Sixers Realize Break is Over in a Big Way

The Sixers absolutely destroyed the Knicks and I loved it. They beat them all across the stat sheet: +12 rebounds, -11 turnovers, +11 steals, 57% FG, 72 points at the half. Amazing to see two 40+ point wins in one season and it coming from this team. They are certainly playing as if they want to have the best seed they possibly can in the playoffs. The great thing is that is a very achievable goal in the East right now. Also, can we please get a following behind Thaddeus Young? The people who sat all around me on draft night at the Wachovia Center and booed at his selection and wondered why they picked him need to come to their senses. What a budding star we have on our hands. Seriously, I like how people complained that he "wasn't on any of the mock drafts". Well guess what, those mock draft aren't done by NBA GMs, they are done by someone trying to kill time. I can do a mock draft and it will mean nothing. I'm glad we have him on our team.

Tough stretch of games coming up: home vs. Orlando, at Golden State, at Phoenix, and at Clippers. To tell you the truth I just want one of those and 2 would thrill me. By an incredible stroke of luck, I'm going to be in Phoenix next weekend and will be at the Sixers - Suns game. Can't wait for that experience. Been checking off other arenas for a while now so it will be nice to visit US Airways Center.

Attention Sixers: The Break is Over

Well the Sixers didn't resume the winning ways they exhibited before the break. I was going to post a picture but every shot involved Rashad McCants who in my mind is quickly becoming one of the foremost punks of the league. I don't know when this started either. Anyway, I watched this game and the Sixers just couldn't get a run going when they needed some momentum. Not enough players stepped up tonight against a poor Wolves team. They shot well as a team and only had 11 turnovers but the story was that Dalembert, Williams, and Evans all had quieter nights than we need from them (is anyone getting more worried about Evans' shoulder? He's always icing that thing). Jason Smith also had a very rough night. The team shot horribly from the foul line but that wasn't the telltale stat. They were just sluggish as if they were still on break. It's a shame because they are fighting for a playoff spot and need to take care of business against teams like the Wolves. We should expect the Nets to slip a bit after trading away Jason Kidd so it's time to step up and get serious.

Once more, a nice game for the ever-emerging Thaddeus Young. Life is sure different with our draft picks then it was a couple months ago. Now it's Young commanding all the attention and time and Smith has slipped. I'm loving the improvement of Young. He can be something very special for this team very soon. He is quick, active, and just growing more adept at every facet of the game. Glad he is showing the fans why he was picked where he was. In fact, he is impressing me more than Corey Brewer of the Wolves who was drafted much higher and has the chance for more minutes. I like the core we are developing even if it is for the purpose of packaging them up and using them in a trade. Trying to not get too attached to anyone but I'd like to see what we can get out of Young. He's talented, young, and cheap; all things I'll take for players on a rebuilding team.

All-Star Weekend Review

I have to say that this was one of the better All-Star Weekends in a while. There was definitely a youth feel in some of the competitions but that was fine. I think we are really seeing that players like Chris Paul, Deron Williams, and Brandon Roy are going to be special players for a while. I thought Saturday night was great The skills contest was truly competitive and it's always nice to see previous records broken. In the 3-pt shootout, I really liked Jason Kapono going into it because he is shooting 51% from long-range this far into the season. He is a true shooter and showcased it for the second straight year. The dunk contest was incredible. Truly full of some of the most original dunks (which seems so hard to do these days) and creativity. Dwight Howard put on a great show last year and this year he dared people to not vote for him. I think his best dunk was actually the self alley-oop off the backboard. The Superman dunk was great, and I strongly feel it's harder to actually throw the ball through the hoop rather than dunk it, but his others were technically harder to pull off. Tell me the highlights of that contest weren't Mutombo's reactions or Kenny Smith's amazement. It's just a spectacle the whole night. The actual game last night was very good in my mind and the players seemed to be competitive throughout. Kudos to the East for coming back strong to get the victory and LeBron for putting up the numbers he does on a typical night. His driving dunk was just great and you don't see something that emphatic at a crucial point in All-Star games.

Sixers Take Down Mavs For 4th Win In A Row

If anyone thought the Sixers could not beat the Mavs last night, you need to re-evaluate your devotion to this team. This is not the same team that started this season and found ways to lose. This team has come together and rallied around the idea that everyone counted them out. They have Andre Miller playing some of the best basketball of his life, they have Dalembert focusing on the defense we've always wanted, they have Reggie Evans working ceaselessly to pull down rebounds, and Iguodala stepping up and hitting jumpers at a rate we have not seen. Not to mention the fact that Thaddeus Young is now starting and progressing at an amazingly quick rate. Did anyone see him matched up on Dirk last night? That's confidence in the rookie. Yes, the Sixers benefitted from the Mavs playing the night before but who cares? Everyone has to deal with schedule challenges through the course of the year.

What I especially liked last night was how the Sixers found a way to answer every Mavs run. They did not get overwhelmed or discouraged but rather had a will to win. Those of us in the sparse crowd were behind them and gave rousing ovations to Evans and also the whole team after it was clinched. Amazing how they held the Mavs to 76 points total by frustrating shooters and not giving up easy offensive rebounds. Getting back to the crowd, I always wonder where all the people are who said we just HAD to get rid of Iverson. Why aren't they coming out to more games? Also, I'll state very plainly that I want this team to make the playoffs. It would be great for the psyche, it would be more attractive to free agents, and it would give Cheeks some of the credit he deserves for what he's gotten out of this team.