Friday Deep Dive | Ben's Defense, Giannis' Antics, and More From the Bucks

Plus to bias in the clutch and sustaining some of the good we've seen since the break on this week's Friday Deep Die. Not that these second half of the schedule, guys has been known for public consumption for quite some time, but immediately when it was released, with the Sixers not having played the Milwaukee Bucks in the first half of the season, that was the very first opponent I was looking for when how many times in the second half of the season, and the first matchup came on Wednesday

at the Center. We obviously did start there. Let's go around the room, Lauren, what do we think look, you would have loved to get a win if you're the Sixers in that game on Wednesday, but the Bucks were at full strength, if not nearly completely full strength. The Sixers were definitely not at full strength, and it took MVP level play from Jannis to get them over the hump against a Sixers team that was severely shorthanded without Joel Embiid. I think anytime you don't have Joel Embiid,

you can use the words severely shorthanded. It took Jannis's heroics to get over the hump against this Sixers team absent their best player on the second night of a back to back, clearly pretty exhausted. So I think that this was as close to a moral victory as any team wants to accept. I don't want to put words in anyone's mouth, but postgame, the vibes were not terrible. People felt that it was still an overall solid learning outing and it was fun to watch. It was fun

to watch. I agree, as close to a moral victory as you could have, and especially coming on the second of the back to back, where you go deep into the final seconds of the game, come from behind against the New York Knicks and you win that basketball game, you have to feel good about where they were shorthanded as they were without Duel Ebid, Seth Curry going down Lake, the Lakes just had to be tired, and you don't want to make excuses, but it is what it is.

And I thought they put up a valued effort and unfortunately it did not come away with the W. But I cannot wait to see them now in a couple of weeks. So on the back to back to home the two game series in Milwaukee, where hopefully Ebid is back, the roster is where it's going to be at that time, and then we can really get a good gauge of where these two teams are as they stack up against one another. But a nice showing, if you will, on Wednesday night against the Milwaukee Bucks. So a lot to

look forward to with these two teams. I thought Doc Rivers put it really well after the game. You could see the toll of last night's game. Playing that fourth quarter. When you see Tobias and Fur and Seth and Shake missing wide open shots all front rim, you know that's not good for your offense. I don't leave this game discourage. Let me put it that way. Could you be disappointed it was an overtime loss, the seventy six was led by as many as nineteen points in the third quarter. Sure,

you can be disappointed. It's against a great team, someone who's right on your heels for the top spot in the Eastern Conference. But Doc said he didn't leave the game discouraged, which I think he should not have, nor should anyone else inside that locker room have left the game feeling discouraged because you could not evaluate what we were seeing without the context who was available and who is not. No Joel Embiid, no Seth Curry in crunch

time when the game was on the line. So you take away arguably the best player on the planet this season in Joel, and one of the best shooters not only on the Sixers roster, but in the game. That is tough sledding to go up against a team as talented as Milwaukee, despite the fact that the rest of the guys aside from Yannis pretty much all had off nights for the most part. And then you throw Jannis

in there, and he's as great as he is. It's just for me hard to truly put so much stock into this as far as like saying, well, yes, the winner of this game is better than the seventy Sixers. At this point in time, I can't go there yet because I can't ignore the fact that Joel Embi didn't play. I'm with it, and I would add with Jannis. He struggled in that first half four points, four turnovers, guarded

heavily by Ben Simmons. I mean, you have to wonder if Ben got a little bit more tired holding him down that way, or did Yannis just decide to turn it on. I'm not really sure, but it's worth noting that if the Sixers maybe had had all their gas, they might have been able to put the clamps on Yannis the way they did for the full game. But they were on the second night of what was a

late back to back. That first half of the back to back, the game started later than the second half, and Jannis really struggled until the end, and I think that that's worth noting as we continue to prepare for more of these matchups. Obviously, I'm employed by the Philadelphia seventy Sixers, so I view the world through certain colored glasses, but I also really look forward to seeing teams who we don't get to see on a regular basis, and for me, I was really curious to see how Milwaukee

would come out. They had won five straight coming into the game, nine out of the last ten, and the way they came out, I was like, what, I was like, come on, the Sixers just grinded through. Seriously. I was like, the Sixers just grinded through a game the night before, hard fought game against the Knicks. They were shorthanded talking about the Sixers and Milwaukee just they were totally taken out of their game by the Sixers, but they also

