- On the bright side, the Sixers had a good season. 50-plus wins, a first round playoff victory over Miami, and a return to respectability. The future is bright and sunnier skies are on the horizon. You'll hear the chants for Jay Wright and LeBron James. Maybe the organization will bring both in? Whatever happens, the off-season should be interesting. At least there is interest in the 76ers once again, compared to several years ago when the hot topic for the Philadelphia basketball team was the NBA draft lottery.
- The Sixers will probably win on Monday night to save face, but realistically they won't beat Boston four games in a row. If nothing else, this season was a great learning experience. The Sixers need to learn how to finish teams off. They played with the best of them all year, yet blew fiche games in which they led by 30 or more points. They will take a more focused, mature vision into the next season, not wonder-eyed at the playoffs. Most of all they brought fun and hope to the city and it's long-suffering fans.
They need more help, be it from James or another veteran presence.
- One of the main reasons why the Sixers are on the verge of losing to Boston is Coach Brett Brown. He has been out-coached big time. He blew pivotal Game 2 but not calling time-out during the Celtics' crucial run late in the 1st half. He made a very questionable move late in Game 2 by substituting the ineffective Ben Simmons for T. J. McConnell, who brought energy earlier to the contest.Yes, inexperience was a huge factor, but so was Brown's coaching, strategy and decisions.
- The Phillies won a game key Saturday afternoon in Washington, Despite recent struggles, the Phils are only a game out of first place in NL East. Beating Max Scherzer today would be big, not only to take the Nationals' series but to keep Washington at bay. The Nats are still the team to beat in the division.
- Hoskins hit his first home run in two weeks. Franco has been hot, and Santana looks like he may be coming out of his funk. The line-up is too good not to hit, especially when the weather gets warmer.
-After the classic Scherzer vs. Jake Arrieta duel today, the Phillies come home for seven games, including four against San-Francisco and three next weekend with the Mets. A winnable, brief two-game set with the lowly Orioles in Baltimore follows, along with a four-game series in Baseball Heaven, St. Louis.
- Keep your eye on two up-and-coming minor league pitchers in the weeks ahead. Enyel DeLos Santos is only 22-years-old and pitching well at Lehigh Valley. Seranthoney Dominguez started the year at Reading and has pitched so well, he has already been promoted to the Iron Pigs and could be the future closer in Philadelphia.
- The pitching staff may get a bit crowded soon, as Pat Neshek, Jared Eichoff and Mark Leiter Jr. are almost ready to come off the DL. Eichoff could return to the starting rotation. Leiter Jr. could be a No. 5 starter or a long- reliever,while Neshek could easily slide into his familiar 7th or 8th inning role. Whatever, it makes the Phillies' staff stronger and is good for competition.
No comments:
Post a Comment