WEBVTT - Friday Deep Dive | Ben's Defense, Giannis' Antics, and More From the Bucks 0:00:00.320 --> 0:00:03.640 This podcast is part of the seventy Sixers podcast network 0:00:04.000 --> 0:00:08.640 search seventy Sixers podcast wherever you get your pods. The 0:00:08.760 --> 0:00:11.200 seventy Sixers went on a tear coming out of the 0:00:11.240 --> 0:00:14.160 All Star break, but the run stopped with the Bucks. 0:00:14.560 --> 0:00:16.959 It was a fun game, it was a competitive game. 0:00:17.079 --> 0:00:19.800 There were some great performances, but the Sixers came up 0:00:19.920 --> 0:00:22.720 just short. I'm gonna stock you we really please and 0:00:22.760 --> 0:00:26.560 what we saw, especially in that Ben Simmons Janice matchup, 0:00:27.120 --> 0:00:30.920 I'm Lauren Rosen, I'm Devon Gibbons, and I'm Brian Seltzer. 0:00:31.120 --> 0:00:33.600 Plus to bias in the clutch and sustaining some of 0:00:33.640 --> 0:00:36.080 the good we've seen since the break on this week's 0:00:36.200 --> 0:00:45.040 Friday Deep Die. Not that these second half of the schedule, 0:00:45.120 --> 0:00:48.760 guys has been known for public consumption for quite some time, 0:00:49.080 --> 0:00:51.400 but immediately when it was released, with the Sixers not 0:00:51.479 --> 0:00:54.040 having played the Milwaukee Bucks in the first half of 0:00:54.040 --> 0:00:57.320 the season, that was the very first opponent I was 0:00:57.360 --> 0:01:01.080 looking for when how many times in the second half 0:01:01.080 --> 0:01:03.880 of the season, and the first matchup came on Wednesday 0:01:03.960 --> 0:01:07.200 at the Center. We obviously did start there. Let's go 0:01:07.240 --> 0:01:10.840 around the room, Lauren, what do we think look, you 0:01:10.880 --> 0:01:13.000 would have loved to get a win if you're the 0:01:13.040 --> 0:01:17.000 Sixers in that game on Wednesday, but the Bucks were 0:01:17.080 --> 0:01:20.720 at full strength, if not nearly completely full strength. The 0:01:20.760 --> 0:01:24.440 Sixers were definitely not at full strength, and it took 0:01:25.000 --> 0:01:27.920 MVP level play from Jannis to get them over the 0:01:28.000 --> 0:01:31.640 hump against a Sixers team that was severely shorthanded without 0:01:31.680 --> 0:01:33.919 Joel Embiid. I think anytime you don't have Joel Embiid, 0:01:33.959 --> 0:01:37.640 you can use the words severely shorthanded. It took Jannis's 0:01:37.640 --> 0:01:40.720 heroics to get over the hump against this Sixers team 0:01:40.800 --> 0:01:44.120 absent their best player on the second night of a 0:01:44.120 --> 0:01:48.080 back to back, clearly pretty exhausted. So I think that 0:01:48.640 --> 0:01:51.480 this was as close to a moral victory as any 0:01:51.560 --> 0:01:54.280 team wants to accept. I don't want to put words 0:01:54.280 --> 0:01:57.880 in anyone's mouth, but postgame, the vibes were not terrible. 0:01:58.440 --> 0:02:02.400 People felt that it was still an overall solid learning 0:02:02.640 --> 0:02:05.080 outing and it was fun to watch. It was fun 0:02:05.080 --> 0:02:08.080 to watch. I agree, as close to a moral victory 0:02:08.240 --> 0:02:11.600 as you could have, and especially coming on the second 0:02:11.639 --> 0:02:14.040 of the back to back, where you go deep into 0:02:14.360 --> 0:02:17.720 the final seconds of the game, come from behind against 0:02:17.720 --> 0:02:20.359 the New York Knicks and you win that basketball game, 0:02:20.400 --> 0:02:23.040 you have to feel good about where they were shorthanded 0:02:23.360 --> 0:02:26.560 as they were without Duel Ebid, Seth Curry going down Lake, 0:02:27.000 --> 0:02:28.959 the Lakes just had to be tired, and you don't 0:02:28.960 --> 0:02:32.120 want to make excuses, but it is what it is. 0:02:32.320 --> 0:02:34.840 And I thought they put up a valued effort and 0:02:35.200 --> 0:02:37.920 unfortunately it did not come away with the W. But 0:02:38.560 --> 0:02:40.960 I cannot wait to see them now in a couple 0:02:41.000 --> 0:02:43.760 of weeks. So on the back to back to home 