The 76ers faced off against the Trailblazers Sunday night in Orlando. The game tipped off with Al Horford starting in the place of Ben Simmons for the second game in a row. If you are a fan, you wondered how the Sixers would play after learning that Ben Simmons is now out indefinitely, needing surgery to remove a “floating body” from his injured left knee.
The Sixers started the first quarter 0-5 from the field and down 6-0 early. The first quarter got worst when Embiid seemed to tweak his left ankle. He tried to go a few possessions, but he was favoring and asked out of the game. The entire city of Philadelphia held their breath as Joel went back to the locker room. After Joel exited the game, the Blazers went on a 13-2 run to go up 21-9. Damian Lillard controlled the entire first quarter, getting to any spot he wanted on the court. The Sixers were down 33-19 after one. Side note: Brett Brown actually had a lineup of Norvelle Pelle, Glenn Robinson II, Alec Burks, Matisse Thybulle, and Furkan Korkmaz to end the quarter. Who would have EVER thought we would see that lineup in a competitive game?
In the early portion of the second quarter, the Sixers were down by as many as 17 and it seemed like they were going to pack it in. After an early timeout, the Sixers came out and rode Josh Richardson’s hot hand to cut the lead to 7. Josh was seemingly hitting every shot he missed through the first four games in the bubble.
The Blue and White came out of the locker room to start the second half aggressively. Al Horford, who was plagued by foul trouble, and Josh Richardson help cut into the lead. With Horford in foul trouble and Norvelle Pelle fouling every player in sight, Brett Brown went to Mike Scott at center for a small ball look. It worked by pulling Portland’s big men out of the paint. The team fought hard quarter with the team outscoring the Blazers by 10 in the period. The Sixers fought all the way back to lead 92-91 after the third period. The quarter poetically ended with Josh Richardson hitting a sweet mid-range jumper to give them that one-point lead.
Alec Burks replaced Shake Milton early in the fourth quarter and went to work. He hit 3-pointers, driving layups and even went to work in the post. Sixers built a lead as large as six points, but Damian Lillard proved why he’s so great. He put the team on his back and personally helped bring his team back from their fourth quarter deficit. With Tobias shooting 7-19 and not really effective offensively, Josh Richardson and Alec Burks couldn’t match Lillard. Damian Lillard went for 51 points as they edged the Sixers 124-121. The Sixers were paced by Josh Richardson, who had a season-high 34 points and Alec Burks, who had 20 points.
Quick Observations from the game:
I’m not a big fan of moral victories, but this team played a hard-fought game when they could have folded up tent when Joel Embiid went down. They clawed and kept the game close early and actually had a chance to win even with Horford in foul trouble and Harris not being effective.
I’ll say this again for those who didn’t read my last recap. ALEC BURKS IS A BUCKET!
Damian Lillard scored 51 against the Sixers, which was his 5th 50 point game of this season.
I’m assuming that the Sixers are going to start resting their main starters before the playoffs to avoid injuries or over working them.
Furkan Kormaz is not playable if he isn’t hitting 3-pointers consistently. He hit one 3-pointer tonight but didn’t provide much more than that.
Tobias Harris struggled to finish at the rim against Portland. I know it’s just one game, but I expected more from him. He was being guarded by Carmelo Anthony, who isn’t a great defender and Portland has the 27th ranked defense in the NBA.
The next game will be against the Phoenix Suns, who are undefeated at 5-0 in the bubble. That game will be a 4:30PM start on Tuesday.
The 76ers faced off against the Orlando Magic Friday evening in the bubble. This would be the team’s first game without Ben Simmons. With Simmons out, Brett Brown started Al Horford in his place and it proved to work out early on. Horford scored 6 of the first 13 points, taking advantage of his matchup with Magic PF Gary Clark. The score pretty much stayed even through the first quarter, with no team able to pull away. We got a look at former Sixers first overall pick, Markelle Fultz in the first quarter as well. He scored 4 quick points. The Sixers led 25-23 after a sloppy first quarter.
The second quarter was much of the same, consisting of bad shooting and fouls. The Sixers lead by as much as 7 but shooting woes and turnovers killed the team. The only player on the Sixers that kept them in it was Alec Burks. He had 13 points in his 13 mins of play. He hit timely 3-pointers, but it wasn’t enough. The Magic went on an 11-2 run to lead 47-43 and the Sixers were down 50-48 at half time. Not sure if it was the Magic’s defense or Embiid being tired, but he took a lot of jump shots and didn’t fight for post position. Another thing I noticed, not only in the first half but the entire game was the slow pace. Ben Simmons not being on the court changed the way the Sixers played. Ben usually pushes the pace, putting pressure on the defense for lay ups or open threes.
The theme continued in the third quarter, a slow pace that favored Orlando. Joel Embiid came out of halftime way more aggressive. He went into the period with 8 points and ended with 18 after the third quarter. Tobias grabbed timely offensive rebounds to keep the home team in it. DJ Augustin started to make his mark in the third with some lay ups and threes. It seemed as if Shake had a lot of trouble staying with him. The 76ers were fortunate enough to only be down 79-77 at the end of the third, playing a D+ game thus far.