missed some shots that were there for them. By the same token, I was really impressed with the way the Sixers started the game, very surprise. Did not see that happening whatsoever. The Sexers just totally stifling Milwaukee throughout that first half. I know it's all about who emerges the winner in the end, but I thought that there was a lot of good that was done through the first two and a half quarters of the game by the Sexers. Yeah,

there was a lot of good work. And I also referenced something that coach Doc Rivers pointed out, and you can have it for both games on Tuesday and Wednesday, which were the fact that we threw it back to the nineties with the basketball and how physical it was, the low scoring, the midshots and all. But you know,

it was entertaining in a different type of way. And of course with no one beat out there, it was encouraging to see them perform the way that they did against two formidable conans, even though New York was coming off of a back to back the night before where they played a tough one against Brooklyn, also going deep into their game. But when you look at it and just see where the schedule falls, and I'm big on how did it happen? So he Doc Gris talks about

the disappointment Shore. We can be disappointment. Disappointed because it was a nineteen point lead. You saw Milwaukee surging back. Okay, let's get everything together. Let's slow the offense down maybe a little bit, let's pick and choose where we go on.

Let's be better in transition. There are a lot of things to point out, but once again, when you're shorthanded the way you were playing the late game that Lauren mentioned and still being in it and never going away, mind you, even when Milwaukee had that momentum and they took it. The seventy sixers did find a way to take it back. Unfortunately the w ensued at the end, but still something to look forward to. Hopefully you don't

have too many more games. We know there's a stretch here without and B for a little bit of time. But going forward, there's something to take away from a game like this. There's always something to take away from losses like you suffered last night, and I'm sure with the coaching staff that they had, they'll point out and find those things that they need to work on to build on that point. There's a couple of way is

that you can look at it. The seventy six Ers, barring something totally unimaginable, are going to be in the playoffs and very very likely a top four seed. Are they going to be the one seed? There might not be as much margin for error for the one seed as being a top four seed. So does a win or a loss against the Bucks on Wednesday? How much

does that matter in the grand scheme of things. I don't know if you really, if you're the Sixers, given where they are right now, if you need to play that much weight and whether it's a win or a loss. I think you can make the case that the loser of Wednesday's game could emerge from that game feeling better about itself and the way it matched up than the winner of that game. I like that might be a little bit of a reach. No, I get it. I

get it again. And then Jane at the end gave them a little bit of some stuel there as well, with sitting on the floor, to be honest, gets it back, attacking the pain now and knots at home and turning out the lights on top rivers. Yes, sit down, Philadel single handedly claiming the court at Will's farical that Mark. You can hear the Philly fans. They didn't like it. They're reacting to him shitting on the floor right there.

Sure the players weren't too happy about that. But again, like I said, and I agree with yourself, just being able to take away from some things, knowing that you were in a tough spot coming off of that the game before against the New York Knicks, where that was a tough one. Sure you could take a lot of things from this, feel good about yourself and point out, hey, they needed every second to beat us tonight. And sure we were home and we played very well at home.

But that conversation can be had where you don't want to use that as the only thing, but it's a thing where they needed every second, every available player that they had to take us down, including the reigning MVP Lauren that you mentioned. I would just add that this is a team that's consistently found ways to compete, regardless of the opponent, regardless of the deficit, regardless of an advantage. Sometimes it's a team that always knows how to compete.

And that's really fun that we've had games where we've been down nineteen. We the Sixers fans, we the Sixers. The Sixers have been down nineteen, and they've found a way to come back and compete. Obviously, you never want to blow a lead. Last Night's lead, rather Wednesday's lead

ended up getting eaten up. But I've been really encouraged by regardless of the opponent, regardless of which Sixers are available, Let's go back to the seven Sixers, the small Sixers, this is a group that finds ways to compete on a nightly basis, independent of opponent, independent of availability, and

I think that that's something really special. The one thing that we could analyze from this game, regardless of whether or not Jowell Embiad was playing or the Bucks had to sit certain guys because they were involved in a trade. We'll talk about that in a moment. Is how Ben Simmons went up against Giannis Autacombo head to head. I think that's something that everyone was looking forward to. Doc Rivers with a lot of praise for Ben after the game.

