Sixers thread: now with expectations

LondonSox

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Yeah, and that they're not allowed to trade back for him. Would be a better fit than Harris at 1/3 the upcoming cost.
I think this wildly underestimates Harris but yeah.

I can only think that the butler and Harris holds help too. If one leaves they can have max space while holding the other.
Given Harris is 26 he's much closer in age to Simmons and embiid.

Man this is very crazy.

As for how different this could have gone.
If Colangelo doesn't do that Fultz trade.
Simmons, JJ, Tatum, Covington, embiid
TJ, saric, zhaire, Shamet, bolden etc
Sac pick, Miami 2021, own 2020
Max cap space, you can sign Harris ffs
 

mcpickl

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I think this wildly underestimates Harris but yeah.

I can only think that the butler and Harris holds help too. If one leaves they can have max space while holding the other.
Given Harris is 26 he's much closer in age to Simmons and embiid.

Man this is very crazy.

As for how different this could have gone.
If Colangelo doesn't do that Fultz trade.
Simmons, JJ, Tatum, Covington, embiid
TJ, saric, zhaire, Shamet, bolden etc
Sac pick, Miami 2021, own 2020
Max cap space, you can sign Harris ffs
The one part of the Tatum trade that should help 76ers fans like yourself not go as crazy, you were never getting Tatum. Ainge would've just taken him #1 if you didn't trade up. You were always getting Fultz, you really only lost out on the SAC pick which isn't what we'd hoped.
 

LondonSox

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The one part of the Tatum trade that should help 76ers fans like yourself not go as crazy, you were never getting Tatum. Ainge would've just taken him #1 if you didn't trade up. You were always getting Fultz, you really only lost out on the SAC pick which isn't what we'd hoped.
I wish we really knew this with such certainty.
Not least that the Lakers could well have taken Fultz if he had taken Tatum first.
We will never know, but that is a good point. Sac being ok this year has changed the downside a meaningful amount.
Maybe it would have been Ball instead and that would likely have been ugly too tbh.
 

benhogan

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Only 30 mins in two games but the starting 5 is
121.4 offensive rating
98.6 defensive
22.9 net

Holy shit, vs Lakers and nuggets
Yep, you should be happy. Great deal getting Harris, I like him better than Robert Covington (RC seemed to shrink under the spotlight or against the Celtics, see last years playoffs)
I think the Sixer bench is more than fine now.
The Sixers should be the slight favorite to win the East, pending health
 
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benhogan

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I would think MIL/TOR/PHI would all be toss ups.
Vegas agrees with you.

Philly would be my pick if I was wagering. I love the Harris move, excellent shooter, exactly what they needed. Like the vets coming off the bench. Think they will slow the pace down come playoffs and will be the team best equipped for some wrestling matches. Butler/Simmons can slow Giannis down just enough.
 

LondonSox

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I'm not sure they wouldnt be better with Covington and saric than butler.

Covington would be happier in that role and much cheaper, keep Harris and add pieces with some space.

However as others have said Covington has not shown up in the big games and the clutch, and Jimmy has a different mindset here. And not clear anyone else has yet. Though Harris has done this too.

Saric less so, because you just can't hide him on defense in these big series. Plus I don't think they could afford what he gives them for next contract. I love Dario, but his defense ....

I would probably rather have covington, Harris and afford a really good depth piece. Than Butler, Harris and nothing. The risk to the locker room and him falling off.

But butler buys in and plays hard and they are winning maybe it all works. But you could so easily see Jimmy fuck shit up. Harris seems like a total non drama pro.
 

bakahump

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Lots of talent, not much heart or brains.

Not fair without at least 1 example.... Embiid with a couple mins left within 4 launches a Kyrie 3 from about 3 feet behind the line.

Also I suppose you can argue but with only a minute or 2 left in a tight game you have to contest Smarts shot, even if it means you foul out. Best case you block or alter the shot, and give your team a chance to edge closer. Worse case he makes the shot+1 and your down by 5+ with a minute or so to go and your on the Bench.
 
