Welcome back to early November. Yay.
Boxscore
Casspi ( D ) -- had a little life to start, but completely disappeared after half, and ineffective on defense as well. Splashed in a three to start, stepped out of bounds on a d-rebound, followed with a hoop in the paint. Pretty good all around first stint. But forgotten about offensively as the shots were divied up amongst the other starters, and never did anything else to make you take notice. Finally got another shot in the third and blew on open three courtesy of Reke's penetration. Not able to stop Young on defense in 4th. Probably should have lost some of his minutes to Donte, because just wasn't helping.
Thompson ( B+ ) -- deceptively big numbers, but still a return to some form here and while it seemed to effect Reke the opposite way, maybe the return home was just what was needed to get Jason going once again. Started the game shakily, getting beat on defense by both Iggy and Young, dropping a little post move, and then getting blocked on a drive that ended up bounding to Kevin for the open three. Was aggressive in front of the home fans but results were on and off -- had a follow dunk, then missed a jumper, then airballed a hook. Turned it over at the end of the first. Back in and hit the side jumper. Started the third with the alley oop from Reke and got very active on the boards on both ends of the court. Had defensive issues no matter who he was guarding, but came up with 3 blocks of his own suprising the constant stream of penetrating Sixers. Dunk off a pass from Hawes at the 3:20 mark was kind of his last hurrah, and maybe the last time when it looked like we had any real chance to steal what was a poor game for us. 19pts 16rebs 5ast 3blks...it was a great stat line. But merely a good game. Hopefully good enough to shake him out of his slump.
Hawes ( B- ) -- semi-aggressive game for Spencer, although Dalmebert dominated the matchup. Started off blowing a chippee layup, but it got called goaltending and went into the scoring column anyway. Hit on a side jumper. Back in to start the second and had a shot blocked by Brand (adn could not stop him the other way). A nice little reverse hit. Came out in the third and benefitted from a new Philly strategy as they started to double Kevin because of Iverson's inept defense, and Specner was the guy left open. Kevin hit him repeatedly, and being Spencer that of course meant three point shots (I'm not sure if it occurred to Spencer that if he instead went down inside that would a) prevent Kevin from being doubled so easily, and b) mean that if they did double off of him he would be open 10 feet from the hoop). An alley oop from Evans sent him to the line, and one of several tims he flew to the hoop aggressively during the game. Good pass to Thompson for the dunk at the 3:20 mark, but came back to brick an ill advised three at the 2:45 mark as we slid away. As often occurs in these writeups, that's mostly offensive stuff. On the other side got outrebounded 12-6 and I am not sure Dalmebert or Brand (a combined 13-15) missed a single shot while he was guarding them. So a soft game by Spencer, but at least a semi-effective one.
Martin ( B- ) -- watched this one closely of course, and Kevin really looked pretty just like Kevin. No real noticeable rust. No real change positive or negative in his game. I do think as it went along that maybe he pulled down the ball a few times on things that he would normally shoot -- perhaps a conscious awareness of not taking all the shots. But then again maybe he just wasn't feeling confident off of the long layoff. So here's the semi play by play -- you can make up tour own mind:
lost Iverson on defense to start, missed his first shot off a screen, then had a three hit in his face by Wiliams. Beat Iverson and then blew the layup. On and off defense on Iverson who repeatedly got int he lane but could not finish. Got his first hit on an open three, but came back down and got caught on a pick and did not fight through it allowing penetration again. Used his size to post Iverson to get to the rim. Hit a side jumper. Bad pass turnover. Started the 2nd drawing a foul. Grabbed a d-board. Traveled. In and out three. Got back to back illegal screens set against him (although ont he secodn he jsut appeared to trip over Dalmebert's foot). Some more moments of shaky defense, caught on picks, not getting back. Had a near steal near the close of the 2nd out of some zone defense up top. Started the third missing a shot, then hit a pair of FTs. Did not get down to pick up a loose ball. Did his run into the guy and draw a foul thing on Iverson to take lead in third. Actually started to get doubled and passed it to Hawes for open jumpers. Another create contact on Iverson. An open three. Iverson more effective when Kevin was not there. Picked off a bad pass in open court then missed the leaning jumper. Could not hit in early 4th. Returned at the 5:30 for Beno. Bad defense on Iverson at the 4;45 mark. Traveled at the 4:30 mark. Helped create a turnover at the 4:03 mark. Nothing thereafter.
