Category: Philadelphia 76ers Blog

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The fascinating matchup of Joel Embiid vs. Marc Gasol

On Sunday, the Sixers, playing at home in Philly, handled the Raptors, 110-104.

In the win, Tobias Harris scored 26 points, Matisse Thybulle added 20 off the bench, and Ben Simmons put up 16 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists. Sixers center Joel Embiid had a rough day, finishing with 10 points, eight rebounds, and six assists — but seven turnovers.

In the loss, Kyle Lowry scored 26, while starting center Marc Gasol had a miserable statline of 0 for 6 shooting, 0 points and four rebounds in 30 minutes.

But the Embiid vs Gasol matchup is fascinating. Here’s the Toronto Sun reporting, prior to today’s game:

In six regular-season games between the two bigs, only one of them since Gasol became a Raptor, Embiid has shot just 29% against Gasol’s defence. In the past three regular-season meetings, not including last night’s game, Embiid is a combined 8-for-39 against Gasol including that 0-for-11 in the only previous meeting this year when Embiid didn’t even get one from the free throw line where he was 0-for-3 for the first, and probably last, scoreless game of his NBA career.

The Sixers and Raptors are right next to each other in the East standings, and their records could be close all season. This will be worth paying attention to, right through the postseason.

 

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Ben Simmons wants to win the NBA Defensive Player of the Year award

 

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Oversized Sixers point guard Ben Simmons has a respectable personal goal.

Here’s NBC Sports Philly reporting:

When asked about his goals for this season at media day, Ben Simmons would only reveal one.

He wanted to be the Defensive Player of the Year.

Saturday night against the Pacers, he acted like one, recording three steals in the final 13.9 seconds of the Sixers’ 119-116 win over the Pacers (see observations). Amid all the concern about Simmons’ offense and the question of whether he’ll ever be a willing and able jump shooter, he’s racked up some gaudy defensive numbers.

His 42 steals in 18 games are most in the NBA, while his 72 deflections and 41 loose balls recovered are second. Opponents have shot just 40.9 percent when guarded by Simmons this year.

The Sixers are 14-6 this season, placing them just 5th in the Eastern conference, but barely behind the second-place 14-4 Toronto Raptors.

Defensively, the Sixers are tied right now with the Jazz for the 5th most efficient defense in the league.

Sixers now 11-5 after four straight wins

 

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The Sixers got off to a somewhat modest start this season, but after four straight wins they are 11-5 and playing closer a the level expected of them entering the season.

In particular, their offense, barely above average in efficiency so far, has needed serious improvement.

But, there’s reason for hope. NBC Sports Philly observes the following: “Through 16 games, the unit of Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons, Tobias Harris, Josh Richardson and Al Horford has gotten through just five contests together. That five-man lineup has by far the highest net rating in the NBA at 29.4 (minimum 80 minutes played together). Of course Saturday night’s blowout, in which the Sixers’ starters outscored the Heat’s 90-33, helped that cause.”

It’s no surprise that the a team with the type of roster changes the Sixers did this offseason is undergoing a bit of an adjustment period. But 11-5 is an excellent record, and there’s reason to believe the team will only get better in the coming weeks.

Tonight, they visit the Raptors in Toronto. On Wednesday, they host the Sacramento Kings.

Timberwolves will reportedly trade Jimmy Butler to Sixers

Philadelphia Inquirer: The 76ers got their third star. The team will acquire All-Star swingman Jimmy Butler and Justin Patton from the Minnesota Timberwolves in exchange for Robert Covington, Dario Saric, Jerryd Bayless, and a 2022 second-round pick.

More from the Inquirer: Butler can opt out of the final year — 2019-20 — of his contract next summer to become a free agent. He and the Sixers expect to reach a deal on a long-term contract then, according to ESPN. That makes sense, because the Sixers will have his Bird rights once the trade goes through. The Sixers can offer him a five-year, $190 million max contract next summer. Teams that don’t have his rights would be able to offer Butler only a four-year, $141 million max contract in free agency.

PhillyNews.com: If you were to design the ideal player to star alongside Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons, there are a lot of ways in which he would differ from Jimmy Butler. From his volume-dependent point production to his mediocre three-point shot to his habit of clashing with younger players, the 29-year-old star is hardly the perfect fit for a Sixers team that has less than a year to put the finishing touches on the core it will rely upon for the next half decade. But the one overriding takeaway from the organization’s decision to acquire the disgruntled veteran from the Timberwolves, while parting ways with two beloved starters is this: Not only does Butler makes the Sixers better right now, in the midst of a sputtering 8-5 start, but he has the potential to make them a whole lot better come April, by which time the Sixers will need to have experienced a radical transformation to compete in an Eastern Conference playoff field that includes powerhouses in Boston and Toronto and an upstart Bucks squad in Milwaukee.

Sixers unveil Rocky-inspired City Edition uniform

The Philadelphia 76ers unveiled today their 2018-19 City Edition uniform, which the team says “celebrates Philadelphia’s rich history of the challenger’s mentality that inspired the “Rocky” and “Creed” films.”

Per the team: The uniform’s core displays the iconic circle of 13 stars derived from the boxing ring where Rocky Balboa first squared off against Apollo Creed, while the gray sweatsuit-textured base was influenced by both Adonis Creed’s and Rocky’s legendary training scenes throughout the streets of Philadelphia. The crisp blue, red and white waistband trim on the shorts is inspired by Rocky’s championship belt. Meanwhile, the phrase “PHILADELPHIA, USA,” is embroidered on the lower left hem of the jersey as a nod to the city’s fans, heart and determination.