0:02:43.880 --> 0:02:47.480 the two game series in Milwaukee, where hopefully Ebid is back, 0:02:47.520 --> 0:02:50.079 the roster is where it's going to be at that time, 0:02:50.400 --> 0:02:52.640 and then we can really get a good gauge of 0:02:53.120 --> 0:02:55.400 where these two teams are as they stack up against 0:02:55.400 --> 0:03:00.400 one another. But a nice showing, if you will, on 0:03:00.720 --> 0:03:04.480 Wednesday night against the Milwaukee Bucks. So a lot to 0:03:04.520 --> 0:03:07.519 look forward to with these two teams. I thought Doc 0:03:07.600 --> 0:03:10.239 Rivers put it really well after the game. You could 0:03:10.240 --> 0:03:14.080 see the toll of last night's game. Playing that fourth quarter. 0:03:14.120 --> 0:03:18.639 When you see Tobias and Fur and Seth and Shake 0:03:18.919 --> 0:03:22.200 missing wide open shots all front rim, you know that's 0:03:22.280 --> 0:03:25.919 not good for your offense. I don't leave this game discourage. 0:03:26.240 --> 0:03:29.160 Let me put it that way. Could you be disappointed 0:03:29.240 --> 0:03:31.360 it was an overtime loss, the seventy six was led 0:03:31.360 --> 0:03:34.520 by as many as nineteen points in the third quarter. Sure, 0:03:34.720 --> 0:03:37.240 you can be disappointed. It's against a great team, someone 0:03:37.240 --> 0:03:39.320 who's right on your heels for the top spot in 0:03:39.320 --> 0:03:41.800 the Eastern Conference. But Doc said he didn't leave the 0:03:41.800 --> 0:03:44.800 game discouraged, which I think he should not have, nor 0:03:44.840 --> 0:03:47.680 should anyone else inside that locker room have left the 0:03:47.720 --> 0:03:50.480 game feeling discouraged because you could not evaluate what we 0:03:50.480 --> 0:03:54.160 were seeing without the context who was available and who 0:03:54.240 --> 0:03:58.080 is not. No Joel Embiid, no Seth Curry in crunch 0:03:58.160 --> 0:04:00.440 time when the game was on the line. So you 0:04:00.480 --> 0:04:02.560 take away arguably the best player on the planet this 0:04:02.600 --> 0:04:05.000 season in Joel, and one of the best shooters not 0:04:05.040 --> 0:04:07.800 only on the Sixers roster, but in the game. That 0:04:08.080 --> 0:04:10.560 is tough sledding to go up against a team as 0:04:10.600 --> 0:04:13.560 talented as Milwaukee, despite the fact that the rest of 0:04:13.560 --> 0:04:16.080 the guys aside from Yannis pretty much all had off 0:04:16.240 --> 0:04:19.600 nights for the most part. And then you throw Jannis 0:04:19.600 --> 0:04:21.560 in there, and he's as great as he is. It's 0:04:21.600 --> 0:04:24.119 just for me hard to truly put so much stock 0:04:24.200 --> 0:04:26.599 into this as far as like saying, well, yes, the 0:04:26.600 --> 0:04:29.440 winner of this game is better than the seventy Sixers. 0:04:29.440 --> 0:04:31.400 At this point in time, I can't go there yet 0:04:31.440 --> 0:04:35.040 because I can't ignore the fact that Joel Embi didn't play. 0:04:35.640 --> 0:04:37.800 I'm with it, and I would add with Jannis. He 0:04:37.920 --> 0:04:41.880 struggled in that first half four points, four turnovers, guarded 0:04:41.880 --> 0:04:45.240 heavily by Ben Simmons. I mean, you have to wonder 0:04:45.440 --> 0:04:48.600 if Ben got a little bit more tired holding him 0:04:48.600 --> 0:04:50.920 down that way, or did Yannis just decide to turn 0:04:50.960 --> 0:04:54.320 it on. I'm not really sure, but it's worth noting 0:04:54.560 --> 0:04:57.240 that if the Sixers maybe had had all their gas, 0:04:57.400 --> 0:04:59.000 they might have been able to put the clamps on 0:04:59.080 --> 0:05:01.200 Yannis the way they did for the full game. But 0:05:01.279 --> 0:05:03.160 they were on the second night of what was a 0:05:03.360 --> 0:05:05.560 late back to back. That first half of the back 0:05:05.600 --> 0:05:07.720 to back, the game started later than the second half, 0:05:08.200 --> 0:05:11.080 and Jannis really struggled until the end, and I think 0:05:11.120 --> 0:05:14.200 that that's worth noting as we continue to