The Philadelphia 76ers are in Memphis on Tuesday night to take on the Grizzlies and hope to close out the year with a victory. The Sixers are in the middle of their season's longest road trip and are on a three-game losing streak, while the Grizzlies have lost three of their last five, including two against the Wizards.
Who: Philadelphia 76ers (16-14) at Memphis Grizzlies (15-17)
When: 8:00 p.m. EST
Where: FedEx Forum, Memphis, Tenn.
Watch: NBC Sports Philadelphia, Peacock, NBA League Pass
The Sixers are in the midst of a three-game losing streak, and while the losses to the Nets and Bulls surely sting, the loss to the league's best team, the Thunder, may have shown the younger players what they should be striving for. While the Thunder shot just 37.5% on their three-point attempts, they shot 57.5% from the field and scored 72 points in the paint, a recipe for disaster and the biggest reason the Sixers were blown out in the game.
Philadelphia simply cannot rely on Tyrese Maxey to bear the burden on his own each night. They need more from players like Paul George and Quentin Grimes. George seems to be as healthy as he's been since signing with the team, but he's just not hitting shots with any sort of consistency. Grimes is in the midst of a slump that has shown why he did not receive the massive payday his representation asked for this offseason.
Jared McCain is getting closer to the player that everyone saw flashes of last season. Adem Bona is giving the team the best he can, and VJ Edgecombe is still a top rookie despite his shooting struggles against the Thunder. The team still has quality players, but when the role players are contributing more consistently than the starters or stars, there's a problem.
Ja Morant, at an early point in his career, looked like he was about to be one of the biggest and brightest stars in the league, yet he continues to be unable to get out of his own way. His history is well documented, but even this year, he was called out by coaches, responded poorly, and was suspended by the team for one game. He's battled some knee and ankle injuries this year, leading to him appearing in just 16 games, but he's having the worst season, statistically, of his career. Other than his free-throw percentage and assists, he's at a career low on everything else. Can Morant turn it around? Only time will tell, but that time may be running out.
Despite all of the issues with their "star" player, the Grizzlies do have a good bit of depth and talent that is young enough to develop together, if given the right leadership. Jaren Jackson Jr. is still just 26 years old and leading the team with 18.5 points per game this season. He's right in line with his career averages and won't be a huge star, but he's a consistent piece, and with the young players the team has, he's a valuable leader.
Unfortunately for Memphis, their depth will not be their usual strength tonight, with eight players, including Zach Edey, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Vince Williams Jr., already ruled out, and another three marked as questionable.
The Grizzlies need, much like the Sixers, more consistency from the lineup. While there are wins over the Timberwolves, Bucks, and Clippers, they're also losing games to the Wizards and Jazz. You're never quite sure which squad will show up on any given night, and that goes for tonight as well.
Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe, and Ja Morant will all be on the court tonight, so there'll surely be plenty of highlights. Edgecombe and Morant, if they both get hot, could fill up a whole highlight reel by themselves in just this game. With both teams right in the middle on both sides of the ball, it's truly an even matchup throughout.
The one thing the Sixers do have is that Paul George, despite his shooting woes, is looking better each game with movement and his play, fitting in well with the new style the Sixers are running these days. If George can get going early, start finding the bottom of the net, and play good defense, that may be all the team needs to shut down the Grizzlies.
Joel Embiid is questionable for tonight, but with Grizzlies center Zach Edey out, even if Embiid is eventually ruled out, the Sixers should be able to get by with Adem Bona and Andre Drummond in the low post. It's been a while, and he's ready for one, so Maxey's 40-point game tonight? I'll take it.
Sixers 121 - Grizzlies 116
