Rewind | Scrimmage Play Starts With Win

I'm Brian Selzer. Let's join right now via zoom. Head coach of the Sixers, Brett Brown. You got a team of nine and assists in only one term, and so you know you start seeing how does that look? Um, you know in a you know, i'll be a preseason sort of scrimmage game. Howard Zell look, you know, how to shake look at one, how to all and Joe looked together playing those types of things. I thought with Geeson, carryo, thank you all right. Next we're going to go to Keith.

It was up Bright you said, dcent carry over. But the thing that really stuck out to me that there was no hesitation in his shot. And I know, you know, you don't want to make a big deal out of that, but to me, it looked good. It was no hesitation. They left him open. He did what he's supposed to do. Yeah, and you know what, Keith, And I'm pulling my mask down to say this me and sort of the big deal.

I stand by that, but I'm with you. I get excited and as I said this yesterday or two days, but whatever it was, it's the paradigm shift, it's the spirit. He doesn't flinch. So the sport told him, I'm hoping nobody's guarding me, shoot it, and he did. And I agree with you. There wasn't any hesitation on what's next? What decision do I have to make now? And when you look at how he played the point forward a huge me power forward. Was that like what you were

expecting from day one? Like, Okay, he's gonna be were taking him off the ball, but he's still gonna be a primary ball carrier so to speak. It is and I can almost simplify it like this, on any miss shot, I want then with the ball. Anytime THEA position team misses and we're running, I want Ben Simmons with the ball and letting him get to the rim and dunk or finding other shooters. It's really that clean and that

simple on made baskets. When it's a little bit slower and say Joel takes it out, I want them taking off and letting him, you know, maybe get something cheap over the top, or circleing back and playing at that elbow area where it's hard to sag. And you know,

he's one dribble at the rim. And that's the world that I envisage when we make that change from you, you know, dribble it up the floor as the primary ball carrier, always against five waiting defensive players in a make world, in an Abyss world, him off the ball is how I see it, just as I said it.

Thank you, you wants Cathy next, We're gonna go to tam Boon tips right, Just in general with that overall group at the beginning of the game, I was curious what your thoughts were in a few minutes that you saw and is that kind of the way that Alan Jowell were together. Is that kind of what we can expect to see still kind of in that you know, end of the quarter beginning in the quarter periods going forward, I think it's got its best chance him to probably

be seen in the periods that you just said. I still, you know, like I think that those two guys in the places that we had, I still am a fan of. I still believe in it. You know, I think there are some games this year I get talking about the Clipper game, probably at times too much, but receive that high load that interaction earned that time we been talking about seems to be for me the best flow to find those two. And I thought to your first part of the question of you know, how did everybody kind

of look playing? I just felt like they all looked you know, everybody kind of did something quite well. If you looked at our assistant turnovers. I think there were some positive things there. But the Joel Al thing, I think that period of the game is fair to talk about.

Seventy Sixers head coach Brett Brown from Orlando after the Sixers knock off the Memphis Grizzlies by the score of ninety to eighty three in their first scrimmage showing of three, They've got another one on Sunday afternoon against Oklahoma City thunder then play the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday before starting seating play. As for takeaways from this one, I don't know about anyone else out there. My view coming into this one today was like, Okay, it's a scrimmage game.

First opportunity for the Sixers to take on someone other themselves after holding practices for the better part of the last three weeks to a month, and just see how they handled things. Would they look functional, would they look organized? How is their spirit? Did they seem physically fit? Did

they take their first competitive setting seriously? And I think based upon the way the first half went, especially from what we saw in a great finish the first quarter and strong showing the second quarter, I think you can absolutely say the answer to some of those questions is yes, the Sixers took it seriously. They seemed focused. At the outset of the game. They opened things up to a twenty nine point lead. And I tweeted this at halftime or the middle stage of this scrimmage, it was like

the Sixers. The Grizzlies looked like they hadn't played in four months. The Sixers looked at worse, like they hadn't played in about four days. And that was with a lot of personnel changes that the Sixers were experimenting with throughout this scrimmage. Today, those personnel changes, I think you'd say have merit based upon one scrimmage shake. Milton certainly held his own. Ben Sims played extremely well. He finished with nine points, nine assists, three steals in twenty two

minutes of action. Tobias Harris a double double with fifteen points and ten rebounds. Joel only played thirteen minutes on the first half. He put up ten points, six rebounds, and he knocked down two of his fourth three pointers. So the Sixers, they had various times looked that they were playing loose, playing free. The ball moved at times, we saw some spacing. I thought it was all good stuff.

