Tonight will be a battle of interim coaches

A 9-14 start to the season has cost 76ers coach Maurice Cheeks his job. Needless to say, that should add a little more intrigue to tonight's game.

about 3 years ago Jake Whitacre 13 comments 0 recs |

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everyones getting fired this year

arent they?

by hibachi on Dec 13, 2008 12:36 PM EST reply actions

Yes indeedy

1/6th of the coaches from opening day are already gone.

Bullets Forever: A blog dedicated to the Washington Wizards with analysis, commentary, and more YouTube videos than your eyes can handle.

by Jake Whitacre on Dec 13, 2008 12:43 PM EST up reply actions

Tonight's Game against the Sixers....

is as close to a must game as the Wizards have had all year. It won’t be pretty either.

by khrabb on Dec 13, 2008 1:23 PM EST up reply actions

Why?

I think we’re too far out for anything to be a “must-win.”

You know you'll get devoured by Cheaney, Wallace, and Juwan Howard.

by Mike Prada on Dec 13, 2008 1:48 PM EST up reply actions

Disagree

I think we’re too far out for anything to be a "must-win."

It is still way too early in the season to say that we are “too far out.” Just consider the team we are playing tonight. Last season, they started a dismal 18-30. That is just as many games below .500 as our team is, but 48 games into the season instead of 20. I don’t think I need to remind you that they not only made the playoffs, but were even higher than the 8th seed by the time it was all said and done. Had they won just a few more very winnable games down the stretch, they could have even been the 4th seed. To quote Rambo, nothing is over!

The reason tonight is a must win is because Philadelphia is a below .500 team that normally can be easily beaten. Winning tonight can be a real confidence booster for the Wizards heading home against Indiana (another very beatable team). Tonight can be the start of a potential 4 game winning streak that can start the comeback for our season.

On the other hand, Philadelphia may just have an emotional burst of energy, like we did against Golden State in our first game without Eddie Jordan. That raises the stakes a bit. If we lose tonight, our team may not have enough confidence to beat Indiana, and things can spiral out of control from there. But right now we are still very much in the playoff race this season, IMO.

"It's OK for the Bullets to trade baskets, as long as they can score on their end." -- Words of wisdom from Phil Chenier

by cuppettcj on Dec 13, 2008 3:15 PM EST up reply actions

Well, sure

But “must-win” seems a bit much.

You know you'll get devoured by Cheaney, Wallace, and Juwan Howard.

by Mike Prada on Dec 13, 2008 3:20 PM EST up reply actions

Well

The Wizards didn’t win, so it will be interesting to see how they respond tonight against Indiana. I did not fault the Wizards for such a poor record so far, because there is no shame in losing to really good teams when you are missing key guys to injury. But losing to teams like Philadelphia the way they did, that’s just a sign of a losing mentality. The Wizards have obviously acquired that mentality. If the Wizards finish the season with less than 30 wins, I’ll look back at this game as the official point where this team simply gave up.

That is why I agreed with khrabb, Saturday’s game was a must-win for their season, and they did not get it done. It is not completely hopeless yet, but it is getting darn near close.

"It's OK for the Bullets to trade baskets, as long as they can score on their end." -- Words of wisdom from Phil Chenier

by cuppettcj on Dec 15, 2008 7:57 AM EST up reply actions

While the last drops of my near eternal optimism drain from my body, a tiny light is barely visible off in the distance. It is the possibility of getting one of the games top scorers back healthy, sparking the ember that we all know used to be in this team and that is hopefully not completely extinguished. Perhaps in time to make a late season push for respectability and possibly even the post season.

Go to the light, child.

by MR on Dec 15, 2008 11:45 AM EST up reply actions

I'm in a state of ecstasy.

Pimpin' ain't easy and neither is being a Sixers fan. I manage to do both. Join me at Liberty Ballers, the SBNation 76ers blog. Don't make fun of the name either. It has nothing to do with the New York Liberty of the WNBA.

by Jordan Sams on Dec 13, 2008 12:55 PM EST reply actions