No More Haircuts! 3 Keys for the Sixers Going Forward
With the All-Star break over and teams resuming regular play, it’s a good time to analyze what will be necessary for the Sixers. They open tonight on the road against the Chicago Bulls and hope to build upon an impressive first half of the season.
- No more haircuts
Having missed the All-Star game due to a positive test from their barber after a haircut, it’s clear Joel Embiid & Ben Simmons must not get a haircut ever again! Just kidding…..just until the end of the season would be fine.
In all seriousness, let this haircut debacle serve as a metaphor for a serious key. The NBA has not been playing around with their health & safety protocols regarding COVID-19. Missing key players in the playoffs could be catastrophic for the Sixers. So yes, go get that fade Ben. Just try and be careful!
- Trade for shooting.
There has been lots of trade chatter surrounding the Sixers, as GM Daryl Morey seems intent on adding another piece before the March 25th deadline. But what else could the #1 team in the East possibly need? Forget any Bradley Beal or Buddy Hield pipe dreams, that type of deal isn’t happening. However if there’s one thing a Ben Simmons led offense can never have enough of, it’s shooting. A wing shooter who can also defend such as Will Barton would be ideal, but a stretch big in the Nemanja Bjelica would also help grease the wheels of the offense, which currently ranks 14th in efficiency. There are plenty of intriguing options out there, but Morey has to get creative and find the right pieces to boost this roster.
- Stay the Course.
The Sixers have dominated their way to the top of the Eastern Conference with a combination of focus and intensity shared by everyone in the organization. Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons have matured and in turn, are making real strides towards realizing their astronomical potential as a duo. When they are focused and at their best, few teams — if any — are capable of slowing them down. Entering the playoffs, the Sixers must remain committed to exploiting these matchup advantages, specifically the one enjoyed at the center position. While teams like the Brooklyn Nets & the Milwaukee Bucks have loaded up on perimeter talent, none have an answer inside for Philly’s MVP front runner Joel Embiid. While Ben Simmons will be providing his usual elite defense and all around genius on the perimeter, it will be up to Embiid, as well as head coach Doc Rivers, to lead this Sixers team by example with the same maturity and desire he has displayed so far this season.