January 31, 2024
Neville E. Guard/USA TODAY Sports
Danuel House Jr., Joel Embiid and the Sixers struggled to contain Stephen Curry all night Tuesday.
Looking to quickly shift momentum in their favor after a discouraging loss in Portland against the Trail Blazers Monday night, the still-short-handed Sixers took on the Golden State Warriors Tuesday night, losing 119-107. Here are player grades from the night:
Embiid was very much not himself early on, missing a handful of looks in the mid-range area that he usually hits. This was his first game back after missing time with a knee injury, and he very much looked like someone laboring through the game, particularly in the first half, where he shot just 3-11 from the field and had four turnovers.
In the second half, it was more of the same. Embiid looked like a shell of himself, and frankly, he looked like someone who should not be participating in an NBA game. This is all before he suffered another knee injury in a collision, after the game had effectively be decided.
The Sixers' top priority must be delivering a healthy version of Embiid to the playoffs, and playing him in this game may not have been the smartest move.
Harris was the most solid Sixer in the first half of this one, thanks to an aggressive downhill play style. He was assertive in all aspects — he got to the rim and scored at will, infrequently settling for poor looks. Additionally, he made himself a force on the glass, pulling four offensive rebounds in the first half alone. The Sixers needed an optimal Harris showing in this one, and they got it.
Oubre struggled in this one, as he often has of late, particularly with weak finishing at the rim and some lackluster decision-making. There is little doubt that Oubre is a viable rotation piece on a team as competitive as the Sixers hope to be in the long-run, but the Sixers do need a version of him that is much better than the one they have been seeing recently.
With Nic Batum, De'Anthony Melton and Tyrese Maxey all out — among others — House drew not just the start, but the difficult assignment of defending Stephen Curry. Curry got the better of House for much of the game, but in fairness, he does that to most of his opposition. House was able to force a few turnovers, at least, but was largely a victim of Curry's brilliance.
Beverley knocked down a pair of triples, but did little else of value in this one. It was a bit surprising how infrequently he took on the Curry assignment, given his defensive reputation and his history of attempting to pester the former back-to-back MVP
Korkmaz had his best showing of the season by far in this one, giving the Sixers a massive offensive lift in limited minutes. Korkmaz nailed five triples, converted an and-one and helped the Sixers stay afloat — particularly late in the third quarter and early in the fourth quarter — for about as long as they could. He was outstanding, likely earning more chances at playing time in the neat future.
Springer was reinserted into the rotation Tuesday night after not being part of it the night before. He was able to make a brief impact on the game in his first half stint, posting a couple of baskets and a pair of steals. Springer's defensive acumen and potential are obvious just about every time he sees the floor. The two big questions are: will he be able to limit his fouling, and can he find any sort of offensive utility? In this game, he did. The long-term answers to those questions, though, will determine his future — not just with the Sixers, but in the NBA.
Martin saw extended playing time once again Tuesday night, but failed to do anything of note aside from a block and and-one. His unreliable three-point shot makes him a wonky fit within the context of this team, and while he has NBA-caliber skills in certain departments, he would likely be better off on a team that can better afford to deal with a negative floor spacer. Martin remains very much in play to be moved as the NBA Trade Deadline nears.
Reed only played 10 minutes in this one, after an unproductive first half stint and a very brief second half stint. Sixers head coach Nick Nurse opted to try Martin as a small-ball center before Embiid returned in the middle of the fourth quarter, and it produced decent results.
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