Before we get into exactly what’s going on with the 76ers — blowout losses to the Washington Wizards and Toronto Raptors? Poor play after the all-star break — let me quickly make excuses for my radio silence on the Sixers. Those excuses come in the form of links. Once you’re done reading about why the Sixers are playing poorly, please check these out — it’s why I’ve had trouble covering my ex-NBA beat the last couple of months: The Glass Wall (E-Ticket/Outside the Lines) and Hoops in the Heartland (ESPN’s Title IX project).
This post is not going to be an on-court breakdown of the team’s X’s and O’s. Why not? Because what I keep hearing from fans, on Twitter and on e-mail, is one question, phrased a number of ways: What’s going on with the Sixers? A playoff team doesn’t just lose to the Toronto Raptors, at home, by 20 points, does it? No, of course not. And the answer has nothing to do with Evan Turner’s playing time or Spencer Hawes’ injury (although that certainly did not help). It has to do with what’s happening inside the locker room, what’s happening behind the scenes.
Realistically, this team was never as good as its hot start. Anyone who thought the team would keep pace with its impressive early-season record was kidding himself (or herself). The Sixers might pick up a few more wins than predicted here (Why 34 Wins Is Much More Likely Than 40), but some of the same issues remain with this team: there is no superstar and Elton Brand isn’t playing up to the level of his contract. As it says in that post, if Brand finishes with averages around 12 points and 7 rebounds and 28 minutes a night, the Sixers will slip in the standings (and they have). But this is all just clearing my throat for the more important issues. Like …
1. History is, as they say, repeating itself. Since around early March, guys on the team have struggled with Doug Collins’ coaching style. Look, we all knew at the beginning of last year, when Collins took over this young team, that he had a history of turning around young squads. And we also knew that he had (sometimes as early as the second season) a history of over-coaching, at which point his players tend to become frustrated and tune him out. The Sixers have been struggling with this for at least a month, if not longer. This has led to heated interactions, sometimes even in the middle of games. On more than one occasion, players have let Collins know — during a game — that they’re sick of the relentless nitpicking. This incessant nagging (or even the perception of it) leads to fractured relationships. The Sixers have reached the point where, at least some of them, have addressed this issue with Collins. Has it reached the point of tuning him out? At times. Collins has made an effort to try to step back, but he’s only occasionally successful. It’s been day to day. One day, Collins will release control and give his guys the reins; the next day, he’s all over every play, every cut, every missed screen. Frustration exists on both sides. Collins wants to figure out an answer, fix every problem. Many of the guys wish he would stop being so anxious and nervous — because it’s not helping.
The lockout-shortened season is contributing to the problem, because it’s game after game after game. There is no time to get in the gym and practice. By all accounts from within the Sixers, this season has not been fun — it’s been a struggle. A long, frustrating struggle. You’re seeing poor play because of this behind-the-scenes struggle. Obviously, Collins’ coaching style is a huge issue within the locker room. As players become frustrated and annoyed with the micromanaging, it becomes more difficult to make the necessary in-game changes. It’s the basketball version of crying wolf. If you’re always correcting something out of nervousness and habit, players are less likely to respond when the correction is important.
Is the relationship broken beyond repair? That’s an impossible question to answer. Collins has actively tried to give his guys some space, but old habits die hard. Some of this can be chalked up to a brutal schedule, but not all of it. We won’t know how truly frayed certain relationships are until the off-season. Nobody is going to say it’s broken with the playoffs right around the corner.
2. Saying that the Sixers lack a go-to scorer doesn’t acknowledge the nuance of the struggle within the team. Because it’s not just about who is going to have the ball at the end of games; it’s about the culture of the franchise. As in, what is the culture? And, more importantly, which guys are determining the culture? There is an issue with roles on this team. Not everyone knows their role. Who is the go-to guy? Who is the face of the franchise? The Sixers have five or six players (Jrue Holiday, Lou Williams, Andre Iguodala, Evan Turner, Thaddeus Young and Elton Brand) who hold a certain amount of claim to the title of “go-to guy.” You could look at this as an asset — yes, the Sixers have depth! — but the reality is there is way to much traffic at the top. (But even with all of that traffic, there still isn’t a superstar.)
