Game 24 - Sixers at Rockets 8pm ET

[Stanford]

Morey bashing aside, for all the Debbie Downers, the Sixers will be there in the end like they always are. If Embiid is healthy they'll be a threat to get to the Finals. I think the team is kinda still hungover from how last season ended, but in the new year they'll ramp it up.

They've never been a threat to go to the finals. You're delusional.

[phillynative]

Don't get me wrong, our team has some serious issues that need to be fixed, but losing to the Rockets isn't the season ender that everyone here suggests. They just beat the Suns in Phoenix a few days ago. I wouldn't be surprised if they started going on a run as they get more comfortable with each other and their roles. They are insanely talented.

I don't see the Sixers as that talented. Embiid puts up MVP caliber stats, but will not play optimally.

He plays very optimally, how about Harden going 4/19 from the floor, or what the rest of the team did, is that what you mean by optimal?

[Eyeamok]

Don't get me wrong, our team has some serious issues that need to be fixed, but losing to the Rockets isn't the season ender that everyone here suggests. They just beat the Suns in Phoenix a few days ago. I wouldn't be surprised if they started going on a run as they get more comfortable with each other and their roles. They are insanely talented.

You are absolutely right. Props to Houston. My issue is that the team did not even seem prepared to play. So not a good performance and I've seen the B Team play inspired ball for a couple of weeks now, win or lose.....what gives here.

[FireMorey]

Morey bashing aside, for all the Debbie Downers, the Sixers will be there in the end like they always are. If Embiid is healthy they'll be a threat to get to the Finals. I think the team is kinda still hungover from how last season ended, but in the new year they'll ramp it up.

They've never been a threat to go to the finals. You're delusional.

Sure they are, as long as they have Embiid they are a threat. On paper they're objectively deeper than they were a year ago and an Embiid injury derailed their playoff run. They go to the ECF with a healthy Embiid. There is no reason to think they can't get farther than they did last season, health permitting. They started off last season slow as well, don't forget. Embiid got COVID, missed a while, they plummeted in the standings. Got hot in the new year. Could easily do that again. They may not, maybe this is a year where they underachieve, but to write them off as not a threat to go to the Finals sounds pouty, whoa is me, and isn't being objective.

[Bum Adebayo]

The blueprint to win has always been the same: first you need to surround Embiid with shooters. Then you just give the ball to Embiid and move out of his way, the other players just need to get ready to catch and shoot, let Embiid work his magic with good spacing and I guarantee you this is a championship caliber team instead of the 2nd round fodder garbage we're used to all these years.
Washed up James Soften shooting 4/19 is a guaranteed failure, he needs to learn how to catch and shoot or get the FOH.
Maxey can't defend a chair so he needs to come off the bench
The rest all useless except maybe Melton I like him.

[ExplosionsInDaSky]

That was one of the most sloppiest, ugliest games I have ever witnessed as a fan of this team. Joel Embiid complaining, making dumb passes, getting boxed out on the boards by a guy half his size. It was absolutely an atrocious performance on his part. Sure, he made some plays, he scored 39 points, but he was absolutely awful where it mattered the most. James Harden carrying around that "too cool for school" attitude is exactly the reason why he's never won anything meaningful during his NBA career. These are supposed to be our best players. I give Embiid a pass because he actually does care. Harden? I'm not so sure that he does or ever has. Both of them were awful last night for stretches. Crying for fouls, not caring on defense, not boxing out on the boards. Houston literally had a crack at every offensive rebound last night and that included foul shots on their end. It was a downright terrible performance from us and as bad as it got against Memphis and Cleveland, it turned into straight up hot garbage against the Rockets last night...A team we should have beaten easily. We have LA Lakers on Friday and they are on a hot streak with AD and a healthy Lebron. THey are going to straight up smoke our asses if we come out with the lackluster **** of an effort we've given these last three games.

I love Philadelphia basketball, I will always continue to support this team no matter what, but my expectations on doing anything other than making the playoffs this year are tempered considerably. I doubt we get out of the first round this year. Making the playoffs is only going to lessen the sting of giving that draft pick to the Nets and that's really the only reason why I want to see us get there. We're looking at a 6th seed at best this year and a first round exit against the Bucks. Changes are coming with this team and we need to ready ourselves for it. Sadly the time has come to move on from some guys. Joel Embiid and Maxey are the only players I am personally interested in keeping around. I can see them sticking around for a rebuild if it's a short one the way the Warriors did it, but we are in some deep **** right now with this season. Going nowhere fast.

