Processing the Philadelphia 76ers: The Celtics loss wasn’t that bad

The Philadelphia 76ers lost to the Boston Celtics on Christmas, unleashing quite a few takes across the Internet.

Nothing riles up fans and pundits like a game on national television, especially if that game happens to feature two conference rivals on Christmas Day. The Philadelphia 76ers and Boston Celtics squared off on Tuesday, with overreactions following shortly thereafter.

The Celtics edged out the Sixers in overtime, with Philadelphia losing a hard-fought contest on the road. If J.J. Redick and Ben Simmons got proper execution on the final play in regulation, the result might look different.

To put it simply, the game was close. The Sixers, despite getting minimal bench production, were competitive with a deeper team in a tough road environment. Jimmy Butler‘s value was on full display, while Joel Embiid thoroughly outperformed Al Horford.

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It really wasn’t that bad. The Sixers need to beat the Celtics to win the East, so long term, their head-to-head matchups will always carry more weight. The struggles — namely from Ben Simmons and the bench — shouldn’t go overlooked. There are still major hurdles left to clear before comfortably facing the Sixers comfortably face Boston in the postseason.

Yet, even with some clear negatives, the Sixers were overwhelmingly solid. It wasn’t a bad performance, and most overtime losses on the road don’t warrant questioning the long-term viability of a young core with around 20 games of experience together.

If Simmons doesn’t develop a semi-reliable jumper, his fit against Boston, Toronto and Milwaukee will pose issues. But he’s also 22, producing at an All-Star level, and making clear strides in other facets. There’s still time for him to improve.

For those highlighting Simmons’ poor fit, it’s worth pointing out the chemistry both he and Jimmy Butler already share. It’s promising now, and it will only improve in time. Add in Joel Embiid’s MVP-esque resume, and the Sixers are sitting pretty on talent alone.

The Sixers are still firmly in the East’s second tier, behind Toronto, Milwaukee and full-strength Boston. As the core plays more games together and the bench gets filled out, however, the Sixers are more than capable — as currently constructed — of making the leap.

Here are some of this week’s best stories.

• How star guards feast on the Sixers’ drop coverage in P&Rs, Andrew Favakeh/Liberty Ballers

The Sixers have a slight — okay, massive — issue with dynamic point guards. Favakeh dives into film and analyzes the issue, starting with the loss to Boston, in which Kyrie Irving dropped 44 points.

• The Sixers need to find help for Joel Embiid, Justin Bonner/Section 215

Joel Embiid continues to put up MVP-caliber numbers. The Sixers need to improve the bench and give their superstar the help he deserves.

• 3 takeaways from Christmas loss to Celtics, Jerran Anderson/Hoops Habit

Anderson dives into the tough Christmas Day loss, what went wrong, what went right, and what the Sixers can learn from it.

• 6 thoughts on the Sixers, Derek Bodner/The Athletic ($)

Per usual, Bodner provides excellent insight on the Sixers, talking about Embiid’s grievances with the coaching staff, the Simmons issue, and more.

Recent content from TSS

• Sixers can take advantage of John Wall’s absence, Lucas Johnson
• How Zhaire Smith can help the second unit, Michael Bronson
• Rookie Report: Bolden steps up, Lucas Johnson
• It’s way too early to give up on Ben Simmons, Christopher Kline
• What a healthy Markelle Fultz might look like, Stuart London
• Andrew Toney and a lesson for Markelle Fultz, Stuart London

You can catch other installments here.