The Philadelphia 76ers went cold in their Game 2 loss. What can they fix heading into Miami?
Well, that wasn’t fun. The Philadelphia 76ers dropped their game two matchup with the Miami Heat, marking their first loss in over a month. A combination of gritty Heat defense, inconsistent officiating and stone-cold shooting kept the Sixers in a rut all game.
Even after making a brief run in the fourth quarter, the Sixers lost momentum after a flurry of Dwyane Wade-sparked plays. From drilling tough shots to forcing turnovers, Miami had the Sixers’ number all night. Now things head to South Beach with the series tied 1-1.
Joel Embiid‘s return date is still up in the air, but his recent Instagram Live post suggests that he’s ready — at least personally — to get back on the court. Last night, if anything, was a solid reminder that the Sixers need Embiid to reach their potential in the postseason.
Here are some things they’ll need to work on ahead of Thursday’s game in Miami.
1. Defensive pressure on Simmons
The Heat broke out a defensive strategy the Sixers should have seen coming, pressuring Ben Simmons out to the perimeter. Rather than sagging off and allowing him to get downhill, they made it far more difficult for him to get to his regular spots on the floor.
Miami was always a tough matchup for Simmons individually. Josh Richardson, Justise Winslow and James Johnson are all high-end defenders who can hang with him physically. Not many teams can throw that many looks at the presumtive Rookie of the Year.
Simmons, while not able to make some of the passes we’re used to, still handled the pressure well. He got off to a slow start, but carried the Sixers down the stretch as they clawed their way back into the game. He ended up with 24 points and eight assists while limiting his turnovers to two.
The offense stagnated for multiple reasons Monday night, but Miami’s ability to alter Simmons’ approach played a significant role in that. He’ll need to be prepared for increased on-ball pressure yet again, something an Embiid return (?) can ideally help mitigate.
2. Shooting
The Sixers’ shooting fell off a cliff in game two, as they were a combined 7-36 from deep. Marco Belinelli and Dario Saric were the only Sixers to hit multiple three-point shots, while J.J. Redick hit just one of his seven attempts.
People have called the Sixers’ shooting unsustainable for weeks, but this kind of dud was unexpected. It’s always hard to bounce back on the road, but I doubt the Sixers shoot this poorly again. If they do, I’d at least like some forewarning so I don’t have to watch it again.
With the Heat pressing Simmons and doing an impressive job sticking to shooters, the offense was stagnant for most of the evening. There isn’t much analysis needed here; the Sixers just have to start hitting shots again.
Obviously, if Embiid returns, his post presence could help open up certain things on the perimeter. A lot of Brett Brown’s actions — especially for Redick and Belinelli — revolve around JoJo in some fashion.
3. Stopping the drive
The Heat have an fairly versatile lineup, especially when Hassan Whiteside steps off the floor. Everybody can handle the ball, from Kelly Olynyk and James Johnson in the frontcourt to Dragic at the point.
In Monday night’s loss, that killed the Sixers. They struggled to contain the drive, allowing Miami to get into the teeth of the defense and find open shooters on the perimeter. The Heat also got to the rim and initiated contact, which worked to their advantage with how the game was officiated.
Part of the issue can be tied to rim protection, but a lot of it comes back to discipline. The Sixers looked rushed on the defensive end all night, and it ended up costing them several potential stops.
Miami, while not brimming with star talent, has a lineup full of players who are capable of generating their own offense and creating for others. That’s something the Sixers need to be wary of moving forward.
4. Individual creation
This problem has bitten the Sixers on more than one occasion this year, but it’s pretty dang simple: Outside of Embiid and Simmons, they lack players who can regularly create their own shots. That means baskets are hard to come by when the offense is forced out of rhythm, like it was Monday night.
Markelle Fultz was supposed to be the solution to that issue, but he’s still finding his groove as an NBA player. He played just five minutes in game two, which could be a sign of decreased confidence from Brett Brown. With a jumper that has looked especially shaky in limited attempts lately, that’s understandable.
Still, it’s something Philly has to address. An Embiid return would be a big boost, and ideally Brown can keep at least one star on the court at all times once that occurs.
If Embiid isn’t back next game, the Sixers are going to have to find ways to manufacture points when shots aren’t falling. T.J. McConnell‘s poise and high-I.Q. passing is certainly beneficial, but he’s not a better alternative to Fultz.
The Sixers need their rookie point guard to kick up the aggressiveness and look for his own shots more often, even if they aren’t falling with elite efficiency. He’s easily the craftiest isolation scorer they have, regardless of how far his range extends. It’s time to embrace that.
5. Rim protection
The Sixers seemed to lack a certain presence around the rim in game two, which is natural for a team that’s missing a Defensive Player of the Year candidate in Joel Embiid. It’s even more natural when you swap out Amir Johnson for Ersan Ilyasova in the starting group.
It’s something Brett Brown needs to be concerned about, which might motivate them to return Embiid as soon as possible. Miami’s ability to get dribble penetration and pick the Sixers’ defense apart would have been far more limited with Embiid patrolling the paint.
Ilyasova does give the Sixers a clear advantage at center, something they should still use once Embiid returns to the rotation. His shooting essentially takes Whiteside out of the game, which is why the Heat’s prized big man hasn’t seen more than 15 minutes in either playoff game. That, of course, will change once Embiid is back.
Those smaller lineups should work well in spurts, especially if Embiid’s minutes are limited in his first game or two back. It’s improtant that the Sixers maintain their defensive identity and establish a reliable threat around the rim, though.