I'm doing the same thing I did last time, this time just addressing what happened in this game instead of the over-view.
Kedrick Brown - DNP. He was scheduled to sit down so O'Brien could see other players in extended minutes.
Samuel Dalember - Came off the bench, he wasn't really aggressive in this game. He really needs to improve on his consistency, it's obvious he's still struggling to grasp O'Brien's defensive schemes.
Josh Davis - He plays his best ball when he's at PF, which is usally against lesser talent. He's a good story but his three point shot is still consistently falling short, I hope one of these times he takes a step inside the line before shooting. Did a good job of hustling, dived on the ground for a key rebound to end the game.
Willie Green - It's about time, but it looks like we're seeing the Willie Green we were expecting. While he was blocked by Tim Duncan, I loved the aggressiveness he showed when he tried to slam on the former MVP. Confidence has definitely come back, and I think Iguodala's play has pushed Willie to try and win the starting SG spot. Also he looks a lot more comfortable now running the show than in the first Toronto game. He finally has made the adjustment to defensive rule changes, and stayed out of foul trouble.
Andre Iguodala - He was the guy I wanted all along in the draft, and I'm happy he's playing very well or I'd be looking bad. He's a very fundamentally sound player, and more than anything else he lets the game come to him. Steve Mix noted in the game that the coaches worked on Iguodala's elevation on his jumpshot, and right now his shot is looking a lot better. The fact that his offense has come along so early, put that with the defense he's been a very pleasant surprise for the Sixers. When he hit that three pointer to clinch the game, it was one of those moments that you can tell a guy gets it. Iggy is going to be very good.
Allen Iverson - Left the game in the third quarter with a back sprain. He was controlled, and ran things well, cut down on the silly turnovers that he ran rampant with last game. While he didn't have a great shooting night, he hit shots when he needed to, and as always he found his way to the foul line.
Marc Jackson - If you ever watch Jackson play you wonder if you're watching a basketball game or listening to the sound effects from a Godzilla movie. Jackson is the team's best offensive rebounder, finds a way to get to the line. Following his play so far, I definitely think he should find his way into the starting lineup, if not he has to be one of the first big men off the bench.
Kyle Korver - He's one of those guys who you always have to believe that his next shot will go down. He went through a span where he missed three straight, and then he hit three straight including two three pointers. He's still productive on defense, and it looks to be something he's strong at for the duration of the season.
Aaron McKie - Didn't play much, and didn't do anything really to stand out. On defense he will get beat on the first step by any offensive player in the league.
Kevin Ollie - DNP, like Kedrick Brown he was a planned sitdown so other players could get more burn.
Glenn Robinson - I saw it with my own eyes.. Glenn Robinson got floor burns diving for a loose ball. He's making an effort on defense, and he's still getting touches in the lowpost against smaller defenders and this will always be a mismatch. The team should just limit his dribbles don't give him the ball on an island unless you want him to shoot it, he can't handle the ball worth a lick and will loose it off his foot.
John Salmons - Played a solid game, running point, SG, and SF. Still has shaky handles, drained a couple big jumpers. I wonder if it's enough to legitimately earn him minutes.
Brian Skinner - Like McKie, Brian Skinner will get beat on the first step by almost anyone. This game he didn't get much playing time, but he was pretty unimpressive, getting lost at times on defense, and not pulling down enough rebounds.
Kenny Thomas - DNP, sat out with a back sprain.
Corliss Williamson - If Corliss is on the court, you better want him to score because he's not going to be doing very much else. He's a great sparkplug and should come off the bench, in this game his defensive ineptitude was enhanced because of the constant size mismatch. If we're going to play him it has to be more or less at the SF where he can maximize his mismatch.
Overall - The defense looks like it's better, but a lot of the headway was made when San Antonio sat Duncan and Parker. Early in the game there was a problem, once a player for the Spurs spotted up on the wing they had an open shot whenever they wanted. The interior defense was improved and they forced the Spurs to have a rough game. Brent Barry always had a hand in his face which was a huge part of his bad night.
The depth on this team is amazing, it shows when we play one of the better teams in the league and go to the bench and we have more players who can play. Now like many Sixers teams there are points where points just run dry, and that's a stigma that I think will never be lost.
Boxscore.
Recap.
Recap on 76ers/Spurs..
Linear Mode
