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ShareSixers Staying Optimistic
Six games into the regular season the Philadelphia 76ers sit at 2-4. Although the team is not pleased with their record, they have been pleased with the overall quality of basketball they are playing. So far, the Sixers youth movement has gone up against teams most experts around the NBA consider playoff bound in the Toronto Raptors, Chicago Bulls, New Jersey Nets, and New Orleans Hornets. Against all of these teams with the exception of New Orleans on Sunday night, the Sixers have shown no signs of being overmatched in any phase of the game, in spite of being one of the youngest teams in the NBA.
Despite the loss to the Hornets, the Sixers can look back on their first six games and take positives out of each of them.
“We've had nice chemistry for the most part,” Sixers forward Andre Iguodala said. “We’re right in each game, we just have to keep playing hard and we’re gonna start winning them. I think we’re going to surprise some people.”
In the season opener against Toronto, the Sixers trailed the defending Atlantic Division Champions by 22 points with a little over 12 minutes to play. The game was considered all but over, when the resilient Sixers led by up and coming star Andre Iguodala stormed back to within one point by going on a 15-0 run. With possession of the ball looking to take the lead on the fast break, Raptors guard T.J. Ford stripped Iguodala from behind and dished to Andrea Bargnani who converted a four point play and the Raptors never looked back.
“Sometimes the ball doesn’t roll your way,” coach Maurice Cheeks said. “The way we were able to come back made a big impression on me though. We were able to fight back against a tough team when they had a large lead. That says a lot about our teams’ character.”
With a record of 2-4, that could have just as easily been 4-2 or 5-1, Coach Cheeks has seen plenty of reasons to be optimistic about his teams’ season.
A major key to the Sixers early success has been the tremendous efforts on the interior from Reggie Evans and Samuel Dalembert. Evans has proven to be the force on the glass that the Sixers hoped he would be when trading for him in the off-season, finishing with six points and 15 rebounds in 22 minutes played against All-Star Chris Bosh and number 2006 number one overall draft pick Andrea Bargnani. So far this season Evans is averaging 5.6 points and 10.4 rebounds per game.
Dalembert has shown no ill effects of a lingering foot injury that kept him sidelined for the majority of the preseason and has been a force on the defensive end so far this season. Dalembert blocked six shots in his first game back against Toronto, and is averaging 9.2 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 3.5 blocks per game so far this season.
Sixers forward Andre Iguodala has shown that the buzz flying around the NBA about the 6’6” forward is well deserved. Iguodala is showing that he is a force both on the offensive and defensive ends so far this season. Through six games he is averaging 21.2 points, 6.8 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and 2.2 steals, while guarding the opposition’s top player the majority of the game.
Against Chicago, Iguodala limited Bulls forward Luol Deng to 10 points on 4-12 shooting, while setting the pace on the offensive end also with 22 points, 10 rebounds, and 6 assists, leading the Sixers to 96-85 victory.
Defense has shown to be the catalyst for Sixers success thus far this season. Against the Charlottle Bobcats, the Sixers held the Bobcats to a Wachovia Center record low 63 points scored, while cruising to a 31 point victory. The Sixers imposed their will on the Bobcats in the contest, limiting them to 30 percent shooting and swiping 17 steals in the process.
The Sixers have also gotten solid efforts from veteran point guard Andre Miller, and change of pace scorer Louis Williams who enable the Sixers to play both half-court basketball and get out on the fast-break when they need to.
“We can get up and down the floor,” Cheeks said. “We got some really exciting young athletes on this team that can get above the rim. We’re going to be an exciting team to come see.”
With the caliber of play the Sixers are getting from young players at key positions both on the offensive and defensive end so far this season, this young team just might surprise a lot of people this year.
Despite the loss to the Hornets, the Sixers can look back on their first six games and take positives out of each of them.
“We've had nice chemistry for the most part,” Sixers forward Andre Iguodala said. “We’re right in each game, we just have to keep playing hard and we’re gonna start winning them. I think we’re going to surprise some people.”
In the season opener against Toronto, the Sixers trailed the defending Atlantic Division Champions by 22 points with a little over 12 minutes to play. The game was considered all but over, when the resilient Sixers led by up and coming star Andre Iguodala stormed back to within one point by going on a 15-0 run. With possession of the ball looking to take the lead on the fast break, Raptors guard T.J. Ford stripped Iguodala from behind and dished to Andrea Bargnani who converted a four point play and the Raptors never looked back.
“Sometimes the ball doesn’t roll your way,” coach Maurice Cheeks said. “The way we were able to come back made a big impression on me though. We were able to fight back against a tough team when they had a large lead. That says a lot about our teams’ character.”
With a record of 2-4, that could have just as easily been 4-2 or 5-1, Coach Cheeks has seen plenty of reasons to be optimistic about his teams’ season.
A major key to the Sixers early success has been the tremendous efforts on the interior from Reggie Evans and Samuel Dalembert. Evans has proven to be the force on the glass that the Sixers hoped he would be when trading for him in the off-season, finishing with six points and 15 rebounds in 22 minutes played against All-Star Chris Bosh and number 2006 number one overall draft pick Andrea Bargnani. So far this season Evans is averaging 5.6 points and 10.4 rebounds per game.
Dalembert has shown no ill effects of a lingering foot injury that kept him sidelined for the majority of the preseason and has been a force on the defensive end so far this season. Dalembert blocked six shots in his first game back against Toronto, and is averaging 9.2 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 3.5 blocks per game so far this season.
Sixers forward Andre Iguodala has shown that the buzz flying around the NBA about the 6’6” forward is well deserved. Iguodala is showing that he is a force both on the offensive and defensive ends so far this season. Through six games he is averaging 21.2 points, 6.8 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and 2.2 steals, while guarding the opposition’s top player the majority of the game.
Against Chicago, Iguodala limited Bulls forward Luol Deng to 10 points on 4-12 shooting, while setting the pace on the offensive end also with 22 points, 10 rebounds, and 6 assists, leading the Sixers to 96-85 victory.
Defense has shown to be the catalyst for Sixers success thus far this season. Against the Charlottle Bobcats, the Sixers held the Bobcats to a Wachovia Center record low 63 points scored, while cruising to a 31 point victory. The Sixers imposed their will on the Bobcats in the contest, limiting them to 30 percent shooting and swiping 17 steals in the process.
The Sixers have also gotten solid efforts from veteran point guard Andre Miller, and change of pace scorer Louis Williams who enable the Sixers to play both half-court basketball and get out on the fast-break when they need to.
“We can get up and down the floor,” Cheeks said. “We got some really exciting young athletes on this team that can get above the rim. We’re going to be an exciting team to come see.”
With the caliber of play the Sixers are getting from young players at key positions both on the offensive and defensive end so far this season, this young team just might surprise a lot of people this year.
