Sixers Notes: Collins using Ivey in new role

With 6:26 left in Monday night’s loss to the Milwaukee Bucks at the Wells Fargo Center, coach Doug Collins called a timeout. Part of the reason for the timeout was to slow down the game, which had been chaotic for an extended stretch.

But the main reason for the timeout was to make a substitution. In came shooter Jason Richardson and out went Evan Turner, never to return for the rest of the game.

With the game on the line, Collins went with Richardson, Jrue Holiday and Royal Ivey in the backcourt, while Turner stewed on the bench. Certainly there was a good strategy behind the move, especially considering the Sixers had no one to match the speed of lightning-quick point guard Brandon Jennings.

Jennings scored 33 points to lead the Bucks to the victory as the diminutive point guard seemed to get to the basket any time he wanted (see story).

“He’s one of those guards that’s streaky and once he gets going he’s hard to stop,” Ivey said. “He got it going early with a lot of layups and a couple of jump shots, he started feeling good about himself.”

Perhaps more importantly, Collins needed shooting down the stretch if the Sixers were going to have a chance to ward off the Bucks. So when it comes to matching up against a speedy guard, Ivey will get the call over Turner.

“If that’s what I need to do, I’m ready for it,” Ivey said about the role.

Still, against the small lineup featuring Holiday, Richardson and Ivey with Turner on the bench, the Bucks went on a 14-4 run to turn a deadlocked game into a veritable blowout. Worse, the Sixers shot 4 for 21 and had four shots blocked in the final quarter.

Meanwhile, Bucks coach Scott Skiles said he hasn’t witnessed any teams attempt to match the Bucks speed for speed this season.

“Obviously Doug didn't like the feel of the game and he went with all smalls out there,” Skiles said. “It was our first game encountering those type of lineups for any extended periods during the game.”

Could Turner have been a difference? He played well in the final quarter of the strong win in Boston last Friday night, scoring a season-high 25 points to go with 11 rebounds. However, he struggled with his shot (2 for 7) in the win over the Raptors, but had a season-high 12 rebounds.

Bynum still feeling last year’s pain?
One of the nuggets lost in the mix of the news regarding Andrew Bynum and his delayed return to the basketball court on Monday was when the center said his contract status has not had an affect on any of his decision-making.

In other words, Bynum would be sitting out to rest the bone bruise in his knee no matter what.

“I think this is the way I need to handle it,” Bynum said.

Interestingly, Bynum suggested that he has been banged up since playing for the Lakers last season after playing 72 games during the regular season and playoffs. At age 25, the wear-and-tear of seven NBA seasons has accumulated. That’s even more the case after last year’s 66-game schedule that was squeezed into four months.

Bynum can’t prove it, but he very well could be feeling the aftershocks of last season.

“That's the theory, that that season really did cause some guys a lot of aggravation, with a condensed season,” Bynum said. “I made it through it.”

Still, Bynum remains certain that as soon as he is 100 percent he doesn’t expect to have any more setbacks with the bone bruise.

“I felt pretty confident this isn’t a serious problem,” Bynum said. “I’m missing games, but I think I can make a full recovery and come back.”

E-mail John R. Finger at jfinger@comcastsportsnet.com