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Mooch

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Per the 76ers Twitter: Joel Embiid is experiencing left knee soreness and will undergo treatment involving physical therapy and load management. He had an MRI which revealed no structural damage. As a precaution, he is listed as out and will be re-evaluated in approximately one week.

I wonder if that knee will ever be fully healthy.
 

oumbi

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Per the 76ers Twitter: Joel Embiid is experiencing left knee soreness and will undergo treatment involving physical therapy and load management. He had an MRI which revealed no structural damage. As a precaution, he is listed as out and will be re-evaluated in approximately one week.

I wonder if that knee will ever be fully healthy.
Are you referring to his injuries from 2 years ago? If so, that was a fracture in his foot. This is the first I have heard of his knee being a problem.

https://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/sportsdoc/Embiids-foot-injury-What-is-a-Navicular-fracture-and-how-can-you-avoid-it.html
https://www.sbnation.com/nba/2015/7/20/9002861/joel-embiid-injury-update

There was also a recent hand injury, but that did not seem very serious.
https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/76ers-joel-embiid-still-hampered-by-hand-injury-suffered-over-10-months-ago/
 

Mooch

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Are you referring to his injuries from 2 years ago? If so, that was a fracture in his foot. This is the first I have heard of his knee being a problem.
He had a torn meniscus back in early 2017 that ended his season and he's been dealing with pain in the same knee off and on this year.
 

HomeRunBaker

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Per the 76ers Twitter: Joel Embiid is experiencing left knee soreness and will undergo treatment involving physical therapy and load management. He had an MRI which revealed no structural damage. As a precaution, he is listed as out and will be re-evaluated in approximately one week.

I wonder if that knee will ever be fully healthy.
Embiid and the Sixers knew this prior to the All Star break. For all the silly radio talk about Kyrie playing in the ASG and AD pulling himself after just 5 minutes with his shoulder not feeling right (yet returning to play for Pelicans last night)……..we have Joel Embiid playing 23 minutes for Team Giannis only to return to Philly for an exam that rules him out for more than a week at which time he'll be evaluated further. Why isn't anyone talking about this or talking about why Budenholzer played him more than a token rotation to start the game? What was he doing out there at all?
 

Van Everyman

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The only thing I’m wondering is if they didn’t think playing in the ASG was a risk. I mean, I watched five minutes of the game and nobody was running full speed or jumping very high. My weekly pickup is more athletic.
 

HomeRunBaker

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The only thing I’m wondering is if they didn’t think playing in the ASG was a risk. I mean, I watched five minutes of the game and nobody was running full speed or jumping very high. My weekly pickup is more athletic.
Or that he didn't care. The ASG is about an individuals brand and having the spotlight on them all weekend. I get that and understand it is a different era but if a player cannot jog up and down the floor at half speed without needing an MRI following the game then a) Why is he out there? and b) Why did Budenholzer have him out there for 4 rotations as opposed to only one like AD? If I'm the Sixers I'm pissed off at Embiid for sure but also at the Bucks coach as well.
 

wade boggs chicken dinner

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LBallers had this article about the history of Embiid's knee. https://www.libertyballers.com/2019/4/12/18307701/whats-going-on-with-joel-embiids-knee-and-was-the-load-mismanaged-philadelphia-76ers. Embiid leading the league in minutes over the first few weeks of the season can't be the right decision.


edit: removed article from Chao. Tweet: "Embiid going through pregame warm-ups, with some form of a brace on."

Brace is "unloader brace."
 
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terrynever

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LBallers had this article about the history of Embiid's knee. https://www.libertyballers.com/2019/4/12/18307701/whats-going-on-with-joel-embiids-knee-and-was-the-load-mismanaged-philadelphia-76ers. Embiid leading the league in minutes over the first few weeks of the season can't be the right decision.


edit: removed article from Chao. Tweet: "Embiid going through pregame warm-ups, with some form of a brace on."

