Phillies offense disappears as Astros sweep them out of town

With Ryan Howard and Chase Utley returning to the lineup, it wasn't supposed to be like this. With arguably their two best hitters coming back from injury, the Phillies offense was supposed to explode and it was only supposed to be a few days before they took the division lead away from the Braves. After a four game sweep at the hands of the lowly Astros, however, the Phillies find themselves sputtering at the wrong time.

The main culprit for the poor showing against the Astros was the offense that, with everyone healthy and back in the lineup, managed to score only 7 runs in 4 games, an average of 1.75 runs per game. While the Astros do have some decent pitching, the Phillies just couldn't get anything going against a team that has given up 4.65 runs per game this season. What made the series even more frustrating was that the Phillies wasted strong outings from Roy Halladay, Cole Hamels and Joe Blanton because they were so inept with bats.

It's hard to place the blame on any one individual player for the Phillies when really no one is swinging the bat well. Fueled by their below-normal production, there has been some speculation that both Howard and Utley rushed back from their injuries and are not healthy enough to contribute at this time. Howard for sure hasn't been himself since coming back, going 3 for 20 with only 1 RBI and no extra base hits.

What makes the 4 losses against the Astros even more frustrating is that the Phillies now have to travel to San Diego to take on the best team in the National League. With the Padres having one of the best pitching staffs in the league and the Phillies offense currently flailing, things could get ugly fast on the West Coast trip. Of course, knowing the Phillies, they could easily flip the switch and turn everything around in their very next game For the sake of their 3 game deficit in the division, let's hope that's the case.
(AP PHOTO)

Pathetic Phillies offense isn't funny anymore

This just in: something is seriously wrong with the Phillies offense. After yet another pathetic offensive effort in a 3-1 loss to the Padres on Monday, it's time to start looking at the Phillies as a team with a broken offense rather than a team that is simply in a slump. Just have a look at these stats:

*The last time the Phillies scored double digit runs was on May 17th against the Pirates when the won 12-2. Since that game, the Phillies have scored 40 runs in 19 games, an average of 2.1 runs per game, and have a record of 6-13.

*In that stretch of 19 games, the Phillies were shut out 5 times and scored 1 run 4 times.

*While they have given up an average of 3.9 runs per game, Phillies pitching has been good at times over the stretch, including the Roy Halladay perfect game as well as a couple of strong outings by Kyle Kendrick, a complete game win by Jamie Moyer and Monday's no-hit bid by Cole Hamels.

*Over their last 12 games, the Phillies as a team have hit .222, have an OBP of .300 and have hit 3 home runs and drove in 24 runs. That's right, 3 homers in 12 games for a team that has Ryan Howard, Jayson Werth and Chase Utley.

Okay, so if you've been watching the Phillies at all over the past few weeks, you know what these stats are telling you: the offense has been brutal. As for reasons why, I'm at a total loss. The only everyday player missing right now is Jimmy Rollins but you can't tell me his absence has that great of an effect. There are some theories out there about Chase Utley being injured but that only explains why Utley isn't hitting. How do you explain the huge funk Jayson Werth is in? How do you explain why Ryan Howard has hit only one home run in his last 14 games?

Clearly, something is wrong with this team; unfortunately, I don't know of a quick fix that will right the ship. This team is too good to hit like this for long stretches so the team could just sit back and wait for the guys to start heating up again. If things go much longer, though, expect the Phillies to start taking extreme measures and cut guys like Raul Ibanez and Greg Dobbs and rush someone like Domonic Brown up to the majors.

Whatever needs to be done, whatever needs to be figured out, it needs to happen soon. Phillies fans are getting really tired of watching a supposed offensive juggernaut hit like a bunch of Wilson Valdez's. Sure, you can call us greedy because the Phillies have been to two straight World Series, but that's what makes this whole situation worse. The Phillies are a team capable of greatness and we are all growing increasingly frustrated watching them not bother to show up at the plate. Luckily for the Phillies, there is a lot of season left and no one is going to run away with the NL East. Let's hope for a quick turnaround so we can all look back and laugh about this late May/early June swoon.

Disgusting: Eagles lose to Raiders

(AP Photo/Tony Avelar)

It was supposed to be automatic. The Eagles were just supposed to show up against the Raiders and it was going to be a laugher. The Eagle offense, while it had been inconsistent throughout the year, was going to have a field day, pouring on the points against an anemic Oakland defense. Even if they couldn't score, at least the defense would crush JaMarcus Russell and the Raider offense.

