Sixers mailbag: ‘Now that Joel Embiid is back, is this the year?’
The Inquirer's Keith Pompey answers pressing questions on several topics, including the weaknesses of Boston and Milwaukee, whether the Sixers can land the sixth seed, and more.
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MIAMI — The 76ers are set to face the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday in the second game of their final road trip of the regular season.
This contest will be a rematch of the teams’ March 6 game at the Wells Fargo Center. On that night, the Grizzlies prevailed, 115-109, as Jaren Jackson Jr. finished with 30 points and 11 rebounds. The Sixers were without All-Stars Joel Embiid (left knee surgery) and Tyrese Maxey (concussion) and former All-Star Kyle Lowry (rest). Tobias Harris struggled through 3-for-12 shooting to finish with eight points in what was the Sixers’ second of three straight losses.
» READ MORE: Sixers have favorable schedule — and Joel Embiid’s help — in crucial NBA season stretch run
But there’s a newfound optimism surrounding the Sixers since Embiid returned Tuesday after being sidelined for since Jan. 30.
Can the Sixers avenge their earlier loss to the Grizzlies? Will all of their standout players be available to play?
We’ll find out Saturday night. In the meantime, I’ll answer a few of your mailbag questions.
Missed out on the party? No worries. Submit questions for next time by tweeting @PompeyOnSixers with the hashtag #PompeysMailbagFlow.
Q: Explain the weaknesses of the Boston Celtics and the Milwaukee Bucks and how a loaded Sixers roster can exploit them? —@BLITZMagPrez
A: Thanks for starting off the mailbag, Malik. Let’s start with the Eastern Conference first-place Celtics first. Boston has the best top six players in the league, including Al Horford as their sixth man. Their weakness, however, is their bench. The Celtics rely heavily on their starting lineup, which is headlined by All-NBA wings Jayson Tatum and Jalen Brown. Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla is still unproven, with his lack of experience and the team’s lack of depth serving as two areas the Sixers could exploit.
Meanwhile, the second-place Bucks haven’t looked like a championship contender since former Sixers coach Doc Rivers took over the coaching duties in late January. Milwaukee is coming off consecutive losses to the struggling Washington Wizards and Grizzlies and are 15-15 under Rivers. So they’re a beatable team.
A lot of their struggles have to do with injuries and an inability to make stops on the perimeter. Teams have been attacking All-Star point guard Damian Lillard on the defensive end. Following that blueprint would be the Sixers’ best chance to beat the Bucks.
Q: Any chance we get the sixth seed? —@robwiii
A: That’s a popular question, Robert. After Thursday’s 109-105 victory over the Miami Heat, the eighth-place Sixers are one game behind the sixth-place Indiana Pacers with five contests remaining. The Sixers also have the easiest remaining schedule, with the Orlando Magic being the only winning team they’ll face.
Indiana (42-34), however, has the 10th toughest remaining schedule. So the Sixers do have a legitimate chance to pull ahead of the Pacers and seventh-place Heat (42-34).
Q: Now that Embiid is back, is this THE year? —@Sixersallie
A: What’s up, Allie? Sorry to spoil your Friday, but nope. I think the Sixers will be fortunate to get out of the first round this season. While Embiid is the league’s most dominant player, the team got worse after the trade deadline. The Sixers are also without their best perimeter defenders in De’Anthony Melton and Robert Covington. All signs point to the Sixers playing in the NBA Play-In Tournament for an opportunity to advance to the playoffs as the seventh- or eighth-seed. If they get the eighth-seed, I expect them to fall to the Celtics in the first round. The path to a championship would be less challenging as a sixth- or seventh-seed, but they just don’t have the manpower and health needed to make a deep run.
Q: How come Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey hasn’t signed Kelly Oubre Jr. to a three-year contract yet? What’s the status of Ricky Council IV’s contract and availability heading into the playoffs? —@RonGross1967
A: Thanks for asking these questions, Ron. Oubre is ineligible for a contract extension because he signed a one-year, veteran-minimum deal. Extensions are on contracts that were originally signed for three-plus seasons. At the moment, Council is ineligible to play in the postseason because he is on a two-way contract. He would be eligible for a playoff roster spot if the Sixers convert his contract to a standard one.