Analyzing Another Failed Sixers Road Trip
In their final four-game road stretch of the season, the Philadelphia 76ers continued to show why they are not an elite team in the Eastern Conference and why they will likely fail to secure home-court advantage in the playoffs.
The trip culminated in a disastrous collapse in Oakland to a Golden State Warriors team that has the worst record in the entire NBA. Thanks to porous defense and reliance on jacking up three-pointers, the Sixers capped off their road trip with a loss, putting them 1-3 on the West Coast swing.
Despite being without Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons and Josh Richardson, the Sixers fought hard against both the Lakers and the Clippers, only to fold to a far worse team in the Warriors. They continued to show why they have struggled on the road and seem to always play up to or down to their competition.
There are several things that can be attributed to the Sixers’ abysmal road trip, but three, in particular, stick out and need to be addressed by Brett Brown and the Sixers staff.
Over-Reliance on Three-Point Shooting
This season, the Sixers have averaged about 31 three-point attempts per game. That is not a special number by any means, ranking just 22nd in the NBA. And they shoot the three at only a 36% clip, right around the NBA average.
However, on this road trip without Embiid and Simmons, the Sixers reverted to a strategy of forcing up three-pointers at will. They shot 39 three-pointers per game on the road swing and while they shot quite well at times throughout the trip, it made them extremely one-dimensional.
This team is not built to be a three-point shooting team and even if they found some success, it is likely not sustainable especially when Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons return. It is not healthy for a team to change its identity so drastically just for injuries and now, when their stars return, another shift in philosophy will have to occur.
More Bad Pick and Roll Defense
Pick and roll defense has been a hot topic for the Sixers for the majority of this season and once again, it arguably cost them the game against the Warriors. In the last five minutes, Steve Kerr drew up several high pick and roll plays for his guards Andrew Wiggins and Damion Lee. Both players carved up the Sixers in the paint, scoring twice on floaters and once on an alley-oop to Marquese Chriss.
The Sixers continue to try and defend the pick and roll by chasing defenders around screens rather than switching or hedging. And by the time slower, more cumbersome Sixers defenders catch up to guards around screens, they have either put up a floater or lob for a teammate.
Without Joel Embiid to be an intimidating presence inside, chasing guards around screens will never be effective for the Sixers. Embiid is long enough and talented enough to almost guard two players at once, thus he can stunt at the guard while preventing a lob to his man. But as long as Embiid is out, the Sixers will continue to be torched by the pick and roll using their current strategy.
Undisciplined Defense
The Sixers struggled defensively in many facets, causing them to oftentimes break down and commit bad fouls, sending teams to the free-throw line. Their opponents shot more free throws than them in three out of the four games. The Clippers actually shot 21 more free throws than the Sixers, likely leading to their win.
This undisciplined defense is likely rooted in the ever-changing lineup combinations that Brett Brown has been employing. With three starters injured, it is understandable that Brown is trying new combinations, but it is about time that these guys should have some chemistry.
Late rotations, a failure to box out, and bad pick and roll defense are traits evident of a poorly coached team that does not pay attention to details, a scary fact for Sixers fans.
While they were without three starters for most of the road trip, the Sixers drastically underperformed once again away from the Wells Fargo Center.
Coach Brown will need to find more answers for his group if they want to stay afloat in the Eastern Conference while they wait for the return of Embiid, Simmons, and Richardson.
Featured Image: Cary Edmondson/USA TODAY Sports
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