Game 73: 76ers vs GSW. The 50th W?

[Murray_17]

Doc Rivers is so awful. There is nothing happening with this offense. Pair him with Maxey and his inability to defend anyone or create anything on offense this is another 2nd round bounce waiting to happen.

Please explain who else you expect Doc to play? No one else besides Embiid is even looking at the rim.

It's not about who is playing it's about putting your guys in the best spots. He makes nothing easy on Embid and this team gets incredibly stagnant in crunch time.

I agree with this too, a lot of what we do is reliant on Harden being able to open the floor. Joel can create for himself but in crunch time he's getting the ball too far from the paint.

Unless Harden is there or Embiid is getting the ball at the elbow it seems like we don't run any sets at times. It's also part of the reason the bench cannot score consistently

[Skates]

In fairness the team looked gassed. Maxey didn’t do a great job running the offense, but part of that is Shake falling apart lately and the team not really possessing a backup PG who can run the show. Melton and Maxey are secondary ball handlers.

Doc should have called for Tobi to create more on ball in that fourth quarter, he was cooking tonight and we went away from him. Shorthanded loss on the road to a great home team, it is what it is.

[Jay555]

Can we load manage now and get ready for the playoffs? Health is everything.

Need this Embiid and Harden to compete.

Problem with that is imo there is no way they are beating the Celtics without homefield advantage. You can keep hoping though!

If we were championship caliber, we would. If not, Kudos to the teams beating us. We are not good enough.

[Ksny13]

Please explain who else you expect Doc to play? No one else besides Embiid is even looking at the rim.

It's not about who is playing it's about putting your guys in the best spots. He makes nothing easy on Embid and this team gets incredibly stagnant in crunch time.

Embiid was the only dude looking to make a play on the floor. I doubt Doc was telling the other guys to stand there and watch Embiid play basketball alone.

The offense being stagnant has way more to do with Harden being out than Doc’s playcalling. We have no true point guard/floor general outside of Harden.

That falls on coaching. If your going to allow your players to just kick back and watch Embid that's on you. It's rinse and repeat. Guys will be cutting to the hoop all game long but once crunch time comes around all of that stops and guys just chill and hope Embid bails them out.

[phillynative]

They are trying to make Maxey a shot creator and he just isn't. Im not even mad at him.

PJ Tucker 25mins 0-5 2reb -11
Melton 0-4 3pt -15
Niang 1-4 3pt -10
Reed -13

They are why we lost. PJ Tucker was Abysmal on both end. Unk kills us most games on offense thus game he was bad defensively as well.

[Ksny13]

Please explain who else you expect Doc to play? No one else besides Embiid is even looking at the rim.

It's not about who is playing it's about putting your guys in the best spots. He makes nothing easy on Embid and this team gets incredibly stagnant in crunch time.

We need Harden healthy and giving 20/10 consistently. There’s just no way we can win a chip otherwise. That’s all that matters.

I love JH but if he isn't efficient and turns the ball over that 20/10 won't make any difference. This team is going to have to be on point every single game against Boston or Milwaukee. The wing defense of Harden & Maxey is going to be an issue. I swear Maxey gets worse every game on that end of the floor.

I'm sure you watched the 17-18 Rockets. Very ISO and PNR heavy just like Phili but the biggest difference was MDA can coach circles around Doc. We ran various types of PNR's from different spots with different people. The out of bounds plays were incredibly creative. So many guys got different looks and chances. Guys didn't just stand in one place and let CP or Harden get double teamed. Every single person knew where they were supposed to be on the floor at all times and knew what their responsibilities were. MDA maximized all of his players. This team is the polar opposite. The 76ers are doing this inspire of Doc. It's literally all the brilliance of Harden and Embid.

[M2J]

That was rough. But missing a lot of players.

So are you guys positive about Reed?

Also Maxey really pissed me off being so passive in 4th. I appreciated Tobi for trying

[76ciology]

It's not about who is playing it's about putting your guys in the best spots. He makes nothing easy on Embid and this team gets incredibly stagnant in crunch time.

We need Harden healthy and giving 20/10 consistently. There’s just no way we can win a chip otherwise. That’s all that matters.

I love JH but if he isn't efficient and turns the ball over that 20/10 won't make any difference. This team is going to have to be on point every single game against Boston or Milwaukee. The wing defense of Harden & Maxey is going to be an issue. I swear Maxey gets worse every game on that end of the floor.

