There has been a great deal of buzz surrounding the Philadelphia 76ers‘ off-season moves. Building up the bench was a primary focus of Daryl Morey following the lack of second-unit production in past years. Last season the Sixers ranked 28th in bench scoring and added just 27.2 points per game from their non-starters. The additions of players like De’Anthony Melton, Danuel House Jr., Montrezl Harrell, and P.J. Tucker are expected to contribute in this area. This did not prove to be the case in the opening matchup as the Sixers bench combined for just 11 points in the matchup.
At the top of the list of notable bench storylines was Doc Rivers’ decision to go with the newly-signed Harrell at the backup center position rather than Paul Reed. Rivers has stated it is a matchup-by-matchup case coming out of the preseason. Harrell struggled in the matchup and added just two points, one block, zero rebounds, and zero assists in his 11 minutes of play. He shot 1-3 from the field and never found his flow.
VIDEO:
Marcus Smart takes the charge from Montrezl Harrell
Rivers Defends Decision
Following the game, Rivers was questioned by the media on what led him to the decision to play Harrell. As the Head Coach put it following the loss, “I thought Montrezl earned it. I thought Trez played well in the preseason. We liked the matchup tonight because they go small and Trez usually has a great effect. Trez has to play better,” per Ky Carlin of SixersWire.
The appeal of Harrell is clear considering the offensive pop he can bring to the table. The career 12.9 point per game scorer is a massive upgrade on offense compared to the Sixers’ past backup bigs. However, Bball Paul did not receive any time on the floor in the matchup. Considering the defensive struggles the team went through, there is cause to wonder if this is a mistake. While Harell undoubtedly is better than he played and deserves a place in the rotation, playing just nine players (plus Matisse Thybulle for 26 total seconds) is interesting considering it was the first game of the season.
Can’t help but wonder if Paul Reed was in here, would the offensive have gone through Maxey or Harden rather than post up mismatch hunting for Trez?
This is especially frustrating for Reed who is coming off a season where he was successful in the role of the backup center. The 23-year-old was buried on the depth chart behind Andre Drummond for most of the season. Following Drummond being a part of the trade for James Harden, the Sixers signed DeAndre Jordan who took up the backup center role. After the 16 games he spent with the Sixers, it was clear Jordan did not have enough in the tank. Reed ultimately stepped into the backup role for the postseason and adequately did his job. He was not perfect, but the mistakes can be fixed with more on-court time.
While Rivers may have believed Harrell was the correct decision last night, the big man also has a terrible postseason track record. The Clippers blown 3-1 lead at the hands of the Nuggets during the 2019-20 season was clear evidence of this. Harrell’s extended play on the court was a major reason for the loss and the driving force of Rivers’ firing from Los Angeles. Repeating either of these events, preventing Reed’s growth or counting on Harrell to be the postseason solution, would be a major mistake. It is a difficult balance that Rivers will walk throughout this season.
Sixers Defensive Concerns
The defensive concerns of the Sixers were also a major storyline on opening night. Joel Embiid did not seem as locked in as many hoped and the Celtics outscored the Sixers in the paint 44-38. The Celtics also outscored the Sixers 24-2 in fastbreak points. Boston turned the Sixers’ turnovers into fastbreak points at a demoralizing rate and this played a major role in shifting the momentum of the game.
Jayson Tatum played like an MVP last night and this 3rd quarter stretch was his finest run.
He spearheaded a 10-2 run and the Celtics never looked back:
The Sixers were also unable to stop Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown during the opening night matchup. Each Celtics star ended with 35 points and players like Tucker, Tobias Harris, and James Harden looked overmatched at times. This further brings up the question of why Thybulle remained on the bench. While his offensive deficiencies are noteworthy, the two-time All-NBA Second-Team member did not get a chance to showcase his unique abilities or the new-look jump shot that has gotten so much hype this offseason.
It is still just one game and far from the time to panic. The Sixers acknowledged their shortcomings following the game and will look to change things moving forward. Not that they should be expected to this early, but it is evident this Sixers team is still finding its identity. Hopefully, some progress is made in this ahead of their home-opener matchup with the Milwaukee Bucks tomorrow (Thursday) at 7:30.
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Doc Rivers Defends Sixers’ Controversial Rotation Decision