Are the Sixers becomming a real team?

[rickortreat]

The last game I saw, them against Cleaveland on their home court was pretty impressive.

Not only did they get burried in the first half, and hang tough, but they started to figure out how to keep the Cavs from getting easy baskets and started to make a few themselves.

This is the first time I can remember this group taking over a game.  By the end of the third and start of the fourth, the Sixers were taking control.  They didn't just back into this either.

Better defense, and a solid offensive performance, complete with passes, rebounds, drives that resulted in foul shots, took Cleveland out of their comfort zone.

Against other lesser teams, this wouldn't have been significant, but Cleveland was probably considered the third best team in the east, behind Detroit, and Miami.

Well, based on that last game Philly is a better team than Cleaveland.  They can't defend against the Sixers or control the boards against them.  As time went on, the lead continued to grow.  In the last two minutes the Sixers made shot after shot to protect the lead and the Cavs couldn't do a thing about it.

It's not a finished product by any means, but they are starting to come together.

 

[Guest_Randy]

Cleveland is still a pretty young team and has shown a LOT of inconsistency -- lost to Miami by 28 points in the game previous to the Sixers -- the Lakers also beat them so I'm not sure I would use Cleveland as a "benchmark!"

[guest-koast]

That's cool that they sound like they are getting it together but since when does one win mean you are better than another team?

Are the Lakers better than Miami and Dallas? No.

Are the Wizards better than Detroit? No.

The thing with teams gunning for playoff spots that are middle of the pack team is defense.  If Mo can get them to play defense then they should be in real good shape.  Anytime you have someone like AI on your team you dont really need to worry too much about offense cuz he gets it done every night.

[JoMal]

If Philadelphia did not follow their good games with clunkers, when all those positive things you saw in the Cleveland game disappear, I would have followed your logic a bit better.

Plus, when was the last time that Iverson played poorly against Cleveland, the one team against which he always dominates?

Hard to measure how far your team has progressed against the one team that traditionally is your personnal doormat.

 

[Guest_Randy]

Cleveland has a difficult time with AI -- even moreso than a lot of teams -- they don't have anyone quick enough to even hope to stay close to him.  

But bottomline, you can only make two assessments following this game:
1) Cleveland isn't very consistent (streak of good wins following by a streak of bad losses).

2) You can't judge Philly by this game!

[Reality]

What was that?

IMeson 6-22 0-5 treys 0 assists.
Is Iverson making some sort of statement to Webber who was griping about the ball always going thru Iverson?

Korver 0-6.

Mo please sit Korver when he is bricking.

[Derek Bodner]

Hard to get assists when nobody's making shots.
Salmons made 4 of his 5 shots in the first quarter.
Iguodala made 2 of his 3.
Dalembert had 4 TO's, nearly all on botched "catches".
Webber made 5 of his 8 fgm's in the first quarter.
Korver didn't make a shot all game.

EVERYONE disappeared offensively after the 1st quarter.  We must have shot 50% in the 1st, about 20% the rest of the game.

As many turnovers as assists.  And, surprisingly, AI was least of our turnover problems (Dalembert, Webber, Salmons all had more).

[rickortreat]

What an appallingly bad game the Sixer played against Houston.  Just terrible execution.

Only good thing was that wrap around acrobatic move by Igoudala.  Echoes of Dr. J.