I'm sure you watched the 17-18 Rockets. Very ISO and PNR heavy just like Phili but the biggest difference was MDA can coach circles around Doc. We ran various types of PNR's from different spots with different people. The out of bounds plays were incredibly creative. So many guys got different looks and chances. Guys didn't just stand in one place and let CP or Harden get double teamed. Every single person knew where they were supposed to be on the floor at all times and knew what their responsibilities were. MDA maximized all of his players. This team is the polar opposite. The 76ers are doing this inspire of Doc. It's literally all the brilliance of Harden and Embid.

I didnt watch the game, but we’re doing sort of that. We would run Maxey-Harden 2 man game then flip into a Harden-Biid 2 man game or sometimes its harden-biid then kick it to Maxey who can attack closeouts or run a weak PnR with Biid. While we dont let guys like Tobi run the offense because he’s not that good to generate those around 1.00 ppp 2 man or iso game

[Bum Adebayo]

I knew Maxey's mediocre 0.65 RPM would show up, he sucks at tight end of games. He is not a PG, he sucks on D, not a very dynamic scorer. He is a microwave scorer off the bench.

[Ferry Avenue]

This isn't the kind of game one should expect to win, but it highlights the need for Harden functioning at a level above his average if the team is going to be competitive at the ends of such games against the top teams in the league, especially on the road. You simply need a closer who can take over at those times. All of those end-game possessions in which Tucker and Maxey took shots need to be Harden-led possessions, with him functioning at a level above his norm.

The Sixers scored but 2 points in the final three minutes of this game -- that projects to a mere 32 points in a game. You just can't function that way in the clutch and expect to beat the best teams in the league.

[Eyeamok]

This isn't the kind of game one should expect to win, but it highlights the need for Harden functioning at a level above his average if the team is going to be competitive at the ends of such games against the top teams in the league, especially on the road. You simply need a closer who can take over at those times. All of those end-game possessions in which Tucker and Maxey took shots need to be Harden-led possessions, with him functioning at a level above his norm.

The Sixers scored but 2 points in the final three minutes of this game -- that projects to a mere 32 points in a game. You just can't function that way in the clutch and expect to beat the best teams in the league.

Excellent post. If Harden played the outcome this game probably changes.

PJ and Georges need to start hitting their 3's at a higher rate

People are way to hard on Maxey. He is in his 3rd year and getting better all the time.

I love the energy House brings it was missed tonight.

You know you are scraping the end of the bench when Kork gets time in non blowout.

3rd seed is what it is. All roads lead through Boston. The 76ers just need to be sharp and injury free.

[ExplosionsInDaSky]

We had this one. GS is extremely hard to beat on their floor. They've taken out each and every top tier team this year in their gym. Not even mad.

[Ferry Avenue]

This isn't the kind of game one should expect to win, but it highlights the need for Harden functioning at a level above his average if the team is going to be competitive at the ends of such games against the top teams in the league, especially on the road. You simply need a closer who can take over at those times. All of those end-game possessions in which Tucker and Maxey took shots need to be Harden-led possessions, with him functioning at a level above his norm.

The Sixers scored but 2 points in the final three minutes of this game -- that projects to a mere 32 points in a game. You just can't function that way in the clutch and expect to beat the best teams in the league.

Excellent post. If Harden played the outcome this game probably changes.

PJ and Georges need to start hitting their 3's at a higher rate

People are way to hard on Maxey. He is in his 3rd year and getting better all the time.

I love the energy House brings it was missed tonight.

You know you are scraping the end of the bench when Kork gets time in non blowout.

3rd seed is what it is. All roads lead through Boston. The 76ers just need to be sharp and injury free.

Not hopeful on that front. Boston lost the championship last year and is very hungry for it again this year. I don't see them losing at home in the playoffs to a second-round opponent. I don't see the Sixers as having any sort of similar motive that ratchets up their play above their norm to counter that sufficiently. They have no similar chip on their shoulder, and I suspect that'll get them beaten in Boston when they are simply outwilled in the clutch by a good team playing at home as they were last night.

[Kobblehead]

We would have won if Jim played. Players just don't have heart or durability in this era, though.

Getting to the Finals is most important, I suppose. Better not get ousted from the playoffs in a road game 7, that's for sure.

[Skates]

The bench is one scorer shooter short most nights, almost like Isiah Joe would be a perfect fit there or something.

[eyeatoma]

The bench is one scorer shooter short most nights, almost like Isiah Joe would be a perfect fit there or something.

Who woulda thunk it?

[Ferry Avenue]

The bench is one scorer shooter short most nights, almost like Isiah Joe would be a perfect fit there or something.

As goes Niang so goes the team. Last night he shot 25% from three, not significantly different from how he shoots on average when they lose (29%). When they win he shoots 45% from three on average.

[Murray_17]

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