Category: 76ers

Sixers coach Doc Rivers sees defensive improvement from Furkan Korkmaz

Philadelphia 76ers coach Doc Rivers sees defensive improvement from guard Furkan Korkmaz.

The Philadelphia 76ers will be missing a key piece of their lineup for the time being as they will be missing Danny Green for a little while due to a right calf strain. The Sixers will have to turn to their bench players to come in and make an impact in his place.

The one who will most likely receive the most playing time is fourth-year guard Furkan Korkmaz. The shooter out of Turkey immediately answered the call in Game 3 when he poured in 14 points and he knocked down a couple of triples in order to help the Sixers get the win and the series lead.

Korkmaz will probably be the likely starter in place of Green and while the offensive end is where he will make his biggest impact, it is on the other end of the floor where he continues to make strides.

“He’s really just playing harder, honestly,” said coach Doc Rivers. “He, I think, gets me better now knowing that I don’t like football players. Meaning, I love the game of football, but I don’t like it played in basketball, where you don’t get to play on offense and then go rest. Two-way players are very important.”

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Korkmaz, in the past, would struggle on the defensive end of the floor and it would cost him in terms of playing time. There would be plenty of times where if he would not make his 3-pointers, he would not be able to make an impact out on the floor.

Now, he understands that he has to go out and defend his man on the other end to do other things out on the floor.

“Furk is doing all the little things that are required out of him,” Rivers added. “We’re not asking him to be Ben, but we’re asking them to be a better version of himself, defensively. I think he’s doing that.”

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Matisse Thybulle learning more discipline, ready to be more vocal

Philadelphia 76ers guard Matisse Thybulle is still learning how to be more disciplined on defense and he’s ready to be more vocal.

Philadelphia 76ers second-year guard Matisse Thybulle is one of the elite defenders in the NBA, but he is still learning his way in the league. There is so much talent in the league on the offensive end and they will take advantage of any slip-ups from a defender.

Thybulle learned this a lot in Round 1 when he had to defend Washington Wizards star Bradley Beal for a majority of the series. He had to learn to stay disciplined with his defense and he will have to continue to stay solid rather than continue to gamble.

Moving on to Round 2, he now has to defend Atlanta Hawks star Trae Young and he is now learning he has to remain solid with his play on that end. Young is a crafty player who will draw fouls on almost everybody and Thybulle is still learning that lesson.

“More discipline,” Thybulle laughed. “Just in the different ways how he draws fouls and things like that just trying not to play into his hand in that sense and stay as solid as possible while still making things hard for him.”

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As the Sixers continue on without a vocal guy like Danny Green with his injury, they will need more out of somebody like Thybulle to project his voice a bit more out on the floor.

“I think it’s as much of an opportunity for me as it is for everyone else,” he explained. “I think when you lose a vocal guy, one of the main voices you have been either under the court, I think it’s not so much it’s time for one person to step up, but everyone. I think it would not only be huge for me but everybody down the line.”

There will be a lot asked of Thybulle and the rest of the bench at the moment amid Green’s injury and they will have to step up and produce in order for Philadelphia to get it done in this postseason.

“Everyone needs to be ready to show up and do their part,” Thybulle finished. “Especially just being a part of the second unit coming off the bench, our job is to literally be that spark, be the energy, and to do it within your role.”

The Sixers will look for a 3-1 lead on the series when they take on the Hawks in Game 4 of their series on Monday.

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Sixers discuss the amount of depth they can count on amid injuries

The Philadelphia 76ers discuss the depth they can turn to amid the injuries they are dealing with.

The Philadelphia 76ers are dealing with an injury to one of their important pieces in veteran Danny Green. The Sixers need his shooting, as well as the invaluable experience and wisdom that he brings to the team and the team will need to count on others to step up.

The Sixers have quite a few players they can count on off their bench and they have been able to contribute in these playoffs thus far. From rookie Tyrese Maxey to Shake Milton to Furkan Korkmaz and they will need to continue their productivity with Green out for the time being.

“It’s one of the deepest teams I’ve been on,” said veteran George Hill who will also factor into things. “Normally, in the playoffs, coaches normally shrink a roster, but it’s hard to shrink the roster when you got so many guys who can contribute the way they do. It’s been a blessing for our team.”

Hill is right. Normally a coach will shrink his rotation a bit in order to get more time out on the floor for their starters. In this case, coach Doc Rivers has continued to roll with a deeper rotation in order to get the most out of his bench when the time calls for it.