Brace is "unloader brace."
Yeah, the problem is Embiid is his own boss in Philly. He drove the discussion for more minutes early in the season. It’s pretty clear that Embiid is a man child who lacks focus. Not unlike Wilt of the early 1960s.
Wilt also had a knee problem as he got older. Embiid is 25 and probably needs surgery when this season ends.
 

DannyDarwinism

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Yeah, the problem is Embiid is his own boss in Philly. He drove the discussion for more minutes early in the season. It’s pretty clear that Embiid is a man child who lacks focus. Not unlike Wilt of the early 1960s.
Wilt also had a knee problem as he got older. Embiid is 25 and probably needs surgery when this season ends.
Weren’t there some rumblings recently about his conditioning while he was sitting? He seemed to be laboring out there in a manner that looks like he has fitness issues on top of the knee problem. I wonder just how restricted he’s been during his time off.
 
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terrynever

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Weren’t there some rumblings recently about his conditioning while he was sitting? He seemed to be laboring our there in a manner that looked like he’s got fitness issues on top of the knee problem. I wonder just how restricted he’s been during his time off.
Yes, he has a slight paunch around the middle. The uneasy joke among Philly fans is too many Shirley Temples, a sweet drink he fancies.
 

lovegtm

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Weren’t there some rumblings recently about his conditioning while he was sitting? He seemed to be laboring out there in a manner that looks like he has fitness issues on top of the knee problem. I wonder just how restricted he’s been during his time off.
I've done conditioning rehab a lot, and there are a ton of options to hit your aerobic/anaerobic systems, even with a hurt knee. They're just not super fun options, so I'm not surprised that Embiid passed on them.
 

TripleOT

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The great Jimmy Butler is 15-26 in the playoffs, not including his rookie year where he was 0-3 in a few garbage time minutes. I guess you can say his record is a result of being on a middling team. His playoff and regular season numbers are similar.

I don't believe in the Sixers as all. Simmons is a joke. You can't be playing PG in the playoffs where your defender is sagging ten feet off of you, mucking up your entire offense. Simmons made only three shots more than a few feet from the lane the entire season. How is that even possible for a guard playing 2700 minutes?

In the regular season, when teams run up and down the court, Simmons has value. But when things slow down in the playoffs, and coaches scheme and defenses lock in and execute, a huge flaw in a key player's game can derail an entire team.

Besides the Simmons problem, scheming Redick really slows him down. His scoring, FG% and 3FG% all drop in the playoffs. Since he really doesn't do anything else, that's a problem. I can't blame it on Simmons, since Redick had these issues on his other three teams. Embiid's scoring, FG% and 3FG% also drops in the playoffs. Harris has never won a playoff game, going 0-4 with the Pistons against the Cavs in 2016, and having a horrible game one with Philly, scoring only 4 points in 40 minutes. The Sixers bench is lousy, and they had to play Mike Scott 32 minutes in game one, where he scored three points on 1-8 shooting from long distance. McConnell usually holds down the fort when he gets some PT, but's he not a game changer.

Maybe the Sixers get it together. Ben Simmons figures out how to get to the rim a dozen times a game. Embiid posts up consistently and gets Allen and Davis in foul trouble. Redick shakes loose often and makes his threes. Harris and Butler get buckets, and Butler closes out any close games. Boban, TJ, Scott, and Jonathan Simmons chip in when they get an opportunity. If they can do most of that, and can figure out how they can contain a team that outquicks them in at least three spots, they might win the series. So far, the Nets have put up 122, 125, 127, 110, and 111 points on the Sixers this season, an average of 119 ppg, The Sixers gave up 112 ppg this season, 15th in the league.

