Man, does Mo' Cheeks have a project on his hands. The Sixers have about as much chance of making the playoffs this year as the Celtics did last season. And that's not a total knock on Philly - it's just a reflection of the inconsistency that a squad of young "upside" players brings to the table. Sure, they have Andre Miller (who had his best game of the season tonight) and the immortal Kevin Ollie, but for every great play the young guys make, a rookie mistake is sure to follow. In the second half, the Celtics applied themselves and took advantage of gaps in the Philadelphia defense to drain the young Sixers.The Fox Pelt tonight goes to the bench - Posey hit some HUGE shots in the second half and really showed what he's capable of. House came off the bench firing and posted an impressive 15 points. The Oversized Infant refuses to be intimidated by larger defenders and keeps attacking the basket and hitting the glass. I've expressed numerous concerns about this team's depth, but it seems like Rivers has developed a substitution formula that works. It's a decent group top to bottom - I don't feel uncomfortable with Pollard on the floor, Scal does what Scal does, Powe is looking like a garbage time player for Doc this year but I don't question his intensity for a minute. And speaking on intensity - Tony Allen does indeed freak me out every time he touches the ball, but he's getting back some of his physical gifts as the season (and healing) progresses. This should equate to a brighter future with fewer stupid turnovers from trying to do too much (we hope).
Paul had 12 dimes tonight - showing just how effective he can be when he draws the defense and kicks it. And let me also commend Eastern Conference Coach of the Month Doc Rivers for making the halftime readjustments to come out and shut down the Sixers in the third stanza. Just a great job on both ends of the floor.
Everyone should enjoy this win like a batch of holiday cookies. Savor the moment and feel free to indulge. There will be several more nights like this (including 6 of the next 8 at home) before Santa Claus comes to town. And when he does, he'll have a nice west coast road trip all wrapped up with a shiny bow.
1 comment:
Have to commend Glenn for sticking with House down the stretch, too, as Rondo had a bad game and was worked over by Miller most of the night. Also, a final plea - Philly, PLEASE PLAY TRANSITION OFFENSE! You have Igoudala and Louis Williams, for christ's sake! Run, run, run. Sorry, but I just hate it when adequate teams totally misuse their strengths.
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