Mailbag Monday | Who's Exceeded Expectations?

Dwight Howard and even a non player as well. Plus I'll give my take match again for three the logo He's got thirty nine your voicemails, DMS and mentions as always here on mail Bag Monday. A busy successful week it was for the seventy Sixers since last week Mailbag four wins in between last Monday and this Monday, and the seventy Sixers are on a great tear. Season high eight game winning streak continues Lauren Rosen. They get a nice little lull in the schedule before gearing up for

their final four games of the season. They're in a good spot for the number one seed. I like where things are at I do as well. So its the magic number as of this taping on Monday is two wins to secure that one seed once and for all. But of course Brooklyn or Milwaukee or both could help out reducing that magic number of two, and based on the strength of schedule Indiana Miami two against Orlando shouldn't

be too tall of an order. It's incredible. This is our second to last mail bag Monday of the regular season. It has zoomed on by this old twenty twenty twenty twenty one regular season, or has it? Has it zoomed or has it not? I think for me, midway through, I felt like this was the longest season that has ever existed, and now that we're on the end, I do feel like it's zoomed past. So it's been one of those long day's, short weeks types of seasons. Yeah,

that made sense in my head. I'm not sure if it came out articulately, No, for sure. It's being honest and upfront, like I feel like there's been a lot this year, and there has been a lot. The games have been played so frequently, essentially every other night, except for a few breaks like the one the Sixers are in now. So in that sense, it does feel a little bit long, but right you look back at it

and you think, well, Christmas wasn't that long ago. It wasn't that long ago that my kids were opening up a pink pony and a Tyrannosaurus Rex. That doesn't feel too long ago. And that's when the season started. Yeah, I'm with you, but I also do think like you have to take into consideration, obviously the state of the world, and so I think anything that's going on right now feels a little bit more labor intensive because of everything

else that's going on. So it was a weird year, but luckily for Sixers fans it has been nothing short of an excellent distraction from whatever else is going on. All right, Lauren, what do we do for this week's mail bag Monday? Do we talk about which players have exceeded expects or do we focus on how flawed the seventy sixers have been during an eight game winning streak. It's a hard decision to make. I'm kicking it back and forth. I'm not sure which direction we should go in.

I was wondering if you could help salts Wow. So early on a Monday morning, I'm okay with listen. I read. I read, I'm a consumer of respected beacons of media and journalism. So I saw that and I was like, well, maybe I need to just take a breath and reconsider what we're doing for the mail bag this week. Well, I'd be happy to just bring it home and say that genuinely, I would prefer to talk about players that have exceeded expectations this season. Yeah, we're the Sunshines and

Rainbows Pod. That's what we are, and that's what we're gonna do. So let's get the mail bag going. You have one new message. How do we do mailbag Monday? It is quite simple. We encourage you to call the podline any day, anytime, whenever two four zero three seven six three seven two on five four zero three pods. Leave us your thought, take, inquiry, opinion, whatever it is about the seventy sixers. As long as it's kosher, we're going to play it and then we'll send you some swag.

Or you can reach out to myself and Lauren Rosen on social I'm at Brian Seltzer on Twitter, Seltzer six or snaps on Instagram. Lauren Rosen makes it very easy for you, Lauren m Rosen. On both platforms, leave us a mention a DM and we'll run that off as well. We also have our Sunday sticker question on the at Sixers Instagram story, which this week was which seventy sixer this season has exceeded expectations? Before we really dive deep into the bag, Lauren, do you want to get us started?

