Adam Aaronson, whose legal name is Sixers Adam (@SixersAdam on Twitter), covers the Sixers for The Rights To Ricky Sanchez. He believes cantaloupe is the best food in existence, and is brought to you by the Official Realtor of The Process, Adam Ksebe.
With Joel Embiid on a torrid run in which he is destroying everyone and everything in sight, the suddenly-surging Sixers traveled to Orlando to take on a young Magic team. Here’s what stood out to me tonight:
Pro: Tobias Harris taking the right shots
Harris has been the subject of Sixers fans’ ire of late, and for good reason. His recent struggles have been brutal to watch, especially because of the poor shot selection that was contributing to it.
Tonight, though, Harris had a far better process than what we have seen from him over the last few games. He scored 22 points on 9-19 shooting from the field. But even if the shots hadn’t fallen, I feel encouraged by this game.
When Harris is at his worst, he’s settling for non-paint twos, often falling away from the rim. He also becomes a major black hole, consistently halting the team’s ball movement, and holding the ball for far too long due to his indecisive nature.
Tonight, we saw a much different player, one that looked a lot more like the version of Harris that nearly made the All-Star Game in 2020-2021.
It all starts with getting to the rim. Harris attacked at a higher frequency, and did so with much more confidence. He was able to get rolling thanks to knocking down much better looks than he usually takes. He also took six three-point attempts, a welcomed sight given the Sixers’ emphasis on floor spacing .
Harris still has a ways to go to become the player the Sixers need him to be. But even in a game against a lowly opponent like the Magic, it’s worth noting Harris’ improved performance, which was certainly a step in the right direction.
Con: Embiid with an uncharacteristically poor defensive showing
While he occasionally slips on offense for brief periods of time, Embiid’s defense and rim protection have pretty much been constants throughout his career. But tonight, we saw something rare and peculiar, as Embiid essentially allowed the Magic to have a layup line for most of the game.
Embiid was called for two early fouls in the first quarter. Doc Rivers left him in the game, and following those calls, Embiid was extremely passive as a defender, ceding to attacking Magic players frequently.
Even when he escaped foul trouble, though, Embiid looked like he wasn’t as engaged as he typically is on that end. Embiid is usually infallible defensively. To be fair, Embiid did come up with a big block of Cole Anthony late in the game, but regardless, tonight’s showing from him on that end of the floor was weak.
Pro: Andre Drummond leaves his mark
Drummond was nothing short of excellent tonight, and his performance was one of the biggest reasons the Sixers escaped Orlando with a win.
Drummond’s most important job is stabilizing things around the rim, whether that means blocking and altering shots or grabbing defensive rebounds. Drummond dominated in that area tonight, playing up to his fullest potential as a rim protector.
Additionally, Drummond was able to get into passing lanes and make plays on defense, pulling off a few impressive steals thanks to his quick hands and impressive instincts. Drummond is inconsistent, sure, but when he is at his best, he is nothing short of an elite backup center.
Tonight, on a night where most players on the team were not their best selves, Drummond brought his A game.