Three Normal Things: Sixers Vs. Mavericks
Three Normal Things
Adam Aaronson, whose legal name is Sixers Adam (@SixersAdam on Twitter), covers the Sixers for The Rights To Ricky Sanchez. He has been legally banned from covering the team in person, and when that ban was set to be lifted, Covid-19 struck. He believes cantaloupe is the best food in existence, and is brought to you by the Official Realtor of The Process, Adam Ksebe.
Welcome to Three Normal Things! Let’s get going.
#1: Looking back at the Josh Richardson - Seth Curry trade
One of Daryl Morey’s first moves as President of Basketball Operations for the Sixers was to ship the misplaced Richardson to a Dallas team in need of perimeter defense. For Richardson and an early second-round pick, the Sixers received Seth Curry, who is known to be one of the best shooters in the NBA.
In a vacuum, I believed -- and still do believe -- that Dallas received more raw value in the deal. Richardson is likely a slightly more effective all-around player, and they were able to snag an intriguing prospect in Tyrell Terry with the added draft pick.
Regardless, I unequivocally believe the trade was a worthwhile one for the Sixers. Richardson is good, but was not qualified for the role the Sixers needed him to fill. A hard-nosed and versatile defender, Richardson fits best on a team with a reliable primary creator and ball-handler, like Dallas.
#2: Joel Embiid’s takeover
If there’s one thing I enjoy, it’s watching Joel Embiid absolutely decimate an opposing team’s center rotation. From the first minute of the game on, Dallas had no answers for him; as they trotted out four different defenders against him in the first half alone.
Embiid did struggle a bit as a shot-maker early on, as he got some tough bounces. But as a whole, he controlled everything offensively, from his plentiful foul-drawing to his impressive composure and passing. Embiid consistently made proper reads and executed on them, even at times manipulating the defense in a manner we have rarely seen from him.
#3: A new Quiet Tournament
As George Hill recovers from a thumb injury suffered during his time in Oklahoma City, the Sixers are getting along just fine with their bench as of late. It begs the question: when George Hill is ready to suit up, who is exiting the rotation?
The most obvious move is to remove Mike Scott from the rotation. Once that’s done, Doc Rivers would be wise to stagger the minutes of Ben Simmons and Tobias Harris, the team’s only two capable power forward defenders.Â
So Hill can take Scott’s minutes easily, but it will be tough to decide who else’s playing time he will take a bite of. Furkan Korkmaz has been excellent on both ends as of late, Matisse Thybulle is the team’s second-best perimeter defender and Shake Milton is its most reliable backup ball-handler. Rivers’ choice of whose minutes should shrink will be a fascinating subplot of the second half of the season.