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.
Ah yes, the second half of a back-to-back in which the Sixers roster is decimated. This feels like normalcy again. Let’s get to Pros and Cons from Sixers-Bucks.
Pro: BBall Paul shows out
I was on the record as a skeptic that Paul Reed could be a viable option as the third center because of the importance of that position stemming from Joel Embiid’s tendency to miss games.
So far, I look like a fool! I’m definitely not all of the way there yet, but Reed has looked better and better in every appearance, culminating in a spot-start tonight in which he was matched up with Giannis Antetokounmpo. He was far from perfect against the multiple-time MVP, sure, but he more than held his own in what is quite literally the toughest task in the NBA right now — truthfully, he was the only Sixer ready for that assignment.
Reed is being used mostly as a center right now out of necessity, but I wonder if Doc Rivers will ever experiment with him at the four alongside Embiid or Andre Drummond against a team with size.
For now, though, Reed’s production at the five has been just fine. Let’s hope for BBall Paul’s sake that I look like a fool!
Con: Furkan Korkmaz struggles
Korkmaz had a brutal night, making just 2 out of his 17 field goal attempts, including a wretched 1-12 from beyond the arc.
Unfortunately, it’s hard not to consider what this game would have looked like if Korkmaz had a good — or even average — performance by his standards.
Korkmaz will be just fine — I’m far from concerned about him. But tonight was just brutal — there’s no other word you can use.
Pro: Tyrese Maxey and Shake Milton lead the way
For the second night in a row, I’m breaking my own protocol and doing two pros after a loss. What are you going to do about it?
Reed’s defensive showing may have been the most surprising development on the Sixers’ end tonight, but the best came from the starting backcourt -- Tyrese Maxey and Shake Milton kept the Sixers’ offense humming all night long.
Both Maxey and Milton were able to consistently create good looks for themselves and others, and Maxey scored a handful of tough shots himself.
Nobody knows what this team’s fate is yet, especially considering the Ben Simmons situation. But right now, these are two young guards who look more than ready for this moment. They almost swung this game in the Sixers’ favor to complete the most improbable of wins.