MVN: Most Valuable Network

It was a little disappointing seeing the end result as a loss, but if you’ve watched this team since the first game, they’ve come a long way. It was a winnable game and a game we had in hand, but asking a very young team to sustain a lead for 3 quarters is a lot. My spirits have been uplifted a little after the past two games. This season was starting to have a bleak outlook after two dismal games in Washington and New Orleans, but the heart that this team has shown gives me faith.

We jumped out to a nice lead in the first quarter (as much as 13) and were in control of the game the whole first half. Sam Dalembert continues to be a rock down in the paint - blocking or contesting all shots without fouling. Surprisingly, the fast break points were 14-0 in the first half, advantage Sixers against the high octane GSW offense. It didn’t really get close until the 3^rd quarter when the Warriors made some runs with Baron Davis on the bench.

Andre Miller played much better matched up against a fellow L.A. native, Baron Davis. It seemed to have given him the extra “oomph” he needed to get hyped for the game. He finished with 23 points and 4 assists (still not enough). Andre Iguodala had a great line of 26 points (8-17 shooting), 11 rebounds, 4 assists and 5 steals. He also went 9-10 from the line, which is a good sign. “Worst Case” Willie Green (Brilliantly named by Jon- Courtesy of Sean Watts) went for the usual 9 points on 4-13 shooting. To my dismay, Rodney Carney seems to still be in the rotation, playing 16 minutes last night. His production, however, wasn’t as stunning, going 1-6 for a total of 2 points (4 were bad shots, I remember an 18-foot floater), and 5 fouls. I was hoping for a lineup change to happen yesterday, but Mo’s loyalty to Willie prevailed.

These past two games remind me of a stretch last year during the 12-game losing streak. We weren’t playing that bad; the ball just wasn’t bouncing our way. This was before the trade, so we didn’t have Andre Miller’s veteran leadership at the end of games. This team now has more experience playing without AI, so this won’t stretch into another 12 gamer. If we keep the energy and intensity up, then the ball has to start bouncing our way resulting in more wins.

*By the way, I would’ve never said this before the season but I probably would prefer Rodney Carney and Steven Hunter for Reggie Evans. Bobby Jones seems much improved in Denver, while Rodney has really digressed in my opinion.

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