Hoops

36ers vs Blaze

Team balance killed us in this one. See my full review

http://36reasons.blogspot.com/2011/11/what-was-that-all-about.html

We all know that DJ is suspect on D but he is slowly getting better. Personally I wish he'd speed that up because he is a player who could dominate this league if he got his D working. He's shown that he is a big threat on offense and it helps that he's 6'11½. He may not have the body strength of Helliwell but I think if he put on some muscle he'd lose a bit of quickness and its that speed for a big man that makes him dangerous with the ball in his hands because he can either drive to the hoop or go with his good mid-range shot (anyone else notice that on offense he plays a lot like former Tiger team mate Chris Anstey?) It was good to see him drive through the key a couple of times on Saturday night even though he didn't get the buckets but he did draw a foul each time.

Weigh and his 30+ minutes a game has been done to death. We all know the story so I'm not going to add to it when my views are the same as many others.

If Warren wasn't assigned to cover Deleon on Saturday then who should have been? Darren Ng did a decent job on him in the 3rd but personally I would have had Cross on him from the start and leave Warren to just worry about running the offense. Weigh had him a few times in the 1st and 2nd and Deleon was definitely 2Hard2Guard as far as Weigh was concerned.

Too many times on D we got into the trap of trying to double team but by the time the 2nd man in got there the ball was often on its way out to someone either for a 3 or inside for an easy Jam (there were a couple of those IIRC.....).

Ok, that's my rant.

" It was Joey why I came here . " I heard Deleon say
after this game . " Ya know , he came to New York and liked me and convinced me to come . I will go back there after this season. "
" Joey is a big fan of Simpson , he just told me . "
I heard Sapwell say , at this game... "And , Joey just gotta text sayen his friend was listenin to this radio
and also ,Joey wants me to go out and pull down that net right now. "
Sapwell told us.

Hmm Beantown you might be onto something there.

I've also just realised that the obvious was standing right in front of me while Anatoly Bose was shooting free throws from the foul line. The number '42' flashing like a neon light on the back of Shawn Redhage's playing singlet.

The answer is Shawn Redhage!!!!!.

By god you've hit on it Big Ads! The reason the Sixers have been struggling for so long is Isaiah Thomas! He's secretly been pulling the strings behind SOS the last three years!

Skud, I agree with this: "Theres no excuse for not playing Simpson longer. He has played more minutes in other games and putting Helliwell in for him is a complete joke. Its like your trying to lose the game."

I was scratching my head at that stint Helliwell had on the floor. We gave up several long shots while he was on, simply because he is too slow and can't close out on players. I think we had almost got back to level pegging and then all of a sudden we were down 10 again!

Very Old, I can see some similarities in Diamon and Crawford - long arms and lean-looking athletes - but Crawford was a much better leaper than Diamon. I think Diamon is a stronger, more physical player under the basket than Crawford as well. I would've said a bit more Mark Davis than Crawford, though once again, Diamon is not as mobile as the Chairman.

Whoever we compare him too, I'm glad to see him on our team though. We haven't really had an import banger like him since Dusty (and Dusty was always undersized compared to Diamon).

Clarke : " We are not getting distracted by wins and losses when you're building something. "

Sapwell : " The great teams always looked like they were enjoying it , out there .
We didn't have a play book , the years that Smyth coached us. "

I'm perplexed and once again it would appear that my late March/ early April 2012 plans will not involve making time to attend play-off games at Adelaide Areana.

I'm at a loss for an answer and I'm not going to suggest I know the answer (although the number 42 is on a continous loop in my head, which just happens to be the playing numbers for both Keegan Tudehope and David Gruber - Douglas Adams fans too I take it and, now quite disappointingly, not the answer for the Sixers).

Like many (who frequently express their opinions on this forum), the answers do however appear rather obvious. Yet the solutions are rarely delivered.

It's lack of defence, poor rotation, wrong coach, foul shooting, lack of fitness/form, poor decision-making, the umpiring, poor fan support, lack of skills or key personnel in key positions, the lack of a 'jumbotron' (TM) at the Powerhouse/Dome/Arena (and possibly soon to be named Crittenden Square Gardens) or the wrong beer served in the bars. There are many I've missed.

All the above can all be valid and plausible reasons as to why the Sixers cannot string 3-4 wins in a row at home (ok may not all, I'll let you decide which)

The Sixers program is starting to resemble the storied New York Knicks (major basketball market in a local context, a successful history but recent lack of success and a strong sentimental bond to its home court venues, fans booing.. I could go on but who really cares).

