November 22, 2024
Kyle Ross/Imagn Images
Guerschon Yabusele continues to exceed expectations for the Sixers.
The day is Friday, and that means the time has come to take a look at some film of recent Sixers on-court happenings. Today, we're going to focus on the Sixers' 117-111 road loss to the undermanned Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday night — which provided a few glimmers of hope, but the sobering reality that none of the improvements the team showed actually translated to a win.
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With Tyrese Maxey returning, Wednesday's game was the first time the Sixers started Maxey and brilliant rookie Jared McCain shared starting roles in the Sixers backcourt. With Maxey on a heavy minutes restriction, veteran point guard Kyle Lowry sidelined due to a hip injury and two-way point guard Jeff Dowtin Jr. sent back to the G League amid struggles, the onus was on McCain to take on a much larger ball-handling role than he has been used to. Even when McCain shared the floor with Maxey or veteran point guard Reggie Jackson, he was the one initiating most actions. The results were largely impressive, including an improving rapport with Joel Embiid:
The Sixers gave Jared McCain more primary ball-handling duties than ever on Wednesday night in Memphis, challenging him to strike a balance between hunting his own shots and creating plays for his teammates. Here are McCain's five assists from the game: pic.twitter.com/Vg98i3GsmX
— Adam Aaronson's clips (@SixersAdamClips) November 22, 2024
McCain spoke at length last week about his rapid improvement reading opposing defenses and making decisions accordingly.
"Instead of reading my defender, I'm reading the back-side defender, or not even reading the first help-side, I'm reading the second on the back-side, seeing if the big is pulling over, seeing if the help is crashing down to the baseline person or lift up to the wing and I can hit the wing when I'm driving baseline," McCain said. "Just reading defenses, I think it's going to come with time and watching film."
Yabusele was surprisingly out of the rotation during the Sixers' brutal Monday night loss in Miami, his first game not being used by head coach Nick Nurse as a regular contributor in the frontcourt. The decision appeared to boil down to Yabusele or Eric Gordon, and Nurse opted to go with the veteran sharpshooter who is a superior floor spacer.
In a move that was far less surprising, Yabusele rejoined Nurse's regular group in Memphis and gave the Sixers a strong first half. When Paul George suffered a left knee bone bruise on the second play of the third quarter, it was Yabusele who was called upon to join the starting unit, and the 28-year-old continued to display the much-improved shooting stroke which helped him land a second chance in the NBA:
Guerschon Yabusele knocked down five triples off the Sixers' bench on Wednesday night in Memphis: pic.twitter.com/EDAT7jqhSX
— Adam Aaronson's clips (@SixersAdamClips) November 22, 2024
In a conversation with PhillyVoice earlier this month, Yabusele talked about the rewarding feeling of spending years working on his shooting mechanics, only to have them enable his NBA return and drive his success against the strongest competition in the basketball world.
"It makes me feel like I want to do more," Yabusele said. "It's something that I really worked on, so to be able to knock down the shots feels good."
MORE: Yabusele talks NBA return, impact of Nico Batum
Council's second NBA season has been far less impressive and exciting than his first, to be sure, but there is no question that the makings of a dynamic NBA wing remain. Council played only 13 minutes and change in Memphis, but it was his second-highest minutes total of the season to date.
After a brutal start in which Council has often looked out of place while also failing to make the sorts of highlight plays which netted the adoration of Sixers fans last year, he has finally started to look more comfortable of late. This sequence of two-way play from Council really stood out:
Ricky Council IV deflects and steals a pass to a cutter, initiates transition offense and generates an open three for Jared McCain. A strong two-way sequence: pic.twitter.com/pH89MDuLKP
— Adam Aaronson's clips (@SixersAdamClips) November 22, 2024
The Sixers appear to view Council as a change-of-pace option right now; a player they can go to if they need an infusion of life and energy on the floor. These times would certainly qualify as ones where a spark could help.
The Memphis game was Oubre's third since being moved to the bench in favor of McCain, and he is still trying to find a rhythm in that role after starting in 37 consecutive appearances.
As the Sixers make late inroads on Memphis' lead, powered by Embiid's offense and excellent defense from Oubre and others, Oubre and Embiid had a miscommunication that sealed the deal:
With KJ Martin already creeping towards the dunker's spot, Kelly Oubre Jr. cuts from the corner as Joel Embiid drives. Embiid thinks Oubre is still on the perimeter and the Sixers turn the ball over: pic.twitter.com/qe208xiMaj
— Adam Aaronson's clips (@SixersAdamClips) November 22, 2024
The heightened pressure that comes with not just the worst start of any hopeful championship contender in the NBA, but the worst start of any team in the NBA entirely, reduces the Sixers' margin for error drastically. So has their All-Star trio's inability to stay on the floor. As a result, high-leverage blunders like this from Oubre cannot be afforded.
MORE: Can Sixers hang onto 2025 first-rounder?
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