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The Philadelphia 76ers possess an awkward roster. They are more of a throwback team on paper with Joel Embiid and Al Horford in the starting lineup and in the year 2020 where basketball is played at a different level, the two big man lineup does not work as well as it did in the past.
After having so many turnover issues in their Game 1 loss to the Boston Celtics where there were times where Embiid and Horford were fighting for post position, maybe the Sixers would switch up in philosophies. In order to give Embiid the most space, one would think about surrounding the big fella with four perimeter players.
Coach Brett Brown shut that thought down quickly.
“Zero,” Brown said of any thought on the idea. “I lived with Tim Duncan for five NBA Finals, four of which we won, and 12 years with Pop (Gregg Popovich). I’m very privileged to have experienced the world of the post players as it relates to spacing and schemes and how people came at him and one thing that resonates the most is four on the perimeter is the easiest environment for defenses to double team a post player and the ability to put on fires as a result. To occupy a low zone and space the court out more interests me the most.”
Maybe Brown is living in the past. Maybe the Sixers don’t have the personnel to run that idea. Or maybe his success with Duncan with the San Antonio Spurs just gives him a clearer idea of what to do with Embiid.
“If you don’t occupy the dunker, it’s my opinion that when Marcus Smart or (Jayson) Tatum and Jaylen Brown go down to double team Joel, which they do often if you pass out of that, their athletes can put out fires with 3-on-4 way easier than 2-on-3,” Brown explained. “I think that you’re in an offensive rebound position also if you can occupy that dunker spot. I think that the great dunkers have rendered the sport into a 4-on-4 game because they are just lethal offensive rebounders down there playing peekaboo in a big-big relationship. That’s what I think.”
Whatever the case is, the Sixers will have to figure out a way to make sure Embiid gets the majority of the touches in Game 2 on Wednesday. He only had 15 field goal attempts in Game 1 and he admitted that it wasn’t enough and he needs more. Brown will have to go to the drawing board for him to have the success he needs. [lawrence-related id=36920,36917,36906]