After 12 games, questions starting to mount
PHILADELPHIA » There was the shortest of possible postseasons, followed by the shortest of possible offseasons.
There was a coaching change. There was a management change.
There were new players, players recovering from injury, and a brief training camp.
There was no preseason.
For all of that, and with the knowledge that there would be virus-protocol challenges, Doc Rivers knew it would take a while to find a handle on his 76ers, a team typically convinced of its own excellence, yet slow to prove it when it matters. But if there was to be any early clarity, it would likely come in a mid-January stretch of challenges, beginning with a home game against Denver, trips to Brooklyn and Atlanta, then two more at home against the Heat.
That’s not going to happen. More, it may be a long, long time before that happens. For including a 137134 overtime victory over Miami Tuesday, the Sixers have spent their first dozen games, or the first 15 percent of their season, providing too many questions and two few solutions.
Why does Ben Simmons continue to be neutralized by a compact defense?
Are the newly assembled shooters as reliable as advertised?
Can Rivers expect much, long-term, from his bench?
And in the most topical question of all considering that they’ve allowed 622 points in their last five games, including three losses and the overtime survival, can they play defense at a winning level?
“I’m not that concerned by it,” Rivers said. “I think we’re an excellent defensive team. Washington (which touched the Sixers for 136 recently) is a very good offensive team. You know that is going to be a fastpaced game. We have had one bad game, defensively, in my opinion. That was the Brooklyn game. But other than that, I don’t know what else we can ask from our guys right now.”
That’s what makes analyzing the Sixers so tricky, so soon. They have been hit hard by virus-protocol absences and injuries, and have been playing without Tobias Harris, Shake Milton, Seth Curry and Furkan Korkmaz among others. Yet the odd circumstances should have given Rivers an opportunity to learn about some of his reserves and to try alternate lineups.
And that has not gone well.
Due to the protocols, neither team was fully staffed Tuesday. The Heat, though, was at the greater disadvantage. Tyler
lineups. And that has not gone well.
Due to the protocols, neither team was fully staffed Tuesday. The Heat, though, was at the greater disadvantage. Tyler Herro did play, and play well, scoring 34 points yet clanking what could have been a deciding free throw late in regulation. But the Heat was missing the essential core of its Eastern Conference championship team, including Bam Adebayo, Udonis Haslem and Jimmy Butler. Still, Eric Spoelstra’s team rang up a 63-spot in the first half, with the Sixers slow to retreat on defense, reluctant to challenge at the rim, and hesitant to help on three-point shooters.
That was not a due to players being unavailable. But it could be due to a lack of a training camp, practice time and familiarity.
“For us, the second quarter was the only poor quarter,” Rivers said. “We were in a back-to-back situation. A tough game. We had a lot of guys out. You can’t forget that. And so organization is very difficult.”
The Sixers had three starters available Tuesday, including the two labeled as “superstars” by Daryl Morey in Joel Embiid and Simmons. Usual starter Danny Green, veteran Mike Scott and rookie Tyrese Maxey completed the starting lineup.
Simmons, recovered from a swollen left knee, played 32 minutes, took two shots and fouled out. Most concerning to the Sixers was that Spoelstra chose to defend him the way most teams do in the playoffs, giving him acres of space, aware that he would be reluctant to drive into traffic to create offense. That is not going to change.
Embiid, though, was at his best Tuesday, dropping 45 and making the late difference. Still, through a dozen games, he has missed two and was limited in his playing time Monday in Atlanta. So, the question of his availability remains.
There was nothing fundamentally valuable about losing Curry and Harris for three games, and maybe more. The closest thing to it, though, was that Rivers was able to give some young players bonus playing time. Maxey, for one, made the most of the opportunity, scoring 39 on Denver, then Tuesday showing speed and intensity while providing 16 points and eight assists. Yet the Sixers didn’t only lose the first two games with their skeleton staff, but were bombarded by Denver and Atlanta. Considering that they had three starters available Tuesday against the depleted Heat, an overtime victory was satisfying, but not close to invigorating.
Among the things they did learn Tuesday was that Green, who had struggled, can be a streaky and valuable three-point shooter. And already early in Rivers’ tenure, they’ve learned that Harris, when available, can mount his usual All-Star candidacy.
But they have also found that their young players, with the exception of Maxey, are not ready. Dakota Mathias did nail a critical overtime jumper Tuesday, but has not justified his reputation as a differencemaking outside shooter. Isaiah Joe has had his moments, but it’s early.
“It’s been crazy, man,” Dwight Howard said. “It’s nothing like any of us have experienced. A lot of times, it’s frustrating, having to go get tested, having to wait at least an hour before you can go to the gym. Then, if you lose a couple games, you may get a little frustrated. But we have to find a way to stay balanced and find a way to stay at ease and not allow stuff like that to affect our team as a whole.
“We are down a lot of guys. But we haven’t given up. We have to continue to grow. We have a lot of young guys. We just have to keep the vibe nice and we’ll be OK.”
They are 8-4, and they are 6-1 at home. They’ve looked good at times, scrambled at others.
Rivers knew it would take a while. It will.
Contact Jack McCaffery at jmccaffery@21stcenturymedia.com