Getty Tobias Harris #12 of the Philadelphia 76ers blocks Jrue Holiday #21 of the Milwaukee Bucks during the fourth quarter at Wells Fargo Center on October 20, 2022 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
The Philadelphia 76ers are off to a near-disaster start to the season. They were tested right out of the gates with matchups against the Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks and were unable to find a way to win against either Eastern Conference rival. Even more concerning, the Sixers were then handled by the rebuilding Spurs on their home court. This was the loss that seemed to raise more alarms among Philly fans and within the Sixers organization.
Following the 114-105 loss to the Spurs, many members of the Sixers were asked to attempt to put their finger on what exactly is going wrong. Tobias Harris opened up and stated, “[We had a] lack of defensive effort. We do have to give them credit because they made tough shots, but I mean, on our part, that’s not the standard of defense that we hold ourselves to. Second quarter, thirty-five points for them. The third quarter? Thirty-one. Our standard is twenty-five and less,” per Justin Grasso of Sports Illustrated.
Sixers Defensive Emphasis
The focus on defense has been something talked about leading up to the season as well. Joel Embiid emphasized this desire during his time speaking with the press on media day and stated, “We know what we have to do, and then for us our focus is on defense. We aim to be the best defensive team in the league. And that’s going to take all of us.”
Embiid, James Harden, and Tyrese Maxey’s impressive offensive abilities nearly guarantee the Sixers will be fine on offense. However, there is not as much certainty on the defensive side of the ball.
Embiid has been known for his ability to anchor a defense but his lack of fitness, which is attributed to the plantar fasciitis he battled in the offseason, has not brought his usual impact to start the season. Harden’s defensive struggles have been well-documented through the years and have been adverted thus far this season. The former MVP has found himself getting lost around screens and through off-ball movement often in the first three games. While Maxey competes on this side of the floor, his 6’2″ frame can be taken advantage of at times and he made some poor reads, especially in the Spurs matchup.
FILM SESSION
Some notes from the Sixers/Celtics game
– Philly’s poor dribble contain
– Philly’s live ball turnovers, bad transition D
– Philly’s sloppy screen defense
– Boston’s pre-switching, variation in Embiid doubles
– Harden’s burst
SOUND ON!!!
What Do The Numbers Say?
It is an incredibly small sample size as the Sixers have only played three games, but the defensive production has not been encouraging. Philadelphia is currently allowing 110.0 points per game. They rank 24th in the NBA in defensive efficiency and 20th in fast-break points allowed per game (17.7). Opponents are shooting 48.2% from the field which is tied for the 23rd worst rate in the NBA and are also allowing the 8th most three-pointers made per game.
The biggest reason for concern is the lack of perimeter defense on the Sixers. Players like Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and even Devin Vassell have been able to get to their spots with ease. While Harris has done a terrific job in reinventing himself as a three-and-D style of player, he will never be known as a defensive glove. The Sixers are doing their best to convert to a more switch-friendly scheme, but have had some slip-ups in communication and execution thus far.
Devin Vassell looks like he’s taking a leap for the Spurs.
San Antonio is empowering him to do way more off the dribble after a ton of progress last season.
Embiid is the anchor and sets the tone for the rest of the defense. While perimeter defense is the more notable concern, a more locked-in Embiid could erase a good portion of the chances of being allowed. It also brings up the question of why the Sixers’ best perimeter defender, Matisse Thybulle, has not played more than 3:14 in a matchup yet this year.
There is still plenty of time to figure things out on the defensive end, but this will be a major key for the Sixers moving forward. Communication issues are expected at this stage in the season as players continue to find their roles, but the schematic issues are a notable takeaway. This will be a storyline to watch as the team attempts to pick up its first win against an Indiana Pacers team that will also be a challenge on the perimeter.