And like Brett Brown was talking about, the defense, especially in the first half, was certainly something that helped the Sixers. They held the Grizzlies to just ten field goals made and shooting twenty eight and a half percent from the field. They forced fourteen turnovers and outscored the Grizzlies nineteen to six, punishing Memphis on those turnovers. So a lot of good for the seventy Sixers in their first foray into competitive basketball.

Action since the season was suspended back on March eleventh, with the ninety eighty three win over the Memphis Grizzlies. Good stuff from Tobias Harris, good stuff from Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid. Ben Simmons knocking down that catch and shoot corner three in the third quarter, one of two three point attempts he took, perhaps upstage, some may say, by big man Norvelle Pell who, on a broken play scooted back into the corner and knocked down a three

pointer of his own. Two of the highlights from today's scrimmage. Tom McGinnis called it all, Tom, How did it go for you today? What was this like? It went? Okay? It's a little unusual to not like hear the game. I heard the sound effects, but there is a little bit of a studio aspect of it, do you know what I mean? Where you're not Let's put it this way.

Prior to the game, as I was getting ready and going over the notes and whenever, and I was watching the Sixers warm up, you know, you're like, oh so far away, and then when you put the headset on, you heard like Ben dribble the ball and the guys that made it like, oh, now you're sort of in there.

So it was totally fine, though, Like this is absolutely as best as one could imagine for these circumstances where you're not calling the game there and then calling a game where there's no fans and just because there's no feeling like being here in this arena with this group of fans of Philadelphia fans, and I'd like to use the phrase rising as one because that's what happens as they meet the moment with the passion and the energy that a telltale phase of a game. There's nothing like.

That's why we come to live events. That's what makes it so neat. So that obviously for now is not the case, but it's certainly you know, I think this is gonna work, but I think we're gonna be okay, Brian, awesome sounded great as the six Ers beat the Memphis Grizzlies ninety to eighty three times. Do you think they came out with some purpose? Obviously in the early going they were still trying to sort some things out, but there were times in that first half when the team

looked really together all things considered. Yeah, I think their defense kind of set the stage as they were shaky a little bit early on from the field, a couple turnovers and to lead to be expected. Actually you kind of wanted to see that a little bit, just because you don't want them to be clicking on all cylinders.

In a scrimmage game, every guy had a misstep here or there, but defensively they collectively, like there were many times where Ben cut off Jaren Jackson and then Jackson to turn and Tobias would be there or Al Horford would be there, and so that's you know, when the Sixers say they're built for the playoffs, and you know, coach answers, well, what does that mean? How is that? So part of it is the length, the height, and at the athleticism of the defense, and then different guys

got going on offense. And then when you look at the score sheet and everybody but Howell scored, I thought everybody had some really nice moments in there. Tobias was steady,

Joel was certainly good. Early on, Ben had gotten not a dominant game just because it was a shortened stint, but rebounding and athletically and shake, you know, shake it okays, not like standout or anything, but I thought Furkon looked good, Mattis had his moments, So all in all, certainly, I think good for the Sixers to feel, you know, like there's definitely room for improvement and the competition is going

to step up a little bit with the thunder. But then you know, then again, you got the game Tuesday against Dallas and then a day or two to get ready for Indiana. So all said and done, pretty good

work all all told. Today. Understandably, Tom, one of the main storylines coming into today's scrimmage was shake Milton being on the ball, Ben Simmons playing more at the four, and one thing that Ben talked about over the last couple of weeks was, regardless of where you put him, whether it's an offense or on defense, he believes that he's a playmaker and that he's got a high enough IQ to make things happen. You look at his final

line and that certainly bears things out. I mean, he had nine assists, still playing in a new, reconfigured, rethought role, and if you listen to today's game or you watch it, you could see that he was still certainly able to make things happen in the offensive end, regardless of if he was the one bringing the ball up or playing out of the high post or anything like that. Without doubt. I mean, he's a very physically gifted player who's gonna

attack and be aggressive at all times. And you know, as coach said, there's so many instances in which it's a free flowing dynamic, you know, transition where whomever's got the ball and you want it to be in his hands that Simmons is going to be able to get after it. No, there's other situations where Shake Milton is going to play the point guard and bring it up, but no, Ben is definitely going to look to attack and get to the rim. And you know, he finishes

with the best of me. He had a couple of areas that one ball got stuck between the basket and the iron, But he's gonna be just fine. I think he's gonna be dominant, you know, like he I think this break helped a lot of different players across the NBA, but maybe none more so than Ben Simmons of the Sixers. At least for me personally, I find myself getting so caught up into the whole thought process of what is

this going to mean? Now that he's playing here versus there, that I forget that had the season not been suspended, he might not have been back out there at all.

