Tag: Dan Burke

Doc Rivers happy to be back with Sixers, praises Dan Burke for filling in

Doc Rivers is happy to be back with the Philadelphia 76ers and he praised Dan Burke for the job he did.

The Philadelphia 76ers will get a little healthier on the sidelines on Wednesday when they welcome Doc Rivers back to the head coaching position. Rivers was out for two games while he was in the health and safety protocols and after clearing them, will make his return.

As the Sixers prepare for the Orlando Magic, it is good to have Rivers back on the sideline and leading the way for them. Philadelphia has won four in a row and they will be looking for a fifth one when they take on a struggling Magic team.

Rivers is just happy to be back and he gave an update on how he is feeling.

“I feel great,” said Rivers. “I think I had two days, and other than that, coaching from your living room and a suite, it’s kinda nice. I know we’re doing the loading and stuff for players, we may have come up with something here.”

Filling in for Rivers was assistant coach Dan Burke. Normally the defensive coordinator for this team, Burke had to step up and provide some more for this team in terms of leadership and being able to ensure they didn’t skip a beat.

“He was great,” Rivers added. “Everybody was. We looked at the schedule a while ago, I said it before I went out like we had a chance. Winning those first two was important and then winning the Brooklyn game was huge for us. It’s funny, we looked at it as if we’re gonna be healthy. Then Tyrese (Maxey) goes out and Matisse (Thybulle) goes out and you’re scrambling again, just like every team, but as a group, I thought we all hung in there.”

This was a tough stretch for Philadelphia. While the teams the Sixers were facing were not exactly at the top of the league, it is always tough to get it done when a team is missing their head coach as well as others on the bench. It isn’t just Rivers, Philadelphia is still missing a lot of their coaches on the staff.

“Dan was phenomenal,” Rivers said. “All the guys, but it’s amazing what’s going on in the league though just sitting back in your little chair watching with all these coaches going out. It’s funny, Dave Joerger who we forget is out and very serious what he’s going through, you forget, I’m looking at Dan like ‘Wait a minute, he’s the only bench coach left for us right now’ and there’s a lot of staffs like that. We’re going through a lot as a group, the whole league.”

The Sixers will take on the Magic at 7 p.m. EST from Amway Center in Orlando.

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Sixers discuss how they can be better at rebounding the basketball

The Philadelphia 76ers discuss how they can become a better rebounding team out on the floor.

The Philadelphia 76ers thrive on pushing the ball in transition and getting easy buckets for their shooters on the perimeter. They had a ton of success in that department during the 2020-21 season on their way to being the top team in the East, but not so much in 2021-22.

Per basketball-reference, the Sixers are 28th in the league in pace, 95.7. A big reason is the absence of Ben Simmons. But another reason is they are struggling to finish defensive possessions with a rebound.

Also per basketball-reference, the Sixers are dead last in the league in rebounding (42.1 per game). They are 22nd in defensive rebounds per game (33.8).

“I think you do it as a collective unit,” said Georges Niang. “I think we had timely rebounds in the Brooklyn game. Obviously, we’ve struggled with it, and it’s something we continue to address, but it’s gonna have to be a collective unit every night. It’s on the bigs, or the 4, it’s on all five of us out there getting a hit, boxing out, and going after the rebound. I think it’s multiple efforts especially on the defensive boards.”

Guys like Niang, Seth Curry, Tyrese Maxey and Furkan Korkmaz have to get their noses dirty by getting into the paint and helping Joel Embiid finish these defensive possessions. That would allow the Sixers to get out and run and take advantage of the athletes and shooters they have.

“I’ll start with get on the floor for some of them, but I think most importantly, be more solid, and don’t get beat,” said acting head coach Dan Burke. “Once you get beat, you’ve caused a scramble situation and now it’s hard to put bodies on bodies. If you limit rotations and we can control the ball first, execute that first help and not need a second or third help, it’s easier to box out.”

Burke makes a good point. To grab a rebound and get extra possessions, a player has to be solid in his techniques.

In their win over the Houston Rockets on Monday, the Sixers won the rebounding battle 54-42, and that was a huge reason they finished the job. There was not a lot of scrambling, and even Korkmaz had 11 rebounds next to Embiid’s 15 to help Philadelphia.

“If you’re just flying around, you’re not going to get to bodies, and with teams like that, everybody’s crashing,” Burke added. “Guys are cutting from the corner, they’re cutting from the top, and we gotta do a better job.”

