The Sixers Are (Finally) Who We Thought They Were
The Sixers have kicked off their 2019-20 campaign on a hot start through three games.
Fans hoped this year’s squad would handle the Celtics at home on opening night, and they delivered. Next, during their tough little road stint in Detroit and Atlanta, the team overcame consecutive double-digit deficits and ground out a pair of hard-fought wins. The talent on this roster has spoken for itself, and this team has made it clear that they’re bound to achieve more than a 2nd round playoff exit.
The Sixers Have the Highest Adjusted Net Rating
Per Basketball-Reference, at a rating of 12.51, the Sixers are ahead of the 2nd place Atlanta Hawks by almost two points. To put into context, 12.51 is the Sixers’ current estimated point differential per 100 possessions, factoring in the strength of their opponents thus far. Having already defeated two of the top 5 teams in this category (Hawks #2 and Celtics #5), the Sixers have exerted their dominance, most notably on the defensive end.
Arguably more impressively, through three games the Sixers lead the league in adjusted defensive rating, allowing just 88.65 points per 100 possessions. The only team allowing under 90 points, and just 1 of 6 teams currently below the 100 mark, the Sixers have allowed 3.61 fewer points than the 2nd place Utah Jazz (last season’s 2nd best defensively rated team). The Sixers have been stifling opposing offenses to say the least, highlighted by holding stars Kemba Walker, Andre Drummond, and Trae Young to a combined 16-48 (33.3%) from the floor and a combined total of just 17 points in the 2nd Half.
This year’s Sixers have gotten the job done, even with offensive struggles.
Outside of the headlining story that is their 3-0 record, the caveat to this team’s performance thus far has been an inability to consistently knock down the 3 and turnover issues. At just 29.8%, the Sixers rank 27 out of 30 in terms of 3-point shooting; averaging over 20 per game, the Sixers rank toward the bottom third of the league in turnovers.
With those two numbers, one might think they’d be indicative of a team whose “sky is falling” or is “trending the wrong way”. However, that simply is not the case with this 3-0 Sixers team that has beaten opponents with a respectable combined record of 6-4.
Although this team has an abysmal 3P% and unacceptable TO rate, the reality is the talent GM Elton Brand has put together has demonstrated they’re good enough to overcome challenges which previously might have been deemed too tall a task. Additionally, the fact of the matter is that the starting 5 -which has only played three games together- will not average nearly 14 TOs per game, nor will a player like Josh Richardson be shooting 15.4% from 3 when the season is all said and done. Oh, and as much as fans want to see some Ben Simmons 3-pointers, the early success of this team has warranted such attempts unnecessary for the time being.
Elton Brand did a heck of a job getting this 2019-20 Sixers team together, and it’s becoming more clear that the sky truly is the limit for this team. Yes, we’re only through Game 3/82+, but the way this team has been able to take care of business will continue to translate game after game.
For the skeptics out there, when some things change, it will include an increase in 3P% and a decrease in TO%. Is a defensive rating of 88.65 sustainable for an entire season? No. But is a 29.8% 3-point clip with this lineup sustainable? Also, no.
Featured Image: nbcsports.com
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