Today is Wednesday, and that means the time has come to take the temperature of the national media's feelings about this year's Sixers team. Let's get into it:
NBA.com: 22 (no change from last week)
It is no secret that Joel Embiid's prolonged absences have complicated the Sixers' path to winning games on a consistent basis. Writer John Schuhmann points out how the team's win on Saturday night could be a sign of progress after a disastrous loss earlier in the week:
"The win in Chicago (their first win in the second game of a back-to-back) was also, statistically, the Sixers’ best defensive game (97 points allowed on 102 possessions) without Joel Embiid, who’s now missed the last 11 games. They’ve still rank 29th defensively and last in total rebounding percentage over his absence. The Nuggets’ 144 points on 97 possessions on Tuesday was the most efficient performance for any team this season." [NBA.com]
Even a few days later, Sixers head coach Nick Nurse made a point to rave about his team's defensive effort in Chicago. On the second leg of a home-road back-to-back, playing against one of the fastest-paced teams in recent memory, the Sixers were able to lock in as a defense and force a ton of late turnovers to put the game away.
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ESPN: 22 (+1 from last week)
Perhaps the only real break the Sixers have caught this season is the overall incompetence in the bottom half of the Eastern Conference. Writer Tim Bontemps explains:
"To show how weak the bottom of the Eastern Conference is: The 76ers lost seven games in a row earlier this month before pulling off back-to-back victories over the Cavaliers and Bulls and gained a game on the 10th-place Bulls in that span. This is why the ongoing belief is that no matter how hard Philadelphia tries, it's probably going to remain in the fight for a play-in spot until the end of the season." [ESPN]
The Chicago Bulls remain the team to watch, as the Sixers are now just one game back of the Eastern Conference's No. 10 seed. But with the knowledge that they will only keep their first-round pick if it falls within the top 10 selections and plenty of veterans to trade, the Bulls could consider making a business decision.
The Athletic: 22 (+1 from last week)
In his power rankings, Law Murray details each team's performance in the first and second quarters of the regular season now that the midway point has been crossed:
"Philadelphia began the season with an average defense and a terrible offense. The second quarter of the season went better, but now it’s the offense that is average while the defense struggles. The Sixers miss the rim protection Joel Embiid would provide, and it’s leaving Philadelphia as the worst defense at the rim in the league." [The Athletic]
Of course, Embiid's otherworldly scoring capabilities are greatly missed whenever he is not on the floor. But without consistent rim protection behind him, his loss has been felt to a tremendous degree on the defensive end of the floor as well.
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