Well, that's why you play the games. Putting forth their most embarrassing effort since tying the Bengals last season, the Eagles failed to score a touchdown and lost, 13-9, to the Raiders. There were too many players at fault in this game to just single out one, especially on offense, where the Eagles were out of sync all day. Donovan McNabb had barely any time in the pocket all game as he was sacked six times and was constantly being rushed into poor throws. That caused the Eagle passing game to be inefficient and with no running game to speak of, the Eagles failed to move the ball all game long.

Defensively, the Eagles weren't terrible. Allowing 13 points against the Raiders isn't a great game but it should have still been good enough to win. The Birds did pick off Russell two times, although they did allow him to complete a season-high 17 passes. The one player that did stick out on defense for how awful he played was Jeremiah Trotter. He was constantly burned in the first half, getting caught trying to chase guys down because he is a step or two slow. He was benched for most of the second half of the game, a sign that his return to the Eagles could be short-lived.

So, what happens now? The Eagles always seem to have that one terrible game a year where they lose a game that should be a gimme, so hopefully this is that game. With the atrocious Redskins on tap for next weekend, most would normally think that should be another automatic win. If they play at all like they did today, though, the Eagles won't be winning another game this season.

Can the Eagles consider themselves contenders in the NFC anymore? A team with hopes of going to the Super Bowl would have crushed a team like the Raiders, much like the Giants did last week. We all know that the Eagles have a way of looking awful one week and great the next, so hopefully this is just a one-week hiccup. With that in mind, Philly fans, there is no need to panic. You don't need to start calling for Kevin Kolb to be the starting quarterback. If this happens again next week, then it's time to start looking for changes to be made.

One foot short: Eagles squander playoff opportunity in loss to Skins

(AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

That sure didn't look like a team that was desperately trying to get to the playoffs. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers lost earlier today so all the Eagles had to do to make the playoffs was win out. You would think a team facing that situation would come out firing with a ton of energy as their season was on the line.

Instead, the Eagles played flat for four quarters in their 10-3 loss to the Redskins. It was a familiar story for the Birds as the team consistently misfired on offense all day as they once again completely abandoned the run in favor of a pass-happy attack. Hey, Andy, when everyone knows you are going to pass the ball, it's easy to stop. It's especially easy when your quarterback looks like he is on a different planet than his receivers. Maybe it was the fact that Kevin Curtis and Hank Baskett were out but Donovan McNabb was not in sync with his receivers at all until the final drive of the game. I stopped counting how many passes he bounced in the second quarter.

The defense was solid as usual, limiting the Redskins to only 10 points. The Skins put up some decent running numbers on the day, getting 122 as a team, but the defense never gave up any big plays and kept the team in the game throughout. They didn't force any turnovers in the game but they can't be faulted for losing this one.

The Eagles aren't eliminated from the playoffs because of the loss but they squandered their chance at controlling their own destiny. They need a miracle to get in now because they need the Bucs to lose again next week when they play the terrible Oakland Raiders. The Eagles also need to pay attention to who wins the NFC Central because whoever doesn't win it out of the Bears and Vikings will be in the hunt for the last NFC playoff spot.

Many will lament that the Eagles fell just a yard short of keeping their season alive but the truth is they should never had been in a position where a desperation touchdown at the end of the game could have saved their season. The Eagles dinked and dunked their way down the field in the final minutes of the game but didn't show any intensity earlier in the game. Too often McNabb and the offense don't show any urgency until the game is on the line and it's too late.

It's amazing how this Eagles team can look like the best team in the NFL one week and like complete garbage the next. This game was really a microcosm of the season as the team started off with a lot of hope, went flat in the middle and then fell just short in the end.

All I have to say is thank goodness the Phillies just won the World Series or you could have some angry rioting in the streets of Philadelphia.

Stick a fork in 'em, Donovan McNabb and the Eagles are done

(AP Photo/Rob Carr)

Sunday, November 23rd will be a date remembered by Eagles fans for a long time. Not only was it the date that the Eagles 2008 season came to an end, it will also go down as the date the Donovan McNabb era came to an end in Philadelphia.

The Eagles were whipped by the Ravens 36-7 in the worst Eagles game I have seen in a long time. The offense failed to score all day with only a Quintin Demps kickoff return touchdown saving the Birds from a shut out.

