Tag: Josh Richardson

Three key stats that stand out in early part of season for Sixers

There are three key stats that have stood out with the Philadelphia 76ers in the early part of the season.

The Philadelphia 76ers are off to a 7-4 start despite not having much cohesion for being a brand new team. So why does it seem like the sky is falling?

There are three key numbers that stand out here in the early going of the season and it’s a reason why the team, despite their record, does not look as dominant as some people had expected.

20.4%

That is Tobias Harris’ 3-point percentage. He had a ton of expectations coming into the season. The team re-signed him to a lucrative contract with hopes that he would provide the wing scoring and the shooting the team so desperately needs. However, it just has not been there and it’s been an absolute struggle for him, especially in Philadelphia’s last two games where he shot a combined 0-for-14 from deep. Coach Brett Brown did reveal that he’s sick, but it does not really excuse the poor shooting.

The Sixers need Harris to get it going. His play is something that Brown has singled out on multiple occasions for them to truly succeed on the offensive end. What’s even worse, he’s shooting 23.7% on catch-and-shoot 3-pointers through the first 11 games after shooting 38.2% on such shots in 2018-19 and shooting 40.7% in 2017-18.

0

That is the total number of 3-pointers Ben Simmons has taken in2019-20. It’s so hard to truly nitpick at a player as talented as Simmons is, but the fact that he has yet to take a 3-pointer after all of the hype in the summer is disappointing. Everybody saw those videos he put out in the offseason and everybody was expecting him to at least attempt some 3-pointers. The expectations grew in the preseason when he drilled a 3-pointer in their preseason opener.

Brown has stated on Simmons’ jumper in the past:

I will say, and maybe you don’t agree, but I’ll say it, this still isn’t ‘the thing.’ It’s hugely important, we understand that, especially in April, May and June and we have to set the stage, but where I see the world with him is I think he can be the best defensive player in the NBA.

The Sixers really need Simmons to breakthrough and at least attempt a jumper. It would go a long way in their success.

4

The projected starting lineup of Simmons, Josh Richardson, Harris, Al Horford, and Joel Embiid have played a grand total of four games together. Due to Embiid’s suspension and load management, Simmons’ injury, and a rest day for Horford, the Sixers have not had much time to really play their big starting lineup together. It’s hard to get a real assessment of this team after just 11 games and they’ve had a full starting lineup for only four of those games. There needs to be more shown from this team before a panic button needs to be pushed. [lawrence-related id=19270,19262,19254]

Sluggish Sixers fall to Magic 112-97, ends two-game win streak

The Philadelphia 76ers fall to the Orlando Magic on the road.

The Philadelphia 76ers were looking to build off a modest two-game win streak they built at home following a three-game losing streak to end a road trip. Heading back on the road, they weren’t able to find the groove as they fell to the Orlando Magic on Wednesday 112-97 to begin a three-game road trip.

Josh Richardson led Philadelphia with 19 points to go along with six rebounds and five assists, Ben Simmons had 18 points, eight rebounds, and five assists, and Al Horford returned to score 14 points and pull down eight rebounds. The Sixers shot 8-for-30 from deep following an 8-for-38 effort on Tuesday night.

Philadelphia only shot 13 free throws all night compared to 34 for the Magic and it seemed as if the Sixers were just a bit sluggish on the night. Except for Simmons who was able to get inside a few times.

On the Orlando side, Nikola Vucevic led the way with 25 points and 12 rebounds taking advantage of the fact the Sixers did not have Joel Embiid in order to rest him and Aaron Gordon added 18 points, 13 rebounds, and seven assists.

It was a case of the Sixers just looking a little tired. They were on the second night of a back-to-back following a battle with the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday and they just weren’t able to finish it. They will now focus on the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday. [lawrence-related id=19232,19222,19150]

Sixers vs. Magic Preview: Sixers look to make it three wins in a row

The Philadelphia 76ers start a three-game road trip with the Orlando Magic on Wednesday.

The Philadelphia 76ers have answered their three-game losing streak with back-to-back wins at home and now will head back out on the road on Wednesday. The Sixers were able to squeak out a 98-97 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday night despite a poor shooting night and they will look to keep the momentum going on the road.

The Orlando Magic have had an underwhelming start to the season; they are off to a 3-7 start after making a playoff appearance in the 2018-19 season. Coach Steve Clifford has made the change to put former Sixers No. 1 overall pick Markelle Fultz into the starting lineup. It will be Fultz’s first regular-season matchup with his old team after a preseason game in October.

It’s now time to break down the Sixers and the Magic with a game preview that includes the works:

How to watch Sixers vs. Magic

  • Date: Wednesday, November 13
  • Time: 7:00 p.m. EST
  • Location: Amway Center Orlando, FL
  • TV: NBC Sports Philadelphia

Injury report

  • Sixers: NOT YET SUBMITTED
  • Magic: NONE

Storylines

Shooting woes

The biggest fear surrounding the Sixers has come to life. They had a rough night shooting the ball on Tuesday, going 8-for-38 from 3-point range. But they showed resilience, not only in winning the game but that they can win in other ways when shooting is cold, with Josh Richardson explaining:

I mean, we play hard. That’s all you can really say about it. Guys were showing a lot of toughness down the stretch even when things weren’t falling for us. It’s going to be plenty of nights like that. Like this is not going to be the last night where we have a tough night shooting, so you’ve just got to learn how to fight through it.

