4 – Turnovers Continue to Haunt the Sixers
It doesn’t matter what level of basketball you’re playing: if you turn the ball over at a high rate, bad things are bound to happen. On Friday night, the Philadelphia 76ers again lost the turnover battle and it played a big role in their loss.
The Sixers, who lost by 16, committed 19 turnovers compared to just 12 from the Bulls. If Philly even cut that number in half, they would have had a much better chance to win.
Coming into the game, the Sixers were averaging 17.1 giveaways per game (the second highest average in the entire NBA behind only the Atlanta Hawks) while forcing their opponents to turn the ball over just 13.5 times per game (17th best in the league).
Ironically, the team’s best player (Joel Embiid) leads the team in turnovers with 4.2 per game. The Sixers go as Embiid goes, and if he improves in the category, it’s presumable that the whole team will improve, as well.
Of the Sixers’ rotation players, only three are averaging less than one turnover per game: Gerald Henderson (0.9), Richaun Holmes (0.8) and Hollis Thompson (0.4).
If they want to start winning more games, they’ll have to do a better job of protecting the basketball.
Next: The 76ers Are Fun. Imagine Them With Simmons.
Next up, the Philadelphia 76ers will host the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday, Nov. 27 at the Wells Fargo with the tip slated for 1:00 p.m. Let’s see if the Sixers can improve in the turnover category against LeBron James, Kevin Love, Kyrie Irving and the rest of the reigning NBA Finals champions.