The Sixers face the Memphis Grizzlies at 3:30 PM E.T.
After nearly four months of uncertainty, the Philadelphia 76ers will finally play basketball today, July 24, at 3:30 PM ET. The Sixers play host to the Memphis Grizzlies, which means a display of Philly fandom will occupy the LED screens above and alongside the court.
This will be our first look at the Sixers’ new starting five, as well as our first look at the (reportedly) improved fitness of Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons, and Josh Richardson. Those are just some of many important storylines entering this game.
The Grizzlies are unlikely to meet Philadelphia in the Finals, so this should mark the final meeting between these teams in 2019-20. Memphis recently lost Justise Winslow to injury, but should have a mostly healthy roster available. Ja Morant, the presumptive favorite for Rookie of the Year, is already a prime-time draw.
Both Philadelphia and Memphis have a lot to play for in Orlando, and while this scrimmage doesn’t impact the final standings, momentum is still important. And these scrimmages can help build momentum, both for a Sixers team looking to establish chemistry and a Grizzlies team looking to lock up the eighth seed. Sparks could fly.
Here are five storylines and subplots to look forward to in this afternoon’s matinee.
5. Horford’s minutes next to Embiid
This is a scrimmage, so Philadelphia won’t heap a full workload on its starters (or even its key reserves). But this is still our first chance to get a feel for Al Horford‘s new role as the sixth man. More specifically, it’s our first chance to get a feel for how often he and Joel Embiid might share the court.
Brett Brown recently told reporters that Embiid and Horford haven’t spent any time together in practices since the team arrived in Orlando. That will almost certainly change once the regular season resumes, but it’s clear the Sixers will separate Embiid and Horford as much as possible.
Once the postseason arrives, Brown has pegged 38 minutes a night as the target for Embiid’s playing time. That would leave Horford will 10 minutes at backup center. The Sixers probably want more than 10 minutes out of Horford each night.
Today, it’s worth looking for potential Embiid-Horford team-ups and the lineups placed around them. It’s abundantly clear the Embiid-Horford-Simmons trifecta cannot and will not work, but it’s not unfeasible to get squeeze solid production out of the Embiid-Horford tandem. Good shooting and solid perimeter defenders should make it work.
The Sixers plan to use more pick-and-rolls. Embiid and Horford are capable of clearing the paint for each other. Horford is a smart passer, highly unselfish, and capable of coexisting with other bigs. This is a duo that can still work in spurts. It’s simply a matter of putting the right pieces around them.
4. Defensive assignments
The Grizzlies’ starting five consists of Ja Morant, De’Anthony Melton, Dillon Brooks, Jaren Jackson Jr., and Jonas Valanciunas. The only concrete assignment here is Embiid on Valanciunas. Beyond the obvious, Philadelphia could go a few different directions.
I would bet money on Richardson trailing Morant. He’s the Sixers’ top on-ball defender after Simmons, who will probably split time between Melton — a polished ball-handler in his own right — Jackson, and Brooks, depending on where Brown decides to hide Harris.
This isn’t the best matchup on paper for Harris. Jackson is bigger, can score effectively in the post, and shots the 3 at a high volume. He will keep Harris occupied both inside and out, even if he’s not much of a go-to scorer at this point in his career. The alternative, however, is leaving Harris to chase Dillon Brooks around the perimeter, which isn’t ideal.
Milton is a slightly bigger question mark, if only because this is his first stint with the starting five. At 6-foot-5, Milton has a 7-foot-1 wingspan. In theory, he can defend up and down the positional chart. But he’s far from a certain entity on defense, even if the tools are readily apparent. Milton struggles with twitcher athletes — which rules out Morant — and can get pounded by stronger wings.
In the end, he’s probably fine defending either Melton or Brooks. Given that Brooks is Memphis’ top perimeter scorer next to Morant, I would anticipate Simmons checking him. That leaves Melton for Milton. So the tree looks like this.
- Josh Richardson –> Ja Morant
- Shake Milton –> De’Anthony Melton
- Ben Simmons –> Dillon Brooks
- Tobias Harris –> Jaren Jackson Jr.
