Game Preview – LA Lakers @ Philadelphia 76ers

Nov 21, 2015; Miami, FL, USA; Philadelphia 76ers head coach Brett Brown yells during the second half against the Miami Heat at American Airlines Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

Storyline Present: Philadelphia and Losses

The Sixers are currently winless on the year, posting an 0-18 record which currently ties the 2009-10 New Jersey Nets for the worst start in NBA history. No doubt all of us Sixer fans have been on the edge of our seats, waiting for the first win of the season to come. What has made this especially frustrating is that the Sixers have had leads late in the fourth quarter in many of the games recently, only for it to be squandered.

What has been the most damning of these close losses comes down to the fact that Philly’s guards aren’t able to make an entry pass to Jahlil Okafor, the centerpiece of the offense. There have been too many times where Isaiah Canaan or T.J. McConnell or Phil Pressey have dribbled around screens only to hoist up an ill-advised shot against the defense. I’m sure Philly’s opponents breathe a sigh of relief every time this happens.

At the same time, EVERYONE knows Jahlil is the only consistent weapon the 76ers have, and defenses are loading up against him late in the game to prevent him from even getting the ball. Brett Brown tries to make a conscious effort to get the ball to Jah in the best position possible out of timeouts, but opponents read this and Philly’s offense is forced to adjust on the fly.

The cavalry is coming when Tony Wroten and Kendall Marshal come back from their injuries, as they provide weapons that our current crop of point guards do not have. Whether it be Tony slashing through the lane or Kendall spotting up from the three-point line (he is a career 37.7% 3-pt shooter, and even shot 39.1% last year), Jah will get space to operate down low. That’s when we’ll see a more fluid offense to finish out games.

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