Thursday, February 24, 2011
Posted: 7:03 p.m.
By Dei Lynam
CSNPhilly.com
On a day when there was as much movement in the NBA as a well attended Zumba class, the Sixers were passive, choosing to keep their current roster in tact.
We like our team, Doug Collins said. We are not going to do something to go sideways. We feel very strongly that we are building a nice nucleus and a core for good things to happen.
It shows that they have a lot of confidence in us and they think great of us, Thaddeus Young said. They think we are a great team and that we have proven that we can go out and compete with the best of them, so why not keep us together?
The trade deadline can be one of angst for players because while the grass may appear greener elsewhere, the team they currently play for is a known quantity. Andre Iguodala stressed over the past couple days to his younger teammates how best to handle the trade rumors that accompany this time of year.
I think we do a good job of not letting it have too much of an effect on us, Iguodala said. I try to tell the guys part of this league is trying to take care of the things you have control over. You can have control over diving after a loose ball or running a play right, or having right schemes and following through with them. Other things you dont have control over and that is one of them (trades).
NBA
Collins said it would have been difficult to add a new piece to the Sixers with just 25 games to play because his system requires unselfishness and the acceptance of given roles. The core of Collins bench are talented enough to be starters, but they sacrifice for the good of the group.
How does it all fit? Elton Brand could be a 20-point scorer but is his extra five worth taking away from the balance of our team and the answer is no and hes been good with that, Collins explained. Andre Iguodala could score more. A lot of our guys could score more. I mean, Thad Young and Lou Williams are two of our best players and theyve been great coming off the bench and doing what they do. None of this works unless the players feel good about how we are trying to do it.
The Sixers have the highest scoring bench in the NBA. The core trio of Young, Williams, and Evan Turner understand their responsibility to maintain their teams lead if not build on it when their numbers are called.
When we touch the court we have probably watched the first eight minutes of the game, Young said. You realize what is going to break them down, what is going to slow them down and where we need to be to get out in transition. That is great for usme, Lou and Evan, we are the key guys on that second unit so we have to get in there and take over games.
Young and Williams are two of five Sixers averaging double figures in points. There are actually just six players in the NBA that average 12 points or more while starting 10 or fewer games this season. Williams and Young are among them, so too are the last two winners of the Sixth Man AwardDallass Jason Terry (15.8) and Atlantas Jamal Crawford (15.1).
I said going in Lou could be our Jamal Crawford, Collins said of his preseason prediction of Williams year. And, Thad has been amazing I mean last night he had 18 (points) and 10 (rebounds). He has also taken on such a leadership role which I love like the other day the guys were jack potting around and I started to say something and he said coach we got it. Were alright.
The reason the Sixers have a chance to reach the .500 mark Friday night with a win over Detroit is because, as Collins tells it, his team plays to its strengths as well as any team in the NBA. Should their record be 29-29 after playing the Pistons tomorrow it will be the first time the Sixers record is even since Nov. 11, 2009, when they were 4-4. Before that, that last time was on the final day of the 2008-09 season, when they beat the Cavs in overtime to finish with a 41-41 record.
We want to get to 30 wins before we get to 30 losses. If we get these next two games that would make us 9-3 for the month, Collins said.
We havent been there in a while so it is definitely time to get back there and have winning ways and get back to the playoffs, Young added.
The Sixers are assured a winning record for February. It will be their third consecutive winning month, which has not happened since 2000-01 season. One more indication this team is moving in the right direction.
E-mail Dei Lynam at dlynam@comcastsportsnet.com
Related: Dei-Tales: Sixers impressed by new division PGsBuy Sixers gear