Tough Tobias

Tobias Harris had the worst shooting night of everybody — going a dreadful 0-for-11 from deep on Tuesday. Coach Brett Brown revealed that he was playing with a stomach virus that limited his energy and focus.

Despite all of that, Harris made some big plays down the stretch to help Philadelphia to a win. It earned him the praise of his teammates, with Richardson stating:

Tobias is a tough guy. He’s hard to shake. He’s hard to fluster and he was vocal the whole game and he kept shooting. I commend him for that. I was telling him to stay aggressive and to shoot his shots so I’m proud of him for fighting through that.

Prediction

The Magic have had a rough go of it, but they are a talented bunch. All-Star Nikola Vucevic has given Joel Embiid some issues in the past and Evan Fournier is always a threat to get hot from deep. Jonathan Isaac is one of the serious up-and-coming players in the league and Aaron Gordon is versatile. It will take a lot from the Sixers, who will get a boost with the return of Al Horford, to come back on the second night of a back-to-back and get a win. It will be a nice test for them.

Pick:Sixers win in another close game.

Sixers vs. Magic season series

Game 1 (Nov. 13):

Game 2 (Dec. 27):

Game 3 (April 5): 

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Brett Brown is wary of Sixers playing with fire: ‘It’s a blowtorch’

Philadelphia 76ers coach Brett Brown says his team’s play with fire has a “blowtorch” like feel.

The Philadelphia 76ers are a team playing with high expectations in the 2019-20 season. They have visions of the Larry O’Brien trophy dancing in their heads after a flurry of moves in the offseason. The team is off to a 7-3 start, but it has not been pretty.

They had to rally from double-digits, squeak out close games, and barely get past lesser teams, but they somehow find a way to win. The biggest example was on Tuesday night when they had to rally and hold off the Cleveland Cavaliers 98-97 to win the game.

Winning these close games is impressive, but it’s not always ideal. Coach Brett Brown is wary of what his team is doing late in close games:

It’s a blowtorch and it is violent. You’re just watching that game unfold, and you can’t make some of that up. I’m the coach, so I have to figure it out. Some of those turnovers certainly were head scratching. I do give our guys credit for not crumbling. We knew that if we needed to do anything, it was play defense and defense we played.

The Sixers did make enough plays down the stretch to win the game and at the end of the day, that’s all that matters, but this is the NBA where any team can win on any given night. They just need to keep their head up and continue to play, but it is a dangerous game they’re playing.

Josh Richardson stated:

You are going to win some of those, hopefully more than you lose, but I understand that in the NBA it is hard to win. There are going to be games where you don’t come out on top. For me, I think it’s good for us to experience this. To play with this pace and then to slow it down when things get tough, we have a good foundation to lean on and we are all for it.

The Sixers will now head to Orlando on Wednesday to face the Magic as they look to win a third straight game. [lawrence-related id=19189,19181,19170]

Multiple Sixers have high praise for Tobias Harris’ toughness vs. Cavs

Multiple Philadelphia 76ers praise Tobias Harris for his toughness in a win over the Cleveland Cavaliers.

It was not easy for Philadelphia 76ers forward Tobias Harris on Tuesday night. He shot a ridiculous 4-for-17 and an awful 0-for-11 from deep and he heard the boos from the Philadelphia faithful. Yet, he made some big plays down the stretch to help the Sixers rally for a 98-97 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday.

What those fans did not know is that Harris was playing through a stomach virus and coach Brett Brown did not know that he was going to play until just about three hours before tip-off. It was an off night for Harris, but his play down the stretch was clutch for Philadelphia.

Joel Embiid, who led the way with 27 points and 16 rebounds had praise for Harris.

It says a lot. He’s going to battle through stuff. Like I said, shots are going to fall and they’re not sometimes. When it matters, he showed up.

Richardson, who also had a tough night shooting it as he shot 1-for-8 from distance, also had some big words for Harris’ toughness:

Tobias is a tough guy. He’s hard to shake. He’s hard to fluster and he was vocal the whole game and he kept shooting. I commend him for that. I was telling him to stay aggressive and to shoot his shots so I’m proud of him for fighting through that.

At the end of the day, the Sixers will need Harris to shoot the ball much better going forward. They aren’t paying him $180 million to go 0-for-11 from deep, sick or not. He came into the night shooting 28.6% from deep and that will surely go down after this performance.

Philadelphia will now head south to Orlando to face the Magic to start a three-game road trip. [lawrence-related id=19170,19121,19093]

Josh Richardson acknowledges it won’t be ‘last night’ Sixers struggle

Philadelphia 76ers guard Josh Richardson says that Tuesday won’t be the last night the Sixers have an off night.

