Anthony’s Opening Diatribe- The Sixers Celtics Game Freaked Me Out
Anthony discussed why the loss to the Celtics freaked him out in his Opening Diatribe this morning…
“They outplayed Boston. Yet I look up in the 4th quarter and they are down significantly. They come all the way back, but they just don’t have enough. Tatum hits the shot. Then of course Joe that shot. And you know ew it was a tick late. But for some reason, I’m still tricking myself. I was praying, I just wanted to see another 5 minutes. The issue is, Tatum has that game, and you lose on your home court. When you wanted it more than they did, that is why I am freaked out today. That loss freaked me out.
The Sixers wanted that game. They needed it. Ever hear the old expression of that team needs that game more? That was Saturday Night. The Sixers needed to win that game. They needed it more than Boston did. And that is why I’m freaked out.
Does it mean anything for the Playoffs? We have seen it before when a team owns a team in the regular season, and the other team comes around in the playoffs and wins. But it does not make you confident. It is your home floor. Tobias played a great game. He played great defense and had 16 rebounds. That was a terrific game by Tobias. And yet that was not enough to win.
The primary issue is Tyrese Maxey. We all love Maxey. Maxey is not playing well. You cant play him next to Harden. It’s not going to work. They are woeful defensively. I love the kid to death. He has got to get better defensively. He’s killing you on defense. In the second unit, he should control the basketball. He should be able to have more of a scoring role in the second unit. I don’t know what you do, but he has to be able to consistently get you points off the bench…
You have to get more from your bench. But the matchup isn’t there vs the Celtics… Once the playoffs start, you are down to an 8-man rotation. Tucker has to be the backup 5. And you have to go to an 8-man rotation. That’s it. Nobody else sees the floor. That means, Niang and McDaniels have to contribute. McDaniels who is athletic needs to play a role in this thing.”
And you can listen to his full Opening Diatribe below…
If you liked this, you may also enjoy…
7 Phillies Named To MLB's Top 100 Players List
Rhys Hoskins (94)
Rhys is as hot and cold as players come. When he is hitting, he does it better than anyone. But the inconsistency, and the struggles in the field, keep him at 94. Which seems fair. The dumb errors can be maddening. But there is no run to the World Series without Rhys Hoskins. His bat is why they beat the Braves and the Padres. It is his last year before free agency, so he may be up for a career year.
(Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
Aaron Nola (79)
Aaron Nola has had his up and downs as a Phillie. A few years back he was a genuine Cy Young candidate. But he struggled to get back to that for a while. Until last year. He put together a great regular season and even broke the trend of September swoons. The ending was less than spectacular, with him struggling vs the Astros in the World Series. But Nola is a big reason they were there to begin with. And his great play was rewarded by cracking the Top 11, coming in at number 79.
(Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)
Kyle Schwarber (44)
When the Phillies signed Schwarber, fans knew they were getting a power bat. What they did not know was that he would provide as much of it as he went on to. He sent 52 balls into the outfield seats between the regular season and the postseason. Well, that is not technically true. Because I am pretty sure the one he hit in Game 1 vs the Padres never landed in the seats and is still in orbit. Schwarber is among the best power hitters in the sport. His below-average fielding, and low batting average, keep him out of the top 40.
But you will take those trade-offs when a guy does what Schwarber can with a bat. And while the batting average is low, he walks a ton to make up for it. He jumped from 80 last year up to 44.
(Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images)
Zack Wheeler (35)
Wheeler is about as good as they come. They asked a lot of him last season, and he delivered. There was a tiny hiccup vs the Astros. But for the most part, he pitched like a Cy Young last year. And he could have been if there weren’t pitchers like Sandy Alcantara doing inhuman things. They may go a bit easier on Wheeler this year, just so there is less fatigue in the playoffs. But we know for a fact that Wheeler will be as good as any pitcher when it matters most. He came in at 35 this year, after being ranked 25 in 2022.
(Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images)
JT Realmuto (29)
It looked a little bit dicey early in the season. But by the end of the year, JT Realmuto once against confirmed he is the best catcher in baseball. In the second half, there are few players who hit better than him period. He had the 5th best OPS after the All-Star Break in the entire MLB. And behind the plate, no one prevents steals better than him. His efforts helped him jump from 54 last year up to 29 for this season.
(Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
Bryce Harper (17)
Harper will, unfortunately, miss the first couple of months as he recovers from Tommy Johns. But when he is healthy, there may not be 5 better players in the league than him, let alone 16. That was on full display in the playoffs where he at times carried the Phillies lineup, including one of the most clutch home runs in Phillies history in game 5 vs the Padres. Landing at 17 makes sense if you factor in the injury and that he may not be able to play the field until late in the season. But Harper should be much higher if going just by talent. He fell from 5 to 17.
(Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)
Trea Turner (11)
And one of the newest Phillies is also the one who ranks highest on this list. Turner is the best Shortstop in Baseball. He is also probably the fastest man in Baseball. His speed at the top of the lineup could make a huge difference for the Phillies this year. And his range at shortstop could be key with the league banning the shift. He makes consistent contact, plays great in the field, provides some pop, and will steal you a ton of bases. Trea Turner could quickly become one of our favorite all-time Phillies. He comes in at 11, after being ranked 13 last year with the Dodgers.
(Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
