Joel Embiid’s New Backcourt Is Fueling The 76ers
From the 76ers’ new and improved backcourt to some of the craftiest teenagers you’ve ever seen, there was a lot to talk about from last night around the association.
Houston Rockets (111) vs Phoenix Suns (123)
This game was fun. We had the Rockets, a team looking to the horizon, and the Suns, a team looking to win now. Did that analogy make sense? Who cares, you get the point. Let’s break down this game.
Houston Rockets
The Rockets are (rightfully) still figuring things out. They have a lot of young talent and they are in the process of evaluating what they have. While guys like Jalen Green, KPJ, and Alperen Sengun are all but locks for the future, the rest of the roster still has its questions.
This game was a continuation of that. More questions than answers, which I’m sure is frustrating for head coach Stephen Silas.
The Rockets Need To Trade Eric Gordon ASAP
I think this one is pretty obvious. The Rockets want to rebuild. Eric Gordon doesn’t fit their timeline at the age of 32 years old. He just serves the purpose of taking shots and minutes from other youngsters trying to prove themselves (like first-round pick Josh Christopher).
But I think this will be easier than you might think. While Gordon is making $18.2 million this season and $19.5 million in 2023, he’s been playing well this season. Injuries have always been a concern with Gordon, but when healthy, he’s been productive;
Eric Gordon 2020-2022
34 games – 17.0 points – 44% FG – 36% 3-PT
I think that this displays Gordon in a nutshell. He’s productive, but he just can’t stay healthy. This season, Gordon is leading the league in 3-PT% (55%). While he’s expensive, some teams could use his elite shooting abilities.
The Rockets would likely have to take back a somewhat bad contract in return, but I’m assuming they would get at least one pick in a trade involving Gordon. Why wouldn’t the Rockets want to do this?
The Rockets’ Lineups Aren’t Good
Cover your eyes people. The lineups the Rockets have been using have been horrendous. And when I mean horrendous, I mean horrendous.
Lineup: Christian Wood, Daniel Theis, Kevin Porter Jr, Jalen Green, Jae’Sean Tate (80 minutes)
80.4 Offensive Rating
102.9 Defensive Rating
-22.6 Net Rating
Thoughts: At least the defense is good? The offensive tandem of Wood and Theis hasn’t been good. While this lineup seems better than it is on paper, things just haven’t worked out the way you’d have thought.
Lineup: Christian Wood, Kevin Porter Jr, Jalen Green, Jae’Sean Tate, Alperen Sengun (31 minutes)
101.4 Offensive Rating
115.9 Defensive Rating
-14.5 Net Rating
Thoughts: Sengun makes the offense better than Theis, likely due to his passing abilities. But the defense is considerably worse.
Duo: Christian Wood & Jalen Green (220 minutes)
95.8 Offensive Rating
107.7 Defensive Rating
-11.9 Net Rating
Thoughts: Now, we’ll look at some Rockets’ duos. Wood and Green are the tandem with the most minutes played this season and they haven’t been good. I can’t say much more than that.
Duo: Eric Gordon & Christian Wood (125 minutes)
104.7 Offensive Rating
101.4 Defensive Rating
3.3 Net Rating
Maybe they shouldn’t trade Eric Gordon? This has been the Rockets’ been duo this season, which is sad because this offensive output isn’t that great for a duo. But, no other duo that has played substantial minutes has been this good. So…congrats?
The Rockets aren’t good. That’s not something that should be surprising, but I think they need to embrace it. Trading Eric Gordon, DJ Augustin, David Nwaba, Daniel Theis, all of those veterans who are taking minutes away from the younger guys.
There’s no point to try and be ‘decent.’ Just accept that you suck and move on. After a couple of seasons of being terrible, then you will start to see results. I don’t see the point of trying to win a couple of extra games at the cost of crucial development for your youngsters.
Phoenix Suns
After a rocky start to the season, the Suns have started to look like themselves again. The shooting still might be a problem, but their post-Finals hangover might be wearing off. The Rockets were pesky in this game, but Phoenix controlled the 2nd half en route to their 3rd straight win.
Is The Starting Lineup OK?
When this starting lineup didn’t change this offseason, I thought that was a good thing. The Suns starting 5 of Paul, Booker, Bridges, Crowder, and Ayton looked great in the playoffs last season. They offered great scoring, playmaking, and versatile defense. Easily one of the best starting fives in the NBA.
But this season? The Suns starting 5 hasn’t lived up to expectations, especially offensively;
Suns Starting 5 In 2022
102.4 ORtg (117 minutes)
Suns Starting Lineup In 2021 Postseason
113.5 ORtg (386 minutes)
I can’t even begin to fathom how this is possible. When you’re playing better teams, with much higher stakes, it should become harder to score. But that hasn’t been the case for the Suns, whose starting 5 hasn’t been great to start the season. If they want to win, those guys need to be playing better.
The Bench Unit Is…Interesting?
Last year, the Suns’ depth was quite good. That same statement can be said this season, but they are using a weird assortment of characters to find production. You have your usuals: Cam Johnson, Landry Shamet, and Cameron Payne. Those guys are good.,
But I can’t exactly say I have great trust in JaVale McGee and Elfrid Payton. Now, both of those guys haven’t been bad by any means. But can we trust those guys in the playoffs? McGee has playoff experience, but do we trust Elfrid Payton? There’s a reason the Knicks wanted to replace him so badly this offseason.
