"Bitter" win

Let's put it like this: we, as Sixers fans, now have higher standards. Finally !!

That must be the case, because I REALLY felt disappointed after the 89-98 W in Charlotte.

It wouldn't have happened just a couple of years ago, or even at the beginning of the last season. "A win is a win, especially on the road, regardless of the opponent and the way it comes", I would have thought. Same for many of you, I guess.

Well, this time I was more in "It shouldn't have come to the final possessions against this collection of scrubs" mode.

No offense for the Bobcats, that by the way were playing without DJ Augustin and Gerald Henderson, they played hard and left it all on the court. They are simply a bad team that has lost its 15th consecutive game (franchise record) for a reason.

Chalotte even pulled a couple of rabbits out of its ass in the fourth quarter, with Kemba Walker hitting a three fading to the baseline to beat the shot clock (76-79) and then banking in an  off balance up-and-under 17 footer prayer (84-91) that had me spit the soda on my keyboard. Truly unbelievable.

Fortunately Lou Williams (in the pic) and Nikola Vucevic combined for some nice plays down the stretch and we could eventually come away with the win. But really, with a fifteen point cushion early in the second (20-35) and leading 67-77 at the beginning of the fourth, we should have closed it way before.

Whatever, let's focus on the positives:

• it looks like Jrue Holiday finally decided to be more aggressive, and is finally getting to the line in the last games (6, 8 and 4 free throw attempts)
• speaking of which, the nine attempts from the line by Thaddeus Young are a season high (and a great sign, together with the eight made). Great game by Thad, red hot from the start, he had eleven at the half
• seven turnovers, only one in the first half (!). I think we should continue to underline this, even if Sixers are getting us used to such numbers. Well, believe me, they are not "normal"

On the other side, though:

• 6/20 shooting in a bad, bad third quarter. And it's not like Charlotte's defense was so good.
• Brand's legs look really dead, same for his jumper, always short: 20/56 shooting in February, which counts for 35,7%. That is awful, especially for a big man, A major concern, to me. He sat out the whole fourth, thank God, and Vucevic played well in his place, thank God. But we need to get him back at a decent level asap.
• The amount of (stupid) three point plays we allow is alarming as well. We gave up FOUR to Maggette, that is very good at drawing contact and still getting his shot off, as everybody knows, but, for God's sake, after the second time should have been FLATTENED to the floor.

There was a play in which Turner basically ran WITH Maggette on a fastbreak and waited like two seconds before making a sissy contact, instead of stopping him immediately. Obviously, Maggetty scored, was fouled and added the free throw for the 72-77. Turner was deservingly pulled out less than a minute after that: his production and body language in the last games aren't exactly encouraging.

Again, Sixers should hire Derrick Coleman for a month or so and get him to teach the young guys learn how to give a hard foul.

Ok, ok, enough ********, let's look ahead. Orlando and Dallas now, two more nice tests before approaching the season's half.