The 76ers MUST Fix This Glaring Issue Before It’s Too Late…

The 76ers MUST Fix This Glaring Issue Before It’s Too Late…

[Music] The 76ers have a glaring issue that’s really popped up over their last two losses that they need to address if they want to be serious at all at contending in the Eastern Conference this season. What is that issue? We’ll get into that here in just a moment. Before I tell you what I think the Sixers biggest issue is, I want you to tell me, love to hear from everybody and have you guys get your voices heard down in the comments section. What do you think the Sixers biggest issue is right now coming off back-to-back losses? Let me know down in the comments section. To me, far and away, outside of injuries, that’s a cop out answer. Don’t say that. The Sixers biggest issue is their perimeter defense, allowing guys to just get right by them on the outside and get to the cup or step back, get an open three. When it comes to guarding opposing ball handlers on the perimeter, the Sixers have not done a good job this season. They simply can’t stay in front of anybody. And you know, yes, they are five and three and they’ve gotten off to an exciting start, but really, especially after those first couple of games, we’ve seen some opposing players have some big time performances against the Sixers and their defense has just not been good this season despite how good the offense has been and some big-time notable performances. And yes, these guys are all very good players on your screen, but they’ve just been able to do whatever they want. It’s not just these four guys. It’s it’s almost every game you’re seeing players whether it’s you know on the screen in roll action or just going ISO the Sixers can’t guard anybody. Palo had a big game even though the Sixers won that game against Orlando 32 points got to the free throw line 11 times. Sixers really couldn’t guard him. Jaylen Brown in that second game on Halloween against the Sixers was doing whatever he wanted super efficient 13 to 197 from three. Josh Giddy was phenomenal against Philadelphia in that loss to Chicago. whether it was driving by guys getting to the cup or driving by guys and kicking out to an open three-point shooter. He was doing it all day long. And then Donovan Mitchell with a 46point game against Philadelphia on Wednesday and did it shooting 15 of 21 from the field and getting to the free throw line 10 times. The Sixers have not been able to stop these kind of guys. And guess what? It’s only going to get more difficult throughout the remainder of the season. Philadelphia has had a relatively easy schedule early on this season. Played Boston twice, they’re not a great team. You played Brooklyn, you’ve played Charlotte, Orlando hasn’t been very good. Washington’s not a good team. Chicago, even though they are hot right now, you don’t look at them as a true top threat in the Eastern Conference. And so, your schedule hasn’t been all that difficult, yet you’re still allowing guys and the the the best players in opposing teams to just really do whatever they want in terms of running their offense. And there’s a lot of really good primary ball handlers in the NBA that you’ll have to face and you’ll have to beat if you want to be serious and making a playoff run when it comes time later this year. And one of the biggest issues as well when you think about being able to stay in front of guys, right, is not allowing people to get inside the paint. When you let someone get in the paint, obviously it’s an easy bucket. If you get by them and there is no help or if you do help, you rotate over, then your defense is scrambling and it leads to a lot of open shooters. But just getting into the paint, the Sixers have gotten outscored in the paint in six of their eight games so far this season against Boston opening night minus 12 point differential in the paint. Hornets outscored the Sixers by eight points in the paint. Char Orlando, Washington outscored the Sixers by four. Then Philadelphia did beat Boston in the paint and beat Brooklyn in terms of points in the paint, but then against the Bulls minus 12 and against the Cavs minus two. Although Cleveland was getting in there and then just kicking out, hitting a bunch of wide openen threes and of course a lot of Donovan Mitchell. And look, it’s showing up in the numbers as well for the Sixers this season. We’ve talked about their offensive numbers. They’re phenomenal. Philadelphia has been one of the better offensive teams in the NBA this season, but it’s been a struggle defensively, which kind of washes out all the great things they are doing on the offensive side of the ball. 22nd in points per game allowed at almost 120, 21st in defensive rating, which kind of takes points per game and averages it it out over a certain amount of possessions to, you know, adjust for pace of play. opponent poison in the paint. Sixers are 20th. And the Sixers are dead last in opponent fast break points and dead last in opponent second chance points. Especially this one right here. Opponent second chance points. When guys get in the paint again, you have to rotate over. That leads to other guys being open. Another player from the opposing team can crash down. So even if they miss the shot, they’re right there for the rebound. That’s what happens when you simply can’t guard on the perimeter. And I mentioned this offense, right? It’s been great, right? Tyrese Max have been phenomenal. VJ Edgecomb, Quinton Grimes, Joel Embiid at times has been really good. Kelly Uber’s had a phenomenal season, a career year. The offense has been flowing for the large part of the season, but it can only take you so far and you can only do so much with a great offense if you’re not getting it done on the on the defensive side of the ball. Some chat stats here for you guys. When you think about teams, and you know, we’re talking about NBA champions here, right? Obviously, that’s a lofty goal for the Sixers this year, but you know, the way