Tag Archive: thaddeus young

76ers Toughest Test of the Year

April 27, 2011 Randy Neil

Well the Flyers won yesterday, advancing to the 2nd round of the playoffs. The Sixers… well… they have a lot more work cut out for them if they hope to reach the same accomplishment.

Last Sunday, the Sixers were able to something they haven’t done all year… beat the Miami Heat. Tonight, Philly fans are hoping they accomplish another goal not yet achieved… win in Miami.

If they do win tonight, the flood gates will open up. The lashing the Heat received from the media after their Game 4 loss probably irritated them, so if Philadelphia actually does manage to win, look for it to get even worse. On the flip side of that, Miami has had 72 hours to basically stir their emotions into something productive. They are probably going to come out very aggressive tonight and keep the 76ers on their toes the entire game.

The 76ers need nothing short of a miracle again. The younger players that received praise for Philly’s victory last Sunday are going to have to produce better stats. Not to say they weren’t deserving of said praise; I’m saying they need to play even better to handle a team that’s going to play with much more determination.

I’m hoping Turner and Iguodala get almost identical minutes. Evan Turner was the breakout star in Game 4, and in contrast, Iguodala became the villain (more-so than ever.) You’re looking at a veteran with 7 years experience who has never won a playoff series attempting to lead a team without averaging more than 10 points a game. People just aren’t buying it. His defense is great, his assists are amazing, but people are fed up with the somewhat lethargic offense he produces. He’s a vital factor to this team’s chances of staying afloat, but he shouldn’t be the main factor. It’s hard to believe that Iggy is only 27 years old.

I’m looking forward to Spencer Hawes, Elton Brand, and Tony Battie establishing some presence in the paint. In order for the Sixers to have any chance, they need to equal or out-rebound the Heat throughout the game. We need the big boys to step up, and maybe while they’re at it, start some shit talking as well.

Tip-off starts at 7pm ET at American Airlines Arena. This can be our greatest accomplishment of the season or a humbling experience for our youthful team to grow on. It’s going to be a tough game for sure. Here’s hoping the best 76ers show up. Bring the king…. mother fucker.

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Bring the King. It’s a Great Day in Philly.

April 24, 2011 Randy Neil

Man it feels good to be writing this post. The Philadelphia Phillies swept the San Diego Padres in 4 games. The Flyers somehow brought the Sabres to OT and won, forcing a game 7. Aaaaaand….

After 7 very long, very strenuous games with the Miami Heat this season, the Philadelphia 76ers have finally walked away with a victory. Every game was within reach and followed the exact same pattern, except this one.

Typically, the 76ers start the game off well and outscore the Heat. Then, through fouls and amazing shots, the Heat climb back in and make a final push in the 4th quarter. Every game it seemed like the “Big 3” were demoralizing the efforts of our younger players and it was keeping the game out of reach. It would happen on cue with about 5 minutes left in the game. You could set your watch to it.

Here’s some of the differences I saw in this game :

1) Altercations. For 6 games you could see the Sixers deflate after Lebron James and Dwayne Wade put on a spectacle. For game 4 of this playoff series, you finally saw the 76ers show some teeth. Thaddeus Young and Evan Turner both got in the face of Jones in the 2nd quarter, and it had to be broken up. Spencer Hawes wrapped up Lebron James during a drive and he was livid. And Spencer Hawes got right back at him. You could finally see some anger when we used to just see despair. It showed resilience.

2) Fouls and points in the paint. We all know the insane amount of calls the Heat were getting nearly every time they drove in the paint. The Sixers weren’t getting those calls, but that’s mostly due to the fact that they weren’t even driving to the basket. Lou Williams, Evan Turner, and Jrue Holiday all drove in the paint consistently in the 4th and kept pushing to keep the intensity up. Yes, most of those got blocked, but it’s more the principle at that point. For the previous 3 games in this series when the lead would get out of hand, the Sixers fell back on making poor jumpers from outside, and a miss would result in an immediate rebound and score for the Heat. Driving helped keep the rebounds alive for us and established some presence where it hadn’t been before.

3) Miracles. Two back to back 3-pointers in the final 40 seconds of the game really made the difference. We finished the game 10-0 which is an absurd stat. The end-of-game stats were also much more favorable for the 76ers (which means they were actually even.) Team fouls were practically tied at 17 (MIA) and 18 (PHI.) Offensive rebounds, the stat that destroyed the Sixers, were dead even at 9 a piece. We actually out-rebounded them as a whole 18-16.

Even if we lost this game, I still would walk away with a great sense of accomplishment. We had 14 more wins than last year. We have a solid young core of great basketball players led by an amazing coach. The upcoming years in Philadelphia are going to be great.

It’s a great day to be in Philly. Happy Easter everybody.

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