Do you have a player in mind? I do. I think I wonder if we're gonna have the same player. I mean, I have a few in mind, but I think right off the bat, someone who maybe hasn't gotten enough love lately or throughout the course of his career. I think I'm gonna have to go with Tobias Harris. I think that we knew what Tobias could do, and people hoped that his reunion with Doc, the addition of more shooters some changes to the lineups would unlock another

level for Tobias. But I'm not sure that people expected it too. And from the very beginning of the season all the way through, he's been nothing but solid. He's talked about wanting to be a closer. He's been a closer early in the season, late in the season, regardless of who's been available. He's been overall the durable Tobias Harris that we're used to seeing, but with more efficiency, a little more pop, a little more swagger, and I've really,

I've really enjoyed. So I don't necessarily think that he's skyrocketed over expectations. Tobias. Luckily, you do know what you're getting with a player like him. But he has been I think more than people necessarily expected him to be, especially considering the other star power on his team. So I'm gonna go with Tobias. It wasn't necessarily the I'm gonna go with Tobias, What about you? I also had

to Bias number one on my list. I'm going to reserve my comments on it and I'll just try and sprinkle them in when we hear from other people, because they too, there was a lot of love for Tobias. Alrighty, let us get to our first entry in this week mail bag, and sure enough, John Nail's J fifty seven John Nellian on Twitter says, Tobias is the seventy sixer who has exceeded my expectations this season. Everybody was ready

to trade him last season. This season he should have been an All Star and the guy it's like guests who didn't vote for Tobias. That's in my favorite game in the second half of the season to play because you can tell when he has that little extra gone. It makes you think, Billy Donovan, did that guy vote for Tobias? I don't know. The way Tobias played against the Bulls, seems like you had something to prove. I'm with you as well. I've enjoyed the fact that Tobias

has a list of names that he's coming for. I think that it's been an interesting spite motivator, and I'm all about motivation. Hey, whatever you need to do. Ten seasons in this league, long season's, short seasons, condense season, spread out seasons, He's been through a lot. If that works for you, by all means, Tobias, go get him, prove him wrong. He's been doing it all year long, and I've appreciated it. Let's run a couple numbers here.

Tobias's average for the season as of Monday, nineteen and a half points in thirty two and a half minutes per game, shooting just over fifty one and a half percent. That is a career high shooting over forty percent from three. This is the second time for a full season is his career that he's shot better than forty percent from three, nearly ninety percent from the free throw and he's just a bid over eighty nine right now. That is also a career high. And he's been doing great. Three point

six assists, that's the best in his career. And also he's tying a career high with point nine steals per game, so just about a steal per game. But I think right numbers are one thing. You can look at that and they're really impressive. He's bidding for a potential twenty fifty forty ninety split season, which would be insane. But the eye test, I think is probably the most instructive

here long. You can just look at him and where he's shown up in games, what he's done on the defensive end of the floor, some matchups he's excelled in. It's just been an all around awesome year for should have been an all start Tobias Harris and all of that without mentioning the fact that he is an excellent leader that does a really good job of taking young players and let's say mid veteran players alike under his wing, making sure they feel comfortable, making sure they understand the system.

We heard in training camp that he was the Doc Rivers translator, helping guys get up to speed with Doc's style. We knew from the moment he got to Philadelphia that he was a big influence on young players. We saw it with Mattise Bible last season, We've seen it with Tyres Maxie this season. It's been a pleasure to watch him as a leader, and I think that this season, adding Danny Green, adding Dwight Howard, now adding George Hill,

there are other leadership voices in the locker room. He doesn't have to take it on all by himself, and it means that we've gotten to see him have a little bit more fun with leadership. You see him cracking more jokes, you see him smiling during warmups. There's more joy coming from Tobias, and I think a joyous leader in Tobias is something that we maybe haven't quite seen yet because he takes his job so seriously and he

should be commended for that. It's been cool to see him settle in and be comfortable and there's just a lot of joy there. And I really enjoyed watching that. I couldn't agree with you more. You can tell that he's found a great way to balance the serious side of things and in terms of just being able to continue wearing that leadership mantle, but he's also done a great job of mixing it up a little bit and

having fun. When you dig deeper, Lauren, into some of these numbers, when you get into some of the quote unquote advanced metrics, that's when it reveals itself just how good of a season Tobias is having. And you can make the case that even though he's not averaging the highest point totally has in his career, that he's having the most efficient season of his career. His true shooting percentage is over sixty percent, his net rating personal net

rating is in double figures right around there. So he's just been such a complete player this season and so much fun to watch. Our mail bag question who has exceeded expectations this season? A letter eleven on Instagram says, Tobias after a down year last year, he's been outstanding. Actually down the stretch, I think last year he had an okay season, a pretty good season in the playoffs.

