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| The Recliner GM Sports Blog |
| The Recliner GM Sports Blog - where you get basketball, baseball and football insights, predictions, wild speculation and idle conjecture from two Philadelphia guys who probably know less than you. |
| Language: English |
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| Quick Take on the Sixers/Wiz Game Last Night |
| 2009-10-21 08:38:11 |
For those of us who don't have NBATV, didn't get the free preview or couldn't stand to listen to Spanish announcers we got our first taste of the 2010 Sixers.
Meh.
We lost the game on a dumb ass Willie Green reach in. Phantom call or not is unimportant to me. His instinct to reach in there are what was dumb. It was a risky attempt to bother a shooter who was 3 feet behind the three point line and well covered by a contesting 7-footer. The way Mike James missed that shot is the same way he would have missed if Willie just watched him. Oh well. At least we he got it out of his system in a preseason game.
With that said we didn't lose the game because of that play.
Overall we didn't get a strong showing by the Sixers. We were playing against a Wizard's team without their starting backcourt of Arenas and Miller and they were also without Antwan Jamison. I fully expected to see them run over them last night. Nope.
They looked like the same ole Sixers - inconsistent, collectivel...
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| Eagles Acquire LB Witherspoon At Trade Deadline |
| 2009-10-20 19:28:55 |
We haven't covered the last 2 Eagles games because of the focus on the Phillies' run and the NBA Preview, but we have been watching. And one thing we watched this weekend was our linebackers getting smoked on the Raiders only touchdown of the game and on the 3rd and 8 conversion that sealed it.
The Eagles addressed the giant hole Stewart Bradley left behind in the pre-season by acquiring Will Witherspoon from the Rams for rookie WR Brandon Gibson and a 2010 5th round pick.
Reid said in announcing the deal that Witherspoon would absolutely be the starting middle linebacker for the remainder of the season.
In doing some quick research on the 29 year-old Witherspoon, I've got to say I'm impressed we paid such a small price for him (though who knows, we might have been high on Gibson). Scouts Inc. gives him a rating of 75, the same score given to Jonathan Vilma and Ernie Sims, among others. He is rated higher than Keith Brooking, Joey Porter and the aforementioned Stewart Bradley. The s...
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| Game 5 Chat: Will The Magic Never End? |
| 2009-10-20 13:48:17 |
I'll keep this up to talk about Game 5 today and tomorrow during the game, but I think last night's game deserves a couple more words.
Last night I didn't go crazy. I didn't run around my house and yell and scream like I did exactly one year ago when Matt Stairs blistered Jonathan Broxton. Instead, I just sat on my couch with a dumbfounded smile on my face. It wasn't that I couldn't believe it happened, it was that I was just so grateful to this Phillies team for giving us fans so many unique moments in the past 3 years.
After all those years of last-place teams, followed by all those years of soul-crushing close calls where we just couldn't get to the playoffs, I think there were many of us who thought we were somehow being punished for something. We couldn't just lose or fall short, we'd have to find new and more depressing ways to do so. They would string us on until the very last week, and then drop a series to the Reds, or have an unstoppable closer blow back-to-back games. It a...
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| Game 4 Chat: Phils Look For 2008 Redux In Game 4 |
| 2009-10-19 09:53:50 |
This was the game last season that really had us all believing it just might be our year. Down 2 in the 8th, and seemingly on our way to a 2-2 tie in the series, Victorino tied it up with 2-run shot, followed by Matt Stairs legendary blast into the night.
The Dodgers have shown absolutely [...]
Related posts:Game 3 Chat: Lee, Phils Look to ReboundGame 2 Chat: Phils Look to Pedro For Huge LeadPitiful Phils Lose Nearly Unwatchable Game 2...
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| 2009-10 NBA Preview: Milwaukee Bucks |
| 2009-10-19 09:07:07 |
Milwaukee Bucks
2008-09 Record: 34-48
Anticipated Starting Five
PG- Luke Ridnour
SG- Michael Redd
SF- Carlos Delfino
PF- Hakim Warrick
C- Andrew Bogut
Key Reserves: Amir Johnson, Charlie Bell, Luc Mbah a Moute, Brandon Jennings, Kurt Thomas, Joe Alexander
Biggest Strength: Front Court
Bucks should be a strong rebounding team, should block some shots and have a number of big guys shooting a high percentage from the field. Bogut, Warrick, Thomas, Johnson and Moute will form a strong core of centers and forwards to fortify the Bucks in the paint.
Biggest Weakness: Point guard
Right now I have no clue how is the starting point. I have to assume Skiles would lean towards the veteran Ridnour unless Jennings really shines in practice and preseason games. The ideal situation for the Bucks would resemble the progression last season. Ridnour starts the beginning of the season until Jennings gets comfortable and becomes the better options at point just like Sessions did last season....
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| Game 3 Chat: Lee, Phils Look to Rebound |
| 2009-10-18 18:13:45 |
After a tough Game 2, the Phillies return home with their Ace on the mound, looking to regain the lead.
With rain in the forecast, we will have to see if the game is even played. If it is, I’ll be here chatting in the comments field.
