It’s debatable on whether a team that is 36 games under .500 can possess a “strength”. That being said, any attempt to identify it should begin and end with the front court. Nerlens Noel has been playing well, having a historic defensive season for a rookie and they have a nice group of back-ups, with Thomas Robinson even showing some flashes of upside. But it really is not that impressive of a group—the Sixers rank 19th in rebounding.
Shifting attention to the back court, more specifically the Sixers’ shooting, makes the Sixers’ front court look like the Kentucky Wildcats. Philadelphia, even without Michael Carter-Williams, has been dreadful shooting the ball this season and it, in turn, puts more stress on the front court. Philadelphia is 29th in the NBA in three-point shooting, hitting only 31% from three. They also are shooting more than ever, attempting 30 or more shots for the third straight game—a stretch during which they have shot 25%.
Saturday’s game was an example of how much poor shooting hinders the Sixers. Philadelphia missed 29 of 37 threes. Hitting just three more of them would have secured a victory. That’s a ridiculous number that suggests they were settling for jumpers and launching away.
That’s how Brett Brown saw it during Saturday’s game.
"I just saw all 37 of them two minutes ago,” Brown said, via CSN Philly. “I think eight or nine of them are too much, too contested. We didn't go inside first. We didn't go inside to kick out.”
The Sixers are starting to form a mantra, one of a shooting team. Slowly, the blueprint begins to emerge. It would seem that Sam Hinkie wants a team that is strong inside (Embiid is a major chip in this sense) and surround the team with plenty of shooting options.
"A lot of guys pack the paint in on us, and that allows us to have open threes," Robert Covington said. "Coach encourages us to shoot them. That is what we have been doing.”
Looking at General Manager Sam Hinkie’s former employer, the Houston Rockets, and they look like a more finished product of what the Sixers are seemingly trying to build. Houston leads the NBA in three-point attempts at 33.5—the next closest shoots six less threes.
It appears that is what the Sixers are going for in their building, as they have added sharp shooters like Covington and Isaiah Canaan since the start of the season, while moving Carter-Williams, a terrible shooter.
"We added more pieces that can do that,” Brown pointed out. “Now it is not just a few guys who can do it. There are a lot of guys who have that versatility. Once they try to run us off the line, it creates other opportunities."
There are a number of things that go into this rebuild, and identify and game plan is just one of them. As time goes on, the rebuild puzzle will become clearer, and it appears a strategy Hinkie and head coach Brett Brown have is more evident. Together we build.
Game Notes:
- Philadelphia has lost 13 in a row on the road.
- Boston has won 8 of their last 10 at home. They enter only one half game out of a playoff spot.
- Thomas Robinson, who leads the team in rebounding with 9.0 per game, would have the following averages, if adjusted by per 36 minute averages: 16.7 points and 18.5 rebounds.
- Philadelphia has not come close in any of the previous meetings against Boston. They are 0-3 this year, with a combined margin of defeat checking in at 40.
Injuries: Joel Embiid (foot) is out indefinitely, as well as Tony Wroten (knee). Isaiah Thomas is questionable with a back injury, and Jared Sullinger is out for the rest of the season with a foot injury.
Projected Lineups:
Philadelphia:
PG- Isaiah Canaan
SG- Jason Richardson
SF- Robert Covington
PF- Luc Richard Mbah a Moute
C- Nerlens Noel
Boston:
PG- Marcus Smart
SG- Avery Bradley
SF- Evan Turner
PF- Brandon Bass
C- Tyler Zeller
Prediction: The Celtics smell that playoff spot and roll past the Sixers, 104-93.
