By Sean Kennedy (@PhillyFastBreak)
About 18 months ago, Sixers management began a dramatic overhaul of the franchise, systemically excising every vestige of a team that had been mired in mediocrity for the better part of a decade, in hopes of fast-forwarding a full rebuild to contender status. 2014 represented the full embrace of that process, as the Sixers went 14-68 over the course of the calendar year, a record that was greeted as a success by a significant portion of the Philadelphia fan base, because it was part of a plan laid out by GM Sam Hinkie for which many of us have largely bought into wholeheartedly. Try to imagine 10 years ago fans being happy their favorite team went 14-68 over a 12-month period, some even being concerned that the team was winning too much at times. Strange times we live in, 2015.
Coincidentally, there was some news over the last couple days regarding the final leftover from that bygone, Doug Collins era. Word came out that Jason Richardson is expected to be back by the end of this month. We’ve seen setbacks in regard to Richardson’s comeback before, so nothing is set in stone, but it would still be interesting to see a guy a decade older and with infinitely more professional success than the rest of his teammates mesh with the current group. More than likely, the Sixers might try to showcase him for a couple weeks before moving the veteran by the February 19 trade deadline to a contender that could use added shooting off the bench. You can never have too many second-round picks, right Mr. Hinkie. In more immediate roster news, the Sixers will still be without Hollis Thompson for tonight’s game against Phoenix, but are expected to return Luc Mbah a Moute back to the lineup.
The Sixers played these Suns about 6 weeks ago, losing by 26 at the Wells Fargo Center back in November. A disastrous second quarter in which they were outscored 41-17 was ultimately the Sixers’ downfall, as Phoenix hit 13 threes on the night. The Suns were led in the game by Isaiah Thomas, who came off the bench to record game-highs of 23 points and 8 assists in just 24 minutes of action.
Since then, the only significant roster shake-up Coach Jeff Hornacek has made was moving young center Alex Len into the starting lineup ahead of Miles Plumlee. Len averaged just 6.3 points and 5.4 rebounds per game during the month of December, but does offer better rim protection than the shorter Plumlee, and Phoenix has plenty of guys to handle things on the offensive end as it is. They’ll need their three-headed point guard monster of Goran Dragic, Eric Bledsoe, and Isaiah Thomas to continue carrying the load, as in the crowded Western Conference, the Suns currently hold the 8th seed, trying to hold off what seems like an eventual takeover by the now-healthy Thunder in 9th place.
All three of those players, plus emerging stretch four Markieff Morris, average over 14 points per game. Bledsoe is a tenacious defender and any sloppy ball-handling from Carter-Williams or Wroten is going to result in the former Clipper leading fast breaks in the other direction. Dragic is the most efficient scorer of the three, shooting 50% from the field, and is the best option for the Suns to create things out of a half-court set. Thomas can’t have been happy that Bledsoe was retained this past offseason, as he’s seen his minutes drop significantly from his role in Sacramento, but he’s a huge luxury for the Suns as instant offense off the bench.
The Suns are 5th in the NBA in 3PT%, as the 3 point guards, the Morris twins, and P.J. Tucker are all capable of doing damage from deep. The guy the Sixers will really have to keep an eye on along the perimeter is Gerald Green, whose 6.0 attempted threes per game is the 9th-highest mark in the league, and why not, when he’s making them at a 39% clip. Green’s transformation from a fringe player known more for his novelty dunks than his actual play, to a legitimate offensive weapon any contender would love to have in the rotation is one of the more interesting stories in the league.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DYIgGyDkTQQ]
Ultimately, I think the Suns are too similar to the Warriors for the Sixers to come close in this contest. Teams that also like to run and have a number of dynamic scoring options seem to give Philadelphia more trouble than usual. The Sixers do better when their desired pace of play upsets what the other team normally likes to do and gets the opponent out of their comfort zone. Add in the fact that Carter-Williams is completely lost in his own head right now and I’d expect another lopsided defeat out in the desert this evening.
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