Listen times Ben was on him. We couldn't have guarded that any better. I thought they did a pretty good job of getting Ben to switch off of them, and I thought a lot of that was fatigued too on Ben's part, like you know, several of him. He probably didn't have to switch. We didn't want him to. Dee,

what did you make of that matchup? I like what he did because of previous matchups, things that we've seen any before where although he's six ten six to eleven, Ben Simmons and Jannis is also a big human and

what he's able to offensively. Sometimes we have seen Ben struggle where you had to use Joe ellen b You also had to use last season al Horford to also match up with Jannis, And in this case, I thought Ben did a tremendous job early on with standing his ground, bodying him up on the little block, bodying him up on the face up where he decided to face up and turn his body, figuring out which way he wanted

to play him on a perimeter. I'm going to back off because you know, to ray shooter, but then I'm also going to jab at you a little bit show and see what you do. Make you dribble, and when you do dribble, now you're a little thrown off and I have to make a decision. So I really like the overall game plan of what he did. There was no need for Yannis to go with the two little

thing that he likes to do famously against Ben. And I think Ben Simmons held up and held his own last night, showing why he is a defensive Player of the Year candidate, a worthy one and maybe even the

leader for a lot of people. And another point, Selts something to take later on when these two teams see each other in the future, whether it's the two regular season games in Milwaukee and if by chance they see one another in the postseason, that this is a matchup where you know you can throw and be as well as Simmons and if need be, as a third some good things because of his lateral movement, Dwight Howard and how he's able to move as well. So I like

what Simmons did defensively last night. I pick a little bit as some of the things, and I'm sure everyone was a little fatigued, but at the end offensively when they needed a little more, I would have liked to have seen Simmons do a little bit more just to help out with Harris off, Milton having an off type of night, and a few others as well, But overall, I thought a solid game from Ben Simmons, especially defensively

against Giannas, despite the thirty two points lay. To me, if I'm a Bucks fan, I'm frightened by what I saw last night, knowing that these teams could end up in a best of seven situation down the road. If this is what Ben was able to do tired, if this is what the Sixers were able to do without Joel, I am a very concerned Bucks fan this morning. I am not wanting to run into the Sixers in the postseason again. I think we just keep going back to the same point. This is as close to a moral

victory as you can get. I love what you said about Ben really put Janis and the six or Twitter has has decided to start putting players in the benettentiary when he locks somebody up. So Jannis was in there for two and a half quarters and I love to see it. The intensity that Ben has been bringing on defense.

His sharing last night was wonderful. He's just really found another level and I'm excited to see him continue to unlock more without Joel in the next couple of weeks because it's going to be really cool for him if he continues on the trajectory that he's on. So the numbers, according to NBA dot Com, Ben Simmons on Jannis for over eight minutes in the game on Wednesday. During that time,

Jannis two for eight from the field. Now, again, you can only take these numbers the grain assault they list him is o for three from three, but of course Ben was in the vicinity and decided to back off Yannis when he hit that three in the overtime period. So you know, take these numbers with a grain assault, but four turnovers committed by Yannis with Ben on him, so those are obviously really good numbers and yes, to circle back to what you said, Devon and brought this

up first. Last year, Jannis was pretty much Joel's guy defensively, and that's a weapon that the seventy six ers we won't know until they play again, hopefully, if Joel's out there, if Doc Rivers sees the world defensively the same way that Brett Brown does and wants to try Joel on Jannis a little bit. I think that right on the offensive end, the six or sixteen by Ben, you want to see better there, The zero attempts and the free throw column, you want to see more there, the seven turnovers,

you'd like that cleaned up. But I think for me, I'm ultimately going to feel like, based on what I've seen this season, I'm gonna have faith that Ben can do that and do a little bit more on the offensive end the next time around. If he doesn't, then then maybe I step back and reevaluate them. I'm looking at this, But I think for me going into that game on Wednesday, what I wanted to see was had

his Ben hold his ground? Does he against Jannis? And I think that can we all agree he acquitted himself pretty well? Yeah? Absolutely, absolutely, I would concur. All right, we've talked about Ben and Janis before moving on and putting this game behind us. What about the rest of

the rosters of the Sixers and the Bucks. I'll say this, I think the Sixers are better suited to match up with Milwaukee this year than last year, and that takes into account the changes that both teams made in the offseason. We'll have to see if the seventy Sixers, obviously if any moves in them before the end of this month. Milwaukee made some tweaks. Just gone back to Wednesday with the addition of PJ. Tucker agreed, I think that this year's Sixers team matches up better than last year or

