“FLY, SIXERS, FLY! So, fellas, do I have to actually, like, draw up plays anymore, or…?”
It’s Finally Sunny in Philadelphia! The Atlanta Hawks arrive in the City of Brotherly Shove, facing a 76ers team (7:00 PM Eastern, Fox Sports Southeast and 92.9 FM in ATL, NBC Sports Philadelphia) that, thanks to some of their Processed Meat, is at long last turning a corner... maybe?
Sure, the Sixers (3-4) are just trying to get to a .500 record right now. But coach Brett Brown’s crew has won three of their last four contests, all three wins on the road at places like upstart Detroit and Houston, while the sole defeat in that run was a buzzer-beating loss at the hands of the Rockets’ Eric Gordon.
Similar to the Hawks (1-6), with ex-Sixer Ersan Ilyasova (knee) and former St. Joe’s star DeAndre’ Bembry (wrist) rocking suits, the Sixers are shorthanded coming into this matchup. But if you’ve been following Philadelphia during their tanktastic stretch, they’re kind of used to that by now.
2017 first-overall pick Markelle Fultz tried to soldier on through shoulder discomfort, taking free throw shots along the way that would make Chuck Hayes wince, but now the guard has been shelved for a couple weeks. Their biggest free agent pickup, veteran gunner J.J. Redick, missed the past two games with back tightness, although he is probable to play today. Backup big Richaun Holmes was out all of last month with a wrist fracture although he’s expected to return soon.
But it’s all good, because there are at least two neophytes bringing the fight for Philly. Much like center Joel Embiid, 6-foot-10 rookie point guard – yes, point guard – Ben Simmons is confirming to Sixer fans that he was indeed worth the wait. He’s nearly averaging a triple-double through seven games, ranking fifth in the NBA with 7.7 APG while posting means of 18.4 PPG and 9.1 RPG.
Sure, the 2016 first-overall pick’s range and free throw accuracy are less-than-desirable coming out of the gate. But dare we mention, again, this dude is 6-foot-10? The ability for Simmons to play on-ball and not on the low blocks grants his 7-foot teammate Embiid (20.8 PPG, 10.0 RPG, 3.0 APG, 4.5 TOs/game) plenty of room to play in, and around, the paint. The social-media-savvy big man has deft touch in the post and will surprise defenders with his two-point jumpshot (57.7 mid-range FG%). While he isn’t turning opposing back shots as much as he’d like, Embiid ranks second in the league with a 34.3 D-Reb%.
While thrilled with Embiid’s play, Brown has strained to keep him under wraps with a limited-minutes restriction, plugging 2017 Rookie of the Year runner-up Dario Saric and free agent vet Amir Johnson in the 5-spot behind him in Holmes’ absence. If only there was someone Jahlil else that the Sixers could have been grooming all this time for Okafor this backup role.
Looking back over the past decade-plus of 76er drafts, Philadelphia tends to draft well. But they either fail to adequately develop their youngsters and maximize their utility, or they fail to recoup an adequate return whenever they eventually decide to deal them. Most of their picks reach the zenith of their NBA success with somebody else. The second lottery-pick keeper from the 76ers’ four-year-long tanking Process, Okafor is certainly hoping the trend will hold.
After failing to find a trade partner, the Sixers formally declined his fourth-year option yesterday, and Brown has unceremoniously buried him on the depth chart, keeping him from catching an injury before the Sixers could move him. While the defensively-deficient Okafor remains shaped up, he announced today he’s begging to be shipped out.
“Honestly, I didn’t want them to pick up my option,” he told NBC Sports Philadelphia today, adding, “I’ve been going through a lot since I’ve been here.” A buyout negotiation will suit him fine if no decent offers come across GM Bryan Colangelo’s desk.
It has been more like Foul-adelphia thus far. Eager as the team is to get the ball back in Simmons and Embiid’s hands, the Sixers are committing the most hacks in the league (NBA-high 25.6 personal fouls per-48), allotting their foes an NBA-high 35.3 free throw attempts per 100 possessions. Atlanta (outscored an NBA-worst 6.7 paint points-per-48) isn’t doing many things right at this stage of the season, but they are making free throws (NBA-high 85.8 FT%). Doubling their win total tonight will require the Hawks (1-6) to be the best team below-the-rim.
Despite the losing record, Atlanta is averaging more steals and fewer turnovers than their opponents, Kent Bazemore (1.7 SPG) one of four active Hawks (not counting Bembry or Ilyasova) averaging over one theft per contest. Hawks defenders must pounce whenever the ball is brought below the shoulders of the Sixers’ big-men ballhandlers, creating deflections and loose balls that can get Philadelphia into the penalty early in each half of play.
Professor Dennis Schröder (22.2 PPG, 6.8 APG, 2.0 TOs/game, 1.8 SPG, 90.0 FT%) can teach the Sixers’ reachers and create imbalances in Philly’s halfcourt defense, ideally forcing Brown’s hand in playing the Hawks with more of a small-ball lineup.
Schröder leads the league with 22.6 drives per game, averaging an NBA-high 13.2 PPG (his 52.9 FG% currently better than stalwarts surnamed Wall and Conley), while committing just a 3.5 TO% on those plays. Among 19 NBA players averaging at least 6.0 PPG on drives, only Simmons (3.1 TO%) and LeBron (3.1 TO%) have turned over the rock less frequently. Hawks fans are hopeful that we’ll begin to see more of Isaiah Taylor (4.8 assists, 1.4 steals, and 1.4 TOs per-36, 55.6 FG%) in place of Malcolm Delaney as Schröder’s prime backup, particularly as Taylor soaks up more of coach Mike Budenholzer’s playbook.
Schröder (74.2 passes per game, ahead of Simmons’ 74.1 for 2nd in NBA) will need someone aside from Marco Belinelli (55.0 3FG%) and Taurean Prince (50.0 3FG%) to shed their individual perimeter shooting slumps. Bazemore (36.6 FG%, 31.8 3FG%) and Luke Babbitt (25.0 3FG%) will face little defensive pressure tonight, particularly when Robert Covington strays to help, and will have to get on track with catch-and-shoot jumpers.
Dennis will also need his team’s second-leading per-minute scorer, rookie John Collins (20.4 points and 6.1 fouls per-36), and Dewayne Dedmon to avoid getting cowed by Embiid (81.3 FT%) and Simmons into foul problems that hasten their own premature exits. Having either in the game for significant minutes will help the Hawks narrow the paint-points deficit and improve on their woeful defensive rebounding as a team (74.5 D-reb%, 26th in NBA).
Let’s Go Hawks!
~lw3
