As we are quickly approaching the quarter mark of this breakneck NBA season, the 76ers have established themselves as a legitimate contender and sit in the driver’s seat of the Atlantic Division. But while they have taken care of business against the dregs of the league, they continue to struggle against teams expected to make the playoffs.
Wednesday night was more of the same, as the Denver Nuggets took a heartbreaker from the Sixers 108-104 at the Wells Fargo Center. The Sixers fought back from a double digit fourth quarter deficit, but were unable to take advantage in overtime. Once again, the lack of a “closer” prevented the team from winning the game in regulation.
Down one with about seven seconds left, Doug Collins called time out. As the Sixers took possession after the stoppage, the one man everyone in the arena DIDN’T want to see with the ball had the ball. Listen, I like Andre Iguodala. I mentioned last week that I think it’s unfair that people boo him. He’s a good player who’s been asked to be the top guy on this team.
Unfortunately, he isn’t a Kobe Bryant or Dwyane Wade type of player. If you need someone to play great defense and wreak havoc with his athleticism, then AI2 is your guy. Just don’t give him the rock with less than ten seconds left in regulation and the game on the line. But that’s what happened the other night. This time, Iguodala was actually able to draw a foul, but only hit one of two free throws.
The rest is history. At some point Collins is going to have to give someone else a chance to close out a ballgame. Lou Williams has done it before, and even though he’s a bench player, he’s definitely a leader on this team and someone who’s not afraid to take the ball with the game on the line.
Jrue Holiday may still be a little bit young for the role and he proved it last night with a terrible pass towards the end of overtime which all but iced the game. In time, Jrue and even second year forward Evan Turner could be counted on to take these types of shots, but as of right now Coach Collins still defers to #9.
It very well could end up being what does this team in come playoff time. The Sixers don’t get blown out a lot, and especially in the playoffs you need that top dog who’s going to want to take the big shot in critical spots. Unfortunately for the Sixers, that guy’s not walking through the door anytime soon.
SIXER TIDBITS
-Does anyone else see the confidence that Evan Turner exudes when he’s on the floor? This kid doesn’t seem fazed by anything and continues to improve game to game. Against the Nuggets, he chipped in 20 points and 11 rebounds and displayed the usual hustle that’s quickly making him a fan favorite in Philadelphia.
The Sixers don’t necessarily have the best track record when drafting #2 overall (Shawn Bradley and Tim Thomas (who was acquired for Keith Van Horn) come to mind) but ET is looking to dismiss that myth. It’s only a matter of time before he forces the coaching staff to seriously consider him as a starter. A future backcourt of Turner and Holiday is just one more reason to get excited about this young Sixers team.
-Watching the Sixers play live is as exciting as it’s been in years. The only thing really missing (other than about 5,000 or so more fans), is Matt Cord as the public announcement guy. Cord’s unique player intros and the way he announced their names after scoring points was a staple at Sixers games the last few years.
The team decided to promote him to senior correspondent for Sixers.com in hopes of getting more traffic to the site. They replaced him with former Sixers television broadcaster, Tom Lamaine. Look, this isn’t a shot at Tom Lamaine. I’m sure he’s a really nice guy and he seems to at least try to find a rhythm during games. But he’s nowhere near the caliber of Cord, and the Sixers have to realize they made a mistake with this move.
I know changing PA announcers during the season probably isn’t going to happen. But hopefully this is something the team addresses in the offseason. Even when the team was bad, they had Matt Cord to generate a little bit of excitement into the arena. It would be nice to have him back in that role as the team continues its ascent to prominence.
Great article John. Couldn’t agree with you more. They made a mistake by not getting rid of him 2 years ago, when they had a chance to get Stoudamire, & backed out. Stafanski you’re a DOPE!