November 10, 2023
The Sixers kicked off their In-Season Tournament schedule in Detroit Friday night in a matchup with the young, rebuilding Pistons, and were able to come away with a decisive victory despite a poor opening. Here's what stood out:
• It was an awfully slow start for the Sixers on both ends. Offensively, they were sloppy -- Joel Embiid and co. looked generally out of sorts, with the big man committing multiple turnovers. Defensively, they were consistently allowing good looks for Detroit, particularly in the mid-range area and paint. Young Pistons star Cade Cunningham got in a rhythm early.
• In a surprising move, Sixers head coach opted to play Marcus Morris Sr. in the first quarter in Detroit for the first time in Morris Sr.'s Sixers tenure. While Morris Sr. is a solid spot-up three-point shooter, at this point in his career that might be his only NBA skill. Experimenting with lineups makes sense, but Morris Sr. being in the rotation long-term likely would not.
• Nurse's substitution patterns have been mostly clean and effective thus far. One point worth ironing out: De'Anthony Melton's first quarter minutes. The current rotation alignment requires him to check back in after just a minute and a half or so of rest, play for a couple of minutes and return to the bench. This kind of arrangement is suboptimal. Look for the Sixers to seek to rectify it moving forward.
• The Sixers were living at the line early on in this game, with their free throw shooting saving them from having their doors blown off by a red-hot Detroit team that was firing on all cylinders. Embiid was the main recipient of free throws, of course, but Maxey also got to the line frequently. In fact, every Sixers starter shot multiple free throws in the first half. The Sixers combined to take 22 free throws in the first half.
• A lucky break for the Sixers: Detroit shot just 4-16 from three-point range in the first half. Detroit is generally a poor three-point shooting team, but even for them that is a brutal number. The Sixers allowed 56 first half points to a rather mediocre offense despite its very poor shooting.
• Robert Covington gave the Sixers solid first half minutes, knocking down a triple and collecting a trio of steals. His athleticism is not where it once was, but he still has tremendous length and hands that make him an effective defensive player, particularly against big wings.
• Another rotation decision worth monitoring: for the second straight game, Nurse brought in Nicolas Batum to close the first half with the starting unit over Kelly Oubre Jr. As Batum and his fellow former Los Angeles Clippers finish up their adjustment to a new system, Batum supplanting Oubre Jr. as the fifth starter is very much in play. Oubre Jr.'s punch of energy may be optimized off the bench, anyways.
• Patrick Beverley was ruled out for the remainder of the game early in the third quarter with a neck injury. Jaden Springer, out of the rotation to begin the game, got some run in his place.
• The Sixers continue to ask Embiid for tremendously heavy lifting offensively in reserve-laden lineups, particularly at the end of the first and third quarters. To end the third in Detroit, he shared the floor with Springer, De'Anthony Melton, Batum and Covington. That is about as little creation and offensive firepower as possible. If Batum is eventually placed in the starting lineup, it should at least free up a more capable scorer in Oubre Jr. to be installed in these lineups.
• The Sixers came through with a much-needed 35-point third quarter, which propelled them to a six-point lead entering the final frame. Embiid did the majority of the damage, but Melton, Batum and Covington in particular were able to chip in with some timely plays on both ends of the floor.
• One of the most important developments of the season for the Sixers has been their newfound ability to put games away when Embiid rests to begin the fourth quarter. On Friday night, the Sixers went on a 9-2 run immediately after the last 12 minutes began, led by Maxey, who was his typically-lethal self going downhill in transition. His speed is truly second to none.
• Playing against one of his former teams, it was another rock solid night for Tobias Harris, who has still scored at least 15 points in every game of the season. On a night when Embiid and Maxey struggled early but came on strong late, it was Harris who helped keep the team afloat when they needed it, and he put some nice finishing touches on his performance down the stretch, including an alley-top layup finish on a dish from Maxey in transition. Harris was spectacular yet again, as his impressive transformation continues to bolster the Sixers.
• Maxey came on strong, alright. His fourth quarter was outstanding, as he scored 11 points in the first six minutes of the period alone. After a slow start, he ended up with perhaps his best all-around game of the season: 29 points, 10 assists, six rebounds and four steals, all without a single turnover. He performed every function of his job nearly perfectly, and in doing so helped the Sixers put this one away.
Follow Adam on Twitter: @SixersAdam
Follow PhillyVoice on Twitter: @thephillyvoice
