Jalen Johnson had 32 points and 10 rebounds and CJ McCollum added 23 points as the Atlanta Hawks beat the 76ers 117-107 on Thursday night in the teams’ first game after the All-Star break.
Dyson Daniels finished with 15 points, Nickeil Alexander-Walker scored 14, and Zaccharie Risacher and Jock Landale each had 10 as the Hawks snapped a three-game losing streak with their third win over the Sixers this season.
Tyrese Maxey scored 28 points and Rising Stars MVP VJ Edgecombe added 20 for the Sixers, who were without center Joel Embiid, who missed the game due to right shin soreness.
Kelly Oubre Jr. scored 17 points and Quentin Grimes scored 10 of his 14 points in the first half for Philly. Andre Drummond contributed 10 points and 14 rebounds as the Sixers lost their third in a row and for the fourth time in five games.
The Hawks built an 11-point lead with approximately six minutes remaining before the Sixers charged back and closed within 108-104 with less than three minutes left. Atlanta closed the game with a 9-3 run that included five points by Johnson, who shot 14-for-16 from the line.
The 76ers said Embiid experienced soreness in his shin while participating in a right knee injury management program over the break. After consulting with doctors, Embiid has received daily treatment, while progressing through on-court work and strength and conditioning.
Coach Nick Nurse said before the game against the Hawks that the plan is to get Embiid on the court on Friday and “see how he looks from there.” Nurse said he “don’t anticipate it being a long time.”
Embiid is averaging 26.6 points, 7.5 rebounds and 3.6 assists in 31 games this season.
The Sixers will face the Pelicans on Saturday in New Orleans (7 p.m., NBCSP).
Kelly Oubre Jr. appears to be spending his All-Star break in the recording studio.
On Monday, the Sixers forward posted a clip of his newest single, “Fast & Furious,” on Instagram under the stage name t$unami, which he has been using since 2020 on Soundcloud. Oubre also uploaded the song to Spotify and Apple Music.
The rap song is the first Oubre has released since “A prayer for you” in 2023. He also released “Flipped the Game” in 2022, which is currently his most-streamed song on Spotify, with over 300,000 streams.
Oubre is just the latest in a series of Philly athletes who have tried their hands at music, including Allen Iverson, Brett Myers, Lou Williams, DeSean Jackson, and more recently Terrell Edmunds. Jason Kelce, Lane Johnson, and Jordan Mailata — better known as The Philly Specials — also released a few original songs on their three Eagles Christmas albums.
The Sixers return from the All-Star break on Feb. 19, against the Miami Heat.
The 76ers need to keep playing a heady brand of basketball.
Tyrese Maxey is unguardable when in his bag of tricks.
And so far, Paul George’s absence hasn’t had a major impact on the outcomes of games.
These things stood out in Saturday’s 109-103 victory over the Phoenix Suns at Mortgage Matchup Center.
With the win, the Sixers improved to 30-22 and evened the two-game season series against the Suns (31-22). They’re also 3-1 in the first four games of their five-game West Coast road trip, which concludes on Monday against the Portland Trail Blazers at the Moda Center.
Solid brand of basketball
The Sixers had effective ball movement against the Suns. They also attacked the basket, crashed the boards, and played at a much faster pace than in recent games.
In addition to doing those things, they didn’t back down from Phoenix’s physicality or Dillon Brooks’ antics. Kelly Oubre Jr. got in the face of his former roommate and high school teammate at Findlay Prep (Nevada) after Brooks flopped on a play.
Before that, Joel Embiid and Devin Booker exchanged words at the conclusion of the first half. And there were other heated exchanges.
Joel Embiid (21), who led with a game-high 33-point effort, gets fouled by Suns guard Jordan Goodwin in the first half of Saturday’s game.
The Sixers didn’t match the physicality of the Detroit Pistons and Cleveland Cavaliers earlier this season. So seeing them fight back and play with an edge against the Suns was a great sign.
“We stayed professional,” Maxey said to the media. “We didn’t let all the rah rah stuff affect us. We got physical back, and that’s good. That happens, and we can take that.”
Maxey said he could anticipate the Suns’ antics. With the Sixers up 16 points in the second quarter, he knew Phoenix would resort to something.
“Any good team or any team that’s playing for something, they’re not going to let you steamroll them. They’re not going to lay down. They are going to go out there and try to put up a fight. And sometimes that’s what has to come with it. You have to get more physical, and you have to sustain that lead. And we did a good job of that.”
The Sixers had a 50-40 rebounding advantage. They scored 34 points in the paint and held the Suns to 23.9% three-point shooting.
