The Philadelphia 76ers are in New Orleans on Saturday night to take on the Pelicans, as the team desperately seeks a win. With two losses prior to the All-Star break, followed by a tough loss to Atlanta on Thursday night, the Sixers are desperate for a win, and a trip to New Orleans could fix that. The Pelicans have the second-worst record in the league and have lost two games in a row.
Who: Philadelphia 76ers (30-25) at New Orleans Pelicans (15-42)
When: 7:00 p.m. EST
Where: Smoothie King Arena, New Orleans, LA.
Watch: NBC Sports Philadelphia, NBA League Pass
The Sixers' loss to the Hawks left the team despondent, and players are searching for whatever the answer to their woes is. The team can't just look to Joel Embiid as the savior, since he's now battling a shin issue that will keep him out of his fourth straight game tonight. The Hawks outperformed the Sixers, but not by much, with the big difference being points off turnovers, where the Sixers lost by 13.
If they're going to turn things around, the team has to look past the absence of Embiid and Paul George and find a way to get wins without two of their biggest stars. This all comes down to coaching, and Nick Nurse has to find a way to fix the issues, and it needs to start tonight. Against a team that doesn't win many games, the Sixers need to set the pace and not allow the Pelicans to dictate the tempo.
With Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe, the Sixers have two players that they can count on to get things going, but players like Kelly Oubre Jr., Dominick Barlow, Quentin Grimes, and Adem Bona will be needed if they're going to leave New Orleans with a victory. This group should be moving and pushing the pace.
The Pelicans will be hard-pressed to surpass last year's win total of 21, but victories over teams like the Sixers can help instill some confidence in the team. While leasing score Trey Murphy III is a game-time decision as he's battled some shoulder issues, the team still has Zion Williamson, Saddiq Bey, and Jordan Poole to combine with rookies Derik Queen and Jeremiah Fears.
Fears and Queen have both started 44 games for the team this season, and the future looks bright as they develop, along with Williamson and Murphy, both just 25. Things just haven't worked out well for the Pelicans this season, and the hope is that the improvements come so they can build for next year.
With two straight losses, things may look grim for the team, but the Sixers are ripe for the picking. The trio of Fears, Poole, and Bey could be enough to stifle the Sixers trio of guards, with Bey having the size to cover almost anyone in the Sixers lineup. While not an elite defender, Bey's length and mobility will be key to shutting down the Sixers. While the team has lost a lot, they're still tough and have taken down a few good squads this year, and the Sixers aren't a very good squad at this point.
The Sixers have two tired young stars and another who's lost his shooting stroke. If Philadelphia is to get back to winning without relying on Joel Embiid to bail them out, they're going to have to play to their strengths.
Ball movement, speed, and defense are what this current Sixers group could use to dictate the pace of the game, while utilizing the talent and athleticism of the players they can put on the court. Edgecombe, Maxey, Oubre Jr., Barlow, and Bona should use heavy defensive pressure while moving quickly on offense, striking before the defense can set.
Having brought in Cam Payne can help alleviate some of the minutes that Edgecombe and Maxey have been logging. Payne isn't a "great" player, but he's a high-energy guy who is a pest on defense while providing a reasonable amount of success on his three-point attempts. Both are qualities that the Sixers value and desperately need. With Embiid missing tonight, the game will be won with movement and defense, which may lean toward the Pelicans, as they have the size to slow the Sixers' guards.
Sixers 113 - Pelicans 110