I think the Nets will win this series in six games.
 

terrynever

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One other thing about NBA playoffs. Teams react and respond from game to game. The 76ers, excluding Butler, all played terribly on Saturday, in part because the Nets attacked their weaknesses. So how does Philly respond? Simmons is the key. We might see him in the post a lot tonight, asserting his matchup advantages. Embiid might only play 25 minutes. 76ers will go uptempo and see if they can actually cover Brooklyn's three shooting guards — which they haven’t done all season, as TripleOT points out.
 

bosox4283

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I attended the game on Saturday. My main takeaway was that Brooklyn ran an offense that exposed the Philly's weaknesses. I'm not that knowledgeable about NBA X's and O's, but I thought Brooklyn played really intelligently and found ways to get easy baskets.

Brooklyn also had tons of energy. Their bench was standing up a lot, pointing a lot, celebrating baskets, and really into the game. I thought Philly showed the exact opposite except for Butler.
 

wade boggs chicken dinner

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One other thing about NBA playoffs. Teams react and respond from game to game. The 76ers, excluding Butler, all played terribly on Saturday, in part because the Nets attacked their weaknesses. So how does Philly respond? Simmons is the key. We might see him in the post a lot tonight, asserting his matchup advantages. Embiid might only play 25 minutes. 76ers will go uptempo and see if they can actually cover Brooklyn's three shooting guards — which they haven’t done all season, as TripleOT points out.
I don't know if uptempo is going to help. This article - https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/2019-nba-playoffs-nets-attacking-guards-bring-sixers-worst-fears-to-life-in-game-1/ - points out the 76ers' problems (including video). As Doris mentioned on the broadcast, the Nets run the high PnR more than any other team runs any other play (except for Harden). What's PHI going to do to stop it? (I did not know that Dinwiddie was as efficient in isolation as KD. That's pretty amazing.)

I didn't see the whole game yet but it's pretty apparent that PHI has a lot of terrible mismatches as it doesn't look like any of Reddick, Embiid (who definitely looks hobbled), Bolden, Boban, or Harris has any chance defending in space.

If I'm Brett Brown, I'm going to zone early and often to see if that might slow down BRK.
 

terrynever

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I don't know if uptempo is going to help. This article - https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/2019-nba-playoffs-nets-attacking-guards-bring-sixers-worst-fears-to-life-in-game-1/ - points out the 76ers' problems (including video). As Doris mentioned on the broadcast, the Nets run the high PnR more than any other team runs any other play (except for Harden). What's PHI going to do to stop it? (I did not know that Dinwiddie was as efficient in isolation as KD. That's pretty amazing.)

I didn't see the whole game yet but it's pretty apparent that PHI has a lot of terrible mismatches as it doesn't look like any of Reddick, Embiid (who definitely looks hobbled), Bolden, Boban, or Harris has any chance defending in space.

If I'm Brett Brown, I'm going to zone early and often to see if that might slow down BRK.
Good points. Game 2s are always very telling. I think Philly will respond on its home court tonight. If they don’t find a way to slow down the Nets, it’s over. We all knew the Nets were tough on Philly in the regular season. The 76ers were going to flip the switch in the playoffs, even though they had not established the cred to even think that way.
 

lovegtm

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I don't know if uptempo is going to help. This article - https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/2019-nba-playoffs-nets-attacking-guards-bring-sixers-worst-fears-to-life-in-game-1/ - points out the 76ers' problems (including video). As Doris mentioned on the broadcast, the Nets run the high PnR more than any other team runs any other play (except for Harden). What's PHI going to do to stop it? (I did not know that Dinwiddie was as efficient in isolation as KD. That's pretty amazing.)

I didn't see the whole game yet but it's pretty apparent that PHI has a lot of terrible mismatches as it doesn't look like any of Reddick, Embiid (who definitely looks hobbled), Bolden, Boban, or Harris has any chance defending in space.