[Jailblazers7]

Morey bashing aside, for all the Debbie Downers, the Sixers will be there in the end like they always are. If Embiid is healthy they'll be a threat to get to the Finals. I think the team is kinda still hungover from how last season ended, but in the new year they'll ramp it up.

They've never been a threat to go to the finals. You're delusional.

Sure they are, as long as they have Embiid they are a threat. On paper they're objectively deeper than they were a year ago and an Embiid injury derailed their playoff run. They go to the ECF with a healthy Embiid. There is no reason to think they can't get farther than they did last season, health permitting. They started off last season slow as well, don't forget. Embiid got COVID, missed a while, they plummeted in the standings. Got hot in the new year. Could easily do that again. They may not, maybe this is a year where they underachieve, but to write them off as not a threat to go to the Finals sounds pouty, whoa is me, and isn't being objective.

I just can’t do that to myself again lol. The man has had knee, foot, and back issues throughout his career. He’s also a reckless and awkward player that puts himself in compromising situations. The idea that he can make it through an entire playoff run without injury feels like a fantasy.

We also have no wings, a starting guard duo that can’t guard anyone, and a second fiddle in Harden who crumbles every year in the playoffs.

This is a fun team though. Melton is pure entertainment, Maxey is the most loveable Sixer of my lifetime, Harden is a PnR maestro, Embiid is always a fun rollercoaster ride, and even Tobias has blossomed this year. But this isn’t a championship team unless we go on some 2011 Mavs style miracle run.

[FireMorey]

They've never been a threat to go to the finals. You're delusional.

Sure they are, as long as they have Embiid they are a threat. On paper they're objectively deeper than they were a year ago and an Embiid injury derailed their playoff run. They go to the ECF with a healthy Embiid. There is no reason to think they can't get farther than they did last season, health permitting. They started off last season slow as well, don't forget. Embiid got COVID, missed a while, they plummeted in the standings. Got hot in the new year. Could easily do that again. They may not, maybe this is a year where they underachieve, but to write them off as not a threat to go to the Finals sounds pouty, whoa is me, and isn't being objective.

I just can’t do that to myself again lol. The man has had knee, foot, and back issues throughout his career. He’s also a reckless and awkward player that puts himself in compromising situations. The idea that he can make it through an entire playoff run without injury feels like a fantasy.

We also have no wings, a starting guard duo that can’t guard anyone, and a second fiddle in Harden who crumbles every year in the playoffs.

This is a fun team though. Melton is pure entertainment, Maxey is the most loveable Sixer of my lifetime, Harden is a PnR maestro, Embiid is always a fun rollercoaster ride, and even Tobias has blossomed this year. But this isn’t a championship team unless we go on some 2011 Mavs style miracle run.

I get it, but that's sports. Injuries happen. You can't do anything about it. You either let it affect your enjoyment of it or you don't. It's out of anyone's control, including Embiid himself. We've seen him do reckless things and be ok and we've seen him get hurt on total freak accidents. All you can do is hope for the best.

[Bum Adebayo]

That was one of the most sloppiest, ugliest games I have ever witnessed as a fan of this team. Joel Embiid complaining, making dumb passes, getting boxed out on the boards by a guy half his size. It was absolutely an atrocious performance on his part. Sure, he made some plays, he scored 39 points, but he was absolutely awful where it mattered the most.

Embiid was fantastic, you just expect him to carry a bunch of scrubs to the promised land, maybe in a very weak year but there is so much talent in today's NBA that you need a solid team to win.

but my expectations on doing anything other than making the playoffs this year are tempered considerably.

That's really your issue, you were expecting too much from Embiid + a bunch of average to below average players.

"atrocious performance" FOH lol

[eyeatoma]

For some reason, I really like this team and have fun watching them. But I’ve fully accepted that we’re pretenders again. We are just a bad organization top to bottom. Mediocre draft results, poor player development, bad/stubborn coaching, a washed GM that signs his buddies to bloated contracts, superstars who routinely meltdown in the playoffs, etc. You can’t have 4-5 straight years of bad personnel decisions and compete for a title it’s basically impossible.

Maybe the team just finally broke my spirit and I can’t invest in them emotionally anymore lol. But I’m having much more fun now that I’ve given up on caring about a title.

Yup this!

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[eyeatoma]

Trading Maxey just to get an older version of Jimmy back does feels like the most Sixers outcome possible.

Gross

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[ExplosionsInDaSky]

That was one of the most sloppiest, ugliest games I have ever witnessed as a fan of this team. Joel Embiid complaining, making dumb passes, getting boxed out on the boards by a guy half his size. It was absolutely an atrocious performance on his part. Sure, he made some plays, he scored 39 points, but he was absolutely awful where it mattered the most.