Embiid finished with 33 points, nine rebounds, three assists, and one block. Maxey finished with 29 points, nine rebounds, six assists, and one steal, while Oubre added 18 points, six rebounds, and two steals.
Maxey had a slow start, missing his first three shot attempts. But after that, the two-time All-Star was close to unstoppable.
Unable to keep him in front of them, the Suns’ defenders were helpless. The point guard drained a couple of his three-pointers. He scored on a post-up. And Maxey played through contact on his way to the rim. Fourteen of his points came in the first half.
“We just played fast that group that I was in there with,” Maxey said regarding the first half. “Got rebounds, got stops, and got out and ran, trying to make sure everybody touched the ball, everybody involved, and it was good.”
Maxey missed his first three shots in the second half. But after settling down, the Suns, once again, had a tough time guarding him.
Making 8 of 9 foul shots, the sixth-year player scored 13 of his points in the fourth quarter. His last two with 11.8 seconds remaining gave the Sixers their six-point cushion.
The Sixers are a better team with George on the floor. The nine-time All-Star is a solid facilitator and one of their best defenders. As a result, there was a thought that the team would struggle while he serves a 25-game suspension for violating the NBA’s Anti-Drug Program.
So far, that hasn’t been the case.
The Sixers are 4-1 in the first five games without the 6-8 forward. Their lone loss was Thursday’s 119-115 setback to the Los Angeles Lakers at Crypto.com Arena.
Different players stepped up to help Embiid and Maxey in each of their victories. On Saturday, it was Trendon Watford in addition to Oubre.
“He’s become a little more important now [what] the roster is,” said Sixers coach Nick Nurse. “If one of those guys gets in foul trouble, he’s got to kind of be another ball handler. I thought he did a good job.
“He’s starting to show a little bit of element of some toughness, kind of standing up to [the Suns with] some of his physicality out there.”
Watford finished with six points, seven rebounds, two assists, and two blocks.
While he didn’t score a lot of points, the reserve point forward displayed a lot of toughness and did a lot of intangible things. Being impactful, Watford played the entire fourth quarter. That’s when he had four points, four rebounds, and two blocks.
“The big thing for us is he can handle the ball,” Maxey said of his close friend. “He’s a connector. We needed that for a long time. Nico [Batum during the 2023-24 season] was probably the last [point forward] we had. But he doesn’t handle the ball as much as TY does. So he does a good job of handling the ball. He can play pick-and-roll. He can post, get a bucket down there in the post. We just got to get him to play some defense, then we will be alright.”
The 76ers were handling business at the conclusion of an emotional two days, until they began turning the ball over when things got chippy in the second half.
They were also doomed by the Lakers’ bench points.
But if there’s a positive for the Sixers, Joel Embiid was back to doing a little bit of everything against Los Angeles.
And coach Nick Nurse will tell you that the biggest strides that VJ Edgecombe have made are with his consistency.
The setback dropped the Sixers to 29-22 and snapped their five-game winning streak. They also fell one spot into sixth place in the Eastern Conference standings.
Unable to handle business
The good news is the Sixers didn’t initially look like a team that was emotional due to losing teammates Jared McCain and Eric Gordon before the 3 p.m. NBA trade deadline.
The bad news is that the team continued its trend of falling apart after the intermission.
At one point, it looked like the Sixers would coast to an easy victory. However, they began to struggle as the Lakers (31-19) increased their physicality. That led to costly turnovers by the Sixers.
Sixers guard Quentin Grimes (center) reaches for a loose ball with Los Angeles Lakers forward Jake LaRavia on Thursday.
Los Angeles opened the fourth quarter on a 21-6 run.
The Sixers committed 15 turnovers, with 11 coming in the second half. To their credit, they battled back after trailing by 16 points with 4 minutes, 4 seconds left to play. Tyrese Maxey’s floater pulled the Sixers within two points with 27 seconds left.
But they just couldn’t overcome costly turnovers at inopportune times, combined with Los Angeles’ chippy play.
“It’s just the physicality at one end was a big thing,” Nurse told the media. “I think it was we had [been] playing pretty good and rolling along pretty well, winning. It just seemed like it was physical at one end and not at the other.”
This loss could be considered a major disappointment, given that the Sixers’ stars shone.
Embiid finished with 35 points on 13-for-19 shooting along with seven rebounds, seven assists, one steal, and two blocks. Maxey added 26 points, 13 assists, and four steals for his sixth double-double this season. Edgecombe finished with 19 points, 10 rebounds, two assists, and four steals for his third double-double. And Dominick Barlow had 13 points, two steals, and a block hours after having his two-way contract converted to a standard deal.
But the last couple of days for the Sixers were intense mentally.
