25 Dec 10 Philadelphia Sixers Show Promise Against Charlotte Bobcats Despite Bleak Season

Jodie Meeks during a standout performanceMarc Serota/Getty ImagesUnder the sharp beyond-the-arc shooting of Jodie Meeks, the Philadelphia Sixers were able to accomplish an early lead against the Charlotte Bobcats and maintained it through four quarters to capture their sixth win of the season.Meeks came out of the gate on fire by completing six straight three-pointers and compiling 20 points in the first quarter. He ended the night with a game- and career-high of 26 points.Meeks cooled off after the first quarter, but the rest of Atlanta Falcons jersey
the team fed off of his energy and created a lead as large as 21 points. The bench was inserted after the first quarter and the lead dwindled down to single digits because of sloppy play which resulted into turnovers and confusion on the defensive end.This collapse seemed all too reminiscent of the night before as the Sixers led for 47 minutes against the Atlanta Hawks and blew an 18-point lead to fall to the Hawks 93-88. Coach Collins added a couple starters back into the lineup and the Sixers went into the locker room at halftime with an 11-point lead.The Sixers entered the court in the beginning of the third quarter looking lackadaisical on both ends on the floor. They allowed the Bobcats to take uncontested shots, which was initiated by lack of recovery in transition defense and perplexity in performing play-calls. Added to the mediocre play were durations where the team could not buy a basket and the Bobcats capitalized on the offensive end.However, Elton Brand produced a spark for the team and began to set the tone as he fought in the paint for rebound after rebound. Fueled by Brand relentlessness, the Sixers increased their level of aggression and the offense and defense began to gel and play well with unification.They pulled away with the lead at the end of the third quarter. Thaddeus Young added 20 points on the night, Brand scored 15 and gathered 10 rebounds, and Andre Iguodala contributed 15 points and seven assists as the Sixers beat the Bobcats 109-91.This win should give the team confidence as they Baltimore Ravens jersey
head into their next matchup against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tonight. The 76ers have fallen to the Cavaliers twice already in this early season, both losses being single digits.Common ThemesAlthough the Sixers were able to build a lead and hold it, there were many issues that were visible in the game that have haunted them all season and will continue to do so if they don fix their mistakes.The team style of play has been very fast-paced for a couple of years now. To be an effective running team, players have to be able to recover on transition defense, complete passes and make shots when on offense;everything that the Sixers are not managing to achieve.They score points, but at times, they don have a player that they can depend on to make a shot. Fatigue seems to also be a factor. With the 76ers being a running team, this could be perceived as an advantage and a curse. The advantage being that they can get ahead of other teams and score points. The curse for the 76ers is that they tire themselves out faster than the opposing team because they try to score quickly, but as the game progresses, it seems as though the opposing team turns the table on them.Opposing teams capitalize on the Sixers' lack of scoring, resulting in many losses. Fortunately, the Bobcats are not a good team, and like the Sixers, they are trying to find themselves. If the Sixers were facing a premiere NBA team and these same problems arose, undoubtedly the end result would have been plus-one in the loss column.Change NeededThe biggest issue that comes to the forefront is that they do not have a force in the middle that intimidates players to repel them from scoring inside.Spencer Hawes is not what many may consider an All-Star center or one of high caliber. He isn aggressive and is a pushover in the inside. He possesses the height for a typical NBA Center but lacks the skills to be a starter, although he is for the Sixers.Hawes does not frighten even the smallest player from performing a finesse layup or emphatic dunk, reminding of the game play of NBA 2K as players easily route to the hoop.Samuel Dalembert should not have been released if the Sixers were not going to acquire a Center of his stature or better. He was not the best big man, but he was one Buffalo Bills jersey
of the leading shot-blockers in the NBA and generated a presence under the basket.Hawes is still developing and could be a good center coming off the bench, but the Sixers are in immediate need of an acquisition that would coerce opponents to take outside shots instead of taking it to the hoop.In terms of a consistent scorer, Jodie Meeks seems like a diamond in the rough that could not have been discovered at a better time. He could be the answer to scoring points when the Sixers are in a drought.