Official Game Thread: Hawks - 76ers

[lethalweapon3]

"You up for cheesesteaks afterwards?"

Alright, Philadelphia 76ers. You’re still not doing this right.

If Philly does not intend to hand their division-rival Knicks the league’s top lottery odds, if they are indeed trying to out-tank the world, then they’re doing a pretty rotten job of showing it on the floor lately. The Sixers (13-49) are expected to keep tonight’s affair with the visiting and NBA-leading Atlanta Hawks (7:30 PM Eastern, SportSouth, CSN Philly) from becoming a “trap game.” A few players may not have received the memo.

Philadelphia is merely decimal points “behind” New York in the race to the bottom of the league. But both before and after the trade deadline, Brett Brown’s charges are participating in way too many close shaves. Absent DeMarre Carroll, Thabo Sefolosha, and Pero Antić, the Hawks hung on back on January 31 for a 91-85 home win, the last of a historic 19-game win streak, that felt nowhere near as fun as the 105-87 romp Atlanta enjoyed in Philly just three weeks before. Since then, the Sixers beat three floundering teams (Denver, Charlotte, and Washington). And while they’ve dropped eleven games in that span, eight of those involved margins of eleven points or less.

On Wednesday night, Russell Westbrook walked on his home floor donning a mask, and put up 49 points, 16 rebounds, and 10 assists. And playoff-hungry Oklahoma City needed every last one of those triple-double items just to fend off a visiting Philadelphia team by five points in overtime, a Sixer team that was already missing a “starter” in Robert Covington (elbow contusion).

Part of the mistake the Thunder made was that they, like the rest of the free world, did not realize that “Jason Richardson, competent basketball player” was still a thing. Acquired back in the summer of 2012 when Philly thought they traded their way into title contention, J-Rich played in just his 39^th game in a Sixer uniform, the sixth in the past two seasons, on Wednesday. The 34-year-old scored 29 points (4-for-9 3FGs, 9-for-9 FTs) and added six rebounds against the Thunder.

Brown has praised Richardson’s stick-to-it-iveness over the past two seasons, never demanding a lifeline out of town while dealing with knee/foot/conditioning issues. Now that J-Rich is finally healthy, Brown is rewarding him with as much garbage floor time as his heart desires.

Michael Carter-Williams was the face of the franchise, the signal to the Brotherly Love fanbase that good times are just a few more draft picks around the corner. Until he wasn’t. MCW got traded at the deadline to Milwaukee for a top-5-protected 2015 pick (controlled by the Lakers). No worries, Philly fans. LeSean McCoy and the Philadelphia Eagles’ season is right around the corner.

Slam-dunking second-round steal K.J. McDaniels was sent packing as well, off to Houston for a fifth second-round pick this year. Oh, and Isaiah Canaan, who lit up the Thunder with 31 points on 8-for-13 3FGs (“Canaan-ball!”), plus seven rebounds and six assists. Brown has given Canaan and Richardson carte blanche to make lemonade out of Philadelphia’s NBA-worst offense (92.1 points per 100 possessions; no other NBA team’s rating falls below 98).

Last night, Philly hosted Utah and held Quin Snyder’s up-and-coming team to 89 points on 38 percent shooting. They forced 18 turnovers that included 13 Sixer steals, 10 combined from Nerlens Noel and Luc Richard Mbah a Moute. J-Rich’s tank-a-rific 0-for-10 shooting night and elbow-hampered Covington’s 1-for-8 performance off the bench were the only things that “saved” Philadelphia from victory, the Jazz prevailing by just six points.

The Sixers may not be helping themselves against the Knicks, but GM Sam Hinkie may have done the Hawks’ brass a solid by screwjobbing another division rival -- blasphemously, if you asked Thomas Robinson.

After getting traded out of Finals-contending Portland and securing a buyout from down-in-the-dumps Denver, Robinson was praising his maker for securing a new deal with Billy King’s Brooklyn Nets (“All Thanks to GOD! Thank you Brooklyn”). The Deal from the Heavens assumed T-Rob was going to clear waivers, and it was assumed his addition would help the Nets lock down one of the East’s final two playoff spots. But you know what they say about what happens when you assume. Lo and behold, Hinkie swooped in like a thief in… well, Philly at night… and used Robinson’s salary to scooch the Sixers above the NBA’s salary-minimum floor.

His new teammates were probably less than thrilled to see him arrive, and not for competitive reasons. Whatever the Sixers didn’t pay in minimum salary was all set to go to them. Now that roughly $3 million in bonus dough goes away. Yeah… welcome, Thomas!

Robinson now gets to spend the balance of the season in Proving People Wrong mode. Yeah, that always ends well. “I’m tired of being treated like a rag doll. I just want to prove that I belong here. I’m tired of being treated like I’ve been treated in this league… Nobody’s given me a chance,” pleaded the 5^th overall pick of the 2012 NBA draft.