Sixers team did with these Milwaukee Bucks. Of course, these Milwaukee Bucks now different, as you said, Celts, but we saw some good defense from Tobias Harris last night. We saw Matisse Bible due with some of what he can do. The two of them had some solid possessions against Chris Middleton, who is still Milwaukee's probably secondary weapon right if not true holiday so cool to see that the Sixers defenders, multiple Sixers defenders can do good work on a fewer

amount of Milwaukee players. Right, there are more good Sixers defenders than there are good Milwaukee offensive players. And again that's part of why I'm afraid of running into the Sixers down the road if I'm a Bucks fan. Yeah,

that's a great point as well. The matchups. I do like the Sixers a little more this season, the growth of natistable defensively, understanding that if it is going to be a Janis Middleton Holiday type of type of game, where those are your three offensive players that you have

to worry about. I feel very comfortable with Simmons, Thible and andb especially Downe to stretch and doing the work that you need to because I think that when it's all set and done, when they're playing, all of the games are going to come down to the wire in my opinion, because that's how closely matched they are and

that's just how it's going to be. So if you are are available to throw those three out and we'll see how things play out over the next week, as you talked about ourselves now less than a week at the deadline, that we will see where things are with these two teams. But I do think they match up much better and improved Joel and be as good as we have seen him before, better now Simmons as well, and Thyble also, So I do like where they are. My one concern is that they as good as Giannis

was and Lauren you already mentioned it. Middleton did have an off night and Drew Holiday as well still, if you will, recovering from the COVID situation, that he was down for a while, so seeing where they are later on in the season. But I would also believe that the Sixes are much improved by them as well, and have their legs and understand the entire offense and where

they are, how comfortable they are within their offense. So I just I think that that's going to be a fun matchup no matter what wherever we see him once again, and they're they're a good basketball team. But I do think the six Is fare very well against them. I'm not afraid if I were forced to take some truth seram, things that I would be falling away. In the back of my mind from Wednesday's game was Lopez's ability to

pop out. That would concern me because he's shown in the past that if he gets going a little bit, he can knock some down. That could be tricky in the wrong moment at the wrong time shots and that was something that really helped get them going. Devencenzo's bounce really good. He obviously made some costly defensive mistakes against fur CONCORKMS, but Deeven Chens is a threat. And I also wouldn't expect Bobby Portis and Bryn Forbes to go combined over eight from three and one for eighteen from

the field. Again, I think they clearly underperformed the game on Wednesday, But to speak to both of your points, I'd love to see personally a match. But again, between these two teams in the postseason, we know they have two more games Adviser Forum in April against one another. And this is especially after some of the antic from Yannis on Wednesday. Hey day, Um, Jannis made a big basket in the over time and then he just sat at mid court and I wondered if you guys took

notice of that. Oh yeah, I wanted to go in stone cold stunner him, but I already got one tech. You know. Um, he made some tough shots at the end of the game, reigning MVP, and he had a great game. So I'm not one to talk trash or say anything negative, but uh, we'll see them again and get a different results. Yeah, the Seeds felt like they

were planted in it. Maybe even perhaps a wrestling move. Yeah, him doing that one not only for the seventy six is year Dwight Howard speaking, But the Sixer fans were not happy with the antics of Yannis, So expect he's he's in the clear right now because the two games will be in Milwaukee, but in the postseason and you have more than Look, Lauren, you can tell us great it was being in the building with the three thousand plus fans in there, but come playoff time where maybe

they are a little more in there. Yes, the either of the Sixer fans, they will be all over him. I'm with it, and I love that the Sixers left that game excited for their next matchup with this team. I think it was very clear that there were some unfinished business vibes among the group as they headed home last night. So I'm looking forward to this next series, of course with the Bucks, but potentially another series, a longer series after that. And it seems like these Sixers