So whadya think? I think...it was Kevin. A few less shots than normal. But otherwise played his game. I would argue his presence disrupted a number of our players, which BTW would be predictable with almost any major player coming back. But Kevin himself? Largely played a familiar game: 19pts 3rebs 2ast. If there was a disappointment it would just have been that I had assumed that he was going to be really bearing down on defense trying to prove the naysayers wrong -- but while he sometimes cut off Iverson, he was also still sometimes lazy and did not do much of a job fighting through picks or recovering once beat. That of course will bear watching.
Evans ( D- ) -- nice take to start, and one of the last nice moments he would have. Should have passed it on a break where he took it all the way into traffic and had it deflected out of bounds. Drive but got it blocked by Young. Forcing drives to no effect in there. Nothing falling at the rim again. Finally got to the line near the end of the half, followed with another layup. Started the third with a pair of FTs, but soon was back to the struggle. Sixers did a nice job closing down the lane on him, but he was also ovepenetrating, and the passes he kicked out were often late. Began to get a little furstrated I think and tried the jumper -- that wasn't going either. Picked up a breakaway foul after returning in the 4th. Took it on the break at 5:00 mark finally getting to the hoop. Turned it over at the 3:50 mark on the drive. Steal but missed layup at 1:15. Defense on the night was unusually spotty -- some good plays, 3 steals, but also got picked and beat an unusal amoount of times for him. Note that both Philly's guards are very quick. Saved the F here largely because his assist number should have been higher -- Omri in particular seems to have taken it upon himself to brick any wide open shot Reke creates for him. Final note: when reke's family was in town for the holidays, he played a poor game against the Lakers, and then got hurt. I jokingly said at the time that I did not want them visiting anymore. Now he returns home and again struggles. Wonder if they hop the train to see him in Washington tommorow?
Boxscore
Casspi ( D ) -- had a little life to start, but completely disappeared after half, and ineffective on defense as well. Splashed in a three to start, stepped out of bounds on a d-rebound, followed with a hoop in the paint. Pretty good all around first stint. But forgotten about offensively as the shots were divied up amongst the other starters, and never did anything else to make you take notice. Finally got another shot in the third and blew on open three courtesy of Reke's penetration. Not able to stop Young on defense in 4th. Probably should have lost some of his minutes to Donte, because just wasn't helping.
Thompson ( B+ ) -- deceptively big numbers, but still a return to some form here and while it seemed to effect Reke the opposite way, maybe the return home was just what was needed to get Jason going once again. Started the game shakily, getting beat on defense by both Iggy and Young, dropping a little post move, and then getting blocked on a drive that ended up bounding to Kevin for the open three. Was aggressive in front of the home fans but results were on and off -- had a follow dunk, then missed a jumper, then airballed a hook. Turned it over at the end of the first. Back in and hit the side jumper. Started the third with the alley oop from Reke and got very active on the boards on both ends of the court. Had defensive issues no matter who he was guarding, but came up with 3 blocks of his own suprising the constant stream of penetrating Sixers. Dunk off a pass from Hawes at the 3:20 mark was kind of his last hurrah, and maybe the last time when it looked like we had any real chance to steal what was a poor game for us. 19pts 16rebs 5ast 3blks...it was a great stat line. But merely a good game. Hopefully good enough to shake him out of his slump.
