Consistency: Name Of The Game

Okay, here we go! This season has been filled with a whirlwind of ups and downs for this beloved 76ers ball club. The possibility of putting together a solid win streak, the signing of Allen Iverson and nice wins against Portland on the road and New Orleans at home all highlight the season thus far. What really hasn’t been notably etched on my pad if positives is consistency. That’s right, this is one word that certainly does not describe the 76ers  and it certainly shows on and off the court in the win/loss column.

For instance, the first area of non-consistency is the ability to shoot the ball from three. The Sixers are one of the worst teams in the league when it comes to lining up long bombs to help them push their lead in games or come back from a considerable deficit. The likes of Rodney Carney, Lou Williams, Allen Iverson, Andre Iggy-dala and possibly Thad Young all hoist up the shots, but most of the time do not connect. Carney has had a few good games this season that saw him net three or four long balls in a game, but that’s about it. The puzzling fact about this statistic is that the Sixers went out and acquired Jason Kapono in the off season. Kapono has proven to be one of the better three point shooters in this league and can knock it down at will from outside. The problem? I don’t know what the problem is coach Eddie Jordan, but don’t you think J.K. should be implemented in the rotation on a nightly basis? He hasn’t played in a number of recent passed game and it’s always coach’s decision. Well here’s a decision and thought; Kapono could be the difference of losing by 6-8 or winning by 5-6. Take your pick because his shooting certainly would improve this jump shot happy offense.

Staying on the topic of consistency, the defense is up and down like a roller coaster as well. Allowing offensive rebounds last night against Portland in the first half was the difference because there were countless second chance opportunities for the Blazers, due to the fact the beloved Sixers did not put any effort in rebounding the basketball. A perfect example of defensive inconsistency came in a loss earlier this week against the Timberwolves. The Sixers dominated the first half and led by as many as 20 points. The passing lanes were defended, transition points were being created and Al Harrington was held in check. Well, that was short lived because in the second half it looked like a totally different team that took the floor for Philadelphia. The defense was non-existent and because of that, the offense suffered as well.

Finally,  for this team to be successful the consistency theme needs to fall in the world of effort. If the Sixers don’t bring it every single night and play with effort and work hard on the defensive end, their season will be much of the same as we have already seen. A playoff run can be put on the back burner and hoping to score a nice number when the ping pong balls are juggled in the draft lottery will be where this franchise is headed. Consistency in effort will help gain ground for the lack of other categories in which this team is not consistent in. This includes shooting the three, creating turnovers and transition offense. Their effort every single night will help even out the other facets of the game and inevitably put the beloved Sixers in better chances to win ball games.

PEACE FROM THE 570!