Getty Head coach Doc Rivers of the Philadelphia 76ers.
The Philadelphia 76ers have much to be excited about at the halfway point in the season. The rotation is a strong one, necessitating a quiet trade deadline that stressed continuity rather than hole-fixing. Philly is also third in the East, a reality that might have seemed far off several months ago.
In short, the Sixers are firing on all cylinders. Well, almost all. If there’s one area that could use improvement, it’s rebounding. With Philadelphia’s crucial showdown against the Cavaliers looming, Doc Rivers issued an urgent call to his team regarding the glass.
“It’s an error we have to keep working on,” Rivers said after the Rockets victory, per Declan Harris of si.com. “They’re different. We showed a film today where four or five players where they crash in.”
Fortunately, the Cavaliers aren’t an excellent rebounding team, either. Cleveland ranks 22nd in the stat, despite having big bodies on the frontcourt in Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen.
Help With Rebounding on the Way With Dedmon
One of the biggest culprits of the poor rebounding has been the backup center spot behind Joel Embiid. If there were any real areas of “need” at the deadline, it was there.
Despite not pulling the trigger for any backup bigs, the Sixers appear to have landed an upgrade. According to Adrian Wojnarowski, the Sixers finally got their man in the form of former Miami Heat big man Dewayne Dedmon.
In three seasons with the Heat, Dedmon averaged 6.2 points and 5.1 rebounds. The Sixers will be especially interested in that rebounding figure, as Philadelphia is currently 28th in rebounding this season.
Dedmon will likely compete with Montrezl Harrell for the lion’s share of backup big minutes. Harrell is averaging 5.8 points and 2.7 rebounds per game this season. Known more for his offense than defensive ability, Harrell is a serious potential playoff liability for Philadelphia, necessitating the signing of Dedmon.
How much playing time Dedmon recieves will largely be dependent upon how much Doc Rivers trusts the former Heat big. But at the very least, he offers Rivers another option off the bench.
Thybulle Makes a Shot, Takes a Shot at Sixers
The one player Philadelphia did move, Matisse Thybulle, has had no problem settling into his new team so far.
Thybulle showed no signs of struggle from deep in his debut with the Portland Trailblazers, recording four triples en route to Portland’s victory over the Los Angeles Lakers.
After the game, Thybulle remarked that it felt good in his new environs, appearing to take a shot at his old team in the process.
“It felt really good,” Thybulle said. “First thing was that I felt really comfortable. I didn’t realize how much you can take that for granted. So just to be out there and to feel comfortable. To feel and know like I’m wanted and needed, this coaching staff and players have my back. It just showed in my ability to play and be more of myself.”
Thybulle’s offensive game was maddeningly inconsistent at times while he was a Sixer. While Philadelphia no doubt wishes him well, fans might also be hoping that he doesn’t turn into the team’s latest version of Isaiah Joe.