prepare for 0:05:14.320 --> 0:05:17.960 more of these matchups. Obviously, I'm employed by the Philadelphia 0:05:18.000 --> 0:05:21.560 seventy Sixers, so I view the world through certain colored glasses, 0:05:21.920 --> 0:05:25.000 but I also really look forward to seeing teams who 0:05:25.120 --> 0:05:26.840 we don't get to see on a regular basis, and 0:05:26.920 --> 0:05:29.600 for me, I was really curious to see how Milwaukee 0:05:29.680 --> 0:05:32.520 would come out. They had won five straight coming into 0:05:32.520 --> 0:05:35.599 the game, nine out of the last ten, and the 0:05:35.640 --> 0:05:37.800 way they came out, I was like, what, I was like, 0:05:37.880 --> 0:05:41.039 come on, the Sixers just grinded through. Seriously. I was like, 0:05:41.080 --> 0:05:43.880 the Sixers just grinded through a game the night before, 0:05:43.960 --> 0:05:47.160 hard fought game against the Knicks. They were shorthanded talking 0:05:47.160 --> 0:05:51.000 about the Sixers and Milwaukee just they were totally taken 0:05:51.000 --> 0:05:53.039 out of their game by the Sixers, but they also 0:05:53.080 --> 0:05:55.880 missed some shots that were there for them. By the 0:05:55.920 --> 0:05:57.919 same token, I was really impressed with the way the 0:05:57.920 --> 0:06:02.000 Sixers started the game, very surprise. Did not see that 0:06:02.080 --> 0:06:06.280 happening whatsoever. The Sexers just totally stifling Milwaukee throughout that 0:06:06.400 --> 0:06:09.520 first half. I know it's all about who emerges the 0:06:09.520 --> 0:06:11.440 winner in the end, but I thought that there was 0:06:11.480 --> 0:06:13.159 a lot of good that was done through the first 0:06:13.279 --> 0:06:15.960 two and a half quarters of the game by the Sexers. Yeah, 0:06:16.000 --> 0:06:18.239 there was a lot of good work. And I also 0:06:18.360 --> 0:06:21.680 referenced something that coach Doc Rivers pointed out, and you 0:06:21.680 --> 0:06:24.680 can have it for both games on Tuesday and Wednesday, 0:06:24.720 --> 0:06:27.080 which were the fact that we threw it back to 0:06:27.120 --> 0:06:30.200 the nineties with the basketball and how physical it was, 0:06:30.520 --> 0:06:33.800 the low scoring, the midshots and all. But you know, 0:06:33.880 --> 0:06:38.279 it was entertaining in a different type of way. And 0:06:38.320 --> 0:06:40.599 of course with no one beat out there, it was 0:06:40.720 --> 0:06:43.160 encouraging to see them perform the way that they did 0:06:43.600 --> 0:06:46.920 against two formidable conans, even though New York was coming 0:06:46.920 --> 0:06:49.200 off of a back to back the night before where 0:06:49.200 --> 0:06:52.120 they played a tough one against Brooklyn, also going deep 0:06:52.120 --> 0:06:55.600 into their game. But when you look at it and 0:06:55.640 --> 0:06:58.359 just see where the schedule falls, and I'm big on 0:06:58.480 --> 0:07:02.120 how did it happen? So he Doc Gris talks about 0:07:02.160 --> 0:07:05.960 the disappointment Shore. We can be disappointment. Disappointed because it 0:07:06.120 --> 0:07:10.400 was a nineteen point lead. You saw Milwaukee surging back. Okay, 0:07:10.480 --> 0:07:13.520 let's get everything together. Let's slow the offense down maybe 0:07:13.520 --> 0:07:15.680 a little bit, let's pick and choose where we go on. 0:07:15.760 --> 0:07:18.000 Let's be better in transition. There are a lot of 0:07:18.000 --> 0:07:21.240 things to point out, but once again, when you're shorthanded 0:07:21.280 --> 0:07:24.000 the way you were playing the late game that Lauren 0:07:24.040 --> 0:07:27.560 mentioned and still being in it and never going away, 0:07:27.720 --> 0:07:30.240 mind you, even when Milwaukee had that momentum and they 0:07:30.280 --> 0:07:32.520 took it. The seventy sixers did find a way to 0:07:32.560 --> 0:07:36.000 take it back. Unfortunately the w ensued at the end, 0:07:36.280 --> 0:07:39.960 but still something to look forward to. Hopefully you don't 0:07:39.960 --> 0:07:41.840 have too many more games. We know there's a