Hoops

R11: Sixers v Crocs

He was taped, but doesn't mean he was carrying an injury. You can't predict Achilles breaks

Ive gotten to the stage that the sixers are all about entertainment. Yeah its great to walk away with a win, and a smile but if you get involved, then its a good night out. If not, a waste of money.

We are at a point where finals wont happen. Sydney are Wins in front. Simple really. We have a crap coach, they have a hated one but he knows his stuff.

What irks me more was that Gibbo came out at the end and thanked the crowd for their support. Thats great, but if it were to have meaning, perhaps Captain Clarke would be a better choice. But then again, Clarke is much like the Captain of the Costa Concordia. All wind in his sails until busted.

BigAds, I agree with most of what you are saying. Gibson is asked to do too much and Cadee isn't ready yet, so we need a starting quality guard. Defence is important from this player, sure, but I think some of the problems the Sixers face on the defensive end are related to our bigs not being either quick enough (Luke) or savvy enough (DJ) to get to the right position often enough with their help D. (Hence opponents getting open looks at threes late in games.)

I think you also nailed it when you mentioned why Creek is not seeing many minutes late in games. If he could shoot, he'd be out there. For that reason, I agree with you, the SG HAS to be a good 3pt shooter. Ideally, we need a go-to scorer though, who can also score on drives and pull up jumpers, because that would take so much pressure of Gibbo, who just is not a great natural scorer. I'd love Gibbo to be able to just run the offence and play great D, instead of feeling like he has to try to score all the time as well.

Re Johnson's last play:

Drawn up by coach or initiated by the player, either way it was the wrong decision at the time, but to rely on such a shot to tie the game confirmed that things went astray well before that point.

At about the 5 minute mark of the last quarter I turned to a mate and suggested that Peter Crawford was about to have a significant influence on the outcome of the game. I call it an educated guess more than a lucky hunch because too often in tight games I've seen the Sixer's lose leads due to the opposition stringing together consecutive, or near to consecutive, successful 3 point bombs. The Sixers seem to struggle stopping these types of shots in the closing minutes of close games.

Now my two cents worth (and it's a little lenghty so my apologies):

The endeavour and belief among the team and coaching staff that they'll get past this untimely rut is apparent, and commendable, but I'm inclined to believe they don't recognise what the team's real need (and with respect to the organisation I accept that yes, this is little more than another opinion for someone who is nothing other than an armchair expert!).

Nevertheless I've form my opinion on observation and the club's recent focus on finding an import who is a knock down shooter and can also create their own shot (which is a challenge to find in any circumstance).

While I can understand why the organisation believe they need a player like this, I don't actually think this is their most critical need; I think another lockdown guard based defender with a reliable long range shot should be their focus, moreso now with Creek going down.

The team is, in my humble opinion, too reliant on Gibbo in the closing minutes, i.e. defend the best opposition guard, make big plays, control the offence.

The addition of defensive guard specialist with range would make the team more capable of locking down the most threatening shooter on the opposition team. It has been those type of players who have been most effective for opposition teams in many of the close loses I have witnessed in recent times.

Sadly neither Cadee (at this point, but I hold hope for the future) or Crosswell address this need nor does Weigh (but not due to his lack of effort). Creek was usually sitting on the pine in the final minutes, which I put down to his limited shooting range.

Having both Gibbo and a specialist guard defender will allow the talls to protect the key and give Weigh an opportunity to focus on guys like Abercrombie, Saville, Blanchfield and Redhage (small forwards who can hit from range with a good clip but won' necessily beat him off the dribble).

The Sixers have done enough for most of their games to suggest to me their most pressing need isn't a 'go to guy' who can be a game winner at the offensive end, I believe this is suitably covered by the offensive talents within the team. I think their search should be for a different type of player, one who is a game saver, because too many games have been stolen away by opposition shooters.

KJ, I know he had shot shit but that shot over Nevill was a clutch ballsy shot. To have Marty then draw up a play for DJ to put the ball on the floor to me was bewildering. Either call the play for the guy who just kept you in the game and hopefully has just switched his radar on (finally), or maybe have DJ flare to the corner to get the pass for the 3.

Not have him(DJ)put it on the floor out the top surrounded by small guards.

Just my thoughts on the last play.

wtf, can beat the Wildcats twice but get thrashed by Melbourne and drop 2 games to Townsville? :facepalm:

Me , I didn't expect to win , sat under the backboard behind the cheerleaders . Ervin opened up a big lead.
Creek got it back. Heard a coupla slaps on Ervin drives , at the end he gave one back to Gibson , a bitta booing Ervin in the end ...and some cheerleaders to lead me off in a cheerful dance

My guesstimate is 4350 . They were pretty good in support for the sixers . No real emotion at the end.
Most are good looking girls .

i watched online and they were screaming for blood! Sounded like a decent number but not sure of numbers though mate.

TR Creek injured himself in the fourth looked like an achilles.
Gibbo hit a massive clutch three, then we dont box out on the 2 missed foul shots and Jacob boards it the hits the foul shots (bet he loved that!).
Then we draw up a play for DJ to have to dribble then pull up for 3! Why not Gibbo who was clutch FFS!

TR, I don't think Creek would have been much use playing any additional minutes tonight. The boxscore doesn't quite tell the whole story.

Camel31; Gibbo is our best player by far

As far as tomorrow goes, should be another nailbiter. Odds suggest the Crocs are a good chance

Tornado, you would have to give Creeky the job wouldn't you

So if Gibbo is out with a sore hip, starting lineups?

5: Luke vs Luke
4: DJ vs Holmes
3: Stevie vs Blanchfield
2: Creeky vs PC
1: Mungo vs Ervin

Petrie
Crossy
Daly
Pero

Or does Crossy start over Creeky?
Who gets Ervin? Creeky? or would you throw Tommy Daly to the wolves and put him on Ervin and make Ervin just run until his legs drop off? If Daly made him look stupid, one month would not be long enough.

Stick with my : Perth =loss , Crocs = loss. NZ = a win , with this crazy team . Gibson hip , unlikely
probably our best player .

Interesting game this one. Perth took it to Melbourne and then thrashed the Slingers in Singapore. Adelaide got two very handy wins on the road.

Last time they met, Perth snuck home by just four points thanks to 40 from Redhage. Both teams have since replaced imports and Julius Hodge should be a bit more settled with Adelaide now.

What's your tip?