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.
After Friday night’s collapse at home against the Brooklyn Nets, the Sixers headed to Oklahoma City for a matchup with an extremely young Thunder team. Here’s what stood out:
Pro: Seth Curry does it again
I feel like I’ve written about Curry’s three-point dominance after every game since the Atlanta Hawks series last season. But tonight, he took it to another level, even for his standards: 23 first quarter points, including making six of seven attempts from beyond the arc.
It’s becoming more and more obvious just how impactful a hot version of Curry is for this team. Not only is he draining tough shots repeatedly, but he’s spacing the floor and attracting the defense’s attention at elite levels. For example, tonight we saw Curry free up Embiid for several wide open jumpers out of dribble hand-offs and pick-and-rolls. You have to pick your poison against this Sixers team, and that’s thanks in large part to Curry and his ridiculous shooting numbers.
Curry was less of a factor later in the game until a three that iced the game and stopped an OKC run, but what he did in the first quarter alone was enough to help lift the Sixers.
Con: Silence from Isaiah Joe
I was quite hopeful and excited about Joe’s prospects as a rotation player after his impressive preseason. I’m far from giving up on him, but Joe’s first three games have been uneventful at best.
Joe simply hasn’t been able to get the requisite separation to launch threes. And despite showing some flashes in the preseason, his handle is not quite ready for him to do that on his own.
After a rough opener in New Orleans and a tame stint in the first half against Brooklyn, Joe did not play in the second half against the Nets. He got his second half minutes back tonight, but again failed to do much during that time.
Joe’s silent performance tonight does make me fear his minutes could be gone once Shake Milton returns, unless Joe can get back to the mode he was in during the preseason.
Pro: Joel Embiid, DPOY candidate
Embiid had an unbelievable block at the rim of poor Darius Bazley in the first quarter, but that highlight didn’t even tell the whole story.
Embiid was swatting shots and jumping passing lanes all night, but more than anything else, he was protecting the rim at the level of a Defensive Player of the Year award winner. Embiid has long hoped to be considered for the award, and this year might be his best chance yet, especially if Ben Simmons does not return to the court as a Sixer.
Embiid patrolled the interior beautifully, frequently forcing drivers out of the paint and back to the perimeter. While their roster isn’t frightening, OKC does have Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, one of the best and most crafty at-rim finishers in the entire NBA. Even Embiid has struggled to contain Gilgeous-Alexander at times in prior matchups. SGA got his points as always, but Embiid’s defensive performance was nothing short of excellent.