The home team opened the fourth on a 9-0 run to go up 86-79 and didn’t relinquish the lead. A group effort from Tobias, Alec, and Horford helped keep the Magic at bay in the final period. D.J. Augustin and Evan Fournier tried to keep their team in it, but it wasn’t enough. Joel Embiid didn’t have the best fourth quarter but did have a highlight reverse dunk.
Ultimately, the 76ers won 108-101 behind balanced scoring from Tobias Harris (23 pts, 15 rebs), Joel Embiid (23 pts, 13 rebs), Alec Burks (22 pts), and Al Horford (21 pts, 9 rebs). Nikola Vucevic (21 pts, 12 rebs) and Evan Fournier (22 pts) paced the Magic. Former Sixer Markelle Fultz scored 13 points (4-12 from the field).
Quick Observations from the game:
Josh Richardson’s inconsistency is killing the Sixers. He is very indecisive with his decisions on the court, especially out of the pick and roll. For the Sixers to have any chance in the remaining seeding games and playoffs, Josh must be a more efficient decision maker with the ball in his hand. I’m fine with Josh shooting long twos, as long as he doesn’t hesitate.
Alec Burks is a BUCKET. This is what the Sixers expected when they traded for him, but Brett Brown never gave him consistent minutes. I will say, you can get the Burks you saw against Orlando or the Burks that shoots 4 for 16.
The pace is suffering without Ben Simmons. Pushing the pace was his strength and it seems like they didn’t push much this game. Simmons led fast breaks puts pressure on the defense and helped create open threes.
Al Horford would “ring the bell” if I were coaching the Sixers. He took full advantage of his matchup and hit open shots in rotation. His 21 points were really needed tonight and a key to keeping the Sixers in the game.
Damian Lillard and the Portland Trailblazers are next on the schedule for the Sixers. I’m really looking forward to this matchup to see where the Simmons-less Sixers are at. Joel will have his hands full with the bigs for Portland. Also, will the Sixers back court be able to contain Dame and CJ? I’ll be tuned in to see. The game is a 6:30pm tip this Sunday.
I think we all tuned into the Sixers game last night wondering what Spurs player would score 50 points. We also tuned in to see how the team and coaches would respond to the disappointing loss to the Indiana Pacers.
The Sixers were the “home team” in this game and it was really cool to see them use all of the sounds and intros that are played in the Wells Fargo Center. Ron Brooks was recorded singing the National Anthem and if you have been to any home games, you know he is a fan favorite. The intros were also played from the Wells Fargo home games as well. It truly got me hype as if it were a true home game. All we needed were the away team starting line-up intros for to yell “SUCKS!” after every player is announced. All of the free throw sounds and music during the game were played as well. Now let’s recap the game.
The first quarter was a back and forth affair with Demar DeRozan catching fire early. He had 9 of the Spurs’ first 13 points. It started to bring me flashbacks of TJ Warren. In the later part of the first quarter, Rudy Gay was inserted and immediately started hitting shots from every level. Ultimately the Sixers led by 3 after the first quarter, after a Shake Milton full court sprint to a scoop left-handed lay-up. After the quarter ended, we saw Joel Embiid helping Shake Milton up off the floor, which is better than the two arguing like in the Pacers game.
The second quarter was much of the same, with the 76ers having a lead of 8 points for a few moments. Josh Richardson showed up for the team in the first half with Ben Simmons in foul trouble and Embiid not scoring as much as he usually does. Richardson had 12 points at halftime and Tobias Harris was steady with 13 points. For the Spurs, DeRozan led them with 17 at the break and Rudy Gay not far behind with 15 points.
The third quarter is where Joel Embiid started to impose his will. He scored from the post and made the right plays out of the double teams. When the double team came, he would pass to the open wing or spin fade away from it. Everything looked easy for the big fella and the Sixers built a 14-point lead. Ben Simmons was plagued with foul trouble throughout this one and picked up his 5th foul in the 3rd quarter. He did have one ridiculous pass that led to a corner three.
The fourth quarter started out with the Sixers in control, but the same issues plagued them in this game as it did the last game. Turnovers and no defense were the main theme of the quarter and next thing you know the Sixers are down 4 points with a minute to go. Fast forward to the final seconds of the fourth with Ben Simmons fouled out; the Sixers had a line-up of Embiid, Horford, Milton, Harris, and Richardson. The home team is down 130-128. Shake Milton inbounded the ball to Horford who then passed it directly back to him and BANG, Shake shoots and hits the game winning 3-pointer with 6 seconds left. Shake was open because his defender sank into the paint to help deny Embiid the ball, which left Milton wide open. The 76ers had to play one more defensive possession to stop the Spurs and they locked all windows and doors on Demar DeRozan. Embiid ended the game with an intentionally missed free throw to let the time run out and the Sixers escaped 132-130.