“It’s been great and it’s some of the unintended good consequences of having injuries during the regular season,” said Rivers. “We’ve had so many guys out with Seth (Curry) and Joel (Embiid) and Tobias (Harris) and Ben (Simmons), your key guys and different guys from the bench have been in the starting lineup so I think that serves us well.”

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The deep rotation has come in handy at times. When Milton had a rough Round 1, Rivers was able to turn to Maxey and he played very well in that series. Then, in Round 2, when the rookie has shown some struggles, they have turned back to Milton a bit and he has played well as he has earned his rotation spot back.

“It’s also one of the things I said before the playoffs started when everyone was talking about rotations and eight guys,” Rivers continued. “I said the reason you play a deep rotation as long as you can is because you’re going to need someone at some point, to come in, whether they’re because someone’s not playing well, or because of injury and we’ve had a little bit of both of those things.”

It has served Philadelphia well in the postseason. Milton had 14 points in their Game 2 win over the Atlanta Hawks and then Korkmaz hopped off the bench and poured in 14 points of his own. Those two will see more time as the playoffs continue amid Green’s injury and that is a testament to the two of them staying ready for the moment.

“Really just staying locked into the game,” said Matisse Thybulle. “We’re professionals for a reason, you got to be ready at the drop of a hat. I think the most impressive thing is watching the guys when you have a blowout or if a bunch of guys like Furk has or someone comes off the bench in the fourth quarter and has to play. That’s where it gets really special.”

The ability of the bench to come in and produce will serve the Sixers will in the long run when they need their starters to play heavy minutes deeper into the postseason.

“I think it’s going to help us in the long run that we can get our main guys a little bit more rest so they’re healthier, full of energy later in the postseason,” Hill added. “I like what I’m seeing. It’s been great so far.”

Philadelphia will look to take a 3-1 lead on the series when they take on the Hawks Monday in Game 4 of their series.

This post originally appeared on Sixers Wire! Follow us on Facebook!

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Doc Rivers, Sixers give update on Danny Green after right calf injury

Doc Rivers and the Philadelphia 76ers give an update on veteran Danny Green amid his injury.

The Philadelphia 76ers will have to move forward in this Round 2 series with the Atlanta Hawks without one of their main pieces in veteran forward Danny Green. The sharpshooter strained his right calf in their Game 3 win and he now will miss roughly 2-to-3 weeks with the injury.

To help him with his recovery from the injury, Philadelphia did send Green home in an effort to help him get more treatment and things of that nature. However, they want to have him back with the team as quickly as possible.

“We sent him home to get some treatment from our doctors so he’ll be right back with us,” said coach Doc Rivers at practice on Sunday. “That’s a tough one, let’s just be honest. Just for the whole team too because he’s so important.”

As the Sixers now move forward, they now have to focus on finding production from others to replace Green. His absence hurts out on the floor in more ways than just what he brings as a basketball player.

“He says so many good things around our guys,” Rivers continued. “He’s been through every possible playoff situation. That is such a great voice for us, and that one hurt us, no doubt, you can see the when guys found out when we told them. There’s no doubt and that’s a tough blow for our guys. No doubt about it.”

It is due to that experience and the wisdom that he carries with him that they want him back with the team quickly. He is still very valuable in that sense even off the floor.

“We’re gonna bring him right back, we want him around,” Rivers added. “I’m telling you, he’s very important and we got to have him around our guys. That’s very important for guys. Especially, in situations, the game gets a little out of control, emotions get out of control, Danny is a flat liner and you need guys like that on your bench, on your team, because he has that calming effect on a lot of our guys.”

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Even being away from the team at the moment, Green is still making an impact. He sent a text message to them to remind them to get the job done as he plans to return during this playoff run.

“He’s in great spirits,” said George Hill. “He’s a tough-minded guy ever since I’ve known him, he’s a competitor. This morning, he’s still texting to tell everybody to take care of business and do it for him, because he’ll be back soon. We’re optimistic about his return and we know that he’s going to do everything in his power to get back out here and try to help this team win a championship.”

The Sixers are in need of a guy who has seen it all to lead them through tough times. Green does have three championship rings and that is invaluable to this team as they try and move forward.

“People miss that with him on the floor, when everybody is going to help the skill to Danny’s going at Danny’s speed, Danny’s pace,” Rivers finished. “His heart rate is probably flat and those guys are very important to have on your basketball team because the other guys see that. We don’t have that anymore, at least on the floor so we’re hoping he can give us as much as he can with his voice.”