But the thing is, the bench unit hasn’t looked that bad. The lineup of McGee, Payne, Abdel Nader, Shamet, and Cam Johnson hasn’t looked that bad this season;
2 games (12 minutes total)
124.1 ORtg
107.4 DRtg
16.7 NET
Yes, it is a very small sample size. However, there are reasons to like that lineup. Cam Johnson and Landry Shamet can stretch the floor and are decent off the dribble. Cameron Payne is a capable ball-handler. McGee isn’t a terrible option at center in bursts and Abdel Nader can just fill in where he can.
I hope this lineup can get some more playing time because these results certainly warrant as such. If they can keep up similar numbers over a larger sample size, maybe Monty Williams has a go-to all-bench unit?
In other news, the Suns’ owner is not very nice to…well everybody.
Are The Celtics Turning Things Around?
Just a few days ago, it seemed like the sky was falling for the Boston Celtics. They got outscored by 28 points in the 4th quarter against the Bulls and it led to chaos. Marcus Smart called out his two All-Stars for not passing. The Celtics had a players-only meeting which was “unsuccessful.” It was a mess.
But the Celtics have rightened the ship over the last two games. They are 2-0 since that loss to Chicago, as their defense has been excellent. While beating the Magic was expected, they completely dominated Miami last night.
They held the Heat, one of the best offenses in the NBA, to just 78 points. The Heat shot just 35% from the field and 22% from the 3-PT line. Jimmy Butler and Duncan Robinson were especially bad for Miami, as the Celtics did a good job covering them up.
The win against Miami was exactly what the Celtics needed. A statement win against a contender in the East. Will this mean much in the long run or is it just a dying breath from a team doomed to fail? We’ll just have to wait and see.
The 76ers Backcourt Has Been Amazing This Season
With Ben Simmons out, the 76ers would need some new guys in the backcourt. They drafted Jaden Springer in the first round this season. They already had Tyrese Maxey, Shake Milton, and Seth Curry on their roster. But who would stand out for them? We already have the answer to that question.
The 76ers have decided to start exciting sophomore Tyrese Maxey and the sharp-shooting Seth Curry. It’s a platoon method for sure: Maxey is a player with great scoring punch and Curry offers elite floor-spacing. The duo hasn’t disappointed so far this season.
Tyrese Maxey In 2022
14.7 points – 60% TS
Happy belated birthday Tyrese
Seth Curry In 2022
17.8 points – 76% TS – 53% TS
Bold indicates league leader
Maxey has excelled in a bigger role. Seth Curry continues to play well wherever he goes, making that Josh Richardson trade look better by the day. Both of these guys are a big reason why the 76ers’ offense has been so good this season. Philly is 7-2 right now and atop the Eastern Conference once again? Who needs Ben Simmons?
Alperen Sengun and Josh Giddey Are Too Crafty To Be Rookies
Alperen Sengun and Josh Giddey are both (somehow) 19 years old. Both were first-round picks this past season and both are currently excelling. They are too crafty to be teenagers.
Alperen Sengun
Sengun has started to get more minutes for the Rockets and it’s paying off. Sengun is a very talented young center who can do it all. The teenager from Turkey has quietly had a great start to his career.
8.8 points – 2.5 assists – 2.1 steals – 53% TS
While his scoring doesn’t stand out, the Rockets have been better offensively with Sengun on the floor;
Rockets Offense W/ Sengun: 106.2 ORtg
Rockets Offense W/O Sengun: 96.6 ORtg
Sengun offers another good passer for the Rockets offense. Someone who keeps the offense less isolation-centric, which has happened to Houston with all their young scorers. He is a solid passer, but the defense has been pretty good so far.
He’s already got 17 steals in 8 games, racking up 3 steals in 4 games this season. Sengun’s time overseas likely helped him deal with quicker, faster opponents. He’s not as athletic as Evan Mobley, but he still makes a very big impact on that end of the floor for the Rockets.
Josh Giddey
Giddey was the 6th pick in the draft and he’s already showed you why. Like Sengun, scoring isn’t his fore. Rather, it’s the other things that make him valuable. At 6’8″, Giddey is a great ball-handler and passer. He’s been a great secondary ball-handler for OKC and looked nice as a starter.
He is also a great rebounder for his skinny frame and the defense isn’t too much of a liability.
10.5 points – 6.0 rebounds – 6.1 assists – 1.6 steals – 47% TS
Aside from the efficiency, Giddey has been excellent this season. He is a terrific passer and playmaker and fits well with SGA. In last night’s game against the Lakers, my only problem was that he was trying to do too much. He forced multiple passes inside that just weren’t there.
That will be adjusted with time, as Giddey will (hopefully) learn that you have to just take what the defense gives you. But enough with me hating, look at these numbers;
OKC Offense W/ Giddey: 104.2 ORtg
OKC Offense W/O Giddey: 89.9
That is a whopping 14.3 rating difference when Giddey is on or off the floor. That’s just impressive how much better OKC is offensively when he’s on the floor.
These two “rookies” have just been so impressive early on. While guys like Mobley and Barnes might have better-looking stats, Giddey and Sengun have been highly impactful to their respective teams. In the end, that’s all that will matter.
What Are Your Thoughts From Last Nights Games? Leave A Comment Down Below!
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