Pros and Cons: Sixers vs. Celtics
Pros and Cons: Sixers vs. Celtics
The Hospital Sixers have arrived.
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.
You know the deal by now. Let’s get to the Pros and Cons before they have to enter health and safety protocols.
Con: Shake Milton, Andre Drummond enter COVID-19 health and safety protocols
I like to start with the positive, but forgive me tonight, as the most significant news aren’t great.
News broke on Sunday morning that Milton and Drummond were joining Georges Niang in the health and safety protocols, which led to the Sixers-Pelicans game slated for Sunday night being canceled.
With Tyrese Maxey (quad), Furkan Korkmaz (non-COVID illness) and Jaden Springer (concussion) all out as well, the Sixers had to deal with six of their 15 players being unavailable -- that includes the entirety of their typical point guard depth chart, forcing Seth Curry to step in and start at point guard. The Sixers badly need ball-handling right now.
That leads us to…
Pro (?): Sixers sign Myles Powell, Tyler Johnson
With two-way player Grant Riller dealing with various ailments for most of the season, the Sixers released Riller and replaced him with Myles Powell, a guard out of Seton Hall who was immediately available to play. Powell contributed little tonight, which was to be expected given the circumstances.
With an additional roster spot they gained due to the NBA’s new rules regarding signing replacement players, the Sixers signed NBA veteran and Spike Eskin favorite Tyler Johnson.
Johnson was not available tonight, but should be as soon as Wednesday night against the Hawks if things go according to plan. Johnson is far past his prime, and not someone I expect to give the Sixers any significant contributions. But at this juncture, I don’t blame the Sixers for simply wanting someone who can at least handle the ball and shoot at a competent level.
Moving forward, the Sixers are allowed to sign another 10-day contract via the hardship exemption for as long as they have three players in the health and safety protocols -- though Niang may return soon. If the Sixers do pursue another reinforcement, I’d expect it to be either another ball-handler or a wing with size who can help the Sixers with their uneasy wing defense.
Pro: Sixers’ top-flight talent steps up
Curry, Joel Embiid and Tobias Harris were all excellent for the Sixers tonight, scoring in bunches and doing so efficiently. Curry, Embiid and Harris combined for a whopping 92 of the Sixers’ 108 points, absolutely dominating the top of Boston’s roster, which struggled to produce offensively.
Embiid was his typical self, frequently overpowering Enes Freedom and impacting the game on both ends of the floor. His defense was characteristically excellent, and despite some turnovers his passing and playmaking were solid as well. Then came crunch time, where he hit shot after shot to will the Sixers to victory, finishing with 41 points.
It was much simpler for Harris and Curry, who were knocking down shots all night long. For Curry, it was from beyond the arc and the mid-range; for Harris, it was from everywhere: behind the three-point line, in the intermediate range, at the rim and at the free throw line.
This was as gutsy of a win as you can have, and it all happened thanks to an incredible effort from the team’s three best available players.