I feel like That's what a lot of people were clinging onto that it was a tough playoffs, just like it was for the entire team, that Tobias ended the season on a tough note. But the one thing that A Letter eleven points out that, especially down the stretch, Tobias has been great. He has proven, like you said, Lauren a few minutes ago, to be a bona fide closer. Just look at what he did most recently in that Pelicans game, two go ahead baskets and the eventual game

winner on the corner three to clinch the game. Yeah, and I know I say it a lot on this program, on our pregame show seven six Live, but it's something that he's expressed he's wanted to be able to do since he got to the seventy six ers now over two years ago. He's wanted to be that guy. He's set the bar for himself and he's finally reaching it.

On a regular basis. You feel really comfortable with the ball in Tobias's hand late in games, and that's on a team that has Ben Simmons, has Joel Embiid, has some really good options. Danny Green has been great late in games for this team. But for Tobias to be a primary, secondary, third option in a late in game scenario, game on the line, you just trust him and that's what he's wanted and that's what he's accomplished. So all the credit to him for becoming that guy. For seventy

sixers who play heavy minutes. The plus minus for Tobias and fourth quarters this season is second, just behind Shake Milton by a tenth of a point. Tobias behind Joel second on the Sixers and scoring in the fourth quarter, averaging five and a half fourth quarter points per game. He's shooting fifty one and a half percent in fourth quarters.

His three point percentage amazing, nearly fifty four percent. He's gotten to the line of bits, so he has been someone who has looked right at home taking big shots and also making them. I was just trying to think, Lauren and do an inventory of big fourth quarter games for Tobias. Obviously the winner against the Lakers. The Pelicans game was big early in the season. I kind of remember Boston, he showed up late the first might have been the first home game against Boston. I was trying

to kick kick my brain. I mean, I'll pull up I'll pull up some metrics for the next pod, but I know for a fact as someone that does postgame recap, right, there have been a lot of times this season where the team scores ten, twelve, twenty four points in the final period and Tobias scores a majority of the team's points in the final period. I've written it a bunch of times, so I can go and find exactly when.

But it's very common that he is upping or even if he has a slower start, he's upping his productivity in the fourth quarter. He's not maintaining what he's doing, He's doing more, and I think that that's really impressive and worth a shoutout and worth better statistics than what I was able to give you just now. I think Nick's game. In Nick's home game, I feel like he

had a couple of big shots. Like bottom line is, we've seen enough to know in our gut, and then also citing some evidence, Tobias Harris has been big in the fourth quarter and I think that bodeswell. Can't wait to see how that translates to the playoff. The Knicks home game was the I'm in All Star game. Yes, that's right, of course, and yes he was elite in that one down the stretch. How could we forget the meme now scene round the social world. He deserved it.

Should have been an All Star next season, Yes, the season before the season I underscore Justin, I says, by far to Bias, is the sixer who has exceeded my expectations the most. He's become one of the most consistent and efficient players in the league, no doubts. Moving on, you have one new message, Jason underscore two hundred. Who has been the Sixer who's exceeded your expectations the most?

I think, Well, I'll just say Joel Embiid was Jason's answer, having an MVP level year and helping his team to be a top five team in the NBA right now. I think that of all the players in the Sixers roster, the bar was set the highest by Joel coming into this season. But he has, to his credit, played at such a high level that I think Joel is a very fair answer for this. Joel can totally be an answer.