Related posts:Game 2 Chat: Phils Look to Pedro For Huge [...]
Related posts:Game 2 Chat: Phils Look to Pedro For Huge LeadCould Phils Get “Freezed Out” for Game 3? It’s Possible.Phils Look To Rebound vs. Nats...
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| 2009-10 NBA Preview: Indiana Pacers |
| 2009-10-18 18:11:23 |
Indiana Pacers
2008-09 Record: 36-46
Anticipated Starting Five
PG- T.J. Ford
SG- Mike Dunleavy Jr.
SF- Danny Granger
PF- Troy Murphy
C- Roy Hibbert
Key Reserves: Earl Watson, Brandon Rush, Dahntay Jones, Tyler Hansbrough, Jeff Foster, Luther Head
Biggest Strength: Three point shooting
Troy Murphy - 45% (last season)
Mike Dunleavy Jr. - 42.4% (last full season)
Danny Granger - 40% (last season)
Luther Head - 39.2% (career)
Travis Diener - 39% (last season)
Brandon Rush - 37.3% (last season)
I think you get the point. At any given time Indiana will have 2-4 high quality shooters on the floor. O'Brien's offensive system is designed for the three point shot and he has plenty of players to execute it well.
Biggest Weakness: Starter defense/bench scoring
I am looking at this roster and they have very few two-way players. Meaning they have scorers who can't defend and defenders who can't score. SO how will O'Brien balance these differing players in his rotation? More on...
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| 2009-10 NBA Preview: Detroit Pistons |
| 2009-10-18 18:09:26 |
Detroit Pistons
2008-09 Record:
Anticipated Starting Five
PG- Rodney Stuckey
SG- Rip Hamilton
SF- Tayshaun Prince
PF- Charlie Villanueva
C- Kwame Brown
Key Reserves: Ben Gordon, Chris Wilcox, Jason Maxiell, Austin Daye, Will Bynum
Biggest Strength: Perimeter scoring
Rip, Prince, Stuckey, Gordon, Bynum will be taking the bulk of the shots and doing most of the scoring. Even Villanueva is more of a perimeter oriented front court players. I have no doubt these guys will put up points from outside. But where they do need to find some balance offensively to really compete consistently when shots aren't falling and good defensive teams look to force the ball inside and away from their strength.
Biggest Weakness: Front court offense
Where do the points in the paint come from? None of the front court players for Detroit are known for the their post offense. And aside from Stuckey not of the perimeter players are big time slashers and finishers at the rim. To balance the strong...
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| Game 2 Chat: Phils Look to Pedro For Huge Lead |
| 2009-10-16 13:51:35 |
I'd be happy going back to Philly with a split, especially with Cliff Lee not even taking the mound yet. But taking 2 from the Dodgers in LA to start the series would be so demoralizing for the Dodgers that it would be really, really hard for them to recover.
Here's what I will be looking for in Game 2...
Pedro, duh. When we signed Pedro, I don't think many envisioned him as the Game 2 starter in the NLCS for us. Charlie is taking a big chance here with both Blanton and Happ able to pitch on full rest. We know Pedro has the mentality for the job, but will he be sharp after hardly pitching for the last month? By the way - if he's brilliant? He'll become a Matt Stairs-type legend pretty fast.
The Floatilla. Vicente Padilla has great stuff, but anyone flat out released by a playoff contender mid-playoff race has got some extra baggage. Everyone has talked about great he has been since coming over the Dodgers, but 6 of his 8 regular season starts for them were against the D-Backs, Gia...
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| How Are The “Experts” Picking? And NLCS Game 1 Chat |
| 2009-10-15 12:11:15 |
Well, we all seem to agree that the Phillies and Dodgers are very close in terms of overall talent, and it's impossible to predict who is going to win.
But - of course, that doesn't stop everyone from trying. Here are how the experts from various media are calling the series...
Peter Gammons (ESPN) : Dodgers in 7
Buster Olney (ESPN) : Phillies in 6
Rob Neyer (ESPN) : Dodgers in 5
Jim Caple (ESPN) : Dodgers in 5
Tim Kurkjian (ESPN) : Phillies in 7
Jayson Stark (ESPN) : Phillies in 7
Gene Wojciehowski (ESPN) : Phillies in 7
Steve Phillips (ESPN) : Dodgers in 7
Eric Neel (ESPN) : Phillies in 6
Keith Law (ESPN) : Phillies in 6
Enrique Rojas (ESPN) : Dodgers in 7
Ted Keith (CNNSI) : Dodgers in 6
Tom Verducci (CNNSI) : Phillies in 7
Jon Heyman (CNNSI) : Dodgers in 7
Joe Posnanski (CNNSI) : Dodgers in 6
Lee Jenkins (CNNSI) : Dodgers in 6
Ben Reiter (CNNSI) : Dodgers in 6
Joe Lemire (CNNSI) : Dodgers in 6
David Sabino (CNNSI) : Dodgers in 7
Cliff Corcoran (CNNSI) : Phillies in 6
Jon...
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