The optimist would look at this past week in a positive light. A last second loss to the best in the East, the Boston Celtics and two wins against Eastern Conference opponents Miami and Indiana gave the Sixers a nice start to the month.
The pessimist would turn it around and say that the Boston game was theirs and they blew it in the end. And don't forget about Elton Brand being lost for the season, which puts another ugly spin on the week that was.
So which was it? Was it a good week or a bad one?
I'll take the former. Anytime you nearly beat the Celtics and enjoy a nice win over Miami, who sits a spot ahead of them in the East, it's looking good.
On Tuesday, the Sixers were crushed by a Ray Allen three-pointer with 0.5 seconds left, and went down 100-99. A valiant comeback was overshadowed by the final play. But looking back, it is a learning experience for a still inexperienced club. There had been much discussion about that final play and who should have been guarding Allen in the corner, Thad Young or Sam Dalembert. No matter the answer, it was a mental mistake a time where they needed to play perfect basketball. Remember though, you have to expect this.
Indiana came to town Thursday and gave the Sixers a run for their money, but eventually went down 99-94. The incredible defense was back on display against the Pacers as they held the team to just 39.4 percent shooting, and shut down all-star forward Danny Granger. And while the Sixers did not shoot well themselves, they put the clamps on down the stretch and held Indiana to 38 points in the second half. The defensive pressure started in the middle, as big man Dalembert snagged a season-high 20 rebounds and gave them the interior presence they need to make a run. It has been up and down with Dalembert, but if he can harness any sort of consistency, he could be a major force. It's that sort of effort that can take this team a long way.
Two night later, Miami came to town and didn't stand a chance. The Heat was burned by seven Sixers in double-figures, led by Marreese Speights and his 15 points off the bench in 22 minutes. Speights immediately makes an impact when he steps on the court, and it will be more evident now that Brand is on the shelf for the year. Coach Tony DiLeo needs to find 18-25 minutes for Speight every night, and in doing that on Saturday, Speights did not let him down.
The biggest factor in the win over Miami was the balanced play of the entire team. Seven guys in double figures, while scoring just 94 points is pretty hard to do. No one shot the ball more than 12 times, and three bench players put up 10-plus points. That's exactly the sort of game the Sixers need to play. Defense first, get out and run on the break, and keep the balance.
The week started off tumultuously, but in retrospect, it ended great. The Sixers are over .500, and this could be the beginning of a special end to the year.
No comments:
Post a Comment