Despite falling to the Washington Wizards on opening night, the Philadelphia 76ers showed some promising signs. What should we look for out of this group going forward?
The Philadelphia 76ers‘ opening night loss came in typical Sixers fashion. They had the talent to compete, but a lack of execution down the stretch (and some ridiculous moments from John Wall) allowed the Wizards to pull ahead in the final minutes.
With the opener now behind us, though, there’s plenty to look forward to. Last night gave us a good feel for where Brett Brown is going with his rotation, while also surprising us in more than a few areas. Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid were expectedly good, but those weren’t the only worthwhile takeaways from a game that, despite the loss, left us with some optimism.
Aside from double-doubles from Embiid and Simmons, Fultz also had double-digit points off the bench while Robert Covington exploded for 29 on 7-of-11 shooting from deep. There were also negatives, from turnover problems to gaping holes on the defensive end.
There are always some inconsistencies that come with younger teams, and the Sixers are a prime example of that. They have the ability to compete for a playoff spot in the East, but even their best players sputtered in big moments last night.
And, with that in mind, here are five things worth noting:
5. Amir Johnson and Dario Saric split minutes at the five
With Richaun Holmes out and Embiid still limited, Brett Brown got creative with how he has filled those minutes. Amir Johnson played decent ball for 15 minutes, but gave up some of those backup center minutes to a Dario Saric/Ben Simmons duo in the frontcourt — a small ball option we’ve been asking for all summer.
The Sixers’ smaller group blitzed the Nets in preseason play, and continued that success Wednesday night. Saric was quiet overall — putting up just three points total — but the offense was noticeably more fluid with he shared the court with Simmons.
While there are some defensive issues when going small like that, the versatility and offensive benefits tend to outweigh them. Both Simmons and Saric are comfortable off the ball as well, allowing them to work off one another while having four capable shooters on the floor — all of whom are comfortable pushing the pace in transition.
Johnson had his moments, but seeing more of this Simmons/Saric rotation could be beneficial. There’s only so much time Simmons can spend without Embiid — which means Johnson will still play a big role — but small ball may be the preferable route when applicable.
4. Robert Covington’s improved role
The Athletic‘s Mike O’Connor said it best:
Love that Cov is getting chances to do role player things instead of stepping into 30 footers & getting ball dumped to him late in shotclock
— Mike O'Connor (@MOConnor_NBA) October 19, 2017
Last night was probably the most comfortable we’ve ever seen Covington in the Sixers’ offense. As Embiid, Simmons and J.J. Redick commanded the bulk of Washington’s defensive attention, Covington was able to execute off the ball, find his spots and step into open looks — something he hasn’t been as able to do in years past.
We’ve seen years of Covington shooting inefficiently in a space-devoid offense with little talent to defer to. He was forced into what would typically be bad shots for a player with his skill set, but didn’t have much of an option when given the ball well beyond the 3-point line with the shotclock winding down and nowhere else to go with the ball.
That was one of the issues with judging player development during The Process years. Players got plenty of run and plenty of shots, but they weren’t always in a position to optimize their talent. That wasn’t anybody’s fault, just the nature of rebuilding with minimal talent.
Covington is in a spot now where his game can compliment better creators and isolation scorers, rather than being forced into that awkward role he’s been in for the past several years. We could see RoCo’s most efficient season to date.
3. Markelle Fultz looks good at everything except shooting
Fultz did better than expected last night, overcoming some early jitters en route to a solid 10 points on 5-of-9 shooting off the bench. He only played 18 minutes to Jerryd Bayless‘ 28, but that gap should decrease as the season moves along and Fultz gets more comfortable in Brett Brown’s offense.
Of all the positives Fultz showed last night, none of them were with his shot. His free throw shooting still looks bad, while he didn’t take an single shot from deep after attempting five per game in college. He’s not confident at all when it comes to shooting, and that’s an issue the coaching staff will need to continue working on.
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The rest of his game, though, looks great. He’s still shifty with the ball in his hands and gets to the rim with ease. He’ll need to work on his timing and finishing through more athletic bodies, but his touch and confidence seem to improve when he’s in attack mode.
Fultz’s passing also shined, something he didn’t get enough credit for at Washington. He has always been an exceptional playmaker out of the pick-and-roll, and that ability to get into the teeth of the defense and pinpoint passes back out to the perimeter or hit the rolling big will add another dynamic once he’s able to share the court with Embiid and Simmons on a regular basis.
There’s a lot to learn for Fultz, but he was the No. 1 pick for a reason. Be patient.
2. J.J. Redick is an awesome weapon in this offense
Redick hit four of his eight shots from deep en route to 12 points Wednesday night, but that’s far from the only contribution he made. While his shooting is obviously going to work wonders alongside Embiid and Simmons, it’s the effect his spacing has in other areas that makes his presence so ideal.
If you want to simplify Redick’s impact, you could essentially say he’s doing everything the Sixers hoped Nik Stauskas would. He’s knocking down shots, thriving off the ball and bending defenses to their breaking point in different actions alongside Embiid.
At this stage in the season, Redick may be JoJo’s most effective pick-and-roll partner. Redick gets the attention of both defenders when coming around the screen, which gives Embiid an extra second to get behind his man and gain an open lane to the rim. As long as Embiid commits to rolling to the basket rather than hovering around the 3-point line, that’ll be one of Brown’s most effective options.
Redick quietly tallied four assists last night, all while hitting big shots when they were needed. He’s the calm veteran presence this team has lacked in years past, and brings a skill set that forces defenses into tough spots when keeping tabs on him and the Sixers’ younger weapons.
It’s something I’ve always referred to as the Kyle Korver effect, and Redick is besting Korver at this stage in their careers.
1. Justin Anderson didn’t play at all
Projected by many to be the first wing off the bench heading into next season, Justin Anderson didn’t see a single minute last night. Brown instead used Fultz primarily as a two-guard off the bench, playing alongisde T.J. McConnell and Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot at the one and three respectively.
It doesn’t necessarily come as a surprise given TLC’s evolution and Brown’s comments on McConnell this offseason, but Anderson was somebody who was largely expected to see considerable minutes. If this trend of him riding the bench continues, that could leave a sour taste is the mouthes of Sixers fans who still find themselves opposed to the Nerlens Noel trade.
The McConnell/Fultz/TLC trio is interesting. Anderson obviously brings more flexibility on defense — and heck, his shot may be better than Fultz’s too — but this seems to be a sign of who Brown is willing to lean on moving forward. Anderson is aggressive to a fault at times, and doesn’t really have a spot on this team long term. That’s especially true if Furkan Korkmaz shows some growth this year.
Next: Roundtable -- Predicting NBA awards, Sixers statistical leaders
We’re just scratching the surface of what could be an exciting year for the Sixers and their fans. With the next game coming up on Friday night against the Boston Celtics, we can expect another good game against one the East’s better teams — and perhaps a chance a redemption after Wednesday’s rough ending.