First, the uncertainty surrounding the trade deadline was emotionally taxing. They knew that several teammates could be moved before Thursday’s deadline. Then there was some added emotion seeing the well-liked McCain get traded on Wednesday. And even though he rarely played, the emotion resurfaced when Gordon, a team mentor, was moved on Thursday.
“I think it is emotional for everybody,” Nurse told reporters before the game. “Just watching it all unfold over the last three days, it seems like every half hour there’s some news around the league. I think that pours into the emotion for everybody that there’s a lot going on, seeing the wildness of all of it going so fast.”
The Sixers knew the trade deadline was coming down to the wire when they arrived at Thursday’s shootaround. And it was a bit of a distraction for them.
“But everybody is going through it,” Nurse said. “So you can’t sit here and say it’s a factor in anything. And you have to get through this game. And we’ll see what kind of emotions it had for us when we go out there and play tonight.”
And they came to play, with all five starters scoring in the first five minutes to set the tone early.
Bench-point disparity
The Sixers could have used McCain’s scoring production off the bench against the Lakers. That’s because Los Angeles had a 61-14 advantage in bench points. Austin Reaves, a regular starter, is coming off the bench for the Lakers because of a minutes restriction. The guard finished with a team-high 35 points and made 5 of 8 three-pointers while playing just 25:03.
Rui Hachimura added 14 points in a reserve role.
He and Reaves took up the slack for Luka Dončić, who exited the game in the first half with left leg soreness.
Sixers’ Joel Embiid (left) made 13 of 19 shots against the Lakers on Thursday.
Embiid’s night
It didn’t take long to realize Embiid would have a solid night.
The 2023 MVP and seven-time All-Star scored 12 of the Sixers’ 27 first-quarter points. Embiid was averaging 30.2 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 5.0 assists in 12 career games against the Lakers before Thursday’s game.
But Embiid had struggled through 4-for-21 shooting — including missing all six of his three-pointers — while scoring 16 points in the Sixers’ 112-108 loss to the Lakers on Dec. 7 at Xfinity Mobile Arena.
Thursday, however, marked the seventh time that he scored at least 30 points against Los Angeles.
Edgecombe’s consistency
As a 20-year-old rookie, Edgecombe has experienced peaks and valleys in his play.
“But not many,” Nurse said. “Not … too high or too low. And I think that’s an accomplishment or development, or a stride that rookies are usually pretty up and down. But he kind of came in doing a lot of stuff, and he continues to do a lot of stuff. That’s all I keep saying, he’s so versatile. He does a little bit of everything. And again, he has great maturity and composure for his age as well.”
Sixers rookie guard VJ Edgecombe (right) finished with a double-double (19 points, 10 rebounds) against the Lakers.
The Sixers are trying to get Edgecombe to become more aggressive. Nurse has seen increased aggressiveness from him lately.
“But I don’t want to say we’re there yet, either,” the coach said.
The Sixers (29-21) are a half-game behind the fourth-place Toronto Raptors and Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference standings.
Drummond must sustain his shooting
Drummond got his 18th start of the season due to Embiid not being cleared to play on back-to-back nights. Drummond finished with a game-high 11 rebounds to go with 12 points for his 12th double-double of the season.
On paper, his stat line looked good. He made 5 of 11 shots, including 1 of 2 on three-pointers, to go with one assist, one steal, and one block.
But he’ll have to be a more consistent shooter to gain the coaching staff’s trust as a reliable reserve when Embiid plays.
Sixers reserve center Adem Bona scored 11 points in 16 minutes off the bench Tuesday night.
Drummond was unable to build off his solid shooting start to the game.
He had four points on 2-for-2 shooting and five rebounds in the first five minutes. He scored those baskets on a put-back dunk and a tip-in. However, Drummond missed his next six attempts.
He missed a reverse layup and had a driving dunk blocked before being subbed out for Adem Bona with 2 minutes, 15 seconds remaining in the first quarter. He followed that up by missing a 23-foot three-pointer and a put-back layup in the second quarter.
His rough shooting night continued in the third quarter, when he missed an eight-foot turnaround jumper and an alley-oop.
While he struggled from the field, Bona had 11 points on 5-for-6 shooting.
All-Star point guard Tyrese Maxey (14 points on 3-for-9 shooting), Dominick Barlow (10 points, 3-for-10), and Kelly Oubre Jr. (15 points, 4-for-12) all struggled from the field.
But VJ Edgecombe paced them with 25 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists, and the Sixers got quality contributions from their bench.
They also benefited from the undermanned Warriors (27-24), who were without Stephen Curry, committing 20 turnovers.
Needed win without Embiid
Before Tuesday, the Sixers had lost four straight games when Embiid didn’t play. Teams were blitzing Maxey, and role players weren’t stepping up. They didn’t have that problem against the Warriors.
