Some thoughts and observations left over from the 76ers’ most recent game, a 124-115 loss to the Orlando Magic on Tuesday at The Center. To best access this content on a mobile device, select the “view in browser” option.
In reviewing some of Brett Brown’s comments in the immediate aftermath of the Sixers’ first three games back from the NBA All-Star break, a common (and not too startling) theme emerges.From Saturday morning, when discussing his first impressions from Friday’s 121-114 loss to New Orleans:”Defense. The pieces to it, from transition, to pick-and-roll, to just general guard-your-man technique.”Then, on the heels of Sunday’s 129-103 defeat to Dallas:”Our problem was our defense, for sure.”And most recently, Tuesday night, in his post-game press conference following the Sixers’ 124-115 setback to Orlando:”We need better defense from that starting group.”It’s no secret, not to Brown, and not to his players, that the Sixers have been looking to recapture the defensive form that they displayed during the majority of the middle-third of the season, from the final week of December up until the All-Star Game break. Since their eight-day lay-off wrapped up, the Sixers have surrendered the most points in the NBA. The Sixers have also permitted the opposition to hit 49.0 percent of its shots over the course of this stretch. “We definitely should have buckled down on the defensive end,” said Nerlens Noel on Tuesday night, once the Sixers’ loss to the Magic had gone final. “That’s what we’ve been making the focal point the last few games since All-Star break ended. We haven’t clicked on that side of the floor. That’s our bread and butter. That’s the only way we’re going to win these games is through our defense, and let offense take care of itself.”And the offense actually has been taking care of itself as of late. Post-break, the Sixers have generated 110.7 points per game, good for ninth-best in the NBA. Furthermore, no team in the league has shot better than the Sixers (51.7 fg) since the All-Star Game. But, the focus here is defense. In examining the Sixers’ state on the side of the court Tuesday, Brown again emphasized that the team is adjusting to the evolution of Jahlil Okafor’s and Nerlens Noel’s defensive roles. The bulk of Okafor’s recent assignments on defense have been at power forward.”You try to help them figure stuff out,” Brown said in reference to Okafor and Noel playing alongside one another.”That challenge, especially when [opponents] have ‘bigs’ that can shoot it. How you rotate, I think, out of pick-and-rolls apart from playing them together is part of the whole challenge.”While Brown and President of Basketball Operations and General Manager Sam Hinkie have separately acknowledged that the perfecting of the Okafor and Noel pairing won’t happen overnight, one dynamic Brown would like to see change in the span of 24 hours, when the Sixers visit the Pistons, is defensive energy.Asked why the Sixers’ energy went missing Tuesday, Brown replied, “I don’t know. I wish I did. I think it’s something we have to find out quite quickly, don’t we?”
The three points that Ish Smith posted in Sunday’s game at Dallas marked his lowest total in a game since re-joining the Sixers on December 26th. On top of that, he handed out three assists against the Mavericks, also his smallest number with the Sixers. On Tuesday versus Orlando, Smith, who, in addition to his skill set, brings value to the Sixers via veteran intangibles, seemed to have his usual, typical bounce and spirit back. His competitive energies peaked in the third-quarter, when he helped fuel the Sixers’ 17-7 go-ahead spurt.In the third period, Smith punched in 11 of his team-best 22 points. The 20-point performance was his eighth of the campaign. He also paced the Sixers with five assists. “We played pretty good. I think we were up six at one time,” said Smith, pointing to the Sixers’ 83-77 lead halfway through the third quarter. “You know the feel of the game, just kind of watching the game, you kind of pick it up. To be totally honest with you, I looked up, we were up six, crowd was in it, we were feeling pretty good about ourselves.”Then?”Then all of a sudden, we were down, and they just kept going and kept executing,” Smith continued. “It was kind of crazy, because we were up six and rolling, and before you know it, we were down.”Orlando strung together a lead-reclaiming 11-4 run to punctuate the third frame, and then hit the Sixers with an 11-2 surge in the opening three and a half minutes of the fourth. The Sixers were unable to get closer than eight points for the rest of regulation.
Brett Brown has pledged to learn as much as possible about Jahlil Okafor’s positional potential over the Sixers’ final 26 games. Whether Okafor plays power forward on defense, or five-man on offense, Orlando big Nik Vucevic knows this:”There’s always going to be a place for centers in the league.”Especially centers that are “very good,” which is the label he attached to Jahlil Okafor on Tuesday morning, after the Magic’s shootaround at The Center. “Very great, like he’s got huge potential,” said Vucevic, who ranks 12th in the league with 26 double-doubles. “He’s been doing well his first year in the NBA.”Okafor collected 17 points – right around his average – against the Magic on Tuesday. Vucevic was a force in the game. He powered his way to 12 points in the first quarter, and finished the evening with 35 points, two off of his career-high total. In projecting the long-term viability of the traditional center role in the NBA, Vucevic said, “It depends on the way teams play. It depends on the coach, the players you have. For some teams, like a classic center like they call us is going to fit, and some others it won’t. But I think you’re always going to need a center, big guy in there, especially come playoff time, especially if it’s a guy that can score on the block, easy ones. It’s really important. Basketball’s always had five positions. I don’t think that’s going to change.”He added, “The better player you are at your position, the more you bring.”Now in his fifth season, Vucevic has certainly brought the Magic big man value, averaging 16.0 points and 10.9 rebounds since he landed with the team prior to the 2012-2013 season. Okafor, through only 50 games, appears to be well on his way to doing the same with the Sixers.