stretch 0:07:41.880 --> 0:07:44.520 here without and B for a little bit of time. 0:07:44.560 --> 0:07:47.760 But going forward, there's something to take away from a 0:07:47.840 --> 0:07:50.480 game like this. There's always something to take away from 0:07:50.800 --> 0:07:53.600 losses like you suffered last night, and I'm sure with 0:07:53.640 --> 0:07:55.760 the coaching staff that they had, they'll point out and 0:07:55.880 --> 0:07:58.040 find those things that they need to work on to 0:07:58.120 --> 0:08:00.160 build on that point. There's a couple of way is 0:08:00.160 --> 0:08:02.320 that you can look at it. The seventy six Ers, 0:08:02.360 --> 0:08:05.360 barring something totally unimaginable, are going to be in the 0:08:05.360 --> 0:08:08.800 playoffs and very very likely a top four seed. Are 0:08:08.840 --> 0:08:10.600 they going to be the one seed? There might not 0:08:10.640 --> 0:08:12.800 be as much margin for error for the one seed 0:08:13.000 --> 0:08:16.640 as being a top four seed. So does a win 0:08:16.800 --> 0:08:19.640 or a loss against the Bucks on Wednesday? How much 0:08:19.680 --> 0:08:22.800 does that matter in the grand scheme of things. I 0:08:22.840 --> 0:08:24.560 don't know if you really, if you're the Sixers, given 0:08:24.560 --> 0:08:26.240 where they are right now, if you need to play 0:08:26.400 --> 0:08:29.160 that much weight and whether it's a win or a loss. 0:08:29.600 --> 0:08:31.760 I think you can make the case that the loser 0:08:31.840 --> 0:08:34.840 of Wednesday's game could emerge from that game feeling better 0:08:34.880 --> 0:08:37.160 about itself and the way it matched up than the 0:08:37.200 --> 0:08:40.360 winner of that game. I like that might be a 0:08:40.360 --> 0:08:43.160 little bit of a reach. No, I get it. I 0:08:43.240 --> 0:08:45.840 get it again. And then Jane at the end gave 0:08:45.880 --> 0:08:48.960 them a little bit of some stuel there as well, 0:08:49.040 --> 0:08:51.520 with sitting on the floor, to be honest, gets it back, 0:08:52.000 --> 0:08:55.600 attacking the pain now and knots at home and turning 0:08:55.640 --> 0:08:59.959 out the lights on top rivers. Yes, sit down, Philadel 0:09:02.360 --> 0:09:07.600 single handedly claiming the court at Will's farical that Mark. 0:09:07.640 --> 0:09:10.920 You can hear the Philly fans. They didn't like it. 0:09:11.040 --> 0:09:13.880 They're reacting to him shitting on the floor right there. 0:09:14.679 --> 0:09:17.679 Sure the players weren't too happy about that. But again, 0:09:18.160 --> 0:09:20.200 like I said, and I agree with yourself, just being 0:09:20.240 --> 0:09:23.000 able to take away from some things, knowing that you 0:09:23.080 --> 0:09:25.480 were in a tough spot coming off of that the 0:09:25.520 --> 0:09:28.120 game before against the New York Knicks, where that was 0:09:28.120 --> 0:09:29.600 a tough one. Sure you could take a lot of 0:09:29.600 --> 0:09:33.440 things from this, feel good about yourself and point out, hey, 0:09:34.679 --> 0:09:38.640 they needed every second to beat us tonight. And sure 0:09:38.720 --> 0:09:40.640 we were home and we played very well at home. 0:09:41.280 --> 0:09:44.240 But that conversation can be had where you don't want 0:09:44.280 --> 0:09:46.880 to use that as the only thing, but it's a 0:09:47.000 --> 0:09:50.920 thing where they needed every second, every available player that 0:09:50.960 --> 0:09:54.280 they had to take us down, including the reigning MVP 0:09:54.480 --> 0:09:57.080 Lauren that you mentioned. I would just add that this 0:09:57.160 --> 0:10:00.480 is a team that's consistently found ways to compete, regardless 0:10:00.480 --> 0:10:04.240 of the opponent, regardless of the deficit, regardless of an advantage. 0:10:04.240 --> 0:10:08.400 Sometimes it's a team that always knows how to compete. 0:10:08.440 --> 0:10:11.000 And that's really fun that we've had games where we've 0:10:11.000 --> 0:10:13.959 been down nineteen. We the Sixers fans, we the Sixers. 