the way they’re playing and how weak the Eastern Conference is, you do think and you hope they can try to make a deep run. The 2022 23 Denver Nuggets had the worst defensive rating since defensive rating was tracked of any NBA champion in history at 114.2, the worst of any champion. The Sixers right now have a defensive rating of over 120, which the higher you are in defensive rating, the worse you are. you want to have a lower number. Not good, right? That you need to be a good defensive team to win games in this league. And right now, the Sixers are not that. They do not have a player on the roster who can say, you know what, I’m going to guard the opposing team’s best player. I’m going to shut him down. It’s just not happening. I like what Kelly Ub has done. He’s a good defender, not a great one. Quinton Grimes, a good defender, not that highlevel elite stopper. So, how can the Sixers fix this? Is this a fixable issue? Is it coaching? Is it more of a roster issue and players in the roster? Do they need to make some kind of addition or can they get someone on the roster right now to rise to that level? We’re going to explore that here in just a moment. But before we do, guys, I want to give a big shout out to today’s presenting sponsor here on Philadelphia 76ers Now, and that is our good friends over at DraftKings. All your favorite NBA players are back and DraftKings Sportsbook, an official sports betting partner of the NBA, is the place to bet on NBA stars this season. New customers, bet just five bucks and get three months of NBA League Pass. Plus, score $300 if your bet wins paid in bonus bets. Download the DraftKings Sportsbook app and use code Sixers chat. That’s code Sixers chat. Bet five bucks and get three months of League Pass, plus get $300 in bonus bets if your bet wins. In partnership with DraftKings, the crown is yours. Gambling problem? Call 1800 gambler. In New York, call 8778 hopey or text hopey 467369. In Connecticut, help is available for problem gambling. Call 888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org. Please play responsibly. On behalf of Hootill Casino and Resort, Kansas. Pass through a per wager tax may apply in Illinois. 21 plus age and eligibility varies by jurisdiction. void in Ontario. Restrictions apply. Bet must win to receive bonus bets, which expire in seven days. Minimum odds required. NBA league pass auto renews until canceled. Additional terms at dkg.co/audio. Limited time offer. And we take a look here at the award races across the NBA. Sixers have some contenders in a lot of the major awards. Tyresese Maxi currently sits at sixth in the MVP odds over on DraftKings at plus 4,000. still far away from the top five guys, but he’s been one of the best players in the NBA so far this season. BJ Edgecom still second in rookie of the year race behind Cooper Flag at plus 130, but very tight race between those two. Nick Nurse right now third, I believe, in coach of the year odds. I think Nick Nurse has done a fantastic job with this team. Plus 1,000 odds there. And Quinton Grimes has now risen up to second in six men of the year odds at plus 800. Of course, all odds and lines are subject to change. Big shout out to DraftKings for sponsoring today’s show. So, is this issue for the Sixers fixable? Now, you can point to a couple couple different reasons why the defense might not be good. Coaching issues, personnel issues, what have you. I don’t think it’s a coaching issue. Nick Nurse has long been a good defensive coach, and when he has the personnel, he can put together a good defense. He’ll mix in zone from time to time. I think his defensive schemes and what he preaches are good enough to have a good defense in this league. Is he maybe top of all coaches in terms of the the defensive side of the ball? Maybe not. But to me, you know, watching these games, I don’t think it’s a personnel problem. Not I don’t think it’s a coaching problem. Excuse me. I think it is a personnel problem. So, you look within first, right? Is there anyone on this roster that you think can maybe rise to that level of being a true defensive stopper, locking down the opposing team’s top ball handler? The first guy you got to look at is VJ Edgecom coming out of Baylor, third overall pick. The biggest questions for him were on the offensive side of the ball. You know, we thought he had the tools and the ability and and he showed it to be a really good defender in this league and I still think he can be a really good defender in this league one day. But can he develop into that true stopper as soon as this season? That is a lot to ask, right? It’s very hard to ask a rookie, no matter if he’s a first overall pick or an undrafted player, to come in and be the best defender on a team looking to make a deep run in the playoffs. It’s just a lot to ask. And you know, VJ has the tools. He has the athleticism and he’s shown flashes, right? Especially getting in the passing lanes, but when it comes to being able to stay in front of some of the best players in the league, a lot of really good guards out there and he’s just a little bit thin right now, right? He’s got to put on some weight. He can get bullied a little bit. I think it’s really tough to ask him to be that guy. So, I don’t envision VJ becoming that high-end defensive player that could really help this Sixers team this season. Eventually, I think he can. So then you think about maybe some reinforcements the Sixers have coming in from injury. Talking about Paul George who of course throughout his career has been an allNBA type of defender and has always been known as one of the best two-way players in the NBA. But I’m just not confident that at this point in his career coming off all the injuries he’s had over the past year and some change that he is still that guy on the defensive side of the ball. Will he help? Absolutely. Right. But I think he can still be a good defender, a plus defender, but I don’t think he can be an elite defender anymore at