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PHILADELPHIA — The Philadelphia 76ers faced two huge tests to start the 2022-23 season. They failed both of them, losing to the Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks and beginning the season 0-2. The Sixers have plenty of talent but now also have loads of questions to answer.
One question is about their defense, which players and coaches alike discussed frequently ahead of the season. The Sixers wanted to develop an identity of toughness and become an elite defensive team. So far, they haven't done a great job of showing progress in either area.
The Celtics beat the Sixers in their Opening Night contest and especially had their way in the second half. Overall, Philadelphia couldn't keep up with Boston, allowing them to shoot 14-of-18 in the restricted arc and 8-of-15 from the rest of the paint. Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Malcolm Brogdon had big games thanks in part due to their ability to convert close shots at a high rate.
Before the Sixers' home opener in which they faced Giannis Antetokounmpo, perhaps the most feared basket attacker in the sport, Doc Rivers explained that “shell defense,” which refers to the team's backline of defense around the paint, was lacking. He said the Bucks were a great matchup as they look to improve in that area.
“The two things that stood out to me — number one was our turnovers, number two our shell defense,” Rivers said before the game. “And this is where real games help. Through preseason, through training camp, we’ve done a terrific job of getting back and getting loaded. And then when the real games start, you get competitive, and you start hugging up on your guy. Every time [Boston] saw that, they attacked the guy guarding them because they know no one was pulled in.”
Rivers' crew got his message and honed in on halting the opposition from easy looks inside. Right out of the gate against the Bucks, the Sixers pinched in and didn't allow many clear paths to the basket. But, as Rivers explained before the game, they also had to make sure they could bounce back outside to shooters.
Doc: “If we played like that tonight, Giannis is gonna have one hell of a game, honestly. Milwaukee forces you to do it because if you don’t do it, they’ll kill you. But it’s a multiple effort. You have to be able to pull in and get back out to their shooters.”
— Sam DiGiovanni (@BySamDiGiovanni) October 20, 2022
The Bucks got off to a hot start shooting, making seven of their first nine shots. The Sixers did a good job of forcing passes back out to the perimeter on several occasions. Milwaukee simply made them pay.
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“Overall, we got to a lot of them. A lot of them, we just lost them. It’s tough. When the 5 is standing out at the 3, we get sucked in at times,” Rivers said after the game. “You just gotta have great discipline. Matthews’ last 3, that’s just discipline. You got a two-point lead, you can’t get sucked in…We also had a foul to give that we didn’t use. The first two teams we’ve played have been through all this. We’re still learning it.”
The lead-taking Wes Matthews 3-pointer in question was the result of Tobias Harris turning his eyes away from him as Grayson Allen attacked the hoop. The problem was that there was no need to help, as Embiiid had Allen right on his hip and P.J. Tucker right behind him. Harris tried to make a play from behind but ended up allowing Matthews a clean look, which he cashed in.
WESLEY MATTHEWS' CLUTCH THREE GIVES THE BUCKS THE LEAD WITH 23.8 SECONDS LEFT 🥶pic.twitter.com/vsrgYe4Ksi
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) October 21, 2022
Harris still had a decent game overall and Tucker put up a great fight against Giannis Antetokounmpo. Rivers trusted his veteran forward, despite being 10 years older and six inches shorter, to essentially be the exclusive Greek Freak defender. The Sixers did show some toughness against the Bucks, clawing back from a 13-point deficit in less than four minutes in the fourth quarter, but to no avail.
The Sixers' offense has gotten by thanks to James Harden turning back the clock and putting up two 30-point performances that flirted with being triple-doubles. Tyrese Maxey has also contributed well, with 21 and 15 points in each respective game. It's certainly worrisome that the offense wasn't good enough to beat a Bucks team that shot 40.5 percent from the field and didn't have Khris Middleton. Joel Embiid's brutal struggles are a key cause, but so is the disorganization when they get into the half court.
Since Harden and Tucker have spent just one offseason with the Sixers, along with key reserves De'Anthony Melton and Danuel House Jr., they can point to the fact that the team is still gelling when assessing their early struggles. Eventually, though, that won't be a good enough reason anymore. Philly can surely be afforded time to figure itself out but the results will have to start showing up.
