Opponent Scouting: Philly 76ers (24-15)
Tonight at 7:00pm EST the Detroit Pistons will be on the road to fac the 76ers of Philadelphia. Both teams are on one day of rest as they played each other on Sunday in Detroit with the Sixers coming away victorious.
The Them:
The Sixers are still not necessarily among the league’s elite but they are in a good groove even with Joel Embiid sidelined. They come into the game with the league’s 12th-ranked offense and 4th-ranked defense.
Generally led by Joel Embiid, I assume he will remain out tonight. With that in mind, the Sixers have James Harden to lead the way and he absolutely toyed with the Pistons on Sunday recording a quick triple-double. Harden will probably never get back to the highs he reached in Houston but he’s still a matchup problem who can hit threes and is a great passer. Tyrese Maxey is the second fiddle and is a lightening quick guard who can also shoot. Maxey is averaging more than 20 points per game on good efficiency and shooting above 40% from deep on high volume, he doesn’t have the size to be a matchup problem but he can get points in bunches.
Pistons legend Tobias Harris remains a Sixer and while he is overpaid for the role he now finds himself in, he is still very good. Averaging and efficient 16.5 points per game and focusing in on defense to be better than he often has been in the past. Harris still possesses an excellent first step and is silky smooth as a shooter and finisher.
Montrezl Harrell will likely be filling in for Embiid at center again and he is a high-energy guy who can score heaps of points inside but struggles defensively. DeAnthony Melton is a high-level shooter as a tertiary role player with the starters but does have some off-the-dribble ability.
The bench is pretty good but a drop-off from an awesome starting lineup. Shake Milton is a good backup guard who can score and facilitate, Paul Reed is a fairly non-descript big man off the bench, Matisse Thybulle is incredible defensively but just as bad offensively as he is good on defense. Georges Niang is a good shooter on the wing.
The Sixers are not the same without Embiid, but Harden, Maxey, and Harris are all more than capable of picking up the offensive slack, what they can’t make up is Embiid’s defensive presence. This team is still good and, as we saw on Sunday, still much better than the Pistons even without Embiid.
What if Embiid does play? They remain fairly criptic about how long he’s going to be out.
Then the Pistons are screwed.
Matchups to watch:
Pistons vs. James Harden: It was, quite frankly, a cakewalk for Harden last time out. A triple double without hardly breaking a sweat. I would like to see the Pistons limit switches and try to lock Killian onto him in an effort to slow him down. It might now work, but its almost certainly their best option.
Pistons vs. Attacking the interior: Fairly obvious. Going from Embiid to Harrell is going from one of the league’s most feared rim protectors to a mediocre one. The Pistons have to force the issue to get inside and take advantage of the hole Embiid leaves behind.
Jaden Ivey vs. Trying on defense: I mentioned it in the recap Sunday. It’s officially a problem beyond just “oh he’s young”. Ivey has to play hard on defense.
Pistons bench vs. Gaining some ground: As outlined above, the Sixers starting lineup is really good even with Embiid out and almost certainly too good for the Pistons’ starters. The Sixers’ bench isn’t bad but it’s a far more even fight. If the Pistons are going to hang in this game it will likely require the starters to simply avoid getting run off the court and the Pistons bench rolling.
Pistons vs. Energy in general: The final score didn’t end up being as ugly as the game suggested. It was one of the more deflated efforts I’ve seen in a while and that is saying something given where the Pistons have been the last few years. The fact that we are now in Philly should add some energy to the game but they cannot repeat that even if they get whooped again.
So in conclusion…
Run for the hills fi:
“By god is that Joel Embiid’s music??”
Tobias Harris revenge game
Harden has a triple double by the end of the first quarter this time
Wink knowingly at you friends if:
The Pistons get a layup line going against the soft interior of Philly
The bench blows the Philly bench out of the water
Killian Hayes flamethrower