What to expect from the Sixers after the All-Star break
- The Philadelphia 76ers have entered the 2020 All-Star break with some momentum as they knocked off the Los Angeles Clippers, 110-103, on Tuesday night to improve to 34-21 on the season. After losing four straight games on the road by double-digits, the Sixers responded at home like they have all season, winning three straight heading into the break and extending their home record to an NBA-best 25-2.
This team has been through a roller coaster of a season thus far, as their highs and lows have been amongst the most drastic in the league. At their peak, this team looks like a Finals contender, as they present defensive mismatches all over the court while holding their opponents to only 106.2 points per game, second best in the league. But, when this team is struggling, it’s damn near rock bottom, as they have a road record of 9-19 and have already had four three-game losing streaks.
As it stands right now, the Sixers hold the fifth seed in a tight Eastern conference battle with only 27 games remaining in the regular season.
So, what should we expect from this Sixers team for the rest of the year?
Well for starters, the Sixers have the second easiest remaining schedule in the league, per Tankathon, with their opponents winning percentage adding up to only .455. If you compare that to the four teams ahead of the Sixers in the standings, only the Miami Heat (26) rank out of top-12 in toughest strength of schedule for the rest of the season.
Also, although it was a small sample size, the Sixers offense looked a lot more fluid with the switch to Al Horford on the bench. Obviously a $109 million bench player is not what the Sixers envisioned at the start of the year, but after Tuesday night, it’s hard to see the Sixers going away from it.
The switch of starting Furkan Korkmaz (then Glenn Robinson III in the second half) over Horford paid dividends as it allowed the offense to open up and created space for Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid to operate. In turn, Ben Simmons dropped his sixth triple-double of the season, while Joel Embiid put up 26 points and nine rebounds in the victory. Coming off the bench, Horford still played 28 minutes (two shy of his 30 minute average), and was able to play at his natural position of center, putting up nine points, six rebounds, and three assists. If their last game was any indication of things to come, this rotation should remain for the rest of the year.
And finally, this team as of right now is healthy. It seems like almost every game this year, someone out of Simmons, Richardson, Harris, Horford, Embiid, or Thybulle has been out. Whether it was a dislocated finger, or a nagging hamstring, the Sixers have been hit with the injury bug early and often this season, which could explain their abysmal road record. If you take a look at their 19 road losses, all of them have came without one of their top six players. That’s just unlucky. When all six of those players play however, they’re 11-2, with both their losses ironically coming at home.
So, with an easier schedule, a revamped lineup, and no glaring health concerns at the moment, this team should be able to climb back near the top of the Eastern Conference standings after the All-Star break.