If we dive in even deeper, you’ll see that a culture clash exists.
To overlook what happened in the off season would be a mistake. When the new ownership took over, they made it clear that Jrue Holiday (and to some extent Evan Turner and Thaddeus Young) was the new face of the franchise. Where did that leave Iguodala and Brand? It left them knowing the franchise was heading in the other direction, but still they remained the two highest-paid players on the team. That’s a tough spot in which to be. Other NBA franchises have made the decision to trade expensive veteran players, turning the team over to the young guys (looking at the Cleveland Cavaliers here), but the Sixers made the decision to keep those veterans around. The franchise hoped these guys could lead the younger players and provide wisdom and experience during the transition. You can agree with that decision or you can disagree, but you can’t ignore the issues that it creates within the locker room. The big-money veterans know the franchise is going in a different direction, so they’re in a bad spot. And the young guys need to be patient and listen, qualities not abundant in young guys (or in NBA players). So that leaves the Sixers often pulling in opposite directions.
And a difficult stretch in the schedule exacerbates everything. The Sixers took some losses, things became strained, and now you’re seeing the effects of all of that behind-the-scenes turmoil. It’s manifesting itself in 20 point losses to bad teams. So that’s the “why” of this last month. The “what comes next” is still up in the air.
–Kate
I’m not going to argue with anything you said, but its hard to ignore that some of the same on-court problems we’ve seen for so many years have popped back up again. Settling for long jumpers early in the clock. Shying away from contact and going for a fancy lay-in rather than just flushing it. Nobody boxes out anybody. Seems like the team was correcting some of those issues earlier in the year, but they’re all back with a vengeance now. Is that because of a conflict with the coach, or exhaustion, or just regression to mean? I don’t know, but I do know it’s getting tough to watch….
Kate,
Great article. Thanks so much for you insight. It is a truly a breath of fresh air!
Best,
Matt
Kate, great article. I’m still a little upset you moved on from writing the “Deep Sixer” blog, so this makes it easier to cope.
I’m interested, how do you think the new owners relate to the problems that have popped up off-court? We haven’t seen them do much (in terms of the actual basketball team) since they took over, so I’m curious if you have any idea of how they might react to all of this in the off-season. In your opinion, do you think they would make personnel moves to try and solve the problems (players or Doug)? Or do you think they are more hands-off?
I know you have no way of knowing exactly what they are thinking, but it’s hard to get a read on the new owners at this point so I’m just curious what your impression of them is related to all of this.
Again, thanks!
thank you kate.
Thanks for the analysis – the best thing I’ve read about this team in months.
I would love to hear your take on what the management should do in the offseason to make this team competitive in the future.
THANK YOU. We need your writing more than ever about this team right now..
Nice article, and more of the best straight talk about the 6ers. Glad you haven’t forgotten them… though you probably wish you had right about now.
Thanks kate. Certainly have missed your writing
John mitchell blows, we miss u kate! No one provides sixers insight like u. I get the feeling mitchell doesnt even watch the games, sad.
First, why oh why did you not weave TooManyDala’s SI comments into your theory? Then … jeez I hope you’re 100% wrong. So the conclusion truly IS that Collins, though a fine talking head on TV, inside the lockerroom is a total fruitcake and has a shelf life of less than two years? I was so hoping that the contrived nonsense of “I don’t play Turner because he doesn’t rebound consistently” was really just a smokescreen in a Gladiator inspired turf war between Collins and Thorn. I was hoping Collins’ ridiculous “Brand and The Four Munchkins” go small lineup was another slap in the face of Thorn and his impotence in acquiring a physical big man – but your theory is that Collins is so insane that he thinks his go small lineup makes sense.
This is truly bad news. This is something great hay can’t even fix. Rocinante’ dropped his head when you left, and he is now again disheartened. I suppose only one of us is grateful.
§
I am pretty sure fruitcake has a shelf life of 10+ years.
Like everyone else, I miss your astute analysis. Enjoy the work on espnW which honestly I didn’t know existed until you started writing for that site. We know you’re busy but hopefully you can post at least weekly to share your 76er thoughts and observations. Silly but I almost hope they pull a Bosox and fall out of the playoff race entirely. I mean what would be the point in being a 7 or 8 and getting swept in the first round? Management then would be forced to blow this thing up and start over.
