Padrino
All-Star
Cheeks going back to basics on defense
By Joe Juliano
Inquirer Staff Writer
The 76ers are 35 games into the season, and their coach says they need to return to the fundamentals of playing defense.
Allen Iverson says the Sixers are doing a lot of things wrong.
Chris Webber says he's not sure whether the team knows itself yet, more than three months after starting training camp.
"We're not happy," Webber said.
Nevertheless, coach Maurice Cheeks introduced "Defense 101" to his team yesterday at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. The Sixers spent more than 21/2 hours watching tape and working on playing, positioning and communicating at the defensive end.
As a player, this stuff came rather easily to Cheeks, the 76ers' all-time leader in steals. As a coach, though, it has proved to be tougher to get through to players what he wants defensively.
"There's no substitute for effort, and that's how we're going to get better," Cheeks said. "The harder we practice it, the harder we play it, the better we'll get at it.
"It's got to be more repetitious on the defensive side. Today was a more concerted effort on the defensive end. It's going over repetitions, of getting guys in the right positions, getting some talking out on the floor, just getting guys to understand what they need to do in terms of being a better defensive team."
The urgency follows a week in which the Sixers allowed two teams to establish season highs for field-goal percentage against them. The Los Angeles Lakers converted 58.5 percent of their shots last Friday, and the Utah Jazz topped that with a 58.8 percent mark on Wednesday.
After the Jazz game, Iverson said the Sixers were doing a "lot of things" wrong and that the main problem was defense "99 percent of the time."
Before they met the Lakers, the Sixers ranked 18th in the NBA in field-goal-percentage defense and 27th in points allowed. Their standing since then has dropped to 24th (46.2 percent field-goal shooting by opponents) and 29th (102.3 points allowed).
"We just have to play team defense," Webber said. "When we talk about playing together, it just means as a team defensively. If there are mismatches defensively, just help each other out and stop the problem before it becomes a problem."
When asked if he has ever been on a team on which the wheels have come off like they have for the Sixers, Webber replied, "I'm sure I have. But on a team with this much talent, I don't think so."
In discussing Utah, Webber said the Jazz "know themselves." When asked if the Sixers knew themselves, he answered, "I'm not sure."
But Webber wasn't all gloom and doom. He said he can see a time, maybe as soon as tonight, when the Boston Celtics visit the Wachovia Center, when the Sixers get things together.
"It's just playing together, and I have no doubt we'll do that," he said. "I have no doubt that we'll better our [17-18] record."
Perhaps motivated by pride, or embarrassment, or having to spend another 21/2 hours going over defense, the Sixers would like to do that.
Election returns. Iverson remains the top vote-getter among Eastern Conference guards in voting for the 2006 NBA All-Star Game. Iverson has attracted more than 1.54 million votes, with Miami's Dwyane Wade in second. Webber is fourth among forwards (434,637 votes).
West's star rising. Celtics point guard Delonte West, who played his college ball at St. Joseph's, is on a tear. In his last 11 games, he is averaging 15.1 points, 5.0 rebounds and 5.1 assists.
http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/sports/basketball/nba/13614042.htm
whether cheeks' strategy works or not, someone should email this to rick adelman...
By Joe Juliano
Inquirer Staff Writer
The 76ers are 35 games into the season, and their coach says they need to return to the fundamentals of playing defense.
Allen Iverson says the Sixers are doing a lot of things wrong.
Chris Webber says he's not sure whether the team knows itself yet, more than three months after starting training camp.
"We're not happy," Webber said.
Nevertheless, coach Maurice Cheeks introduced "Defense 101" to his team yesterday at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. The Sixers spent more than 21/2 hours watching tape and working on playing, positioning and communicating at the defensive end.
As a player, this stuff came rather easily to Cheeks, the 76ers' all-time leader in steals. As a coach, though, it has proved to be tougher to get through to players what he wants defensively.
"There's no substitute for effort, and that's how we're going to get better," Cheeks said. "The harder we practice it, the harder we play it, the better we'll get at it.
"It's got to be more repetitious on the defensive side. Today was a more concerted effort on the defensive end. It's going over repetitions, of getting guys in the right positions, getting some talking out on the floor, just getting guys to understand what they need to do in terms of being a better defensive team."
The urgency follows a week in which the Sixers allowed two teams to establish season highs for field-goal percentage against them. The Los Angeles Lakers converted 58.5 percent of their shots last Friday, and the Utah Jazz topped that with a 58.8 percent mark on Wednesday.
After the Jazz game, Iverson said the Sixers were doing a "lot of things" wrong and that the main problem was defense "99 percent of the time."
Before they met the Lakers, the Sixers ranked 18th in the NBA in field-goal-percentage defense and 27th in points allowed. Their standing since then has dropped to 24th (46.2 percent field-goal shooting by opponents) and 29th (102.3 points allowed).
"We just have to play team defense," Webber said. "When we talk about playing together, it just means as a team defensively. If there are mismatches defensively, just help each other out and stop the problem before it becomes a problem."
When asked if he has ever been on a team on which the wheels have come off like they have for the Sixers, Webber replied, "I'm sure I have. But on a team with this much talent, I don't think so."
In discussing Utah, Webber said the Jazz "know themselves." When asked if the Sixers knew themselves, he answered, "I'm not sure."
But Webber wasn't all gloom and doom. He said he can see a time, maybe as soon as tonight, when the Boston Celtics visit the Wachovia Center, when the Sixers get things together.
"It's just playing together, and I have no doubt we'll do that," he said. "I have no doubt that we'll better our [17-18] record."
Perhaps motivated by pride, or embarrassment, or having to spend another 21/2 hours going over defense, the Sixers would like to do that.
Election returns. Iverson remains the top vote-getter among Eastern Conference guards in voting for the 2006 NBA All-Star Game. Iverson has attracted more than 1.54 million votes, with Miami's Dwyane Wade in second. Webber is fourth among forwards (434,637 votes).
West's star rising. Celtics point guard Delonte West, who played his college ball at St. Joseph's, is on a tear. In his last 11 games, he is averaging 15.1 points, 5.0 rebounds and 5.1 assists.
http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/sports/basketball/nba/13614042.htm
whether cheeks' strategy works or not, someone should email this to rick adelman...
