If there was one match where the 76ers wished to make a statement, it was this. Cleveland Cavaliers has until now been known as a team that not only beats team but also demoralizes them with their beatings. The 76ers had two options really - 1) To stand and take the shellacking or 2) To put up a fight and possibly try to win the game.
Well, for starters, the 76ers took to the field as if they had something in their minds. The 76ers were a team that was struggling with their combination last season, and in this game, they definitely decided to throw few surprises upfront. Andre Iguodola, the diminutive player, found a new place of that of a forward. This really brought out the best of the skills of this small player, who otherwise was wasted in the position of a shooting guard.
Maurice Cheeks racked his brains and recognized the threat posed by LeBron James to their citadel. He obviously had to do something about James and his game, else James would sole-handedly hand them a beating. To tackle him, he appointed Thaddus Young and Andre Iguodola to keep a close check on James. As the game panned out, James was not as effective as he was in the earlier games, but due to his talent and superior skills, he could still make an impact on the game.
Iguodola's performance in itself was commendable. He made 27 points, with 9 rebounds and 5 assists. Clearly, the new position where Andre found playing suited his style of game. The other major gain from the game was Lou Williams, who scored 22 points in the game. 13 of the 22 points came in the final stretch of the game. The two biggest disappointments of the game for the 76ers came by way of Greene and Young. Young it seemed was too stuck in a defensive position trying to stop Lebron James.
This game must have taught the 76ers two things - 1) If you spend some more time on strategy, you could compete against top teams, 2) Using players to curb the opposition's style is okay, but can only work for some time. Expecting it to work for the duration of the match is possibly asking too much.
With these improvements thought of, the 76ers look forward to their next outing! There are some good and bad news for the 76ers. Good news is that they seem to be improving with each and every game. Bad news is that their improvement just does not matter as they keep raking in losses, one after the other. Add to this the fact that Elton Brand has not fully recovered from his sprain injury and you would know that is a long task for the 76ers.
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