The Sixers Need Depth, They Also Need to Fix Stupid

The Sixers lack depth. It was true when the week started. It was (painfully) true in their 113-102 loss to the Raptors. When they tip off  against the Pistons tonight, it will STILL remain true.  

Look, I’m not saying anything you haven’t heard on Twitter or read on other blogs. It’s clear to anyone who watches they don’t have enough quality role players. At the beginning of the 4th quarter in Toronto, the issue was magnified. Sometimes, it’s just simple math. The Sixers traded two players, they only got one back. Then, their #1 overall pick went to clear his head in physical therapy. Annoying, but just how it is. So, we sit here, at least two pieces away from truly competing. 

But, the bigger issue I have with the Sixers is their inability to get out of their own way. Woah, that was way too nice, especially after the fourth quarter collapse we witnessed Wednesday night. Let’s try this again: the Sixers are a dumb basketball team.

Whether it’s turnovers at key times, ill-advised shots or lackadaisical defensive  spurts, the 76ers shoot themselves in the foot a frustrating amount of times. They can overcome these head-scratching mistakes against less talented teams. Take their come from behind win against the Nets for example. They gave up 125 points and really only had to play 5 game minutes of quality basketball in order to win. But, when matched up with top talent, most notably the Celtics or Raptors, the problem rears its ugly head. 

Going into this litmus test with the Raptors, Brett Brown stressed the importance of keeping turnovers down compared to the Sixers last bout in Toronto. Mission accomplished? They brought it down from 23…to 21.

It’s a game we’ve watched one too many times. Tough opponent, on the road, out of sorts. I don’t really have a solution to the Sixers calling a timeout, then turning the ball over three straight times, allowing two fast break dunks and giving the lead to the Raptors at the half. But as the saying goes, “you can’t fix stupid”.

The Sixers added a third star which was a HUGE step. But, even the Heat Big 3 that featured Lebron lost to Mavs/Spurs teams that featured superior depth. It is clearly an issue haunting Philadelphia right now, that could possibly be fixed. Their bigger problem, and I mean this with the utmost disrespect, is that they’re a flat out stupid team.