Sixers player grades: Another uneven effort leads to loss vs. Hawks
The Philadelphia 76ers returned home on Thursday looking to take advantage of a very undermanned Atlanta Hawks team and look to put together two wins in a row. With the Hawks missing the likes of Trae Young, Clint Capela, and De’Andre Hunter, this was a good opportunity for them.
In classic Sixers fashion, they did go down by 19 in the first quarter as they got off to a slow start on the offensive end and while they did work themselves back into the game and they were able to even take the lead, they were not able to hold onto it. It led to a 98-96 loss to the Hawks at home as they wasted an opportunity to string consecutive wins together.
Joel Embiid had 23 points and 10 rebounds to lead Philadelphia and Tyrese Maxey had 17 points in his return from a quad contusion. Tobias Harris added 16 points, six rebounds, and five assists, Seth Curry had 12 points and five assists, and Charles Bassey had eight points and eight rebounds off the bench.
Here are the player grades following a pretty bad loss at home:
Seth Curry: B
The sharpshooter drew another start at the point guard spot and he started the game well as he took advantage of his open looks. He was one of the only Sixers who could catch a rhythm early. His shooting as well as his ability to put the ball on the floor in this one was a huge help with Embiid struggling a bit.
Furkan Korkmaz: D+
The fifth-year guard from Turkey made his return to action after missing three games with the flu and he did miss a triple for his first look, but he did a solid job putting the ball on the floor and creating plays for others. Eventually, though, he has got to be able to bust out of this slump. The Sixers need his shooting badly. He ended up missing all three of his triples in this one.
Thybulle did what he normally does out there. He was a menace on the defensive end and he was active on the offensive end with his movement off the ball. When he is moving without the ball on offense, he is able to make an impact and it makes the defense pay attention to him a bit more which opens things up for others. He was also active in transition as well which is something the Sixers want him doing more of.
Tobias Harris: B-
Harris had three really good looks at 3-pointers in the first quarter and he couldn’t knock any of them down. He did get into a rhythm in the second quarter when he was aggressive and attacking the basket. He had a matchup advantage with the Hawks missing so many guys and he recognized that as the game went on. He was a little hesitant in the second half though and that can’t happen on this team as they need his scoring ability.
Joel Embiid: B+
The big fella could not advantage of no Clint Capela in the early going as he got a lot of great looks, but he couldn’t knock them down. His slow start contributed to Philadelphia falling behind by 19 in the first quarter. He looked like himself on the defensive end and when he attacked the glass, but other than that, he looked a little off. He was settling for fadeaways against Onyeka Okongwu and there were a few times where he let the second-year big man get to some rebounds. When he finally realized that it was time to take over in the second half, he did so to give the team a big lift.
Tyrese Maxey: A
After missing two games with a left quad contusion, the second-year guard returned and he gave a spark when the Sixers needed it. He was aggressive getting to the basket, he knocked down a stepback triple, and he was a consistent source of offense. With the starters off to such a tough start, Maxey was a big difference in this one.
Tyler Johnson: B
Give Johnson credit for just coming in and playing hard when the team needed it. In his debut on a 10-day hardship exception, he was tough on defense, he was in on the boards, and after missing his first two triples, he was able to get one to drop. One has to have a short memory in this league and he showed that off a bit in this one.
Charles Bassey: A
The rookie big man just understands his role. He comes in, he defends the rim, he grabs boards, and he makes himself available at the basket on offense. He made a nice impact in his initial stint to get Philadelphia back in the game. He was then huge in the second half just with his activity and his effort on both ends of the floor.
Isaiah Joe: C-
The shooter had a couple of really nice looks early, but he couldn’t knock them down. He did do a solid job on the defensive end which is where one can always contribute when the shot isn’t falling.
Paul Reed: D
There are times where Reed does look a little lost at times. He has the right energy and the right mindset, but there are times where he just looks confused at where he has to be at. He only played six minutes in this one.
1
1
