Friday Deep Dive | Winning Streak Takeaways

and we discussed the team's overall chemistry. Bible blocks the shot. Simmons on the run against Porter goes right to the rim and ladies it in and I love what Matisse's Bible has been doing. And of course Ben Simmons impact has been big. I'm Lauren Rosen, I'm Devon Gibbons, and I'm Brian Seltzer. We are feeling positive about the seventy sixers chances. We talked about it all. You're on the

Friday Deep Dive High times. Guys in seventy Sixers land right now, this squad isn't just winning games, winning in convincing fashion to steamrolling these opponents. Taking a very big advantage of a favorable schedule. Dare we say Lauren and Devon total driver's seat control of the number one seed right now in the Eastern Conference with about a week

and a half to go. I am willing to say so, Yes, Selts, they wanted to control their own destiny with a little bit of help from a couple other rival teams in the Eastern Conference and beyond. Actually, if you look at the Dallas MAVs win over the Bucks, or rather the Nets on Thursday night, they've They've got a little bit of help from other teams around the league, but still managed to get that one seed to be in control of their own destiny headed down the stretch, and the

schedule is pretty favorable. So I'm with you. I think they're they're in control at least for now. Yes, they are smacking teams right now, as they should the way the schedule has played out, and a little you know, a little bumpy here and there where you allow the leads to you know, dwindle where it makes for an interesting finish, but overall they are in control of their own destiny with six games remaining, starting tonight against the New Orleans Pelicans. Back here, payback by the way, and

just yeah, the favorable schedule. And I was one that when we were all talking about this weeks ago and looking at the favorable schedule, you just never know how things are going to play out, So I was a little reluctant to hold onto that. But the way that things have played out, I agree with you both that they are taking full advantage of the opportunity with the favorable schedule and six games and counting going into Friday's game,

the Sixers obviously tying a season high. On this six game winning streak, they've outscored the opposition by a total of one hundred and thirty one points, and that's with one of the games being a two point overtime win against San Antonio, where if they didn't screw around with the game, that probably was on the way to being a fifteen or twenty point wins. So I think it's

just been really impressive. I think we talked about this here last week, but to me, one of the most encouraging things is that I feel the way they've gone about these games, or flex the mindset of this team

right now, how seriously they're taking it. They could rest some more guys than they have been they could try to manage their workload a little bit more, but they've really been going after that number one seed and I think they've regardless of the caliber of opponent on the other side, it seems like they are going about this in a very business on a mission fashion, at least to me, as they should. When you look at something like this and an opportunity like this that presents it,

so you have to worry about yourself. You cannot worry about who else is right right behind you, right next to you, right in front of you. You You have to take care of business yourself and let it all play out. And as a result, as Lauren just pointed out, with now the Brooklyn Nets losing on Thursday night to the Dallas Mavericks, it creates another opportunity for the Sixers two. I mean, they're humans, so it's not as if they don't know what happened on Thursday night and what is

in front of them. But you handle your business and everything will fall into place. And then you look at the pathway that you have now created for yourself from all the hard work, from all the hard work through the season, with everything that has hit all the teams with COVID and players missing games, you still position yourself to be in the number one and if it does come down to a seven game, seventh game in any series, they have to play on your floor. And that's what

you work so hard for to do. And if any of these teams want to feel overconfident and believe that they don't need that number one seed, well guess what. Maybe the Sixers don't need the number one seed, but it's great to have it and not have that conversation later. Even if it's only a couple percentage points, you gotta believe the odds increase in your favor if you do

have that number one seed in subsequent home court advantage. Lauren, I really like one of the things that Doc Rivers said after the game I believe it was either before or after the game on Wednesday against Houston that he feels like the Sixers right now are playing against themselves more, if not the same amount then the opposition. I like that. I think that's a great way to frame things right now. Just try to beat yourself, play against yourself, be the

best version of yourself. Well, it's interesting selves because Joel Embiid sort of echoed that point in his own way post game, saying that he wants to be playing some more contentious matchups heading into the playoffs. He wants to have to play heavier minutes to get ready for the playoffs. But due to the schedule, I mean tonight tonight against New Orleans could be a fun one, but the schedule hasn't been super challenging. The starters haven't really had to

exert themselves in the second half. Even in that San Antonio overtime win that we talked about, they didn't play the whole second half ahead of having to pull it out at the end. So it is interesting to consider the idea that they're really playing against themselves and challenging themselves on a nightly basis if the opposition isn't giving

