The Philadelphia 76ers faced off against the Toronto (Tampa) Raptors on February 21st and 23rd, where the teams split the mini-series. On February 19th, Philly held the first seed in the conference while Toronto was the sixth seed at 15-15.
Most would not be able to tell after watching Game 1.
Toronto has a favorable history with the Sixers especially in the last few years. The Raptors had a 14-regular-season-game win streak against the Sixers from 2013-2016. Since then they have also won 11 of the last 17 contests between their divisional foe. Although their postseason history against each other is brief, Toronto won the most recent matchup in 2019.
Game 1: Raptors’ Defense Stifles the Process
The most-recent go-around saw the top-seeded Sixers fall flat as MVP candidate Joel Embiid was held to 25 points on 30% from the field. As a whole, the team shot a putrid 38.8% from the field. The Raptors’ game plan was made evident early on– make life difficult for Embiid. Below is a compilation of defensive series thrown at Embiid and what led to his difficulties in the matchup on the 21st.
Toronto’s rotations on defense were terrific and they forced Embiid into difficult shots. Although the MVP candidate began to pass out of these traps, his fellow Sixers struggled to capitalize on those opportunities. The video highlights Embiid’s missed passes as well. While the big man has made strides in improving his passing game, his court vision is still far from world-class.
The Sixers were able to still live at the line with 35 free-throw attempts to Toronto’s 18, but the percentages favored the Raptors with 88.9% to 74.3%.
Overall, the Sixers failed to adjust on the fly to the Raptors’ superior game plan.
Game 2 Brought a Win, As Well As Questions
The second game in the mini-series saw the Sixers improve offensively. Most notably, their three-point attack outclassed Toronto’s as they dropped 17-of-38 three’s to the Raptors’ 11-of-37. Once again, the Sixers dominated in the free-throw line department, doubling the Raptors in attempts and makes from the charity stripe.
Tobias Harris and last-minute starter Furkan Korkmaz were the biggest catalysts to Philly’s win as the pair were effective floor stretchers. Harris went three of four from deep while Korkmaz added five long balls of his own. Korkmaz filled in for the injured Seth Curry and created momentum for the Sixers early on with his production. It was an all-around improvement for Harris as he shot far better from the floor, facilitated shots for teammates with five assists, and stepped up tremendously on defense.
It seemed he took missing the All-Star game personally.
The team stepped up this time around to help Embiid, as the star big man went just 3-13 from the field. While JoJo was not a negative in this game, it does raise questions as to how effective this team can be if opponents are able to slow him down and the teammates cannot pick up the slack. Bench production and secondary playmaking have been sore spots for Philadelphia all year despite holding the first seed in the conference.
The Sixers are 1-4 without their all-star big man this season after their win against the Indiana Pacers. While Embiid should hopefully be fully available during playoff time, there is genuine concern that the supporting cast does not have the firepower to be a real contender.
Moving Forward, an Old Rival Could Be a Solution?
Kyle Lowry was notably absent for both games against the Sixers and the Raptors were seemingly just as dangerous. Evidence to further suggest the current Sixers’ roster has some holes to be filled.
Lowry won a title with the Raptors in 2019, cementing himself as an all-timer with the northern franchise. Therefore, it may sound a bit curious as to why the Raptors would be willing to trade him. Toronto’s president of basketball operations Masai Ujiri has made daring moves in the past, such as trading longtime Raptor DeMar DeRozan for eventual Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard.
Ujiri may see an opportunity to get something as opposed to nothing. Lowry is an unrestricted free agent this offseason and would be coming off a $30 million year. If the Raptors do not intend to re-sign Lowry, then trading him even to a contender and rival may be worth it in the long run.
Seizing the Moment?
A Lowry acquisition is a risky move for the Sixers to say the least. In a world where the likelihood of a move occurring is strong, there are legitimate pros and cons to the move for Philly. The first perk for acquiring him? Lowry is still very productive even at 34 years old.
Need evidence? Here is Lowry against the Sixers this season back in their first matchup in December.
The Sixers did prevail in this game, but Lowry left his mark. The Philadelphia native is a six-time All-Star who is renowned around the league for his savviness on both sides of the court. The positives for Lowry are pretty straight forward, he is an easy plug-and-play player averaging seven assists a game this season. The veteran point guard still is a defensive plus despite being undersized. Lowry also supplies floor spacing for Embiid and Simmons, as he is shooting 40% from three this season on seven attempts per game.
He might just be the secondary playmaker, shot-creator and leader this Sixers team needs.
A Risky Transaction
With that said, there are unavoidable facts that still remain with Lowry. His age is something to keep in mind, not only for future seasons, but for this current season. He has already missed some time and age does not improve changes of quick recovery.
Secondly, Lowry is on an expiring contract worth double Danny Green’s. Re-signing the point guard after this season could be quite the investment. Perhaps not $30-million-a-season investment, although a Lowry free-agent market could be rather large.
Lastly, acquiring the seasoned vet most likely means sacrificing at least one young prospect in the trade. These prospects would be among Korkmaz, Tyrese Maxey, Matisse Thybulle or Shake Milton. Not to mention Green and most likely Mike Scott for salary-cap purposes. Aside from these players, picks would have to be moved to sweeten the pot. These assets all have value to this current Sixers’ roster and moving any assortment of them for an aging All-Star is a real gamble.
The decision lies with Morey and the front office.
Lessons Need to be Learned
The Philadelphia 76ers are a franchise with two young stars, one of which is an MVP favorite this year. The urgency to equip Joel Embiid with a legit supporting cast while in his prime is real and must be felt. Making a move for Lowry could be seen as “jumping the gun” and could be compared to the Al Horford signing from a year ago.
On the other hand, the fear of missing the title window with this team is sincere. The NBA is filled with young stars and dangerous teams that have opportunities to only improve in the near future. Embiid’s superstar play is astounding and is something rare to find. Not making the most of his prime while you have him could be one of the biggest mistakes the organization will ever make.
The Sixers must make adjustments whether through tactical planning or roster changes. Otherwise, history could very well repeat itself in the form of another Sixers’ playoff disappointment.
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