By Sean Kennedy
With Philadelphia playing host to the Rajon Rondo-less Boston Celtics in the future home of the Sixers’ D-league affiliate in Delaware, the starting five powered the Sixers to a dominant 97-85 victory. Spencer Hawes and James Anderson combined to shoot 5-8 from behind the arc to tally 17 and 16 points, respectively, while Thad Young recorded a game-high 20 points on 9-15 shooting.
Notable Observations:
- First off, I know it’s only been two preseason games against NBA competition. I’m not going to overreact. But after the Sixers lost a close game to Kevin Durant and the Thunder, and now having thoroughly dispatched the Celtics, one has to wonder, are they not bad enough to safely secure the worst overall record in the league? They have a coach bringing in sound principles for offensive systems and off-the-court regimens, while a bunch of young, hungry players are fighting for their professional lives. Obviously they’re not a playoff team, but if the Sixers play this way throughout the season, a 20-some win season is not out of the question.
- Michael Carter-Williams had his best game as a professional, dishing out 6 assists without committing a turnover. He also had a great feed to Vander Blue for an alley-oop right before halftime. This effort marks two solid performances in a row for the former Orange guard, obviously a positive sign in this young season.
- After playing a significant role in the first two games for Philadelphia, reserve guard Tony Wroten had a quiet contest, going just 1-6 from the floor for 4 points.
- Continuing a trend we’ve seen from the Sixers so far this preseason, the team committed 25 turnovers, as coach Brett Brown demands his young squad push the pace of the action. While you would like to see the team take better care of the ball, which should come with time, it should certainly provide for a more entertaining viewing experience than the stagnant offensive schemes under Doug Collins.
- As for Boston, they ranked 20th in the league last season in offensive efficiency, even with Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, etc., on the roster. Now with those players shipped off to Brooklyn and Rondo still out injured, they are going to really struggle to score points this season, as evidenced by their 36.0% shooting night against Philadelphia.
Tanking Implications:
Facing a fellow ‘tanker’ in Boston, the Sixers jumped out to a huge advantage in the second quarter and coasted the rest of the way. Boston suited up one of the least talented rosters in the league, but if Philadelphia is serious about having the best chance at the first overall pick, the Celtics are the sort of the team that will have to do better than them. The victory was on the back of much of the ‘old guard’ in Young, Hawes, and Turner, although Carter-Williams and Anderson also had encouraging performances.
2/5 tanks:
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