I guess maybe the spirit of the question was thinking of some of the maybe non Joel, anyone but Joel. But I think Joel's a fair answer, because he's been so good well, and the more I think about it selfs the more I feel like there aren't many wrong answers. I think there are seven, eight nine players that could be correct answers to this question, and those that I didn't mention have also been very good. I mean, this is a team that's been holding down the one seed

for the majority of this season. Whether or not they've gotten credit for that fact is up to other people, not up to us. But Joel, of course, has been the leader of it all. We knew that he had the potential to be this good. I don't know that people expected him to actually reach this level and then maintain it for a whole season, but he absolutely has so to me, I think the sustained productivity, the sustained

MVP level play. We've seen flashes of excellence from Joel throughout his entire career, but being able to see him string an entire season together where he's been the good has been a pleasure, and I understand how that could exceed expectations just because of how long the streak has lasted,

and he's not showing any signs of slowing down. It's interesting, Lauren, where last week when the winning streak started, there were a handful of games that you could look at and say, wasn't it awesome to see some other guys, with the exception of Joel, be the dominant primary forces in a game.

And it's funny how we can talk about Let's say Joel having a seventeen seven and three block game against Atlanta is being pedestrian for him, or eighteen and six in the second game against Atlanta and say that's pedestrian. But the last three games, he scored one hundred points in eighty one minutes. That's nearly a point and a quarter per minute, and he has come back with inventions.

Just to re mind everyone if they're contemplating talking about media members in the NBA who they're going to vote for, just how dominance and much of a force he can be. He's been awesome the last three games. Well, it's been interesting, Cells because his only complaint is that he hasn't been required to play more minutes. He hasn't needed to be out there long term in these lopsided victories. And I think if that's what you're complaining about, you're probably in

pretty good shape. And as you said, the per minute numbers that he's been able to put up in the time that he has been a useful person on the court is certainly worth a little bit of praise. As of Monday, the player Impact Estimate rankings according to stats dot NBA dot com go as follows Joel Embiid right at the top twenty point eight, Nicola Yokich at nineteen point nine, Janis at nineteen point seven. So some good

stuff right there. Joel the highest impact player in the league, and it's worth noting that he's the highest impact player on the best team of those that you listed, So let's just throw that out there. Yes, I think that is a great point. It is time to go to to the podline for the first time on the program. You have one new message. Hi, the question I had

about a player exceeding their's expectations, it's real simple. It's Dwight Howard at the start of the season, and everybody worry about what type of players we get when we get the White Howard after we left Orlando, or will we get to Dwight Howard at the beginning of his career in Orlando. Well, we got a little bit of both this year and Thankfully we got a backup center that we could trust to help help Joe well during the season. He may have been the biggest acquisition so

far of the year. Thanks Hi. I don't disagree with that lofty praise for Dwight Howard because what's been a theme that's recurred, unfortunately for the Sixers the past couple

of seasons when they've gotten the playoffs. Who's backing up to L and B. To take nothing away from previous guys who are here, but Dwight has been playing at a different level than what the seventy Sixers had before, coming off one of his best and most productive games of the season again it's Detroit on Saturday with nineteen and fourteen. He has really turned it on Laine during the eight game win streak. The Dwight Howard experience has

been nothing short of amazing. It's been really cool to watch him, obviously playing, like you said, playing some of the best basketball of his season, if not, let's say the latter half of his career. This maybe is the best basketball he's played during that sort of second act. He's been wonderful. He is You just feel really comfortable with him now backing Joel up no shade, of course to the likes of Greg Monroe, but that was the last time the Sixers had a long playoff run, and

he was relied upon pretty heavily in that run. I take Dwight Howard happily as my option heading into this playoffs, and that's all without talking about the vibes, the leadership, the joy that he brings to the court every day that by all accounts, he brings to practice with this team every day. He's a source of light, of fun, and it's been really really cool to watch him make this team his own, coming off the heels of a

really strenuous season in LA. He's just he's done everything asked of him and more, and I think it's been really cool to watch. He has looked as fresh as fresh could be for a guy who's thirty five and one. On that deep run last year, Nick underscore Buck zero two, zero five says Dwight's been in near prime form. Pe McCarthy seventy two says Dwight Howard's exceeded my expectations the most. A rebounding machine whose enthusiasm for the game is infectious. Vibes.

Do you have a favorite Dwight Vibe moment this year, Lauren oh Man put me on the spot, why don't you think? I think for me, it has to be the early season that by all accounts was was shut down because they were working too hard. But Dwight coming out with the young guys to shoot postgame early in the year when he could have been exhausted from the season prior. He's taken all the young fellas under his wing.

