One thought every Philadelphia 76ers player heading into December
The Philadelphia 76ers have played 22 games thus far in the 2022-23 season as they now get set to head into the December portion of their schedule. It has been a bit of an up-and-down season for the Sixers thus far at 12-10, but they have been dealing with a slew of injuries as well.
With Philadelphia in the middle of a 3-game road trip, now is the time to evaluate each player on the Sixers and their contributions to the team thus far. Obviously, the focus is on Joel Embiid as he continues to guide the Sixers and get everybody on the same page, but others have performed well for Philadelphia as well in tough circumstances.
Joel Embiid
Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Outside of a few nagging injuries, Embiid has once again been spectacular. He is averaging 31.1 points, 9.6 rebounds, and 4.9 assists and he’s shooting 51.1% from the floor as he continues to be a dominant force out on the floor.
James Harden
Gregory Fisher-USA TODAY Sports
Harden has only played nine games to begin the season due to a right foot tendon strain, but The Beard has been terrific in those games. He’s averaging 22.0 points, 10.0 assists, and 7.0 rebounds while shooting 44.1% from the floor. When he does return, the Sixers will have to figure out the defensive scheme with him on the floor, but the future Hall of Fame guard has continued to make adjustments to his game and Philadelphia needs him back on the floor.
Tobias Harris
Mike Watters-USA TODAY Sports
Harris once again had his name pop up in trade rumors in November, but he continues to chug along and be a solid contributor to the Sixers and their success. The veteran out of Tennessee is averaging 16.2 points and 6.2 rebounds while shooting 35.6% from deep while providing some tough defense on that end of the floor. He continues to be a great fit for this team and what they want to do.
Tyrese Maxey
Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports
Maxey is currently out with a foot fracture, but he is averaging 22.9 points and 4.4 assists while shooting 42.2% from deep in the 15 games he’s played. He continues to take leaps and bounds forward and he is continuing to become an elite 3-point shooter despite a little slump after the Harden injury.
PJ Tucker
Kyle Ross-USA TODAY Sports
Tucker is averaging 3.5 points and 4.2 rebounds, which isn’t anything to be excited about, but he has been a big help to this team on the floor. He has been terrific on the defensive end and making the little plays to help the Sixers win games. Therefore, despite his lack of offense, Tucker is going to remain a starter and continue to make an impact on this group.
De'Anthony Melton
Kyle Ross-USA TODAY Sports
Melton has been up and down as a shooter, but he has been so consistent as a defender. He has these instincts out on the perimeter that allow him to make plays that he probably shouldn’t and combine that with his long arms and his ability to jump the passing lanes and he has been a big help to Philadelphia. The 10.9 points per game is also helpful on the offensive end.
Georges Niang
Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Niang continues to be a helpful and vital piece to this team’s bench unit. He’s averaging 9.8 points and shooting 44.1% from deep to begin the season and he has shown improvement in putting the ball on the floor and making plays for himself at the basket. He has also been a bit better on defense as well so that has been a big development.
Danuel House Jr.
Kyle Ross-USA TODAY Sports
The shooting percentage from House Jr. hasn’t been where the Sixers thought it would be, but he has shown flashes of being able to turn things around on the offensive end while providing toughness on the floor. As the season continues, House Jr. will certainly have an impact when the playoffs come around.
Shake Milton
David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
After not playing much in the early going, Milton has made such a big difference recently with the Sixers missing their starting backcourt. He’s really stepped in and provided some big moments on the offensive end and he has also been helpful as a vocal leader out on the floor. He’s averaging 21.9 points and 6.1 assists over his previous seven games to end November.
Paul Reed
Mike Watters-USA TODAY Sports
Reed is a guy who deserves a ton of credit. The young man out of DePaul appears to have firmly locked down the backup center spot behind Embiid and it is due to his hard work on the floor. He has been much better on the offensive end as of late as he now understands when and where to roll off of screens and his energy has been infectious for this group.
Matisse Thybulle
Kyle Ross-USA TODAY Sports
It was a weird start for Thybulle who wasn’t playing much to begin the season as coach Doc Rivers was focused on getting the new guys involved. Then there was a stretch where he was getting consistent playoff time, but then he was dealing with an ankle injury. He is still an elite defender, but his offense is still an issue as he’s shooting just 22.7% from deep.
Furkan Korkmaz
David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
Korkmaz, like Thybulle, was buried a bit on the depth chart, but he’s averaging 5.3 points and 1.4 rebounds when he does get his playing time. He has been in this situation before where he has had to earn minutes so he knows what he has to do.
Montrezl Harrell
Kyle Ross-USA TODAY Sports
Harrell’s playing time, like most of the bench unit, has been up and down as Rivers tries to nail down a consistent rotation, but when he does play, he has been solid on the offensive end. He has also brought a consistent motor on a daily basis and an edge that the team needs out on the floor. He has had a tough time on the defensive end, but it gets balanced out by Reed with the backup center spot.
