Sixers

The Sixers have been the NBA's worst transition defense team by a vast margin so far. They must discard their habits. By Noah Levick.

But, if the Sixers can't make fundamental changes, it might start to feel late rather early. It’s clearly premature for definitive judgements on Morey’s offseason, Tucker’s contract, and whether the Sixers can meet their own lofty expectations. The Raptors are up again Friday, followed by road games against the Bulls (3-2) and Wizards (3-1). “I thought there were probably 10 times we didn’t match up right in transition and they took advantage of it, so that’s going to be a point of emphasis,” Rivers said Monday. (Tucker) and Joel on the floor to start games, the speed at times can be a factor for us, so we have to watch that.” have made their bench more athletic, the team is still not stuffed with players who thrive in the open floor. Still, a botched switch or two is to be expected with four new players in the Sixers’ rotation. They had justified confidence that a turnover falling into their laps or a Sixer struggling to immediately process who was unguarded would result in points. And, though it does not come close to excusing everything, the Sixers’ personnel isn’t conducive to impeccable evenings in transition. The Sixers ranked 27th. Of course, effort and attentiveness won’t always get the job done by themselves, though the Sixers absolutely deserve criticism for regular lapses at the basics. “It’s so much about habit and discipline, and we’ve had bad habits all year.