New @libertyballers.bsky.social:
Heard enough about the Mike Malone news and the playoff race?
Why not indugle in hopium and read about a Sixers historical parallel. The 97 Spurs tanked after their MVP center injured himself. Sound familiar?
Heres why that Spurs team should give Sixers fans hope.
New @libertyballers.bsky.social:
This is a Sixers we'll happily forget. But, there some storylines and aspects were oh so fun.
From Yabu Yabooing to all-time great individual play to a new signature shot. These are the things I'll miss from this Sixers season.
Joel Embiid's days as an MVP are over.
But NBA history tells us former MVPs can still play vital, smaller roles on championship contender.
My new @libertyballers.bsky.social piece examines what a smaller role for Embiid would look like for the Sixers.
www.libertyballers.com/2025/3/18/24...
New @libertyballers.bsky.social:
Wrote a quick piece on what the Sixers have done well this season and how they can build on those things next season.
Its a very quick read.
www.libertyballers.com/2025/3/12/24...
Another NBA week another Games To Watch piece for @libertyballers.bsky.social:
Big week for title contenders as we have a potential finals preview, a potential WCF preview, some playoff rivalries, and more!
Check em out 👇👇
www.libertyballers.com/2025/3/10/24...
New @libertyballers.bsky.social:
As good as Jared McCain was, Quentin Grimes has earned the starting role alongside Maxey next season.
And its not just because he dropped 44.
Broke down his all-round game 👇
www.libertyballers.com/2025/3/7/243...
Sixers season is over already so why not enjoy the rest of the NBA?
I've highlighted some games to watch this week that will make you love basketball again.
🦊 Fox returns to SAC
🥹 Adam Silver's dream Finals matchup
😈 The Greek Freak vs the NBA's best
+more
www.libertyballers.com/2025/3/4/243...
Appreciate it man! And don't worry, none of those vibes with me.
New @libertyballers.bsky.social:
Wrote about the future of the Sixers wing rotation.
Grimes and Edwards are great complementary pieces. Kelly is solid. C4 is a cheap and fun question mark.
I also touch on what PG's done well and reasons to be optimistic this is just a slump
shorturl.at/Br8j0
“This team has a lot more offensive issues than Joel Embiid” is an important caveat from @libertyballers.bsky.social… but that doesn’t mean some of the numbers for him (and the team with him on the floor) aren’t jarring.
www.libertyballers.com/2025/2/18/24...
New @libertyballers.bsky.social:
After returning from injury in early Feb, Embiid looked meh on offense (and some really bad numbers back that up).
It's affecting the team offense and also presents a problem for the future, especially if they want to shut him down this season.
shorturl.at/Sdg6B
New @libertyballers.bsky.social:
Joel Embiid's defense since returning for the Sixers has been below standard.
He's still elite in one very important aspect, but everything else is not great, Bob.
www.libertyballers.com/2025/2/17/24...
New @libertyballers.bsky.social
Broke down how Quentin Grimes will fit with the Sixers.
He's proved himself as a shooter and has some tasty self-creation chops.
Defensively is where he can become a starter and finisher for the team.
Should be fun.
www.libertyballers.com/2025/2/7/243...
The East being bad probably means they won't. Can talk themselves into making a deep run via the play-in if fully healthy. If theyre within few games of 10th seed they'll stay competing.
Though, if one of the stars - incl. Yabu - goes out for > 1.5 months I'd imagine they'd call it a season.
More in-depth breakdown here:
bsky.app/profile/seth...
New @libertyballers.bsky.social covers Justin Edwards play last two games.
Has shiwn alot of flashes in such a small time. Imo he's fo sho secured a spot in the rotation going forward.
www.libertyballers.com/2025/1/16/24...
Really excited to see how the rest of his season plays out with this squad.
Another feather in the one hat Philly can proudly wear this year: finding great players that other franchises passed on: Jared McCain, Guerschon Yabusele, and now Justin Edwards.
One nitpick on his defense: He over-anticipates on screens and off-ball.
In the first two clips below, he steps into the screen before he has to, giving up a lane to the rim.
In the others, he steps into passing lanes before he has to, giving up cuts and open threes.
That size and speed is effective on defense too.
Nurse deployed him against Jalen Williams and Jalen Brunson.
Edwards gets those feet moving and hips swinging, allowing him to stay in front of the shifty and nifty Jalens.
He guides attackers into his chest and is disciplined, keeping his arms up
Because they respect his three-pointer (37% season, 6/13 over the last two games), defenders close out hard on him.
He is great at attacking those closeouts and getting the ball moving, putting his team at an offensive advantage.
And, when he has to, he uses his 6-foot-6 frame to shoot or finish.
🚨 JUSTIN EDWARDS FILM SESH 🚨
The ten game rookie has proved an effective NBA player in his last two games. Playing over 35 minutes in each, he showed a malleable skill set, a high IQ, and some defensive knack.
Most of all though, he nice with it.
New @libertyballers.bsky.social:
Wrote about Guerschon Yabusele's masterpiece against the Wizards and how it confirmed he should be the 76ers' backup five.
Here's the whole breakdown of their offense.
New @libertyballers.bsky.social:
In their last three games, the Sixers have shown the good, bad, and the ugly their offense is capable of.
With a brutal schedule incoming, they must ensure it's far more good than bad and ugly.
Here's how they can do that.
And the stretch to end the first half of the Brooklyn Blowout was noice.
Embiid playmaking from paint for a Caleb Dunk, setting a highball screen for a PG three, and an off-ball low screen for a PG middy.
Hoop gods rewarded them with that Maxey Embiid two-man sequence (ball bounced off BKN foot)
They had a pitiful start against Golden State, but Philly's big 3 had an effective stretch in the second.
The team scored on six straight possessions. For four of those, it was a high pick and roll with Embiid and Maxey or George.
Not perfect or insanely creative, but it creates advantages.
The team is capable of gorgeous ball movement. They did so in the Sacramento game!
The pill got to explore every corner of the halfcourt. It doesn't always have to be 100 passes in a possession, just one right pass works.
But when they make multiple quick passes it does look good. Real good.
Quick thread on the good and bad of Philly's offense in recent stretch:
We'll start with the absolute worst - the Sacramento ending.
Minimal ball movement (just six non-handoff passes made in halfcourt live action) led to 0 points in three minutes of game time.
(sped up for vid length reasons)
Bumping this piece from @sethgupwell.bsky.social after Kyle Lowry was a team-high +9 in 19 minutes last night. Many folks were ready to bury Lowry, but he’s been solid in something closer to the role the team envisioned for him.
www.libertyballers.com/2024/12/28/2...
Heres the full breakdown of Lowry's masterpiece.