He's taken Ben Simmons under his wing, and seeing them put in an extra time together, especially working on parts of his game that Dwight at least doesn't really need to be working on, to be putting an extra time shooting and then just being with those guys. I know that that might not be like a specific Vibes moment, but I think it's set the tone for what was to come. And now you see young players really warming up to Dwight, and I think it's because of the

tone he set early. Dwight doesn't have to be out there shooting around postgame, but he was doing it for those young guys, and I think that that left a lasting impact. More in the mail bag about who you think has exceeded expectations this season. You have one new message. You got a run on Matise Thible submissions. Nick Man twelve says, Matise for sure, his defense took a big jump and his elite doesn't commit fouls as often this season. Matisse is one of the most exciting players to watch,

and it's all because of his defense. I feel that one hundred percent. I think people might have been a little concerned about Matisse's ability to grow off of where he started, not just because he started on such a high note in his first season, but because he now appears on opposing team scouting reports. Now people have to look out for him. He's not just this quirky rookie that comes in and reaks a little bit of havoc and then goes back to the bench. He's someone that

they have to prepare for. And the fact that he's improved despite the fact that teams are ready for him, that might be the most impressive thing of all for me. When it comes to Mattie's season, I just don't understand and maybe it's a testament to how good he is, but it still seems even in the game against Detroit over the weekend, that teams aren't ready for him? How can he not be a focal point if you're scouting report,

I think he has to be. Well, the question might be, how ready can you be for someone that's that good at what he does? How much can you prepare for it? If you don't have someone on your team that you can run a simulation with of Matisse's bibel defensive practice, you can't really prepare for it. Because of how unique he is. And of course this is a stat that we've been throwing around a lot this week. Matis now third overall in steals, behind only TJ McConnell and Jimmy Butler.

Matise has one hundred and five steals this season, but he's played about four hundred fewer minutes than either of those guys. So the fact that he's hanging at the top of this list playing about twenty minutes a game continues to be incredibly impressive. Look no further than his per thirty six numbers, his per minute numbers, because he's leading the league in about all of the categories that he prides himself in. It's just been it's been a

pleasure to watch. Bernie Ticeto on Instagram says matise first team All Defense, Thible, do we think first defense first team defense is going to happen. I feel like that might be a little bit of a stretch, but I do think all defense is not outside the realm of possibilities. I really do think that he could make those teams, and I think that if he doesn't, it's only going to be because of minutes, and I don't think that

that's fair based on what we just discussed. I don't always listen to Bill Simmons podcast, but I did happen to listen to it this morning, and they were talking about Jimmy Butler's defense, and Bill Simmons, who has been in these conversations for years and years, so I'm willing to listen to his takes there, said that Jimmy Butler might be the third best perimeter defender in this league, behind only Simmons and Thible, and Bill Simmons, who watches

the whole league, did mention that, and I did think that that was an interesting shout out for the two of them to get. And I do think it would be pretty cool for the Sixers to have at least two people on that first team All Defense. But my hope is that they'll have three between the two teams,

and I do think that that's justified and reasonable. And I think, listen, if Matis can somehow break through for any one of the teams in his second season, I think that that is still a really impressive accomplishment given the minutes that he plays and that he is at this stage of his career. He's elite. He's a defensive specialist, and I mean that's what should be rewarded for those

teams recognizing defense and defense alone. I think there's obviously some perennial names that appear on those lists at positions that Matisse plays that could make it certainly not impossible at all, but a challenge to break in. So I think that if you were to break in, which I do believe he will, there's something we said for that. I really do. I think that I think he plays first team level defense. But even if he does not get first team, that has nothing to turn your nose

up at whatsoever. I figured I had to read this one right. Our social media coordinator Ali Pinter says Batist Stebel has exceeded my expectations. High Seltz and Lauren, there you go, thanks Ali for coming into the mailbag. You know, I love to see my six years ladies in the mailbag. But yeah, I mean, I agree, there's there's no way

