Tonight had all the makings of a scheduled loss for the Philadelphia 76ers. Joel Embiid had a rest day, Ben Simmons is God knows where and Tobias Harris was a late scratch on the health protocols list. Down three starters, they eventually lost a fourth in Danny Green, who left with hamstring tightness.
This should have been a 20 point loss. Instead it was a double digit win.
Out gunned and out manned, the Sixers turned in a stellar offensive performance with a season high 34 assists. The team finished with more steals than they had turnovers.
Daryl Morey’s carefully constructed team got huge contributions by some of the fill ins. Andre Drummond had a near triple double including five (!!) steals on defense. Seth Curry did a phenomenal job closing out the game for the Sixers, which is always more nerve wracking than watching Michael Myers chase an innocent bystander down. And maybe the star of the night was Georges Niang who finished with 21 points including some monstrous and-ones. These three players combined salary is less than $14 million this season. For context, the Trail Blazers are paying Norman Powell $15 million this season.
On the opposite side of the court, the results were downright disgusting. The offense was rigid with a ton of isolation late in the shot clock. The Trail Blazers were constantly relying on a late shot clock contested shot from Dame Lillard or CJ Mccollum and even sometimes Anfernee Simons. They constantly lost shooters on defense and maybe even most shocking, they couldn’t even defend a dribble drive from Georges Niang for most of the night.
They are 3-4 on the early season, with a ton of bloated contracts, and going nowhere.
It’s time for Dame Lillard to pull the plug.
After nine seasons in Portland, Lillard should have waved the white flag after another first round playoff exit and a coaching regime change. It was the perfect time for him to transition to a competitor (like the Sixers) because the Trail Blazers are too painfully flawed to ever deliver a ring to Lillard’s legacy.
When the Lillard trade demand arrives and it should, Sixers fans are ready:
“We Want Lillard!” 😂
pic.twitter.com/zN3KmqtFh0— Life of a Philly Fan (@PhillyFanLife) November 1, 2021
Late in tonights game, you saw why Lillard and the Sixers solve each others greatest issue. Dame almost went full Dame Time, hitting a few tough buckets down the stretch, a sight the Sixers have longed for since Jimmy Butler left. But Dame Time isn’t enough to save the Trail Blazers who couldn’t get enough stops against the depth of the Sixers.
Dame, it’s time. Cement your legacy with a ring before it is too late, because it will never happen in Portland.