Instant Observations: Maxey’s Poor Start to Season Continues as 76ers Fall to Shorthanded Raptors

The Philadelphia 76ers fell to 0-2 this season after a brutal 115-107 loss to the Toronto Raptors on Friday night.

Joel Embiid (left knee injury management) and Paul George (left knee bone bruise) remained out of the lineup. Philadelphia shot a paltry 38.2% from the field and 31.0% from 3-point range. Kelly Oubre Jr. scored 28 points on 9-of-17 shooting. Tyrese Maxey finished with 24 points on 6-of-23 shooting. Andre Drummond totaled 11 points, nine rebounds, four steals and two blocks.

Toronto came into this game heavily shorthanded. They were without RJ Barrett (right shoulder AC joint sprain), Bruce Brown (right knee arthroscopic surgical procedure), Kelly Olynyk (lumbar strain), Immanuel Quickley (right pelvic contusion) and Ja’Kobe Walter (right shoulder AC joint sprain). Scottie Barnes led the Raptors with 27 points, five rebounds, four assists, two steals and a block.

The Sixers next take on the Indiana Pacers on Sunday afternoon. Here are some instant observations from the loss to the Raptors:

Likes:

– Oubre bounced back from a subpar opening game of the season, scoring efficiently from all over the floor. He knocked down multiple 3-pointers and did an effective job attacking the basket. With Embiid and George out of the lineup, the Sixers will need these types of performances more consistently from Oubre.

– Judging from the opening few minutes, Drummond appeared to be on his way to a frustrating night in Toronto. He picked up his second foul just 3:09 into the game, forcing him to check out of the game. The veteran big man also struggled defending the Raptors’ pick-and-rolls, getting repeatedly beat in drop coverage.

However, Drummond did a great job recovering to have a solid night overall. He was a menace on the glass, keeping possessions alive all night through his work on the offensive boards. The 31-year old also made a positive impact on the other end of the floor. He used anticipation and quick hands to blow up multiple Toronto possessions.

– One of the biggest (if not the only) positives from the Sixers’ first two games of the season has been Guerschon Yabusele showing he is a worthy NBA contributor. He plays with a high motor and is quickly proving to be an excellent screener. The French native set a pair of strong screens that led to some open looks Maxey cashed in on in the first quarter.

2/2 https://t.co/0pfsSFgknD pic.twitter.com/KKIbmbKovG

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) October 25, 2024

Yabusele finished the game with nine points, four rebounds, one assist and one block in 17 minutes. While he generally played well against Toronto, it remains clear he is not ready to play minutes as an undersized center. Opposing teams are feasting on the glass and in the paint whenever Yabusele is on the floor. He is a useful rotation player, but the Sixers are doing him a disservice by playing him outside his natural position. Considering the team’s plan to load manage Embiid throughout the season, adding another competent big man at some point this season is a necessity.

Dislikes:

– Shot creation continues to be a major issue for the Sixers in games where Embiid and George are out of the lineup. Head coach Nick Nurse moved Kyle Lowry into the starting lineup in an effort to inject some crucial shot creation and playmaking. While Lowry played well, it was nowhere near enough to alleviate the Sixers’ offensive issues to begin this season.

Nearly the entire shot creation burden is going to fall on Maxey’s shoulders until the Sixers’ other two star players get healthy. Maxey struggled to carry the load in the season opener against the Milwaukee Bucks. He got off to a fast start against the Raptors, draining a pair of 3-pointers on his way to scoring 13 points in the opening quarter of action. However, his early success was short lived as the Sixers’ offense became stagnant and bogged down.

Outside of using some pick-and-rolls to generate a few open looks, it was a rough going for the Sixers offensively. The Sixers’ lack of shot creation, combined with very little cutting and off-ball movement, resulted in some brutal offensive possessions. Far too many possessions came down to someone having to take a tough shot at the end of the clock.

The lack of shot creation is a glaring concern for the Sixers. The play of their rising star to start the season has done nothing to alleviate those woes. Maxey followed up his 10-of-31 shooting performance against the Bucks with an even less efficient game against Toronto. His jumper is just not falling to begin the season. The 23-year old is not finding much space to work either on the perimeter or while driving to the basket. He is also not having much success as a playmaker, combining to dish seven assists in the first two games of the season. The Sixers, especially when Embiid and George are injured, simply need Maxey to play better either as a scorer, distributor or both.

– The Sixers’ defense through their first two games this season can properly be described by one word: appalling. Too many players are playing lazy, flat-footed defense. Add in the natural miscommunications bound to arise when largely piecing together a new roster and it leads to some brutal defensive basketball. The Sixers were repeatedly caught out of position against the Raptors. As a result, they were forced to either commit fouls or give up open looks. Multiple players quickly got into foul trouble against Toronto. Nurse was forced to at one point trot out a lineup that included Lowry, Reggie Jackson and Jared McCain. Being without Embiid, their defensive backstop, does not excuse the level of defense the Sixers have played so far this season.

– The Sixers and Raptors combined to shoot 99 free throws, the most ever taken in a Raptors game. This was a completely brutal game to watch for anyone who calls themself a basketball fan.