0:10:14.120 --> 0:10:16.440 The Sixers have been down nineteen, and they've found a 0:10:16.440 --> 0:10:19.040 way to come back and compete. Obviously, you never want 0:10:19.080 --> 0:10:22.520 to blow a lead. Last Night's lead, rather Wednesday's lead 0:10:23.160 --> 0:10:25.800 ended up getting eaten up. But I've been really encouraged 0:10:25.800 --> 0:10:29.000 by regardless of the opponent, regardless of which Sixers are available, 0:10:29.080 --> 0:10:31.560 Let's go back to the seven Sixers, the small Sixers, 0:10:31.960 --> 0:10:34.040 this is a group that finds ways to compete on 0:10:34.080 --> 0:10:37.280 a nightly basis, independent of opponent, independent of availability, and 0:10:37.360 --> 0:10:40.040 I think that that's something really special. The one thing 0:10:40.040 --> 0:10:42.560 that we could analyze from this game, regardless of whether 0:10:42.640 --> 0:10:44.920 or not Jowell Embiad was playing or the Bucks had 0:10:44.960 --> 0:10:47.200 to sit certain guys because they were involved in a trade. 0:10:47.400 --> 0:10:49.560 We'll talk about that in a moment. Is how Ben 0:10:49.600 --> 0:10:52.680 Simmons went up against Giannis Autacombo head to head. I 0:10:52.720 --> 0:10:56.040 think that's something that everyone was looking forward to. Doc 0:10:56.120 --> 0:10:59.000 Rivers with a lot of praise for Ben after the game. 0:10:59.240 --> 0:11:02.440 Listen times Ben was on him. We couldn't have guarded 0:11:02.480 --> 0:11:04.160 that any better. I thought they did a pretty good 0:11:04.240 --> 0:11:06.960 job of getting Ben to switch off of them, and 0:11:07.000 --> 0:11:08.719 I thought a lot of that was fatigued too on 0:11:08.880 --> 0:11:11.079 Ben's part, like you know, several of him. He probably 0:11:11.120 --> 0:11:13.440 didn't have to switch. We didn't want him to. Dee, 0:11:13.600 --> 0:11:16.360 what did you make of that matchup? I like what 0:11:16.440 --> 0:11:19.720 he did because of previous matchups, things that we've seen 0:11:19.720 --> 0:11:23.240 any before where although he's six ten six to eleven, 0:11:23.320 --> 0:11:27.280 Ben Simmons and Jannis is also a big human and 0:11:27.559 --> 0:11:31.520 what he's able to offensively. Sometimes we have seen Ben 0:11:31.559 --> 0:11:35.079 struggle where you had to use Joe ellen b You 0:11:35.200 --> 0:11:38.400 also had to use last season al Horford to also 0:11:38.520 --> 0:11:41.280 match up with Jannis, And in this case, I thought 0:11:41.280 --> 0:11:45.160 Ben did a tremendous job early on with standing his ground, 0:11:47.480 --> 0:11:51.000 bodying him up on the little block, bodying him up 0:11:51.000 --> 0:11:53.160 on the face up where he decided to face up 0:11:53.200 --> 0:11:57.120 and turn his body, figuring out which way he wanted 0:11:57.120 --> 0:11:59.080 to play him on a perimeter. I'm going to back 0:11:59.080 --> 0:12:02.120 off because you know, to ray shooter, but then I'm 0:12:02.120 --> 0:12:03.959 also going to jab at you a little bit show 0:12:04.520 --> 0:12:08.040 and see what you do. Make you dribble, and when 0:12:08.040 --> 0:12:10.040 you do dribble, now you're a little thrown off and 0:12:10.080 --> 0:12:13.400 I have to make a decision. So I really like 0:12:13.520 --> 0:12:17.839 the overall game plan of what he did. There was 0:12:17.880 --> 0:12:20.280 no need for Yannis to go with the two little 0:12:20.600 --> 0:12:24.640 thing that he likes to do famously against Ben. And 0:12:24.679 --> 0:12:26.720 I think Ben Simmons held up and held his own 0:12:27.120 --> 0:12:29.199 last night, showing why he is a defensive Player of 0:12:29.240 --> 0:12:31.400 the Year candidate, a worthy one and maybe even the 0:12:31.480 --> 0:12:36.079 leader for a lot of people. And another point, Selts 0:12:36.120 --> 0:12:38.920 something to take later on when these two teams see 0:12:38.960 --> 0:12:40.760 each other in the future, whether it's the two regular 0:12:40.760 --> 0:12:44.080 season games in Milwaukee and if by chance they see 0:12:44.160 --> 0:12:47.319 one another in the postseason, that this is a