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Sixers happy with Dan Burke as head coach filling in for Doc Rivers

The Philadelphia 76ers are happy with the job Dan Burke has done filling in for Doc Rivers.

The Philadelphia 76ers had to make a quick change in how to run things on Dec. 30 when they found out Doc Rivers was entering the league’s health and safety protocol. It was a tough time for him to do so as the team prepared to take on the Brooklyn Nets on the road.

To replace Rivers during his absence, the Sixers turned to defensive coordinator Dan Burke. Philadelphia ended up beating the Nets, and he improved to 2-0 as the acting head coach on Monday when the Sixers knocked off the Houston Rockets.

It is clear Burke has the respect and the attention of the players just as Rivers does, and it is why they have continued their strong play without their head coach.

“I think he deserves a lot of credit,” said Furkan Korkmaz. “I don’t know anyone on the team that doesn’t like him. It’s hard to create it as a coach because sometimes coaches are on our a****, to be honest, and he’s a defensive coach so he is even more but still, it’s hard to create love and respect at the same time. We all respect each other but also when you put love in there as a player you want to play more, more desire for him, want to win more for him. I really believe in him. I really like him.”

While Burke is the defensive voice and the defensive brain trust for the Sixers, they are still having success on the offensive end. They have scored 110 and 133 points in the two games he has coached. Obviously, things are going smoothly for them while Rivers is away.

“He’s a great dude,” said Isaiah Joe. “He’s a really good dude who always brings the best energy each and every day. He’s a really, really big asset to this team. As y’all know, he’s our defensive coach, but I really feel like he’s taken on the head coaching role really well since Doc has been out, unfortunately, but Dan Burke is a great guy, a great coach he knows what he’s talking about. He knows how to win.”

The Sixers visit the Orlando Magic on Wednesday, giving Burke another opportunity to continue as the leader of this team.

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Embiid recorded his third-career …

Embiid recorded his third-career triple-double Monday night, finishing with 31 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists to propel the 76ers to a comfortable 133-113 victory over the Houston Rockets. “He was not gonna let us lose that game,” Sixers acting coach Dan Burke said of Embiid. It was the Sixers’ second triple-double in the past week. Tobias Harris recorded the first of his career with 19 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists in last Tuesday’s victory at Toronto. It was Embiid’s first triple-double since he recorded 34 points, 13 rebounds and 13 assists against Milwaukee on April 4, 2019.

Furkan Korkmaz reacts to first career double-double in a Sixers win

Philadelphia 76ers guard Furkan Korkmaz reacts to his first career double-double in a win over the Houston Rockets.

Philadelphia 76ers guard Furkan Korkmaz is normally not a guy who is going to give a lot in other areas of the game other than scoring. He is a player who focuses on giving the Sixers a lift off the bench in both scoring and with his shooting.

However, in Monday’s 133-113 win over the Houston Rockets, Korkmaz accomplished something for the first time in his five years in the NBA: he recorded a double-double.

Korkmaz had 24 points and he had 11 rebounds as he was able to accomplish something he never had done before. He was happy about it, but the bigger picture is the win and that’s what matters the most.

“It feels a lot, but at the same time, it doesn’t mean anything because right now, I just need to keep going,” said Korkmaz. “Of course, it feels good to help the team in the game especially when the guys are down. I was one of those guys who stepped up today. That’s why I’m happy about it, but like I said, it means a lot, but it doesn’t mean a lot.”

The Rockets are a team that is long and they have a lot of size so the fact that Korkmaz was able to get in there and make a difference on the glass was a big help to this team on Monday.

“When you start grabbing the rebounds, some of them come to you, sometimes you’re just in paint,” he explained. “I think today most of our guys boxed out, especially Houston, they’re a really huge offensive rebounding team. That allows me to be more focused on defensive rebounding because I was grabbing more.”

Acting coach Dan Burke was happy with what he saw from Korkmaz as he got an opportunity to contribute more with Matisse Thybulle being in the health and safety protocols.

“That’s what happens in these types of games and when people are in or out and people get different opportunities, new opportunities,” said Burke. “You can find more about your team and so Furk was big.”

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Furkan Korkmaz loved playing point guard for Sixers in win over Rockets

Furkan Korkmaz enjoyed playing point guard for the Philadelphia 76ers in a win over the Houston Rockets.

The Philadelphia 76ers made a subtle adjustment at halftime in Monday’s 133-113 win over the Houston Rockets. Acting head coach Dan Burke made a point guard switch that excited his 5-year veteran out of Turkey.

