G20: Sixers @ Pacers 7:00pm ET 01/31/21

[bball4life]

Doc talking in the post game interview about needing to get Ben 10 minutes a game as the center. I couldn't agree more that Ben at the 5 might be his most effective role in a half court offense when Embiid rests. This is good to hear.

Ben cannot play even small ball center. We have watched several games when even small size John Collins abuses Ben.

He’s not a defensive center. Can you imagine Ben trying to guard even 6 foot 9 Anthony Davis in the post. I just don’t think he has enough length to defense the post. That’s just my opinion.

He absolutely dominated Sabonis guarding him one on one in the post the one time Sabonis tryied to back him down tonight (and didn't try again after that). I just think it will work against many front court players in the league. Maybe not AD but anyone else the Lakers throw out there, sure.

But again, its more about his role on offense. He can live down where he's comfortable without sharing the space with Embiid or Howard.

[bball4life]

Also Tobias with another very solid game.

[LloydFree]

Thybulle and Simmons at the top of the zone were like piranha with teeth ten feet long. Love seeing Tobias consistent in the crunch, Furk getting hot.

Curry and Green do not look good in games without Joel, they need that interior gravity to get open.

Gave me flash backs to Aaron McKie and Eddie Jones at the top of Temple's matchup zone.

RIP coach Chaney.❤️

[blargh]

Doc had an interesting comment in the post-game on how with no crowds, it’s easier for defenders to talk on the floor, which is an advantage for the zone. Really intrigued to see if they make more use of it.

[Stanford]

Doc had an interesting comment in the post-game on how with no crowds, it’s easier for defenders to talk on the floor, which is an advantage for the zone. Really intrigued to see if they make more use of it.

I definitely remember people crediting that for the Heat's success in the playoffs

[XtremeDunkz]

Can't believe people are complaining about Dwight Howard as a backup lol. This is a player who has had an incredible career. I mean....He too that Orlando Magic team to the finals! He was in the running for MVP for like three years in a row during his prime. I realize he's not the same player he once was, but I think he's been terrific as a backup for us. Guy brings toughness and an enforcer attitude off the bench for us. He's Rick Mahorn and I'm fine with that. Hopefully we can add another brute by the deadline. I desperately want us to trade for PJ Tucker.

I just finished the game and I came to say the same thing. The Dwight slander from certain people is crazy. He's light years better than anything we've had behind Joel ever. How quickly people forget how bad it was.

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[DCasey91]

Embiid
Simmons
Green
Thybulle
Howard

Man that’s one hell of a defensive core. Loved that they used zone defence for Thybulle. My man lessen the foul rate and hit your 3’s that’s it you’ll be an All NBA Def wing easily.

This team is super close to the optimal core for a championship winning team. (Legit outside threat/playmaker puts Harris as the 3rd option , Curry on the bench for the kick on bench units & forward depth on the bench). Sucks that Green is older and on an expiring always liked him in starting units.

Do we go f this Hakeem/nowitzki route and try and let Embiid solo on the scoring pressure in the playoffs?

Surely Morey has something in the works.

[76ciology]

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Furkan Goatmaz

[DCasey91]

One thing I’ve noticed regularly about NBA defensive schemes. Is when:

Player A. Drives
the wing defender somehow gets sucked in leading to open or late contested threes on the shooter on the perimeter I don’t get that. A guard and a big man should be more than enough. Happens so many times it boggles the mind (moreso with players who don’t know how to defend properly.)

Great/good defenders can at least recover to stick to the perimeter shooter. Or at least contest it well.

The 2/3 zone at the top with Ben & Thybulle out there looked like they could cover three perimeter players easy.

Add Embiid on the interior and there something working there.

I think the NBA could learn a thing or two with Liverpool other worldly defensive press. Swarming crappy ballhandlers seems counter intuitive but it puts so much pressure on choking the offense down.

[ConstableChaos]

Did Brogdon read the scouting report on Simmons? Tried to go over every screen and let him waltz in to the lane virtually every pick n roll

[DCasey91]

I actually like Ben as the big men instead of the iniator in the half court when Embiid sits or doesn’t play. He is a big man after all let’s utilize him as one. Rollman/Making plays from the post would unlock more potential scoring opportunities more than ever over being an outside scorer.

Nets playoffs among other games gives us a glimpse moving forward.

