4 Problems the 76ers must fix to win 2024 NBA title
By Will Eudy
Defend better in fastbreak
We know that one of the most important aspects of playing winning basketball in the playoffs is defense. Offense can win you games in the regular season and still plays a part in postseason success as well obviously, but defense has been what separates good teams from great ones for years and years.
Even without Embiid, Philadelphia has performed generally well on that end of the floor. They currently rank in the top 10 for opponent points per game, opponent assists per game, opponent three-point percentage, as well as opponent assist to turnover ratio.
But one area they could stand to improve is defending in the fastbreak. The 76ers currently rank 24th in the league for opponent fastbreak points per game, surrendering 15.4 to their opposition per night. Keeping other teams at bay in transition is of course always important, but especially in the playoffs where one game can make or break your season.
More athletic teams can get themselves going against an otherwise solid defensive team by taking advantage of lackluster transition defense and getting easy buckets on the run. This is a problem that could absolutely tank the Sixers' season if not fixed before a playoff matchup against a capable team.