5 Celtics takeaways vs 76ers, while Joel Embiid has a good point

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Presumably, the Boston Celtics were hoping Tristan Thompson would at least be an answer for Joel Embiid.

After all, while Thompson is just 6 feet 9 inches tall, he weighs 250 pounds. This Celtics big man archetype has given Embiid adjustments in the past (looking at you, Enes Kanter).

This season, however, Embiid looks like a different player. The Sixers star lost 42 points on 19 shots in Philadelphia’s 117-109 win over the Celtics. It was ruthless to go into the paint and punish the Celtics’ little defensemen, and the Sixers moved the ball markedly around the perimeter when Boston sent in a double team.

When asked about Boston’s defense against him, Embiid seemed unwittingly condescending.

“Hey, they have some really good players,” Embiid said. “Tristan Thompson, he’s been in the league for a long time, he won it. Daniel Theis, he’s a great guy, he does a great job. …

“So it’s not a question of size. They have a lot of good big men. Guess you know I did a better job thanks to the double and triple teams they sent.

The Celtics only had post-game complaints about Embiid refereeing. Embiid made his way to the free throw line 21 times and hit back at Marcus Smart when the Celtics goalie criticized him for waving afterward.

“Marcus Smart just told me that I was very scarring? Come on, said Embiid.

He then noted – not wrongly – that teams defend him differently due to his combination of size and skill.

“The game is physical, the other teams tend to try to be more physical against me,” Embiid said. “And I guess I’m just smarter than everyone else, so take advantage of that. I’m just enjoying the way they protect me. You can call it, I don’t know, IQ basketball. If you’re going to put your hand up there I’m going to take it and get to the free throw line because I know I’m a great free throw shooter and it’s a better chance for me to help l team to win in these situations.

The Celtics need to find a way to better defend Embiid. Robert Williams didn’t play on Wednesday, and while Williams might not be a perfect option against Embiid, a different look might help. Another option (and support us here): Tacko Fall is taller than Embiid and about as heavy. Taking a look at Fall on Friday might be worth it. He’s been solid at times this season, he can match Embiid’s height and weight, and the Sixers don’t really have the staff to punish him in the pick-and-roll.

One thing is clear: Thompson and Theis are not the one-on-one answer. Embiid has gotten too good.

Romeo Langford won’t be back anytime soon.

Langford was spotted training and lifting jumpers ahead of Wednesday’s game.

According to Brad Stevens, however, he still has a way to go.

“The next step is to get the shots before the game,” Stevens said. “I mean, not much is happening. He’s been shooting with his right hand, which is encouraging, for about five days. But I don’t even know if he was turning three tonight or not. I know they started pulling 17 footers just to not stress the wrist so it still has a long way to go.

Kemba Walker and Daniel Theis have a good connection.

Last season Walker struggled when he played with bench units – by Cleaning the Glass, Walker rosters but no Tatum or Brown were outscored by seven points per 100 possessions.

On Wednesday, however, Walker showed a nice connection with Theis, who came off the bench behind Thompson. If Theis continues to come off the bench and if he continues to integrate well with Walker, the Celtics could have a solid solution that can help them shift their best players throughout the rosters.

“If you go back and look at last year, and how Theis finds Kemba both in transition and on the half court and how Kemba has a good idea of ​​the speed of his throws, where he’s going to be, when he needs to be there, all of that was one of the reasons I thought Theis at the start of last year had really split up, ”Stevens said. “Because he had a great way to find and improve others. I thought he played well tonight. He did a lot of great things, not just the shoot, obviously, but the way he got in and out of screens, and I thought he was fighting defensively. He’s a tough guy to keep.

Walker looked healthy and felt well. And after?

The Celtics and Walker both stressed the importance of keeping him healthy for the long haul. On Wednesday he looked quick and devious again, and he collected 17 of his 19 points in the first half.

Still, Stevens sat him down for most of the third quarter and limited Walker to just 22 minutes as the star point guard returned after suffering a shot and a strengthening program for his bald left knee.

“It’s hard to play five-minute stints and not play as long as it takes before you come back at the end of the third quarter,” Stevens said. “But we have a lot of guys on the bench doing that, and it probably gives Kemba a better appreciation for these guys, and being called up at unique times and always ready to be ready.

Walker said sitting in the third quarter was “difficult,” but Stevens was candid about his plan. He added, however, that he was unsure of the next step.

“I really feel that I could have [played more]Walker said. “But really, I’m just working to get back, man. It will take time just for those minutes to pass. I always try to slow down the speed of the game and just feel like I’m a little late, just a little. But I’m coming back and I’m not going to rush the process.

Long live the trash talk “He’s too small”

Finally, here is the celebration in which, after a bucket, a player holds their hand a few feet above the ground to show their defender that they are too small to do anything.

Joel Embiid broke it against Tristan Thompson on Wednesday, only for Jaylen Brown to do the same in the second half when he worked Ben Simmons to create a jumper.

This particular celebration is deeply insulting, which is the point of all good trash talk. Friday’s game could be a lot of fun.

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