The Philadelphia 76ers have a big challenge coming up as they continue their road trip. After knocking off the New York Knicks on Sunday to begin a 6-game trip, they now head out to the West Coast portion of the trip beginning on Tuesday with the Golden State Warriors in The Bay.
The Sixers are sitting at 30-13 and are still the 1 seed in the East, but they are still working out some of the kinks and they are still trying to really find themselves as a team. Over these next few games, they will still be looking to become the team they believe they can be, even without Joel Embiid to help them.
“I think this road trip, without Joel, we got to find, what are we going to hang our hat on?” said Tobias Harris. “How good can we be defensively and just getting different efforts with different guys. I give a shout-out, Shake (Milton) the last two games has been ballin for us. Dwight (Howard) has been as good as anybody after the All-Star break. Guys are getting an opportunity to come out and play and we need that.”
Harris has been a guy who has continued to step forward this season and he has been even better in the recent games without Embiid. The veteran out of Tennessee is averaging 24.2 points and 7.8 rebounds while shooting 47.4% from the floor and 50% from deep.
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That confidence has been spread to the rest of the team and that is something that is going to be needed as the season continues on and into the playoffs.
“We need that type of confidence,” Harris added. “We need, as a team, to continue to embrace one another on the floor. I just think for us, we have the opportunity to really build something and grow with it right now and just being fearless. We’re gonna be playing some really good teams that are going to push us and it’s getting ready for playoff basketball. You see the teams at the top of the top and teams that want to make the playoffs really pushing and for us, we gotta get ourselves and our mind in that position.”
The Sixers are obviously a talented team, but they will not go far without the help of Embiid as well as their sharpshooter in Seth Curry. The Sixers will need to get those guys healthy while continuing to grow together with the playoffs continuing to creep up.
“Get everybody healthy, that’s the most important thing,” said veteran Danny Green. “Obviously, number one seed is cool, being at the top is cool, but it doesn’t matter if we don’t have guys healthy, and ready for when playoff time comes. Not just getting everybody healthy, but getting everybody on the same page when we are healthy.”
Even when Embiid and Curry do return, the Sixers are going to have to make more adjustments then as well. They are going to be used to playing one style without them and then they would have to adjust to playing with them again.
“Things are gonna change when guys come back,” Green added. “When Seth comes back, he’s gotta get his rhythm back. Joel’s gotta get his rhythm back, we’re gonna have to learn to play with those guys again and get things clicking to where we were before they were hurt. Getting everybody healthy and playing our best basketball with our starting guys on the floor.”
The Sixers will be looking to continue to grow on Tuesday against the Warriors at 10 p.m. EST.
This post originally appeared on Sixers Wire! Follow us on Facebook!
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