- Joel Embiid –> Jonas Valanciunas
3. Playmakers of the future
The marquee for this matchup likely includes Ben Simmons and Ja Morant, who are two of the most exciting young playmakers in basketball. Even as he transitions to a heftier off-ball role, Simmons will probably lead the Sixers in touches. Morant is the runaway favorite for Rookie of the Year, an award Simmons took home not long ago.
Before the suspension of play, Morant averaged 17.6 points and 6.9 assists while shooting 49.1 percent from the field. He’s a dynamic athlete on the perimeter, overcoming a slender frame with finesse and craft. He can rise over defenders, or snake around them to finish in traffic. Add elite handles, and Morant’s entertainment value exceeds a slew of more established point guards.
On the other hand, Simmons is a 6-foot-10 freight train who can seemingly do everything except shoot 3s. At least, that was the case before the hiatus, when he averaged 16.7 points and 8.2 assists on 58.5 percent shooting. One can expect similar production in Orlando, even if he’s yielding some halfcourt possessions to Shake Milton.
Both Simmons and Morant are electric when the game speeds up. Simmons can outrun and overpower anyone, while Morant is a much shiftier ball-handler, slicing and dicing through defenders at full speed. If this game speeds up, expect a high dosage of highlight plays from these two.
2. Horford’s defense
This matchup will test Horford’s claims of improved health. Horford has long been praised for his versatility on defense, but this season has seen Horford slow considerably on the perimeter. He has struggled to defend in space on a regular basis.
The Grizzlies will likely tether Valanciunas to Embiid for as long as they are both playing. Horford is therefore bound to spend time on Jaren Jackson, who gets staggered minutes as the “backup” five. Jackson is a volume shooter who can attack off the catch. He will force Horford to defend the perimeter.
When he’s not defending Jackson, there’s a chance Horford will need to contain Brandon Clarke. While not the same shooter Jackson is, Clarke can shoot efficiently at a low volume. He’s also a springboard athlete who, despite a slender build, is an absolute handful inside. He’s another especially challenging matchup for the aging Horford.
If the Sixers are to get value out of Horford in his new role, he will need to play up to snuff on defense. For the majority of his career, Horford has been an All-Defense contender. The type of smart, measured defender who can anchor a defense. Hopefully the extended break has loosened up his joints a bit. Horford has dealt with knee tendonitis in the past.
Or, if Philadelphia is lucky, the Grizzlies will overplay Gorgui Dieng and render this entire point moot. But Memphis to make Horford work.
1. Shake!
I mean, duh! This is Shake Milton’s first run as the starting point guard. In fact, it’s his first playing time next to the rest of the starting five, period. He hasn’t played a single minute next to the Josh Richardson, Tobias Harris, Ben Simmons, and Joel Embiid quartet this season.
Milton set the NBA ablaze in the weeks leading up to the hiatus. He dropped 39 points on the Clippers, made Paul George call for help, and shot a cool 45.3 percent from deep. On paper, he’s the volume-shooting, smart-playmaking guard Philadelphia has always needed next to Simmons and Embiid.
Of course, Milton’s NBA success has come in a worryingly small sample, and it’s not uncommon for players to cool off after four months away from the game. There’s a chance Milton’s shooting falls back to earth, and he will need to prove he’s valuable enough in other areas of the game.
He’s a very smart playmaker, but Milton doesn’t have the burst or twitch typically associated with the point guard position. He’s not someone who’s comfortable isolating and creating his offense. He infamously struggled to create separation and playmake for others as Philadelphia’s lead guard in Summer League 2019.
If Milton is scorching the nets from deep, can he truly step into a lead guard role and provide starting-quality minutes? It’s yet to be seen. The mere presence of another shooter and ball-mover should unclog the Sixers’ halfcourt offense, and Milton has proven his comfort as a pick-and-roll ball-handler in the past. But if he struggles for any reason, there are other noteworthy options on the roster — Horford, Alec Burks, Glenn Robinson, etc.
He will need to earn his keep as Philadelphia’s lead guard. I’m of the opinion he can and will. Milton was a stud in the weeks prior to the hiatus, and it’s rare for someone to play as well as he did and then drop off the map. But still, the small sample deserves mention. Today, we finally lay eyes on ‘Shake the Starter.’