The Sixers stepped up their defensive play in the second half Monday night to secure a win over the Bulls. While Jaylen Brown was happy with the victory, he acknowledged the team can't rely on flipping the switch and will need to stay locked in defensively for the full 48 minutes.
After a solid defensive performance against Chicago in the first quarter, Philadelphia's defense came undone in the second, allowing 36 points, including 20 in the paint. Late rotations, failures to contest trailing shooters, looking to get out in transition before securing the ball and poor transition defense allowed the Bulls to close the gap.
While the Sixers' second-half defensive performance was enough to secure the win, their earlier struggles highlighted the risks of relying on that kind of turnaround, particularly against stronger competition. It's a concern Brown was quick to acknowledge following the game.
“No. I don't like that we have that, but it's good that we have shown the potential,” Brown said. “We have to keep that switch on. [It] doesn't work like that, where you just flip the switch. It can catch up to us, and it can bite us against a better team, or on a night that we're not being as crisp on offense, so it can't be a switch just because we're playing a lesser opponent, or just because whatever the case may be. We have to make sure that mentality is from beginning to end. [We] can't skip any steps.”
The Sixers brought Brown in for a number of reasons this offseason, not the least of which was the former Finals MVP's winning experience in the regular season and postseason.
Brown has 142 games of postseason experience, including 122 starts. He's reached the Eastern Conference Finals six times in his career and the NBA Finals twice, with his Celtics overcoming the Dallas Mavericks to win the 2023-24 NBA championship. The Celtics also never missed the playoffs in Brown's 10 seasons in Boston.
A player doesn't build a résumé like that without understanding what it takes to accomplish it.
Defense has consistently been critical to the Celtics' success over the past decade. Outside of Brown's rookie season and the 2020-21 season — when he missed the playoffs due to a torn scapholunate ligament in his left wrist — the Celtics have been a top-six defensive team.
As a team, the Sixers understand the importance of high-end defense, to the point that they focused solely on it for their first two days of training camp. As this season has already shown, great defense can overcome a number of offensive issues.
Philadelphia is off to a terrific start defensively this season, ranking second in the league in defensive efficiency, behind only the Detroit Pistons — the only team the Sixers have lost to eight games into the season. They also rank third in defensive rating and are tied for second in opponent points per game. Much of that improvement has come from Joel Embiid's renewed mobility, which has simplified the defense for the team's perimeter defenders.
The Sixers had only 25 minutes of Joel Embiid to work with Monday night as he continues to manage plantar fasciitis in his right foot — an injury to monitor as the season continues. Even when on the court, Embiid wasn't as effective defensively as he has been this season, with his lingering foot injury potentially contributing to his limitations.
The team's second-quarter issues also involved Embiid, who played eight and a half minutes in the period, but his lingering ailment is no excuse for the rest of the Sixers, who need to be even more certain that their defensive play is sound.
The Sixers will be without Embiid for multiple games over the course of this season, and the team has to find a way to at least remain competitive in the minutes he sits or is unavailable. That burden falls on the other starters to keep setting the tone defensively, maximize their positioning in the standings and build a winning mindset. The Sixers have to maintain that tone regardless of their opponent.
As great as the concept of being able to “flip the switch” is, it's worth noting that it is not inherently the same as rising to the occasion. Rising to the occasion is rooted in preparation, discipline and strong daily habits, whereas flipping the switch is a survival instinct and, more often than not, a dangerous crutch once you become aware of it.
Brown is exactly right to recognize the team's defensive potential while also acknowledging the danger of playing down to the competition or not entering a matchup with a dominant mentality.
At this stage, are there long-term concerns about the Sixers resting on their laurels defensively?
No, but now is the time to correct course before it becomes an issue. The Sixers have a collaborative player-leadership structure, and Jaylen Brown's self-awareness about the importance of this topic reflects the mentality of that structure. The Sixers have largely lived up to their defensive expectations through eight games, but maintaining that standard for all 48 minutes, no matter the opponent, will be just as important as reaching it when the game is on the line.
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