Hawes ( B- ) -- semi-aggressive game for Spencer, although Dalmebert dominated the matchup. Started off blowing a chippee layup, but it got called goaltending and went into the scoring column anyway. Hit on a side jumper. Back in to start the second and had a shot blocked by Brand (adn could not stop him the other way). A nice little reverse hit. Came out in the third and benefitted from a new Philly strategy as they started to double Kevin because of Iverson's inept defense, and Specner was the guy left open. Kevin hit him repeatedly, and being Spencer that of course meant three point shots (I'm not sure if it occurred to Spencer that if he instead went down inside that would a) prevent Kevin from being doubled so easily, and b) mean that if they did double off of him he would be open 10 feet from the hoop). An alley oop from Evans sent him to the line, and one of several tims he flew to the hoop aggressively during the game. Good pass to Thompson for the dunk at the 3:20 mark, but came back to brick an ill advised three at the 2:45 mark as we slid away. As often occurs in these writeups, that's mostly offensive stuff. On the other side got outrebounded 12-6 and I am not sure Dalmebert or Brand (a combined 13-15) missed a single shot while he was guarding them. So a soft game by Spencer, but at least a semi-effective one.
Martin ( B- ) -- watched this one closely of course, and Kevin really looked pretty just like Kevin. No real noticeable rust. No real change positive or negative in his game. I do think as it went along that maybe he pulled down the ball a few times on things that he would normally shoot -- perhaps a conscious awareness of not taking all the shots. But then again maybe he just wasn't feeling confident off of the long layoff. So here's the semi play by play -- you can make up tour own mind:
lost Iverson on defense to start, missed his first shot off a screen, then had a three hit in his face by Wiliams. Beat Iverson and then blew the layup. On and off defense on Iverson who repeatedly got int he lane but could not finish. Got his first hit on an open three, but came back down and got caught on a pick and did not fight through it allowing penetration again. Used his size to post Iverson to get to the rim. Hit a side jumper. Bad pass turnover. Started the 2nd drawing a foul. Grabbed a d-board. Traveled. In and out three. Got back to back illegal screens set against him (although ont he secodn he jsut appeared to trip over Dalmebert's foot). Some more moments of shaky defense, caught on picks, not getting back. Had a near steal near the close of the 2nd out of some zone defense up top. Started the third missing a shot, then hit a pair of FTs. Did not get down to pick up a loose ball. Did his run into the guy and draw a foul thing on Iverson to take lead in third. Actually started to get doubled and passed it to Hawes for open jumpers. Another create contact on Iverson. An open three. Iverson more effective when Kevin was not there. Picked off a bad pass in open court then missed the leaning jumper. Could not hit in early 4th. Returned at the 5:30 for Beno. Bad defense on Iverson at the 4;45 mark. Traveled at the 4:30 mark. Helped create a turnover at the 4:03 mark. Nothing thereafter.
So whadya think? I think...it was Kevin. A few less shots than normal. But otherwise played his game. I would argue his presence disrupted a number of our players, which BTW would be predictable with almost any major player coming back. But Kevin himself? Largely played a familiar game: 19pts 3rebs 2ast. If there was a disappointment it would just have been that I had assumed that he was going to be really bearing down on defense trying to prove the naysayers wrong -- but while he sometimes cut off Iverson, he was also still sometimes lazy and did not do much of a job fighting through picks or recovering once beat. That of course will bear watching.
Evans ( D- ) -- nice take to start, and one of the last nice moments he would have. Should have passed it on a break where he took it all the way into traffic and had it deflected out of bounds. Drive but got it blocked by Young. Forcing drives to no effect in there. Nothing falling at the rim again. Finally got to the line near the end of the half, followed with another layup. Started the third with a pair of FTs, but soon was back to the struggle. Sixers did a nice job closing down the lane on him, but he was also ovepenetrating, and the passes he kicked out were often late. Began to get a little furstrated I think and tried the jumper -- that wasn't going either. Picked up a breakaway foul after returning in the 4th. Took it on the break at 5:00 mark finally getting to the hoop. Turned it over at the 3:50 mark on the drive. Steal but missed layup at 1:15. Defense on the night was unusually spotty -- some good plays, 3 steals, but also got picked and beat an unusal amoount of times for him. Note that both Philly's guards are very quick. Saved the F here largely because his assist number should have been higher -- Omri in particular seems to have taken it upon himself to brick any wide open shot Reke creates for him. Final note: when reke's family was in town for the holidays, he played a poor game against the Lakers, and then got hurt. I jokingly said at the time that I did not want them visiting anymore. Now he returns home and again struggles. Wonder if they hop the train to see him in Washington tommorow?
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