this point in his career. And I mentioned some other guys earlier. Kelly Ubé, love what he does on that side of the ball. Quinton Grimes, love what he does on that side of the ball. But I don’t think either of those guys are quite the level the Sixers need in terms of having a guy that can just say, “I’m going to lock this guy up for a full 48 minutes.” So, if it’s not a coaching issue and if the personnel that you already have on the team don’t think can really step up to that level, I think the Sixers probably have to try to make a trade. Obviously, it’s very early to do that right now as we sit on November 6, but you know, you start to get closer to January and the trade deadline in February and you think about if the Sixers want to make a true playoff push and add a player to this roster who could help contribute. I think you got to go after somebody who can be a really good defender. And look, it’s hard to find true defensive stoppers out there in the trade market because why would a team want to trade those guys away? But I think there are options that can be had that can at least improve defensively the way your team has been playing thus far. Of course, the ideal player that we’ve been talking about seemingly for years here on the show is Herb Jones of the New Orleans Pelicans. They’re having another really tough season. They did just give Herb Jones a big contract extension in the offseason. has not kicked in yet. So, he is still an affordable player. And look, with how bad they are, they don’t have their own first round pick this year either. Could you convince them to take some draft capital and probably to throw in a Kelly Uber in this deal, unfortunately, to make the money match to get someone in Herb Jones, who is known as one of the best defensive players in the NBA when he’s right, when he’s healthy. And a bonus, he’s shooting over 40% from a three this season. This is the ideal trade target. a guy that’s been an all NBA defensive caliber type of player in his career. That would really, I think, fix a lot of the Sixers issues they have right now, but going to be the most pricey in terms of what you have to give up. Then you start looking at other guys that, you know, might not be quite all NBA level, but I think they’d be better than what the Sixers have on the roster. Dylan Brooks has only played three games for the Suns this year. They’re another team that you imagine isn’t going to be all that good the rest of the season. They’re hovering about 500 right now. But Dylan Brooks, you know, only played a few games. And you can say what you want offensively about him. You know, putting up pretty good numbers early on. Uh, but inconsistent offensively, always been a tough hard-nosed defender. Whether you like him, whether you hate him, very controversial player, he is a good defender. Making a little bit more money, so it’d be tricky to make the money match, but again, a guy that if you need that toughness and you need that defensive player, I think he’d probably be the Sixers best perimeter defender. you start to look at some other players across the NBA. Iod Dumu is a guy who the Bulls do value highly and I asked my guy Patrick Seaman who host our Bulls channel here at Chat Sports. If you think Chicago would move off of IO if they do fall off, which you know they’re what, seven and one right now. I imagine they do start to lose some more games, but if they would move him at the deadline, he said probably not because he is young. He’s on a great contract. They do value him, but they’re playing amazing right now without him. He’s been injured. off to a great start when he’s been out there. But another guy at 6’5 with a long wingspan, he can guard guards. He can guard bigger players as well. I would love somebody like IO who also has improved his three-point shot over the year to be a good defender on this Sixers team. Then we throw it back to a former Sixer here, Immatis Styel, who, you know, not getting much run for the Blazers at this point. And maybe he’s not the the defender he quite once was, although kind of think he was a little bit overrated even when he was really good for Philadelphia back in the day. But at least someone that can create some havoc at 66. Also has that long wingspan. I don’t think you had to give up that much to get Matis Styel on the team. Another option that again you are familiar with here in the city of Philadelphia. Maybe they can get that mural back up if he does end up coming back. And then another guy that I liked coming out of college, Devin Carter, who very quickly has fallen out of the Kings rotation despite being a high draft pick for them in last year’s draft in that Jared McCain draft. I wanted the Sixers to draft Devin Carter. Kings took him before the Sixers pick. Obviously, you love the Sixers ending up with Jared McCain. But Devin Carter was kind of one of those prototypical like, you know, he’s smaller, but three and D at that guard spot. He was really good in college and projected to have a lot of defensive tools. hasn’t been able to find his footing in the NBA. Could you take a chance on a younger player who again I think would be the Sixers best at least defender at the guard spot, him or VJ? You know, it’s tough to say. VJ obviously third overall pick Carter a little bit later than that, but I do like the player a lot. And again, he would help the Sixers defensive rotation. So, those are some names to watch out for. Look, the Sixers have to fix this issue or else I don’t know how they can be serious about making some noise in this Eastern Conference. As good as the offense is, the defense just needs to get better. What say you? Do the Sixers need to make a trade or are you confident in this coaching staff and the players on the roster right now to figure it out on that side of the ball? Give me a Y for yes and for no. Do the Sixers need to make a trade? Sign off what you think down below and we’ll catch you next time right here on 76ers Now. [Music]