Although the Sixers won this game, there are some things that are plaguing this team that drives the fans crazy. It appears Head Coach Brett Brown still hasn’t figured out the rotation and it’s hurting the Sixers. Alec Burks, in my opinion is a better option than Raul Neto but Brown insists on playing Neto. Also, the fourth quarter defense and offense has been horrendous these past two games. They allowed the Spurs to score 43 points and allowed the Pacers to score 46 points in the last period. Brown needs to figure out that early rotation or it can lead to doom for the Sixers going forward. Joel Embiid lead the team in scoring with 27 points. Followed by Tobias Harris, who had another steady game with 25 points. Rounding out the Sixers scoring was Josh Richardson (19), Shake Milton (16), and Furkan Korkmaz (12). Demar DeRozan led the way for the Spurs with 30 points. This game seemed like much needed redemption for Shake after his last performance. The kid is going to grow into this role, and we are going to have to roll with the outcome.
The 76ers’ next opponent will be the Washington Wizards, with tip off at 4:00PM on Wednesday. 76th and Broad will be back to recap that one on Wednesday.
An Unhappy Will Smith after watching the Sixers lose to the Pacers
I’m starting this article off with a “I HATE TJ WARREN”. I know hate is a strong word, but it seems like this guy goes off on the Sixers every time he plays them. It doesn’t matter if he is a Sun or a Pacer, he just goes off. He plays like the reincarnation of Michael Jordan anytime he sees the Blue and White.
The first quarter started off with the 76ers dominating with post play and rebounds, which led to an 8-point lead. Indiana called their first timeout and TJ Warren must have taken a sip of “Mike’s Secret Stuff” from Space Jam because he turned up after that timeout. He scored in every way possible and it seemed like there was nothing the Sixers could do to stop him. Indiana lead 35-29 after the first quarter but the biggest thing about that quarter was the argument between Shake Milton and Joel Embiid on the sideline. Frustration and tempers flared as the team played sub-par.
The second quarter was much of the same with TJ Warren dominating and 76ers turning the ball over. The Sixers had 14 turnovers at halftime, combined with TJ Warren 29 points. Embiid and Harris led the way for the Sixers in first half. In my opinion, Milton’s first half play could be attributed to two things. The first would be the fact that this is his first time he has played with this starting lineup. The second is the pressure he must feel to be deemed “the missing piece” to make the starting lineup work.
The third quarter went the Sixers’ way as Embiid dominated and took advantage of his matchups. He had help from Tobias and the Sixers outscored the Pacers by 12. Sixers were up 10 points with 7 mins to go in the 4th quarter and Joel Embiid went to the bench. Boom! Warren exploded again hitting three pointer after three pointer. Hitting every mid-range in sight. Embiid and Harris tried to match bucket for bucket, but in the end, it was too much TJ Warren (sounds weird saying that like he’s James Harden). Sixers lose 127-121, with TJ Warren scoring a career high 53 points(20 of 29 from the field & 9 of 12 from three). Joel Embiid led the way for the home team with 41 points and 21 rebs. Tobias Harris also played well with 30 points and 8 rebs.
Here’s the part where I keep it real. That was an absolutely discouraging performance by the Sixers. There is no way a team without two starters should have beaten a fully loaded 76ers. I know TJ Warren has been a “walking bucket” since NC State, but he shouldn’t be allowed to score 53 points. Brett Brown and staff made NO adjustments on how they covered him. He still ran free on back screens and terrorized the Sixers on pick and rolls. The Sixers should have switched on back screens and blitzed the pick and roll to cause him to pass the ball to someone else. I can hear the “Fire Brett Brown” comments in unison from all over the city. I’m also disappointed in Ben Simmons’ defensive performance. He will more than likely be an All-Defense first team selection and he didn’t play like it tonight. With that loss, the Pacers gain the tiebreaker in the standings for the 5th seed. This makes a first round match-up with the Boston Celtics more probable and every other game in the bubble more important for seeding.
The Sixers will play again Monday night at 8PM vs. the San Antonio Spurs. Let’s hope that some random guy from the Spurs doesn’t score 50 points.
Basketball is unofficially back with the NBA scheduling three scrimmages for the 22 teams that are in Orlando for the restart of the season. With the real games kicking off this Thursday, and the Sixers first game being on Saturday, excitement is in the air!
The 76ers scrimmaged three Western Conference opponents that are not on their remaining eight seeding game schedule. They scrimmaged the Memphis Grizzlies, Oklahoma City Thunder, and Dallas Mavericks. After watching these games, I have some quick thoughts and observations going into the final eight games of the regular season:
Ben Simmons is Back!
Ben Simmons is back and looks as healthy as he was at the start of the season in October 2019. We all were worried about Ben when he hurt his lower back, but it looks like he spent a lot of time rehabbing. He was moved to the “Power Forward” position as Head Coach Brett Brown tweaked the lineup during the bubble training camp. Simmons’ stat line for the scrimmages included 9 pts, 7 rebs, 9 asts, 3 steals (1 for 2 from the 3-point line) vs the Grizzlies. A 14 pts, 11 rebs, 9 asts, performance against the Thunder and 4 pts, 2 asts, 9 reb game against the Mavs.
Yes, Ben shot two corner 3-pointers and made one of them. I do not expect him to shoot them every game, but I do think he will take more of them. It will absolutely help the spacing of the team if he continues to confidently shoot. Ultimately, Ben still has the ball in his hands a lot, running the offense from the elbow. You can expect him to continue to initiate offense going forward regardless if he is not labelled the starting Point Guard.