around it. And Seltzi raised an interesting point the fact that he's already in the conversation for an All defensive team in just his second season, and we're seeing him continue to improve. So if he's already All defense worthy as a second year player, just imagine how much better he can continue to grow and how much is still there for him to develop. When you look at the blocked jump shots, I think is maybe the biggest area that this season has really become an item of finesse

and an item of efficiency. Last season, he was getting fouled a lot, or he was fouling a lot trying to block jump shots, and this season it's he almost never fouls, it's almost always all ball, and it's almost every game. And so I think when we see him start to unlock even more levels to defensive game and his offensive game, he's only going to continue to get better. And it's been awesome to watch, good to see. Lots

of deserved love for Matisse. Thybal you have one new message which seventy six or our mail bad question, has exceeded your expectation. I like, I love it when people zag a little bit. I always appreciate some zags. Stolt's fuss, Collins says Doc Rivers. Doc Rivers has exceeded expectations. Kevin Underscore has underscore Friends says Doc Rivers. The talent was always there, but he made embid and our team a condenser. I think Doc Rivers deserves the shout outs, of course.

I mean, look, there were a lot of changes in the postseason, I think, and I don't want to misquote Daryl Morey, so I'm hoping that my memory is serving me correctly. But he did say that Doc Rivers could have been the team's most exciting offseason acquisition. That was something that was said right and that held up not his because some people said it was Darryl's acquisition, but Doc he came before Daryl, so Darrel, I think he quickly on his timeline said listen, that was a before

me acquisition. So I'm not going to take credit for that. But he did say that he felt that it was the biggest acquisition, right, Okay, good. I just want to make sure my memory was serving me correctly. Cool to see that both of them came in and were able to make some really actionable and successful decisions, really really early on. So much change in the off season, but by all accounts thus far, they've all been pretty good decisions, and the system that's been put in place is working.

So Doc Rivers of course gets a ton of credit for that. Kept it simple and effective. That's not to say that there aren't subtleties and sophistications within that, but in terms of the ask of players, I think it's been very straightforward. Joe, get down there and do your thing if you're single covered, but if you're double teamed, let's see what else is out there. He's becoming better passer.

Joel has tobias. We talked about Ben Simmons really trying to channel Ben in the mindset of be a force, be aggressive, get downhill, and then let Ben do his thing defensively. I think he is Simples might not have been the right word. I think streamlining things and keeping it straightforward and finding the best ways to use guys definitely has been a strength of Doc Rivers. Without doubt. All right, let's try and get one more in here. From the mail bag, Callie Stack twenty one says, Beebaal

Paul has exceeded expectations. I like that answer. I like that answer, Beeball Paul. Of course, the sixers third and final pick in this year's draft, you don't necessarily know what you're going to get from guys in that area. Daryl Morey called him quirky, like we weren't exactly sure what we were getting here. And the Beeball Paul experience has been another tremendous one. It's been really cool to see him grow in the limited opportunities as well that

he was able to get. Of course, exceeded expectations in the Gubble, getting Rookie of the Year and MVP, so that must have been good for his confidence. And then to see him bring some of those skills that he developed there back to the team over the last couple of months has been really cool to see. Yeah, when he's gotten into games for the seventy Sixers, he's made effective use of his minutes. Sometimes he had ten and nine against Okac in the game that started this winning

streak for the seventy sixers. So right, I think that there was a lot of reason based on what we saw in the preseason that things were quirky about him at times mine looked a little bit herky jerky, or that the game looked like it was moving at a very fast pace for him. But to his credit, he's used this season to get into a comfort level, a rhythm and a groove, and you can see undoubted potential

surrounding Beeball Paul Paul Reid. So yes, a worthy, a worthy name to come up and we're talking about seventy sixers who've exceeded expectations. Oh, Lauren, I also I almost forgot this, but I think we have to include a voicemail when it is as wholesome and feel good as this.