If I'm Brett Brown, I'm going to zone early and often to see if that might slow down BRK.
I agree Philly needs to do something, but Brooklyn has the shooting to do some serious damage against a zone.
 

benhogan

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I don't know if uptempo is going to help. This article - https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/2019-nba-playoffs-nets-attacking-guards-bring-sixers-worst-fears-to-life-in-game-1/ - points out the 76ers' problems (including video). As Doris mentioned on the broadcast, the Nets run the high PnR more than any other team runs any other play (except for Harden). What's PHI going to do to stop it? (I did not know that Dinwiddie was as efficient in isolation as KD. That's pretty amazing.)

I didn't see the whole game yet but it's pretty apparent that PHI has a lot of terrible mismatches as it doesn't look like any of Reddick, Embiid (who definitely looks hobbled), Bolden, Boban, or Harris has any chance defending in space.

If I'm Brett Brown, I'm going to zone early and often to see if that might slow down BRK.
No help defense (on bottom vid). Mike Scott was in the lane both plays and didn't challenge the ball at the rim either time. Rule #1 as a team in a halfcourt defense- you can't let the ballhandler go straight to the hoop.

OMG- I just looked at the other vid. Mike Scott is a potted plant on defense. The dude should wave a red cape and scream ole' every time a Net passes him.

ALSO mea culpa since I liked the Tobias Harris acquisition... I didn't realize how bad a defensive player Tobias Harris is, no wonder he has played on 4 different teams over the last 4 seasons. His advanced off/def net ratings aren't very impressive, gawd I hope the 76ers max him out....

https://stats.nba.com/player/202699/?Season=2018-19&SeasonType=Regular Season
 
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joe dokes

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Yeah, the problem is Embiid is his own boss in Philly. He drove the discussion for more minutes early in the season. It’s pretty clear that Embiid is a man child who lacks focus. Not unlike Wilt of the early 1960s.
Wilt also had a knee problem as he got older. Embiid is 25 and probably needs surgery when this season ends.
Never heard that about Wilt. Whatever his problems, and unlike Embiid, WIlt averaged 46 mpg over his 16 years (one of which was a 12-gamer due to injury; he rarely missed more than a handful in any of the others).
 

lovegtm

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No help defense (on bottom vid). Mike Scott was in the lane both plays and didn't challenge the ball at the rim either time. Rule #1 as a team in a halfcourt defense- you can't let the ballhandler go straight to the hoop.

OMG- I just looked at the other vid. Mike Scott is a potted plant on defense. The dude should wave a red cape and scream ole' every time a Net passes him.

ALSO mea culpa since I liked the Tobias Harris acquisition... I didn't realize how bad a defensive player Tobias Harris is, no wonder he has played on 4 different teams over the last 4 seasons. His advanced off/def net ratings aren't very impressive, gawd I hope the 76ers max him out....

https://stats.nba.com/player/202699/?Season=2018-19&SeasonType=Regular Season
Wow. That was some unbelievably bad help defense. They weren't even sticking to shooters: on half the clips, a shooter is wide open, but the layup or dunk is there anyway.

Philly did have good success letting Embiid protect the rim and clean up messes. The problem is that he looks like he can put in about 20 minutes of hard effort a game right now.
 

HomeRunBaker

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One other thing about NBA playoffs. Teams react and respond from game to game. The 76ers, excluding Butler, all played terribly on Saturday, in part because the Nets attacked their weaknesses. So how does Philly respond? Simmons is the key. We might see him in the post a lot tonight, asserting his matchup advantages. Embiid might only play 25 minutes. 76ers will go uptempo and see if they can actually cover Brooklyn's three shooting guards — which they haven’t done all season, as TripleOT points out.
This is true and G2’s are generally turnaround games as the losing team makes adjustments against the usual stagnant winning team who typically “stick to what worked.” I’m REALLY looking forward to this chess match since the Sixers clearly have matchup problems in stopping the Nets offense.