Tobias Harris is the Key to the Sixers’ Summer Dreams
Tobias Harris has grown as a leader on and off the court for the 76ers. Harris has led by example, standing up for social justice reform and holding his teammates accountable in doing the same. It has been said by his coaches and teammates that he has helped curate the team bond into something that is stronger than it has ever been.
Tobias also has been a leader and sound decision maker in the scrimmages the Sixers played. He had a double-double (15 pts and 10 rebs) in a win against the Grizzles. He followed that up with a 9-point performance against the Thunder and another double-double (28 pts and 11 rebs) against the Mavs. Tobias must be the steady scorer the Sixers need if they are going to truly compete. If Tobias can average 23 ppg going forward, it can really take some pressure off Embiid having to shoulder the load offensively. Consistency will be the key for Harris and if he can be consistent with his opportunities every game, the Sixers will surprise many people.
Shake Milton and the Rotation
Shake Milton is now the Sixers starting point guard and he hasn’t been aggressive at all during these scrimmages. I get it, I know he’s trying to feel out the role with everyone healthy, but he has to do what got him the starting role. He has to attack off pick and rolls and shoot open 3-pointers. Shake if you somehow are reading this, play your game! It will only elevate this team.
In my previous article, I discussed how I thought the rotation would play out in the seeding games and playoffs. After watching the scrimmages, my mind has changed on this based on Brett Brown’s substitution patterns. Going forward, I think we will see the starting lineup of Milton, Richardson, Harris, Simmons, and Embiid. The key reserves will be Horford, Korkmaz, Thybulle, and Robinson III. Mike Scott and Raul Neto seemed to have fallen out of the rotation. Alec Burks will be an X-factor off the bench. He won’t get consistent minutes, but he will be used if they need a creator off the dribble and instant offense. I will be paying close attention to the rotation as the real game start up.
Stadium Vibes
I must say, I am impressed with the NBA and how they put together the courts for the bubble. I also like that they are providing home arena sounds and graphics for the designated “home team”. It was pretty cool to hear the sounds as if they were playing at the Wells Fargo Center. I hope the virtual Sixers fans in attendance boo the team if they are losing or not playing hard, that would really feel like a home game!
Let the Games Begin!
The 76ers play their first game this Saturday at 7PM vs. the 5th seeded Indiana Pacers. The Sixers are expected to start Joel Embiid, who sat out the last two scrimmages. The Pacers will be without Domantas Sabonis for the beginning of the restart due to left foot issues. Make sure you tune in and look out for a recap from 76th and Broad!
First and foremost, I hope that everyone and their families are safe and healthy during this pandemic!
The 2019-20 Sixers are back, but this time they will have to be quarantined on an NBA campus while competing for an NBA championship. The NBA has decided to resume its 2019-20 NBA Season during the COVID-19 global pandemic by creating a quarantined bubble in Orlando, FL. 22 of the 30 NBA teams have been invited to Orlando to finish the season. The season will officially resume on July 30th with each team playing out the regular season with 8 “seeding games”. If the 9th seed is within 4 games of the 8th seed, that will activate “play-in” games to see who makes the playoffs. There will be plenty of rules and social distancing guidelines that players, coaches, and staff will have to endure for this bubble to remain safe and the return of the NBA to continue. Now that there is some background on the return, let’s look at the Sixers’ return schedule:
Sixers’ Schedule:
Date
Team
Time (EST)
8/1
Indiana Pacers
7:00PM
8/3
San Antonio Spurs
8:00PM
8/5
Washington Wizards
4:00PM
8/7
Orlando Magic
6:30PM
8/9
Portland Trailblazers
6:30PM
8/11
Phoenix Suns
4:30PM
8/12
Toronto Raptors
6:30PM
8/14
Houston Rockets
TBD
Where They Left Off
When the season abruptly ended, the Sixers were 39-26, which was good for 6th in the east. They were tied with the Pacers but losing the season series tie breaker so far. Ben Simmons was out indefinitely with a back injury and Joel Embiid was just returning after a 6-game absence from a shoulder injury. This team was very inconsistent and with injuries, this team just didn’t have the chemistry. The 76ers were an amazing 29-2 at home and a horrible 10-24 on the road. Many TV pundits had jumped off of the Sixers championship bandwagon and making it a point to try to drive a wedge between Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons. One positive situation was beginning to develop when the season shut down and that was the rise of Shake Milton. Shake Milton came on the scene nationally with his 39-point game against the Clippers. His great play continued all the way to the shut down and I expect him to have a big role on the team going forward.