And that's certainly not to say that everything that's gone on the last four months was worth that cost that it was for Ben Simmons to be back, but that's you know, I just keep losing track of the fact that he probably there's a good chance he might not have played again, at least in the regular season and the season not stopped, because the game's just come fast and furious, and you know, I'll never forget how much

painting was in in Milwaukee. You know, he basically just played five minutes and ten games after that All Star break or in that time frame, and you know, and hey, I've had that, you know, not an elite athlete did, but that nerve and pingement thing, that is just a stopper. It's incredible. And so yeah, when he went down in Milwaukee, that was really really tough, and to watch him be on that plane and whatever as we did coming back late night from Wisconsin after that game. But the Bucks

really difficult. And and that's what I mean, like certain there were certain a lotments during the hiatus about who could get treatment and who could be at a facility and whatever, and so he was clearly getting physical therapy. But then you know, part of that obviously is you know, getting back in the throws and getting back in shape and whatnot. And you know, I would think at some point he started to get his feetback underneath them and

he started to shoot the ball a little bit. And then you know, we also those pictures and those videos of his workouts, and you know, he's also he's a young man. He just had another birthday, but you know, just growing and getting stronger and developing, and it's all coming together for one of the preeminent athletic talents and players in our league. And Ben Simmons great stuff this afternoon.

Tom McGinnis talked to you just before high noon on Sunday when the seventy Sixers take on the Oklahoma City Thunder All right, thanks Brian, seventy six ers basketball in a scrimmage back on the radio. Amazing, Hey, it was gonna be a good day if that was the only thing that came from it. The Sixers also got to win when they played Memphis Grizzlies, and the first of three scrimmages down in Orlando. The big subplot coming into this scrimmage schedule, Shake Milton primary on ball handler for

the seventy sixers, Ben Simmons going to the four. Shake Milton getting involved early and good defense there. So the Sixers turn it over, but so do Memphis, and now the sixers of the ball out to shake right side three ball got the seventh sixers from the fowl area to shake Milton and with exactly six minutes ago, that ties the score at eight. Seventy Sixers would start to take off from there. Joel M. Bead leaving his early imprint on this one. Memphis misses sixers of the ball

in beat for three and that's good. So these seventy sixers two three one by shake Milton, they go from down eight to two to leading by five, now thirteen to eight and be picked and popped his way throughout that first half. As the seventy sixers wide in their lead. In the second quarter, Tobias Harris was involved. They've got the four guys beyond the arc and a tip of a steal by five. All good job by Burkes in

there as well. No look pass it the bias Harris gets a slam well done by Simmons, a no look jam. Seventy Sixers really able to get out on the run in the closing moments of the opening half. They lad fifty four twenty eight at the break. Their lead would grow to as large as twenty nine because of this. Here Simmons for three and it's good, Ben seventh triple knocking it down right front of his bench, and the

Sixers lead the Grizzlies fifty seven to twenty eight. Ben Simmons from group five points now for Simmons, Perhaps even more important than the basket going in, as Brett Brown said in his postgame press conference, the fact that there was no hesitation on the attempt of the shot by Ben Simmons in the corner that gave the Sixers a twenty nine point lead. Memphis would close the gap from there.

They used a good third quarter they outscored the Sixers by sixteen, and they also put the pressure on in

the fourth to tighten things up. But one more noteworthy three pointer to play for you from this one before wrapping it up, Dive into a cutting Scott close behind his back, missus pell Norvelle into the corner for three, and then why Norville Pell With a shot clock winding down to the beat on the Sixers sideline leading the cheers, Norvelle had to shoot it and he net to three from the corner the tenth of the game for the Sixers.

You pick your favorite flavor. Ben Simmons three, Norville Pell three. Tough call, but all good in the Sixers win over the Memphis Grizzlies ninety to eighty three. Sixer shot forty three percent from the field, ten to thirty from outside the arc. They got to the line twelve times and made ten of their free throw attempts. They outrebounded the grizz by three, and they forced nineteen turnovers thro the Sixers, all in the first half, a big reason why they

were able to establish such a commanding advantage. In today's scrimmage, Tobias Harris led the Sixers with fifteen points and ten rebounds. He also had two assists in just under twenty three minutes. Ben Simmons also played twenty three minutes at the four, pretty much almost exclusively. Nine points from him, nine, nine assists, and seven rebounds plus three steals. Such a versatile line from Ben Simmons great to see him back out there.

Dwell Embiid in just thirteen minutes, ten points, six rebounds. He hit two of his three baskets from outside the arc. Richardson and Milton finished with six points a piece and sharing the team lead in terms of scoring off the bench. Alec burks so I thought played pretty well today seven points, three rebounds, to assists for him and for Concorkmas who had seven points, including one three pointer. All right, that'll do it. Seventy six Ers over the Grizzlies ninety two

eighty three, will talk on Sunday. You've been listening to Rewind, look out for fresh episodes the day after every seventy six Ers game this season.