The Philadelphia 76ers continued their Western Conference road trip with a matchup in San Antonio against the Spurs on Friday night. With the Sixers all but out of the Eastern Conference playoff race, the focus has become on doing what they can to maintain their 2025 first-round pick, which is top-six protected.
This matchup had just about everyone a Sixers fan could ask for, save for the opportunity to watch Victor Wembanyama. Philadelphia was capable and competitive, keeping the game interesting down to the wire, ultimately not doing themselves a disservice and costing themselves in the reverse standings race.
What went right?
Despite the many injuries the Sixers have suffered, their offense is, somehow, better than it’s been all season. Much of this has been a dedication to becoming younger and more athletic on the court, and the little chemistry the team has been able to cultivate has also helped.
Over the Sixers’ first 61 games this season, their offensive rating was an underwhelming 112.9, ranking 23rd in the NBA. In the nine games since they’ve gone without Tyrese Maxey, Paul George, and more, the Sixers’ offensive rating has climbed to 115.5, which ranks 17th in the league.
The rise of Quentin Grimes surely has helped, but tonight, it was a group effort between Grimes, Guerschon Yabusele, Justin Edwards, and Ricky Council IV. The foursome each scored 20-plus points, marking the first time the Sixers did so since Feb. 2024. That’s right, last season.
What’s more, all four players did so while shooting 50% or better from the field.
What went wrong?
Once again, the Sixers’ defense, both inside and out, was substandard. It’s not hard to understand why, as the Sixers are without a center. Joel Embiid, Andre Drummond, and Adem Bona all sit on the sidelines at the moment. Without a legitimate rim protector, the Sixers, who already over-commit in help coverage and while playing the lanes, are drawn inside where not only are they ineffective but leave the perimeter wide open.
How can this be fixed?
Simply put, it cannot—not at this point during the season. Come the offseason, Philadelphia can reevaluate the plan with Joel Embiid, which shockingly has no update at this point, or make a personnel move to address their lack of rim protection. The Sixers have capable perimeter defenders, from Quentin Grimes and Justin Edwards, not to mention Kelly Oubre, but a true rim protector has eluded the Sixers all season.
Perhaps next year will be different.
Sixers standings update
Another loss for the Sixers brings them back to even with the Brooklyn Nets for the fifth spot in the reverse standings. The Nets and Raptors did not play today, so there was no movement in the East short of what the Sixers saw after their loss.
The New Orleans Pelicans, who currently remain likely out of touch as the fourth seed in the reverse standings, lost in a matchup in Minnesota tonight. The Sixers remain 4.5 games behind and have the third easiest remaining schedule, trailing only the Miami Heat and the Toronto Raptors. While their upcoming matchup will likely be the definitive marker if the Sixers cannot lose to the Pelicans, it’s looking as though Philadelphia will, at best, finish the season with the fifth-worst record in the NBA.
Up next for the Sixers
The Sixers will next head to Atlanta to finish this road trip as they began it, with a back-to-back. Atlanta is holding onto the seventh seed with a game lead over the Orlando Magic. With 13 games left this season for the Hawks, they will unlikely finish any higher than the seventh seed, as they are five games behind the Detroit Pistons for the sixth seed. Hence, the aim between now and the end of the season is to hold the seventh seed and home-field advantage in the NBA Play-In tournament.
Tip-off is set for 6 p.m. EST on Sunday, March 23. You can watch the game on NBC Sports Philadelphia or, as always, listen live at 97.5 FM, the Fanatic.
