Westbrook Barely Bests Embiid in Season Opener

By Sean Kennedy (@PhillyFastBreak)

Oklahoma City 103, Philadelphia 97 – Box Score

For the first 42 minutes of the season opener, you couldn’t have scripted things any better for the Philadelphia 76ers on the court. Joel Embiid was hearing MVP chants, the crowd burst into multiple “Trust the Process” during the game loud enough to hear at home and have Jeff Van Gundy discuss them on the broadcast, and most importantly, the Sixers led 87-81 with just inside of 6 minutes remaining. It was truly the beginning of a golden age for Philadelphia basketball.

Yet, there was a roadblock on the Sixers’ road to redemption in the form of a 6’3″ block of fury named Russell Westbrook. The Thunder star caught fire down the stretch, eventually falling just short of a triple-double with 32 points, 12 rebounds, and 9 assists. While Russ was leading Oklahoma City back in front, the Sixers helped expedite their own demise. There were ill-advised, quick three-point attempts by Dario Saric and Gerald Henderson, followed by a wild, flailing shot by Henderson which was blocked with the team down 2 in the closing seconds.

The ending really let the air out of the balloon for many Sixers fans, as it was eerily reminiscent to the countless late game collapses we’ve witnessed over the past few years. However, rather than dwelling on the defeat, think back to all the positives in this game, of which there were many. A lot of them came from the 7’3″ center who has to be the Rookie of the Year front-runner.

In 22 minutes, Joel Embiid finished with 20 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 blocks. He knocked down 1 of his 3 triples, and hit 7-8 from the foul line. Fans got to see the whole arsenal from him: the smooth release from downtown, the savvy moves in the post, and arguably most impressively, the dream shake to free him up for a jumper.

Joel Embiid hitting 'em with the Dream Shake from the free throw line. https://t.co/HXcbJRPkwL

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) October 27, 2016

Embiid simply changed the complexion of the game on both ends whenever he was on the court. The Sixers featuring JoJo were a completely different team. Another 6-8 minutes of him would have easily swung the outcome. Just keep being patient out there, Sixers fans. The wins will come, but the excitement is already here.

Other Positives:

• Sergio Rodriguez was excellent in the opener, recording 12 points and 9 rebounds against 0 turnovers. Ben Simmons’ absence was bemoaned not only because he was the first overall pick and such a large part of the team’s future, but also because his playmaking was desperately needed on this Sixers roster. However, El Chacho more than capably filled those shoes against the Thunder, making great pocket passes in the lane and a couple pretty alley-oops. If he can keep doing this while taking care of the basketball, Rodriguez will be an invaluable pick-up this season.
• Nik Stauskas returned from the dead and dropped 13 points on 5-6 shooting, only missing his lone three-point attempt. Sauce looked like a completely different player from the guy who many thought was in danger of being cut this preseason. The team recently announced they were picking up Stauskas’ option for next year, so maybe Nik felt a weight lift off his shoulders. Whatever the case, Stauskas looked much more confident driving to the basket; that’s the version of him the Sixers need to see.
• Jerami Grant hit some mid-range jumpers, always the swing skill for him, on his way to 10 points. Grant provided his usual strong defense and a pair of blocks. One good thing about the number of injuries the Sixers are dealing with right now is that Grant gets to play his best position, power forward. He played well in that role here.
• Richaun Holmes continued his strong play from the preseason in limited action, ending the game with 6 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 blocks in 12 minutes. He and Sergio showed great chemistry in running the pick-and-roll and I love how Holmes’ rim protection has come along.

"None for you aaaand none for you." – @Rich_Holmes22 (probably) https://t.co/JgMySz2Dff

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) October 27, 2016

The Negatives:

• The other high profile rookie Dario Saric struggled with his shot, going just 2-12 from the floor, and 0-4 from three, for 5 points and 7 rebounds. Understandably, it’s going to continue to be an adjustment period for Saric with the speed of the game and the longer three-point line. Hopefully, the learning curve isn’t too steep.
• Jahlil Okafor had 8 points on 4-10 shooting, slightly exceeding his minutes restriction by playing 16 minutes. Okafor wasn’t necessarily terrible, but he missed a few easy buckets around the hoop that he normally makes. He has to be efficient scoring to provide value considering he’s not a plus-player on the other end. I’m willing to chalk it up to his shaking off the rust following the long injury-related layoff.
• The entire Sixers team did a poor job on the defensive glass, as the Thunder had 13 offensive rebounds, compared to just 5 for Philadelphia. Enes Kanter did the most damage with 17 points and 12 rebounds (5 offensive) in 24 minutes off the bench. Steven Adams also had a pair of o-boards on his way to 16 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 steals.

Moral victories are great and all, but Philadelphia will look to grab its first actual win Saturday against Atlanta.