By: Keith PompeyThe Philadelphia Inquirer
It is exhausting to know the severity of the 76ers’ dismal begin to the 2024-25 season when two gamers from their vaunted Massive Three have but to play.
Over the course of 4 video games, the on-court unit consisted of Tyrese Maxey and a gaggle of function gamers who have been requested to play the function of teammates. And the outcomes haven’t been constructive.
The Sixers might be 1-3 getting into Saturday’s sport towards the Memphis Grizzlies at Wells Fargo Heart (7:30 p.m., NBCSP).
Maxey tried to do his half to hold the offensive load. The All-Star level guard is tied with Denver Nuggets middle Nikola Jokić because the league chief with 31.5 factors per sport. Maxey is logging an NBA-best 42 minutes per sport, however he has additionally been ineffective. He is capturing simply 37.8 p.c from the sphere, together with 11 of 48 from three-point vary.
As a workforce, the Sixers are ranked twenty eighth within the league in discipline objective share (.413), twenty third in foul capturing share (.741) and rebounding share (42 per sport), and final in all three factors scored (9 per sport). sport), three-point share (.277) and defensive rebounding (28.3 per sport).
The Sixers had an non-obligatory shot Thursday as a substitute of a full follow. They’re going to have a greater concept Friday whether or not Joel Embiid (recovering from left knee harm) and Paul George (left knee bone bruise) will make their season debuts towards the Grizzlies.
The Sixers stated the 7-foot-2 middle has but to take part totally in follow. Nonetheless, that does not imply Embiid hasn’t participated in pickup video games in a gaggle that features younger gamers and/or participant growth coaches. Embiid has reportedly participated in a number of five-on-five scrimmages in current days.
Within the meantime, the Sixers are dangerous with out Embiid and George, their everlasting All-Stars, and there is not any denying it. The Sixers earned a powerful 118-114 extra time victory over the Indiana Pacers on Sunday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, however their three losses got here to the Milwaukee Bucks, Toronto Raptors and Detroit Pistons – groups with a mixed document of 3- 11.
On Wednesday, the Pistons (1-4) shot 41.7% from three-point vary and had a 20-point lead within the fourth quarter.
“I believe our transition protection hasn’t been nice,” Maxey stated. “You recognize Coach Nick]Nurse speaking about after we wish to crash [the boards]after we do not wish to crash, who we wish to crash, and be good in our crash too. That is one thing we will speak about.
“There are lots of totally different parts as to why we misplaced.”
Maxey does not assume the Sixers performed properly — or exhausting sufficient — in Friday’s 115-107 highway loss to the undermanned Raptors (1-4). The Bucks (1-3) made pictures and benefited from a number of missed defensive coverages by the Sixers within the season-opening 124-109 loss at Wells Fargo Heart. Detroit merely dominated each side of Wednesday’s sport.
“They handed us,” Maxey stated. “They outplayed us and bought the place they needed to get.”
Other than half the sport towards the Pacers, the Sixers have been doomed by pricey turnovers, empty offensive possessions and defensive lapses.
Maxey realizes they cannot do that whereas Embiid and George are away.
“It’s simply life,” he stated. “Now we have to go; we should execute. Now we have to be ready, extra ready than the opposite workforce. Now we have to know what we’re going to do and now we have to execute that plan[andwhenwearerunningitWehavetoknowthescoutingreportWehavetoknowwhatwearegoingtodoandwehavetoexecutethatplan[etquandnouslefaisonsNousdevonsconnaîtrelerapportdereconnaissanceNousdevonssavoircequenousallonsfaireetnousdevonsexécuterceplan[andwhenwearerunningitWehavetoknowthescoutingreportWehavetoknowwhatwearegoingtodoandwehavetoexecutethatplan
“Our coaches inform us what to do. Regardless of the reconnaissance report is, we should execute it.
