Time for a Change???

The Sixers are now 16-23 on this 2012-13 season, and in no way do they resemble the team that brought a spark back to basketball in this city just a year ago. They look awful at times, and even when they do play good basketball they still find ways to lose those games. Now I know that Andrew Bynum has yet to play a game yet, but in all honesty I don’t believe that he will make this team any more then another first round exit or a weak 2nd round opponent. Bynum is a great player, one of the top big men in the league, but besides Jrue Holiday there isn’t a player on this team who is able to make big shots consistently. Holiday is having a breakout, all-star like season averaging 19 points and just under 9 assists per game. He is also one of just two Point Guards to average 18 points, 8 assists, and 4 rebounds along with Oklahoma City’s Russell Westbrook. However after Holiday it doesn’t look that good for this team.

Evan Turner is having a solid year when you look at his number averaging about 14 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 assists per game. However, when you watch him play it doesn’t feel like he is having that solid of a season. Evan is one of the most inconsistent players on the team, if not the league. Some nights everything will be working for him, but on other nights which is more often then not he will be painful to watch. He tends to force contested fade away’s and jumpers, or tries to force the issue to try and get to the rim which usually results in a miss or turnover. On most teams Evan’s numbers would be good and really helpful and his inconsistency wouldn’t be noticed as much, but when you are a “go-to” guy on a young team and struggle more often then not it is tough to deal with.

Thad Young is having a solid year as well, averaging about 15 points and 7 rebounds per game on 52% shooting. However those numbers can be misleading as well. Thad is a great hustle player, he is someone who never gives up on a play and will fight for a rebound or lose ball. He can make a broken play a good play by getting a tough bucket late in the shot clock, and his defense is average as well. Where Thad gets into trouble is when he tries to become a shooter instead of a post up player. Thad is much more efficient when he has his back to the basket and is able to get his patented little left handed hook shot to go. That has always seemed to be Thad’s go-to move over the course of his five year career so far, but this season he is settling for jumpers more than he usually does. Don’t get me wrong Thad can knock down a 15 footer, but not as efficiently as a 5 foot hook shot. Also, it would benefit the Sixers if Thad was down on the block rather then at the free throw line this way we have another body down there to grab rebounds. Like Evan Turner, Thad is solid but he is not a go-to guy in a half court offense quite yet.  (more…)

Tags: NBA, Sam Shipley, Shake and Bake, Sixers, Time to Change, TSP