Sixers vs Wizards Preview

We have a late afternoon matchup today with the Sixers playing the Wizards at 4pm. The Sixers look to build off of Monday night’s victory against the Spurs, which came at the hands of Shake Milton’s 3-pointer with 6 seconds left to go in the game.

Shake Milton from Owasso, Oklahoma. 918 area. #PhilaUnite pic.twitter.com/fKuCra8zeK

— The Liberty Line (@LibertyLinePHL) August 4, 2020

Joel Embiid has been absolutely dominant the past two games. Not only is he putting up big numbers in terms of points and rebounds, but he’s also passing the ball extremely well. Last game, Embiid had 5 assists to go along with his impressive stat line. His ability to see the court and find open players that can hit shots while he’s double teamed is something that needs to continue to happen.

Joel Embiid is off to a hot start inside the bubble. Through the first two games he’s averaging…

34 points
15 rebounds
4.5 assists
1 steal
1.5 blocks#PhilaUnite pic.twitter.com/UmxBOgRuN0

— The Liberty Line (@LibertyLinePHL) August 4, 2020

Ben Simmons was the complete opposite last game. Foul trouble early on left Simmons on the outside looking in during the final minutes against the Spurs. I’m expecting Ben to come back strong this afternoon. I am concerned with Simmons’ defense. Since the restart, I haven’t seen the Ben Simmons defense I have personally defended (thank you). Who knows if he’s going to shoot the ball (my guess is no) but if he does, it should only come as an added bonus to Ben’s usual game of aggressive rim attacking and 1st team All NBA Defense.

It’s important Shake Milton and Josh Richardson to remain consistent in the 76ers back court. Shake and Josh were fantastic the other night and honestly, there’s nothing more important than this duo playing well. We know what we’re getting from Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons, and Tobias Harris. Josh Richardson and Shake Milton need to continue to grow and gain confidence heading into the playoffs.

Not including Joel Embiid, Tobias Harris has been playing the best for the Sixers. This new found confidence and “team leader” mindset has been great to see from Harris, who is always unappreciated on the Sixers, mainly from fans on Twitter who don’t know shit about anything, but I digress. He’s been fantastic the past two games and it’s important that he, like the other players on the 76ers, is able to find some consistency throughout the final 6 games of the season.

Brett Brown needs to coach better. Defensive adjustments are a must. In the last two games, the 4th quarter has been nothing short of a disaster, letting up 40+ points to the Pacers and Spurs. I would also like to see a better rotation of players coming from the coach. Raul Neto getting 20+ minutes while Alec Burks only notching 12 minutes last game can’t happen. Horford, Burks, and Thybulle should be the top 3 off the bench until GRIII is healthy enough to play again.

The Sixers are double digit favorites in this game at -10.5 points. I’m hesitant to take that given the fact that a lot of these bubble games have been much closer than anyone has thought (Bucks were -3000 yesterday and lost to the Brooklyn Nets).

I’ve been absolutely brutal betting since the NBA returned but I have been pretty successful betting Player Props. Don’t follow me. But here’s what I have: