Game 31: Sixers @ Rockets 12/29 @ 8 pm ET Thread

[phillynative]

team is still missing something that I can't pinpoint but the vibes are good rn and I'll take that considering I was questioning if I even would watch this team going into the season lol.

Lol exactly.

The team needs an upgrade or two. Where and what? I don't know, but it just does.

Another shotcreator/playmaker
Melton replacement
Legit rim protector/rebounder

[ProcessDoctor]

team is still missing something that I can't pinpoint but the vibes are good rn and I'll take that considering I was questioning if I even would watch this team going into the season lol.

Lol exactly.

The team needs an upgrade or two. Where and what? I don't know, but it just does.

A true backup center is one thing. Reed is not a center-- or to be more specific, there are a lot of guys he can't guard.

Yea I mean Reed sucks. If we have to throw in a "young player" in a trade, I'd hope he's gone.

[Covi_Marsh]

41 mins from Maxey with a game tomorrow night is wild. At least the bench & Oubre will be well rested lol

[Stanford]

So tomorrow is pretty much a guaranteed loss then

[eyeatoma]

Boy Jalen Green is dumb. He makes Kelly Oubre look smart.

You leave Tsunami Papi alone!!!

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[Mik317]

team is still missing something that I can't pinpoint but the vibes are good rn and I'll take that considering I was questioning if I even would watch this team going into the season lol.

Me too but me and you both know what we are missing

it changes every game for me what we need the "most".

Some nights we need a third scorer...but then what kind? A shot creator or an elite floor spacer?

Other nights I feel like the target should be a big defensive wing?

Not to mention the smaller roles like back up ballhandler or perhaps center (Reed is a spazoid who I love but some nights man but then again he is ironically one of our more consistent playoff performers in a way lol).

And then some nights I go...naw we good with what we have yo....da vibez doe.

Honestly anything they do would make "sense" and unless a real star comes available and wants to be here and here only...idk if any "realistic" moves help THAT much anyway...so again I'm just going to enjoy the ride. Having a coach willing to try **** even **** I don't like is already enough at the moment for me.

Its not until the playoffs and I get my hopes up will I begin to crash...which sadly is already an improvement since last year I spent all of it hating the makeup of the team and knowing it would end poorly...and still got my heart crushed ha.

what a time

[Mik317]

team is still missing something that I can't pinpoint but the vibes are good rn and I'll take that considering I was questioning if I even would watch this team going into the season lol.

Lol exactly.

The team needs an upgrade or two. Where and what? I don't know, but it just does.

Another shotcreator/playmaker
Melton replacement
Legit rim protector/rebounder

not getting all of that with our "assets"

we have more than what we had before but still not a warchest

[ProcessDoctor]

team is still missing something that I can't pinpoint but the vibes are good rn and I'll take that considering I was questioning if I even would watch this team going into the season lol.

Lol exactly.

The team needs an upgrade or two. Where and what? I don't know, but it just does.

Another shotcreator/playmaker
Melton replacement
Legit rim protector/rebounder

Ideally 1 and 2 are the same player but that's not easy to find. Could be Caruso, Mitchell, or Bridges but the latter two are pipedreams for now.

Rim protector would be nice, but archetypes are often unplayable in the playoffs as we've seen time and time again.

Definitely feels like we need someone who can cook a bit when Maxey and/or Embiid are slumping or slowed down.

[Sixerscan]

Fun win

[ivysixer2000]

Lol exactly.

The team needs an upgrade or two. Where and what? I don't know, but it just does.

Another shotcreator/playmaker
Melton replacement
Legit rim protector/rebounder

Ideally 1 and 2 are the same player but that's not easy to find. Could be Caruso, Mitchell, or Bridges but the latter two are pipedreams for now.

Rim protector would be nice, but archetypes are often unplayable in the playoffs as we've seen time and time again.

Definitely feels like we need someone who can cook a bit when Maxey and/or Embiid are slumping or slowed down.

Yeah we do need that someone, it was Oubre till he decided to try to fight cars. Not a fan of Mitchell, always thought he was just a chucker, but the athleticism would be great on this team.

[Arsenal]

Lol exactly.

The team needs an upgrade or two. Where and what? I don't know, but it just does.

Another shotcreator/playmaker
Melton replacement
Legit rim protector/rebounder

Ideally 1 and 2 are the same player but that's not easy to find. Could be Caruso, Mitchell, or Bridges but the latter two are pipedreams for now.

