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Through the first four games of the season, all eyes have been on Philadelphia 76ers stars Joel Embiid and James Harden. And for good reason: The two players are the Sixers’ fulcrum. And while Harden has looked great so far this season, Embiid has not, slumping, pouting and slogging his way up and down the court.
All the attention on Harden and Embiid has meant that the Sixers’ top-paid player, Tobias Harris, has enjoyed some time out of the spotlight. Until Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle couldn’t help showing some love for the “underrated” forward. Harris responded in kind, giving some appreciation to the former Dallas Mavericks skipper.
“If Coach Carlisle said that, that’s a pretty good person to state that,” Harris said after the game, according to Sports Illustrated’s Justin Grasso. “I’ll take that as a compliment. I appreciate that.”
first win of the season feels amazing, back on road!
While Harris might not be the sole reason behind the Sixers’ slow start, he has gone out of his way to identify a culprit.
Harris Blames Start on ‘Lack of Defensive Effort’
After two straight losses to begin the season, the Sixers looked to bounce back against the lowly San Antonio Spurs last weekend. The result? Much of the same. San Antonio pounced on Philadelphia’s league-worst pace, blitzing the team and running them ragged.
After the game, Harris sounded off on the reason behind the Sixers’ humiliating 114-105 defeat.
“[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, 35 points for them. The third quarter? Thirty-one. Our standard is 35 and less,” Harris said, according to an October 23 story by Grasso.
While no small amount of talent is needed to be an excellent defender, the difference between a poor defender and an average defender is often hustle and effort. If the Sixers’ offensive pace is so low, how could we expect anything different on the other end of the floor?
In addition, Harris’ comment about “standard of defense” is a hollow one when looking at how Philadelphia has played this season.
Sixers Well Off Pace to Have League’s Best Defense
At the start of training camp, Joel Embiid put the team on notice by claiming to want the league’s best defense this season. It’s an admirable goal and an equally unsurprising one; both the Boston Celtics and Golden State Warriors finished with the league’s best defenses last season, and both met in the Finals.
But four games into the season and it’s clear that Philadelphia has a long way to go to make good on that goal. For starters, the team’s best defender in Matisse Thybulle has played just four minutes so far. And the backcourt of James Harden and Tyrese Maxey is well below average, meaning players like Harris, PJ Tucker and Embiid must step up.
That hasn’t happened.
📹 Game Highlights vs. Pacers | 10.24.22
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While Harris wants to keep opponents scoring 25 points or fewer per quarter, the Sixers have managed that just six times in the team’s 16 quarters so far. In fact, the Sixers have given up 30 or more points in a quarter more times (seven) than they’ve held opponents to 25 or fewer points. In short, the Sixers have a long way to go on the defensive end.
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Sixers’ Tobias Harris Responds to Rival’s Postgame Call-Out