Sixers Follow Big Win with Two Bad Losses
When there’s not much to talk about in the sports world, fans tend to nitpick. Needing more time with my brackets and something to post, that’s about all I have today.
I caught the end of the Sixers game last night, and saw a great fourth quarter comeback against the Jazz. It was a bit frustrating to see after what I thought was a signature win against the Celtics on Friday night.
I was willing to overlook the drubbing they took the next night in Milwaukee. It bothered me a little bit to hear Doug Collins say that he told his assistants that he could see in the players’ eyes that they just didn’t have it. But I could live with it. Milwaukee was their fourth game in five nights and right after a huge win. Ok, young core showing their youth; I get it.
But the next game, I think, has to be a win against a so-so, leaning toward bad, Utah Jazz team.
I expected a little fire out of Collins after the game. Instead, the head coach said, “Tough loss, but I told our guys after the game if there’s anything we learned is that if we’re not blue-collar tough and give great effort all the time we can’t beat anybody.”
Again, it’s a slow day and I’m nitpicking, but I need a little more fire than that. I get that Collins is doing the second time around thing, using the love approach over the fire-and-brimstone act. And it’s great. I’m enjoying having a great coach for my favorite basketball team, and possibly my favorite team, period.
But they just beat the Boston Celtics, a team this city can’t wait to care enough to despise again. Following that up with two bad losses might have been the time to give the team a little kick in the tail. I’m not saying he should have thrown anybody under the bus, but something to wake them up a bit might have been appropriate.
Big turnarounds and big wins bring expectations. I’m just saying maybe the team needs a reminder of that. Maybe some players need to hear it for the first time.
I caught the end of the Sixers game last night, and saw a great fourth quarter comeback against the Jazz. It was a bit frustrating to see after what I thought was a signature win against the Celtics on Friday night.
I was willing to overlook the drubbing they took the next night in Milwaukee. It bothered me a little bit to hear Doug Collins say that he told his assistants that he could see in the players’ eyes that they just didn’t have it. But I could live with it. Milwaukee was their fourth game in five nights and right after a huge win. Ok, young core showing their youth; I get it.
But the next game, I think, has to be a win against a so-so, leaning toward bad, Utah Jazz team.
I expected a little fire out of Collins after the game. Instead, the head coach said, “Tough loss, but I told our guys after the game if there’s anything we learned is that if we’re not blue-collar tough and give great effort all the time we can’t beat anybody.”
Again, it’s a slow day and I’m nitpicking, but I need a little more fire than that. I get that Collins is doing the second time around thing, using the love approach over the fire-and-brimstone act. And it’s great. I’m enjoying having a great coach for my favorite basketball team, and possibly my favorite team, period.
But they just beat the Boston Celtics, a team this city can’t wait to care enough to despise again. Following that up with two bad losses might have been the time to give the team a little kick in the tail. I’m not saying he should have thrown anybody under the bus, but something to wake them up a bit might have been appropriate.
Big turnarounds and big wins bring expectations. I’m just saying maybe the team needs a reminder of that. Maybe some players need to hear it for the first time.
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