Game 5: Suns @ Sixers 11/4 @ 1 pm ET Happy Birthday Tyrese Thread

[Skates]

Pat Bev in the rotation is our most serious weakness at this point with no real alternatives in sight. Melton is being asked to be more of a ball handler to an extent that seems to be well more than he can be. A good connective passer next to a full on ball guard fits, but asking him or Springer to play more on ball doesn’t work. Oubre is another pure wing player, which leaves Pat Bev as the main ball handler on the second unit. He made his bones on D and as a passable second string PG when younger, but he really has very little other than ‘veteran presence’ left.

Tyrese, Jo and Tobias can all create in the half court bus scoring and passing and in time Batum may add to that, but the absolute top need is a strong combo guard to play with Maxey and make it easier for the second unit to put up points. Beverly is a 12th guy at this point, and far, far from being an effective point at all. Second best point on the team might well be Javante Smart down in Delaware right now. Even a TJ McConnell type would be a huge upgrade over Pat Bev.

[ExplosionsInDaSky]

Liking these rotations. Like Kelly starting. Rotation entering the 4th with Reed, Maxey and 3 large wings is what it takes to succeed with non Embiid minutes. Reed needs that length around him, plus the extra scoring from Tobias and Kelly with Maxey is solid.

Maxey taking over in the 4th was impressive too
Nice win

Maxey was our closer today and he didn't fail. I think he made every shot he took in the 4th quarter. I am beyond impressed with him at this point. This dude is absolutely for real and what he did today was bigger than what anyone is making of it. He was on it in the 4th, and it wasn't just his shot-making. He had some nice assists as well.

[M2J]

Liking these rotations. Like Kelly starting. Rotation entering the 4th with Reed, Maxey and 3 large wings is what it takes to succeed with non Embiid minutes. Reed needs that length around him, plus the extra scoring from Tobias and Kelly with Maxey is solid.

Maxey taking over in the 4th was impressive too
Nice win

Maxey was our closer today and he didn't fail. I think he made every shot he took in the 4th quarter. I am beyond impressed with him at this point. This dude is absolutely for real and what he did today was bigger than what anyone is making of it. He was on it in the 4th, and it wasn't just his shot-making. He had some nice assists as well.

Agreed. My favorite game of his this season

[mjkvol]

Another solid win. What more can be said about Maxey other than this kind of performance is just expected at this point. The kid has made strides yet again in the off season, and really has become a complete player - not great defensively, but not a guy who will be regularly hunted like his early days.

I loved to see us close out a game without needing Embiid, and the lineup that Nurse played was perfect, with three wings along with Maxey and B-Ball. This is just a really fun team to watch.

[FlyingArrow]

Second best point on the team might well be Javante Smart down in Delaware right now. Even a TJ McConnell type would be a huge upgrade over Pat Bev.

I'll go ahead and make my plug for Jalen Crutcher. He was the point guard with Obi Toppin at Dayton when they were poised for a #1 seed in the canceled 2020 NCAA tournament. Obi got all the accolades (Wooden Award, etc), and Jalen was clearly the second-best player on that team. He's been bouncing around since then and is now 24 - near peak for a basketball player - and last year in the G-League he posted ~17ppg on ~40 3p% on ~7.5 3pa. Got a quick pre-season look with the Pelicans this year.

[76ciology]

My Thoughts:

-I think Kork was playing Batum’s minutes

-Sixers just let Kd cough the ball and let other’s drive against Sixers defenders who’s really good in deflections

-What’s wrong with Bamba? I dont think he has a personality of a big. He’s lazy and just used to jumping for rebounds and blocks, but he needs to work hard for there’s preparation before that like positioning and getting good angles. He never learned those because of his competition prior to the NBA. He just stands, watch and jump. That wont work. He should watch how Drummond play.

-We run a lot of sets that Nurse run for Siakam, with Embiid. So yeah, I dont see us going for Siakam. Or maybe Siakam can play Oubre’s role with Biid, while Siakam can play Biid’s role without Biid?

- Paul Reed is still Paul Reed.

-Offense was not fluid and still vanilla, but our guys played well and talent did compensate for it

- Suns were playing 2nd and 3rd string guys, they’re not connected on defense, I dont know how we’d look against good defensive team

- Nevertheless, Oubre cut well.. tobi was able to score against defenders at the post.. maxey was able to score on 1v1 and off screens.. Embiid was a wrecking ball but he did damage, made some superstar shots and collapse the suns defense

- Suns didnt play to win.

- Nurse adjusted in the second half with pairing Oubre-Biid and Maxey-Tobi was good. Then that 5 of Maxey,Oubre,Roco,Tobi and Reed (with Biid taking his place) is very possibly our 5 to end games

- Roco generating a lot of deflections, losing the ball on drives and missing open 3s reminds me of the good old days

- Melton showed us why we lose game 6 against the Celts

- Where’s Javonte Smart? He can play some guard, shoot and score

- KJ Martin looked frustrated at the bench, tough luck for the kid. And when his number is called, he seems to not be ready. He’s one guy I’d like to get him more PT in the Wizards game, Rico Hines knows him well.