of the best all-around players out there at both ends of the court. I don’t know what it was. I guess I wasn’t making shots. I feel like I defend better than anyone out there. Whatever the reason, I can’t really harp on it.”

Lou's offensive explosion

After tonight's game Louis Williams is averaging 24.5 points on nearly 57% from the floor during the last four games. Perhaps more impressive is his 2.8 three's made per game at over 45% from downtown during that same stretch. Is he your top option offensively? At this point he almost has to be, if not by default.

Thad's touch/jumper

Thad seemed to be off balance quite a bit on his jumper today. When he missed, particularly from midrange, he seems to be learning back, at about a 110 degree angle. When he goes straight up with good lift he seems to be fairly accurate. He doesn't seem to have the type of jumper that he can adjust yet, so for him it's all about rhythm.

On the flip side, his touch when his body is contorted around the rim is impeccable. That left handed hook has the real makings of a go-to move, and playing at the SF position he should be able to abuse mismatches with that move, particularly when we have big men in there who can create space and force their man to guard them 15 feet from the hoop.

Next win?

Of this seven game stretch (six of which are on the road), tonight's contest one of the two games that looked legitimately winnable. At Boston, home against Atlanta, then at the Spurs, Mavericks, Thunder and at Charlotte is what the Sixers are looking at. It's possible the Sixers could head into Charlotte at 5-14. Can't imagine the bickering that seems to be developing between the players and coach improving if that does happen.

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