Trendon Watford had 16 points, eight rebounds, and two blocks in a reserve role. The Sixers had eight scorers in double digits.
This victory serves as a major confidence boost for a team dealing with Paul George’s 25-game suspension.
Sixers guard VJ Edgecombe (left) had a game-high 25 points against the Warriors.
Extending overall winning streak
The Sixers have the league’s second-best active winning streak at five games. The Charlotte Hornets and New York Knicks are tied for the best with seven consecutive victories.
Dominick Barlow is making Paul George’s absence manageable.
Paced by Tyrese Maxey’s season-high seven three-pointers, the 76ers showed why they are tough to beat when they’re making threes.
And facing Ivica Zubac remains a lopsided matchup for Joel Embiid.
These things stood out in a 128-113 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, Calif. The win extended the Sixers’ (28-21) winning streak to a season-tying four games heading into Tuesday’s matchup against the Golden State Warriors at the Chase Center in San Francisco.
The sixth-place Sixers are a game behind the fourth-place Toronto Raptors in the Eastern Conference standings.
Picking up the slack
Monday marked the second game of George’s 25-game suspension due to violating the NBA’s Anti-Drug program. And just like Saturday night’s contest, he wasn’t missed. Barlow was a major reason why.
The 6-foot-9 power forward finished with a career-high 26 points to go with 16 rebounds, including a career-high 10 on the offensive boards, to post his second double-double of the season. He also finished with two steals and a block.
He became the first Sixer with at least 25 points and 10 offensive rebounds since Hall of Famer Charles Barkley did so in November 1990.
“That’s pretty good company,” Barlow said in a postgame interview on NBC Sports Philadelphia.
Barlow had 11 points on 4-for-7 shooting, along with seven rebounds — four offensive — in the first quarter. That enabled him to become the league’s first player with at least 10 points, four offensive rebounds, a steal, and a block in a first quarter since Embiid tallied that in a December 2023 game.
“Some of the stuff I was getting was just easy in transition,” Barlow said of the first quarter. “I didn’t really do anything in the half-court for the first quarter, and I had 11. So I was like, ‘OK, if I get some stuff in the half-court and keep running, it’s going to be a big night.”
He was right.
Barlow reentered the game with 4 minutes, 21 seconds remaining in the half, and added four points on 2-for-2 shooting before intermission.
Always in attack mode, Barlow has a knack for grabbing offensive rebounds, cutting to the basket when he’s off the ball, and finding gaps in the defense where he can make an impact besides just scoring.
Three-point shooting
The Sixers are starting to find their rhythm with their three-point shooting. They made 22 of 42 three-pointers in their win over the Milwaukee Bucks last week. On Saturday, the Sixers made 17 of 36 threes. Against the Clippers, they went 17-for-39 (43.6%), 10 coming in the first half on 19 attempts.
Maxey‘s season-high seven three-pointers led to his 29 points to go with six assists and three steals. Kelly Oubre Jr. hit three from long range while scoring 15 points. Quentin Grimes (15 points) and Jared McCain (six points) each made two.
Sixers guard Tyrese Maxey scored 29 points while draining seven three-pointers against the Clippers Monday night.
Embiid dominates Zubac … again
Zubac averaged eight points and eight rebounds in eight previous games playing against Embiid, who averaged around 34 points and 10 rebounds in those games.
Embiid wasn’t efficient on Monday, nor was he a beast on the boards. But he still outplayed his counterpart. He finished with 24 points on 8-for-19 shooting to go with five rebounds, three assists, and one steal. It was his 19th consecutive game with at least 20 points. Zubac had eight points and nine rebounds.
The Sixers (26-21) can’t brush this off as just an isolated incident. Over the last 11 games, they’ve ranked last in the league in rebounding at 39.5 per game.
So what is the biggest issue? Effort? Or being undersized?
The Sixers went with a starting lineup centered on Joel Embiid and four perimeter players in four of their last five games, with Kelly Oubre Jr., Paul George, VJ Edgecombe, and Tyrese Maxey alongside the big man.
Embiid is a towering center at 7-foot-2. Oubre and George are both 6-8 forwards who have played shooting guard in previous seasons. Edgecombe is a 6-5 shooting guard, while Maxey, an All-Star starter, is a 6-2 point guard.
The Sixers only have two other rotation players — reserve center Andre Drummond (6-11) and reserve power forward Dominick Barlow (6-9) — taller than Oubre and George.
Sixers forward Paul George (left) and Sixers guard VJ Edgecombe double team Sacramento Kings forward Domantas Sabonis during the third quarter on Thursday.