Perhaps there is an answer and as a Sixer fan I can seek counsel from my friends in New York, surely after all this time they must have an answer.

oh Adelaide v Gold Coast thread...., see above and all previous game threads in which Adelaide scored less point than their opponent.

Re Simpson - That was Radford (at halftime)
" We wanna keep him for the end of this game and Helliwell did a few solid things. "
And Sapwell ; " Simpson's not an athlete, like Williamson is. "

Spot on Mystro.

When trapping in the back court, they over-committed and failed to cover the last guy.

Sixers didn't rotate on D and got punished everytime for it.

Have to also agree with Isaac, Balls isn't getting much court time because Simpson and DJ are playing well in the 4 and 5 spots. That and that his shooting touch is way off right now is holding him back, he's not the offensive threat we know him to be ATM. Not good in the last year of a contract.

Agreed Isaac, that and the missed 3 from Warren after Ng had a hit a couple. The offence after that missed shot seemed to go nowhere.

We seem to have lapses offensively and defensively (there were alot defensively tonight) and nobody to step up and carry us in those times.

Despite the result, found the game very entertaining. Plenty of highlights, big 3's, dunks and blocks. The atmosphere was quite decent as well. Good night despite the loss.

Oh and Anon (#340232) no one that I could hear actually booed. Too many people were leaving in the last 2 minutes for there to be any really. No one booed probably because they way we played we were never in the game really despite the efforts of Ng, DJ and Simpson (DJ and Simpson were again the standouts on defense but 2 players defending doesn't win ball games).

Just watching the replay (4th, down 82-74) and from where I was sitting you have to give credit to Deleon. Damn that guy is good. Some of his shots defied belief

And just heard, DJ and Simpson AGAIN got double double's tonight. Pity their efforts are being wasted.

Did someone mention the 36ers defense? I was there tonight and Adelaide's defense was almost non-existent at times. Almost every time we got close the Blaze seemed to either find an easy way to the hoop or found someone free outside the arc.

Ng, DJ and Simpson were the standouts and for The Doc hopefully its the start of more court time. Weigh seriously needs to work on his defense and his shot selection. Balls worked hard but every time he even looked like getting into the game he got subbed out (which says that Clarke's rotations once again sucked or that he is not really fit.....probably both). Cross and Helliwell spent too much time warming their seats to be effective (Wade did well when he was on IMO but once again was reduced to being mostly a spectator by Clarke).

What killed us though other than being turnstiles when Blaze players had the ball was woeful foul shooting. It might have been closer (or even a win) if we had not missed so damn many free throws. Didn't help that we got into the trap at times of trying to hit 3's to catch up but why shoot when there are 2 or 3 of the opposition under the basket and none of your team mates? Since last season the shot selection really hasn't improved.

Ok, that's my rant but I want to take the opportunity to have a go at the club over their merchandise. I make no secret of the fact that I'm a big guy, I weigh 130kg and my t-shirt size is at least a 3XL. According to the woman at the merchandise booth the club only ordered souvenir t-shirts up to size XL (her comment was that they didn't really think properly about things). Note to 36ers management.....not all spectators are skinny basketball players or kids :/

And here I was thinking the game would be closely fought out. Wont come with that thought process again.

Defence was carp, how many times did they let us in? not many. how many times did we let them in? too many to count.

refs were ok, but some interesting calls.

boti wont have much to write about this week, with no one booing. might have to make a scapegoat outta someone so he gets his jingles.

cant really blame anyone tonight, just wasnt out night however free throws!!!!!
This is elementary stuff. How is it possible to miss when you have virtually no pressure on you. All the time in the world to put up a shot and nail it. Very disappointing.

Skip, nothing personal but the music this year isnt great. Still worthy of clapping my hands to a few songs but not great.

Music is a small part of the game but a big part of the enetertainment. perhaps next year might not rejoin with the team flopping, the music somewhat disappointing and a few other personal factors which are mine alone.

Happy to go to games and watch but idf the whole entertainment side of things is crap, might as well go watch ABL or CABL as most of us know it.

Defence was woeful.

Last week we saw Marty down and The Rat barking orders and plays, tonight, The Rat was quiet as a mouse and More-D was pacing the sidelines.

What's the story?