matchup 0:12:47.320 --> 0:12:50.880 where you know you can throw and be as well 0:12:50.920 --> 0:12:54.400 as Simmons and if need be, as a third some 0:12:54.520 --> 0:12:57.400 good things because of his lateral movement, Dwight Howard and 0:12:57.440 --> 0:13:00.480 how he's able to move as well. So I like 0:13:00.600 --> 0:13:05.040 what Simmons did defensively last night. I pick a little 0:13:05.080 --> 0:13:06.880 bit as some of the things, and I'm sure everyone 0:13:06.920 --> 0:13:09.800 was a little fatigued, but at the end offensively when 0:13:09.800 --> 0:13:11.800 they needed a little more, I would have liked to 0:13:11.840 --> 0:13:13.760 have seen Simmons do a little bit more just to 0:13:13.800 --> 0:13:17.200 help out with Harris off, Milton having an off type 0:13:17.200 --> 0:13:20.079 of night, and a few others as well, But overall, 0:13:20.080 --> 0:13:23.440 I thought a solid game from Ben Simmons, especially defensively 0:13:23.480 --> 0:13:26.679 against Giannas, despite the thirty two points lay. To me, 0:13:27.120 --> 0:13:30.560 if I'm a Bucks fan, I'm frightened by what I 0:13:30.600 --> 0:13:34.320 saw last night, knowing that these teams could end up 0:13:34.320 --> 0:13:37.560 in a best of seven situation down the road. If 0:13:37.600 --> 0:13:40.920 this is what Ben was able to do tired, if 0:13:40.960 --> 0:13:43.640 this is what the Sixers were able to do without Joel, 0:13:44.200 --> 0:13:47.120 I am a very concerned Bucks fan this morning. I 0:13:47.160 --> 0:13:49.880 am not wanting to run into the Sixers in the 0:13:49.920 --> 0:13:52.880 postseason again. I think we just keep going back to 0:13:52.920 --> 0:13:54.640 the same point. This is as close to a moral 0:13:54.720 --> 0:13:57.400 victory as you can get. I love what you said 0:13:57.400 --> 0:14:01.800 about Ben really put Janis and the six or Twitter 0:14:01.880 --> 0:14:05.599 has has decided to start putting players in the benettentiary 0:14:05.880 --> 0:14:09.720 when he locks somebody up. So Jannis was in there 0:14:09.800 --> 0:14:12.520 for two and a half quarters and I love to 0:14:12.520 --> 0:14:15.040 see it. The intensity that Ben has been bringing on defense. 0:14:16.280 --> 0:14:20.160 His sharing last night was wonderful. He's just really found 0:14:20.200 --> 0:14:22.400 another level and I'm excited to see him continue to 0:14:22.480 --> 0:14:25.520 unlock more without Joel in the next couple of weeks 0:14:25.520 --> 0:14:27.600 because it's going to be really cool for him if 0:14:27.640 --> 0:14:30.360 he continues on the trajectory that he's on. So the numbers, 0:14:30.360 --> 0:14:34.280 according to NBA dot Com, Ben Simmons on Jannis for 0:14:34.360 --> 0:14:38.000 over eight minutes in the game on Wednesday. During that time, 0:14:38.080 --> 0:14:41.480 Jannis two for eight from the field. Now, again, you 0:14:41.480 --> 0:14:43.520 can only take these numbers the grain assault they list 0:14:43.560 --> 0:14:46.040 him is o for three from three, but of course 0:14:46.640 --> 0:14:49.120 Ben was in the vicinity and decided to back off 0:14:49.200 --> 0:14:52.680 Yannis when he hit that three in the overtime period. 0:14:52.720 --> 0:14:55.160 So you know, take these numbers with a grain assault, 0:14:55.720 --> 0:14:58.760 but four turnovers committed by Yannis with Ben on him, 0:14:58.920 --> 0:15:01.600 so those are obviously really good numbers and yes, to 0:15:01.640 --> 0:15:03.960 circle back to what you said, Devon and brought this 0:15:04.040 --> 0:15:09.479 up first. Last year, Jannis was pretty much Joel's guy defensively, 0:15:11.080 --> 0:15:13.440 and that's a weapon that the seventy six ers we 0:15:13.440 --> 0:15:16.000 won't know until they play again, hopefully, if Joel's out there, 0:15:16.280 --> 0:15:19.240 if Doc Rivers sees the world defensively the same way 0:15:19.240 --> 0:15:22.400 that Brett Brown does and wants to try Joel on 0:15:22.520 --> 0:15:24.640 Jannis a little bit. I think that right on the 0:15:24.680 --> 0:15:26.840 offensive end, the