Predictions
It is hard to predict how the Sixers will perform in Orlando because it’s not technically home or away. It has been stated by some of the players that they look at this as an opportunity to restart and right the ship. The talent on the roster is there but the fit of the pieces has been an issue all season. I think we will get a mixture of the home and road Sixer performances. The rotation I expect to see includes Shake Milton joining the starting lineup of Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons, Josh Richardson, and Tobias Harris. Key contributors off the bench will be Al Horford (truly a 6th starter depending on matchups), Mike Scott, Glenn Robinson III, and Furkan Korkmaz. I do believe that Alec Burks and Matisse Thybulle will play but just not sure if they will play consistently as they rev up for the playoffs. As far as a prediction for the final 8 games, I think the Sixers will go 6-2 with losses vs the Magic and Suns and grab the 5th seed to face Jimmy Butler and Miami Heat in the first round of the playoffs. We shall see if my prediction holds true, but if it does and the blue & white play the Heat in the first round, all I can say is GET YOUR POPCORN READY!
Shake Milton during his career high performance, where he scored 39 points against the Clippers Sunday
Who is Shake Milton? If you’re a casual Sixers or NBA fan, you may not have any clue. After his 39-point performance against the fully loaded Clippers Sunday afternoon, you know who he is now. Shake straight up dominated Sunday against the Clippers. He shot 14-20 from the floor and 7-9 from three point range. He dominated the first half including a highlight fast break dunk over Patrick Beverly. Even when the Clippers titled their defense toward him in the second half, he did not shy away and continued to be aggressive. The Clippers put Kawhi Leonard, Paul George and Pat Beverly on him, with none of them having much success in slowing Milton down. As I wrote in my last piece, Shake would be one of the Sixers who would have to step up in Ben Simmons’ absence. Now that we know what happened Sunday, how did we get here?
Malik Benjamin “Shake” Milton was born in Owasso, Oklahoma just outside Tulsa. Milton starred at Owasso High School earning Gatorade Player of the Year for the state in his junior and senior seasons. His senior year, he averaged 30 points per game and was Oklahoma Super 5 Player of the Year. He committed to Southern Methodist University (SMU) and was recruited by head coach Larry Brown, the former Sixers head coach. Shake was a four star recruit and chose to attend SMU over University of Oklahoma and Indiana University.
While Shake had a solid career at SMU, his numbers did not jump off the page. Milton’s freshman year saw him receive All AAC Rookie Team honors averaging 10.5 PPG, 3.0 RPG, and 2.7 APG. By his junior year, his production increased to 18 PPG, 4.7 RPG, and 4.4 APG. His season was cut short with a broken hand after 22 games, but was still able to make All AAC second team.
Shake declared for the draft and was eventually picked in the second round with the 54th pick by the Dallas Mavericks in the 2018 NBA Draft. He was traded to the 76ers on draft night for the 56th and 60th picks in the 2018 draft. Milton ended up signing a two-way deal with the Sixers, meaning he would split time between the Sixers and their G-League affiliate, the Delaware Blue Coats. He appeared in 20 games for the Sixers averaging almost 5 points. However, in the G-League, he averaged 25 PPG, 5 APG, and 5 RPG. His scoring average was 4th best in the G-League.
Before the current NBA season, the Sixers signed Shake to a 4 year NBA deal. Early in the season, Milton looked to be in the rotation but after injuring his knee against the Hawks he didn’t return to the lineup. He was buried on the bench only used in garbage time situations. Once injuries started happening, Brett started going to Shake Milton to get a trust worthy ball handler in the game. With injuries to Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid, Shake has stepped up in ways no one predicted. He has started 12 games thus far this season and will likely continue to start going forward. Brett Brown mentioned after Sunday’s game that he told Milton he would not be in the rotation after the All-Star break but it didn’t pan out that way.
You have to give Shake Milton credit for taking advantage of the opportunity that he has been given. Lets see if the former second round pick can continue to shine now that defenses will be preparing for him. This feels like vintage 2016 Sixers, where we are rooting for a little known second round pick to make a difference and honestly its not a bad feeling.
PHILADELPHIA, PA – FEBRUARY 20: Ben Simmons #25 of the Philadelphia 76ers talks to head coach Brett Brown against the Brooklyn Nets at the Wells Fargo Center on February 20, 2020 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The 76ers defeated the Nets 112-104 in overtime.
Sixers’ All-Star Ben Simmons left Saturday night’s game against the Bucks in the first quarter after re-aggravating a back injury. According to sources, Ben Simmons was “emotional” leaving the arena after getting a X-Ray. He received a MRI Sunday and will be re-evaluated Monday after a second opinion. Ben “originally” injured his back in Wednesday’s practice and sat out Thursday’s overtime win against the Nets. Some truly think Ben injured his back in the second half of the All-Star game after he fell when he completed an alley-oop. I’m far from a doctor but a second opinion in sports always sounds bad, normally because the first diagnosis the player received isn’t the best news. I’m hoping for the best but I’m thinking Ben will be out at least 6-8 weeks and returning for the playoffs. Whatever the timeline is, there are some questions that I have in regards to the Sixers and their playoff push without him.
Why Would the Sixers Play Him if He was Still Injured?
This is the question that really stands out in my mind. I know the game was against the Bucks on national TV, but we are in February. If this team is a “flip the switch” team, then this game didn’t mean as much as it was made out to be. The Sixers have had issues in the past with their young stars returning before they were ready. Embiid played with a torn meniscus against the Rockets in his rookie year because the game was flexed to national TV. There has been talk of the Sixers’ medical staff negligence and fans will riot if Simmons shouldn’t have been playing. I know Simmons is normally the Sixers’ ironman, having played 214 out of 221 career games, but you have to protect the player from themselves.
