The 2019-20 version of the Philadelphia 76ers has been a team that has had a tough time trying to all get on the same page. It’s easy to understand due to the number of major changes made to the roster.
The Sixers replaced two starters with Al Horford and Josh Richardson and then had to try and make a large roster work in a smaller game in 2020. The Horford and Joel Embiid pairing was terrific defensively, but on offense, it was a wreck.
Furkan Korkmaz–who was one of the bigger bright spots in the season before it got suspended–discussed that the team plays differently when one is on the floor without the other.
“When I play with Joel, I try to play the same way, but Joel and Al play different games,” said the third-year pro from Turkey. “When they sub in, we have like different chemistry a little bit. That’s what we were trying to find until now. I think right now we have a little bit longer time than the regular season to get used to each other again. Also, we are here. We’re talking about basketball every day, all day, we have nothing else to do.”
The time inside the bubble has forced the Sixers to get a little closer and to build a bond off the floor that they hope will help them on the floor when the games begin on Friday. Led by proven veterans such as Embiid, Horford, and Ben Simmons, the team has all the talent in the world, but now they need to put it to good use and get it together.
“Now I think is also a good time for us to catch some chemistry, but also on our team, everybody has their own world,” Korkmaz added. “I have my own world, Joel, Ben, Al the other players, we have different skills which we need to know each other more and then the game is going to be a lot easier for us because we know we have all the talent, we just need to use it.”
The Sixers will face the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday to begin their scrimmage schedule for the restart. They have been having fun off the floor and in practice, but now is the time that they will need to bring it on the floor. [lawrence-related id=35192,35182,35171]