Embiid was fantastic, you just expect him to carry a bunch of scrubs to the promised land, maybe in a very weak year but there is so much talent in today's NBA that you need a solid team to win.

but my expectations on doing anything other than making the playoffs this year are tempered considerably.

That's really your issue, you were expecting too much from Embiid + a bunch of average to below average players.

"atrocious performance" FOH lol

I was an atrocious performance. You must not have watched the game. You must have just read the box score. Embiid turned it over literally two times down the floor at a time when the game MATTERED THE MOST. Each time we had a chance to take control of the game and he threw the ball into the stands. James Harden threw the ball away 3 or 4 times as well. One time he dribbled it off of the back of Embiids foot because Embiid was just standing there. There's clearly a chemistry issue between the two of them and Harden missing a month of basketball hasn't helped.
Now...Defensively, Embiid picked up some fouls so he was limited in how aggressive he could be. With that said, guys like Eason, Martin, and Segun (who is a twig) were outhustling him and crashing the glass and basically besting him on the other end. Houston was terrible too which makes this all the more embarrassing! The thing is they were crashing the boards. Kevin Porter would jack up an airball that would miss the rim by three feet and Alperen Segun would be there to get the offensive board while Embiid complained or Harden threw his hands up in the air while pointing. There was no continuity on either end last night, and WE...COULDNT...GET...A....REBOUND to save our life.
Again, you must not have watched the game. I'm sorry, but you'll just have to actually start watching the games before sticking your foot in your mouth on this forum. You can't just look at the box score and determine that Embiid had himself a great game while the rest of the team played like scrubs. Sorry...That's just not how it went last night. Neither Embiid or Harden initiated any attempts to get any other players involved. Shake has been on a hot streak lately and Harden straight up ghosted him. Melton has been hitting from outside and they ignored him. Tobias had a good game last night, he hit 7 threes, but the majority of them were either on busted coverages by the Rockets...Or long rebounds that happened to bounce out to him. The game and flow was a mess from the second quarter on. What should have been a blowout on the road for us turned out to be one of the most ridiculous losses I've seen this team take since Embiid got here. Apparantly everyone was out late on Saturday night. Houston must have some nice strip clubs and Harden took the boys out.
Oh...and don't sit here and act like I'm some Embiid hater. We've all seen you flip back and forth on Simmons and Embiid in the name of trolling and nothing more on this forum. I'm simply saying that Embiid needs to be held accountable for his actions or lack thereof last night. He was abysmal minus trying to score and hit attitude was downright awful as was Hardens. Both of them were bad last night. The game itself was one of the ugliest games I've ever seen hands down in the history of the NBA. Almost as ugly as your claim that Embiid deserves no fault and it's the surrounding cast around him that's to blame. NO...SORRY...YOU...LOSE. FOH!

[Bum Adebayo]

The supporting cast is 100% to blame, of course Embiid is going to turn the ball over, teams triple team him because he is surrounded by a bunch of offensive zeros and inefficient scorers.
Stats don't lie, he was +8 in a 9 point loss, highest from our team.

[ExplosionsInDaSky]

The supporting cast is 100% to blame, of course Embiid is going to turn the ball over, teams triple team him because he is surrounded by a bunch of offensive zeros and inefficient scorers.
Stats don't lie, he was +8 in a 9 point loss, highest from our team.

You can throw +/- stats out about Embiid all you want. He still turned the ball over on consecutive possessions throwing errant passes out of bounds when the game mattered the most. Those two turnovers by him along with the inability for this team to rebound the ball were the main deciding factors in the game last night. It's that simple. NOBODY here is saying that Embiid doesn't give us the best chance to win a ring. He certainly does! I'm also not going to disagree with you on the fact that there needs to be a talent/fit upgrade when it comes to our supporting cast of players. PJ Tucker NEVER should have happened! It NEVER EVER EVER should have happened. Kyle Anderson was the signing that should have been. Done is done. We're stuck with Tucker now.

[76ciology]

Read on Twitter

This is the biggest problem.

Both Harden and Embiid are slow and want to take shots.

Biid often sets a weak screen and rarely rolls to the basket. He is more perimeter oriented as a scorer than Jokic.

Since he sets a weak screen, Harden can’t get good separation to the defense. And since Biid wont roll, Biid can’t collapse the defense and pull the defenders to him.

Not always but its quite often this season, Biid set weak screen, go to the elbow and ask for the ball.

