The Philadelphia 76ers are a relatively new team which is the worst thing to be in the middle of a truncated training camp following a time where there was no offseason due to the global pandemic.
The team traded away two starters on draft night and they brought in two guys who are expected to play key roles for the team around Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid.
One of those guys is Seth Curry who shot 45.2% from deep with the Dallas Mavericks in the 2019-20 season. As training camp goes on with a new supporting cast and a new offensive scheme, Curry acknowledges that there still needs to be work done on the offensive end when they face the Boston Celtics on Tuesday in preseason.
“We got to continue to work on offense,” he said. “We’re not going to be as sharp as we want to be Tuesday. That should be certain on the offensive end, but as long as we’re getting better as the season goes along or sharp come the end of the season [and] playoff time, that’s our main goal so it’s a day by day process on the offensive end.”
That is to be expected with such a new team and such little time to get used to each other as well as a new coach’s scheme. It is one of those situations where it is all about having repetitions and the Sixers have not had enough yet. That is where they will have to rely on their defense until the offense can catch up.
“I think our defense is pretty far along,” Curry added. “We got a lot of talent on the defensive end, we’ve got a big lineup, a lot of versatile defenders, and just smart guys on that end of the floor. I think our defense is further along than our offense.”
For coach Doc Rivers, Tuesday’s preseason opener at home will be a little bit of fully working on stuff that he implemented, but also just going out there and winging it and playing free basketball.
“I’m not sure really if I have the answer,” Rivers shrugged. “I know we have stuff in, but I don’t know if we know it well enough to execute it great, but it’s in so I think it’s a little bit of both. Having a lot of stuff in is good for this group, because we have to get it in, so they can slowly learn it. I think they’re starting to identify. at least offensively, where the sweet spots are offensively in our motion offense and that’s a good thing. Now, we have to try to convert those possessions.”
What Rivers and the Sixers have on their side is that both Simmons and Embiid are so talented and they are good enough passers to where they can play that freestyle of basketball and they will be able to make it all work.
“Offensively, I think we’re nowhere near where we’re going to be, but I’m not unhappy where we’re at, I guess would be a very political answer,” Rivers smiled. “I think the more you can get them playing in their natural way, the better with a lot of rules obviously, and it’s our job to keep teaching that part of it.” [lawrence-related id=40153,40150,40144]