This post originally appeared on Sixers Wire! Follow us on Facebook!

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Sixers starting the playoffs on a historic pace on the offensive end

The Philadelphia 76ers are off to a historic start to the 2021 NBA Playoffs.

The Philadelphia 76ers have a lot of talent on the offensive end of the floor led by Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons. Embiid is the go-to guy on offense who has absolutely dominated all season. Simmons, despite his lack of scoring, does everything else for the team on offense.

Surrounding the star duo is a cast of shooters who know how to get the job done. They have proven players Seth Curry and Danny Green as well as Tobias Harris who has continued to blossom under coach Doc Rivers. All of those factors equal a high-powered offensive attack.

The Sixers have scored at least 120 points in six of their first eight playoff games. They are the fifth team in NBA history to do so, and three of the first four went on to win the title.

The Sixers, the No. 1 seed in the East, have a very good chance of replicating the success of those three teams that went on to win the championship. The road will not be easy, but with the leadership of Rivers, Embiid and Simmons, they will have a shot to win this season.

This post originally appeared on Sixers Wire! Follow us on Facebook!

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Sixers individual player grades following Game 3 road win over Hawks

Here are the individual player grades for the Philadelphia 76ers following a Game 3 win over the Atlanta Hawks.

The Philadelphia 76ers regained home-court advantage by knocking off the Atlanta Hawks in Game 3 on Friday. They fought through the adversity of being on the road to get the job done.

They were led by great performances from Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons and their leadership on the floor. This type of performance shows off the talent the two possess on the floor.

Here are the player grades for Embiid, Simmons and every other Sixer that played in a big road win:

Big man Joel Embiid assesses Sixers defense on Hawks star Trae Young

Philadelphia 76ers big man Joel Embiid assesses the team’s defense against Atlanta Hawks star Trae Young.

The Philadelphia 76ers have been one of the league’s top defensive teams. They have used the size, length and defensive IQ of the roster to get the job done on that end of the floor. That has all been put to the test in the second round against the Atlanta Hawks, and they have responded quickly.

After going off in Game 1, Hawks star Trae Young has mostly been kept in check. The young star has had a tough time finding the same open looks he found in Game 1, and the defensive effort of Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid against the pick-and-roll has been impressive.

The Hawks will use multiple screens to free Young up for open looks, and the Sixers had trouble with that in Game 1. They have found much more success since.

“We did as good of a job as we could,” said Embiid. “He is a small basketball player. We complain about fouls, but me being in the same situation about getting on the free-throw line, it’s more about basketball IQ. It’s hard to guard him, especially coming off those picks, you can’t get close, because he’s smart enough to know how to get to the free-throw line. I told our guys, we did a good job.”

While Young had 28 points in Philadelphia’s Game 3 win on Friday, a lot of those looks were contested shots that a talented player will just make. The Sixers will gladly take that type of defensive effort against him and really make life hard on that end for the diminutive star.

As far as Embiid’s role is concerned, he will continue to have to stay up on the screens and force Young to make tougher plays. It is hard for him on that end; Atlanta is able to have Clint Capela roll for lobs, but he has continued to make adjustments as the series goes on.

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“Just trying to stay as close as possible, and being in the pick-and-roll, I have to worry about the roller, and also making sure that they don’t get easy shots,” he explained. “It’s hard to do especially because his favorite shot is the floater, but I thought we did a good job on him.”

Philadelphia will look to take a 3-1 series lead over the Hawks in Game 4 on Monday from Atlanta.

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Sixers guard Danny Green will miss 2-3 weeks with right calf strain

Philadelphia 76ers guard Danny Green will miss 2-3 weeks with a right calf strain.

The Philadelphia 76ers are in the middle of what they hope to be will be a title run in these 2021 playoffs, but they have seemed to hit a little bump in the road as they will be missing a key piece of their lineup.

Veteran Danny Green left Friday’s Game 3 win over the Atlanta Hawks due to a right calf strain and he was replaced by Furkan Korkmaz who played well in his absence. After some tests, it has been determined that Green will now miss 2-to-3 weeks with the injury and with a possible Eastern Conference Finals berth coming up shortly, they will definitely miss him.

With that being said, this now offers up an opportunity for Korkmaz and others to get the job done. The Sixers have a lot of really good young players they can turn to. Korkmaz, Shake Milton, and Tyrese Maxey have all had nice moments in these playoffs and they’ll have to keep it going in Green’s absence.

