The Sixers got a good idea of what teams think of them Friday night against Oklahoma City. Reigning Rookie of the Year Michael Carter-Williams and Russell Westbrook were seen jawing at each other, but ultimately it was Westbrook out-performing and out-talking him. It became almost a mockery of the Sixers and their best player.
At one point, after firing up a three that did not come close, Carter-Williams heard the familiar old street ball taunt of “air-balllllll! Air-balllllll!” The all-star was mocking the Sixers’ best current player.
"That's how it gotta be, then that's how its gotta be," Westbrook said. "That's how I play. That's what I do. That's what he wants to do, that's good…but unfortunately, they lost. The one-on-one battles don't mean much."
While Westbrook may say it was just “how he plays” or “what he does”, but there may be something deeper to it. The Sixers are just a team up to be openly mocked by the rest of the NBA. Westbrook didn’t have a very positive endorsement of Carter-Williams, instead just saying that relative to his terrible team around him, Carter-Williams is good. Much like how the man who can see is king amongst the blind.
"He's a good player. Good for their team," Westbrook said. "That's about it."
This likely won’t be the only time we see players talking down on or having a good laugh at the expense of the 76ers.
Game Notes:
- Michael Carter-Williams is averaging nearly a triple-double in his last four games, with 19.5 points, 11.5 assists and 9.3 rebounds per game. In all four games, he has played without Tony Wroten.
- Detroit has not won a game since Nov. 14, having lost its last 10.
- Andre Drummond of the Pistons is third in the NBA in rebounding, grabbing 12 per game.
- Robert Covington is 9 for 15 from three over his last three games.
Injuries:
Jodie Meeks (back) is out for the Pistons. For the Sixers, Alexey Shved (hip) and Tony Wroten (knee sprain) are also out. Joel Embiid and Jason Richardson are out indefinitely, recovering from surgeries.
Projected Lineups:
Philadelphia:
PG- Michael Carter-Williams
SG- Hollis Thompson
SF- Luc Richard Mbah a Moute
PF- Nerlens Noel
C- Henry Sims
Detroit:
PG- Brandon Jennings
SG- Kentavious Caldwell-Pope
SF- Josh Smith
PF- Greg Monroe
C- Andre Drummond
Prediction: The Sixers outshoot the Pistons and claim their second victory of the season.
