The Philadelphia 76ers dropped Game 1 against the Atlanta Hawks at home despite making a comeback in the second half. They were down 26 points and cut it down in the final minutes but couldn't pull off the win. The Sixers will need to make some adjustments in Game 2 to come out with a win.
Although the Sixers had some struggles the credit needs to go to the Hawks. The Hawks were led by star guard Trae Young who has proved his value in the playoffs. Young had 35 points and 10 assists in Game 1 and made it tough on the Sixers defense. The 76ers have a great defense but they couldn't stop the Young led offense as Atlanta had 128 points.
Here are 3 adjustments the Sixers must make after dropping Game 1.
3. Get shooters going early
A big part of the Sixers offense is getting open three point shots for the shooters. When you have stars on the offensive end it is important to get shooters going especially when double teams come. Danny Green struggled throughout the game as he had 4 points and didn't make a three-point shot. Seth Curry was the only shooter to get going in the game as he had 21 points and made 5 three-point shots.
The Sixers will need to get shooters besides Curry going in order to create better offense. Look for the 76ers to make this adjustment in Game 2.
2. Trap Trae Young
The Sixers need to make an adjustment on defense and that starts with Young. They should look to trap him as it would force him to give up the ball and rely on other teammates to knock down shots. Now the Hawks may still have success on offense but it is clear that guarding Young one on one is not the answer. The 76ers would likely be better off with the rest of the cast for Atlanta shooting for the rest of the series compared to Young.
With so many great defensive players like Ben Simmons, Matisse Thybulle, Danny Green, and others, the Sixers should try to trapy Young more. The 76ers have unreal switching capability on defense which allows the rotation off of traps to be good. If the Sixers make this adjustment it will make life more difficult for Young and the Hawks offense.
1. Play with intensity throughout the game
In the first half of the game the Hawks were playing with a lot more intensity compared to the Sixers. However, in the 4th quarter the 76ers picked up the intensity and were outworking the Hawks. They were running a full-court press in the final minutes as well as diving for loose balls.
While the Sixers shouldn't run a full court press the entire game, they need to play with the same intensity on both ends of the floor. On defense it helped them create turnovers and get fast break buckets. If the 76ers can carry over this 4th quarter intensity into the rest of the series they have a great shot at winning.
The Hawks look ready for any opponent including this one seeded Sixers team. Although they weren't the favorites, the Hawks looked great despite almost blowing the lead. It will take adjustments for the 76ers to get back into the series and they will need to do it quick. This Hawks team is on fire at the perfect time and it will be hard for the 76ers to stop.
Look for the Sixers to make adjustments in hope to beat the Hawks.
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