# All this talk about Brand...



## Sliccat (Oct 16, 2004)

And we're losing track of this season's biggest disappointment. Thaddeus Young. What the hell happened to him?


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## Coatesvillain (Jul 17, 2002)

His confidence is shot.

He's struggling to pick up the offense (everyone is) and his defense has been worse this season than at any other point in his career. I think he needs to get easy baskets to get his confidence up, but the way this offense is being run damn near every shot is so hard to get.


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## Chan Ho Nam (Jan 9, 2007)

i still cant tell whos that in your avatar


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## Coatesvillain (Jul 17, 2002)

It's Shawn and Gus from the show Psych.


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## RollWithEm (Jul 16, 2002)

Brand took his position. Thad feasted on slower PFs all last season because of his quickness. Now, he can't flourish on the perimeter as much against the SFs that are guarding him now. He's just in a period of adjustment. He needs to learn to use the size advantage he now has instead of the speed advantage he used to have. Give him time. It's only been 13 games.


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## Coatesvillain (Jul 17, 2002)

Thad's actually taking a larger percentage of his shots in the paint this year than in the past two seasons. So while his shot isn't falling it's not the only problem. The offense has him confused and when he has a chance he's forcing the issue with bad results.


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## Coatesvillain (Jul 17, 2002)

Thad's had two strong games offensively in a row. Hopefully this means he's back.

Unfortunately Iguodala has struggled to hit his shots.

The team has talent, and other players producing will help Iguodala by not having him do so much. Team needs to do a better job overall on the defensive glass.


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## Coatesvillain (Jul 17, 2002)

Thad's offense has come around, but he's not really doing anything else. He's not rebounding, defending or assisting. He was never a big assist guy, but he used to be a better defender and rebounder. Ah well, at least he scores efficiently.

The sad thing about this team is offense isn't the problem at all (despite what the media says) it's the defense that's absolutely pathetic. When the team does get a stop (which is rare with all the switches) they find themselves out of position giving up offensive rebounds to the other team. Now that Jordan is going small for damn near 90% of games this will only get worse (because Thad is playing PF and he can't rebound).


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## VCHighFly (May 7, 2004)

Coatesvillain said:


> Now that Jordan is going small for damn near 90% of games this will only get worse (because Thad is playing PF and he can't rebound).


Won't Iverson give them some freedom to go big again? He will be able to get in passing lanes and turn some teams over. Also, he will help eliminate the scoring problem. The situation you're describing is a circular issue. 

You're basically saying that going small has brought the desired effect: scoring the basketball... which by your own admission, they're doing well enough now. The problem is that they have sacrificed defense and rebounding. Now, Iverson should allow them to score ample amounts while still going big. Wouldn't it stand to reason that their rebounding would improve?


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## Coatesvillain (Jul 17, 2002)

VCHighFly said:


> Won't Iverson give them some freedom to go big again?


No, because Eddie Jordan prefers to play with a small lineup.



> He will be able to get in passing lanes and turn some teams over. Also, he will help eliminate the scoring problem. The situation you're describing is a circular issue.


It's not a circular issue at all. Their defensive problem is the team's defensive philosophy. It's not quite man, it's not quite zone, and it's not good at all. It's constant switching, and rotations that is prone to giving open looks after a small number of passes.0



> You're basically saying that going small has brought the desired effect: scoring the basketball... which by your own admission, they're doing well enough now.


The defense is and has been the biggest problem for the Sixers this season. What I'm saying is Eddie Jordan will plug in a guy who might score and refuse to acknowledge that the player is actually hurting the team more than they're helping (case in point Willie Green).



> The problem is that they have sacrificed defense and rebounding. Now, Iverson should allow them to score ample amounts while still going big. Wouldn't it stand to reason that their rebounding would improve?


How would their rebounding improve when the coach prefers to play small? There was an interesting stat that showed that the Sixers have given up less, and scored more points in the fourth quarter when Samuel Dalembert is on the floor but before their last game he had only played 67 fourth quarter minutes for the season.

The defense will not get better with Allen Iverson because he's a poor defender, and the problems of this defense are bigger than one player.


