Will they stay afloat? — Sixers Fall to Bucks 119-98
Milwaukee Bucks’ Andre Jackson Jr. (44) goes up for a shot against Philadelphia 76ers’ Darius Bazley (25) as Thanasis Antetokounmpo (43) looks on during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Sunday, Feb. 25, 2024, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
After another loss without reigning MVP Joel Embiid, you have to wonder if the Sixers can stay afloat for it to even be worth it to bring Embiid back. Today’s blowout loss to the Bucks was their 16th loss of the season without Embiid in the lineup. At just 7-16 without him, and their playoff seeding dropping by the day, they are going to need some players to step up down the stretch, or else they may be in the play in games.
One of those players is Tobias Harris. At this point everyone is sick of hearing about how he needs to be playing better because of the money that he makes, but even if he made half of his current contract this play would not be acceptable. Harris finished today’s game with 8 points and 8 rebounds. He was 3-11 from the floor and 0-3 from three. Harris looked lost at times on the court and his ex-coach Doc Rivers did a good job at exploiting his weaknesses. We all know that we can not expect Harris to play like a max-level player, but the Sixers desperately need the old Tobias back, as crazy as that sounds.
Another player that needs to step up is Tyrese Maxey. If Maxey is going to be treated as the most untouchable asset in the NBA then he needs to be able to carry them in stretches when Embiid is out. Obviously asking him to go out and win a game against Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard is a tall ask, but it shouldn’t be crazy to ask him to win them some games over the next few weeks. In today’s game, I thought Maxey gave up too many open looks for a chance to drive to the basket, and with the trees of Giannis and Brook Lopez in the paint, he did not have much success. Maxey finished today’s game with 24 points but on just 8-19 shooting. When your two top players shoot a combined 11-30 from the field, it is not going to be your night.
A few positives for the Sixers moving forward start with De’Anthony Melton. Melton is returning to the lineup after suffering an injury and I thought he provided a spark, especially shooting-wise. The Sixers are near the bottom of the NBA in three-point shots made and attempted so to have him back will help them in that aspect.
Another positive from the game was Kyle Lowry. While I think Lowry is obviously not close to the same player he once was, it is so clear he is a better point guard than they have had this season. The way he sees the floor and is able to get to spots and then find the open man is a breath of fresh air for that position on this team. I think he and Embiid will be able to work well together once he gets back. Another thing Lowry brings is his toughness. Obviously, in the first game he got stitches in his head and returned to the game, but today he got a charge called on Dame Lillard. For all of the reasons we would get frustrated with Lowry as a Raptor, we will now love because he is a Sixer.
The Sixers’ next game is Tuesday night against the Boston Celtics, another tough opponent. This will be another great chance to see how the role players on this team will play against the better teams in the NBA, but it will also be another test to our confidence on whether or not this team will stay afloat without Embiid.
