Coming off a strong win against the Bucks and 77 combined points from Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey to beat the Kings, Saturday’s game should be a good opportunity for the Sixers to keep some momentum going.
The Sixers will welcome the 13-37 Pelicans — sitting at 14th place in the West — to Philadelphia, and have a healthy squad on their side too.
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Quentin Grimes, who’s been dealing with a right ankle sprain, is probable to return, and everyone else is available.
We’ll need to wait until closer to game time for the Pelicans’ injury report. New Orleans will have the rest disadvantage in this one, as they’re on the second night of a back-to-back after picking up a 114-106 win against the Grizzlies on Friday.
The headline matchup for the Sixers’ defense, of course, is Zion Williamson. After missing so much time throughout his career due to injuries, Zion has actually been in a run of good health and fine form lately. He’s played every game since Dec. 14, averaging 22.0 points with a 64.6 true shooting percentage while looking more like his high-flying self.
Apart from Paul George and Dominick Barlow needing to bring all the physicality and effort they can on the ball to try and cut off Zion’s drives, the Sixers will need sharp help rotations to keep Zion’s downhill scoring in check. Embiid and Adem Bona will need to be alert around the rim.
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Trey Murphy III is having yet another strong season as well, tallying career-highs of 21.9 points, 6.0 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game and a true shooting percentage of 61.7. He’s become more balanced as a scorer, becoming highly efficient as a finisher with simple yet strong drives and his transition play. The Sixers’ guards will need to follow him closely around screens to keep his high-volume threes contested and be ready to handle Murphy’s drive game when closing out.
It could be fun watching how Jeremiah Fears matches up against the Sixers’ guards as well. The Pelicans’ rookie point guard has been showing his potential from day one, although he’s had a role change over the last four games since moving to the bench. It can give him more time to lead the offense when not next to Zion and Queen, though, which is something Fears continues to improve at, and his defensive talent is still on show. It’s safe to say he’ll have a challenge on his hands against Maxey and VJ Edgecombe…
All that said, even with a few exciting young talents in their offense, the Pelicans still sit at just 25th in offensive rating.
It’ll be interesting to see how New Orleans’ super talented, crafty playmaking center Derik Queen fares on Saturday too. The rookie is averaging 12.1 points, 7.4 rebounds and an impressive 4.3 assists in 25.8 minutes per game. He’ll likely bring some entertainment value this weekend — the way he drives, spins, and reads the floor as a playmaker at center is rare. However, he lacks much size at 6-foot-9 and vertical pop. And what with his lack of experience as well, he’s going to have a rough time not being physically overwhelmed by Embiid.
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Which, in fairness, is the same for everyone facing the big fella right now. Jo’s moving fluidly again and truly back in dominant form.
There’s plenty to discuss right now as we wait for the NBA trade deadline to arrive, with Giannis-to-Philly talk continuing and Embiid calling out the team for repeatedly ducking the tax possibly ringing in the front office’s ears. And in the meantime, this should be a fun contest with the Sixers’ stars playing well and an explosive matchup to keep Zion in check. Before upcoming contests against teams like the Lakers, Suns and Knicks over the next two weeks, the Sixers need to take advantage on Saturday and grab what should be an easier win while they can.
With the extra firepower their offense has behind this version of Embiid and Maxey, Paul George perhaps in a better rhythm following his 32-point outing against Milwaukee, this team shouldn’t have many issues against the Pelicans’ 27th-ranked defense that’s playing on tired legs. If the Sixers can effectively protect the paint against Zion, they should have more than they need to extend the win streak to three.
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Game Details
When: Saturday, January 31, 7:30 p.m. ET
Where: Xfinity Mobile Arena, Philadelphia, PA
Watch: NBC Sports Philadelphia
Radio: 97.5 The Fanatic
Follow: @LibertyBallers
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