them exactly what they want from a competitive perspective. I do want to get into something else that the Big Fella said after that game on Wednesday to start us off this week, talking about the pieces of the seventy six ers roster and how they're coming together, the team fits. I feel like a lot of people don't talk about it enough. Just you know, the shooting and that was at it last year. We didn't have that the chord that was not in the space, and this shit having

you know, Danny set Tobias has been improved. You know, God's coming off the match. Farkin. As men, you shape the cords way more space. So when it comes to the structure, I feel like it's not so much about being better. We just got a better suited team. I for one, would agree with that take from Joel emb that perhaps people aren't talking enough about just how well this roster fits together, especially the starting lineup. Listen, I think that this is not to take away from players

elevating their games this season. I don't think that you could have watched this season and not have said that Joel's gone to a different place, Tobias Harris has gone to a different place. Spent defense especially continues to be excellent. Doc Rivers and the coaching staff, what they've done has been amazing finding the best way to utilize all this talent.

But what Darryl Moorey was able to do and assemble some of these key pieces, namely Danny Green and Seth Curry adding them to the starting lineup, I think that that is as big a factor in why the Sixers have put up such good numbers and has had so much success this year. As anything else, it fits, and Joel has talked about that from the very beginning of the season. He said, from training camp, it just felt natural,

The options felt natural. He feels confident in his teammates abilities surrounding him, and that allows him to be more confident down low getting doubled. He knows that he has good options in tricky situations, and we've only seen that grow as the season has gone on. So, like you said, Selts, shouts to the people that put this roster together, and then shout out, of course to the team for making it work once they got together, because this is still

a very new team. I feel like we've said it all season long, but the main pieces on this team I haven't all played together prior to this season. A very unconventional season, a season that didn't have much of a postseason or an offseason rather, especially for Danny Green and Dwight Howard who kind of won a championship and then had to move to Philadelphia. And of course that championship mentality and experience has been huge for this team,

but those guys had no time off. They had to adjust, so quickly, and they've done a tremendous job and the existing pieces Ben Simmons, Joel and bad Tobias Harris. They've done a really good job of bringing those guys in and making it all work so comfortably. It's been cool to see them sort of have this initial take of like, Okay, this team could work together, and then see it grow and be true as the season's gone on, and with

that confidence. One thing that I like to see, and I know we've seen it in a live and I talk about it quite a bit, and I know you guys agree, is the when you look at the box

score afterwards. You can see it throughout the game, but actually looking at the box and seeing the assists on may baskets for the team's always something that I focus on, and you see it where the trust and the confidence level is there where even with him be kicking the ball out, whether it's to the wing, the corner, at the top of the key and the ball just starts snapping around the perimeter, everyone trusts the next teammate right next to them because number one is a better shot potentially,

but it's also just a confidence to know that that guy might have, you know, he's going to knock down that shot, or he's going to put himself in the position to put the ball on the floor. Drive, kick, drive, finish, whatever it might be, gets to the free throw line. It's a better overall possession and a better overall shot attempt for the team. And that's just for the overall success.

So the way the team was built around, we knew it had to be that way, with not just in B, but with Simmons as well, with his ability and his mindset as a pass first type of player that you have to get that ball out. And when you do so with two shooters and Curry and Green Harris who can shoot and put the ball on the floor, we know what in B does. And then off the bench with Quirkmis knocking down his shots playing in a very nice streak right now, Milton able to hit open jump

shots as well. And now you add George Hill to the mix and you have shot creators. So I think that while some might look and say it's not as sexy as other teams with certain pieces right personnel, this is a This is a really good team and they do it well. And it also plays off of what the defense does to lead to those opportunities on the offensive end. I like what you said, Devon about about

the passing and about the defense. Just now, I watched Monday's game against San Antonio with a good friend of mine, Odara Cheatham. She's a professional basketball player. She's getting ready to play in the Olympics this summer for Nigeria, so shout out to her. But she has to watch the Sixers at all this season, and her first take when we were watching together is, Wow, they're moving the ball well and the defense is really comfortable with one another,

relying on one another. And to me, for someone who hasn't watched this team play, to have those two takes initially gave me some confidence with what I had been seeing, with what we have been saying, with what the team has been saying. And always just cool to get someone else's perspect active on something. But I think we are so close to the situation that I want to see good passing right and I want to see good defense.

