Three Normal Things: Sixers Vs. Nets
Three Normal Things
Adam Aaronson, whose legal name is Sixers Adam (@SixersAdam on Twitter), covers the Sixers for The Rights To Ricky Sanchez. He has been legally banned from covering the team in person, and when that ban was set to be lifted, Covid-19 struck. He believes cantaloupe is the best food in existence, and is brought to you by the Official Realtor of The Process, Adam Ksebe.
Welcome back to Three Normal Things! Let’s begin:
t#1: The Nets don’t show their hand
We saw a majorly handicapped Nets squad tonight, with the bulk of their regular rotation -- Kevin Durant, James Harden, LaMarcus Aldridge and Blake Griffin among others -- sidelined due to various injuries.
Brooklyn’s injury report is genuine, but it would have been quite nice to see how these teams match up when both are at full strength. Unfortunately, we won’t see that in the regular season. Tonight was the last regular season game between the two teams.
Looking ahead, what intrigues me most about a hypothetical Sixers-Nets series is how the Sixers will go about defending Brooklyn’s big three. Obviously, Durant, Harden and Kyrie Irving form an elite trio that cannot be fully stopped in its tracks. So who will Doc Rivers assign James Harden to? How will he try to hide Seth Curry? How much will George Hill and Matisse Thybulle have to play because of their defense? These are all questions we may enter a series without answers to. But maybe this might help...
#2: Tobias Harris, two-way player
I’ve written at length on several occasions now about just how much better Tobias Harris has gotten this season. And while Tobias was never a major negative defensively, he was likely average, someone who is just hanging around.
This season, he’s improved mightily on that end. He’s used his solid frame and strength to handle some big power forwards. Where I’ve seen the most improvement, though, is with his lateral movement, and how it impacts his ability to switch onto smaller guards. Kyrie Irving had a marvelous night, but Harris did successfully get stops against him a few times.
Perhaps Tobias will now figure into the Sixers’ defensive game-plan come playoff time.
#3: Joel Embiid’s hilarious dominance
After a night like tonight, I can’t help but talk about Embiid. Joel struggled early, was noticeably uncomfortable with his knee brace, often looked out of sorts mentally and physically… and finished the game with 39 points and 13 rebounds.
The easiest indication of a legitimate superstar is the day where they have an “off game” that’s better than most players’ career-best. We’re far into that territory with Embiid now. Sometimes Joel is so good that I am legitimately reduced to laughter. There’s not much else you can say to describe how good he’s been this season.
Bonus #4: Well, that ending sucked
Down the stretch, these were the Sixers of our past. With a brutal fourth quarter, the Sixers allowed an embarrassing comeback by a group of Brooklyn’s end-of-bench players. There is simply no excuse for finishing a game as disastrously as they did in this one, and I don’t think anything else needs to be said.