Burke made a change in the second half and made Furkan Korkmaz the team’s point guard after starting the game with Seth Curry. The Sixers found themselves trailing the Rockets 63-62 at the half as they could not get into a big rhythm outside of Joel Embiid and Burke made the change.

After halftime, Curry shot 6-for-7 for 15 points after he shot 0-for-6 in the first half. He was able to focus more on his shooting and being able to be the scorer that he normally is. Korkmaz had 13 points and three assists after halftime.

“I think the mistake I made was we had Seth at the point,” laughed Burke. “In the second half, we’re thinking put Furk at point, let’s be more familiar with running around like he does and use Joel and get him in his comfort zone. I told Furk, I thought his body language changed when I said you were a point guard. He had a different stride, he had a gleam in his eye, and that start of the third quarter, I thought, was a good lift for us.”

Korkmaz did admit after the game that he does enjoy having the ball in his hands and being able to run and control things for the Sixers on the offensive end.

“When the ball is in your hands, you feel the game more,” Korkmaz explained. “That’s my mental thing. Of course, it shouldn’t be that way, you gotta be focused, but when you dribble the ball down instead of just touching the ball every three or four minutes, you have the ball every time even if you don’t shoot it, you get the feeling of the ball. Sometimes as a scorer, it’s hard to get that feeling but when you are a point guard, you feel like you have control and then there are a lot of guys looking for you and you feel like they have your back.”

For the Sixers, playing point guard is a serious responsibility. One has to get into the paint and continue to be the guy to get the main pieces involved. Guys like Joel Embiid and Tobias Harris have to touch the ball and get their looks and Korkmaz feels like he can handle all of that.

“That’s why it gives more confidence and I feel real confidence when I play point guard,” Korkmaz finished. “I don’t feel pressure when I bring the ball down, I know what I am calling, I know whether to go to Joel, Tobias, Seth, what we are running and that’s what’s important to know as a point guard.”

The Sixers will now look to explore this part of Korkmaz’s game as they continue to move forward with this season as they take on the Orlando Magic on the road on Wednesday.

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

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Sixers praise Joel Embiid for huge performance in win over Rockets

The Philadelphia 76ers give high praise to Joel Embiid after a big performance against the Houston Rockets.

The Philadelphia 76ers have been riding the coattails of Joel Embiid as they continue to move forward with their 2021-22 season. The big fella has been having a terrific season in terms of being their leader and he did it again in Monday’s win over the Houston Rockets at home.

Embiid went off for 31 points on 12-for-20 shooting, 15 rebounds, and 10 assists for his third career triple-double. It was clear that the Rockets were not going to have an answer for him all night long and Embiid took advantage of his mismatches.

It was needed as well as the Sixers got off to a slow start in this one besides the big fella and he was going to be needed all night long in order to pick up a win.

“In the first half, I kept posting up,” said Embiid. “We didn’t hit our first couple shots so I decided to kind of change my approach because I was really not aggressive enough. Whether it’s getting my shot. I started taking advantage of transition a little bit more because they were doubling.”

It was a night where the Sixers once again needed Embiid to be great. This has been something that has been regular for him recently, but it was clear that he was not going to let the Sixers walk away with a loss.

“He was not going to let us lose that game,” said acting head coach Dan Burke. “From the get-go, he was good. It was good spirit and a lot of good energy in that locker room. I was a little nervous. We played him the whole quarter as a 5, but when you’re rolling like that, you just got to go with it and hope everyone just—it’s contagious when everyone else can get a lift.”

Embiid did play the entire first quarter as he had 13 points, five rebounds, and four assists in the opening quarter, but the Sixers only led by four after one. It was after that when the big fella turned it up another notch against a Rockets team that has been struggling this season and they were down two of their top players due to suspension.

“I’m not surprised by anything Joel does on the floor because he really took a huge step,” said Furkan Korkmaz. “He plays on a different level. I don’t even have to describe it, how to explain this game, because he can do everything right now. It’s not just post-ups, it’s not just face-ups. He had a really good package.”

Despite the triple-double and a fourth consecutive win, Embiid was not exactly satisfied with his performance. He did have six turnovers that bothered him a bit.

“I thought I was fine,” he said. “I turned the ball over too much. The whole season, that’s been one of the points of emphasis going into the season. I’ve been doing a great job, just protecting the ball, but I thought tonight that was also a result of me kind of being passive instead of being aggressive trying to score. I had a couple of offensive fouls here and there, but I thought tonight, I was fine. I just really turned the ball over too much.”

The Sixers will now hit the road to take on the Orlando Magic on Wednesday.