Milton/Maxey
Thybulle/Curry/Korkmaz
Green
Harris
Simmons

4+ Shooters & one scorer in the half court with Simmons could pay out good dividends. (Experiment in reg games, wouldn’t be opposed to it in the playoffs either depending on matchups/short spurts).

[stormi]

Breath of fresh air

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[Tomjas]

Can't believe people are complaining about Dwight Howard as a backup lol. This is a player who has had an incredible career. I mean....He too that Orlando Magic team to the finals! He was in the running for MVP for like three years in a row during his prime. I realize he's not the same player he once was, but I think he's been terrific as a backup for us. Guy brings toughness and an enforcer attitude off the bench for us. He's Rick Mahorn and I'm fine with that. Hopefully we can add another brute by the deadline. I desperately want us to trade for PJ Tucker.

I just finished the game and I came to say the same thing. The Dwight slander from certain people is crazy. He's light years better than anything we've had behind Joel ever. How quickly people forget how bad it was.

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Lol

We have been playing completely washed guys here for years as backup centres

Can’t be bothered looking it up as most are out of the league but Sixers paid Amir $11 million to ride the pine behind Embiid while he & Ben were on rookie contracts

As you say, current Dwight is light years better than those guys

[M2J]

Considering it looked like an obvious loss. Great to see some real coaching, and an adjustment that maybe won the game.

That zone was beautiful to watch, and could be a real game changer for how they help the Sixer backups defend.... And games without Joel. It just should be a nice change up defense. I think this team has the personnel to do a lot of different things defensively that could changeup momentum in a game. Full court press and half court traps out of the blue.... Trapping the pick and roll in certain locations on the floor...Zones even with Embiid... Switch everything defenses too. Just throwing teams off their rhythm. If this team is going ANYWHERE it will truly be about their defense.

You can say whatever you want about Joel playing or not, their defense should and needs to be consistent without him. The way to do that is to find what works for them without him on the floor and what the opposition hates to see. Teams like the Raptors and Lakers have had great defenses in recent years switching up their coverage often.

Nice to see Tobias really finding his stride, against good defenses no less in crunch time this week.

Ben was a stable force throughout the game. Ben plays well when Ben finishes his layups. Simple as that. He needs to keep doing that.

I'm a Yes to Ben playing the 5. Goes back to what I said up top, they just may have to change their defenses more. Playing aggressive defense with him there in the back and switching everything, sending Maxey/Shake/Danny/Matisse for the press, and getting turnovers and playing fast offensively is how I envision it. But I want to see some speed pick and rolls with Ben as the roller with the passer actually getting him the ball, at the 5, it's easier to do.

Nice win and fun to see the continuous tinkering by these coaches.

[Kova]

What a win! Not used to seeing Sixers pull out a comeback win. We usually get blown out in games like this, especially without Embiid.
But what a steal!

[Zumramania]

I actually like Ben as the big men instead of the iniator in the half court when Embiid sits or doesn’t play. He is a big man after all let’s utilize him as one. Rollman/Making plays from the post would unlock more potential scoring opportunities more than ever over being an outside scorer.

Nets playoffs among other games gives us a glimpse moving forward.

Milton/Maxey
Thybulle/Curry/Korkmaz
Green
Harris
Simmons

4+ Shooters & one scorer in the half court with Simmons could pay out good dividends. (Experiment in reg games, wouldn’t be opposed to it in the playoffs either depending on matchups/short spurts).

I noticed this as well. It would be an interesting lineup + it lets Milton and Maxey develop further. My only question is how would this look on defense? I'm not sure Ben is good at guarding opposing bigs.

[VDT]

Kind of a miracle win (the zone defense, Korkmaz's rare good game, Simmons playing aggressively) in a game we were mostly dominated but i will take it.

[LloydFree]

Kind of a miracle win (the zone defense, Korkmaz's rare good game, Simmons playing aggressively) in a game we were mostly dominated but i will take it.

One of the two best wins of the season (Lakers and Pacers). None of the rest are close. May be the best win period, because they stumbled upon a different way to win, that they can use in the future.

[76ciology]

I cant remember the last time we played zone.

Doc really turned this team that runs summer basketball clinic schemes into a real NBA team.

[Ferry Avenue]

Breath of fresh air

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Simmons and Thybulle at the top of that 2-3 zone sure looks stifling. Amazing that a strategy I've used in coaching youth basketball -- putting the two strongest defenders at the top of a 2-3 zone and stifling ball movement -- worked at this level.