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The Sixers got through about half of Saturday night’s game against Charlotte, but a strong start and excellent shot propelled them to a 127-112 victory over the Hornets that was never really in doubt.
Here is what I saw.
Good
• Joel Embiid is off to an absolutely spectacular start for the Sixers, and the more wins Philly can rack up, the more likely he will find himself in MVP conversations once they get started in earnest.
In the first 8-10 minutes of the game, Embiid had at least 4-5 absolutely insane possessions on defense, always popping up in the right place at the right time to force a wild shot from the Hornets or a pass to a less dangerous player. His ability to scare small players around the basket is hard to miss. DeVonte Graham shot a layup that I briefly thought was going to go over the backboard after Embiid made a late spin to get in front.
Embiid and Ben Simmons are a dynamic super duo on defense. As teams grapple with the problem posed by Embiid’s towering height and instincts at the back, here’s the 6-foot-10 hyper-athlete with active hands, the guy that penetrates your chest or tears the balloon to start a quick break. . With Embiid playing higher in the pick-and-rolls and forcing the ball out of the ballhandler’s hands, Simmons’ ability to play passing lanes is more evident than ever.
It wasn’t his best offensive game of the year by any stretch of the imagination, but Embiid continues to do the right things when it comes to being part of an offensive unit instead of doing it all himself. There were several possessions where Embiid moving or sprinting to create a screen helped pave the way for a Philadelphia basket, and when he’s not a world-destroying force on offense, he must be able to do the little things. to lead his team to victory. .
• In many ways it was a Ben Simmons game like most others this year. The defensive strengths coil continues to grow, his ability to set up teammates for open lines is more consistent than ever, and yes, his half-court score is still nothing short of out of the ordinary.
However, Simmons made seems to be doing a better job of finding space to cut Saturday night, and he did so aggressively, with Charlotte being a little too respectful of Embiid’s outside shot. He was at the heart of Philadelphia’s transition attack, making several excellent forward passes for fouls or easy points, then showing what he can do with the ball in his hands, sucking pressure from Charlotte only to let go. the ball for easy transition trios. .
On top of that, Simmons and the big guy have shown solid chemistry together in actions involving them both – the comfortable pick-and-rolls haven’t generated much for Philly this season, but they seem determined to get on with it. improve in this look at the least. Embiid demanded the ball at some point in the first half before going straight into one of those games, with Simmons eventually finding Tobias Harris for an opposite elbow three.
• I don’t know what happened to Harris after a crappy preseason and a brutal first game at home from Philly, but it’s a difference day and night. Doc Rivers has repeatedly emphasized Harris’ need to be a quick decision maker, and he followed his coach’s wishes, playing decisive basketball at both ends of the court.
Harris was one of the biggest culprits in Philly’s slow, disconnected attack last season, and he’s one of the main reasons he’s looked so consistent over the past week. He can open three threes in transition, attack reconciliations, or make an extra pass if the shot isn’t there, and during stretches where his shot doesn’t fall, Harris always moves and braces ahead if / when the ball swings. his way.
Perhaps his most important contribution of the night was to remain stable as his teammates’ play faltered in the middle of the game. Charlotte came out hot at the start of the third quarter, and it was Harris who offered a nice defensive play and then sprinted in transition to make a foul. The Sixers were about to close the Hornets’ door in the middle of the fourth, and it was Harris whose defense aid created a roll and led to a Simmons slam on the other end, forcing a time dead for visitors.
With Embiid and Simmons doing a lot of the heavy lifting on defense, the goal has always been to find a top third player to ease the burden of the offense and fill in some of the gaps in their games. Harris having a great five-game streak doesn’t mean anyone should throw “MISSION FULFILLED” banners with the US flag on them, but if Harris continues to play with that mentality it will be hard to stop.
• The trade to get Seth Curry on the roster increasingly looks like a wise move by Daryl Morey as the veteran guard moves to Philadelphia. To have a guy in the starting lineup who can pull you out of bad possessions, comfortably step into the transition lines dropped off by Simmons, and lead the two-player game with Embiid is such a luxury, and Curry fills a lot of the gaps in the offense in more of that.