So my eye is inclined to see that whether or not it's as good as I think that it is. So we got an outside take that can confirm what we've been saying all along. I feel like at some point in time, someone might have the discussion, if they haven't already done, so, would you rather have the run it back roster from twenty eighteen nineteen or what the

seventy sixers have right now? And I think that just given where Ben Simmons has gone with his game and where Joel Embiid has gone with his game, minimizing turnovers, becoming a more improved passer, even more dynamic on offense now talking about Joel than he was two seasons ago, I really like this year's group. I think that Tobias Harris also in a totally different place in terms of his comfort and productivity with the Sixers now than he was during his first half season with the team. I

just I really like it. I think that defensively, the seventy Sixers are really really strong, that Seth Curry's shooting is especially right now at a different stratosphere than even what the likes of perhaps JJ Reddick was doing at that time. I mean, Seth has been just so automatic

right now. And that's not to say that shooting it like almost sixty percent is going to carry over into the postseason, but I just think Curry fits into a really nice spot here and listen for the five man groups in the NBA that have played more than three hundred minutes this year. The seventy sixers starting five outscores the opposition by fifteen points per one hundred possessions. And the starting lineup for the Sixers has played together this

year nearly six hundred minutes. There's only two other lineups that have played more starting lineups than that Sixers group Phoenix Paul Crowder, Booker Bridges eighton and the Pelicans Bledsoe, Adams, Ingram Ball and Williamson. In the seventy Sixers, their top five net rating is just you know, at wors three times better than the next closest team, which is from Phoenix. So I think that speaks to how well this group is gelled. And I do agree with Joe going back

to what he said, don't talk about it enough. And I think that what they do, some of the things will translate to the playoffs, because that's a big question, right, Yeah, no doubt will they translate. And not knowing Curry's been in the playoffs, we know what Green's resume is of course now and I've talked about this a lot when we speak about this team being put together and other

names that were thrown around. Guys, don't forget failure, especially when you want to be great and in Bed and Simmons have had those second round losses that have really stuck to them, not just for them, but the things that they would hear, and they hear it. We know they do, and they want to overcome that. They want to finally get over that hurdle. And I've brought up the example of Michael Jordan having to get past the Detroit Pistons in the past to finally become a champion

of the two thousand and one sixers. They struggled before that against the Indiana Pacers and Reggie Miller's team quite a bit, and when they finally did it, they got they got to the NBA Final. So you never know what will catapult a team to to getting to where they want to be, especially when we're talking about him beating Simmons with those second round losses to Boston and Toronto and how much they stung the way that they stung,

especially that Toronto Raptors series with the shots. So I agree with you both and looking at things here, I am partial as you both know. I love JJ Reddick and what he was able to do here, so but Seth Curry the way he's shooting right now, and I've been tough on him sometimes with how things have played out, and I know him having to come back battling back

from missing time due to the coronavirus. He's been shooting phenomenally as of late, and I hope he can keep this going and even putting the ball on the floor a little bit, getting in their floaters, tear drops, getting those intermediate shots. He's shooting with a high confidence level right now. I did want to get into Seth Curry a little bit more over the six game winning streak. He is shooting twenty for thirty four from outside the arc. Seth Curry with a step backshot. I marketed, Oh he's

tucking tonight, Seth Curry, how's it going again? Billy d calls time out for Chicago and that's number one among all players with at least thirty three point attempts. Just can't argue with those numbers. And I think something that UD just mentioned is to me, when I look at what someone like Seth Curry brings the table, really stands out is what's his primary responsibility. Helps space the floor with three point shooting, but he can do other things.

As we've seen throughout this year. If you need him to bring the ball up and initiating a pinch, he can do that. He can attack and create off the dribble. Earlier this week we saw that where he had a series of floaters and runners get himself going. So I think that he's versatile enough that he's not obviously just a one trick pony. And he even admitted him self right after the game the other night that he doesn't

have to be a main guy. He's not even the third guy, but he's a guy who's there and he's been ready to deliver when they've needed him. And that's been the spirit of lots of players in this starting lineup. I mean, even Joel Embiid has talked about the fact that he wants to be there for what the team needs. Ben Simmons wants to be there for what the team needs.

This collective mentality, this buy into the system that they have has proven really valuable and I think it's only going to become more valuable as this team heads into the playoffs. That unselfishness, that understanding you're shooting sixty percent from three, but you're okay being the fourth fifth option.

That's fine, and that's something that takes some stripping of the ego and buy into your teammates and willingness to sacrifice all things that we heard Doc Rivers talk about long before he became the head coach of the Philadelphia seventy sixers. So it's cool to see that they've all really bought into this mentality. And whether you're a Seth or a Joel or a Matisse, you all have said the same thing in the last couple of days. I

want to play my role. I'm bought into the system and I'm happy to do whatever's require of me, buy the system and buy my coach. And I think it's been cool to hear them all say that in different situations. I don't think they got together and huddled up about what exactly they were going to say about the buy in of the team. I think they all are saying it organically, and that points to the fact that they really need it. And again, that's guys across the roster.

