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Sixers Notes: Thybulle, Horford, Richardson, Milton

October 6th, 2019 at 11:41am CST by Arthur Hill

Ben Simmons has seen enough of Matisse Thybulle in practice to be glad he won’t have to face him in the regular season, writes Rich Hoffman of The Athletic. “I hate him on defense,” Simmons said of the rookie guard, who displayed his defensive prowess in Saturday’s intrasquad scrimmage. He forced turnovers throughout the afternoon and had an impressive block on a shot by Josh Richardson.

“I’m just chasing the ball every chance I get,” Thybulle said. “Deflections are just a side effect of hustle for me. … It’s fun to get out there and get a little feel, wreak a little havoc.”

It’s not clear how much the Sixers are planning to use the 20th overall pick, but he provides a disruptive force that can be useful to shut down perimeter scorers. Hoffman notes that Thybulle comes into the league with both a “high motor” and a quick recognition of what opponents are doing, two things that usually take time for rookies to develop.

There’s more Sixers news to pass along:

  • Players recognize the commitment that Philadelphia’s front office has made by handing out so many long-term contracts, Al Horford told Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports. In addition to adding Horford as a free agent for $109MM for four years, the organization re-signed Tobias Harris this summer and gave a five-year extension to Simmons. “It helps tremendously because we can focus on playing and doing some special things,” Horford said. “Knowing the organization believes in this core and this group. They’ve showed it by giving us all long-term deals.”
  • Richardson is quickly emerging as a team leader, notes Lauren Rosen of NBA.com. Acquired from the Heat in the Jimmy Butler trade, Richardson has been working with younger players, particularly Zhaire Smith. The fifth-year swingman sees it as part of his overall responsibilities to help make the team better. “I’m kind of a guy that can morph into any role that I need to on any nightly basis to give us the best chance to win,” he said.
  • The battle for the backup point guard slot remains competitive, relays Marc Narducci of The Philadelphia Inquirer. New additions Raul Neto and Trey Burke are vying for the position, but coach Brett Brown suggested Shake Milton may be considered as well.
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Joel Embiid May Play Both Ends Of Back-To-Backs

October 5th, 2019 at 11:43am CST by marksuleymanov

In an attempt to preserve Joel Embiid‘s health after injuries delayed the start of his career, the Sixers have been conservative in their usage of the All-Star center. Among the tactics to preserve Embiid has been sitting him in the back end of back-to-backs.

This season, Embiid may play more back ends of back-t0-backs this season, per Derek Bodner of The Athletic (Twitter link). Embiid, 25, has suited up in 63 and 64 games the past two seasons, respectively.

The Cameroon native enjoyed an MVP-caliber season in 2018/19, averaging 27.5 PPG and 11.1 RPG in nearly 34 minutes per contest. Embiid played back-to-backs at the start of the season, but after injuries mounted, that was quickly scrapped in favor of the more conservative approach.

Entering his fourth NBA season, it’s a good indication that Embiid’s seven-foot frame is adjusting to the grind and can withstand an increased workload.

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Joel Embiid On Jimmy Butler: “I Wish He Was Still On The Team”

October 3rd, 2019 at 8:41pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The Sixers made several changes this offseason, but the team looks like just as much of a threat to steal the Eastern Conference crown as they did last season before Kawhi Leonard‘s knockout shot. While center Joel Embiid is focused on getting the team to NBA Finals for the first time since 2001, he admits that having Jimmy Butler around would make for a better journey.

“It was a big loss because me and him, we got to the point where we were really close – we’re still close,” Embiid said of losing Butler (via ESPN’s The Jump; h/t Kurt Helin of NBC Sports).

“We talk a lot, that’s my guy, that’s my brother forever. I wish he was still on the team, because I feel like the relationship that I built with him could have gone a long way. When it was the fourth quarter, we knew the ball would either be in me or Jimmy’s hands. I knew I could count on him. This year it kind of changes around. Now other guys have to step up and I have to do more.”

Butler landed in Miami via sign-and-trade this offseason while the 76ers netted Josh Richardson. Philadelphia also brought in Al Horford to give the team arguably the best frontcourt in the NBA. GM Elton Brand‘s squad is expected to be one of the best defensive teams in the league. However, Embiid acknowledges that they haven’t accomplished anything yet.

“I think we should be up there. Obviously, we still have to prove ourselves,” Embiid said of the team’s title chances. “We lost a big piece in Jimmy, he did a lot of great things for us, but we should be up there. On paper, we got a really good team so now it’s on us to go out there and actually prove it.”

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Trey Burke Impressing Sixers So Far

October 2nd, 2019 at 1:30pm CST by Luke Adams

Addressing the backup point guard battle this week, Sixers head coach Brett Brown said that he wants to see the candidates for that spot “making shots and just guarding,” per Derek Bodner of The Athletic.

As Bodner points out, those criteria would seem to favor Raul Neto over Trey Burke, since Neto has historically been a more efficient shooter than Burke and is also considered a stronger on-ball defender. However, Burke has made a strong impression early in camp for the Sixers, earning rave reviews from teammates Al Horford and Ben Simmons.

Unlike the 14 other players who are expected to make the Sixers’ regular season roster, Burke doesn’t have a fully guaranteed salary for 2019/20, so his hold on a roster spot is somewhat tenuous. If he continues to play like he did on day one though, he may not be considered the club’s 15th man for long.

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Sixers Notes: Horford, Simmons, Korkmaz, Scott

October 1st, 2019 at 10:07am CST by Arthur Hill

Al Horford decided to leave a contending team in Boston because he saw a better opportunity for a championship with the Sixers, writes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Philadelphia enters camp among the favorites to win the NBA title, and Horford will serve as a veteran presence in an impressive starting lineup that also features Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons, Tobias Harris and Josh Richardson.