Who Will have to Step Up ?
IT’S OBVIOUS that Joel Embiid, Tobias Harris, and yes Al Horford will have to step up in Ben’s absence. They all will have to step up their scoring, defense, and hustle. Ben brings defensive intensity and hustle every night, so there will have to be a collective effort to replace that. The offense will have to be more post oriented and pick-and-roll dependent. I expect Embiid to up his scoring average to about 27 PPG and Tobias to up his average to about 23 PPG.
Who Will Push the Pace and Handle the Ball?
The most obvious answer most would think would be Josh Richardson. Josh will have to step up and handle the ball, increase his scoring and make more plays for others. JRich is currently averaging 14.3 PPG, 3 RPG, and 3 APG. Those assist will have to increase to about 6 a game. Brett has used Josh as a back up PG in the past this season with mixed results. Shake Milton is someone who I think will come in and be a solid contributor and will most likely be inserted into the starting lineup. In recent weeks, Shake has come in and really helped this team. He shoots the three well and is an above average playmaker. Brett will most likely give him the duty of the primary ball handler and pace-pusher. The other ball handler will be Alec Burks. His pick and rolls with Embiid and Horford should provide scoring off the bench. Alec will have to score 14-15 PPG off the bench each game to help with the scoring load. He can push the pace and is one of the few Sixer players that can get their own shot repeatedly. One thing that worries me about the possibility of Ben’s extended absence is who will create three point shots for this team? Ben’s pace and pass first mentality has him leading the league on assists on 3-point shots made (223 made three pointers).
Can a Buyout Player Help?
The buyout market can really produce a player that can help your team and in this case, the Sixers need a guard. There are only two players currently on the market that could POSSIBLY help the Sixers. The two names that come to mind are Dion Waiters and Tyler Johnson. So far this season, both have had issues with the teams they were on. Waiters was in the dog house as soon as the season started and then had an episode where he got too high on the Miami team plane after eating edibles. He hadn’t been in the rotation, and when Tyler Herro and Jimmy Butler had injuries, he stepped up and helped the team stay in games by scoring double digits in the three games he has played. You know what you get with Dion Waiters, scoring and no defense. Maybe playing at home in Philly would help Waiters’ play but I don’t know if Sixers would take that chance. Tyler Johnson hasn’t been in the Suns’ rotation this year but is a career double digit PPG scorer and average three point shooter. He could help with ball handling and pushing the pace but isn’t known as a great defender.
Ultimately, I think Sixers will stay with in-house talent but will have a hard time finishing the season if Simmons is out for an extended period. I just think he does so much for this team making it difficult to plug the hole he will leave on the court.
As the NBA Trade Deadline approaches, plenty of rumors have been floating around about the Philadelphia 76ers. There has been a lot of discussion about “fit” for the Sixers. Whether Joel Embiid, Al Horford, and Ben Simmons can fit together? Do the Sixers have enough perimeter shooting? Do they have enough shot-creating or play- making? All of the questions above have been floating around. Shoot, I have been asking those same questions! The Sixers will be without Joel Embiid for at least 4-6 weeks (my guesstimated timeline) with a hand injury, so we will see what this team will look like with Ben running the show but they need some help! I am not sure if there will be a major trade before the deadline, but here are my opinions on who is “most tradedable” and some possible trades that Elton Brand could make:
UNTOUCHABLE: Ben Simmons, Joel Embiid, Tobias Harris
Embiid and Simmons are franchise cornerstones and as much as the national media and NBA Twitter wants either of them to be traded, it will not happen this season. Tobias Harris’ deal is what makes him untouchable, 5 years, $180 million is a tough contract to trade in the first year. He’s had a pretty good season in my opinion but needs to be more consistent as the second scoring threat.
UNLIKELY TO BE TRADED: Al Horford, Josh Richardson, Matisse Thybulle, James Ennis
Sixers signed Al Horford as Embiid insurance and it seems with Embiid out for an extended period, they made the right signing. I don’t see Elton trading Horford unless its a big deal that they could not pass up, i.e Jrue Holiday, Bradley Beal. Josh Richardson is a budding 2- way guard who will only get better. He’s cheap at $10 million a year and the Sixers only other main perimeter creator. I can only see him being thrown in a large trade but very unlikely. Matisse is really really good on defense and becoming a better 3-point shooter. Teams will surely ask for him in trade deals, but I KNOW Elton is a smart enough GM not to include him. James Ennis has a no trade clause and one of the Sixers best bench guys. He can’t be traded unless he wanted to.
