Game Preview: Sixers at Raptors
TORONTO, ON - OCTOBER 26: Joel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers drives against Christian Koloko #35 of the Toronto Raptors during the first half of their basketball game at the Scotiabank Arena on October 26, 2022 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
The Sixers take the floor tonight for game two of a two-game series against the Raptors in Toronto in desperate need of a win. On Wednesday, the Sixers fell to 1-4 on the season after a 119-109 to their Atlantic division opponent. What needs to change in order to pick up a win tonight?
Here are a few keys to the game vs the Raptors:
The Defense Must be Better
- The Raptors shot close to 55 percent from the floor and 43 percent from deep. It’s not that Toronto just got hot… these are professionals, that happens. It’s the manner in which the shots were made. There was simply not enough good defense applied by the Sixers, leading to some very easy looks from deep and many looks close to the basket made with ease. Philadelphia also gave up 29 points in transition… a common theme through five games. The pressure and communication needs to improve tonight.
Energy and Effort
- 76ers head coach Doc Rivers mentioned these two as issues during his post-game press conference. And it was very noticeable, especially in the first quarter of the game. Toronto is a tough place to play and the Raptors play hard. The Sixers must match their intensity and force them to play Philadelphia’s style of basketball.
It may be time to find Matisse Thybulle some minutes
- As mentioned earlier, the defense has been an issue for the 76ers. Well, you have a two-time All-NBA defender sitting on the bench rotting. He may not give you much on the offensive end. But what he can do is make the opposing wing players work for their shots, run the floor with his speed and athleticism, and spell P.J. Tucker for a breather and not force the veteran to play over 31 minutes. Try a new wrinkle and see where that may get you.
Get Tobias Harris more involved
- The 10-year vet averages 12 points on 10 field goal attempts per game. He only attempted five on Wednesday. That can’t happen. He has to work a little harder to get better looks, but his teammates and coaches need to create better opportunities to also help him out for quality shots overall.
The idea of James Harden, Tyrese Maxey, and De’Anthony Melton on the floor for a stretch is intriguing
- Toronto plays with pace, and if you do have to match that at times, this isn’t a bad trio to do that with. In the fourth quarter when we saw the three guards together, they produced 15 points, seven assists (four from Melton), made four from behind the three-point line and five steals from Maxey and Melton. A fun lineup.
This is game two of their four-game roadie and the first game of a back-to-back as they travel to Chicago to face the Bulls on Saturday night. An opportunity to get on track against two good teams.
Dylan MacKinnon is The Digital Content Coordinator For 97.5 The Fanatic. he has been an Eagles, Flyers, Sixers, and Flyers fan his whole life. He graduated from Rutgers University with a Bachelors in Journalism. Dylan has worked at the Fanatic since 2016, starting as an Intern, moving to the Street team, and eventually was hired as an Associate Producer before settling into his current role in the Digital Department. You may hear him referred to on-air as "The D-Train."
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