“We are excited to unveil this season’s City Edition uniform, which pays tribute to the heart, determination, and tenacity of our city and fan base,” Philadelphia 76ers President of Business Operations Chris Heck said. “In partnership with StubHub and MGM, we developed a concept that speaks to the mentality that has defined our city for generations. It’s a nod to a city with a fighter’s toughness and mentality, a mentality that our team and players embody every time they take the floor. As stewards of the 76ers brand, we have an obligation to honor old Philadelphia and celebrate new Philadelphia. We are proud to wear this uniform and represent the City of Brotherly Love.”

Mike Muscala cleared to play for Sixers

The Sixers are about to get a bit deeper in the frontcourt. Bench help. But still. Here’s the Philadelphia Inquirer reporting:

Mike Muscala will make his 76ers debut Tuesday night against the Detroit Pistons at the Little Caesar Arena. The reserve center was cleared Tuesday afternoon after missing the first three Sixers games because of a sprained left ankle.

“I sprained my ankle about a month ago before the training camp,” Muscala said Oct. 16. “So I was kind of dealing with a lot of swelling from that. It wasn’t bothering me at all, but I kind of nicked it in the last preseason game” against the Dallas Mavericks on Oct. 8 in Shenzhen, China.

Sixers sign Darin Johnson and Cory Jefferson

Sixers sign Darin Johnson and Cory Jefferson

The Philadelphia 76ers have signed guard Darin Johnson and forward Cory Jefferson.

In related moves, the team has waived guard Matt Farrell and forward DJ Hogg.

A 6-foot-9 forward, Jefferson has spent the last two seasons playing professionally in Italy (Olimpia Milano) and the Philippines (Alaska Aces). This past summer, he participated in both MGM Resorts NBA Summer League 2018 and the 2018 Utah Jazz Summer League as a member of the San Antonio Spurs. Jefferson also played for the NBL’s Melbourne United when Philadelphia hosted the Australian team in a preseason game on Sept. 28.

Jefferson, who was originally selected with the No. 60 overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft, has appeared in 58 career NBA games with Brooklyn and Phoenix and posted averages of 3.5 points and 2.8 rebounds in 10.0 minutes per game. He played his college basketball at Baylor from 2009-14.

Johnson, a 6-foot-7 guard, was chosen by the Blue Coats with the No. 12 overall pick in the 2017 NBA G League Draft and last season appeared in 44 games (eight starts) with Delaware last season. In 17.2 minutes per contest, he held averages of 6.5 points and 1.9 rebounds.

Beginning his collegiate career at Washington, Johnson eventually transferred to California State University, Northridge. As a redshirt junior in 2016-17, he averaged 13.8 points, 3.7 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game.

Sixers sign Matt Farrell and DJ Hogg, waive Anthony Brown and Norvel Pelle

Sixers sign Matt Farrell and DJ Hogg, waive Anthony Brown and Norvel Pelle

The Philadelphia 76ers have signed guard Matt Farrell and forward DJ Hogg. And in related moves, the team has waived guard-forward Anthony Brown and center Norvel Pelle.

It’s likely that these signings be very short term, as preseason wraps up tomorrow.

A 6-foot-1 guard, Farrell spent four years playing collegiately at the University of Notre Dame, finishing as one of the more decorated players in the program’s history. Named 2018 All-ACC Third Team, the team captain improved his averages across the board each year, culminating in a senior season in which he averaged 16.3 points, 2.4 rebounds and 5.5 assists in 35.8 minutes per game. His 98 made three-point field goals were the second-most in the ACC during the 2017-18 season.

Farrell, a native of Bridgewater, New Jersey, was part of Irish squads that went a combined 103-43 over his four years in South Bend and made three straight appearances in the NCAA Tournament from 2015-17.

Playing for Texas A&M University for three seasons from 2015-18, Hogg finished with career averages of 9.3 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 25.4 minutes per game. In his three seasons with the Aggies, the 6-foot-8 forward totaled a team-best 155 three-pointers.

Hogg, a member of two A&M teams that reached the Sweet Sixteen (2016, 2018), helped the Aggies to their highest Associated Press ranking in school history at No. 5 in both 2016 and 2018.

Farrell (Miami) and Hogg (New Orleans) most recently appeared in MGM Resorts NBA Summer League 2018, where in four games Farrell averaged 3.3 points, 1.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists in 16.5 minutes per game, while Hogg held averages of 7.5 points, 0.5 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 13.5 minutes per game across four contests. Farrell also averaged 1.7 points, 0.3 rebounds and 0.7 assists in 9.3 minutes for the Heat in three games at the California Classic Summer League.

Sixers flight overseas took almost 22 hours

The Sixers just spent a tremendous amount of time on airplanes. Here’s the Philadelphia Inquirer reporting:

The team’s flight from Philadelphia to the world’s most populated city took 21 hours, 38 minutes because of a snow storm in Calgary. The plane made a scheduled stop in the Canadian city for gas. However, the Sixers were delayed three hours there because of the weather.

The Sixers were scheduled to arrive at 6:30 a.m. Wednesday, Shanghai time. However, they didn’t get here until midday.

“As crazy as it was for others, I was actually doing work and fell asleep,” coach Brett Brown said of the flight. “And I was a bit surprised when you felt the plane take off again, and I did wake up and saw a Sunoco sign when I thought we were over the South Pacific.

“Other than that, it was a long trip.”

China is an important basketball market for the entire world and especially the NBA, but I have to wonder how it affects players to take a trip like that. Obviously there’s no long term effect, so it’s not a huge deal. And on the positive side, aside from promoting the league in general, the teams that do make the trip, and of course some of the individual stars on those teams, probably gain a nice amount of new international fans.