You have one new message. Hi, This is Shawnny from the block once in my first game to pass Friday and maybe a little close for comfort, but I have to say it was so electric in the center in the fourth quarter, just based on Tobias Harris alone coming in clutch, hitting those threes. He's just been so amazing in clutch for us in the fourth quarter. Love to hear that fans having a great time back of the building. It's been awesome to have their energy back in the building.

It's really interesting. As some of you guys know, I'm from Houston and I no shade to the Rockets organization, but they don't bring in fans the way that the Sixers are able to over and over and over again. And honestly, even at this limited capacity, the last couple of games have been louder than any Rockets game. I went to pre pandemic. That was my immediate tap feeling the energy and the vibes that the fans are injecting into the situation. Again, no shade to the Rockets organization,

that's just my background. This is all the credit in the world to the Philly fans that are coming into the building, that are creating the atmosphere that they're creating. I appreciate it. I know the team appreciates it. It's been a lot of fun to have them back. Huge shout out to our man Derek Hay's behind the scenes running game presentation for the seventy Sixers, Ryan Colletti, Christian Crosby, Archie Antoine Sixers E n T. Great vibes down there.

The capacity went up by almost a thousand over the weekend, so nice to see a handful of fans in there and making it loud and bringing some good energy in there. Glad Shawnee from the block was able to experience that. And before we go just there were a couple more names that came up in our submissions for who else exceeded expectations that I also nearly forgot to highlight, but I think it's worth mentioning. Danny Green and Tyrese Maxie also both got a lot of love on the submissions

for this week. I think Danny he's been really, really awesome, especially since the All Star Game break. He's shooting over forty percent from three point territory for the first time in two years. His three point production is as prolific talking about on a per game basis as it's been in a couple of seasons, ties a career high, matching what he did with the Toronto Raptors in their championship season in twenty eighteen nineteen. So Danny's been great. Danny

has been great. Another one that's provided almost as much off the court as he has on the court, if not more. And then my only honorable mention I wanted to throw in was just to make sure Ben Simmons got a shout out somewhere on this podcast because of his play on the defensive end. We knew he was an excellent defender. I don't know if we knew that he was what seems like he should be a no doubt defensive player of the year this early in his career.

Really cool to see him unlock that side or rather, should we say, really lock down that side of his game. Absolutely, and then Tyrese Maxie when last we saw him twenty two points, second highest total of the season for him as a rookie. He also had five rebounds, four assists, had seven assists his game before that at Houston with a dozen points. So really, Lauren, looking back, he in I believe it's nine out of his last eleven appearances he has scored in double figures. So Tyrese finding his

place as this season has moved along. Yeah, no doubt and cool to see Joel give Tyrese a lot of credit following that game talking about how impressed he's been with him all season and how much he thinks that Tyrese is going to continue to grow and deserves to be playing. We said it at the top of the pod. Could be a lot of candidates for seventy six ers who have exceeded expectations this season. A lot of good responses, a lot of valid names. Great year, a great season.

Does that, agreed Salts. This was a fun one to do, Lauren. Thank you very much, appreciate its s and thank you to everyone out there who submitted responses on Instagram, Twitter and the voicemails voicemail callers. If we played your voicemail beyond the lookout in a couple of days, we will get in touch. And if there's any other voicemail callers who in recent weeks have not heard from us. Here's how it works. I go into the office to make

these shipments about once every three to four weeks. I usually get in touch with people right before I go in, so it's the first thing in my emails and my texts or dms, so I don't have to sift and filter through everything. So if you've not yet heard from either me or Larn, do not worry. We keep copious notes about who calls because we do love and appreciate the voicemails, and we will be getting in touch with you soon. One more very final shout out. I feel

I've been so shout out happy. This week, we got to do it our guy, Christian Crosby. He is performing the track you Hear under Us, written sung, produced by Christian Crosby. It is called Scrong. Search Christian wherever you stream or get your music these days, Apple, Spotify, wherever. He's a man of infinite talents. He is your entering, a seventy six ers host and budding musician extraordinaire. So strong than you, Christian, for our music. We'll talk to you next week. See you, m h m m m