Pros and Cons: Sixers vs. Raptors
Well, we got two of ‘em back.
Adam Aaronson, whose legal name is Sixers Adam (@SixersAdam on Twitter), covers the Sixers for The Rights To Ricky Sanchez. He believes cantaloupe is the best food in existence, and is brought to you by the Official Realtor of The Process, Adam Ksebe.
Riding a two-game losing streak, the Sixers faced the Toronto Raptors tonight in their final game before a two-week, six-game road trip commences. Let’s start with some news that broke earlier tonight and then get to the game itself.
Pro: Tobias Harris returns from COVID-19
After a six-game absence, Harris made his return to the Sixers’ starting lineup tonight, marking the end of his time in the NBA’s health and safety protocols.
Harris being back is obviously meaningful in a lot of ways. First of all, his return solidified the forward rotation -- at least at the four -- to a good extent. Between Harris and Georges Niang, the Sixers can easily piece together 48 minutes with a reliable and natural power forward on the floor.
While Matisse Thybulle and Isaiah Joe remain out moving forward -- neither has a timeline set for their return -- expect to see Harris and Niang not just split the power forward minutes, but play together some as well. Going big with Harris at the three and going small with Niang at the five are both plausible strategies for Doc Rivers to employ.
And, of course, Harris coming back provides the Sixers with some much-needed stability on offense. With Joel Embiid also without a timeline to return from his positive COVID-19 test, the Sixers are desperate for consistent sources of offense. Outside of Embiid, the Sixers don’t have any offensive player as reliable as Harris. He wasn’t particularly great tonight, but his presence will go a long way moving forward.
Con: Sixers get crushed on the offensive glass… again
If you recall, this is not the first time I have written about this being an issue. Once again, the Sixers were bodied on the offensive glass, with the Raptors scoring a whole lot of second-chance points thanks to their offensive rebounding.
In the past, I warned that I was not yet concerned about this being a long-term issue. Well, now, it’s hard not to be worried. This has gone from an anomaly to a trend, and its impact has very much been tangible.
There’s no doubt that the Sixers have the personnel to combat this issue -- Embiid is one of the better rebounders in the NBA, and Andre Drummond is one of the better rebounders in NBA history. That’s part of what makes this so confounding, though: this issue has persisted despite the presence of those two.
I’m not advising that we enter full-blown panic mode, but keep an eye on this.
Pro: Tyrese Maxey, star in the making
That’s right, folks: I’m breaking my own protocol AGAIN, and there’s nothing you can do about it. Two pros in a loss. This is MY column.
With that being said…
I try not to opine on Maxey’s potential too much, because, let’s face it, everyone does. He likely has the highest approval rating of any Sixer right now, as the sophomore breakout season that we all thought was coming has started.
What Maxey did tonight in the fourth quarter was, dare I say, heroic. With the Sixers against the ropes, Maxey went nuts, getting to the rim at will and consistently scoring against the Raptors. He led a furious comeback late in the fourth quarter.
What can you even say about this kid anymore (Yes, he’s a year older than me, I don’t care, I’m still calling him a kid)? It’s flat-out absurd what he is doing right now. With major personnel consistently unavailable, the man who has taken on the biggest burden is a 6-foot-1 guard learning to run the point as he goes.
Maxey continues to destroy opposing defenses as a driver, with his array of layups and floaters always showing their beauty.
Truthfully, I don’t know what to say that hasn’t been said. Tyrese Maxey is going to be an absolute star one day.