“The opportunity to win, I am going in my 13th season, that is important to me,” Horford said. “I feel we have an opportunity to win now and that was something that was hard for me to pass.”

Horford seemed like part of the foundation in Boston, but he surprised the Celtics by opting out of the final year of his contract and agreeing to a four-year, $109MM agreement with a bitter rival. He said the experience of leaving Atlanta for Boston three years ago helped him prepare for the adjustment of changing teams.

“I have done this before, so for me it is a little easier, the transition,” Horford said. “Another side of it can be overwhelming with all that comes with being on a new team and building relationships and getting to learn the city and all these things.”

There’s more from Philadelphia:

  • With a new five-year extension in hand, Simmons is ready for a fresh start to his NBA career, which includes ignoring critics who harp on his jump shot or anything else, relays Marc Narducci of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Simmons spent the last few months trying to fix his errant jumper and said he fell in love with the game again during the offseason. “I think I was too worried about what people were saying, what was going around, too many outside noises,” he said. “I was able to really block them out this summer and not really focus on what people were saying.”
  • Furkan Korkmaz will have to improve his 3-point shooting to have a consistent role this season, observes Derek Bodner of The Athletic. Korkmaz requested a trade last season and has complained about his lack of playing time. Bodner notes that Philadelphia added depth at the wing position, so Korkmaz may see even fewer minutes this year.
  • Mike Scott admits to poor judgment when he fought with Eagles fans after showing up to the team’s opening game in a Redskins jersey, relays ESPN.
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Embiid Sheds Weight To Ease Burden On Knee

September 30th, 2019 at 8:46pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Sixers center Joel Embiid dropped 20 pounds this summer in order to take the pressure off his balky knee, Brian Windhorst of ESPN reports.

Sixers center Joel Embiid dropped 20 pounds this summer in order to take the pressure off his balky knee, Brian Windhorst of ESPN reports.

“Obviously my knee was bothering me the whole second half of the season and the playoffs,” the Sixers’ star said. “But all I was thinking was what can I do make sure I don’t let my teammates down again or my team. Or the whole city basically. That was to take better of my body.”

Embiid missed 12 games after last season’s All-Star break, mainly due to knee tendinitis. The Sixers will have a load management plan for him, but he expects to play more than the 64 games, Keith Pompey of the Philly Inquirer tweets.

Embiid added that he has more trust in Sixers GM Elton Brand than predecessor Bryan Colangelo, Derek Bodner of The Athletic tweets. “With the past GM it wasn’t all that,” Embiid said.

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Zhaire Smith Looks To Bounce Back From Injury-Plagued Rookie Year

September 27th, 2019 at 11:57am CST by Luke Adams
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Hirings and Promotions; Simmons Newfound Love For Game

September 26th, 2019 at 7:35pm CST by clarkcrum
  • The Sixers have officially announced several new hires and promotions for the 2019/20 season, including the addition of former NBA big man Roy Hibbert as the team’s new player development specialist, which was reported back in August.
  • Sixers All-Star Ben Simmons tells Rob Maaddi of the Associated Press that he found his love of the game again this summer. “I kind of got back to who I was and having fun with the game. I felt like the past season I lost that enjoyment side of it but I feel like this summer has been huge for me. Just the work I’ve been putting in, I kinda fell in love with putting that work in again and I’ve been in the gym every day working and the results have been paying off so I’m excited for the season to start.”
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O'Connor Views Josh Richardson As Breakout Candidate

September 26th, 2019 at 11:20am CST by Luke Adams
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Atlantic Notes: Sixers, Thybulle, Thabeet, Irving

September 25th, 2019 at 7:50pm CST by Arthur Hill

Brett Brown knows what the bottom of the Eastern Conference looks like; now he wants to see the top. The Sixers coach declared his lofty goal during a luncheon speech today, relays Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. “I want to get the No. 1 seed,” Brown told the gathering.

It’s a drastic turnaround for a coach who suffered through the worst of “The Process” and won just 10 games during the 2015/16 season. The Sixers are coming off back-to-back 50-win years and are still stinging from their playoff elimination by the eventual champion Raptors on a Kawhi Leonard shot that bounced on the rim several times before falling in.

Philadelphia enters this season as a co-favorite with the Bucks in the East. The team lost Jimmy Butler and J.J. Redick in free agency, but re-signed Tobias Harris and added Al Horford and Josh Richardson.

“We have had back-to-back 50-win teams, we have a 25-year-old All-Star [Joel Embiid] and a 23-year-old All-Star [Ben Simmons],” Brown told Marc Narducci of The Philadelphia Inquirer. “We have the best team I have had this year. We have the deepest bench, we have veterans, we have men, we got pieces. [General manager] Elton Brand has done a hell of a job.”

There’s more from the Atlantic Division:

  • Matisse Thybulle has been medically cleared to practice when camp opens, Pompey tweets. The rookie guard rolled his ankle earlier this week, but the injury turned out to be minor. The Sixers traded up in this year’s draft to get Thybulle with the 20th pick.
  • The Knicks have an opening on their roster heading into camp, but they won’t use it to sign Hasheem Thabeet, according to Marc Berman of The New York Post. Thabeet worked out for New York and spent time with the team in August and September. The vacancy occurred because Kris Wilkes, who was expected to sign a two-way contract, is still battling an illness that will prevent him from attending camp.
  • Kyrie Irving is day to day after suffering a left side facial fracture, the Nets tweeted. The injury happened during a workout Tuesday.
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