At the start of the season the Sixers were playing beautiful basketball. They stopped. Why? I dont blame Collins. I blame a culture in US hoops where guys will not sustain the energy demanded of certain systems. Watch the first twenty games and watch the defensive pressure. Its gone. We live in an era where a lot of young players think about contracts and thats it. Iguadola is really the star….but Turner and holiday have turned out to be less than the organization expected. So chalk that up to bad drafting. But Collins had them, for a while, playing the best team game Ive seen in a while. Its not his fault they stopped trying…..and maybe on one level that IS collins’ problem….but its probably mostly the wrong roster. A few moves might correct it, and might not. But Turner and Holiday are not the answers as the two and three guys.
I seriously wonder if any of you guys have ever played anything beyond pick up ball. No one can play while looking over their shoulder. Iggy, while a terrific role player is at his ceiling and will take the Sixers no further than mediocrity. Furthermore, Collins has mishandled Turner since he got here. In Collins’ system he prefers a SG like Meeks, problem is Meeks is horrible if his jumpshot is off (which it is at least half the time). Heck, if you gave most of the bench shooters in the NBA 30 minutes and open shots they can do what Meeks does. But I digress. The point is the Sixers are not that good and they need tom find out which young players to keep and which to jettison. We can’t do that as long as Iggy is the main guy.
Kate:
You’re in Bristol or New York or wherever ESPN sends you, but manage to offer more insight in one article than a year’s worth of articles from your “replacements” at the Inky. Thanks. I think the Sixers have one go-to guy, though, and that’s Evan Turner. Unfortunately, Collins won’t put him in a position even Collins acknowledges is best for Turner: with the ball in his hands, creating for himself and teammates.
Keep writing about the Sixers and good luck with your book.
Chris
Thanks for chipping in with this. It really clearly summarizes what everyone’s been struggling to articulate over the past few weeks. Your daily blog posts and insights on the Sixers are definitely missed this season!
You’re still the Sixers’ best writer, even if articles like this depress me about both the now and the future. Your ESPN stuff is awesome too. Sooooooooooo glad you found a little time to write this.
Thanks Kate! I wish you were still with the Deep Sixer; this is the most insightful piece about the Sixers written all year.
Kate, love reading your articles & thoughts. Great stuff!
Yawn, I said this years ago. The Sixers need a superstar to go to at ends of games and Collin’s history shows his style wears out quickly.
Kate, good stuff. Said this at the beginning of the year. You can’t coach an 82 game season, let alone a contracted season, the way Collins coaches. The guy looks an absolute wreck and is sweating buckets after every game, win or lose. These are grown men who will eventually grow tired of his parent-like approach, so I’m not surprised to hear this. Question is, what to do about it? Like you mentioned, the early season success was fool’s gold and delayed the inevitable demolition of this flawed team. Iguodala should have been moved last summer for a high lottery pick in this year’s draft which is LOADED, young prospect and expiring contracts. They will probably move Iggy this summer, but as usual the 6ers will be a day late and a dollar short.
Just want to say thanks Kate, miss reading your sixers columns and blogs.
Keep up the great work
Kate, thanks. Let’s hope the new owners pull a “Croce”, meet with the fans, and clean out by making whatever big changes need to be made to get into the right direction. 9 of the 10 past seasons were ~.500 teams and that’s nowhere to be in the NBA. Comcast let that keep happening but we can hope the new owners do something a little more dramatic.
great article !!!
Rectification : “The franchise hoped these guys could lead the younger players and provide wisdom and experience during the transition.”
The franchise = Doug Collins
Keep iguodala, brand and pick Vucevic over Kenneth Farried were Doug Collins mistakes, big mistakes.
we should have rebuild 2 years ago, i said it a long time ago and now i’m glad the doug collins problem start to show up.
i told you before with doug collins we going nowhere !!
MERCI (thank you) Kate Fagan we miss you a lot
Thank You Kate,
The insightful commentary in this article is bettr than anything I’ve read out of the local beat writers and talking heads in Philly. I wish you the best with ESPN and your book. I’m glad you havent forgotten about us Sixers fans.
We miss you!
Thanks.