We've heard it all year long. When the system is working and the results are wins. It's hard to really scoff at what your role is and what you're not doing and the way we've seen this team throughout the season. While Embiid has been that level of player where we talk about him as an MVP and the key to what drives things offensively in some cases defensively as well.

We know how Grady is there. There have been those nights, Lauren, where you've seen Cerry go off for twenty plus in a high number of twenties, Danny Greene, Ben Simmons goes for his to buy his Harris, the same thing, Shake Milton coming in furkon Korkmas, the exact same thing. We've seen it already where everyone has gotten the piece of the pie, they've had their their part in it, where they have been able to shine and team gets to win. So again, the results are there and it makes that

it makes things that much easier overall. The only thing that I and I want Seth Curry, as you just pointed out, not being Selt the number two option to number three option, but being the fourth option. It's not a bad option to be when again, when you're winning and you're seeing the results the way that you are and the ball is coming to It's not as if they're not looking for him right. So he's getting his opportunity and with that, he's taking full advantage of it

right now, and it's good to see. Sometimes he can over dribble a little bit when you get into a rhythm, it just happens. You just do a little bit too much. But I love the fact though that when they do things like that, they call themselves out, they hold themselves accountable, saying that wasn't a Sixers type of possession. I didn't

need to do that. So as long as they know what their role is and they they see it, and if he's hot and Simmons is just it's laser focused on getting him the ball now because he can see that man is on fire. Let me get him the right then this team can go a long way. And with the way the defense, with the way the defense is playing and has played all season long, it's a recipe for success. For me, My biggest thing for Seth was just based on what he had to go through

earlier this season. I really just wanted to see him in a good place, being productive, looking good, and comfortable physically heading into the home stretch going into the postseason, and I certainly think of the last six games he has done that and then some just really productive stuff for Seth. I know that we keep track on things such as poles and ladders that are curated around the NBA, and this past week the NBA dot Com Defensive Player

of the Year ladder. What representation from your team, your town, your seventy six ers on that one. Let's talk defense. So it's really cool to see three players from the same team all make that list. If you missed it, Ben Simmons was at the top of the ladder number one, Matisse Thybal broke into the top five for the first time at number five, and Joel Embid is in that five through ten lists that they don't put into any particular order. Personally, I think Joel is certainly in the

top five. I understand it might be difficult to put three players from the same team in the top five, but really cool to see these guys who put so much effort, especially Matisse and Ben, who have really focused of course on defense, especially this season, but throughout their careers be rewarded or at least get a little bit of chatter for the work that they're doing. I'm not sure that Ben is going to win the award. I'm not sure that Matisse is going to make those all

defensive teams. But I do think that they both certainly deserve heavy consideration for both of those awards. And it's cool that they're getting the buzz now now. It is great. And with Simmons specifically, Lauren, I agree with you. I don't know that he'll get the award. That award typically goes to a big man. And when you have somebody like Rudy Gobert who has not done anything to lose it right for with the cloud that he does have, it will be hard to overcome that. But but Simmons

has done enough to be in that conversation. I think he'll be All first Team again, All NBA defense, first team wants again. The curious part will be Matis style will being a bench player. It goes along the lines of what we've seen from Marcus Smart, but Marcus Smart starts a little bit more whenever they need him to be. But the player that he is, Chris Dunne getting that type of attention in the past when he's with the Chicago Bulls as a reserve, it would be a big,

big thing. And I love how the team pumps it up. I love how his teammates step out and campaign for him. The league knows, but for them to do that for such an achievement as a team overall, but with what he does individually in that short amount of time, it's great to see that. And I do hope Simmons wins it because he is that good defensively. But if he doesn't, again, you know, just like the MVP thing, just more motivation because you start to hear some of that stuff seep

out before the regular season is over. They'll hear it in their circles or who's going to eventually win because we love the voting stops at the end of the regular season. And if that's the motive, extra motivation that they would like to use to go in, I'm all

for it. I'm all for it. I think guys in speaking about Matisse Stable, first of all, the sequence with Larry Market in the Bulls game was just incredible and there's batistible in his first blot and he comes up with a stealer as well, believe, and usually people ease their way into it, and he literally just checked in the ball game, talk about being impatient. I love that kid, the call that marks Zoom I've had for that. The surprise in his voice seeing Matisse finish that play after

getting the initial block was fantastic. I think one thing that Zoo in listening to some of the TV broadcasts recently, and of course we also listen Tom again US as well, of course, but I know that Zoo always references the steals for thirty six minutes for Matis and steals for forty eight minutes. How about just this. I think this is when number two is maybe even better than being number one. Batis is tied with Jim for second in the league in steals total steals. Okay, he's sixteen off