I am not anti-Brown but I don’t like how Simmons is utilized on this team at all. Of course this is the product of having two excellent iso-players in Butler and Embiid which leaves Ben in the 07-08 Rondo role much of the time while also disengaging Harris from the game which was noticeable defensively in G1. The Sixers have two non-role players in roles that they aren’t well suited for.....and a weak second unit. I’m just not sure what type of adjustments will work unless Embiid sits out allowing Simmons, Redick and Harris greater engagaement on both ends of the floor. This, to me, seems like it could be a Ewing-Theory type of matchup with the Nets.


I don't know if uptempo is going to help. This article - https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/2019-nba-playoffs-nets-attacking-guards-bring-sixers-worst-fears-to-life-in-game-1/ - points out the 76ers' problems (including video). As Doris mentioned on the broadcast, the Nets run the high PnR more than any other team runs any other play (except for Harden). What's PHI going to do to stop it? (I did not know that Dinwiddie was as efficient in isolation as KD. That's pretty amazing.)

I didn't see the whole game yet but it's pretty apparent that PHI has a lot of terrible mismatches as it doesn't look like any of Reddick, Embiid (who definitely looks hobbled), Bolden, Boban, or Harris has any chance defending in space.

If I'm Brett Brown, I'm going to zone early and often to see if that might slow down BRK.
These are many of the reasons why Philly could struggle even in a G2 adjustment game in that Brooklyn’s personnel is a terrible matchup for them which has been shown to be the case all season.

Dinwiddie is such a useful guy to have on your team. He has 1-skills in a 2’s body and can create extremely favorable matchups against some teams to take over games......while not requiring all those touches in his non-favorable matchups allowing others to step up unlike a player such as Embiid who would require the minutes and touches regardless of matchups.
 
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DeJesus Built My Hotrod

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HRB, Harris isn't just disengaged. The guy has been in a shooting slump over the last ~two months. His FG% is 43.4% for March and April and his 3p% is a woeful 27% over a span of games that equates to just about a quarter of the season. Given that he is, at best, a subpar defender, his value to the Sixers is negative at present. They have to be incredibly frustrated with his production especially given his great fit on paper at the time they acquired him.
 

lovegtm

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Dinwiddie is such a useful guy to have on your team. He has 1-skills in a 2’s body and can create extremely favorable matchups against some teams to take over games......while not requiring all those touches in his non-favorable matchups allowing others to step up unlike a player such as Embiid who would require the minutes and touches regardless of matchups.
This is NOT a comment on Dinwiddie being better than Simmons (he's not, and I agree that Simmons is a victim of roster construction), but it's crazy that Philly is probably a better team right now if you swap the two.
 

HomeRunBaker

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HRB, Harris isn't just disengaged. The guy has been in a shooting slump over the last ~two months. His FG% is 43.4% for March and April and his 3p% is a woeful 27% over a span of games that equates to just about a quarter of the season. Given that he is, at best, a subpar defender, his value to the Sixers is negative at present. They have to be incredibly frustrated with his production especially given his great fit on paper at the time they acquired him.
But but he WASN’T a great fit on paper as he is best with the ball in his hands which isn’t ever going to be the case with this lineup. It’s a different role than he’s accustomed to playing and yes, when a scorer isn’t getting touches offensively it will affect his defense. That’s the engagement aspect of it.
 

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I know everyone hates Embiid but I hope he doesn’t go the Greg Oden / Ralph Sampson route.
If I needed to pick my villains / foils for my rooting interests, he'd be near the top, because it's easy to work up some sports-hate for him, but he's also hilarious and kind of awesome so you can enjoy the process. Like, it was impossible to work up any hate for Mariano Rivera (the pool electrocution stuff was all we ever got, really, well that and the ears), and hating Derek Jeter was annoying because he was so boring and anodyne (far easier to just hate on his sycophants), but hating a loudmouth like Alex Bregman, that was fun!

Embiid makes the NBA more fun, whether you're fer him or agin' him. So I hope he takes care of himself and has a long career too.
 