The Philadelphia 76ers are going against the current NBA trend of speed and shooting and on Tuesday night, it showed off their style in a big way. They shot the ball a putrid 8-for-38 from deep and were still able to somehow pull away with a 98-97 win over the pesky Cleveland Cavaliers.

Tobias Harris shot a ghastly 0-for-11 from deep and Josh Richardson shot 1-for-8 from deep. That’s two guys in the starting lineup expected to make shots from the perimeter shooting a combined 1-for-19. Yet, they were able to come out with a win and that’s all that matters at the end of the day.

Richardson stated:

I mean, we play hard. That’s all you can really say about it. Guys were showing a lot of toughness down the stretch even when things weren’t falling for us. It’s going to be plenty of nights like that. Like this is not going to be the last night where we have a tough night shooting, so you’ve just got to learn how to fight through it.

Fight through it they did. They were missing star power forward Al Horford and they had to dig deep to battle through that plus the woeful shooting. Joel Embiid was the team’s leading three-point shooter as he knocked down three from distance, yet they still won. It’s a positive sign for them.

Our team has resilience. I think that we fought through a lot of adversity with our offense not going the way we wanted it to, but we pulled it out at the end. We got stops down the stretch when we neeed it.

The Sixers will now hit the road in Orlando to face Markelle Fultz and the Magic. [lawrence-related id=19164,19154,19143]

Sixers vs. Cavaliers preview: Sixers look to make it two wins in a row

The Philadelphia 76ers will look to make it two wins in a row against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The Philadelphia 76ers returned home on Sunday and put a screeching halt on a dreadful three-game losing streak by knocking off the Charlotte Hornets. Now, they will look to make it a winning streak when they host Collin Sexton and the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday.

They will have to do it without Al Horford, who will miss the game for a scheduled rest day with it being the first game of a back-to-back, and possibly without Ben Simmons who is still dealing with an ailing AC joint sprain. The Sixers are a perfect 3-0 at home and they will need the contributions of others to make sure they get to 4-0.

With that being said, it’s time to dive into this matchup with the works:

How to watch Sixers vs. Cavaliers

  • Date: Tuesday, November 12
  • Time: 7:00 p.m. EST
  • Location: Wells Fargo Center Philadelphia, PA
  • TV: NBC Sports Philadelphia, NBATV

Injury report

  • Sixers: OUT: Al Horford(rest) QUESTIONABLE: Ben Simmons(right AC joint sprain) DOUBTFUL: Shake Milton(left knee bone bruise)
  • Cavaliers: OUT: John Henson(right hamstring strain), Dylan Windler(left lower leg stress reaction), Ante Zizic(left foot plantar fascitis)

Storylines

Limiting turnovers

Despite the 6-3 start, turnovers have been an eyesore for the Sixers. They committed 20 in their win over the Hornets on Sunday and it’s something that coach Brett Brown lamented after it was all over.

This is what I tell the team: until we can fix this, this is a house built on sand. It is fool’s gold and we have to find a discipline and a better way to control that. The turnovers in the first half, some of them were live ball, a lot of them were just getting things batted out of our hands. We can’t fool ourselves, this is a problem. This is a problem and we need to own it.

The Sixers are now committing 18.8 turnovers per game which is good for 28th in the league. That will not get it done for a championship-contending team.

I’m the head coach. I’ve got to find a way to fix it. There needs to be a level of accountability with the players and that’s that. It’s not anything we take lightly, we don’t dismiss it, the times are over where you’re looking at some of the young guys and you can justify it. You can’t do that anymore and it’s time that we get better at that. The players know it, they understand it, but we’ve got to fix it.

Chemistry

The Sixers are a relatively new group. New players like Horford and Josh Richardson as well as reserves Raul Neto and Trey Burke have all played a key role on this Sixers team this season. That causes some confusion on the floor with guys learning a new scheme and it can be the cause of a lot of turnovers. Due to this fact, Richardson tries to put it into perspective for a lot of people.

It felt great, a win is always a great. A win is always positive energy in the locker room so after a tough skid, I think it was good for us to come out here and get this win. You’ve got to remember though we’ve only been playing together for three weeks, honestly in games so it’s going to take time for everything to jell.

Prediction

The Cavaliers will not be an easy win for the Sixers. Coach John Beilein has done a terrific job here in the early going of getting the most out of his players and getting them to play hard and Kevin Love is back healthy averaging 18.3 points and 13.4 rebounds for Cleveland. Also, Tristan Thompson is always a problem on the glass so it will be up to Joel Embiid to hold up his end of the bargain with Horford out resting. The Sixers are the more talented team so they should win, but it won’t be easy.

Pick: Sixers in a close one

Sixers vs. Cavaliers season series

Game 1 November 12:

Game 2 November 17:

Game 3 December 7:

Game 4 February 26:

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