Rim protector would be nice, but archetypes are often unplayable in the playoffs as we've seen time and time again.

Definitely feels like we need someone who can cook a bit when Maxey and/or Embiid are slumping or slowed down.

Brogdon is the most attainable of that archetype.

[Andrew Toney]

I’d try for DeRozan in spite of his age

Excellent vet addition and won’t take the assets you’d need for Anunoby or the others commonly mentioned

[Arsenal]

So tomorrow is pretty much a guaranteed loss then

Worth it to pull out the W tonight. Tomorrow is just gravy.

[LeonJordanJr24]

Caruso ain't cook nothin ... Go get Brogdan with bench fodder and call it a deadline.

[Negrodamus]

I’d try for DeRozan in spite of his age

Excellent vet addition and won’t take the assets you’d need for Anunoby or the others commonly mentioned

It seems he’s more valued by the bulls than expected. They are trying to resign him during the season despite his age.

[ExplosionsInDaSky]

I think we have to roll with what we've got outside of maybe a small move at the deadline. I can dream about Mikal Bridges all day, but I don't think that'll happen. Brooklyn is competitive and they look like they're at least an 8th seed/play in team. They may actually be fine with being just that until they can make a bolder move for another star player. To me they are in a decent spot right now. Playoff team, competitive, one star player away from challenging in the east again.

Will Cleveland move Mitchell? I think at some point they might, but it should not be to us. I think Mitchell has actually held back Darius Garland (although injuries have too). I like Mitchell and it's 50/50 on who I would take between him and Maxey, but Mitchell has to be "the guy" at the guard position. He can't co-exist with Garland and he definitely cannot co-exist with Maxey. Dante Exum, Duncan Robinson, Kevin Huerter, Isaiah Joe. Those are just a few examples of the type of guards you pair with Donovan Mitchell.

I can definitely understand the frustration with Melton, but I think some of you are extremely hard on him. He does a lot for this team and despite the mishaps on driving layups, the guy has been a gamer all season long for us. He's come up with big defensive plays and he's hit some bit shots for us at times. I honestly feel like for the time being, we're comfortable with him as the starter next to Maxey despite the lack of height. Ideally I think we're looking for a third guard to pair with them that can also create on offense, hit an open three, and guard small forwards when needed.

Dejounte Murray fits the last description, but he'd cost us our beloved Marcus Morris and probably Springer and a FRDP. Maybe more, I don't know. I know Atlanta gave up a lot to get him a year ago. I don't think they are ready to take a lowball offer for him, but I do think he's on his way out of Atlanta. I'd be excited if we could get him. You move Melton to the bench, but still play him a lot of minutes and Murray makes for a complimentary running mate with Maxey.

Sticking with Atlanta, if we decide to go for a wing defender, De'Ander Hunter would be great here. As long as he could stay healthy. He's the prototypical athletic 3&D wing and who knows? Maybe a change of scenery would do him some good. Morey has a knck for nailing those type of players over the years. If I'm Morey, I'm calling and asking about both Murray and Hunter. I'd take either one here in Philly.

Lastly, Malcolm Brogdan comes to mind. Portland just needs to sell him off. Why even bother with trying to get a Kings ransom for him. Get a pick and an expiring contract and be happy. He's more than ideal for what we need, but I feel like Portland is going to be tightwads about it.

Some other names I like,

Tre Jones- probably more of a future stash for us, but he's a decent point guard.
Aaron Holiday- Houston would probably part with him, but he's been a nice part of their rotation as of late.
Corey Kispert- Not sure he's available, but he'd be a good fit here.
Jalen Suggs- Not happening
Spencer Dinwiddie- Not happening until the summer when he's a free agent

[mjkvol]

Really good, tough win against a pretty good group. I love the way they gutted it out down the stretch, and for a guy who gets slagged as much as he does, Morris had as much to do with the win as anyone.

The two biggest factors this year are the ascendancy of Maxey to legit star status, but especially the coaching of Nurse. I figured the coaching upgrade was going to be the primary difference from last season, but I honestly underestimated the degree of the change. Is it that Nurse is this good, or was Glenn that pathetic? Probably a combination, but more so that Nurse is as good a game day coach as there is in the league right now.

[Kova]

Big win for us. Now we can be more relaxed for today's game, and I'm not counting it as an L.
Maxey finally bouncing back with a superstar performance in an absence of Embiid.

[Wilfried]

Cool game

[Jailblazers7]

I love the astronaut logo for Houston I hope they keep that as part of a permanent rebrand.