Sixers @ Bobcats Game Preview (4/3/13)

In what will be the closest Philadelphia comes to achieving its dream of only having to play Charlotte, the Sixers had a few scheduled days off in between Saturday’s home win against the Bobcats and Wednesday night’s contest in Charlotte.  Sandwiched around their two meetings with the Sixers, Charlotte traveled to Milwaukee Monday and got plastered by the Bucks, 131-102.  We went into great detail on the Bobcats’ team profile prior to Saturday’s game.  To recap, Charlotte has consistently been an abysmal defensive team all season, and their offense has gone from among the worst in the league to about average over the last couple weeks. 

Zach Lowe’s latest Grantland piece described the increased role for Josh McRoberts within the Charlotte offense since coming from Orlando via trade in February.  However, the Bobcats’ attack still runs through Kemba Walker and Gerald Henderson.  On Saturday, the Sixers made a concerted effort of forcing other players besides Walker and Henderson to beat them.  Although the Bobcats’ starting backcourt did a good job distributing, with Walker and Henderson tallying 9 and 7 assists, respectively, the Bobcats got away from what they like to do offensively and it worked out for the Sixers in the end.

That Lowe article also mentions the resurgence of the Sixers’ Damien Wilkins.  In his 12 games as a starter, Wilkins has averaged 13.0 ppg on 53.5% shooting and 3.4 apg.  In addition to providing some stability to the half-court offense, Wilkins is a willing defender and has averaged nearly a steal and a block per game over that stretch as well. 

The other starting forward for the Sixers has played a big role in the Sixers’ improved play of late.  March has been the highest-scoring month for Thad Young, who has averaged 16.7 ppg on 58.0% shooting, whiile recording nearly two steals per game.  Young has been the most consistently positive presence for the Sixers this season, which can lead to his contributions sometimes being taken for granted.  In addition to the excellent scoring and rebounding he provides, Young always does the little things that help this team win ball games (taking charges, diving on the floor for a loose ball, tipping an offensive rebound to keep the possession alive, etc.).

However, the biggest factor in Philadelphia’s recent success has been Spencer Hawes.  The big man has averaged 14.2 ppg, 9.6 rpg, and 3.8 apg in March, all of which are high marks for him in a given month this season (excluding the one game in October).  It hasn’t been just due to the increase in minutes as his efficiency numbers are off the chart, shooting 51.0% from the field, 50.0% from three (small sample size of 9 for 18), and 84.2% from the foul line.  In short, Hawes has looked the part of a lottery pick center, but rather than just seeing a flash of it a game here or there, it’s been over the course of an entire month.  I would say it’s an example of the classic ‘playing for a new contract near the end of the season’, but Hawes is already signed through next year.  Is the new Spencer here to stay?  Sixers management and fans certainly hope so.

Keys to the Game:

• An all-star caliber performance from Jrue Holiday.  It’s no secret that Holiday has struggled following the all-star break, with his numbers dipping to 17.0 ppg on 41.9% shooting, and 7.7 apg.  Holiday’s splits between Sixers’ wins and losses read like a different player (20.7 ppg / 47.1 FG% / 9.0 apg, compared to 16.6 ppg / 41.9 FG% / 8.1 apg).  Even though he didn’t play especially well against Charlotte Saturday, it wasn’t until he came alive in the fourth quarter that the Sixers put the game away.  As Holiday goes, so go the Sixers this season.
• Once again employ the strategy of making Bobcats other than Walker and Henderson beat you.  The main reason Charlotte was able to hang around with the Sixers was that Michael Kidd-Gilcrist had his best game in months since hitting the rookie wall.  If he doesn’t shoot an unsustainable 9 for 11 during the game, the Sixers have a comfortable lead before the closing minutes. 

Prediction:

Philadelphia has largely taken care of business against the worst defensive teams in the league this season, with a combined 9-4 record against Charlotte, Sacramento, New Orleans, Orlando, and Cleveland.  As evidenced by their 3-0 record against the Bobcats, the Sixers match up extremely well with Charlotte.  The usually stagnant Philadelphia half-court offense plays reasonably well against the tissue-soft Bobcats defense, while Charlotte does not have the interior scoring needed to take advantage of the Sixers’ lack of depth in the front court.  The Sixers overcome their troubles on the road and complete the season sweep of the Bobcats for the second consecutive season.