Getty Joel Embiid #21 and James Harden #1 of the Philadelphia 76ers speak in a break against the Toronto Raptors during the second half of their basketball game at the Scotiabank Arena on October 26, 2022 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
The Philadelphia 76ers have gotten off to a slow start to the season and people are starting to panic. The frustration and pressure have not only been widely stated by the fans but it is also being felt within the locker room. Joel Embiid was recently asked his thoughts about the 1-4 record to tip off the season and made it clear it was not something he is taking lightly.
While speaking to Justin Grasso of Sports Illustrated, Embiid stated that- “We’ll be fine, but we don’t have a lot of time. We can’t waste time. It hurts to lose, it’s painful, and we just got to figure it out. We don’t have a lot of time.”
The Sixers star also did not pull any punches about the team’s effort level to begin the season. As he stated per Grasso, “We got to play harder, man. We got to stick together.” The effort and energy level of the team has been a concern since the start of the year. This has shown face in their transition defense and several other hustle stats which must be the focus if the team hopes to turn things around.
The Sixers have the worst transition defense in the league statistically, and that somehow doesn’t even capture the magnitude of their issues in that department.
How Concerning Is The Slow Start?
After a 4-0 preseason and busy offseason, expectations were high coming out of the gates for the Sixers. Their opening two losses to the Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks were frustrating games, but each opponent has a strong chance of ending at the top of the Eastern Conference. They also are returning the entire core of their teams while the Sixers work players like P.J. Tucker, De’Anthony Melton, and Danuel House Jr.
Beyond these losses was where concern seem to kick in as they were 14-point favorites to the Spurs before falling 114-103 in front of their home crowd. While the Raptors are a team that always gives the Sixers trouble and the team especially matches up poorly due to their length and versatility, it felt Philadelphia was never in the game. The final score was 119-109, but the Sixers did not outscore Toronto in any quarter and were never a true threat to take control. The Sixers have a chance to redeem themselves in the second night of the back-to-back matchups against the Raptors tonight.
Not sure what’s worse… the Sixers transition defense (right) or the Sixers off-ball defense (left)
So… you decide 👇🏼
For what it’s worth, the Sixers have been through slow starts before. They started the 2017-18 season 1-4 as well. Following the poor opening games, the Sixers ripped off five consecutive wins to get back above .500. From here they cruised to an overall record of 52-30, which is the franchise’s best record since 2000-01.
Where Are The Sixers Issues?
The Sixers are more than capable of turning the corner and getting back to the playoff-caliber team they should be. However, some notable changes must be made in their style and level of play.
While the Sixers’ offense has not looked as good as it should, the team currently ranks 10th in offensive efficiency, the core of their issues is on the defensive side of the ball. Per TeamRankings, through the opening five games, the Sixers rank 22nd in defensive efficiency, 30th in opponent fast-break points, 30th in opponent fast-break efficiency, 24th in opponent FG%, 30th in opponent non-blocked two-point percentage, and 22nd in total rebounds. The bottom line is none of these numbers are good enough.
It was just one month ago during Sixers media day when Embiid went on record stating the Sixers’ intentions of being a dominant defensive team. As he put it to media members, “We know what we have to do but I’ll say our focus is on defense. We aim to be the best defensive team in the league. That’s gonna take all of us. I got to get back to not waiting until the fourth to be that guy and then doing it all game.”
The Sixers have been nowhere near this result through the opening five games. Embiid has made it clear that the team does not have much time to waste and will look to improve on this effort moving forward. There has been a great deal of chatter regarding Harden and Embiid getting on the same page offensively, but until this team proves they are capable of getting stops on the defensive end they will continue to struggle.