Sixers’ defense has to be ‘more competitive’ after another letdown
Their loss to the Celtics was no different than most this season. The Sixers struggled with their perimeter defense and rim protection.
Deflating. Disappointing. Humiliating.
What other words can be used to describe the 76ers’ defensive performance in Thursday’s 124-104 loss to the Boston Celtics at the Wells Fargo Center?
So what if Quentin Grimes was playing in just his fifth game as a Sixer since being acquired in a trade from the Dallas Mavericks? So what if Kyle Lowry and Eric Gordon remained sidelined with ailments? So what if it was Andre Drummond’s second game back in the rotation? So what if the Sixers were coming back from the All-Star break?
The loss to the Celtics was no different from most this season. The Sixers’ perimeter defense and lack of rim protection once again were exposed.
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This time, Boston made 24 of 54 three-pointers and shot 48.3% from the field. Even that number is misleading, considering that the Celtics shot 50.7% through three quarters.
On the season, the Sixers are 28th in the league in three-point percentage defense (.370). They also rank 29th in field-goal percentage defense less than five feet away from the basket (.672).
“It just starts when we guard the ball, us guards,” Tyrese Maxey said of needed adjustments. “We have to guard the ball tough and make it difficult for the defender. You know, touch them and be physical. That’s what teams do to us. They are physical with us, and they guard the ball. If we can guard the ball better, it makes it easier for our bigs and for rotations.
“But if we are getting blown by and getting [blocked] on every screen, it’s going to be difficult for our bigs and our help defenders to rotate, do different things like that.”
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The Sixers (20-35) will look to improve that during Saturday’s home game against Brooklyn (7:30 p.m., NBCSP). The Nets (20-35) defeated the Sixers, 100-96, at the Barclays Center on Feb. 12, the final game before the All-Star break.
The Sixers’ defensive shortcomings are the result of lack of effort and trust.
“When you guard the ball, especially when you are picking it up, you got to know that your teammates are behind you,” Maxey said. “Sometimes I think guys don’t know that their teammates are behind or where their teammates are. But that’s just the continuity part that we have to get better at.
“If you guard the ball tough and you know your teammate is behind you, you know they are going to help you, you sell all the way out and guard the ball.”
That awareness has enabled Maxey to become a better and more confident defender this season. His career-best 1.9 steals ranks third in the NBA.
So how does the point guard bring that out in his teammates in upcoming games against the Nets, Chicago Bulls (Monday), and beyond?
He mentioned Friday’s practice, film study and defensive drills.
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“And then we got to be more competitive,” Maxey said. “You know what I mean? I talked about it earlier in the year, and which I think we did a really good job for a long period of time where we were extremely competitive. We won some of those games. We lost some.
“But at the end of the day, this is basketball, and this is a competition sport. … We got to be more competitive than those guys over there, no matter who we’re playing.”