DeJesus Built My Hotrod

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But but he WASN’T a great fit on paper as he is best with the ball in his hands which isn’t ever going to be the case with this lineup. It’s a different role than he’s accustomed to playing and yes, when a scorer isn’t getting touches offensively it will affect his defense. That’s the engagement aspect of it.
What are you looking at to arrive at that conclusion? Tobias Harris had a catch and shoot EFG that was just below that of Klay Thompson whom I think most people would agree doesn't need the ball in his hands to be effective. His MP and usage didn't change much from LAC to Philly either. I am open to the idea that his role in Philadelphia has contributed to his poor shooting but there isn't much of a statistical argument for Harris needing the ball in his hands more to be more effective.

My theory, which isn't too far from what others have posted here, is that the 76ers roster construction (i.e. Simmons, Embiid and Butler not being great outside shooters) means that teams can defend Harris more effectively, especially at the perimeter.
 

HomeRunBaker

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What are you looking at to arrive at that conclusion? Tobias Harris had a catch and shoot EFG that was just below that of Klay Thompson whom I think most people would agree doesn't need the ball in his hands to be effective. His MP and usage didn't change much from LAC to Philly either. I am open to the idea that his role in Philadelphia has contributed to his poor shooting but there isn't much of a statistical argument for Harris needing the ball in his hands more to be more effective.

My theory, which isn't too far from what others have posted here, is that the 76ers roster construction (i.e. Simmons, Embiid and Butler not being great outside shooters) means that teams can defend Harris more effectively, especially at the perimeter.
Forget statistical analysis and usage which doesn’t touch upon the psychological aspect of Tobias not having free reign to create and to shoot as he did as the Clippers #1 option. Instead of knowing his role as a scorer which allows him to play instinctually and react he is sharing the ball with 3-4 other scorers without having that same free reign and not playing as instinctually. It’s a completely different role which I discussed at the time of the trade in one of these threads.
 

DeJesus Built My Hotrod

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Forget statistical analysis and usage which doesn’t touch upon the psychological aspect of Tobias not having free reign to create and to shoot as he did as the Clippers #1 option. Instead of knowing his role as a scorer which allows him to play instinctually and react he is sharing the ball with 3-4 other scorers without having that same free reign and not playing as instinctually. It’s a completely different role which I discussed at the time of the trade in one of these threads.
This may or may not be true but the Clippers entire offense, all season long, was predicated on spreading out scoring. Harris led the team in PPG but he averaged 0.9 more than LouWill, albeit on more minutes and Gallinari averaged just over one less PPG than Harris as well. And LouWill led the Clips in usage while both Gallinari and Harrell were equal to Harris' usage.

The fact is that Harris offensive stats have been remarkably consistent over the past three plus seasons and that while he was Detroit's leading scorer, the delta between him and other players like Jackson, Drummond, Mook Morris and KCP (in his last full Pistons season) was fairly small. And that Pistons team was a scoring-by-committee construct as well led by Jackson who was, far and away, the guy with the ball in his hands the most for them.

Again, you may be right but its not like Harris was a true focal point player (e.g. Curry, Harden, Irving etc etc) who is suddenly relegated to being a role player. He may have had a bit more leeway in LA or Detroit than Philly but the data simply doesn't support the idea that his role has changed dramatically. He may well just be in a shooting slump. And his decent catch and shoot numbers coupled with his proficiency beyond the arc did make him a good fit for the 76ers in the eyes of many NBA pundits.
 

terrynever

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It’s all up to the co-owners now in terms of key offseason decisions. First up is the case of coach Brett Brown, who fell agonizingly short of the franchise’s stated goal — reaching the conference finals. Co-owner Josh Harris will mull this over but there seem no obvious candidates, unless Jay Wright can be lured over from Villanova.

As for the free agents, Jimmy Butler will be offered a max contract. Tobias Harris might not get the same offer. Butler likes playing with Embiid and Simmons, and became a mentor to Embiid over the past few months, almost always supportive. Harris gave Philly another shooter, which they badly needed, but his defense is spotty.

JJ Redick is also a free agent, an invaluable shooter on a team that needs outside scoring to spread the floor. Another poor defender.

