Pros and Cons: Sixers vs. Wizards
The first Sixers-Wizards matchup of the year.
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.
Following a disappointing home loss to the shorthanded Atlanta Hawks, the Sixers traveled to a place that has not treated them well in the past, looking to beat the Washington Wizards on their floor in D.C. Fortunately for the Sixers, they were able to exorcise some demons tonight. Here’s what stood out to me in the big win:
Pro: Georges Niang returns from COVID-19 health and safety protocols
It had been nearly two weeks -- 13 days to be exact -- since Niang stepped on the floor for the Sixers.
After testing positive for COVID-19, Niang left a significant hole in the rotation. Without many players capable of logging power forward minutes, the Sixers had to place a significant burden on Tobias Harris and were also forced to frequently play extremely small lineups that were dominated on the glass.
Beyond the value he provides in a vacuum -- over 10 points and five three-point attempts per game, for example -- Niang’s return allows most of the team’s other rotation players to settle back into place. With Niang back in the fold, life will be much easier for Doc Rivers as he tries to craft the ideal rotation.
Pro: Furkan Korkmaz starting to break out of his slump?
After a blazing start to the year, Korkmaz has been struggling to escape from what has been the worst slump of his career.Â
Korkmaz averaged 13.1 points per game and shot 42.4 percent from three-point range in his first 10 games of the year. In the 18 games he’s played since then entering tonight, he’s averaged just 5.7 points shooting a brutal 29.5 percent from the field and 17.8 percent from beyond the arc.
My preseason prediction that Korkmaz would be the team’s best bench player seemed prescient in the outset, but those odds have quickly evaporated -- Korkmaz’s skid that has lasted nearly two months has taken him out of that conversation.
Korkmaz gave the Sixers a useful lift off the bench tonight for the first time in a while, particularly impacting the game in the first half, when he scored 11 points in just nine minutes to help stave off multiple Washington runs.
In time, we’ll see if he can continue to progress back to becoming the rock-solid offensive player we’ve seen him be in the past. Given the Sixers’ roster construction and the impact COVID-19 has had on the team, the Sixers have been starved for reliable offensive firepower from someone other than the guys at the top of the roster. The recent unavailability of Tyrese Maxey and Shake Milton have underscored the team’s need for Korkmaz to find his prior form. If tonight was a sign of things to come, the team’s bench could see major improvement on the offensive end.
Pro: Seth Curry continues to improve as a facilitator
Because of the Maxey injury and Milton and Korkmaz illnesses over the last couple of weeks, Curry has been asked to handle a considerable burden offensively: not only are the Sixers relying on him for elite jump-shooting, but also to set the table for his teammates.
Frankly, I did not think Curry logging point guard minutes would go well at all. But over this stretch, he has been absolutely massive for the Sixers, including in a game tonight where his shots weren’t falling at the rate that we’re accustomed to.Â
Curry averaged 4.7 assists per game in his last 10 games entering tonight, and it’s not just a statistical anomaly: Curry has been a demonstrably better passer of late, and that skill development has come right in time.Â
Curry built on his recent improvement with a season-high nine assists tonight. As the Sixers continue to navigate a year that has been like no other -- particularly at the point guard position -- the boost they’ve received from Curry of late has been invaluable.
BONUS PRO: Joel Embiid finds unstoppable form
For what I believe is the first time ever… a bonus pro?! We’re in the holiday spirit and the Sixers just put up a convincing victory, so why not?
Embiid’s performance tonight was not shocking, but it was jaw-dropping. The big man scored 36 points on 17 field goal attempts (12-17 from the field), knocked down 10 of 11 free throw attempts, grabbed 14 rebounds, swatted two shots, and quite easily got Wizards big-man Montrezl Harrell ejected from the game after being assessed two technical fouls.
The Wizards had zero answer for the Sixers’ superstar on either end — whether it was with him matched up against Harrell or Daniel Gafford, who Embiid also dominated.
Of course, we know that Embiid is capable of putting in performances like this one. But to see him completely locked in from the very first possession of the game until the final buzzer sounded was a treat.