With the return of Tyrese Maxey in the starting lineup, along with Paul George and Joel Embiid, there was some hope that the Sixers would get back on track on Wednesday night in Memphis. Things didn’t go as planned.
Sixers vs Grizzlies: The Good
As the Sixers have struggled throughout this early season, despair is setting in for some Philly fans, especially with the extra drama surrounding Joel Embiid’s load management comments and Tyrese Maxey’s confrontation of the former MVP. Yet, with the Grizzlies missing Ja Morant, and Zach Edy, Philly had a chance to stop the losing skid.
Joel Embiid had probably his best performance so far this year, putting up standard numbers for him. His 35 points and 11 rebounds led Philly. He was definitely aggressive and looking for his shot from the start of the game. His 14 free throws made were also a game high.
Jared McCain continued his steady production, this time as a starter. His poise and confidence is one of the true bright spots of the disappointing season. It would probably be impossible to find anyone in the city of Philadelphia that could’ve predicted McCain as a starter this early in his career, let alone within the first month of the season. Yet, the rookie from Duke played 41 minutes and scored 20 points.
Tyrese Maxey’s mobility looked solid, except his shot was off, showing some rust after missing several games. Although he only made three field goals and not one 3-pointer, it was exciting to see the first glimpse of a Maxey/McCain backcourt for the first time in a regular season game.
The bad
Injuries have impacted almost every team in the NBA, most notably the 76ers. The team has struggled mightily because of their star players being hurt. Unfortunately, just when the Sixers Big 3 finally took the court together in Memphis, Paul George suffered another leg injury.
In the first half, he seemed to plant his foot in a way that caused his left knee to hyperextend. If there were a worst case scenario to start the season, it would be the combination of everything that has happened with this team’s star core. Yet, nothing is more disappointing than the Sixers’ star free agent getting hurt, not once but twice, within just a few months.
Even before the injury, George struggled with his game, taking seven shots and making only one. More news related to George’s knee injury is coming soon.
The ugly
One would suspect that without having to stop the most explosive and multi-skilled point guard in the league in Ja Morant, the Sixers would be able to pull this one out. Instead, Desmond Bane stepped up and had a tremendous shooting performance. His three-point barrage, along with other Memphis role players, kept the Sixers at arms length despite Philly making a rally in the second half.
On top of that, the Grizzlies did not even have their lottery pick from last year‘s draft, Zach Edey. Of course, Jaren Jackson Jr. was a defensive force for Memphis all night, but Edey could have given the Sixers a unique matchup problem, but Nick Nurse could not take advantage of his absence.
Is the sky falling in Philly right now? It’s too early in the season to etch that in stone, but as each loss piles up along with unforeseen injuries, optimism is a luxury right now.
