The 76ers started their west coast road trip last Tuesday which consisted of matchups with the Sacramento Kings, Portland Trailblazers, Phoenix Suns, and Utah Jazz. Going into the trip, many thought this trip would tell us where this team stands as a true contender. After going 1-3 on the trip, I honestly don’t think this trip changed contender status in either a good or bad way. Here are some quick observations about the road trip:

• Matisse Thybulle is really a game changer on defense. He was out of the rotation earlier in the season, but his defense has allowed him to work his way back in. Ben Simmons did a solid job guarding D’Aaron Fox during last Tuesday’s game against the Kings. His change of pace really kept Simmons on his toes and Fox got everywhere we wanted on the court. Doc subbed in Matisse in the 4^th quarter to guard Fox and completely took him out the game. It helped give the Sixers the spark they needed to comeback and win that game. If Matisse can become an above average shooter, I’m sure he could supplant Danny Green in the starting lineup.
• Speaking of Danny Green, he looked like toast on defense this entire trip. He couldn’t guard Fox, Trent Jr., or Booker this trip. I think it actually changed the game when Doc put him on Devin Booker in the loss against Phoenix on Saturday. Simmons had him locked up in the first, working hard for every bucket. Once Doc made the switch it seemed like Booker got going and it was no way to stop him.
• Ben Simmons had a VERY GOOD road trip. Defensively he showed why he is the most versatile defender in the league. He locked up Dame Lillard after the 1^st quarter. Dame was 6-22 from the floor and got most of his 30 points in the first quarter. Ben Simmons also was dominate on the offensive end as well. He scored a career high 42 points in a hard-fought loss to the Utah Jazz. Ben was quoted in saying that he is changing his mentality on the offensive end, which should allow him to continue his aggressiveness.
• Tobias Harris played like an All-Star the entire trip. He has been the most consistent Sixer this year and deserves to represent the East as a reserve. I would like to see Tobi shoot more threes.
• Speaking of threes, the team needs to shoot more of them. As we saw all road trip, they were outshot from three the entire trip. The Sixers shot 87 threes during the trip combined, while their opponents shot 150 threes. Against Utah, they were trading twos for threes and simple math shows you how difficult it would be to keep up with their scoring.
• The bench was TERRIBLE this trip. Shake Milton was playing well in the Kings game before he twisted an ankle. The bench can’t seem to hold on to leads and it’s a trend that needs to change ASAP. I think some bench pieces need to be added and we will get to that in just a bit.
• Why does it seem like every night there is one player from the opposing team that goes for a career high or ends a shooting slump? I know you guys are tired of it just as much as I am.
• I think Daryl Morey has to upgrade the roster for more shooting or shot creation. We could use another starter to replace Green or some solid bench pieces. As we get closer to the deadline, I can do a more in-depth breakdown but below are some quick thoughts on some targets I would like:
  • Home Run, Swing for The Fences Trade Targets:
    • Bradley Beal
    • Zach Lavine
  • Players Who Could Raise the Ceiling of the Team:
    • Kyle Lowry
    • Buddy Hield
  • More Realistic Trade for Bench Pieces or Possible Starters:
    • Lonzo Ball
    • JJ Reddick
    • Delon Wright
    • George Hill
    • Nemanja Bjelica
  • Random Targets, But We Have Daryl Morey, So Anything Can Happen:
    • Evan Fournier
    • Terry Rozier
    • Victor Oladipo

The Sixers pick back up at home against some favorable opponents. Hopefully, they can take care of business and get back to their winning ways.

The 76ers played well in their last four games despite the loss against the decimated Portland squad on Thursday night. Here are some of my quick observations:

• The Sixers actually won a game without Joel Embiid! The Sixers had a great comeback win against the Indiana Pacers. The Sixers were down as much as 20 points and down 18 in the 4^th quarter. The Sixers came out of a timeout with a 2-3 zone defense, which changed the remainder of the 4^th quarter. With Matisse Thybulle and Ben Simmons at the top of the suffocating zone, they disrupted the Pacers and completely halted their offensive attack. Furkan Korkmaz and Tobias Harris lead the comeback from the offensive end scoring 17 points and 27 points respectively.
• The Sixers closed out their 3-game road trip with a win over the Charlotte Hornets 118-111. The Sixers dominated this game for 3 quarters but took their foot off the gas in the 4^th. Embiid was his usual dominate self.
• If you have watched the Sixers and know our players, you would have known the game against the Blazers was a trap game. The Sixers weren’t focused! They were too busy looking ahead to their game against the Brooklyn Nets. Even without Damian Lillard or CJ McCollum, the Sixers just didn’t show any energy this game. They were blown out at home against a 9-man Blazers squad.
• The anticipated match-up with the Brooklyn Nets turned out to be a dud. With Kevin Durant out due to health and safety protocols and Kyrie Irving out with a sprained finger, it wasn’t the blockbuster we thought it would be. James Harden kept the Nets in the game matching Embiid’s first half numbers. Then the third quarter arrived, and Doc Rivers put Ben Simmons on James Harden. That took the wind out of the Nets’ sails. The Sixers went on to blow the Nets out with 7 players scoring in double figures.
• Joel Embiid is still the MVP front-runner in my opinion. He’s averaging 29.3 ppg, 10.7 rpg, 2.7 apg, and 1.2 bpg. His PER (Player Efficiency Rating) is the highest in the league at 31.38. Just looking at how the team performs when he doesn’t play, you can see his value.
• It seems like Ben Simmons is turning the corner. His scoring average has been down all season, but it looks like he’s starting to be more aggressive. The first 3-4 weeks of the season, he just wasn’t attacking the rim. Looks like Doc has incorporated some wrinkles in the offense to make him feel more comfortable. He’s also such a difference maker on defense that his value can’t be determined just by his averages.
• TOBIAS HARRIS IS AN ALL-STAR #THATISALL
• Sixers need to make a move for another big that can shoot and play the PF position since Mike Scott has been out for weeks. Simmons and Harris have played way too many minutes while having Scott out.
• Seth Curry seemed to start to get back on track during Saturday’s game against the Nets. We all hope he continues to get his game back and heal from any lasting affects of his battle with COVID-19.

The 76ers start a 4- game west coast trip on 2/9 against the Sacramento Kings. This west coast trip could help define who the Sixers are on the road against some tough competition.