Saturday, April 25, 2009
"We suck"
I was listening to C-Webb commentate on a Sixers game during the studio wrap up on T&T a couple months ago and he said it seems like Thaddeus Young is the leader of this team; that he's really the guy who wants it. I was thinking about that as Thaddeus talked in this post game interview. "Everybody knows what happens when I go left". There's a palpable confidence there. He doesn't woof or yap at dudes, but I think he thinks he can have his way when he wants it.
As Iggy was talking he mentioned that "he's not there yet" and "still figuring things out".
One could interpret that combination of comments in a couple of different ways. 1) Iggy's not a leader. He'll never be the Man, but Thaddeus could or 2) Iggy's a talented yet humble dude who's still on the rise, and so is Thaddeus.
Care to offer any other interpretations?
Here's what I'll say: the most you can ask of any player, or any professional for that matter, is to continuously try to get better at what they do. We may disagree about Iggy's ceiling, but there should be little to no dispute that this is the type of player you want on your team. I think he is displaying winning qualities: passion, effort, pushing his perceived limits. Maybe he's overpaid by $20M, but that is more the norm than an anamoly in today's NBA. If you consider how many guys take their foot off the gas once they get their payday, you gotta admit it's nice to see a guy trying to play up to his contract and fill the shoes of being the Man. I also really like what I see in terms of confidence, and game, from Thaddeus Young. This kid can ball! With these two as the base of your future squad, we're not as bad off as you keep telling me we are. I'm pretty sure "we suck" were your words. Here's my argument as to why we don't suck. If you replaced Willie Green with Joe Johnson in our starting lineup, this team is a contender for the Eastern Conference Finals. We still wouldn't be as good as the Cavs or Lakers or a healthy Celtics squad (maybe), but we'd certainly be closer than further away. If it would only take one move to get us to that level, how can we suck?
Do you agree that we're in the top third team (with a healthy Brand) in the League right now? If so, and we're only a legit SG away from jumping a level, then how can we suck. Winning last night doesn't mean the Sixers are great, but it does show that we have a chance of beating one the so-called elite Eastern teams; a team that won 59 games. And we're doing it without the guy who's supposed to be our main weapon in the playoffs. And we're doing it with Tony DiLeo as our coach. And we're doing it with Willie Green absolutely stinkin' up the joint. Imagine a real coach, a healthy Brand for the playoff run and the sweet shooting guard we're going to get in the offseason. Shit ain't all bad, G. Stop bein' a typical Philly sports fan who expects their team to be perfect and win it all, yet is unwilling to offer the least bit of faith or encouragement even when the team clearly deserves it. If you were your own fan, you would quit or commit suicide.
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2 comments:
All right, fine. Saying “we suck” was a bit hyperbolic.
But dude. Read your own words. We’re one major acquisition away from getting to a level where we would be unquestionably dismantled by at least three other teams in the L. What should my response to that be? Woo-hoo?
This is why homerism is dangerous. You can’t have your scope so tightly focused on your team; you have to observe and consider them within the greater context of the L.
You are spot-on correct: Iggy HAS continually improved year after year, where many guys get paid and then sit back on their cushy piles of money. That’s commendable. It’s good for the team. That said, this team is waaaay far away from seriously contending. We’ve had a nice series thus far against Orlando*, and the Erz have been as fun to watch as they’ve been impressive. I actually think DiLeo could be a keeper. And the team’s D and overall jump shooting (selection and completion) has been unexpectedly sweet.
But how excited can we get, really? I mean, LOOK AT THIS L!!! If this were another era — say 2001 — I’d be thrilled. But...
(Remember when AI’s Erz were evolving in the late-90s, getting deeper and deeper into the playoffs each spring? I was pumped. No, we weren’t quite ready yet...but you felt it coming. Every autumn they were taking to the court a level better. And in late-October 2000, those first few games of the season, I remember my eyes just about popping out while watching the screen. It was like those guys were reading each other’s minds; that team was the quintessence of what we hope for when we talk about a group of players “gelling.” Yeah, L.A. looked tremendous — even early on that season — but anything was possible. This was our year.) Remember that feeling? Well, it ain’t coming back anytime soon. Joe Johnson isn’t going to get me there.
I’m not trying to be typical-Philly negative. I really do like what’s happening with this team. But I don’t feel anywhere near the way the fans in Cleveland feel. Nor do I expect to anytime soon. And that, despite everything, is a little disappointing.
-G
* Is it just me, or is D-Ho far less impressive than you thought? I don’t watch Orlando with any regularity, so this is the first time, honestly, that I’ve ever seen him play three straight games. He’s slapped together maybe five “Holy sh!t!” moves in all that time. That’s it. And there have been stretches of time that I forget he’s even on the floor. Hmm.
Also, here’s my two cents re SVG: Much as I like him, you simply cannot yell and disparage your men 24/7 for months on end and think that’s gonna work. You just can’t. They kept showing that clip from the huddle, after Orlando went on something like a 10-2 run, when SVG was screaming at his squad: “You can’t let the intensity go down now! It’s gotta go up! UP!!!” I swear, D-Ho was, at that moment, sipping a cup of Gatorade and staring into the stands. And I don’t even blame him. When you get yelled at non-stop — during practice, during games, in the press conferences, when you’re checking into a room at the Oklahoma City Hampton Inn — from September to April, you stop listening at some point. That team does not listen to its coach anymore. And again, I can’t blame them. Stan needs to save his screaming for the big moments of a game — or else everything he says will continue to be mere white noise.
Erz in 6.
Ok, we're not so far apart here. I agree with your analogy of the late 90's AI Erz. If you remember, we made it one year and got bounced immediately. The second year we beat Orlando and then got bounced. Then, then we had the 2001 season where everything just clicked from the start, and we looked like world beaters. It took three years to get there. Looking back, you can't start the story in the beginning of the 2001 season. And for as good as 2001 was, we had no idea it was coming. We looked good in 2000, but we jumped to contender status in that one year, particularly after we made the Dikembe trade.
So, if we consider ourselves on an upward arc (and we're two years away from complete rebuilding mode), then we ain't doin' so bad. Don't look from the top down. Look from the bottom up. It's not that my sights are too narrow. It's got to do with the natural progression of a contender being built. Look around the L. Cleveland is there. They'll be there next year. The year after? Maybe if LeBro is still there. Boston is already yesterday's news, and they ain't comin' back no time soon to contender status. Orlando is a good regular season team, but deeply flawed for the reasons you point out related to SVG and Dwight's limited game. Atlanta has not progressed since last year. In the West, the Lakers are tops. Everybody else is flawed for one reason or another. NO is light on talent. Dallas is old. Houston can't get McGrady to stay on the court, or be clutch, or be a leader. Portland is still too young, etc. There are good teams in there, but no absolutely legit contenders other than Denver if it keeps playing this way, and the Lakers. And by the way, Kobe's gonna get old someday. So, with all that going on, the Sixers are positioned nicely to contend in another year or two. Two years might sound like a long time, but that's how long it takes. The other thing is, we've had a jacked up coaching situation for a couple years now. This offseason, settling on the coach will be the major work done by Stefanski. I tend to agree that DiLeo's doing a good job, but if we're talking about being a contender then no stone should go unturned.
P.S.
Erz is 6 is a bold, yet plausible pick. I wouldn't put money on it. However, if we can take the game tonight, you have to think we could finish them off at home.
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