The Philadelphia 76ers have officially put the NBA on notice.
After defeating the New York Knicks 106-100, the 76ers showed that they can run with the best of them. However, there are some glaring holes in this 76ers team. The biggest issue seemed to be the 76ers shooting. As a team, they shot 42 percent from the field. Not only that, they shot 28 percent from the three-point line. This could continue to cause problems because if their offense can’t shoot, then it’s going to be really hard to achieve a championship in this manner. This team can’t rely on iso-ball to win and will have to have better spacing and more contributions from players like VJ Edgecombe to truly put this offense over the top.
Another issue is the same thing that appeared in the preseason, rebounding. Andre Drummond, who is a backup for the Knicks, had a double-double through three quarters. That’s a major problem. Adem Bona returned from his foot injury, and while he had some good minutes, neither he nor Joel Embiid could handle Drummond, especially on the offensive glass. As a team, the 76ers were out-rebonded 53-45 and 14-6 with offensive rebounding, with Drummond having seven of those.
This goes right back to the issues in the offseason, where it was said time and time again that the 76ers need center help. There has to be someone that can clear the rebounds to minimize the offensive opportunities from their opponent. Embiid also had a rough night, only scoring 13 points. He is going to have to do more if this team wants to win consistently. Embiid staying out at the three-point line isn’t a winning formula. Embiid finished 4-15 and went 2-6 from three. He had some good moments defensively, but even with his 11 rebounds, he was still abused for the offensive rebounds.
The 76ers were also outscored in the paint 44-40. This may be a more even statistic, but it wasn’t from the big men; it was because of how the 76ers got to the paint from cuts and penetrating the defense. The 76ers lived outside the block for most of their points, and if they can’t get inside and score willingly, teams like the Boston Celtics and Detroit Pistons could really change how many view the 76ers as a threat.
Even with all of these faults, the team was still able to win. It just shows that this team is good enough to win in any situation. However, if this team wants to be more than just a regular-season team, they’ll have to find a way to fix these faults, or it’s going to be an early season.