PACK YOUR BAGS: Mike Scott, Zhaire Smith, Jonah Bolden, Kyle O’Quinn, Raul Neto, Shake Milton
I’m sorry, but all these guys mentioned above will be traded if the deal right. Let’s start with Mike Scott. I’m sorry to the Mike Scott Hive, he’s one of my favorite Sixers. He brings toughness, attitude, and shooting but that’s the thing, he hasn’t brought much shooting this year. He’s actually been terrible this year as one of our shooters, shooting only 34% from 3 over the season thus far. I hope he isn’t traded because I am also a member of the Hive, but we expect more from Mike Scott. The Sixers would have hoped Zhaire could be contributing by now but he has not. He’s been playing with the Sixers’ G-League affiliate most of the year still adjusting to NBA style basketball. A lot of teams were high on him in the 2018 NBA draft, so I expect him to be in majority of the deals. Jonah Bolden, Kyle O’Quinn (I’m confused on why he doesn’t play), and Raul Neto will all be included in any outgoing trade packages.
SKILL SET NEEDED BUT COULD BE SALARY FILLERS: Furkan Korkmaz, Trey Burke
Korkmaz is the only pure shooter the Sixers have currently, and I don’t expect him to included on any deals. He’s gotten better on defense as well, so I think he will be here past the deadline. Trey Burke can be a spark off the bench, and one of the few players on this team that can create for themselves in the Isolation or PNR. He’s penciled in as Ben’s back up right now and has shown he can play with him. Trey won’t be traded unless they are getting a shot creator back and they need his salary in the trade.
Take a look at some trade possibilities below:
Sixers trade Al Horford, Josh Richardson, Mike Scott, OKC 2020 1st round pick, 2020 NYK 2nd round pick, 2020 ATL 2nd round pick to the New Orleans Pelicans for Jrue Holiday and Derrick Favors
This is the one of two trades that I could see Al Horford and J-Rich moved in. Getting Jrue would be amazing, as he could assume ball handling duties for Ben in the 4th quarters and actually initiate offense for himself and others. Derrick Favors would just be Embiid’s back up and a major downgrade from Al Horford playing PF or C.
Sixers trade Mike Scott, Zhaire Smith, Jonah Bolden, Raul Neto, OKC 2020 1st round pick, NYK 2020 2nd round pick, ATL 2020 2nd round pick to the Detroit Pistons for Derrick Rose and Luke Kennard
This would be ideal for the Sixers, receiving much needed ball handling, shot creating, and shooting back. Derrick Rose would be aggressive on offense with the second unit and could play crunch time 4th quarter mins in certain situations. Kennard would be the knock down shooter the Sixers desperately need to pair with Korkmaz. He can also create for himself and run JJ Reddick action types with Embiid.
Sixers trade Zhaire Smith, Kyle O’Quinn, ATL 2020 2nd round pick to the Denver Nuggets for Malik Beasley, DEN 2020 2nd round pick
Malik Beasley is averaging 6.9 PPG in 16 MPG but has recently fell out of Denver’s rotation. He is shooting 39% from behind the arc and has the skills to take people off the dribble. He would be an upgrade and could play alongside Simmons because of his shooting ability. He has some defensive issues that could be a problem but could easily come to Philly and average 10 PPG off of the bench.
Sixers trade Al Horford, Zhaire Smith, Raul Neto, 2020 OKC 1st round pick, 2020 NYK 2nd round pick, 2020 ATL 2nd round pick to the OKC Thunder for Chris Paul
Sooooooo…initially I hated this trade, but after reading about this trade a few times, I’ve been convinced that this could work. Chris Paul is a HOF point guard but he’s been known to be a bad locker room guy. The Sixers’ two young stars don’t need any more negativity in the locker room. After watching CP3 these last few weeks, I’m convinced his ball handling and PNR prowess would help the squad tremendously. Also, in the 4th quarter he could handle the ball and initiate offense for everyone. He shares the ball with two other guards in OKC, so he wouldn’t mind deferring to Ben in early situations here.
Sixers trade Mike Scott, Zhaire Smith, Jonah Bolden to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Robert Covington
RoCo! Many hated to see RoCo go in the Jimmy Butler trade in November 2018. This trade would bring him back on a cheap deal and allow the Sixers to add another “3 and D” wing. He helps with spacing but doesn’t help in shot creation. Many contenders will be in the running for Cov’s services and it will likely take more than the package you see here to trade for him.
Sixers trade Mike Scott, Zhaire Smith, 2020 OKC 1st round pick to the Sacromento Kings for Bogdan Bogdanovic
This trade would give the Sixers what they need without giving up too much. It allows them to have other trade chips in their pocket if they are buying close to the trade deadline. He’s shooting 38% from three and averages almost 4 APG. He is shooting 45% on pull up jumpers and 39% on catch and shoot shots. He could be an asset in the PNR and possibly put the ball in his hands in crunch time. If you get rid of Mike Scott, you could go after Jeff Green as a free agent since he was waived by the Jazz.
Sixers trade Mike Scott, Jonah Bolden, Zhaire Smith, Kyle O’Quinn to the Washington Wizards for Davis Bertans, Isaiah Thomas, 2020 WAS 2nd round pick.
Sixers have been linked to Davis Bertans a lot recently and if the Sixers can get him, expect the Wizards to up the price. Some combination of this trade with or without Isaiah Thomas would work. Bertans would be the lights out shooter the Sixers need and could run the same action they ran with JJ Redick and Joel Embiid. Thomas would give the Sixers a back up point guard with experience that can get some buckets. Thomas would be a defensive liability and would have to play with a good group of defenders to make up for his size.
