The Philadelphia 76ers are hosting the Orlando Magic again on Friday night after losing to the Magic at home on Wednesday by a score of 106-102. The oft-depleted Sixers will be missing pretty much anyone on their roster who plays the center position, with Joel Embiid, Andre Drummond, and rookie Adem Bona all listed out for the contest.
For Philadelphia, the Joel Embiid situation and how the team has relayed information may be the most frustrating part of the season, and that’s saying a lot.
76ers game information
Who: Orlando Magic (16-8) at Philadelphia 76ers (5-15)
When: 7 p.m. EST
Where: Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia PA
Watch: NBC Sports Philadelphia, NBA League Pass, Bally Sports Florida
Latest on the 76ers
There’s no reason to keep talking about the injuries the 76ers have faced because it seems to be never-ending. There’s no Embiid or Bona for the second game against the Magic, and Andre Drummond is listed as questionable.
Paul George is back, and it’ll be up to head coach Nick Nurse to figure out how to utilize George without making lineup decisions that involve Jared McCain coming off the bench or seeing decreased minutes. The obvious direction would be for Kelly Oubre Jr. to come off the bench, as they’ll be using a smaller lineup on Friday night.
Nick Nurse absolutely must get with Tyrese Maxey and figure out how to get him out of the mode where he’s trying to do it all. Last season, Maxey was tasked with having to be the man on a team that wasn’t set up as well as this year’s squad. His mindset needs to change, as, especially with McCain on the floor, he has more viable options than last year’s roster provided.
Against the Magic on Wednesday night, Maxey shot 36.9% from the floor and went 0-7 on his three-point attempts. The rest of the 76ers starters shot 59.1% from the floor and 47.4% on their three-pointers. Such a dramatic difference, especially when he’s taking 19 shots, affects the team and, ultimately, it could be said, cost them a game that they should have won. Nurse needs to make sure that Maxey is being used properly and not trying to do too much.
Latest on the Magic
The Magic have been one of the hottest teams in the league over the past month and have gone 13-2 over their past 15 games. Franz Wagner has stepped up in the absence of Paulo Banchero and shown himself to be a star on his right. On the season, Wagner is averaging 24.2 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 5.7 assists while also grabbing 1.8 steals per game. Wagner has shown that he can give the Magic two big-time players when Banchero returns.
In Wednesday’s game, the Magic didn’t do anything, especially better than the 76ers, as both teams shot the same 48.8% from the floor, and the Magic were worse than the Sixers on their three-pointers. The Magic received timely contributions from Jonathan Isaac, Jalen Suggs, Moritz Wagner, and Anthony Black. They’ll use their whole roster complement to get back-to-back wins over the 76ers in Philly.
What to watch for tonight
If the 76ers play as they did on Wednesday night, they should be able to pull out a win against the Magic, especially with Paul George expected to be in the lineup. The big issue with George’s return is whether Nick Nurse decides to bring Jared McCain off the bench or keep him in the starting lineup. When McCain was on the floor, he was the best player for the Sixers, and it was not even close. McCain shot 10-17 from the floor on Wednesday and 3-6 on his three-point attempts.
Nurse absolutely must figure out how to change Tyrese Maxey’s mindset so that he’s not trying to do everything on his own, taking the time to operate without the ball and take better shots. Things should be a little easier for Maxey with George on the floor and his passing ability. As the 76ers go forward, especially without Embiid, they need to form some sort of new identity and use the players available to them.
Hopefully, the coach gets things straightened out, and the team will be able to start forming a new identity while they await the return of Embiid in whatever capacity he’ll serve. Nurse must get the team to find its way and start winning games without the constant waiting on Embiid to come back and hopefully save them.
It starts with McCain being on the floor and more involved while leaving Maxey free to get himself open for quality shots and possessions. We’ll wait and see what happens, but if the first quarter of the season serves as any indicator, it may be more of the same.
Prediction
76ers 115 – Magic 106
