The Sixer Sense
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76ers Have Pieces But Not Right Consistency

By Bret Stuter

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Nov 21, 2015; Miami, FL, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard

T.J. McConnell

(12) fouls Miami Heat forward

Justise Winslow

(20) during the second half at American Airlines Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

Philadelphia 76ers Have Pieces But Not Right Consistency

So what? The Sixers losing streak is now up to a point where infamous records are now part of the discussion. The record is 26 consecutive losses in one season. That record is jointly held by the 2010-2011 Cleveland Cavaliers and the 2013-2014 Philadelphia 76ers.  The 2015-2016 version of the Philadelphia 76ers may push that record, and may even break it.  But is it time to abandon ship?

Not quite.

The losing streaks of both the Cavaliers and the 76ers of yesteryear were teams who were built in one direction, and suddenly were in free fall as they were forced to build in a nearly opposite direction.  But the losing streak of this year’s version of the Phildelphia 76ers is somewhat different.  Let me explain:

The 2015-2016 roster of the Philadelphia 76ers is built with three different types of “components”.  The first type is the blue chip category, this group is the Jahlil Okafor/Nerlens Noel category who were drafted by Sam Hinkie, are assessed to have huge upside, and are likely being folded into the NBA to mature and develop into an eventual core starter for the team.  The second category is pure and simple temporary roster fills who are brought in to balance out the roster and to take on court minutes as needed.   Carl Landry and Phil Pressey are examples of this type of roster player.  The third type is the developmental category.  These are the players who are either unknown or untested, whose potential is recognized as a possibility, but whose full performance is thought to be a year or two away.  These are the bulk of the players on the roster, the T.J. McConnell and Nik Stauskas and more.  They are unknown but hoped to be part of the eventual team roster as the Sixers upgrade.

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The struggle with the team is in large part due to this unknown and untested player make-up.  Youth is energetic, optimistic, but inconsistant.   That describes the Philadelphia 76ers to a tee.   Coaching and training is most effective when the team or player makes a frequent but limited number of errors.  This team?  One moment they are on  a rampage, but more than one moment they are turning the ball over with bad passes or stepping out of bounds, choosing poor shots, or failing to remain disciplined.  Signs abound of their lack of discipline.  Long periods of the game where they go scoreless.  Senseless unnecessary fouls.   The inability to tighten up defense at crucial points of the game.

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At the beginning of the season, Brett Brown admitted that the team was starting the season behind where he hoped they might be.

"We’re two weeks behind, I feel. Two weeks behind with some, and that’s probably even being a little generous. Nik (Stauskas) hasn’t played. It’s (about seeing) more out of Jahlil (Okafor) and Nerlens (Noel).” – Brown talking about how ready Sixers were to start a new season"

The Sixers are behind.   If this were elementary school, they would be held after class for detention. Even when they make good plays, this team finds a way to shoot itself in the foot.  Take the great play made by Jahlil Okafor against the Dallas Mavericks, which resulted in a turnover back to Dallas.  SB nation tweeted the video and commentary, which pretty much says it all.

Until the team finally experiences a win, they will struggle to find one. It’s a tough game, and this group of players have never experienced winning together. None of them can know the way. Brett Brown admitted as much in an interview with Bob Cooney of the Philadelphia Daily News in an interview on November 12, 2015.

"The game is long, and when the game starts getting down, can I keep their spirits up? It’s not fatigue, because they are in great shape, but, emotionally, we get beaten down. It’s hard. I think that once we can forget the clock and the time and the score and just play . . . I told them, ‘Look around and enjoy each other’s company. And you find a level of love for the game. And forget everything else, then we can move forward. Come out and bang out a great day. They will all add up. Trust that. They will all add up. I’ve seen it. That much I can promise. It will all start adding up.’ Those things matter.“I bleed for them, I bleed with them. I am responsible for keeping this group together, to helping these young guys get through this. We’ve been here before. We think . . . we actually have a blueprint that’s allowed this group to stay together, to keep a locker room together, keep our spirit high, keep improving, keep knocking out good days with the knowledge that they truly do add up. That’s the recipe, as best I know it, to dealing with this time frame for our season. But I get to a stage where I truly think we can beat anybody on a given night. I go into it thinking that, hoping that.“I see what I saw last year where the games are so long, you’re there for a while and then the game of 48 minutes is a long game, as it should be. But, with our group, we get exposed during that path. We feel like we’ve been playing more of the 48 than we did at the start. I think, for the most part, that’s true.”"

And so, the team is once more learning to walk in the smallest of steps. It’s the third time they’ve had to do so, and with any luck this will be the last season. Luck comes in the form of Dario Saric, Joel Embiid, four first round draft choices, and maybe even a solid free agent signing.  But that’s tomorrow.  For today, this team has to learn to play consistently.  Passes must be on target.  Shot selection must be done with good looks.   Three point shots look gorgeous when they are dropping, but after four bricks from three point distance it seems that slicing for two closer to the basket might become the better option.

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Consistant play.

Until that happens, the team may start hot and finish poorly.  It may start cold and end a game well. It may even oscillate between great and ugly play.  But wins will not happen with performance that is all over the board.  The team needs to ignore the clock, the quarter, and the score.

Until the Sixers learn to harness themselves, they will never defeat their opponent.  They’ve already defeated themselves.