Today’s Philadelphia 76ers news & rumors video focuses on a glaring issue for Nick Nurse and this Sixers roster. Despite getting off to a hot start, the Sixers are coming off back-to-back losses to the Chicago Bulls and Brooklyn Nets, and the 76ers perimeter defense has been their biggest issue all season long. Can the Sixers improve on that side of the ball with the coaching staff and players they already have in place, or does Daryl Morey need to look outside the organization and make a trade to bring in a player who can help on the defensive side of the ball? Jake Chipper explores how the Sixers can improve their perimeter defense on today’s Philadelphia 76ers YouTube video!

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Join the 76ers conversation in the comments below:
– What do you think the Sixers’ biggest issue is?
– Do the Sixers need to make a trade? Type ‘Y’ for Yes or ‘N’ for No

Notable performances vs. 76ers:
– Paolo Banchero: 32 PTS, 10/18 FG, 11/11 FT
– Jaylen Brown: 32 PTS, 13/19 FG, 4/7 3P
– Josh Giddey: 29 PTS, 10/19 FG, 7/8 FT
– Donovan Mitchell: 46 PTS, 15/21 FG, 10/10 FT

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See even more Philadelphia 76ers YouTube videos here:
– The 76ers Just Made HISTORY In The Worst Of Ways… – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WEoLV2jkZAY
– Philadelphia 76ers Get GAME-CHANGING News On Quentin Grimes & Kelly Oubre + Sixers Injury News – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1rk9voVH_Ng
– 76ers Get A DOUBLE DOSE Of GOOD NEWS On Jared McCain & Daryl Morey | Sixers News & Rumors – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dU0dZC4cG2U

Philadelphia 76ers Defensive Stats:
– PPG Allowed: 119.3 (22nd)
– Defensive Rating: 120.5 (21st)
– Opp. Points in Paint: 53.0 (20th)
– Opp. Fast Break Points: 23.1 (30th)
– Opp. 2nd Chance Points: 18.9 (30th)

Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, & more 76ers roster news can all be found on our website: https://www.chatsports.com/philadelphia-76ers

DraftKings NBA Award Races Odds:
– MVP: Tyrese Maxey (+4000)
– ROTY: VJ Edgecombe (+130)
– COTY: Nick Nurse (+1000)
– 6MOY: Quentin Grimes (+800)

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Philadelphia 76ers Trade Targets:
– Herb Jones, F, New Orleans Pelicans
– Dillon Brooks, F, Phoenix Suns
– Ayo Dosunmu, G, Chicago Bulls
– Matisse Thybulle, F, Portland Trail Blazers
– Devin Carter, G, Sacramento Kings

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