Unlike the last few weeks, Donovan McNabb actually had a decent start to the game, completing 7 of his first 9 passes. Although he failed to put any points on the board, he was doing fine until he was sacked early in the 2nd quarter and coughed up the football to the Ravens. From that point forward, McNabb completed only 1 of 9 passes and was intercepted twice. His poor first half play forced Andy Reid to bench McNabb and go with Kevin Kolb for the remainder of the game.

Kolb entered the game with the score 10-7 and the outcome very much up in the air. There will be plenty of debate all week as to whether Reid should have benched the player that gives the team the best chance to win but clearly a message had to be sent that McNabb just wasn't getting the job done. Kolb didn't do much better, completing 10 of 23 passes for 73 yards and two picks. Despite Kolb's ineffectiveness, the Birds still had a chance to win the game as they drove deep into Ravens territory in the 4th quarter before Kolb threw an interception in the end zone that Ed Reed took 108 yards the other way for the score.

So where do the Eagles go from here? With the 2008 season clearly over, they have to continue with Kevin Kolb at quarterback to see what the kid can do. With McNabb likely being shown the door in the offseason the Eagles need to know if Kolb can be the man or if they need to go in another direction. Trotting McNabb out there for another week would be pointless unless they are trying to up his trade value.

As for McNabb, I could see him going on to have a few more solid seasons with the Bears or the Vikings. He has more left in the tank but he has run his course in Philadelphia. As he is on his way out, I hope that Eagles fans can remember him for the positive things he has done, like lead this team to countless victories and a Super Bowl, rather than his last few seasons of injury and ineptitude. Besides, regardless of how you feel about McNabb right now, it's still going to hurt when you see him in another uniform. He was supposed to be an Eagle for life and bring this city a title, not run out of town after a string of poor games.

R.I.P. The Donovan McNabb era, April 17th, 1999-November 23, 2008

McNabb didn't know game could end in a tie

This has to be a joke, right? Donovan McNabb didn't know that an NFL game could end in a tie? Seriously?

How does an NFL quarterback not know a game can end in a tie? As Donovan grew up playing football, high school and college games could end in ties, why not an NFL game?? Also, if he really didn't know the game could end in a tie, why didn't Andy Reid inform McNabb so he could get his butt in gear and try to win it before time ran out?

Pathetic: The Eagles TIE the 1-win Bengals

(AP Photo/Al Behrman)

One word describes the effort the Eagles put forth today in their tie with the lowly Cincinnati Bengals: pathetic.

Here is my list of everything pathetic from this game:

Donovan McNabb: 3 picks, a completion percentage below 50%, terrible over- and under-throws and a myriad of bad decisions. It's time for the Kevin Kolb era to begin.

McNabb's smile: Stop smiling when you play like crap! Don't you understand how frustrating that is for the fans?

The playcalling: It's time for Andy Reid to hand over the playcalls to someone else. Anyone else.

The running game: Wait, what running game?

Sav Rocca: The experiment has failed. It's time to get a real punter.

Discipline: Too many penalties, all seemingly at the wrong time.

Reggie Brown: 1 catch, 0 yards. Nice game, buddy. What a waste of a 2nd round pick.

The refs: Thank goodness the B.S. roughing the passer call against Sheldon Brown didn't cost the Eagles their precious tie.

The fact that the Eagles can't win a game when their defense has 8 sacks: None of the blame for this game goes to the defense. They held up their end and basically shut down the Bengals.

Got any more pathetic things to add to the list? I am sure there are more, I'm just too annoyed to bother to write about this team right now.

No offense, the Phillies stink

(AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

Now the Phillies can't even hit off of a minor league pitcher. The Padres tossed Chad Reineke out to the mound to make his major league debut, and even he had very little problem slowing down the "mighty Phillie offense". Reineke allowed 3 runs in 5 innings and then the Padres bullpen took it from there as the Padres beat the Phillies 8-3.

Of course, the Phillie offense wasn't the only culprit in the loss. Kyle Kendrick got two quick outs in the 4th inning but ran into some serious problems when trying to get the third. Not only did he let the pitcher, Reineke, get an RBI single, but Kendrick then gave up two more hits and walked another batter before being yanked from the game. In total, the Padres scored 5 runs in the inning, all with two outs.

The frustration continues with this Phillies team. The Mets continue to roll, winning their 5th straight to give themselves a 2 game lead in the NL East. The Phillies, on the other hand, have lost 8 of their last 12 and are slipping closer to third place. The offense continues to fail the Phillies, who now rely on their starting pitchers to have great games to even give themselves a chance to win. They will be on national television tomorrow night with Cole Hamels on the mound, so hopefully they can save face and at least take two of three from this weak Padres team. The Phils will be facing Cha Seung Baek and his 5.20 ERA. Look for Baek to throw a complete game shutout.

