If Wednesday night proceeds according to plan for the Sixers, there’s 48 minutes between them and the playoffs.
Ahead of their No. 7 vs. No. 8 play-in tournament game vs. the Magic, here are 10 thoughts and tidbits on the matchup:
1. It’s interesting to consider who will start at center and how Sixers head coach Nick Nurse will divvy out minutes there without Joel Embiid (appendectomy recovery).
Adem Bona made several brilliant, high-flying defensive plays early in the Sixers’ Oct. 27 win over Orlando. He picked up two quick fouls, though. Bona started the Sixers’ last three games but played less than Andre Drummond every time. It would not qualify as a major surprise if Nurse prefers to start Drummond for this matchup. Drummond’s physicality and rebounding may very well appeal to Nurse against a big Orlando team that’s good on the glass.
Starting Magic center Wendell Carter Jr. is somewhat of a stretch five, although that doesn’t appear like it should be a significant factor in how the Sixers handle their center minutes. Carter could always heat up, but he’s shot just 31.9 percent from three-point range this season on 2.9 attempts per game. Goga Bitadze will play behind Carter. He knows his role well as a rim protector and rebounder who can chip in double-figure scoring nights on occasion.
2. Orlando’s size and strength can be overwhelming. One place that could hurt the Sixers is when the Magic attack before the defense is set. Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner will be happy to go right to the rim against Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe or any smaller defender they see in transition.
The Sixers’ transition defense was again a weakness this year. According to Cleaning the Glass, the Sixers’ opponents added 3.4 points per 100 possessions through transition play, which ranked 25th in the NBA.
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3. Wagner, Banchero and the Magic aren’t shy about using their size to help earn trips to the foul line. Orlando led the league in free throw rate, per Cleaning the Glass.
Beyond all the free throws, the Magic’s physical style can contribute to some chippy moments. There were several during the regular-season series, including a tense scene back on Nov. 25 when Drummond took a boxer’s stance as he exchanged words with Carter, a slew of technical fouls got dished out, and Jalen Suggs was ejected for his part in the dust-up.
4. The Sixers’ home and road records were nearly identical — 23-18 at Xfinity Mobile Arena, 22-19 away from Philadelphia.
There’s still no doubt the players prefer to have home-court advantage. Sixers fans can get awfully loud and they’ll be fired up for a high-stakes game.
“Super excited about it,” Paul George said Sunday after the Sixers beat the Bucks in their season finale. “Obviously, I’ve never experienced a playoff environment here, but I’m looking forward to it with the intensity, the passion. With the fans here, I’m sure it’s going to be a special environment and I’m looking forward to playing in it.”
5. For the Sixers’ defense, we imagine a successful game would be a combination of contested Magic jumpers and good gambles.
The Sixers’ zone defense was very effective in the second half of their Jan. 9 road victory over the Magic. Orlando isn’t a team full of non-shooters, but any defensive scheme that can lead the Magic to fire up three-pointers and do less damage inside is likely worth using. After adding Desmond Bane last summer, the Magic improved their team three-point percentage from 30th in the NBA last season (31.8 percent) … to 27th (34.3 percent).
Even when they play zone, the Sixers need to be active and keep trying to force turnovers. That doesn’t mean selling out for steals and abandoning shooters in the corners, but the Sixers’ defense is best when players poke at the ball, spring the odd trap and disrupt the opponent’s rhythm.
6. One of the Sixers’ best defensive tools should be the handful of switchable wing/forward defenders they can employ against Banchero and Wagner.
Paul George, Kelly Oubre Jr. and Dominick Barlow all meet that description. Jabari Walker’s another name who might be in the mix. Of all the players Walker defended this season, he spent the second-most time on Banchero. Again, Banchero is a big forward — listed at 6-foot-10, 250 pounds — so it’s perfectly reasonable to have size in mind when looking at how to guard him.
7. We presume the Sixers will remain star-powered and that Maxey and Edgecombe will both rarely rest.
The team has obvious deficiencies with its depth. For instance, Quentin Grimes is the one true bench guard if you don’t count little-used 40-year-old Kyle Lowry.
On a sunnier note, the Sixers have several non-stars who have shown they can deliver game-winning performances. Grimes can catch fire. Justin Edwards won’t hesitate to take important threes and he’s capable of knocking them down. Barlow can grab a vital offensive rebound, stop a star in isolation or slip free with a savvy cut.
Those sorts of players have all had extended opportunities to fine-tune their roles and build confidence through the season.
“I think the overall assessment is, as choppy as it was injury-wise again, I’m glad we were able to handle that a lot better,” Nurse said. “A lot of guys improved and a lot of guys filled in. There were big moments for almost everybody. … I’m pretty proud of them for hanging in there, battling through the adversity and all that kind of stuff.
“I think we’ve got a lot of ceiling to go yet. I think there’s a lot, so hopefully we’ll be able to play a bunch of games and keep improving.”
8. The Sixers’ one previous play-in tournament appearance came two years ago against the Heat.
A role player saved the day. With their offense struggling against Miami’s zone, Nicolas Batum’s 20-point night rescued the Sixers.
9. The Magic and Sixers have met twice before in the postseason.
The Sixers notched a 3-1 first-round series win in 1999. After losing Game 2 by a 79-68 score, the Sixers returned home. Allen Iverson snagged 10 steals in Game 2 (along with 33 points, five assists and two blocks). He still holds the NBA’s single-game playoff steals record.
Orlando earned a six-game series victory over the Sixers in Round 1 of the 2009 playoffs. Games 1, 3 and 4 all came down to the final seconds and featured game-winners from Andre Iguodala, Thaddeus Young and Hedo Turkoglu.
10. At this point, there’s almost nothing about VJ Edgecombe that alerts you to the fact he’s a 20-year-old rookie.
He’ll still sometimes admit he’s not sure exactly what to expect next. When that’s the case, Edgecombe peppers veterans with questions and learns as he goes. But as far as his ability to handle high-pressure moments and play with a clear, confident head in the clutch, he sure seems ready for the postseason.
“I would say probably just the pace of the game slowing down for me,” Edgecombe said Sunday. “It’s more mental than physical. Mentally, I would say I was able to soak it all up. The game wasn’t going too fast.
“It slowed down for me, so I would say it’s just been more mental and that’s where I’ve grown the most.”