The Philadelphia 76ers have higher expectations now that they’ve added a third All-Star to a playoff roster, but those expectations may have been tapered after a 111-106 loss to the Orlando Magic on Wednesday.
The 76ers lost to the Magic in Jimmy Butler’s debut, and it’s OK
Philly gave away a 16-point 4th-quarter lead in Butler’s debut. It’s OK. It takes time.
Photo by Alex Menendez/Getty Images
The 76ers traded Robert Covington and Dario Saric to the Timberwolves for Jimmy Butler, creating a talented trio along with the young Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons. But Philly blew a 16-point fourth-quarter lead, allowing the Magic to creep in late and spoil Butler’s first game in a Sixers uniform.
Butler’s acquisition was a polarizing one: Many basketball fans either loved the move, heralding Philly’s decision to attempt to win now, or hated it because the blend of personalities on the roster. Game 1 of Butler’s tenure in Philly isn’t a large enough sample size to see how this experiment will work out.
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- The Timberwolves let the Jimmy Butler mess happen
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- Inside the state of the 76ers before the Jimmy Butler trade
The 76ers have to figure this thing out on the fly
Butler addressed a Sixers need in the back court. He gives Philly another playmaker to take pressure off Ben Simmons, one who poses a threat from the perimeter.
But teams always take time to adjust after a mid-season trades. Philly’s deal took two starters out and replaced them with one. The Sixers also inserted Wilson Chandler to start at the four. Brett Brown mixed his rotations up early and often. It’s going to take time to figure these players out on the floor.
The shot distribution was also all over the place. Simmons only took five shots, Joel Embiid took 20, Butler took 12 and J.J. Redick took 13. The 76ers are best when Simmons is aggressive, but Orlando’s length on the inside limits his game. That should change against other opponents, which should open up tons of opportunity for Butler on the perimeter.
We saw good signs, though
There were multiple offensive sets where Butler came off of a double Simmons-Embiid screen before making a move. He was active off the ball, scoring his first points as a Sixer off of a backdoor cut, and he didn’t force anything — instead, he just let the game come to him.
The Embiid-Simmons-Butler trio is in its infant stage, and a loss to the Magic in their first night out isn’t anything to sweat about. These guys have barely had enough time to practice together. In due time, they’ll build the chemistry good teams need to win games.
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