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Sixers praise Furkan Korkmaz, bench for efforts in win over Hawks

The Philadelphia 76ers were happy with Furkan Korkmaz and the bench in their Game 3 win over the Atlanta Hawks.

The Philadelphia 76ers are in a tough position at the moment as they continue to move forward in these playoffs. They lost a key piece of their team in the first quarter in their Game 3 win over the Atlanta Hawks in the form of Danny Green.

The veteran suffered a right calf strain in the first quarter and he was taken out after four minutes as he was in clear discomfort. So, as is the case in the playoffs, it was next man up for the Sixers.

Coach Doc Rivers called upon Furkan Korkmaz in the first quarter and he poured in 11 points on his way to a playoff career-high 14 points in 27:25 of playing time off the bench.

“He was huge,” said Joel Embiid. “We got that early lead because of him coming on the court and carting the bench. He was huge and even in the second half, every time they seemed to make a run, he hit a big shot. Whether it was a 3 or whether it was a layup. He was huge for us.”

The starters got off to a bit of a tough start on Friday as they could not find much of an easy basket, but Korkmaz came in and really provided the big spark for them. His efforts in this one were paramount to getting a win.

“He’s great,” added Ben Simmons. “He’s a weapon. He’s had a lot of great moments wearing a Sixers jersey and I love playing with him. Offensively, he’s great. Defensively, he’s stepped up too. He is another guy who’s taking on the challenge of guarding his man.”

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As for Korkmaz himself, he continues to be up and down. There are plenty of games where he looks very solid, but then there are other games where he struggles mightily. At this point, he is on a high note and he needs to carry this into Game 4 and throughout the playoffs.

“It feels good,” said Korkmaz. “When you play good, everything looks good, you feel good, you feel confident. Also, the most important thing is, we won the game, and I think I helped the team. That’s why I’m really happy.”

As for the rest of the bench, Matisse Thybulle, Dwight Howard, Shake Milton, and Tyrese Maxey all contributed in the win. It goes to show the versatility that the team possesses at the moment.

“They’ve been great,” said coach Doc Rivers. “Every guy. We put Tyrese in for one second and he makes a play. Every single guy that we’re calling right now is responding for us and that’s been good.”

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Joel Embiid reacts to his big performance, ankle injury in win over Hawks

Philadelphia 76ers big man Joel Embiid reacts to his big performance and his ankle injury in a win over the Atlanta Hawks.

Philadelphia 76ers star big man Joel Embiid is putting all out on the line right now as the team continues with their playoff run in Round 2 against the Atlanta Hawks. He is playing through a small lateral meniscus tear in his right knee and in Friday’s Game 3 win, it looked like he suffered another injury as well.

In the second half, it looked as if he stepped on Hawks forward John Collins’ foot and he winced a bit. He was clearly in some type of pain and it appeared to be his left side, but he was still able to play through it and total 27 points, nine rebounds, and eight assists in the win.

“I’m okay,” said Embiid. “I’m standing up, I’m walking, I finished the game. I’m gonna keep getting back up. I’m going to keep fighting. That’s been me since I started playing basketball. I’m gonna keep fighting and that’s been my model, whatever happens, get back up and keep it going.”

That has been Embiid’s mentality in the 2020-21 season. It seems as if he is ready to fight through everything in order to help his team out on the floor and it is much different than it was in the past. So even though now he hurt his left ankle, it is no different for him. He just laces up his shoes and gets back to work.

“It’s tough, but there’s really no difference,” Embiid added. “I rolled my ankle, but when it comes to the knee, a torn meniscus, it’s not easy. I just gotta keep it going, give it my best shot. I’m gonna give everything I got.”

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The fact that he was able to deliver a near triple-double performance while being constantly doubled and tripled is a testament to his growth as a player and his ability to make adjustments on the fly.

“He was great, he’s patient,” said coach Doc Rivers. “They were gonna send two or three guys at him, all night. I thought overall he kept his patience. We got to do a little better job in our spacing, honestly, so he can see guys easier, but it’d be good that now we can see the tape and see exactly what they’re doing.”

As far as getting ready for the next one, Embiid will have two days off to rest his body and prepare for Game 4 on Monday. The big fella will have a new opportunity to show off how far his game has grown and it will be interesting to see how his body responds.

“As far as getting ready to play basketball, it is tough, but that’s my job,” the big fella finished. “I gotta get a lot of treatment, I gotta lift, and I gotta let go do whatever is necessary to make sure that happens.”

This post originally appeared on Sixers Wire! Follow us on Facebook!

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