Very nice article. After Iverson era, we should have “destroy” the team, let Iguodala go, and target the 1st or 2nd pick of draft 2007.
Right now, I think the summer will be tough for the new owners… I think like in Chicago or Detroit, Collins was good to improve team, but after 2 years it’s over, players wants him leave.
If we want rebulid, we have to destroy, like after Barkley departure, and this time we will have to be lucky and smart at the draft.
Right now, we are at the wrong place of NBA, too good for drafting good players, too bad to be a contender…
We miss you, very happy to read your article.
Best regards.
Happy to read your blog on the Sixers. You’re thoughtful, diligent work is sorely missed. I’ve seen every game this year. For what it’s worth, I echo your analysis completely and have expressed this to my friends. I have caught a lot of abuse for criticizing DC. I suspect you will
receive some unflattering comments as well
but I admire your frankness. His treatment
of ET, his substitution pattern, his stubborn
Insistence on playing Meeks 26 minutes nightly, pulling guys for committing a turnover has
Stripped the confidence of the young players, particularly Vuc & Allen who contributed
nicely in the first half. Honestly, DC is fortunate
to have a roster of even tempered vets & young
guys or the frustration would be more overt.
I don’t think it’s a coincidence when he played
10 guys nightly they were playing .650 ball.
The loyal Inqy fans miss you.
After deciding to play ET and lauding his impressive results, Collins has appeared to retrench on that direction. I see no plays being set up for ET, not many looks to him from teammates (although I didn’t see his 26-pt effort against Miami so can’t be sure it didn’t change that night) – very frustrating. If Demarcus Cousins could have made anything longer than a dunk in the Rising Stars game ET would have had a triple double there.
Iggy, Jrue and ET need to take it strong to the hoop, get us to the FT line, and start playing lock-down defense. Enough uncontested layups given up!
One thing I will point out is no matter what is stated in the blog, I have to give credit to Elton Brand for being a pros pro and even during this downward spiral over the last 12 he has put it all out there on the court. He has attempted to lead by example and even carried the team on his back to victory against Atlanta. His numbers are up for March and April and averaged 12.5 points 8.8 rebounds 2.1 assist 1.8 Blocks and 1.1 Steals in 31 minutes a game in March. We need that and more from him down the stretch. He clearly came into camp a little out of shape, but like a lot of the veterans he is now coming into form. He is the only guy who doesn’t look tired right now. EB can’t control that Doug hasn’t been running plays for him or that they haven’t been finding him in his sweet spots. Even in the Miami game even though his shot wasn’t falling he managed to get to the line 6 times, making all 6. Why didn’t Doug continue to give him the ball as he was the one player who wasn’t afraid to draw contact. Doug may be wearing on this group, but unfortunately he can’t teach toughness as that is an inherent trate and outside of Brand, Battie, and probably Lou I can’t say who on this team has that. We rely too heavily on the jump shot and refuse to take it to the basket. Thaddeus Young used to go to the rim, but his high motor style of play has worn him out in this compressed season. The same can be said for Lou Williams as well. Predicting a win tonight against Orlando as for some reason when the chips seemed to be stacked against this bunch they find a way to rebound. If they don’t win tonight then you can call it a wrap.
Kate thanks again for GREAT insight……I miss reading your articles every morning with my coffee and the Inquirer!
I wish you all the best in your new career
This is a very strong take on the Sixers. I think it’s astute, probably informed, and timely. As we’ve seen with subsequent games, they still can’t put it together, Collins is now looking to make a personnel change (probably swapping Jrue for Meeks if I had to guess and replacing a portion of Thad’s minutes with some from Vucevic) with just 10 games left in the season. Clearly this is the sign of a coach who is just grasping at straws. I think it’s really sad, because I think Collins is a great coach who knows so much about the right way to play a basketball game, but I think ultimately he’s just lost the guys on this squad. Fortunately or unfortunately the players on the Sixers are too nice to bring these issues out in the open, but major personnel changes definitely loom in the off-season. I guess we’ll see if the ownership group knows what its doing. I certianly trust Rod Thorn’s track record, but not sure where they go from here. Be nice to read a follow-up piece on this subject from you Kate.
Great stuff as always Kate- – -what probable first round opponent is best matchup for Sixers?
the ping pong ball that gets them Anthony Davis