Sixers thump disinterested ...

It's interesting to watch the fluctuation in the crowds at the Wachovia Center. Whatever steam the Sixers picked up heading into the all-star break they've lost. There were as many empty seats there as I've seen since December. Not good for Comcast brass.

The star of the game, obviously, is Thaddeus Young. And really, tonight should have been an eye opener. Not because of the 3 point shots, the mid-range shots, the drives, or the hook shots over larger opponents. Tonight showcased some of Thad's defensive skills.

For various reasons, perhaps the most often cited are some of the high profile end-of-game scenarios that didn't go the Sixers way (*cough*Ray Allen*cough*), Young has taken some hits on his defensive reputation. Some of which are valid (he is, after all, a 20 year old kid who makes mistakes), most of which are drastically overblown, and overshadow the fact that the kid is a very good defender, and one of the better on the team.

Pull up the DVR and watch the first half of the 3rd quarter. It might be easy to overlook, as Young was busy scoring 12 points in the first half of the 3rd quarter, but his defense was very key during that stretch, and really pinpointed some of the defensive strengths he possesses.

The Raptors tried time and again to pick and roll Bargnani and Calderon, a very potent combo, and watching Thad defend the pick was about as good as we've seen it defended in years. He's one of the few on the team who has the foot-speed to deny the ball-handler penetration, and the technique and timing to rotate back and defend his man. Sure, Bargnani got some open looks, primarily when the defense left him open to help on other teammates, but overall the defense Thad played was impressive. He makes some mistakes, including losing his man when playing off the ball, but his foot speed, technique (he uses his length really well) and effort make him a good man-man defender and pick and roll defender. With his work ethic, I expect him to be a very, very good defender, especially once he moves back to his natural SF position.

And, the offensive contribution he gave was simply a precursor of things to come. He really does show flashes of having all the tools. His length gives him the opportunity to get his shot off anywhere, to get his jumper off anytime. He has a good first step, excellent body control, consistent form on his 3 point shot, which should eventually yield consistent results if he puts in the work. When he's being guarded by smaller three's, I expect him to be a mismatch problem. He'll be fun to watch develop.

Random Thoughts:
- I hate to pick on Sammy when he played an overall good game, but early in the third, Young played good defense on Bargs, forced a miss, and Sammy (with no one on him) drifts down underneath the basket, and the rebound bounces over his head for a Toronto offensive rebound. It's situations like this why I never truly believe Dalembert's a dominant rebounder. Absolutely horrible rebounding technique.
- I also noticed Sam clapping for himself as he left the court with 3 minutes left. Yes Sammy, nice job. I'm sure this (to you) proves that the only thing holding you back is minutes.
- Miller seemed very deliberate and conservative in his movements. I'm wondering how much he's still bothered by the injury, and if this is going to be an ongoing problem. His steps were very short and choppy.
- I'm happy that Speights was the first big off the bench. But man, does he need to control those fouls. Most of them aren't even that he's terribly out of position. I think experience should help.
- One thing that was impressive with Speights was his body control. Late in the game, last few minutes, he went up for a hard one-handed dunk. After being hit in the air, he gathered himself on the way down and threw up a decent attempt at a shot. It didn't go in, but it was impressive nonetheless. Not many guys his size are that coordinated.
- Way too much Evans and Ivey in at the same time. That lineup seemed to work alright in the second, but was horrid in the 4th, and more often than not is going to lead to trouble scoring, and a chance for the opposition to get back in the game.
- Again, I thought Louis Williams had a fantastic game, but I have to nitpick. With 4 minutes left, and the Sixers up 18, the Sixers grabbed an offensive rebound, and kicked it out to Lou to re-set the offense, who then proceeded to fired up a contested jumper with 20 seconds left on the shot-clock. Know your situation.

Overall, good win, but I'm going to try not to read too much into it. It was fun watching them win, and a treat to watch Young get it going (who's now averaging 16 ppg in 11 games since the all-star break, and 18.5 in February), but the Raptors simply seemed disinterested, including Chris Bosh, who coasted through the entire game. That's a team who's on cruise control right now, so take the win in context. It doesn't change any of my concerns or expectations about the team.