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Sixers express support for Tobias Harris after tough night vs. Rockets

The Philadelphia 76ers express their support to Tobias Harris despite a tough night against the Houston Rockets.

Philadelphia 76ers forward Tobias Harris is one of the top players on the team and he is also their highest-paid player so criticism comes with the territory under these circumstances.

In Monday’s 133-113 win over the Houston Rockets at home, Harris shot only 6-for-15 on his way to 14 points, six rebounds, and six assists. He shot only 3-for-10 in the first half and the fans began to boo Harris for his tough night in classic Philadelphia fashion.

Harris responded by raising his arms and egging them on. Even after a clutch shot in the fourth quarter, he told the fans to quiet down and to not clap for him as he began expressing a bit of frustration.

“I thought it was nothing,” said Joel Embiid of the interaction with the fans. “He didn’t make shots today, but I thought he contributed when he was on the floor. Plus or minus is a floor stat, but you look at when he was on the floor, he did a great job. Whether it was getting guys open or defensively, I thought he was pretty good.”

Despite the poor shooting, Harris did do other things to help the team get the job done. He was big on the glass, he made good plays with his passing to get his teammates some open looks, and he made some hustle plays. That is what the Sixers are going to focus on rather than his interaction with some frustrated fans.

“We talked about it at halftime, we ran the first play at half for him,” said acting head coach dan Burke. “The kid got six rebounds, three offensive that led to big buckets, he gets six assists, and I think he presses so hard on himself and he’s gotta understand Doc (Rivers) has so much confidence in him and we all do it.”

Even during that halftime locker room session, Embiid told Burke to run the first play for Harris to open the half despite his slow start.

“You know what was good, we pulled together Joel was saying ‘Call this play for Tobias. Call that play for him’ and I saw teammates lifting him up,” Burke added. “If we have that every night, no matter what’s going on, we’re going to keep growing. We’re gonna be going in the right direction. Tobias, don’t put pressure on himself and there’s so many ways to help your team win the game. That’s what he did tonight.”

Burke did admit that he was surprised to see Harris raise his hands to the fans. That is normally not Harris’ style as he is more of a preserved guy who just goes about his business.

Please be advised that the clip below contains language that some might consider offensive.

“He’s maybe since I’ve been here, one of the surprise guys for me,” said Burke. “How professional he is and what a genuine good guy he is and he really leads by example, not very vocal. So when I saw him raise his hands when they were booing, and we talked about it at halftime, the only thing that matters is who’s in that locker room. Part of what we have to grow from my experience from last year is our focus. Shut out that noise and when we’re between those lines, it can’t be the officials, it can’t be the fans, it can’t be anything like that.”

The Sixers still have faith in Harris and this is one of those games that proves it even after a tough night.

“It happens to the best of us,” Embiid finished. “Frustrating night. It’s hard when you’re not making shots. I thought he’s been fine. He’s gonna be better. I have a lot of faith in them.”

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Dan Burke gives update on Doc Rivers as he continues to coach Sixers

Dan Burke gives an update on Doc Rivers as he continues to coach the Philadelphia 76ers.

The Philadelphia 76ers are a team that is dealing with a lot of COVID issues up and down the roster and they have even reached their head coach.

Doc Rivers entered the protocols on Thursday after he tested positive for COVID-19 and he will be out until he can clear the protocols. Due to this fact, Dan Burke has been serving as the acting head coach.

As the team got back to work at practice on Sunday night, Burke gave an update on how Rivers is doing in terms of his health.

“He says he feels terrific,” said Burke. “It’s good to hear.”

In terms of how the practice was run, Burk contacted Rivers to see how he would want things to be run while he is away from the team. The two of them remain in clear contact while Rivers is away from the Sixers.

“What sets can we clean up?” Burke explained. “Points of execution we can get better at, who’s in, who’s out, a combination of guys, narrowing the package for the end of game attack, and what we need to work on defensively. My question to him is always ‘What are your musts?’ What we must do and we go from there.”

Even for the players, this is a new thing for them. They have been listening to Rivers’ direction for the past season and a half. Having Burke run things rather than Rivers is something that was obviously pretty new for the players.

“He’s been great,” said Danny Green. “I think it’s a different look for guys, it’s new, it’s refreshing. I’m not saying we don’t miss Doc, we miss Doc, but to have a different look, a different feel, a different voice in practice, it makes us hone in more because we know we’re missing one of our biggest leaders and that’s Doc.”

The Sixers will get set to take on the Houston Rockets on Monday with Burke leading the way for them again.

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