Overall, the trades above are all scenarios that could help the Sixers right away. Elton Brand will make a move in the near future and hasn’t been afraid to shake things up. I look forward to seeing what Elton has up his sleeve.
The Sixers ended 2019 with a horrible road loss in Indiana on New Year’s eve ushering in 2020 with a 23-13 record. As fans, we expect so much more from this squad, but with so many new faces, it has taken longer to gel than the fans thought. Brett Brown has said that he didn’t expect the Sixers to develop more cohesion until Christmas but, on some nights we have seen what looks like the best team in the East, while other nights this team STRUGGLES. I still believe this team will get it together one way or another, but until then, here is a 2020 Wishlist of hopes for the Philadelphia 76ers:
1. Exert more effort against opponents on the road
The Sixers are 7-11 on the road and tend to play down to competition in the first three quarters, until they decide to turn it up in the 4th and almost always, it is too little too late. Sixers have road losses in DC, OKC, Orlando (2X), Phoenix, and Brooklyn. All those games should have been wins. Joel Embiid and company need to find some inspiration against lesser teams on the road or they will find themselves stuck in a precarious situation where they are continually ranked in the middle of the pack in the Eastern Conference.
2. Tobias Harris improving consistency
When Tobias inked the 180-million-dollar contract in June 2019, people wondered if he “would be able to live up to being a max contract player”. Tobias started the season a little rough with a dreadful 0-23 from “3-point Land” streak. He has since become more reliable as a scorer and increased his PPG to just under 20 PPG. Since mid-November Tobias has low key played at an All-Star level with three 30 point games. All we wish for him is to attack every game and get more shot attempts. Nine shot attempts in Indy on 12/31 is not acceptable.
3. Joel Embiid to stop “Saving himself” for the Playoffs
I get it, we need a healthy “JoJo” for April and May but it’s obvious he only gets up for certain match ups. Yes, he’s had bad luck with injury in the last two playoff runs, but if he doesn’t play his best, and the Sixers lose games they shouldn’t, they could find themselves in the 4/5 spot. And as a result, this could land the Sixers in a matchup against the Bucks in the second round instead of the ECF. We also know that Embiid could be a Top 3 player in this league if he gives maximum effort on a nightly basis.
4. Better Spacing
Spacing in the NBA determines how well an offense works. Spacing determines how teams get open shots in the half court and you usually need players to space the floor to allow one on one post play, pick and roll or isolation. We all knew this lineup had the potential to be the best defensive team in the league. We got a surprise with how good defensively Matisse Thybulle is and how good he has been from 3-point range. As we sit here at the beginning of January, the spacing issue hasn’t been figured out. Ben, Al, and JoJo all like to be in the paint. Tobias and Josh like PNR ,which is something Brett is just starting to run. For this to work, they need better spacing which includes having “shooters” on the court at all times. Furkan Korkmaz has been a surprise, but he’s not enough with Mike Scott having a down year. My two ideas for space creation would be either changing the starting lineup to something like Ben, J-Rich, Furkan or Thybulle, Tobias, and Joel. Horford would be a glorified 6th man and could get starts when Embiid doesn’t play. He could also play the 4th quarter clutch minutes as well but it’s just not working. Asking Al to shoot seven 3’s a game is a bit much. The other idea would be to make a trade for some shooters. If that occurs, you may have to trade Horford, Zhaire Smith, Jonah Bolden, or Mike Scott (Sorry to the hive). A combo of any of those players would have to be traded for some shooting. According to the insiders, Sixers have their eyes on David Bertans (Wizards), Bogdan Bogdanovic/ Buddy Hield (Kings), Josh Hart/ JJ Reddick (Pelicans). They need to do something to fix the spacing issue and it’s on the coaches and Front Office. P.S. Elton Brand won’t trade Ben Simmons or Joel Embiid, so you guys can stop wishing for one of them to go to build around the other.
5. Fans accepting that Ben Simmons will not shoot
As much as we all want Ben Simmons to shoot jumpers and 3’s, it’s clearly not going to happen. After all the summer workout videos, we have only watched Ben take two real 3’s in the half court this year (2/2). He may have taken a total of only 10 jumpers thus far this season. He’s not going to shoot them for whatever reason and the Sixers are going to live with it. Brett wants him to shoot, and teammates want him to shoot… but he just won’t. At this point, we need to accept Ben for the player he is and give him credit for what he does well now. He is having an all-defensive first team type season and is a phenomenal passer and rebounder.
6. Brett Brown to figure this thing out
It is evident that Elton Brand is loyal to Brett and wants him to see the fruits of the years of the “Process”, but if they can’t advance past the second round this year, he will be fired. If Colangelo was still the GM, he would have worked with the Owners to fire Brett, and Jay Wright would have been the Sixers coach. Brett needs to figure it out, forget the egos, and do what is best for the team. If he does not, he could find himself unemployed after this season. It doesn’t help that after every loss, #sixertwitter is filled with “Fire Brett Brown” tweets.
76th & Broad 