What option does Harden has?

And when Harden gets to the paint, there’s no lob threat that can suck the defense away from him like a trae young to a capella. Its also a lot tougher to pass the ball to embiid if he’s at the dunker spot not jumping for lobs

This is kind of like having Steve Nash play pick and roll with Shaq or Kurt Thomas

[phifans]

I was pounding the table to trade Simmons for Haliburton. When the Sixers traded for Harden instead I assumed Morey had information on Harden having more in the tank than I did. I was wrong.

Yeah we're doomed after Morey passed Hliburton for James Harden. Morey just decided to build this team by using his memory more than his logic.

[Jailblazers7]

Read on Twitter

This is the biggest problem.

Both Harden and Embiid are slow and want to take shots.

Biid often sets a weak screen and rarely rolls to the basket. He is more perimeter oriented as a scorer than Jokic.

Since he sets a weak screen, Harden can’t get good separation to the defense. And since Biid wont roll, Biid can’t collapse the defense and pull the defenders to him.

Not always but its quite often this season, Biid set weak screen, go to the elbow and ask for the ball.

What option does Harden has?

And when Harden gets to the paint, there’s no lob threat that can suck the defense away from him like a trae young to a capella. Its also a lot tougher to pass the ball to embiid if he’s at the dunker spot not jumping for lobs

This is kind of like having Steve Nash play pick and roll with Shaq or Kurt Thomas

That ones on Harden imo. Embiid made pretty solid contact but Harden needs to come off the screen with more purpose to attack the big. Without any urgency, the screen is essentially pointless.

I think one issue might be that both players like to attack from the left side of the floor, which can make their PnR a little too predictable. Harden can’t attack the paint with his right hand so you can play the pass and just contest his step back.

[76ciology]

Hali is a bad fit here because Biid is not a good roll man off the PnR. You also need an alpha scorer when Biid is not feeling it.

Honestly, the guy we need is someone like Steph Curry or Beal. Someone who plays off ball and can do some DHO.

If you watch how Pacers play, their roster and scheme is tailored for lob catching or spot up bigs, where the guards do most of the damage in creating shots for others.

[76ciology]

The blueprint to win has always been the same: first you need to surround Embiid with shooters. Then you just give the ball to Embiid and move out of his way, the other players just need to get ready to catch and shoot, let Embiid work his magic with good spacing and I guarantee you this is a championship caliber team instead of the 2nd round fodder garbage we're used to all these years.
Washed up James Soften shooting 4/19 is a guaranteed failure, he needs to learn how to catch and shoot or get the FOH.
Maxey can't defend a chair so he needs to come off the bench
The rest all useless except maybe Melton I like him.

Thats why you can’t win. You play this way and its very predictable for the defense while you overload Biid to be a god on offense to handle all the traps and double team thats why he turns the ball over too much and he’s exhausted on defense or for future games.

In crunch time the rox knew biid likes to kick it out to melton so they covered that. Biid has to throw it to Tobi at the corner and thats a high TO pass

You have 4 scorers. Why dont you maximize it by running collective dribble drive than reducing guys like Maxey or Harden be spot up shooters this is very similar to when Celts was struggling on offense with Tatum and Brown taking turns on ISO

[76ciology]

Read on Twitter

This is the biggest problem.

Both Harden and Embiid are slow and want to take shots.

Biid often sets a weak screen and rarely rolls to the basket. He is more perimeter oriented as a scorer than Jokic.

Since he sets a weak screen, Harden can’t get good separation to the defense. And since Biid wont roll, Biid can’t collapse the defense and pull the defenders to him.

Not always but its quite often this season, Biid set weak screen, go to the elbow and ask for the ball.

What option does Harden has?

And when Harden gets to the paint, there’s no lob threat that can suck the defense away from him like a trae young to a capella. Its also a lot tougher to pass the ball to embiid if he’s at the dunker spot not jumping for lobs

This is kind of like having Steve Nash play pick and roll with Shaq or Kurt Thomas

That ones on Harden imo. Embiid made pretty solid contact but Harden needs to come off the screen with more purpose to attack the big. Without any urgency, the screen is essentially pointless.

I think one issue might be that both players like to attack from the left side of the floor, which can make their PnR a little too predictable. Harden can’t attack the paint with his right hand so you can play the pass and just contest his step back.

I can set better screens than that. Another thing is Biid is not a threat to roll. Weak screen plus not rolling, allows Harden’s man to stay at him.

Biid was asking the ball at above the break 3pt area. At the very least go to the elbow where he’s a better threat.