six or sixteen by Ben, you want 0:15:26.840 --> 0:15:29.800 to see better there, The zero attempts and the free 0:15:29.800 --> 0:15:33.240 throw column, you want to see more there, the seven turnovers, 0:15:33.240 --> 0:15:34.960 you'd like that cleaned up. But I think for me, 0:15:36.320 --> 0:15:39.520 I'm ultimately going to feel like, based on what I've 0:15:39.560 --> 0:15:44.000 seen this season, I'm gonna have faith that Ben can 0:15:44.040 --> 0:15:45.440 do that and do a little bit more on the 0:15:45.440 --> 0:15:47.240 offensive end the next time around. If he doesn't, then 0:15:47.360 --> 0:15:49.960 then maybe I step back and reevaluate them. I'm looking 0:15:49.960 --> 0:15:51.680 at this, But I think for me going into that 0:15:51.720 --> 0:15:53.960 game on Wednesday, what I wanted to see was had 0:15:54.000 --> 0:15:56.840 his Ben hold his ground? Does he against Jannis? And 0:15:56.920 --> 0:15:59.040 I think that can we all agree he acquitted himself 0:15:59.320 --> 0:16:07.200 pretty well? Yeah? Absolutely, absolutely, I would concur. All right, 0:16:07.480 --> 0:16:10.800 we've talked about Ben and Janis before moving on and 0:16:10.800 --> 0:16:13.720 putting this game behind us. What about the rest of 0:16:13.760 --> 0:16:17.240 the rosters of the Sixers and the Bucks. I'll say this, 0:16:17.400 --> 0:16:19.680 I think the Sixers are better suited to match up 0:16:19.720 --> 0:16:23.000 with Milwaukee this year than last year, and that takes 0:16:23.040 --> 0:16:26.119 into account the changes that both teams made in the offseason. 0:16:26.480 --> 0:16:28.280 We'll have to see if the seventy Sixers, obviously if 0:16:28.280 --> 0:16:31.080 any moves in them before the end of this month. 0:16:31.280 --> 0:16:34.640 Milwaukee made some tweaks. Just gone back to Wednesday with 0:16:34.680 --> 0:16:38.080 the addition of PJ. Tucker agreed, I think that this 0:16:38.160 --> 0:16:40.680 year's Sixers team matches up better than last year or 0:16:40.720 --> 0:16:43.240 Sixers team did with these Milwaukee Bucks. Of course, these 0:16:43.240 --> 0:16:46.640 Milwaukee Bucks now different, as you said, Celts, but we 0:16:46.720 --> 0:16:49.360 saw some good defense from Tobias Harris last night. We 0:16:49.440 --> 0:16:51.640 saw Matisse Bible due with some of what he can do. 0:16:51.680 --> 0:16:55.520 The two of them had some solid possessions against Chris Middleton, 0:16:55.600 --> 0:16:59.080 who is still Milwaukee's probably secondary weapon right if not 0:16:59.120 --> 0:17:02.520 true holiday so cool to see that the Sixers defenders, 0:17:03.640 --> 0:17:07.159 multiple Sixers defenders can do good work on a fewer 0:17:07.200 --> 0:17:10.120 amount of Milwaukee players. Right, there are more good Sixers 0:17:10.160 --> 0:17:14.119 defenders than there are good Milwaukee offensive players. And again 0:17:14.440 --> 0:17:17.119 that's part of why I'm afraid of running into the 0:17:17.160 --> 0:17:21.120 Sixers down the road if I'm a Bucks fan. Yeah, 0:17:21.160 --> 0:17:24.840 that's a great point as well. The matchups. I do 0:17:24.920 --> 0:17:27.760 like the Sixers a little more this season, the growth 0:17:27.760 --> 0:17:31.320 of natistable defensively, understanding that if it is going to 0:17:31.359 --> 0:17:35.399 be a Janis Middleton Holiday type of type of game, 0:17:35.640 --> 0:17:37.960 where those are your three offensive players that you have 0:17:38.000 --> 0:17:42.119 to worry about. I feel very comfortable with Simmons, Thible 0:17:42.359 --> 0:17:45.240 and andb especially Downe to stretch and doing the work 0:17:45.240 --> 0:17:47.200 that you need to because I think that when it's 0:17:47.200 --> 0:17:49.720 all set and done, when they're playing, all of the 0:17:49.760 --> 0:17:51.479 games are going to come down to the wire in 0:17:51.520 --> 0:17:54.359 my opinion, because that's how closely matched they are and 0:17:54.440 --> 0:17:56.480 that's just how it's going to be. So if you 0:17:56.600 --> 0:17:59.760 are are available to throw