On the face of it, the only reason to hesitate on this spread is that the 76ers are on a back-to-back and had to play every second of last night’s game to close out the Jazz. Patrick Beverley, who is questionable with an illness, doesn’t have the burst to hang with Maxey and is too foul-prone to slow Harden. Austin Reaves and Lonnie Walker IV, two of their better perimeter players, are both going to be out for the foreseeable future. Maxey is a ball of energy, killing opponents on back cuts and smart off-ball work, and has flashed a shockingly improved jump shot to boot.Īs poorly as the Lakers match up against Embiid, their chances to contain either Maxey or Harden, let alone both, are almost as bad. Harden is playing All-Star caliber ball, leading the league in assists, and his patented step-back 3-pointer has been working for him lately. The 76ers, now finally whole, can count on three true needle movers on offense with James Harden and Tyrese Maxey sharing the backcourt. Those strategies have fared worse and worse against Embiid in recent years, as he’s grown so much as a passer and decision-maker.Įmbiid is only one third of the problem for the Lakers. L.A.’s only choice will be to double Embiid on the catch and front him in the post. After that, the team is almost entirely guards. Both are threats to foul out in the first half if Embiid really puts his mind to it. Jones is a fringe NBA guy, who can give the Lakers 15 minutes at best. He’s never been solid on that side of the ball, even during his Washington Wizards tenure prior to tearing his ACL. Bryant, who has developed wonderful offensive chemistry with both Russell Westbrook and LeBron James, is a significant liability on defense. Without Davis, the Lakers’ chances to guard Embiid lie on the shoulders of Thomas Bryant and Damion Jones. The Lakers have had a pretty good stretch recently, but wins against the Heat, Hawks, Kings, and Hornets don’t do much for my confidence in their ability to beat Embiid. One of those players happens to be Anthony Davis, whose absence looms large in Sunday’s matchup as he continues to rehab from a foot injury. You can count on one hand the number of players in the world who can hang with Joel Embiid one-on-one. Lakers on Sunday, January 15 believe that even on a road back-to-back, Philadelphia should outclass Los Angeles. Our NBA picks and predictions for 76ers vs. Now instead of a well-deserved rest, Philadelphia flew into LAX last night to take on LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday evening. When it came down to crunch time, James Harden set up Embiid for his signature step-back from the midrange to win the game. Last night, the Philadelphia 76ers took punch after punch from the Utah Jazz, who threatened to steal a last-second victory after getting outplayed for 45 minutes. Joel Embiid just keeps adding to his NBA MVP resume.
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