the lead held by t J McConnell. You're giving the amount of minutes that Matis plays, that's insane. He's got a hundred steals on the season, ridiculous. I loved the graphic that they showed on the NBC Sports Philadelphia broadcast on Wednesday saying that Matisse is top ten in steals. I believe he's twenty one in blocks, or he was

at the time. Now he might be in that top twenty, but he's one hundred and seventy first in minutes played, the productivity in the amount of minutes that he plays, and I will be disappointed personally if the fact that he's been playing on such a good team now his entire career doesn't go into it doesn't get taken into account by voters, because if he was on another team,

he would be playing heavier minutes. If we talk about this with Tyrese Maxie as well, when you come in as a rookie on a good team, you're not going to get that many minutes, and when you get them, you have to be pretty darn good if you want to make sure you don't get yanked. So the fact that he's had the opportunities that he's had and he's capitalized them on them at this level leaving the league. Also, in deflections per thirty six, he's been phenomenal all season long.

He's fought for his spot throughout his entire career, and now to see that he's up there in per game statistics, playing a little more than half of some of the other competitors in those categories, it's it's incredible, and I think that if he doesn't make that all defensive team. It's going to be because of minutes, and I don't think that that's right. And he wasn't in the rotation at the start of the season. Well that was his fauld or it wasn't because he was banged up in

training camp. He wasn't playing for the first couple of weeks. He had to wait for that whole stretch of guys going in and out to really jump back in and earn his time with a new head coach. Yeah, I was going to bring that up, yep. And he's taking full advantage of it and has never given up that spot again. And he missed time from health and safety protocols. So when you look at these total stats, it's something

we talked about with Joel Embiad's MVP case two. You got to remember that Joel has missed games for injury, but he's also missed time because he two based on safety. Same thing happened with Matis two of them both competing in total stats in a lot of different categories despite playing total fewer minutes than guys that didn't have to sit out because of health and safety. I just think in general, I hope that the end of season awards,

and this applies to Ben Joel Matise. I think those are the three that I would I say it applies to most. I hope that the minutes played and games played doesn't end up being as big of a factor this season as it has been in the past, because I don't think that that tells the whole story. And these awards would people look back on this season should represent who the best folks were, not the ones that had to take time off for whatever reason, whether it's

injury or health in safety. I don't think that that's necessarily as fair of a metric as it often is in this season. Matisse Stybel. According to Basketball Reference dot Com, I either go STATSNABA dot com or Basketball Reference dot Com, depending which one shines more favorably. How they calculate their ratings on seventy six ers players. But mattis his number three in defensive rating in the league, Joel and Beat

his number four. Can I have a mild take. I feel like people aren't talking enough about Joel's defensive impact the season. I know it doesn't have the numbers that you can quantify, but I don't think anyone can say reasonably that Joel is not one of the I don't know he was on the ladder, but a top ten defender in the league, or top ten defensive presence, however

you want to frame it. That's why he's called the best two way big man in the league, because not only will we give you thirty, he will put you on your back too if you try to come into the paint and block your shot. The one season right before this when we talk about his numbers specifically, is when he averaged I believe it was twenty seven twelve and a half boards, but two and a half block shots.

He's still that same type of player defensively, the impact is still there and not again just putting you on your back if he blocks your shot or sending out of bounds, whatever it is. He alters so many shots. He makes people rethink what they want to do when they get into the painted area. And it's always, it's always, always have fun watching him play, not just in the low block, but also what he does hedging out at times, digging in where he believes he's a guard, trying to

stop another guard on the wing or whatever. He takes up that challenge and has success. Who's that against Drew Holiday, right, that one where he really got into it. So yeah, but we've seen it. We know what he thinks of himself defensively, and it is not talked about enough this season. But I think the reputation is already there. They know, fired up, I know where at the end, But I'm

ready to go. Let's let's challenge those voters. That's right, you ready to lace them up and go play some defense. I can't believe it, guys, that this time next Friday will be our final Friday deep dive of the hole darn regular season. Amazing to me. Time has zip zappton zoomed, it has, it has. I'm thinking maybe we take polls on our favorite moments, just because it's what it's the thing to do when you come to the end of something.

We'll cover our favorite moments, perform moormances highlights of the regular season, and hopefully then be in this for another eight to ten weeks or so. After that. I think I think we will be. Yeah, I think we will be. They have a very good chat, very good chat. It's gonna be fun. It's gonna be a lot of fun. You guys, enjoy the weekend, you too, see you guys,