When the Sixers and Bucks squared off in a nationally televised opener, it was billed as a battle of Eastern Conference heavyweights.
Milwaukee won the game by 15 points with Joel Embiid and Paul George sitting out the contest.
Since that point, both teams have floundered. The Bucks head into the week with a 4-9 record and their other three wins came against Toronto and Utah – the teams that occupy the bottom of their respective conference standings – and Detroit. The Bucks needed a 59-point outburst from Giannis Antetokounmpo and overtime to defeat the Pistons, who would have won in regulation if rookie Ron Holland hadn’t missed two free throws in the final second.
The Sixers, the biggest spenders on the free agent market, have been even worse. They’re 2-10 with both wins coming in overtime.
To be fair, injuries have played a major role. Khris Middleton has yet to make his season debut for the Bucks as he rehabs an ankle injury. Damian Lillard hasn’t played since last Sunday due to a concussion.
The Sixers haven’t seen what their Big Three can do. Embiid has only appeared in two games and George has missed half of their contests. Tyrese Maxey hasn’t played since Nov. 6 due to a hamstring injury.
Despite all that, it’s still eye-opening to see those two franchises near the bottom of the standings a month into the season. There has been speculation that Antetokounmpo may eventually ask for a change of scenery. Until the Bucks start beating better teams, no one can take them seriously.
Philadelphia will undoubtedly get better when Maxey returns but Embiid’s knee issues remain an ongoing concern. The Sixers currently rank last in the NBA in scoring, rebounding and field-goal percentage.
That brings up to today’s topic: Do you think the Bucks and Sixers will turn things around or will their struggles continue? Which one is more likely to become a contender this season? Do you feel they need to make some moves to change their fortunes or do they just need to have better luck injury-wise?
Please take to the comments section to weigh on this topic. We look forward to your input.
Neither team is a contender. Both will likely make the play in 7-10 seeds but won’t get past the first round vs the likes of the Celtics, Knicks or Cavs. This is coming from a Sixers fan. Morey built a supporting cast that is old and just doesn’t fit together.
You aren’t a sixers fan
And you are a bad teacher.
Again you are a bogus fan.
Really …. I doubt he watches them.
It’s 12 freaking gms.
Knicks Al he may watch but it’s obvious from his lack of knowledge concerning roster, rotation and injury, he isn’t much.
None of what the Sixers roster looks like matters if Embiid isn’t Embiid.
He has barely started playing and you know he will miss games going forward too. They have dug a big hole and wont have a full healthy roster for many periods this season Im guessing. I honestly wouldnt be surprised if they missed the playoffs altogether.
Why because he’s the most dominant player in the league, when healthy
Fire Morey already
and the NBA should soft ban him in general, he’s a pure scammer.
Too much talent here for either team not to turn it around. The question is how long it takes and how hard a turnaround it is, because finishing in the back half of the East’s seeding will make any playoff run a real gauntlet.
Thanks for reminding me we are in another year where the West only has over .500 teams in the playoffs and the East does not.
Yep, and it’s probably gonna end up that way as well. But seriously though, is anyone besides Boston or Cleveland a lock to lock down a top 4 spot at this stage? The cream will rise to the top, but yeah, a lot less cream in the East.
Way too early to count either team out. 76ers have to be healthy to contend. Bucks have been victims of some poor last second officiating, both times admitted by the league office and the officials after the games.
If the Bucks could have one “do over” it would be not to have traded away Jrue Holiday. Yes, Lillard is a great offensive force, but Jrue’s defense and leadership have yet to be replaced.
You got till all star game to give up on them.
I say they’ll be a top 6 team. And very dangerous in the playoffs.
Bucks have more issues. They are older. And it’s the same guy not playing. Middleton has to come back to stay. Don’t rush him back. This could be Bucks last yr ……..
Giannis to the Rockets ……
Thompson, Smith, Eason and two #1 picks.
If I were Milwaukee, I’d want more than that.
