By Sean Kennedy (@PhillyFastBreak)
Despite being the losers of three straight games, the Philadelphia 76ers are in the midst of their best stretch of basketball this season. Since Ish Smith’s arrival 9 games ago, the Sixers have gone an almost respectable 3-6, while playing top Eastern Conference teams Toronto and Cleveland very close over the past two contests. More importantly, Smith’s presence at the point guard position seems to have unlocked the long-awaited success from the Jahlil Okafor-Nerlens Noel frontcourt pairing.
As pointed out in Derek Bodner’s latest excellent post, the Sixers have an offensive rating of 108.2 when Okafor, Noel, and Smith have all shared the court thus far this season. For context, that mark would be the 4th-best mark among teams in the league. They would seemingly be able to have continued success tonight against a Chicago team that always maintains two traditional bigs on the court at a time.
Fortunately for Philadephia, the Bulls will also be dealing with a number of injuries entering play tonight. Pau Gasol has been ruled out with achilles and shoulder injuries, while Derrick Rose is doubtful with a knee injury. While the club says Rose’s injury is minor, there would seem to be no reason to push it when playing a Sixers team where the opposition often rests players anyway. Even star shooting guard Jimmy Butler is dealing with an ankle injury, but he’s considered probable because Jimmy Gets Buckets is a warrior (averaging 38.7 minutes per game for the second straight season).
The Sixers will be without Jerami Grant, who was kicked in the calf during Sunday’s game. His absence may mean extended minutes for Robert Covington, who had seen his minutes plummet recently in the midst of an awful slump. However, last game might have been the start of his coming back to life, after he recorded 7 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 assists in 32 minutes. This game against Chicago might be the perfect opportunity to build off that performance.
What to Watch For
– Will promising rookie Richaun Holmes see the court after two straight games of “DNP – Coach Decision”? A matchup against a big, deep Chicago frontcourt would seem to be the perfect opportunity, plus the fact that Jerami Grant won’t be around to soak up any of the minutes at the four.
– Will Isaiah Canaan be a “DNP – Coach Decision” for the second straight game? One can hope.
– The Joel Embiid Warm-up Circus. This time, Embiid’s navicular bone has said to be healing faster than anticipated, and the big man has ramped up his activities in warm-ups before practices and games. Although he’s very unlikely to take the court this season, as the Sixers will understandably be very cautious with the former third overall pick, the combination of a sweet shooting stroke and his towering size has left Sixers nation salivating at the possibilities. These warm-up sessions are occasionally better entertainment for hardcore fans than the games.
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