23 games. 22 losses. That is the 2015-16 Philadelphia 76ers, ladies and gentleman. Three years ago, what seemed to be a strong "tank" plan has now taken a shift with the hiring of Jerry Contangelo. Sam Hinkie remains as the general manager, but how long he will be in that position is unknown. With all of the drama surrounding the front office, which also includes rumors of Josh Harris looking to sell the team, the Sixers had a game last night in Brookyn and it resulted in another loss, 100-91. Although it was their 34th road loss in their last 35 games away from home, there were bright spots. Jahlil Okafor battled with Brook Lopez and had a phenomenal game, dropping 22 points and tallying 10 rebounds. He hit all eight of his free throw shots. Also, Tony Wroten started his first game since returning from injury and scored nine points and had two assists. T.J. McConnell had 17 off the bench.
The Sixers managed to hit just four of their 31 shots from behind the three-point line. They're 8-for-55 over their last two games. Here's some player and coach reaction from last night's loss:
Brett Brown on the teams' shooting woes down the stretch:
“When you look at our shooters going 0 for 22, if we go 3 for 22 it’s a tie game,” head coach Brett Brown said.
“We were just hoping to make some perimeter shots,” Brown said. “We knew we were going to play through Jahlil. T.J. had an unusual perimeter game for him — he hit some threes. But by and large you feel that Isaiah can be better paired with Jahlil going down the stretch.” [CSNPhilly.com]
Nerlens Noel on shot opportunities:
“We got some good looks, 4 for 31 from three,” said Nerlens Noel, who scored six points with five rebounds in 21 minutes. “I mean, you have to sink some more of those at least. If we get some defensive stops, I think we win that game.”
“Moral victories only go so far,” Noel said. “We want to win some basketball games.” [CSNPhilly.com]
Brett Brown on Jahlil Okafor's bounce back game:
"You can see, with all the stuff that's been going on in his life, inevitably there's a weight on him," Brown said. "He played with a bounce tonight. He looked great at the free throw line. He looked great rebounding. We've done a lot of studies physically on him to figure out how to best play him. He had a hell of a game tonight." [Philly.com]
Tony Wroten on starting following his 10-month absence:
"Being off for 10 months, I needed a couple of games to get under my belt," he said. "Nothing is going to come overnight. But that fact that I'm back in the lineup and back to things being normal is a great feeling.
"I'm ready to lead this team like I know I can, and start winning a lot more games." [Philly.com]
Kendall Marshall on his return to the court Friday:
“Time just keeps going by,” said the North Carolina product. “You watch your team play, you want to be out there. You want to help them. So, time is moving a lot slower. Then, when it’s finally here, everything that you feel like you are, what I’ve been my whole life as a basketball player, being able to go back and do that is a great feeling. It’s a nervous feeling. It’s almost anxiety. My stomach turns. There’s a lot of emotions running through me, but ultimately, I’m just excited.” [Sixers.com]
Brett Brown reminisces about Thaddeus Young, other former Sixers veterans:
“Just because you have a veteran doesn’t answer all the problems,” said Brown. “You better have the right veteran. There are so many other variables that come into play truly, instead of just stamping off on you need a veteran. You need the right veteran. In that first year, those three guys were great.”
“For me, I have personal memories,” continued Brown. “[They] knew that they were going to be traded. And they were great guys. Spencer, Thaddeus, Evan. And you immediately connected with them because you respected them. They were fantastic. And I follow them, obviously, since then. Because you have just a fondness and respect for [Young] on how he handled our situation. You always follow him. He signed a great contract. He’s playing good basketball. I follow him all the time.” [Sixers.com]
The Sixers play the second half of a back-to-back tonight at home against the Pistons (12-11). Tip-off on CSN Philly (TV) and 97.5 The Fanatic (radio) is set for 7PM.