One picture says it all

(Photo by Jonathan Moore/Getty Images)

UGH. I've got nothing to say about the latest Phillie loss, 7-6 to the Dodgers, won on a Nomar homer in the bottom of the 9th. The bullpen blew it again.

By the way, the Phillies are now tied for first place with the Mets. UGH

Adam Eaton is scared of Randy Johnson's hitting prowess

The Phillies lost to the Diamondbacks 6-4 tonight thanks to a bad pitching performance by Adam Eaton. Eaton gave up six runs in four innings, but no run was worse than the one he gave up when he walked Randy Johnson on four straight pitches with the bases loaded in the fourth inning. Johnson's lifetime batting average: .167.
Watch the embarrassing sequence if you dare:

The best part of the clip is watching Charlie Manuel's disgusted reaction to Eaton's crappiness and then seeing D-backs manager Bob Melvin cracking a smile in the opposing dugout.

Eaton, Gordon in midseason form

With only a handful of exhibition games left before Opening Day on Monday, the Phillies should be rounding into form. The hitters should be kicking it into high gear, and the pitchers should no longer be looking to "make their pitches", but instead looking for results. Someone forgot to tell Adam Eaton and Tom Gordon that the season starts next week, because both players got rocked today in the Phillies 14-5 loss to the Tigers.

Eaton, the Phils 5th starter by default, pitched 4 2/3 innings and gave up 6 earned runs, upping his spring ERA to 7.41. Flash Gordon, the closer until Brad Lidge is healthy enough to return, gave up 6 earned runs in 1/3 of an inning to bring his ERA to 12.38. They were facing a scary-good Tigers team with no easy outs in their lineup, but there is no excuse to be getting shelled like that so close to the season. We've come to expect this kind of outing from Eaton, but the Phils are relying on Gordon to hold down the 9th until Lidge comes back. Even after Lidge returns, Gordon is supposed to be the setup guy, but he doesn't appear ready for any high leverage situations.

The only positive thing to happen today for the Phillies was a 3-run homerun by new third baseman Pedro Feliz. It was Feliz's 5th homer of the spring, and he looks like he will be a potent addition to the bottom of the lineup. He's going to hit about .250, but he will also hit 25-30 homeruns.

Here are "highlights" from today's ugly game, courtesy of Comcast SportsNet:

Even little kids can beat the Flyers

What hope do the Flyers have if their goalies can't even stop little kids from scoring on them? Here's a clip of a group of youth hockey league kids getting their chance to score on Flyers goalies Antero Niitymaki and Martin Biron. Let's hope the goalies weren't trying, because of the three shots in the clip, two of them go in.

Is it any wonder this team is struggling?

Penguins Crush Flyers

Embarrassing. There is really no other word for it. The Penguins, on national television, embarrassed the Flyers 7-1 on Sunday afternoon. The Penguins, who played without their best player Sidney Crosby, beat the Flyers at every facet of the game, and played with more intensity, more skill and more heart. Five different players scored goals for the Penguins, who were barely even challenged to play defense. Marc-Andre Fleury only saw 25 Flyers shots, most of them of the "easy save" variety. The lone Flyers goal was scored by Mike Knuble, and was created by great hustle by Patrick Thoreson, who made a diving play to slide the puck toward Knuble who tapped it into the net.

The Flyers are picking the wrong time to go in the tank again. They haven't won in four games, and that has allowed teams to creep up behind them in the standings. They are barely holding on to the 8th seed in the East, with Buffalo 1 point behind and Washington 2 points out. This team was so bad last year, and it looked as though they made immense strides this season as they challenged for the top of the Eastern Conference back in January. Maybe it's injuries, or maybe they just haven't come as far as we thought, but something isn't working right now for the Flyers. It's not one players fault, it's a total team effort that is lacking.

The Flyers have tomorrow off, and then they look to rebound against the Thrashers on Tuesday. Following that game, the Flyers final 8 games are against division rivals the Rangers, Devils, Penguins and Islanders. There is still a chance the Flyers can right the ship, but if they can't improve their play, their rivals are going to enjoy knocking them out of the playoffs.

