The Philadelphia 76ers (1-4) welcomed the Memphis Grizzlies (4-3) to town as they tried to correct their dismal course to begin the season. The Sixers managed to remain competitive early thanks to some hot shooting but got blown out once they came back down to Earth. Final score: 124-107.
Joel Embiid and Paul George did not play but they did give recent updates on their recoveries, respectively making progress despite not having a return date and working to check conditioning off the list before getting back into the lineup. Memphis was without several key guards in Desmond Bane, Marcus Smart and Luke Kennard as well as young wings GG Jackson II and Vince Williams Jr., though they still had the services of All-Stars Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr.
Here are three takeaways from the 76ers' loss to the Grizzlies.
Maxey vs. Morant
While Maxey has been turning the corner on his struggles as the top option, Morant has been the creator of most of his team's offense for years. The latter's explosive athleticism and wicked playmaking instincts have made him capable of being an offense unto himself while Maxey, who still isn’t a slouch in either area, has started to steady himself after posting woeful scoring efficiency to start the season.
In their head-to-head matchup, both guards dazzled. But the one who had a tighter, better squad behind him came out on top.
Maxey was first guarded by rookie Jaylen Wells but also faced Scotty Pippen Jr. He made some off-the-bounce shots, getting Wells to anticipate a sprint to the paint out of the pick-and-roll before stopping and launching a three. Playing yo-yo with his defender out of pick-and-rolls has been the only somewhat dependable source of offense for the Sixers, save for the occasional fast break.
It didn’t look easy for Maxey — and that’s not a bad thing, because he has to do A LOT right now — but he didn’t take any wild shots and worked hard to break down the defense and take what it gave him. It’s safe to say that he has not only joined the party but is the undisputed life of it. He notched 23 points, six assists and three steals on 8-19 shooting.
Morant had mostly Kelly Oubre Jr. standing in front of him, and also saw some more Kyle Lowry in the second half, but the Sixers were always ready to help in the gaps, protecting the paint as a team. Nick Nurse even emphatically stepped onto the court to point where someone had to be, cutting off a paint touch for Memphis' star floor general.
Still, keeping Morant out of the paint was much, much easier said than done. His quickness and relentless aggression put defenders on their heels each time down. He used his dribbles and two steps creatively, keeping his momentum going to make something happen. He keeps his head on a swivel and is comfortable throwing passes that he conjures up out of nowhere on his way to racking up 12 assists to go along with 18 points.
A much-needed 3-point bonanza…but it isn’t enough
Nick Nurse said before the game that the quality of looks the Sixers have gotten from deep has been “not far off in line with what we’re hoping for.” He made it seem like Philly's woes from beyond the arc are simply a matter of the ball going in the basket. That’s just what happened to open up the game.
The Sixers shot 50 percent from deep in the first quarter but led by just four, even with Memphis shooting 30.8 percent from deep. Oubre and Maxey combined for five threes on eight attempts in the early goings, with Maxey setting up Oubre for open looks off the wing. Eric Gordon drained a pair of triples to start the second quarter, sinking his second on a sharp cross-court pass from Lowry. Gordon then returned the favor in a half-court possession, setting up Lowry in the corner.
Despite the marksmanship on full display from the 76ers, the Grizzlies never even trailed by double digits and eventually closed the gap. Philly's defense canceled out its hot shooting, allowing Memphis answers often.
The Grizz penetrated the perimeter and were quick to swing it back out or make a swift cut that resulted in a good look. Morant got defenders to run in circles by looking around at his teammates before dropping a dime. Once Memphis found its own three-point stroke, it was off to the races.
With their three-point mojo evaporated, the Sixers turned to Reggie Jackson in the third quarter, needing to get something going on offense to keep up. He hit a pull-up triple but wasn’t good for much else. Meanwhile, Jay Huff ripped off nine points in the span of less than two minutes. Philly just needs one of its stars back in the worst way to have a competent offense for a whole game.
76ers' lack of size exposed
Andre Drummond was a great litmus test for first-round rookie Zach Edey — a physical, veteran center who rebounds hard but can also step up to the high post to facilitate some offense. Edey didn’t back down from Drummond, tapping an offensive rebound over him and stone-walling him on a post-up attempt early on. Despite some rookie mistakes sprinkled in, the Purdue product punished the Sixers all game long, a theme for opposing centers to start this season.
Edey altered shots, collected rebounds and set good screens. The Grizzlies dominated the rebounding battle through Edey and Santi Aldama, who had 10 boards by the third quarter. Memphis' shooting was crisp after a slow start. Having so many big shooters made it easier to fire away, though so too did being left wide open in transition.
The Grizzlies had their way in the paint. Pretty much everyone they play is capable of a push shot or floater of some kind, making it extra easy when the only tall guy in Philly's lineup was sitting on the bench. Because the Sixers struggle with perimeter defense, too, it was like taking candy from a baby. Memphis' paint feast rivals any trick-or-treater's bag of sweets.
The Sixers used screens better in this game, coming off them with urgency and earning some separation, but too often, they were not comfortable shooting some shots because of Grizzlies' length. They had to go to a bigger rotation because of how many of their guards were out but even if with one of Bane or Smart, their strength would have allowed them to contribute to the punking that Memphis handed its hosts. Philly blew too many easy chances, too, none more embarrassing than Drummond smoking an open dunk.
Other takeaways:
- Caleb Martin hasn’t shot 50 percent from the field since the season opener, which is troubling. Everyone is overextended right now but his defense and ability to put pressure on the defense (he went 7-10 from the foul line) suggests he's going to be a real demon when the veteran stars return. Nonetheless, the fact that he doesn’t look capable of scaling up is a problem.
- Even putting his shooting aside, Gordon has been great for Philly recently. He's figuring out better ways to attack the paint — especially helpful when the Sixers put him in actions with double pindown screens that he can fly off of — and his passing is valuable.
- Jared McCain continues to look good in the minutes he gets. He was part of a lineup that managed to chip away at the deficit.
The 76ers will hit the road next week, starting with a matchup against the Phoenix Suns on Monday.
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