“Well, I think that it’s a few things,” coach Nick Nurse said of the rebounding issue. “Sometimes it’s size and athleticism, whether it’s playing against bigger guys, more athletic, stronger, or whatever. Sometimes it’s just not paying attention to details and getting a body on people.
“And sometimes, I think it’s defense in general. You give a few [rebounds] and the blood’s in the water. Those guys just seem to get cracked up after they get a couple. And they’re just like, ‘Man, this is an easy way to live tonight. I’m going to really focus on that.’”
When that happens, the Sixers must put in more effort, and Nurse must devise a strategy to secure more rebounds.
Against a player like Sacramento’s Domantas Sabonis, who is a rebounding machine, the Sixers assigned two players to try to slow him down.
“Those guys were blocking him out in front of them,” Nurse said. “The balls were coming over the head, and got to be somebody else’s.”
The Sixers might also benefit from giving Drummond more playing time.
Despite averaging 8.7 rebounds in 19.6 minutes and leading the Sixers in the category, Drummond didn’t enter Thursday’s game until the start of the fourth quarter. At that point, the Kings (12-37) had a commanding 37-18 rebounding advantage.
Drummond did not play in six of the previous nine games. The Sixers felt 6-8center Adem Bona, an undersized but athletic rim protector, was better suited to back up Embiid in those games.
Sixers coach Nick Nurse looks to solve his team’s rebounding issue.
But due to the growing rebounding disparity, Nurse said he might look at Drummond coming off the bench more moving forward.
“I think that the smaller lineup that we are playing is obviously something to look at as well,” Nurse said. “I think Drummond with big, really big centers like that. [The Kings] played big all night, but they’re also pretty physical. All four of their bigs that they play are physical. And I think that probably called for a Joel, Bona lineup or Drummond, [Jabari] Walker. Just maybe different than what we did [Thursday] because it was difficult to rebound.”
Honoring the 2000-01 team
The Sixers will look to extend their home winning streak to three games on Saturday against the New Orleans Pelicans. The game will also be recognized as the 25th anniversary reunion game, celebrating the 2000-01 Eastern Conference championship team.
Members of the team, which lost to the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Finals, will be on hand for several celebrations in their honor.
Sixers star Allen Iverson led his team to the NBA Finals in the 2000-01 season.
“It’ll be great,” George said of the festivities. “Obviously, it’s a tradition here. Being a part of the Sixers family, organization, that group means a lot to the city. It’ll be awesome to kind of share the space, the moment, and play in front of them. We want to represent them the same way that they represented the city.”
The 76ers have made at least one move at five consecutive NBA trade deadlines since Daryl Morey took over as president of basketball operations in 2020.
Many of those moves slashed salaries, enabling the Sixers to avoid paying the luxury tax. However, the new acquisitions didn’t make the team’s playoff chances any better.
The Sixers are expected to continue their trend of making moves ahead of this season’s 3 p.m. deadline on Feb. 5. Here are five reasons the Sixers should be cautious at the deadline:
The Sixers could avoid the luxury tax by trading Kelly Oubre Jr. ahead of the Feb.5 NBA trade deadline. However, he’s their best perimeter defender.
A bad look for the franchise
The Sixers are $7 million above the allowable threshold to avoid being taxed. They’re also around $1 million away from being a first-apron team and facing penalties.
Quentin Grimes ($8.7 million), Kelly Oubre Jr. ($8.3 million), and Andre Drummond ($5 million) have expiring contracts that could help avoid paying the threshold tax.
But trading a key contributor for the sake of avoiding being taxed would be a bad look for the franchise. It would give the impression that saving money for Sixers managing partner Josh Harris is more important than contending for a title. The team would come off looking cheap, especially considering that the Joel Embiid championship window is closing quickly.
Aside from Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe (77), the Sixers don’t have the assets to bring in the type of player who could drastically improve the team.
Not enough assets
The Sixers don’t have much to give up to upgrade talent via a trade. Aside from Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe, the Sixers don’t have the assets to acquire the type of player who could drastically improve the team. And they’re not trading either of those guys. Nor should they forfeit their future by surrendering future draft picks to help facilitate a trade. The Sixers will need those picks to acquire young talent and continue building around Maxey and Edgecombe after Embiid and Paul George leave.
Joel Embiid (21) and Paul George (8) are once again healthy. As a result, the Sixers can beat anyone in the Eastern Conference when the team plays well.
A dangerous team
The Sixers are dangerous as currently constructed. When they play well, they can beat anyone in the East. They’ve won two of their three meetings against the conference’s second-place New York Knicks. The Sixers have done the same against the third-place Boston Celtics, and split the four-game series against the fourth-place Toronto Raptors. They’re 0-2 against the first-place Detroit Pistons. However, the Sixers were without Embiid and George in both games. And they still had opportunities to win before blowing fourth-quarter leads both times. So if they remain healthy, the Sixers are a team no one wants to face in the postseason.