On multiple occasions against the Hornets, the Sixers lost their possessions and found themselves in the hands of Curry, only for the No.31 to pass a Charlotte guard for a nice finish to the basket. Both units now have players with this ability, with Shake Milton carrying the torch for the second unit, a luxury for such a short in competent guard play over the past 5-10 years.
(By the way, Milton was by far the best second unit player of the night for Philly. He always seemed to come in with a basket done when things got hairy in the second half, and he continues to plead to join him in the unit. start / close with his success as Sixth Man.)
• Danny Green wasn’t going to shoot like shit for an entire season, and he was finally able to join the 2020-21 season for good on Saturday night.
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• Tyrese Maxey also managed to hit his first three-point of the season on Saturday night, a moment that should have felt good for the rookie keeper and a little bit of balance in his game. I’m slightly concerned about his ability to finish among the long-lived trees – he looks small when he attacks the paint – but his touch is so good that maybe it doesn’t matter.
The bad
• The Sixers apparently thought this game was going to play out the same as the Orlando Magic eruption on New Years Eve, and they behaved as such. Concentration hasn’t been a problem for them so far this year, but they drifted much of the second and early third quarters before the Hornets gave them enough of a wake-up call to start.
I’d mostly put this at the feet of Embiid and Simmons, who each took their foot off the gas in their own way. Simmons wasn’t so guilty, but his decision making in the third quarter was particularly suspect, leading to several ugly turnovers on passes that never really got a chance to hit their mark. After a great first half dealing with basketball he was part of an ugly and turnover packed third quarter.
The big guy was a bigger culprit for my money. Embiid’s intensity on the glass faded a bit, allowing Charlotte to “earn” a few more possessions just by trying to hit the boards. He’s unique among great men for his ability to challenge / modify punches and always collect rebounds on top of that, something that maybe taken for granted at times, but that makes it more evident when he’s only living a half of that reputation.
On top of that, he was far more indifferent with the ball than he was in any other game this season, allowing LaMelo Ball to pocket his rebounds on several occasions on Saturday night. Ultimately, the Hornets just aren’t good enough to punish Philly for not taking care of the basketball, but he needs to be more specific (and has been this season).
It’s probably a little picky because the Sixers led in double digits for most of the game and never felt like they were in real danger. Guess that’s what happens when you keep taking down shots no matter how irregular the game gets.
• It was probably Dwight Howard’s worst game of the season so far, and it’s the kind of stylistic battle I think the Sixers should keep their eyes on going.
With few healthy tall men available, the Hornets started playing guys like PJ Washington center in bench looks, laying the ground and pulling people away from the paint. In theory, Howard can take advantage of the inside size gaps and play over the edge in pick-and-roll. The downside is what we saw unfold on Saturday – the Hornets forced him to challenge a lot of shots on the perimeter, and Howard’s nervousness won out, leading to defensive breakdowns for Philly.
While I’m a notorious skeptic that Simmons plays center in little ball looks, this is a game where I think it makes sense, relying on his switchability in a scenario where the protection of the rim didn’t mean much.
• 22 turnover? Now these are the Sixers I remember!
The ugly one
• This dunk is only ugly if you are one of the guys who was on the receiving end of the hammer. I’ve been watching Tobias Harris play in person for a while now, and I don’t remember him ever having a dunk like this on two people:
On the other hand, this piece really brought something home to me – times like these just aren’t the same without the presence of fans. Sure, it’s nice to see the guys on the bench jump out of their seats and celebrate the poster dunk, but the surge of emotion you get from the crowd on a huge dunk is unmatched. These games can have a real impact on the feel of a game, with huge play leading to inspired defensive possession as everything begins to snowball.
Without the crowds it’s still a formidable athletic achievement, but I miss everything that usually comes with it.
• Terry Rozier was completely crazy with some of the punches he was hitting on Saturday night. There were some bad defensive possessions that helped him get started, but when a guy counts to threes in a downturn it’s hard to do anything about it.
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