players are looking forward to it as well. And for Joel Embiid to be in the building last night and to be watching on I mean, you know, he was just thirsting to get into that game. It had to be really hard for him to watch knowing that the Sixers were so close, knowing that they actually only needed a little bit more. Joel embiad brings a lot more. So again, I like the Sixers chances as they move forward and face this team again. Guys, it may feel

like forever ago. But two other noteworthy developments since last we spoke here on the deep Dive. Number One, We've alluded to it, but Joel and Be did get hurt against the Washington Wizards last Friday in DC, and drawing down and daring again in his way was Garrison Matthews, and it beat his hurt and he is clearly in pain. Not to belabor the point, but the Sixers they played great with or without him since coming back from the All Star break. They were really competitive against a terrific

team in Milwaukee. Do we think d the Sixers are capable of sustaining this high quality of play? Not saying they're gonna win every game or four out of five all the time, but do we think they're capable of sustaining quality competitive top of conference play in the absence of Joel. I do I think we've seen enough of the sample size to say that they definitely have a tough road trip coming up. The next game tomorrow night at the Senators final game of a four game homestand

against the Sacramento Kings. But then when they hit the road for six, that's gonna be a tough one. So it's never easy for anyone, whether you're at four strength or without one of your better players, of course, in this case an MVP candidate and Joel and b So I do think though that we have seen enough from this team to believe that they can sustain this level of play there well, eight and two in their last ten. It is gonna be tough. It is gonna be tough.

But I do think that this will tell us a lot more about this basketball team, quite honestly, with what we see over the next six in particular with this road trip upcoming. But they are a good basketball team. You can see a structure, you can see a different type of game plan each and every night, and how they would like to do things. I think they are just in the moment, of course, with what the coaching

staff does. I would have personally liked the scene on Wednesday a little bit more later on in the game, as things started to get a little away from You mentioned Dante devagent ten DiVincenzo knocking out his shots, broke Lopez as well, and even though they struggle with Portis and Forbes, they did get good looks, they just missed them.

I thought that they would incorporate a little bit of zone like we saw against the Indiana Pacers, just to kind of save their legs a little bit because of the fatigue factor of the night before against the New York Knicks. But even with that being said, we've seen it before them, so we know that that's something that

they can pull again out of their head. So I think we've seen enough of a certain amount of things, different things that will make Sixer fans and observers and feel good about where his team is despite the fact that he is not there. I like the idea of seeing a little bit of zone on this road trip. It's going to be a very tiring one. You mentioned it.

I don't know for sure that I'm convinced that they're going to be able to win all most half of those games on the road but it's one of those situations where they have been playing incredibly well or certainly exceeding expectations without Joel thus far. So I would hope that team can continue building on what they have already

done over these last few without Joel. I don't see them not hanging around in any of the games on this road trip, but I'm willing to give them grace for sure if they drop any or a few of them, because of how challenging it is to play on the road against elite teams without your elite MVP level player. And again, though, how did it happen? If you lose a game? Okay, that's fine, but how did it happen where you lost? You don't want to sit there and say, okay,

you're on a six game rule trip. You get a tough night and you get your doors blown off. Where you competitive? And I think that's where that's something that they hang their hats on them that they compete every night. And as long as we see it that way, I'm sure we can look at it realistically with where they will be, not making excuses, but just understanding the situation of where they are. I think we need to call that the rule of Gibbons, the how did it happen factor?

How did it happen, how did it attend? I'm making that a Friday deep dive decree. Moving forward, we can do that. The rule of Givens. Yeah, the road trip is no joke. It starts with a revenge matchup in the Garden against the Knicks, then only a day separating the Sixers from their first game out west against Golden State next Thursday at the Lakers. Saturday, the Clippers two days Idol go to Denver, and then two days later in Cleveland against a team that beat Boston the other night.

So no easy sledding a team that has beaten the Sixers twice. I was not going to mention that, but you are not indirect. That is a true statement. So the Sixers certainly have a tough road trip cut out for them. Very last thing I want to bring up with you, guys, I think we have to acknowledge the talking about declarations and proclamations. The Tobias Harris exultation on the court after the big basket against the New York Knicks.

