The Philadelphia 76ers have a chronic issue that even eventually returning to full health cannot fix – their defense.
Philadelphia's defensive troubles were brutally on display in its 144-103 loss to the Orlando Magic on Tuesday. Orlando exploited the 76ers’ poor transition defense and insufficient rim protection in what was their largest loss of the season. Philadelphia’s outing served as a reminder about how its defensive ceiling is capped by its roster construction.
The 76ers’ defense went poof
The 76ers and Magic were tied at 35 after the first quarter, despite Philadelphia being without four of its six leading scorers. Just when it appeared that the 76ers were competitive under such troublesome circumstances, their defense gave way to their eighth loss of the season.
Orlando outscored Philadelphia 51-25 in the second period, which was obviously the key factor in the outcome. Allowing 51 points in 12 minutes is already egregious, but Philadelphia’s way of doing so only worsened the matter. The Magic had 80 points down low, 36 off turnovers and 25 in transition, all of which they largely tallied in the second frame.
The 76ers – heavily shorthanded – lacked shot creators aside from Tyrese Maxey, which led to messy execution. Philadelphia recorded eight second-quarter turnovers that Orlando used to generate transition opportunities.
It’s not why, but how
If the 76ers’ circumstantially disjointed offense were the core reason they lost, it would’ve been understandable. But, Philadelphia’s inability to sprint to the opposite end of the court to defend in transition unjustifies sympathy.
Orlando routinely outpaced the 76ers in the open floor because of their lethargic defense, which highly contributed to Anthony Black’s career-high 31 points. Even when Philadelphia recovered, its point-of-attack defense and help rotations were inadequate; an issue that a large Magic team amplified.
The 76ers entered the year boasting one of the deepest backcourts in the NBA, but the intrigue clouded their rim protection deficiency.
Philadelphia lacks a paint presence that can negate an opposing team’s dribble penetration. Although Joel Embiid, Andre Drummond and Adem Bona contribute in their own regard, none can consistently anchor a defense at this stature.
The 76ers’ defensive philosophy is predicated on fighting through screens and forcing turnovers to create fast-break chances. But, without reliable rim protection, Philadelphia has struggled to execute the vision on a regular basis.
The 76ers rank 19th league-wide in defensive rating, allowing 117 points per 100 possessions. Aside from last season’s 24-win campaign, the last time Philadelphia produced in such a poor fashion was the 2015-16 season, when it totaled 10 victories.