Bill Streicher
The Sixers got absolutely picked apart by a Grizzlies team missing multiple rotation players to fall to 1-4 on the season.
Here's what I saw.
- The Sixers' three-point shooting finally regressed back to the norm in the first half. Kelly Oubre Jr. inspired his teammates, lacing three of his own in the first quarter to get the lid off the basket. Even though the talent and size deficits eventually caught up and sent the see-saw leaning toward Memphis by halftime, the Sixers looked like a formidable offense for most of the first half.
Much of that has to do with everyone digging deep to access their own playmaking talents. The ball whizzed around the floor, several Sixers finding the open teammate to set up open looks on the perimeter. It wasn't from the likeliest of suspects all the time, either. Eric Gordon made a beautiful pass off the dribble to tee up Kyle Lowry for one in the corner. Tyrese Maxey used his equity to find teammates whose defenders were out of position. Philadelphia created and handled chaos fairly well. But, that means nothing if the shots don't fall. Their touch had them competitive in the first half.
- Jared McCain hit the first three of his career. So, nice moment for the young guy.
- No one got hurt. That might be the most important 'Like'.
- If possessions are ending in Andre Drummond post-ups against Jaren Jackson Jr. with 7-foot-4 Zach Edey lurking on the back side of the rim, an already dry offense is playing a dangerous game. That can't be the one shot you get per possession. And it's almost certainly going to be the one shot you get because, with both Edey and Jackson Jr. on the court, the only rebounder who has a chance of being competitive on the glass is the guy who is out of position to rebound because he's shooting.
Coming out of the gate, you need to be running Maxey around screens - single or staggered - to see if there's a switch you can force or a driving lane to crack. But, Drummond post-ups cannot be the answer you come up with.
- As much as the Sixers' three-point shooting regressed positively in the first half, they got lucky on the defensive end at times. Memphis did not cash in on open threes in the first quarter and a half. Philadelphia did a fine job of getting out in transition by creating live-ball turnovers and rushing inbound passes. But, the Sixers' defensive rotations were sub-par. Memphis got too many looks from deep in transition and in trail position.
Some of that is the Sixers' fault, no doubt. But, some of it is a credit to Ja Morant's greatness. That dude is an airbender. He needs no downhill momentum to apply force on the rim. So, defenses load up on the ball in the middle of the floor to prepare for a creative attack on the rim and it creates open threes, whether it be off the first pass or a couple of swing passes. There are not many guys with his gifts in the league, so you do have to tip your cap a bit.
- KJ Martin smoked a transition dunk with only one Grizzlies player back on defense. That is silly and cannot happen.
- The second half was when all of Philadelphia's nightmares came together at once. That three-point shooting regression that the Grizzlies were due for because of the Sixers' lackluster perimeter defense? It continued into the third quarter. Except, the Grizzlies added a new feature in the second half: they picked apart Drummond in the paint.
Drummond got lost in space over and over again, failing to track lobs toward the basket and keep drivers in front. The Grizzlies effectively took a blowtorch to Philadelphia's defense, both on the perimeter and in the paint.
- I thought Jay Huff, the guy who scored 20 points off the Grizzlies' bench, was from Australia. He is from North Carolina. All due respect to Mr. Huff, but the Sixers let that guy beat them over the head with trail threes. That is how badly they botched the scouting report.
- The Sixers were out-rebounded by 19 in this game. Jackson Jr. and Edey accounted for just 16 of Memphis' 52 rebounds. That is unacceptable. While Joel Embiid and Paul George are out, you have to play like you have zero margin for error. The fact that Memphis' non-bigs had the most significant impacts on the glass is a matter of your focus and desire to do the little things. There is no world in which you can excuse Santi Aldama leading the game in rebounds.
- What do you all think goes through Caleb Martin's head between his dribble and his load into his foul shot? The ball just sits fixed at his hips for what feels like an eternity as he breathes before shooting. Is he just trying to calm himself down? Is he contemplating the meaning of life? Consider me intrigued.
The Sixers (1-4) will begin a west coast trip with a visit against the Phoenix Suns (4-1) on Monday. Tip-off is scheduled for 10:15 p.m., Eastern time. You can catch the game on NBA TV.
