WASHINGTONTogetherness is a big deal even in a normal NBA season, but shrink it down to two weeks of practice before squeezing 66 games into 122 days, and togetherness is just as important as weak-side defense.
So with another year together with the three fingers in the air to indicate, Show ya luv, the theory is the Sixers will be a tough team to play against because of their familiarity with one another. After Friday nights 103-78 pasting of the Washington Wizards in the exhibition debut at the Verizon Center, the Sixers certainly did not dissuade anyone from that theory.
The Sixers forced 20 turnovers and shot better than 50 percent from the floor, including 8 for 17 from three-point range as they built a 40-point lead during the third quarter of the game. Better yet, the Sixers owned the glass, held the Wizards to 33 percent shooting and had 24 assists on 39 baskets.
Head coach Doug Collins could not have dreamed a better scenario than the teams effort on Friday night.
Our defense was terrific, Collins said. We were quick, we helped each other out, we made the extra passwe had 24 assistsin the fourth quarter we struggled to run some offense, but I thought our defense was great. We moved the ball well.
Certainly the numbers are skewed because its still just preseason, but the Sixers bench outscored the starters 58-45. Those numbers will likely flip-flop during the regular-season, but expect the bench to pile up some numbers.
In other words, the 76ers looked tight-knit.
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Its preseason so we dont want to read too much into it, but we have 12 guys who can run our offensive sets, said veteran Elton Brand, who scored 11 points in 19 minutes. Thats why the cohesion is there, thats where it came from. The core guys have been together and we know our roles.
Collins surmised that the team simply likes to be together.
I thought we had a great countenance, he said. I think our guys felt good being with each other.
Noting that Collins has not yet installed the teams full playbook and did not scout or have his guys break down video of the Wizards before the game, the Sixers still looked sharp. Meanwhile, it makes one wonder what would have happened in the game if the Sixers had gone through the normal types of game preparation.
We were sharp, Collins said. We came out of a timeout and assistant coach Jeff Capel told our guys they didnt have one deflection in the first four minutes of the game. We went out and got five in the next three minutes. I think we had 19 at halftime.
Lou Williams came off the bench to score 19 points on 7 of 10 shooting, while Evan Turner had 16 and Spencer Hawes had 14. Jrue Holiday and Thad Young also posted double digits in the scoring column.
Interestingly, Andre Iguodala shot 0 for 6 for a goose egg on the scoring ledger, while first-round draft pick Nikola Vucevic missed all four of the shots he took in his NBA debut. However, Iguodala and Vucevic led the team with five assists.
You can look down the box score and youll see Andre Iguodala didnt score, but he had his fingerprints all over the game, Collins said. Thats what he can do.
Still, it was the cohesiveness and unselfishness of the Sixers victory that was the most impressive part of the night. With little turnover on a roster that closed the season with the second-best record in the East over the final 66 games (38-28) of last season, the Sixers familiarity with each other could breed a lot of contempt from the opposition.
To be sure, there wont be a lot of teams excited to face the Sixers this season.
Thats what were banking on, Collins said. We hope we can come out of the gate a little quicker because were opening up on the road for the first five on the west coast. Its going to be tough as heck, so we have to be ready. The thing I was happy about is you dont know what your conditioning is going to be and I was happy with our conditioning.
Next, the Sixers will return to work on Sunday with a public scrimmage at the Palestra. Theyll practice again on Monday and then will close out the two-game exhibition season against the Wizards on Tuesday night in Philadelphia against the Wizards.
E-mail John R. Finger at jfinger@comcastsportsnet.com.