T-Rob has been PPW’ing from the bench so far, but perhaps not for much longer. Robinson joined the double-double club with Noel last night, providing 11 points and a team-high 12 rebounds in just 15 bench minutes. He will likely form a fronctourt tandem with LRMAM and Noel as the Sixers continue trying to put on a good face.

Beyond that, when it comes to offense, the Sixers don’t have Ish. Whoa, check that… they do have Jeff Teague’s former collegiate backcourt mate, Ish Smith, coming off the bench. Smith contributed 14 points and 7 assists (one turnover) in 22 bench minutes last night. He was picked up off waivers after the Pelicans released him two weeks ago. Smith makes it four key players on the Sixers roster who were not around the last time the Hawks and Sixers met just over a month ago.

Noel understands that, with MCW’s departure, he is now the face of the Sixers… until he’s not. The highest-salaried returnee next season is next year’s rookie and perennial Rihanna stalker Joel Embiid. Only Noel, Embiid, the injured Tony Wroten, Covington, and Jerami Grant have guaranteed contracts for 2015-16. Everyone understands that when they put on the Sixers jersey, they’re not playing for Hinkie’s 76ers so much as they are for their next NBA employer. So each player will give it their letter-best for every game, including tonight’s against the league’s best team.

“Un” fortunately for the 76ers, their “go-for-yours” style of offense won’t lead to much production unless they’re getting runouts in transition (17.4 PPG off TOs, 8^th in NBA; Atlanta’s 17.9 PPG ranks 7th). Only Smith, through seven games as a Sixer reserve, exceeds five assists per night. And Hawks’ opponents average an NBA-low 11.0 PPG off fastbreaks.

Rest and recovery remain important for Mike Budenholzer’s Hawks, especially when dealing with contests on back-to-back nights. 21 teams have at least one player logging more minutes per night than Paul Millsap and Kyle Korver’s 33 MPG. On the hunt for win #50, Atlanta (49-12) will rely on the depth of the roster to hold serve during the Sixers’ biggest runs, preserving the starters ahead of a six-game road trip that begins on Wednesday.

Mike Scott (7-for-9 FGs), Dennis Schröder (8 assists, 1 TO) had huge offensive roles during the Hawks’ flustering of the Cavaliers last night. Former Sixer Elton Brand and Kent Bazemore also made crucial stops and made things simpler for Al Horford, Jeff Teague and the LeBron-containing Carroll to reserve their energy for the decisive final quarter. These reserves, plus Mike Muscala and John Jenkins, will be useful to keep the Spirit of the 76ers under wraps.

As was the case last night (10 Hawks steals, just ten TOs), possession control and execution will be crucial, limiting Philadelphia’s chances of staying within a Canaan-ball or two from victory. Atlanta is 23-4 when they limit their turnovers to 12 or fewer. Philly desperately needs the Hawks to help them do tanking right.

Let’s Go Hawks!

~lw3

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[PSSSHHHRRR87]

Ready to get this jaun going

[DrReality]

Hope we don't have alert down after last night

[Gray Mule]

Time to turn it up again.  Nothing is easy when you're as far

ahead as Atlanta and everyone wants their shot at bringing you down.

[DJlaysitup]

^{Great stuff as usual lw3...our guys are gonna be pooped} 

 

^{GO HAWKS !!!}

[Spursfanpeacemaker]

Any of hawks players sitting out for this game? I know coach Bud will rest some of his players after a brutal game last night.

[ersimo2889]

So far, Korver's out.. I'd guess at least Millsap will sit, too.

 

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[Spursfanpeacemaker]

So far, Korver's out.. I'd guess at least Millsap will sit, too.

 

Thanks!

[rd79]

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[Spursfanpeacemaker]

 

Al Horford should get a rest too, his knees need to recover after doing that sick monster reverse dunk last night! and he's one of the oldest players in Hawks roster.

[bobrathbun4pres]

Sweet we get to see some Moose, Shelvy and JJ tonight

[RandomFan]

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[ATLHawks3]

I wanna see how Jarell Eddie performs tonight.

[Spursfanpeacemaker]

I wanna see how Jarell Eddie performs tonight.

Im sure he will, he didnt sign a 10 day contract for nothing  

[Dnice]

Oh great, the wells fargo center...the commentators sit way up like doing a football game. lol

[Dnice]

We got a 6"4 small foward tonite...lol

[Dnice]

Now 76ers lead.

[Dnice]

Hawks giving the Suxers confidence.

[TheTruth]

Eh, it's a throwaway game, but I do hope they win. These Sixers announcers are hella annoying, though.

[kurupt]

As good as EB  has been in limited minutes in some games, he is absolutely crippling the team offensively in this game.