Forward Trendon Watford is one of many role players who have learned to mesh well with the Sixers’ Big Three of Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, and Paul George.
Losing chemistry
If you bring in someone new, he’ll have to learn to play with Embiid. The current players spent half the season learning how to play with Embiid, Maxey, and George. And based on the Sixers’ early struggles with their Big Three intact, there’s clearly a learning curve to playing alongside Embiid, Maxey, and George.
Players like Oubre, Grimes, Drummond, Dominick Barlow, Jabari Walker, Adem Bona, Jared McCain, and Trendon Watford have established roles. Tinkering with that could negatively impact the team, especially if the Sixers are not acquiring a major upgrade in talent.
League sources say the Sixers are open to trading Andre Drummond.
Insurance for Embiid
With Drummond and Bona backing up Embiid, who is back to playing at a high level, the center position is set. However, league sources say the Sixers are open to trading Drummond, even though he and Bona have been equally valuable assets, playing behind and often in place of Embiid, who misses games because of knee injury management.
Bona plays against the teams that have fast and athletic centers, while Drummond usually plays against towering centers who flourish in the post.
The 6-foot-11 Drummond averages a team-leading 8.9 rebounds while playing just 20 minutes per game. Drummond is second in the NBA in rebounds per 36 minutes at 16.0, trailing the Knicks’ Mitchell Robinson (16.9). And he has started 17 of the games Embiid has missed, averaging 8.6 points, 10.9 rebounds, and 1.1 assists in those contests.
What type of player would help them with the NBA trade deadline 10 days away?
At the guard spot, where the duo of Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe is regarded as one of the NBA’s best young backcourts, they’re pretty good. And that doesn’t account for the depth that Quentin Grimes provides off the bench.
With Andre Drummond and Adem Bona backing up Joel Embiid, who’s playing at a high level, the center position is pretty good, too.
At forward, Dominick Barlow is playing well. And the Sixers get stellar play out of the duo of Paul George and Kelly Oubre Jr.
I’m not sure what they need.
Some will argue that the Sixers (24-20) don’t have a true point guard. But they have a lot of guards who can handle the ball. And you can add Oubre and George, who were guards in the previous season, to that mix.
If the Sixers remain healthy, they’re a deep team.
But based on their recent history of trading to get under the luxury-tax threshold, there’s an expectation that they’ll make at least one trade ahead of the Feb. 5 deadline.
Guard Quentin Grimes Grimes has a no-trade clause, giving him full veto power over any trade the Sixers attempt to make involving him.
The Sixers are $7 million above the allowable threshold to avoid being taxed. They’re also around $1 million away from being a first-apron team and facing penalties.
But this season is different from the recent ones heading into the trade deadline. Whether it’s fool’s gold or not, the Sixers see that they have a chance.
Embiid, the 2023 MVP, is returning to his All-NBA level, averaging 33.3 points, 10 rebounds, and 5.5 assists, while shooting 58.3% from three-point range in his last four games. George is regaining his rhythm while playing the role of a facilitator and defender who occasionally takes over scoring for stretches. Maxey is the league’s third-leading scorer (29.9 points per game) and an All-Star starter. And Edgecombe has been better than expected as a rookie.
So this season is definitely different. In 2023-24, the Sixers’ hopes were dashed heading into the trade deadline because Embiid suffered a torn meniscus in his left knee. And last season, they were 20-30 and on their way to full-blown tanking.
The Sixers probably think that when they’re at their best, they could beat anyone else in the East.
However, sources around the league say the team is willing to part ways with Drummond.
At first glance, it’s hard to imagine that the financial aspect will play a role at the trade deadline unless it’s someone like Eric Gordon. The reserve guard has played in only six games, with his last appearance coming Dec. 23 against the Brooklyn Nets.
The 37-year-old, in his 18th season, signed a one-year, $3.63 million contract on July 1 after declining his $3.47 million player option. Gordon’s deal created a $2.3 million cap and a $2.3 million dead cap value, which is considered a good, low-risk expiring salary for potential trades.
Maybe the Sixers could entice the Nets or the Utah Jazz, teams with a lot of cap space, with a second-round pick just to take on Gordon’s contract for the remainder of the season. However, he’s Edgecombe’s mentor, and there’s a sense the Sixers may keep him because of that.
Meanwhile, Oubre ($8.3 million), Grimes ($8.7M), and Drummond ($5M) also have expiring contracts.
The Sixers have gotten the most out of two-way players Jabari Walker (left) and Dominick Barlow.