those three out and we'll 0:17:59.760 --> 0:18:02.680 see how things play out over the next week, as 0:18:02.680 --> 0:18:05.119 you talked about ourselves now less than a week at 0:18:05.119 --> 0:18:08.399 the deadline, that we will see where things are with 0:18:08.480 --> 0:18:10.080 these two teams. But I do think they match up 0:18:10.160 --> 0:18:13.680 much better and improved Joel and be as good as 0:18:13.720 --> 0:18:18.320 we have seen him before, better now Simmons as well, 0:18:18.600 --> 0:18:22.400 and Thyble also, So I do like where they are. 0:18:23.480 --> 0:18:28.160 My one concern is that they as good as Giannis 0:18:28.359 --> 0:18:32.080 was and Lauren you already mentioned it. Middleton did have 0:18:32.119 --> 0:18:35.560 an off night and Drew Holiday as well still, if 0:18:35.560 --> 0:18:39.159 you will, recovering from the COVID situation, that he was 0:18:39.200 --> 0:18:42.600 down for a while, so seeing where they are later 0:18:42.680 --> 0:18:45.040 on in the season. But I would also believe that 0:18:45.080 --> 0:18:48.359 the Sixes are much improved by them as well, and 0:18:48.480 --> 0:18:52.640 have their legs and understand the entire offense and where 0:18:52.640 --> 0:18:54.919 they are, how comfortable they are within their offense. So 0:18:55.320 --> 0:18:57.240 I just I think that that's going to be a 0:18:57.240 --> 0:19:01.240 fun matchup no matter what wherever we see him once again, 0:19:01.680 --> 0:19:04.000 and they're they're a good basketball team. But I do 0:19:04.080 --> 0:19:05.879 think the six Is fare very well against them. I'm 0:19:05.920 --> 0:19:08.560 not afraid if I were forced to take some truth seram, 0:19:08.640 --> 0:19:11.200 things that I would be falling away. In the back 0:19:11.200 --> 0:19:14.720 of my mind from Wednesday's game was Lopez's ability to 0:19:14.760 --> 0:19:17.800 pop out. That would concern me because he's shown in 0:19:17.840 --> 0:19:20.320 the past that if he gets going a little bit, 0:19:20.400 --> 0:19:22.639 he can knock some down. That could be tricky in 0:19:22.720 --> 0:19:27.080 the wrong moment at the wrong time shots and that 0:19:27.160 --> 0:19:30.639 was something that really helped get them going. Devencenzo's bounce 0:19:31.320 --> 0:19:34.240 really good. He obviously made some costly defensive mistakes against 0:19:34.240 --> 0:19:37.560 fur CONCORKMS, but Deeven Chens is a threat. And I 0:19:37.600 --> 0:19:40.679 also wouldn't expect Bobby Portis and Bryn Forbes to go 0:19:40.760 --> 0:19:44.000 combined over eight from three and one for eighteen from 0:19:44.000 --> 0:19:46.320 the field. Again, I think they clearly underperformed the game 0:19:46.320 --> 0:19:48.800 on Wednesday, But to speak to both of your points, 0:19:49.040 --> 0:19:51.800 I'd love to see personally a match. But again, between 0:19:51.800 --> 0:19:54.480 these two teams in the postseason, we know they have 0:19:54.480 --> 0:19:57.800 two more games Adviser Forum in April against one another. 0:19:58.160 --> 0:20:00.640 And this is especially after some of the antic from 0:20:00.720 --> 0:20:05.200 Yannis on Wednesday. Hey day, Um, Jannis made a big 0:20:05.240 --> 0:20:07.280 basket in the over time and then he just sat 0:20:07.320 --> 0:20:09.800 at mid court and I wondered if you guys took 0:20:09.880 --> 0:20:12.840 notice of that. Oh yeah, I wanted to go in 0:20:12.960 --> 0:20:17.120 stone cold stunner him, but I already got one tech. 0:20:17.280 --> 0:20:19.639 You know. Um, he made some tough shots at the 0:20:19.760 --> 0:20:23.119 end of the game, reigning MVP, and he had a 0:20:23.119 --> 0:20:25.800 great game. So I'm not one to talk trash or 0:20:25.920 --> 0:20:30.280 say anything negative, but uh, we'll see them again and 0:20:30.680 --> 0:20:34.199 get a different results. Yeah, the Seeds felt like they 0:20:34.200 --> 0:20:38.399 were planted in it. Maybe even perhaps a wrestling move. Yeah, 0:20:39.560 --> 0:20:42.280 him doing that one not only for the seventy six 0:20:42.359 --> 0:20:45.480