Sharks Beat Listless Flyers

The losses keep mounting. The last place Flyers lost their ninth straight game against the San Jose Sharks, 3-1. They lacked energy and any will to actually win the game. The Sharks played the night before, and still had much more jump than the rested Flyers, who were out-shot and out-hit. The only highlight for the Flyers was a fight between Riley Cote and Jody Shelley, where Cote pounded Shelley at the start of the fight, although Shelley fought back and got some good punches in at the end. Watch the fight below:

Flyers Lose. Again.

There are losing streaks, and then there is what is happening to the Flyers. They lost their seventh game in a row tonight, 5-3 to the Canadiens. The loss drops the Flyers into fourth place in the Atlantic Division behind the Rangers, and into the 7th seed in the Eastern Conference. The Flyers are currently only one point ahead of the two teams tied for the 8th seed, meaning with another loss they could drop out of the playoffs altogether. Only two weeks ago, the Flyers were in the hunt for the top overall seed, and now they are finding themselves closer to the bottom than the top.

Injuries have played a role in this losing streak, with Simon Gagne, Joffrey Lupul, Steve Downie and Derian Hatcher, all key contributors, out of tonights game. The Flyers only suited up 11 forwards against Montreal, and when Denis Tolpeko was knocked out of the game after a big hit in the first period, the Flyers essentially only had three forward lines.

Injuries don't tell the whole story though. The Flyers haven't been playing with much energy, losing many of the battles in the corner. The defense, even when everyone is healthy, is average at best. The goaltending has been good, but neither Antero Niitymaki nor Martin Biron have stood on their heads and single-handedly won a game. Neither goalie has stepped up to grab the number one spot, either, so they will continue to switch from game to game. All of this adds up to a team that is merely average.

GM Paul Holmgren has his work cut out for him. Getting Peter Forsberg won't be enough for this team. They need to find a defenseman or two. If Gagne is out for much longer, they will need another skilled forward. Perhaps the Flyers would be better off riding out the season with what they have. Let the young guys play and get experience and see how far they can get. Making a trade that would jeopardize the future just to win a few extra games this season isn't smart. There is little chance an extended Stanley Cup run is in this teams future unless they immediately turn this thing around.

Click here for highlights of tonights game.

The Struggle Continues

The good, the bad and the ugly from the Flyers 4-3 loss to the Islanders.

THE GOOD:

*Danny Briere scores a goal It was Briere's first goal since January 22nd, and he later added an assist. About the goal, he said the following:

"Yes, it is a big relief; I'm not going to lie....There always seem to be stretches in the season where things don't seem to go your way. You question yourself around the net, and this has certainly been one of those cases. It feels good to finally get a bounce going my way. . . ."

Even though Briere had two points on the night, he still didn't have a good all-around game, as he finished with a plus/minus of -2.

*The Hartnell goal In the second period, R.J. Umberger fought through a defender and made a great pass to the middle to set up Scott Hartnell on a great looking one-timer goal.

*Biron's Commentary If you watched the game on Versus, tonight's backup goalie Martin Biron was mic'd, and he had some great comments and analysis throughout the game. He commented on both goalies and their techniques, and spent some time talking about Briere's struggles this season. Biron added a unique perspective to the game that really added a lot to the broadcast.

THE BAD:

*The Flyers were 1 for 6 on the power play The strength of the Flyers all season has been their power play, and they had plenty of chances with little success. Besides Briere's goal, they managed very few solid chances with the man advantage.

*The Flyers managed only 29 shots They had very few good chances at even strength, too. Islanders goaltender Rick DiPietro was completely untested, and could have had a picnic in his own crease. In contrast, the Islanders had 47 shots, and although Antero Niitymaki played well against the barrage, he was lucky to give up only 4 goals.

*Mike Richards fails to convert on a breakaway Richards had a breakaway chance in the second period while the Flyers were shorthanded. He came in all alone on DiPietro, and missed a golden opportunity.

THE UGLY:

*It was the Flyers fourth loss in a row With every loss, the Flyers chances at the number one seed in the Eastern Conference are slowly slipping away. Also, the Rangers are sneaking up behind them in the standings, even though the Flyers have still played three fewer games.

*It was the Islanders first win at home in 2008 The Islanders also snapped a seven game losing streak. The Islanders are much closer to the bottom of the Eastern Conference than the top. This is the type of team the Flyers should be beating at this time of year.

*The playing surface Due to a monster truck event over the weekend, the Islanders had to replace their home ice. It made for a sloppy game on the bad ice. Crisp, cross-ice passes were rare in the game, and there were a lot of stops and starts.