Two FRP for Giannis? LOL
Mind you this is coming from the guy whose franchise traded SIX for Mikal Bridges
To be fair, the Knicks had basically no player capital in that trade, whereas the Rockets are hypothetically trading three high-ceiling young wings, two of which are already quite formidable and the third still shows promise.
Still shy at least one unprotected first and another player, imo.
Knicks picks are late picks.
Thompson 4th pick future star, Smith 2nd pick future star, Eason 1st rd pick can start right now if Middleton can’t. Otherwise solid depth. Rockets two picks are better than any Knicks pick. You can ask for more …..
Dame, Thompson, Middleton, Lopez, Smith is still a contender with Eason on bench. Younger and still contending.
And remind us again what the Knicks traded for KAT?
Giannis is a full boat player. A perennial MVP contender still in his prime.
Shoot, with that market, the Suns might need to settle for a couple 2nds for Kevin Durant.
I see this Sixers team as a worse version of the Nets Big 3 years. Two super injury-prone stars and a third who plays most of his games but still isn’t always available. The problem is that Maxey (the most available) isn’t on the level of any member of the Kyrie/Harden/Durant trio, George is towards the lower end at this point in his career, and Embiid less available and consistent even if he’s on-par with Durant in pure talent. Their depth is also worse than the Nets team was, even in their second season when things started falling apart. Nick Claxton, Bruce Brown, LaMarcus Aldridge, Cam Thomas, Patty Mills, Joe Harris, Blake Griffin, and others all contributed in plenty of games and were all good and useful whenever they were available. Behind the starters on the Sixers, you have Andre Drummond, washed Reggie Jackson, washed Eric Gordon, Guerschon Yabusele, Kyle Lowry, KJ Martin, and Jared McCain (who admittedly looks good and is probably a legit 6th man this year). And then nothing else.
Even with multiple teams struggling, I don’t see this team as a serious contender. The chemistry will be subpar at best, and the depth players besides McCain and Drummond aren’t enough to be difference-makers when they’re missing a starter. If Embiid can play 50+ remaining games, *maybe* they have a shot, but that’s already very unlikely.
As for the Bucks, as they are right now, they have no shot either. If Middleton comes back and solidifies the defense and opens the floor, maybe they can at least be a threat, though I still think they’re on their last legs. Lillard/Giannis just isn’t the combo people expected, though they aren’t actually bad themselves. The complete lack of depth and the mismatch of coaching style/play style that the Bucks have going on (Doc cannot coach uptempo teams effectively, atop his other flaws) are more to blame there.
Doc is 100% correct to be pissed at the officiating, though. They utterly botched the last play of the Hornets game by calling a phantom foul when nobody could actually see the play.
It’s a balancing act when you are paying top end talent.Remove 1 or 2 of the highest paid players and this is the result
Bucks don’t have any moves other than Giannis. If they want to get younger. No panic yet.
But Rockets would be right team to trade with imo.
I’m big oh Thompson, Smith, Eason. You probably can get Green instead of Thompson. To me Thompson is a better fit with Dame.
Both teams are prime examples of how most NBA contenders (or wannabe contenders) are constructed. It’s not principally caused by the CBA, but that’s certainly been an enabler of it. Whatever its perceived benefits, it certainly doesn’t create great teams. The payrolls of the top teams are comically top heavy, and their access to even baseline rotation level talent to fill out the roster below that is limited. Even the teams few “stars” weren’t selected to play together based on chemistry, age, timeline or any other element of fit among the stars, but happenstance and availability. All this in a league where “stars” play fewer games, and fewer minutues per game, than ever.
MIL’s situation may be more nuanced, but why would anyone expect PHI (with a freshly constructed big 3, which has yet to play a game together) to be anything but what they’ve been? The rest of the roster isn’t even at expansion team levels. Of course, if the big 3 are relatively healthly at the end of the year, then they would have a puncher’s chance in the playoffs. Teams like that can beat anybody, but they won’t beat everybody, and the age and fragility of two of their 3 guys means they’ll be back to Tanking in a couple of years.
Sixers deserve to lose…
Neither team as currently constructed is a championship team…
Both need to retool around younger less injury prone players…
Only Giannis and Maxey are keepers…