Grimes has a no-trade clause, giving him full veto power over any trade the Sixers attempt to make involving him. Yet some around the league are wondering if the Sixers are willing to part ways with Oubre, whose name keeps coming up as a possible trade chip. But by getting rid of Drummond, the Sixers would be in the market for another backup center.
Maybe, they’ll give former Sixer Charles Bassey a look after he signs his 10-day contract. However, it appears that his signing is more to help facilitate Barlow and Jabari Walker getting extended time on their two-way contracts. Bassey was scheduled to sign his deal Sunday night. He needed to do so ahead of Monday’s 3 p.m. game against the Charlotte Hornets at the Spectrum Center in order for Barlow and Walker to play.
But Drummond and Bona have been equally great assets, playing behind and often in place of Embiid. Bona plays against the teams that have fast and athletic centers, while Drummond usually plays against towering centers with a post presence.
The 6-foot-11, 279-pounder averages a team-leading 9 rebounds while playing just 20 minutes per game. Drummond is second in the NBA in rebounds per 36 minutes at 16.1, trailing the Knicks’ Mitchell Robinson (16.9).
Kelly Oubre Jr. of the Sixers guarding the Knicks’ Jalen Brunson on Saturday.
He’s also averaging 7.1 points while playing in 35 games with 16 starts this season. With his contract, there’s a market for Drummond. Teams in need of a backup center would like to acquire him.
But coach Nick Nurse didn’t play him in Saturday’s loss to the Knicks despite his squad being outrebounded by 53-38 and having a 26-4 disadvantage in second-chance points. This came after Drummond had 14 points and 13 rebounds in his lone game against the Knicks this season.
Perhaps Nurse felt the Knicks, who favored a small-ball lineup, were a bad matchup for Drummond. But his not playing was a big omission and a conversation piece.
It’s hard to imagine Sixers co-managing partner Josh Harris, who knows the window is closing, would forfeit the opportunity to finally win an NBA championship to get rid of key pieces just to save money. I wouldn’t blame Harris if he could stay under the first apron and get below the luxury-tax threshold if it was manipulated by a fringe player or someone out of the rotation.
But if it were Oubre, Grimes, or Drummond, players vital to their success, it would be a bad look.
Nor should they trade Jared McCain, who recently dropped out of the rotation. Even though the second-year guard is struggling, he’s insurance for Grimes, whom the Sixers could lose this summer in free agency. And the Sixers should only trade Grimes if they were getting back an upgrade in talent. It doesn’t make any sense to part ways with him in return for a same-level player.
But the Sixers do have three players on two-way contracts in Barlow, Walker, and MarJon Beauchamp.
Beauchamp has yet to be active in an NBA game since signing his Sixers deal on Dec. 26. However, power forwards Barlow and Walker have been with the Sixers all season. And all three players’ time would have expired following Saturday’s 112-109 loss to the New York Knicks if the Sixers didn’t make a roster move.
Bassey must sign his contract before Monday’s game for Barlow and Walker to be available to play.
Both of them have played well this season, but Walker could be replaceable now that the Sixers have their full complement of players.
Paul George has assumed an important role for the Sixers after a lost season.
Barlow has come off the bench in the last two games as the team moved George to power forward and started Oubre at small forward. Walker did not play in either game as Trendon Watford received the other power-forward minutes in the rotation.
So it wouldn’t be surprising if we find out the Sixers aren’t committed to converting both players to standard deals, as they’re making decisions based on the salary cap and who’s helping the team. Things will work themselves out, as the squad has cap experts who handle such matters.
But this roster, as it stands, is the best one Nurse has coached during his tenure.
The Sixers have been in a lot of games that came down to the wire — some they won, others they lost. They could easily be seven games over .500 instead of four. And they’re just starting to consistently play games with their Big Three of Maxey, Embiid, and George.
So the Sixers’ biggest need is time, not an addition before the trade deadline.
If the Sixers are wise, the answer is at least through the end of the season.
The 30-year-old swingman’s contract expires at the end of June. However, his name has been repeatedly mentioned in recent trade reports. And that could continue ahead of the Feb. 5 trade deadline as teams look to upgrade rosters and slash salaries.
But at this point, the Sixers will be hard-pressed to find someone able to do what Oubre provides.
The squad is starting to show glimpses of why it has received Eastern Conference championship-contender hype. And Oubre’s ability to adjust to his ever-changing role is a reason for that.
Before that tilt, they defeated the Houston Rockets, 128-122, in overtime Thursday night at home. Oubre played a significant role in the victory, finishing with 26 points on 10-for-14 shooting along with four rebounds, three assists, and one block while starting alongside Paul George, Joel Embiid, VJ Edgecombe, and Tyrese Maxey.
