Game #7: PHI vs ATL Pregame Outline
Game #7: Philadelphia 76ers vs. Atlanta Hawks (7:00 PM EST)
Location: Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia
Watch: NBC Sports Philadelphia
Listen: 97.5 The Fanatic
Line: PHI -11.5
The Philadelphia 76ers (3-3) come into Monday nights matchup with the Atlanta Hawks (2-3) off the heels of a huge 105-103 win vs. the Charlotte Hornets. In that contest Joel Embiid turned in another dominate performance logging 27 points and 14 rebounds in 37 minutes.
Joel, in the seasons early going has put up MVP caliber numbers, posting a 29.2 PPG, 12.7 RPG, and 3.8 APG stat line . Only 5 players in the entire NBA are averaging more points per game than Joel right now and four of them play the point guard position. The only player above Embiid in points per game that isn’t a point guard is Golden State’s Kevin Durant.
What does this tell you? Joel’s usage rate in this Sixers offense has been off the charts. Joel coming into this game has the 9th highest usage rate in the NBA at 32.1%. This number is actually down from last years rate of 33.4%. His most likely matchup tonight will come from a combination of Alex Len and Miles Plumlee which should allow Jo-Jo to have a big night.
With seemingly no real answer in the Hawks lineup I expect Joel to get a slightly higher usage rate in this contest, while continuing to put up huge numbers.
For the Atlanta Hawks, who are clearly in the middle of a rebuild, they come into Philadelphia after losing to the Chicago Bulls 97-85. With no real superstars there is only one player that you have to be careful with on this roster, Trae Young.
While I was never a big fan of Young or believe in the hype surrounding him, you do have to respect his ability to knock down 3’s. With Steph Curry being the most commonly used comparison, Young has the ability to hit from almost anywhere on the court, which makes him extremely dangerous. The Oklahoma product has begun his NBA career averaging 19.8 PPG and shooting 32% from beyond the arc.
If the Sixers can limit open looks from Young and the Hawks beyond the arc, they should have no problem beating the Hawks convincingly.
