Pros and Cons: Sixers vs. Trail Blazers
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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.
With Joel Embiid resting and another pivotal player missing the action (we’ll get there soon), the Sixers were undermanned tonight against Damian Lillard, CJ McCollum and the Portland Trail Blazers. Here’s what jumped out to me tonight:
Pro: Sixers continue excellent guard defense
The Sixers did an exemplary job defending Atlanta Hawks star Trae Young on Saturday night. Tonight they faced an even tougher task: defending Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum.
The results were… surprisingly very good! The Sixers were able to keep both guards in check -- at least as much as a team can against Portland’s dynamic backcourt. The guards shot a combined 15-40 from the field, saving the Sixers’ defense that was again dominated on the offensive glass.
Con: Tobias Harris reportedly expected to miss several games due to health and safety protocols
We were blindsided by news right before tip-off that Harris was unavailable due to the league’s COVID-19-related policies. Later on, it was reported by Shams Charania of The Athletic that Harris is “expected to miss several games.”
It goes without saying that it won’t be smooth sailing for the Sixers as they navigate the absence of their second-best player. Harris’ scoring is a staple of the team’s offense, specifically in the half-court setting, and in the absence of Ben Simmons, his size has been pivotal on the defensive end.
t will be a collective effort moving forward to make up for Harris’ absence. Expect to see a lot more of Georges Niang, who has given the Sixers solid minutes this season. Isaiah Joe was part of tonight’s rotation, which I could see being the case until Harris returns. The Sixers will certainly ask Furkan Korkmaz for extended minutes. Most of all, though, I think the pressure is on for the guards: Tyrese Maxey, Seth Curry and Shake Milton.
The onus will be on that trio more than anyone else to generate the good looks that they won’t be getting from Harris.
Pro: The Georges Niang Game?!
Niang has been rock solid for the Sixers this year, which made it a bit surprising when he struggled early in the first quarter after being the team’s sixth man. Later on, though, Niang showed the kind of play that the Sixers would love to have from him amid Harris’ absence.
First of all, Niang is a very willing shooter who is ready to fire away off the catch at any time. And while that is his best skill, it’s far from his only one. Niang leveraged his strength inside en route to three and-ones -- I repeat, Georges Niang had three and-ones.
Niang can also rebound, and the Sixers are better off when he does. That’s because he’s also capable of grabbing and going. When Niang gets boards, he instantly darts down the court with the ball in his hands, igniting transition possessions and mismatches. His passing in the half-court is excellent as well. Niang is the exact type of player every championship contender should aspire to have coming off their bench.