It was the first time the Sixers employed that starting lineup.
Coach Nick Nurse said before Sunday’s game that they would stay with it for a while. And had another solid performance, finishing with 14 points on 5-for-10 shooting, along with seven rebounds, three assists, and two steals.
His remaining as a starter is understandable, given that it was a lineup they were expected to unveil at the beginning of the season. But George missed the first 12 games with left knee injury management. Then Oubre was sidelined 22 games from Nov. 17 to Jan. 5. While those two were injured, power forward Dominick Barlow proved to be a solid fifth starter.
But Oubre is a more experienced, more versatile player, and has been noted several times before as the team’s X factor. His ability to play shooting guard, small forward, and small-ball power forward gives the Sixers a variety of rotation options.
Sixers guard Kelly Oubre Jr. has been noted several times before as the team’s X factor.
While he starts at small forward, Oubre moves to shooting guard in a lineup that features George, Barlow, Embiid, and Maxey when Edgecombe is out of the game. And in his first game back from a sprained left knee ligament on Jan. 7, he played power forward in a small-ball lineup with Maxey, Quentin Grimes, Jared McCain, and Adem Bona.
“He plays both ends, right?” Nurse said of his impact as a versatile player. “I think that’s the main thing. He’s been pretty effective on both ends, and the other probably main thing is he’s in about his 10th year. He’s got a lot of stuff under his belt. A lot of minutes. A lot of games, too. That helps, too. ”
All-Star cornerstones, Embiid, Maxey, and George, along with rookie-of-the-year candidate Edgecombe, have deservedly received a lot of credit for the team’s being viewed as a contender.
Embiid had scored at least 30 points in four consecutive games. While the 7-2 center is not where he once was defensively, he’s showing glimpses of being a 2023 MVP and seven-time All-Star. Embiid is averaging 33.3 points, 10 rebounds, 5.5 assists, and 0.7 blocks while shooting 58.3% on three-pointers in those games.
Meanwhile, Maxey, who was named an All-Star starter on Monday, is averaging a league-third-best 29.9 points, a second-best 2.1 steals, and 12th-best 6.8 rebounds this season. He was also fourth (147) in made three-pointers.
George’s average of 15.4 points is below his career average of 20.5 points. But the nine-time All-Star has thrived at times as a facilitator and an elite defender. And it’s not uncommon for him to provide the bulk of the scoring during third-quarter stretches.
Edgecombe is averaging 15.6 points, a league 11th-best 1.5 steals, 5.3 rebounds, and 4.2 assists. The 20-year-old shooting guard’s elite potential was on full display in the Sixers’ season-opening victory over the Boston Celtics.
That night, he scored 34 points to help lead the Sixers to victory. It was the third-highest scoring debut in NBA history behind Chamberlain’s 43 points on Oct. 24, 1959, and Frank Selvy’s 35 on Nov. 30, 1954.
Concurrently, Oubre averaged 14.6 points, 4.5 rebounds, 1.1 steals, and shot 38.3% on three-pointers while continuously adjusting his role depending on who was playing or who the Sixers were playing against. The one constant thing is his defending the opposing team’s best perimeter player.
Championship-caliber teams are built with players like Kelly Oubre Jr.
Nurse was asked before Saturday’s game where he thinks Oubre has improved the most as a defender.
“Listen, I think there are a couple of things, but probably at the top would be just his overall reading of situations,” Nurse said. “Just having a feel for anticipating what might happen next and getting involved in that and breaking that up. But he’s also been much better on the ball. He’s been much better in screen-and-roll. Stuff like that.”
The New Orleans native has starred in all of his roles in addition to doing countless other things that go unnoticed on a stat sheet.
As good as Embiid, George, Maxey, and Edgecombe are, championship-caliber teams are built with players like Oubre.
The only benefit of trading him at this time is perhaps shedding his salary. Oubre’s expiring $8.3 million contract would help them gain salary cap relief and avoid the luxury tax. The squad is currently more than $7 million over the luxury-tax threshold. That’s why his name has been mentioned in reports.
But, night now, they can’t afford to let him go if contending for a title this season is truly the goal.
The number of realistic available better options is slim. Even if they find a player as good, it will take the new person a while to adjust to the Sixers’ system. And Oubre’s ability to adapt is a primary reason why the team is starting to live up to expectations.
With Embiid’s extension kicking in next season and Grimes becoming an unrestricted free agent, it may make sense for Oubre and the Sixers to part ways after the season.
The way he’s been playing this season and elevated his stock during his Sixers’ three-year tenure, Oubre could become too costly to re-sign.
It may make sense for the sides to part ways after the season.
