Game 5 - 76ers vs Pistons - Oct 28th - 7:00 pm EST

[DCasey91]

I actually prefer Danny over Matisse.

Danny has the strength to play against bigger players and he can shoot. He's clearly not worthy of a 20 mpg role anymore, but I would still play him 10-15 mpg.

Matisse on the other hand, is pretty much worthless on the offensive end. I think he has the worst per minute scoring production in NBA history. We slightly exaggerate saying Simmons is like playing 4 on 5 offensively. But it's an inarguable fact that playing with Matisse is 4-on-5 offensively.

I actually have serious questions about Matisse's work ethic. The man shot 534 threes in college and shot over 78% from the free throw line. In the NBA, he's shooting 32.9% on a putrid 4.1 attempts per 36 and is shooting 55.9% from the free throw line. If a prospect with a perfectly adequate shooting profile is that incompetent a shooter three years into his NBA career, it's gotta be a work ethic thing.

Him and Green have the exact same discrepancy in their jumper (wrist position) hence why inconsistency has plagued them throughout their whole career. Difference is Green probably knows and Matisse barely has a clue about why it is so.

It took a rookie half a year in Maxey to adjust his base position to being closer together. That’s still a work in progress but it goes to show you it’s not about work ethic.

Perfecting practice is best practice. Once something is habitual it takes a lot longer to change. One sport a person that’s never kicked a ball before they end up have better kicks because you literally have a blank slate to work with.

I suspect it’s the same with jump shooting. Any huge flaw has been there for a long time.

We here know Green will shoot 4/4 from 3 one game and go 0/4 the next.

[Skates]

Without trying to be overly naïve, and trust me I am not, Embiid has been consistent about the injury bugging him being from getting bumped in the first game and I believe him. Does that mean the meniscus is not a concern? Not at all, but he was moving much more freely yesterday so fingers crossed.

It is really hard to judge a team playing not just without one of its top two players, a multiple time all star and all defense first teamer, plus one of the most athletic guys on the team, but simply the lack of a single true point guard playing is going to diminish everyone else.

I love Maxey and see him as a big part of the team going forward, but he is a combo guard, secondary ballhandler, as is Shake. Tisse is still Tisse, but with the corpse of Danny Green starting at SF it does not allow for a non-scorer at that position.

Tobias is Tobias and played both Randle and Grant very tough the last couple of games, while still putting numbers up. His salary does not matter on court, except that he is an all around third banana and playing second seat to Embiid right now.

Drummond and Niang are upgrades on last year, and we might see that more with Shake back and he or Maxey playing more with the second unit.

Seth is Seth, and will produce even more with a PG next to him someday.

Reed has given some nice minutes when called upon and Joe just looks on the cusp of ready, needs one good stint to get his confidence going (and for god's sake stop trying to make him a PG too). Bassey has promise, Delaware has Springer.

For now I would expand Furk's minutes starting him and getting more off the ball movement in that first group, fake a Danny Green injury and play him there and mix and latch the two units more (code for fire Doc). Other than that it is a waiting game until Simmons plays and/or gets traded. Too many guys trying to be passers, creators and not doing what they do best, the no PG offense and Doc River's intransigence will do that. Trade(s) need to bring a PG and an athletic wing at a minimum.