Detroit Pistons vs Philadelphia 76ers - 4/9/2024

Game Breakdown

Pistons - 102 - 120 L

• Sasser, Ivey, Brown Jr., Metu, Duren

  • Sixers are either driving to the paint, cutting to the paint or getting an OREB on almost every possession it seems like here in the 1st

  • HOW CAN YOU GET BEAT BACKDOOR SO MANY TIMES???

    • You aren’t a team that forces turnovers so you shouldn’t be a team that gives up these easy looks

    • I realize SOME of this is the Embiid effect

    • Continues to happen in the 2nd half and they AREN’T all when Embiid has the ball

  • They LOVE running the double drag where they surprise the defense by SPRINTING (or misdirection) guard into the first screener and big as second screener 

• IVEY definitely looking to get Duren involved in the PnR on these first two possessions

  • Might be forcing it to him tbh

  • 8:10 1st is a perfect example of how you can push the pace even after a made basket

    • 4:12 1st even gets a wide open 3PA that is simply missed

  • Hits his first 3PA, does look like he is on one of those hot stretches that he is capable of going on from behind the arc

    • 41% almost 7 attempts over his last 8 games (including this one) which includes 2 games where he hits 6

    • Hit a couple C&S which are ultimately the ones I think are most important for his success in Detroit

  • 4:40 1st might be one of the better process plays I have seen from him all year

    • Snakes, gets deep into the lane but would have got erased by Embiid, plays on two feet, stays patient and eventually finds Wiseman for the dump off dunk

  • 4:40 2nd is an action I love for him (and one that works with Cade)

    • Ghost into a pop, he has a C&S 3PM on this one BUT he should also be able to attack a closeout on a second side out of this (obviously the first option - big picture - is Cade attacks off of it, this one was with Sasser)

• DUREN grab and go at the start of the game is something I would really like to look into deeper and would be curious what others think

  • Has he been that successful? 

    • Seems like for every make there is a bad miss (like this one) or TO

  • Is it THAT valuable long term? 

    • You are taking the ball out of Cade, Ivey, (eventually Asuar) hands who are all guys you would want leading the break over him

  • What schematic advantage do you have here?

    • Puts your theoretical floor spacers off the ball…

    • Don’t have to wait on an outlet pass

      • 6:12 2nd would be the pro of this where he gets the rebound, immediately goes and hits Nowell for a transition layup2

  • I am just wondering if it’s good process and worthwhile long term to have him doing this

    • If it is, then I am cool with the up and down results right now…..but if it’s not, what are we doing

  • Gets in early foul trouble (not surprising against Embiid)

  • I believe he went 1 for 3 in the 1st half on the little push floater

    • That would be a big time shot to add, he is 53% from 3-10 feet this year though

      • 44% when you do 5-10 feet on NBA.com

• SASSER ending up with quite a few mid range pull ups here in the 1st quarter

  • Snakes the ball screen and then you have Embiid dropping which forces you into these

    • Just wasn’t able to hit them at a good rate in this game, at all

  • I’ve asked for more playmaking and decision making from him and I thought we saw some of that in this 1st half

    • Has a really nice one to start the 2nd half

  • Knocks down a C&S 3P as well

  • Honestly, just in terms of offensive process this has been one of my favorite games in recent memory (not the actual production, just the process)

    • I realize it’s not his best box score but just in terms of his approach to the game offensively

• WISEMAN has had some good rim protection here in his first rotation but also some pretty rough turnovers

  • End of the quarter he misses a WIDE OPEN backdoor cut and then gets picked from behind

• FOURNIER comes in shooting that thing, looks like it’s going to be one of THOSE games for him (it’s need and been a minute)

  • Goodness, he REALLY has it going right now

  • Has got a bucket at all 3 levels already halfway through the 2nd quarter

  • Interesting enough I thought it was also one of his better 

• FLYNN with a rough 1st half so far

  • Missing shots and a couple turnovers

76ers

• Payne, Oubre Jr., Batum, Harris, Embiid

  • Embiid-Maxey are on pace to be 2nd pair of teammates to average 60+ PPG since the merger (‘19-20 Russ and Harden)

• EMBIID looks VERY healthy to me right now and he’s so good….plain and simple, he’s so good

  • You are legit at his mercy when he catches the ball at the elbow

  • He can shoot, drive and passing has improved (even if it’s not at the level of some of the best big man passers in the league)

    • Has a couple nice backdoors (also throws a skip into the stands)

  • When he is hitting 3s like this, forget about it

• HARRIS has just bodied a couple of the smaller Pistons players in the paint thus far

  • And now hits them with a backdoor

  • Had some nice mid post isolations

• MELTON being back for them is huge

  • Seems like they are getting healthy at the right time for the playoffs and could still make some sort of run (depending on seeding and matchups)

• OUBRE JR. makes some impactful defensive plays every game I watch

  • Had some nice pressures of the rim as well

• HIELD is going to be such a vital piece for them in the playoffs