Philadelphia 76ers: The core pieces are beginning to click

The Philadelphia 76ers’ core pieces are beginning to pick up steam after an impressive Game 3 win.

After coming out flat in Game 1, the Philadelphia 76ers have orchestrated two convincing wins to take a 2-1 series lead over the Brooklyn Nets. Even with Joel Embiid missing Game 3, the Sixers seem to be putting the right pieces together at the right time.

The Sixers’ recent success starts with Brett Brown, who has coached two strong games in a row. Brown’s postseason strategy has been a concern for some, but he’s finding ways to exploit Brooklyn’s most vulnerable tendencies. He has thoroughly outcoached Kenny Atkinson in Games 2 and 3.

Leaning on Greg Monroe for 24 minutes in Game 3 was a regrettable decision, but otherwise, Brown continued to make the correct adjustments. Ben Simmons shaded D’Angelo Russell to his right, forcing Russell to make tougher shots. J.J. Redick has been impressive on both ends in recent games, shielding Joe Harris on defense and springing free via numerous actions on offense.

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For Brown, getting the most out of a very unique set of players has always been the challenge. Embiid and Simmons aren’t the cleanest fit, while J.J. boasts a few problematic shortcomings in postseason basketball. Brett has managed to strike the right balance, and it continued in Game 3 despite Embiid’s absence.

The Sixers’ rotations have been markedly better since Jonathon Simmons and T.J. McConnell were benched. James Ennis‘ return, while unspectacular, has given Philadelphia some much-needed defense on the wing. He can also shoot, crash the boards and provide some grit that was otherwise lost with McConnell.

With the bench functioning better than anticipated — thanks, Boban Marjanovic — and the starters beginning to heat up, the Sixers are primed to detonate on the first round. Brooklyn still has Game 4 at home and the ability to heat up from three-point range, but the Sixers have reestablished themselves as sizable favorites.

Perhaps the biggest issue holding the Sixers back in Game 1 was a lack of cohesion and consistency. The Sixers simply weren’t functioning as a unit. Embiid was hobbled, the other starters struggled, the defense collapsed, and Jimmy Butler was left to salvage what little hope was left.

That has now changed, with Embiid proving much more effective in Game 2 and the other starters rounding into form — starting with Ben Simmons. The point guard dropped 18 points, 10 rebounds and 12 assists in Game 2. Then Jared Dudley called him average and Simmons cranked it up one more notch, dropping 31 points, nine assists and three blocks on the road.

With all the questions surrounding Simmons’ ability to contribute in the postseason, his last two games were quite the pick-me-up for fans. When he’s aggressive, the non-shooting almost doesn’t matter — he just needs to embrace contact, attack mismatches and dominate inside.

Simmons’ Game 3, in a sense, was a breakout performance for him, reminding fans — and critics — just how dominant he is at his ceiling. The Sixers also unleashed Simmons in new ways, often using him as a screener and roll man. Those actions were highly effective and should become regular installments in the offense, with or without Embiid.

The Sixers also rely heavily on shooting, which means Tobias Harris and J.J. Redick hold a special niche in the offense. Both struggled in stretches leading up to the playoffs, with Harris outright slumping through Game 1. Over the past two games, however, both have been effective.

Redick scored 26 points on 5-for-9 three-point shooting Thursday, while Harris made all six of his attempts en route to 29 points — a postseason career-high. When those two are making shots, the floor spreads and defenses are infinitely more stressed. Prior to Games 2 and 3, it was too easy to forget Harris’ status as a borderline All-Star.

Even Jimmy Butler, who went lone wolf out of necessity in Game 1, settled into a nice groove, scoring 16 points and seven assists as the de facto backup point guard.

The Sixers are at their best when the scoring is balanced. Simmons needs to maintain his aggressiveness, Butler can’t fade out, and Harris needs to remain active in the offense. When those three are playing well, Embiid is healthy, and Redick isn’t getting run off the court, Philadelphia has more than enough talent to compete in the Eastern Conference.

Game 4 takes place Saturday at 3 PM E.T. on TNT.