The Philadelphia 76ers, fresh off a victory on Friday night over the Brooklyn Nets, will host James Harden and the Los Angeles Clippers in Philly on Sunday evening. The Sixers will be without both Joel Embiid and Paul George as they’re both doing whatever it is that the Sixers management says they’re doing. What the Sixers will have is the new dynamic duo of Tyrese Maxey, who looked more like the Maxey of old, and rookie Jared McCain who’s been the unquestioned star of the team to start the season.
Sixers game information
Who: Los Angeles Clippers (10-7) at Philadelphia 76ers (3-13)
When: 6:00 pm EST
Where: Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia PA
Watch: NBC Sports Philadelphia, NBA League Pass, Ball Sports SoCal & San Diego
Latest on the Sixers
Albert Einstein is attributed with saying that “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results,” which would sum up the Sixers of the past several years. Fifteen games into the season and the Sixers are sitting on three wins and dealing with injuries to their superstar center, Joel Embiid, as well as their other top star, Paul George. It doesn’t seem that the team has learned much as, for the past several years, they’ve tried to put different stars around Embiid only to have them either discarded (see: Simmons and Butler) or leave the team (see: Simmons and Harden).
This iteration of the team has followed along with the same ideals with even less success than any of the prior ones they have used. Embiid is out again for the team. Paul George could use another week or two off, himself, as he’s dealing with the same knee injury he suffered in the first preseason game. The Sixers need to get it in order and they need to do it quickly.
What they have going for them is the early favorite for Rookie of the Year in Jared McCain and a revitalized Tyrese Maxey, who missed a few games with a hamstring injury. While Maxey had a rough go in his first game back, that was all that he needed in order to get back to his normal self. Against the Nets, Maxey was 11-77 from the field and 3-6 on his three-point attempts, on his way to 26 points to go along with 4 rebounds and 5 steals. Partnered with McCain, they’ve given the Sixers a backcourt that is as dynamic as it is fast.
McCain, for all that he’s faced in his rookie season so far, has looked like a true diamond in the rough, falling to the Sixers with the 16th pick in the most recent NBA Draft. He started the season slowly, garnering minimal minutes, but with the injury to Maxey combined with the below-standard play of Kyle Lowry and Eric Gordon, head coach Nick Nurse started giving McCain a larger role and a lot more minutes on the floor.
The Sixers rookie has responded with seven games of twenty points or more while shooting 42.7% on his three-point attempts on the season. Against the Nets, he led the team with 30 points while shooting 11-20 from the floor and 6-11 on his three-pointers. To say McCain has been the star would be an understatement.
Latest on the Clippers
The Clippers have found themselves in the same situation as the Sixers, having brought in discarded players over the past several years that just don’t seem to work out.
They let Paul George leave in free agency to the Sixers this past summer and, in their own version of “Groundhogs Day,” gave Kawhi Leonard another extension only to see him not yet suited up for the team this year. He’s on an “injury management plan” similar, it seems, to the one the Sixers have employed with Embiid. Leonard, when able to be healthy and play, has shown he can still be a vital and amazing player on the floor with the only knock on him is that he’s not on the floor.
What has happened with the Clippers is that James Harden has found himself in a role that he adores, where he is the focal point of the offense right now, and Harden isn’t disappointing. While the Clippers are currently sixth in the Western Conference, that’s not bad considering that 12 of the 15 teams in the conference have an above .500 winning percentage. Harden is averaging 20.4 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 8.8 assists for the Clippers and combining with guard Norman Powell to have the Clippers performing way better than anyone anticipated.
Powell, at 31 years old, is leading the team in scoring at 23.3 points per game while shooting 48.7% on his three-point attempts. He’s seen a surge in his scoring as he’s partnered with Harden and is taking full advantage of the time. The bad news is that Powell recently injured his hamstring and won’t be with the team as they take on the Sixers.
The Clippers will be facing an excited Sixers team with Harden joined by Ivica Zubac, Derrick Jones Jr., Amir Coffee, and a collection of players that include Mo Bamba, Kris Dunn, and Kevin Porter Jr., which isn’t exactly a great recipe for success. While the roster may not stand out as an exciting one, it is one that’s been winning games and could get them a win in Philadelphia as they start their four-game road trip.
What to watch for tonight
The Sixers will be looking to start a winning streak, something that they’ve not had since they won their last four regular-season games last season before losing to the Knicks in the first round of the playoffs. the difference right now is that the Sixers have Maxey, who wasn’t able to shoulder the burden on his own last season, and he’s now paired with McCain, who’s shown that there are no lights bright enough to scare him. The duo, after putting together a great game against the Nets, will be looking to continue that against a Clippers team that has found ways to win.
The Sixers could really use a complete game from Caleb Martin, Kelly Oubre Jr., and Guershon Yabusele, possibly starting alongside Maxey and McCain. Maxey, after giving the team 30 minutes on Friday night, shouldn’t be on a minutes restriction, and combining with McCain will make it very difficult for the Clippers to defend the two. McCain has shown the ability to shoot from anywhere, but he has also shown a willingness to drive when afforded and pass to the players that are open. Maxey and McCain could both be in for 30+ points tonight.
While the fans and team are going to miss seeing Embiid and George on the floor, the duo of McCain and Maxey has given them a glimpse of what the team could be, even without their two biggest stars. What is going to be a problem for head coach Nick Nurse is finding a rhythm and style that allows the two young stars to continue to succeed while giving way to Embiid and George when they return. For now, the Sixers will rely on the work that Oubre Jr., Martin, Yabusele, and the rest do to provide a balance between the team and the dynamic duo in their backcourt.
Prediction
Sixers 114 – Clippers 107
