After holding off the Hornets in Philly Friday night, the Sixers were cut down by the Cleveland Cavaliers the very next night. Despite the absence of Joel Embiid, this game showed the difference between the top of the East and where the Sixers currently stand, pointing out clear deficiencies, especially between the caliber of offenses that were pitted against each other.
Very little went right for the Sixers in this one. While it would be great to focus on the positive, there was frankly very little outside of Tyrese Maxey‘s performance from beyond the arc to write home about. Unfortunately, Maxeys’ impact from deep was vastly outweighed by the performance of the Cavaliers.
Three-point disparity
One of the deciding factors in this game was the battle from beyond the arc. The Cleveland Cavaliers connected on 22 of 43 shots from deep, while the Sixers forced 34 three-point shots up, connecting on merely 11 of them.
While Cleveland and the other contenders the Sixers will face won’t always shoot 51% from three on over 40 attempts every night, the Sixers cannot get caught in a shot-chucking match. That is not their strength, nor will it be at any point this season, with or without Joel Embiid.
This team is not built to average 40 or more threes per game. It’s also not built with an army of snipers readily available. Tyrese Maxey and Paul George are historically quality shooters, but the team’s primary depth options, Kelly Oubre, Caleb Martin, Geurschon Yabusele, and KJ Martin, are not notable shooters either in terms of volume or percentage.
The Sixers must focus on finding and taking quality shots, not rushing into a firefight they can’t possibly win. To do that, they must ensure the ball keeps moving.
Move the rock
Another clear and obvious difference in this matchup was the difference in assist numbers. Philadelphia managed just 13 compared to Cleveland’s 31. The Cavaliers enjoyed a free-flowing offense for much of the game that allowed the ball to fly around the perimeter, leading to 16 assists on three-point shots for Cleveland.
The Sixers only connected six assisted three-pointers. Had they slowed down their offense and acted with a bit more intent, the score could easily have been closer in the end. Philadelphia officially ranks dead last in the NBA in assists per game.
Tyrese Maxy must do more to this end, but it must be a group effort to pull it off truly. Joel Embiid’s return will help on both fronts, giving the Sixers someone to dish the rock and receive it. Paul George’s rounding into shape will also help, but it must be a total group effort if Philadelphia is going to cultivate any level of consistent change.
Up next for the Sixers
Philadelphia returns home for a Monday matchup against Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs. The last time the Spurs came to town, Joel Embiid dropped 70 points against the widely-proclaimed future of the league. This time around, time will tell how Embiid and the Sixers will fair.
Tip-off is set for 7 p.m., and you can catch it live on NBC Sports Philadelphia or listen live at 97.5 FM The Fanatic.