Once again, Ben Simmons needs to find a shooting coach. Last offseason, he hired his brother and started dating a Kardashian. Simmons played well in the last two playoff games after disappearing earlier while Butler took over at the point.

Toronto was still able to triple-team Embiid in the post so Simmons has to find a jump shot and start using it to space the floor a bit. Kawhi Leonard came into the league as a poor shooter and turned himself into a great shooter. It can be done.

Philly also has to improve its bench, mostly by finding a legit backup center. Bringing back forwards James Ennis and Mike Scott would be a good place to start.

With all these moves facing GM Elton Brand, I don’t see how he can bring back Harris. Brand showed himself to be an aggressive GM with two big in-season trades as a rookie GM. Maybe he trades Simmons for a conventional point guard and backup center. Just throwing that out there.
 

Euclis20

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Toronto was still able to triple-team Embiid in the post so Simmons has to find a jump shot and start using it to space the floor a bit. Kawhi Leonard came into the league as a poor shooter and turned himself into a great shooter. It can be done.
Anything's possible, but Simmons isn't in the same universe as Kawhi when it comes to shooting. As a rookie Kawhi shot 77% from the FT line and 38% from 3. Simmons is 22 - Kawhi had 3 full seasons at that age and was shooting 38% from 3 (175 made threes) and 80% from the FT line up to that point. They shouldn't be mentioned in the same sentence.

Rondo was/is a bad shooter. Kidd was a bad shooter. Kawhi was a bad shooter. Simmons is the worst shooting guard in NBA history. He was drafted 3 years ago and he's 0/17 from 3 and shooting 60% from the FT line. Simmons could become a league average shooter (as you've pointed out, this is a necessity to maximize his play alongside Embiid), but I can't think of any historical precedent for it. Even big men who've become 3 point shooters in recent years after long careers of playing inside the arc (Al Horford, Marc Gasol, Brook Lopez) aren't noteworthy comparisons, as those guys were all solid FT shooters before expanding their range.
 

benhogan

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Mea culpa, I got this wrong and have to give credit to HRB. He didn't care for the Tobias Harris deal that is starting to look like a Jerry West/Danny Ainge Special. Elton Brand got completely crushed here. It looks like either the Sixers pay big $$$ to Harris (yuck) or let him go elsewhere. Harris was very unimpressive his 3 months with the Sixers and they gave up:
Landry Shamet
Miami's unprotected 2021 1st round pick
Sixers protected 2020-22 1st round pick (1-14 protected)
Detroit 2021 and 2023 2nd round picks.

anyone else getting Bob McAdoo flashbacks?

ALSO Frank/West turned Muscala into Zubac.

Clippers could be players for Kawhi, Kyrie or Durant this off-season. What a great job turning Lob City into this in less than 24 months.
 
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TripleOT

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So the Blake Griffin trade turned into Shamet, Zubac, three first round picks, two second round picks, and enough caproom for a max FA
 

BigSoxFan

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Mea culpa, I got this wrong and have to give credit to HRB. He didn't care for the Tobias Harris deal that is starting to look like a Jerry West/Danny Ainge Special. Elton Brand got completely crushed here. It looks like either the Sixers pay big $$$ to Harris (yuck) or let him go elsewhere. Harris was very unimpressive his 3 months with the Sixers and they gave up:
Landry Shamet
Miami's unprotected 2021 1st round pick
Sixers protected 2020-22 1st round pick (1-14 protected)
Detroit 2021 and 2023 2nd round picks.

anyone else getting Bob McAdoo flashbacks?

ALSO Frank/West turned Muscala into Zubac.

Clippers could be players for Kawhi, Kyrie or Durant this off-season. What a great job turning Lob City into this in less than 24 months.
All depends on that Miami pick. Losing Shamet and a late 1st is not a big deal when you’re going for it. If that Miami 2021 pick goes top 5 or something, then the calculus changes.