The Philadelphia 76ers are the best home team in the league as they hold an NBA-best 26-2 home record at the Wells Fargo Center. They just have not been able to replicate that success on the road where they are a terrible 9-19 away from the comforts of home.
“I think there’s a sting defensively that, I’m going to be repetitive and I went back and looked at a lot of things and look looked at stats to see if I’m close, I think that it starts with our defense,” said coach Brett Brown. “I feel like there’s some stuff with knowledge of personnel that we weren’t very responsible with. I think that we fouled a lot of shooters, I feel like there was a, a sense of urgency, in general, that wasn’t always as present as I feel like it is at home.”
Philadelphia gives up 110.5 points per game on the road compared to 101.9 at home. The home crowd and the passionate fans of Philadelphia certainly give this team a boost when it’s needed. Especially, when one considers the number of emotional guys on this team such as Joel Embiid who feed off a crowd. That could play a part in the struggles.
“I think there’s a portion of it to declare it to be the thing would be a mistake a big mistake,” Brown added. “I think that there is a portion of that that that I give credit to our home crowd. You wish you could manufacture that 82 games of 41 on the road you wish you could, but I think it’s, it certainly is not a thing that you’re proud of. I think from a city standpoint, from a fan base. You got to give him credit, it’s a very hard place to play. I do think that is some portion of a record and a lack of success on the road, that would not be truthful if you didn’t lean on that a little bit.”
New acquisition Glenn Robinson III will be playing in his first road game with his new team and he’s excited to really figure out what exactly is going on with them on the road. He also understands that this is a big test for them against a good Milwaukee Bucks team.
“I think it’s a big game for us, a big road test,” he said. “I’m interested to see this team on the road. Like I said, it’s a big test.”
What does he think of the team’s road struggles from afar?
“I have no idea,” he said. “With the players that we have, the organization, we’ll see. I’m definitely interested to get on the road and see what it’s about and how guys react to being on the road vs. home, but I think at the end of the day, we have each other. We have to be ready and whoever’s on that bench, that’s what we have to roll with. I hear a lot of talk about how this team is on the road so we’ll see.”
The Sixers are, obviously, a talented group, but it has not been easy. They have had to work out the kinks with this awkward roster and combining with all of their defensive issues, you get a bad road record.
“I think there was a scattered sort of rotation that we had some of it driven out of injury, some of it driven, just trying to learn the group, but to finger point something and say yep here it is I cannot,” Brown finished with. “I think it’s a hybrid of a bunch of those things that I just said, and we do recognize that ultimately that will drive, whatever you’re going to do this, that’s worth anything going forward in the playoffs.”
The Sixers and the Bucks face each other in Milwaukee at 8:30 p.m. EST on Saturday. [lawrence-related id=26211,26219,26202]