I'm an all star Harris on the backed out to the right of the lane, left and dribble Hanks in the paint. It's good Tobias Harris back to backfield goals Time Out, New York ninety six, ninety two The Sixers, Lady. I loved it, and I'm gonna go out on Limon say, might be the best thing that Tobias did not go to the All Star Game. He is mean Tobias, and I know Divon likes aggressive Ben I like mean bounty ball Tobias. Lord, you got this one. I loved everything

about that moment. We know Tobias is a generally mild mannered, even keeled, steady type of guy, and to see just a little bit of spice, a little bit of attitude, is really refreshing and welcome. He was mad, but in a good way. It was really cool to see. I've never seen him be that demonstrative. And I was sitting on this side of the arena where he was yelling towards me, and I felt a little like, oh okay, what did what did I do? And it was really it was really cool. I was happy. I was happy

for him. I have been happy for him all season long. We say it a lot, but I really do hope that his first All Star bid is his second All Star season next year. Like Doc Rivers said, if Doc Rivers thinks it can happen, I certainly think it can happen. Well, when I saw it immediately after the game, I think Subs you had posted the video actually on your Twitter account, and I was just basically okay, so Buys talking that talk.

And he had every right too, because he had some big baskets in the clutchy the four points that they needed to separate themselves time out in New York, after the big bucket that he made to Bias Harrison in that moment something like that. I've never felt that in an NBA game, but I'm sure it warranted. You know that that feeling. And of course, if Thibodeau was one of those coaches that well he's an Eastern Conference coach, she didn't vote him in that. He's pointed the finger Tivodeau.

He's talking to him, not directly, indirectly, but he's talking to him, And I'm okay with that. If he carries that to each game where they play against these teams like that, then I'm fine with it. If that's going to be his motivation and it leads to the six was having success. I'm good. I'm good with it as long as it's not forced and it's genuine and it comes out naturally. I like it. There was something personal in there too with Julius Randall. How could there not be.

I mean, Tobias's teammates following the game didn't explicitly call Julius Randall out, but the suggestion was made that if Tobias was playing on a lesser team and he was the number one option, he would certainly be putting up the same type of numbers that Julius Randall is putting up. And Julius Randall was chosen as a replacement athlete or were this All Star Game and Tobias Harris was not, And I think there's no way that that's not a

little bit personal. Tobias certainly looked like the better player in that game, in my opinion, has looked like the better player all season long, and in my opinion, would be putting up better numbers if he was the best player on the News or Knicks. But he's one of the best players on the seventy six ers, a better team, and that could have been the reason why he didn't get an All Star bid. I get it. I get being spicy in that situation. We shall see well they

do it again on Sunday. That's gonna be a good one because now he's home and Sixes have defeated them two times so far this season. The tough part about the All Star thing before we go is, like Doc Rivers, he said it very well post game. Everyone deserved that made it, deserve to be the Julie's random deserve to be there. So I like the fact that Tobias is pointing fingers at the guys that made it over him.

So when they played the Pacers again with demadis of bonus, especially as an injury replacement, and they already played the Chicago Bulls with Zach Levine, Ben Simmons had a tremendous job on him defensively, I can't wait. I I like angry to Bias. I like this. Keep bringing it angry to Buias, go at them all. I'm all for it, all for it. Hey, listen. If you're listening to this podcast, you can't obviously see this. If you're watching on YouTube on the seventy six ers channel, you can see this.

All three of us are wearing hoodies as we tape this episode. But Divine he's rocking the Franklin. Hey, I got the Franklin. Look at that, my friend. When I found out that my friend had T shirts. I made it very clear that my friend had T shirts and made it known on Twitter and he took care of them. So everybody go check it out. Go get yourself one nice drives good. Look at that. Look at that sign it every time. Look get that. So go ahead and

get your Franklin T shirt. I have it on great authority that Franklin is a big Divine Givens fan, on the highest of canine authority. The feeling is mutual, good stuff. Guys, Always pleasure, Thank you, always, thank you. You guess when programming note to tell you about before we part ways for a couple of days until the Monday Mailbag. Tom McGinnis has a new episode of Tom's Talks coming out

on Saturday. It features the one and only Furky from Turkey, the man who sent Wednesday's thriller against the Bucks into overtime. You know, and when fur Con cork Mos is involved, the content is always wholesome and Tom McGinnis too for that matter. All right, thanks as always for listening, talk to next night, See you