The Flyers will look to bounce back against the Lightning at home on Thursday. This is another winnable game that looks like a must-win situation. I hate to say it, but the Flyers need to start playing with the energy and urgency that the Sixers have been showing us. Things are still backwards for the two teams.

Sixers Blow Big Early Lead

The Sixers just keep finding new ways to lose. They jumped out to 20 point lead in the first quarter of tonight's game against the Atlanta Hawks, only to have the Hawks quickly bounce back and pull the game close by halftime. The Sixers ended up losing 96-91. Josh Smith of the Hawks had a monster game, almost getting a quadruple double, with 19 points, 9 assists, 6 rebounds and 9 blocked shots. Andre Miller also had a box score stuffing performance, netting 29 points along with 6 assists, 6 rebounds and 2 steals.
A loss to the Hawks is never a good thing, but these Hawks are a little better than they have been in previous years. They are young and talented, with Joe Johnson and Josh Smith doing most of the scoring, and rookie Al Horford has been sensational and might go on to win Rookie of the Year. The Sixers look to bounce back tomorrow night against a resilient Wizards team that had been hot two weeks ago without Gilbert Arenas, but has since lost 4 of their last 5.

Sixers Win!

The Sixers finally found an opponent crummy enough for them to snap their losing streak. It took a 33 point effort from Andre Iguodala for the Sixers to defeat the Bobcats 103-96. Andre Miller also had 23 points and 9 assists. Not much else to note here, although I think Mo Cheeks might have taken my advice. On the last post I had about the Knicks game, I noted that Reggie Evans might be the worst starter in the NBA. So what does Cheeks do? He instead starts Thaddeus Young! Okay, so Evans still ended up playing more minutes than Young, but he still only had 2 points in 23 minutes. Up next for the Sixers is the Bucks, another struggling team that could be a winnable game for them.

Sixers Reach New Low

Just when you thought it couldn't get any worse for the Philadelphia 76ers, they go and lose to the lowly New York Knicks, 89-81. This season had some promise a few weeks ago when the Sixers were actually hovering around .500, but now they clearly are going to be in the battle for the worst team in the league, as they have lost 11 of their last 13. Reasons for the slide are many, but I will name a few here:

*No Talent. This is the obvious one. Just ask yourself, besides the Andre's, how many of these guys could be starters on any Western Conference team? Even Andre Miller would be a sixth man at best on most of the playoff teams in the West.

*Reggie Evans. Seriously, I know the guy can rebound, but he has to be amongst the worst starters on any team in the league. He played 31 minutes tonight and scored 2 points. For a big-time rebounder, shouldn't he be getting more easy put-backs? And to think, the Sixers traded two players to get him.

*No 3-point shooters. Since the trade of Kyle Korver, the best 3-point shooter on the team has been Andre Iguodala. If you have ever watched AI2 try to shoot from the outside, you know that's a bad thing. I will still support the Sixers decision to trade Korver to free up money in the offseason, but the team has a real hole here. They are going to have to use that extra money on another shooter.

*Bad Drafting. When was the last time these guys got a real steal in the draft? Iguodala was a great selection, but other than that, the Sixers have made few if any impact picks in the first rounds of drafts. Rodney Carney was acquired in a trade at the 2006 draft, and he has been pretty lousy. Louis Williams and Thaddeus Young look like decent selections, but in the last few years that have not hit a home run with any selection.

I will leave it at that. There are dozens of other reasons, like their inability to rebound, bad trades and contracts by Billy King and mediocre coaching. All we have to look forward to now is the 2008 draft, where the Sixers are sure to have a high pick. Go here for a list of the top ten prospects in the upcoming draft. I think Roy Hibbert could be a great building block for this team if they end up with a pick around 6-8. Let's Hope Ed Stefanski makes the right selection.

Sixers Help Out Those in Need

Struggling NBA teams must love seeing the Sixers on their schedule. The Pistons came into the Wachovia Center on a three game losing streak, and barely broke a sweat in defeating the Sixers 86-78. The game never really seemed that close, as the Sixers could not take advatage of a Pistons team that went cold for stretches of the game. Detroit has owned Philly lately, winning 13 of their last 15 games against them. Rasheed Wallace stated the obvious about the Sixers after the game: "They definitely need some help, I guess it's all on management now and what they're going to do." Thanks, 'Sheed. When even he knows your team needs major help, you know your team is in trouble.
Andre Iguodala had another strong all-around game, getting 15 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists. No Sixer broke the 20 point barrier.
Highlights/lowlights of the game are here.