The Philadelphia 76ers are one of the very best defensive teams to this point in the 2022-23 NBA season. No one who tuned them out after the start of the year would believe that, but it's true. The Sixers defense ranks fifth in the NBA, providing one of the most pleasant surprises early in the season.
Expectations for the Sixers coming into the season were that they would be a strong defensive team. For that reason, it may seem like their strong defensive performance isn't all that shocking. But for the team to already be so effective after a wildly disappointing start should come as a shock. This isn't a team just getting better — it's one that's really starting to figure itself out and play with the intensity that was promised ahead of the campaign.
It's reasonable to surmise that an extended absence from notably poor defender James Harden is a reason for the Sixers' defense surging. There is perhaps some truth to that, but it's not the only reason. A lot of Philadelphia's improvement defensively has to do with an increase in on-court chemistry and effort.
New and improved defense
After bringing in defenders like P.J. Tucker, De'Anthony Melton and Danuel House Jr. this offseason, the Sixers are looking to switch a little more on defense. The growing pains were noticeable early, as players were not on the same page pretty often.
FVV screens for Siakam here to get Maxey in the action. Seeing this league wide but for the Sixers you just have to know your coverages. Maxey is going with a show, Tucker is going for a switch, Siakam pulls up for 3. pic.twitter.com/xpr7OTR43j
— Steve Jones Jr. (@stevejones20) October 27, 2022
Those switches can still leave the team vulnerable when Tyrese Maxey is on the floor, as just about anyone bigger than him is a mismatch. But overall, the team is doing a better job keeping the ball in front of them and executing effective switches. Even when they don't, they can rely on Joel Embiid to block the shot or force a miss and clean the glass.
When Embiid is on the floor, the Sixers' opponents have an offensive rating of 105.6, a mark that would lead the league. But when he sits, opponents have an offensive rating of 116.1, which is bested by only four teams. His poor effort from the start of the season is no longer, as he is dominating as the anchor of a top-notch defense.
Joel Embiid having a block party while putting up all of the Sixers' points in the 4Q 😤 pic.twitter.com/tExmIKFaDU
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) November 14, 2022
“We don’t want to switch the five, as much as we can,” Rivers explained after the Sixers' Wednesday practice. “First of all, just with the way we’re playing and at the pace we’re playing, he’d be exhausted. We don’t want him chasing guards. We want him up at the screen, being able to get back. We want our low man to take the roller as much as he can and Jo will get back. We want our guards fighting over the screens. We’ve been better when we’ve done that. Out of a timeout, we’re switching everything. But for the most part, we’re switching one through four.”
Rivers added that he wants his guards going over screens no matter who it is, but also that the Sixers will sometimes deploy traps on guards who are more adept at getting downhill.
Tucker and Tobias Harris — whose 3-point shooting improvements are another pleasant surprise for the Sixers — are the two other key defenders in the starting lineup due to their size and versatility. Both guys are physical and willing to take on whoever they have to. Melton is adept at guarding numerous positions, contesting shots and generating steals. House gives the team another guy with solid size who can match up with a variety of wings.
Having wild cards like Matisse Thybulle and Paul Reed helps the Sixers' defense, too, even if it costs them spacing or rotation issues due to foul trouble. Despite playing 13.2 minutes and 7.1 minutes respectively, they each average one steal per game. Both guys are agents of chaos, creating turnovers or forcing misses that can sometimes spark transition opportunities.
Getting steals is a strength of this Sixers team, as six players average at least one per game. Along with the aforementioned two players are Harris and Melton, who each average 1.6 steals per game (putting them in the top-15 of the league) along with Harden and Maxey, who each average 1.1 steals. Melton is in the top-three on the league leaderboard in steal percentage among qualified players and the team ranks top-five on the steals per-game league leaderboard.
Again, the Sixers becoming a top-notch defensive team is not all that surprising. It was the ethos they hoped to adopt before the season and the side of the ball they want to dominate. What is surprising, though, is where they are now considering where they started.
Pitiful performances on that end, like the one in their loss to the Toronto Raptors, have been masked by five consecutive games of holding their opponents below the league average of 112.7 points per game. Sixers reporter Derek Bodner illustrated the clear correlation between the team's defensive rating and the frequency of transition plays by their opponents. Taking away those easy looks has been a big piece of the puzzle as well.
There is reason to believe these promising defensive trends won't vanish when Harden returns. Firstly, a better offense will lessen their defensive burden and Harden will certainly provide that. But bigger than that is the fact the Sixers have started to get a feel for their defensive scheme and are accompanying that with more effort.
Philly is finally starting to look like the defensive team that was promised. Even with the concerns on offense to address, the defensive success is something to be optimistic about.
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