To hear Hubie Brown tell it, the Sixers arent so much slumping as finding their level.
They lost again Sunday night, this time by a 93-76 score in San Antonio (see story), and coupled with Bostons victory over Washington saw their Atlantic Division lead over the Celtics reduced to a half-game once more. The Sixers are 7-13 since their 20-9 start. And troubling as that might be to their fans, Brownthe ESPN game analyst and former Hall of Fame coachbelieves it is a matter of things evening out.
Just 13 of those first 29 games came against teams currently sporting a winning record, while 14 of the last 20 have fallen into that category. And as Brown noted before working the Sixers victory over Boston last Friday night in the Wells Fargo Center, their strengths (i.e., running and slashing) are minimized by good teams, while their weaknesses (the absence of a low-post scorer and consistent sniper) are accentuated.
The result is a team that has been locked in too many halfcourt tug-of-wars, games it is ill-equipped to win. The Sixers seldom get to the rim in such games, seldom get to the foul line; their 18 free throws a night are fewest in the league. And they cant make enough jumpers to compensate.
But its better to let Hubie tell it. Then again, its always better to let Hubie tell it, in a rat-a-tat delivery as well-suited for a clinic as a broadcast.
When you look at this as a coach, whats happening? the 78-year-old asked, as he met with a reporter outside the Sixers locker room.
And yeah, thats part of Hubies distinctive style, tooasking a question and offering an immediate answer.
Well, he continued, were not getting to the line. Why? Because you cant get to the rim. Two things now: Low-post game, as of right now, non-existent. No. 2: Cant get into the paint in the halfcourt setsnot in transition, the halfcourt set and get to the line and get fouled. So when youre losing games like this at the end, this is whats happening.
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Then he went all Painted Area on his visitor. Not paintPainted Area. Its one of his go-to phrases.
If theyre going to get it done from now to the end, the Painted Area, whether you get there on the post-ups or off the dribble, and second-chance points, youve got to be able to do that, he said. You say, Why? Because thats where you get fouled. Thats where you get the three-point play. Then, if you shoot and miss, down in that Painted Area, once you get the second-chance opportunity, youre within eight to 10 feet of the basket. Thats where you get fouled and get second chances.
Its pretty damn simple, when you look at it that way. But again, the good teamsthe teams that are organized and committed to playing good defensedont let opponents do simple things.
When youre playing the bad teams, you blow right by the perimeter guys, you get down inside, Brown said. They make a mistake in their defensive rotation, you hand it off, you get a layup. Against the plus-.500s, you dont blow by these people.The Sixers dont get to the line. Theyre not scoring points in the paint.
It has often been noted that the Sixers face a tough schedule down the stretch, with 11 of their 17 remaining games on the road (including nine of the last 11). But just seven of those 17 games are against teams currently above .500. In other words, it is not inconceivable that they could turn things around.
But Brown thinks theres a little more to it than that.
Theyre a young team, Brown said. They just need success now in the last 20, against a couple of plus-.500s, to get the confidence back. Because young kids play with so much more energy and enthusiasm when they have that little bit of swagger. But in this current stretch, I would say theyre tentative. Tentatives a nice word. Theyre a little tentative.
And long-term, he doesnt believe wholesale roster changes are in order. Not yet, anyway.
You cant go that far, because theyre so young, he said. Youve got to give them a chance to develop, and develop their games.
Right now, they just need to develop some positive momentum. And in the process, perhaps, find a new level.
Gordie Jones is an award-winning journalist who has worked in the Philadelphia market for 28 years. He also co-authored a book about the 76ers' 1982-83 championship team with former Sixers general manager Pat Williams.