The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
The Good
Joel Embiid
In the past, Embiid has been a big concern when coming back from a hiatus. We don’t know whether he will come back prepared, in shape, out of shape, or focused. In the first two games Embiid has been absolutely dominant. The first game against the Pacers, Embiid became the first player in 35 seasons with a 40 point, 20 rebound, and 3 block game in less than 35 minutes. Embiid was equally spectacular against the Spurs recording 27 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists, and some stellar defense down the stretch.
Joel put the team on his back and demanded the ball on the block. He hasn’t been settling for outside shots, but instead, has been punishing the paint. Looking at the other teams in the east, there isn’t one team that could stop him on his best day. Embiid looks like he’s in great shape physically and focused mentally. As long as the big man plays like this we have a chance against any team.
Shake Milton Revenge Game
“It became personal to me”… I wasn’t concerned after Shake’s horrendous performance in the first game. After Shake and Joel’s confrontation in game 1, the new starting point guard proved his worth in game 2. He stepped up without Simmons and proved his value to the team. Joel was the first one over to congratulate the young man after his game winning 3. Shake’s confidence will only soar upwards from here on out.
Aggressive Tobias Harris
Tobias looks good and is playing aggressively. He is finding his shot and attacking the rim. His shot selection has been questionable in the past, but it looks much better so far. He isn’t hesitating from 3 and he knows when to drive and when to settle for the open look. His leadership might be the only thing keeping this team from falling apart.
The Bad
Ben Simmons Defense and Spacing
Remember when Brett Brown claimed that Simmons is making it his mission to space the floor? That was funny. Through two games Simmons hasn’t even looked to shoot the ball. It’s worse than that considering he doesn’t even try to get himself in the position to space the floor. There are still too many instances where Embiid catches the ball in the post and Simmons just stands still on the opposite block clogging the paint. GET OUT OF THE WAY!!! There are some possessions where Simmons looks clueless in the half-court.
After months of bragging about Simmons defense, he has let us down in the first two games. Simmons couldn’t slow down Warren in the second half of the Pacers game. Warren didn’t get enough of his attention despite the 30 point first half. Against the Spurs, Simmons fouled out rather quickly and was letting DeRozan and Rudy Gay get to their spots. Simmons effort level hasn’t matched his intensity from the pre-bubble season. This shouldn’t be too concerning because I’m hopeful that Simmons will get focused very soon.
Josh Richardson
What is Josh Richardson’s role on the Sixers? He isn’t a true point guard and it shows with his sloppy ball handling. He isn’t a true spot up shooter. The Sixers roster right now has too many guys who like to operate around the mid-range area. Richardson has been struggling to find his role but against the Spurs he stayed aggressive. He had 19 points and added three 3s.
When Richardson gets hot he is a valuable asset to the offense. He also provides an unmatched energy on defense. While Richardson’s role in the offense is a grey area, he can still initiate his own offense and take advantage of the mid-range area while knocking down some 3s.
The Ugly
Brett Brown and the 4th Quarter
What is going on the with Sixers in the 4th quarter? What is going on with Brett Brown? I didn’t think that Brown would pull a string of questionable moves from his hat in the very first game, but sure enough, he did. He then doubled down on his decisions in the second game leaving fans utterly confused. In both of these two games, Brown has left Neto in the game for an extended period of time in the 4th quarter.
We have seen the lead evaporate from double digits with Neto running the point. Why Neto sees any 4th quarter minutes is beyond me. At this point I’ll take Jarryd Bayless. When Neto is on the floor in the 4th, the opposing team constantly attacks him. Against the Spurs, Neto came into the game in the 4th and immediately gives up two buckets and turns the ball over.
Before the bubble and even in the scrimmages, Brown was playing Burks as a secondary ball handler. The former Warrior is a player that can handle the ball and create his own shots. But he’s barely gotten any second half minutes. Against the Pacers, he had three 3s in only 11 minutes of playing time. I’m really unsure what Brett Brown sees in Neto, but he realistically shouldn’t see the floor at all in the second half. Burks is a decent option to do some ball handling duties while Shake is on the bench.
The Sixers 4th quarter defense has been pitiful to say the least. They’ve given up 46 and 43 points in the two bubble games. Coming from a team that is usually praised for their defense, the lack of D has been confusing. It’s really tiring watching teams constantly expose the Sixers defense with the pick and roll. Brett Brown offers up no adjustments on the pick and roll D and it has been like this for 3 straight years. The communication, the hedging, the lack of switches, and the lack of resilience is something that I didn’t even see from my high school rec team.
Everything we’ve learned about basic pick and roll defense, the Sixers fail to execute. Against the Spurs, we let Rudy Gay and Demar DeRozan get to their mid-range spots with ease. Our game plan makes it way too easy for players to reach their comfort zone. I’d really love to know what Brett Brown says during one of these 4th quarter huddles, because time and time again, the Sixers have been beat the same way with zero in-game adjustments being made.
