Excitement is building in the Philly sports world. The Eagles are undefeated and the Phillies are mere wins away from a potential World Series appearance. Naturally, the Sixers were able to poor some cold water on the city-wide celebration. An opening night bout with the vaunted Boston Celtics had many fans excited, but it ended in defeat: 126-117. The final score suggests a closer contest than the one we saw play out.
It was tied at halftime. The vibes were good. Philly ended the second quarter on a tear, showcasing the immense offensive potential of this team. And then the second half came and Boston ran wild.
While it’s best to avoid broad generalizations and sweeping overstatements after one game, we did learn a fair amount. The Celtics are arguably the best team in basketball. If Philly wants to reach the promised land, that’s a team they have to beat.
Let’s start with positive takeaways…
Good elements of Sixers’ loss to Celtics
- James Harden is back, baby!
It’s best not to get carried away. Harden didn’t have the same rumbling dynamism we saw in his peak Houston days, but he looked significantly better than the James Harden we were treated to last season. He finished the game with 35 points on 14 shots, going 12-for-12 at the free throw line and dropping eight boards plus eight assists to bolster his line.
If Harden can return to full-blown offensive stardom, the Sixers’ chances are pretty good. It’s game one, and it’s fair to be concerned about Harden’s season-long durability, but the initial signs are promising.
- Maxey’s second-half heroics
It was inevitably fruitless, but Tyrese Maxey once again played the hero in the second half. He knifes to the rim with such ease — it’s rather beautiful to behold. The offense leaned heavily on Embiid and Harden in this one, but Maxey gave them a massive spark when they most needed it. The Sixers have the distinct challenge of feeding three star-level offensive players, but they can’t let Maxey fall by the wayside.
- P.J. Tucker doing P.J. Tucker things
Say what you will about the Sixers’ defense as a whole, but P.J. Tucker was great. He credibly resisted Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, both of whom buried more than their fair share of absurd shots. He also did the little P.J. Tucker things we will collectively come to love: crash the glass, set rock-solid screens, move without the ball, communicate on defense. He has great chemistry with James Harden, which should come as no surprise.
Bad elements of Sixers’ loss to Celtics
- Joel Embiid
He finished the game with 26 points and 15 rebounds, a respectable line by all measures. But this was not Embiid’s best effort. He basically went A.W.O.L on defense. If he wants Philly to have the best defense in the NBA, he will have to play significantly better.
Embiid was equally frustrating on offense. Poor spacing and Boston’s active defense clearly got to him. The 7-footer posted six turnovers to five assists and struggled to handle the Celtics’ double teams. This wasn’t even a case of Al Horford’s individual brilliance — Embiid simply got flustered by the pressure sent his way.
The Sixers and Embiid have to work together to get him better looks offensively. There were a couple pick-and-rolls with Harden that resulted in easy layups or fouls at the rim. Why are the Sixers not leveraging Harden to get Embiid easier looks more often? Why is he posting up 18 feet away from the basket against the best defense in the league, a defense known for its suffocating pressure? Embiid needs to fight harder for position in the post, and the Sixers need to make a concerted effort to get the ball to Embiid in more advantageous positions. A lot of it falls squarely on Embiid. Just handing him the ball at the free throw line with his back to the basket is not the best offensive method.
- Big minutes, bad bench
Tyrese Maxey played 38 minutes. Joel Embiid and James Harden played 37 minutes each. It’s only game one. The Sixers will have ample opportunities to rest their guys against lesser opponents, but the bench being so ineffective (and in so few minutes) is a bummer. Stagger starters, but be smart about it.
Ugly elements of Sixers’ loss to Celtics
- Team defense (and Embiid, again)
The Sixers’ defense was absolutely dreadful. Even with Embiid struggling rather severely, the offense looked good — even great at times. Harden, Maxey, and Harris all look primed for great seasons and Embiid is destined for bigger and better nights. That said, the defense was hot garbage — and it shouldn’t be.
That starts, you guessed it, with Joel Embiid. He was terrible. The effort level, the body language, all of it was bad. He has the capacity to win Defensive Player of the Year, but Embiid has to show the desire. He has to be more active, more engaged. There’s a difference between being selective and being disinterested. Embiid let his offensive struggles impact his defensive effort, and that’s never okay. He needs to get his body language in check. You’re trying to lead your team to a championship — act like it.
Embiid was not the only issue of course. It was a tail as old as time: the Sixers giving up easy dribble penetration and by extension open look after open look from 3. The backcourt tandem of Harden and Maxey is brilliant on offense. On defense, however, they’re both notable liabilities. That makes life harder on Embiid even when he’s playing well. Tucker fought admirably against Tatum and Brown, but the defense around him failed. The bench has multiple quality defenders (so please excuse me if I kindly ignore your pleas for Matisse Thybulle), but it’s hard to play collectively strong defense when Montrezl Harrell and Georges Niang are guarding with cement in their shoes.
It was a frustrating game overall that ultimately doesn’t matter very much. The Sixers will have better nights. Embiid is a tried and true MVP candidate who will inevitably look more like himself. James Harden looking so good is probably the takeaway, all things considered. Boston is the best defense in the NBA and one of, if not the biggest obstacle standing in Philly’s path to a title. There’s plenty here for the team to learn from and seek to improve upon. Next up is Milwaukee on Thursday.