NBA Power Rankings week 17: OKC Thunder and peers enter break

Philadelphia 76ers:

Offense: (108.4) 20th
Defense: (106.1) 4th
Net: (plus +2.3) 12th

Results Week 17: (1-0) Won vs. Clippers: 110-103
Games Week 18: (2 games) Thurs vs Nets | Sat at Bucks

In the last game before the break Head Coach, Brett Brown moved Al Horford to the bench in favor of starting Furkan Korkmaz. In the two games leading up to the change, Korkmaz scored 34 and 31 points respectively.

Brown says the 76ers will stick with this starting rotation. It’s opening up the court for Ben Simmons and allowing Joel Embiid to mix up his offense to play some in the paint and some on the perimeter.

But… there are still red flags. It worked initially, but now Korkmaz isn’t getting the same touches (17 in both those 30 point games and FIVE in his start). In the win over the Clippers he shot 0-5 for ZERO points.

Al Horford is earning $28 million to come off your bench. Moreover, he’s tied up through the next three seasons ($27.5M, $27M and $26.5M). That’s a lot of money to be sitting on your bench!

Plus, if Korkmaz is starting who is scoring off the bench?

All things which will need to be addressed moving forward, although the most important issue to deal with is the road and figuring out how to win there.

The other thing to keep an eye on is the whistle which seems to be blatantly in the 76ers favor as the Clippers noted in the loss. They aren’t the first crew to say as much and they won’t be the last.