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## VCHighFly (May 7, 2004)

First, let me say that I've been there, man. The biting derisiveness of your posts on the 76ers board just smack of a true fan with a terrible coach. I've been there. I'm a transplanted New Orleanian who was watching Byron Scott run my team into the ground until a few weeks ago. Just keep in mind that there will be light at the end of the tunnel. I'm pulling for you guys. I feel your pain.



Coatesvillain said:


> No, because Eddie Jordan prefers to play with a small lineup.


Eventually you have to swallow your pride and play the guys who your personnel dictates you should play. He's got to learn that to have a future as a coach in this league.



> It's not a circular issue at all. Their defensive problem is the team's defensive philosophy. It's not quite man, it's not quite zone, and it's not good at all. It's constant switching, and rotations that is prone to giving open looks after a small number of passes.


That switching style can work if the switching is smart and if the team has athletic defenders on the floor. 



> What I'm saying is Eddie Jordan will plug in a guy who might score and refuse to acknowledge that the player is actually hurting the team more than they're helping (case in point Willie Green).


And you really feel that Green will continue to get big minutes at the 2-spot with Iverson playing the PG role?



> How would their rebounding improve when the coach prefers to play small?


They would improve when he stops playing small all the time and realizes that his best chance to win is by putting his best players on the floor.



> There was an interesting stat that showed that the Sixers have given up less, and scored more points in the fourth quarter when Samuel Dalembert is on the floor but before their last game he had only played 67 fourth quarter minutes for the season.


I'm sorry you've had to live through that so far this season. I feel for you, but the year's far from over. Maybe he'll change his mind.



> The defense will not get better with Allen Iverson because he's a poor defender, and the problems of this defense are bigger than one player.


If Iverson causes Iggy to play the 2-spot and Dalembert to get on the floor more, he will SIGNIFICANTLY help them defensively.


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## Coatesvillain (Jul 17, 2002)

VCHighFly said:


> First, let me say that I've been there, man. The biting derisiveness of your posts on the 76ers board just smack of a true fan with a terrible coach. I've been there. I'm a transplanted New Orleanian who was watching Byron Scott run my team into the ground until a few weeks ago. Just keep in mind that there will be light at the end of the tunnel. I'm pulling for you guys. I feel your pain.


That's actually a good comparison, because the Sixers also have an owner who doesn't really care about the end result. All I want is exciting basketball, and maybe just maybe get to the second round (think the Hawks) but instead it's square peg forced into round hole.



> Eventually you have to swallow your pride and play the guys who your personnel dictates you should play. He's got to learn that to have a future as a coach in this league.


Eddie Jordan has the luxury of knowing the GM is a good friend. So he's got pretty good job security.



> That switching style can work if the switching is smart and if the team has athletic defenders on the floor.


What's frustrating is when the team ignores the defense they have shown the ability to be a good defensive team, and I think switching can work in spots but I don't see the need to play that way all game. Like you said, though, it works when you rotate smart but the Sixers don't do that. They switch to double no matter who it is, and that's how Rudy Gay got the game sealing shot a few weeks back. 



> And you really feel that Green will continue to get big minutes at the 2-spot with Iverson playing the PG role?


As insane as it is to believe I think he'll have Green play the point. Iverson at the two, but Iverson will do the majority of the ball handling. For some reason Eddie Jordan LOVES Green he's played 79 minutes over the last two games. This is a player who shouldn't be seeing more than 15 minutes a night.



> They would improve when he stops playing small all the time and realizes that his best chance to win is by putting his best players on the floor.


I agree. They'd also be better if he would look at the statistics that coaches have at their expense and realize what groups of players work together, and who brings the most energy off the bench. Often times he gives lineups where he puts four or five reserves on the floor at once. It's just so amateur how he handles everything.



> I'm sorry you've had to live through that so far this season. I feel for you, but the year's far from over. Maybe he'll change his mind.


One can only hope. It's almost as if the players on the team can't overcome what he's doing, but at the same time they need to play defense as well because these guys have shown that ability in the past.



> If Iverson causes Iggy to play the 2-spot and Dalembert to get on the floor more, he will SIGNIFICANTLY help them defensively.


We'll see. We'll also see if he can get his usage rates down because if he has the ball as much as he did in the past it might actually hurt the team offensively.


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