The Philadelphia 76ers had a much better go of things in the month of January. Here’s a look at their progress as they continue to grow as a unit.
The Philadelphia 76ers look like they’re well on their way to breaking last season’s win-total of 28. Last season, they were 18-29 through the month of January. This season they are 24-23, good for eighth in the Eastern Conference standings. They are head and shoulders a much-improved team than they were a season ago.
Rookie Ben Simmons and big man Joel Embiid have both shown their potential and then some this season, showing that Philadelphia is headed in the right direction. Simmons is averaging 16.6 points, 7.9 rebounds, 7.3 assists and 1.8 steals per game this season. He’s registered five triple-doubles and 19 double-doubles in his rookie campaign.
Embiid is averaging 23.6 points, 10.9 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.8 blocks per game this season. He’s played 37 games and counting this season, well above the 31 games he played in 2016-17.
The Sixers are 7-4 through the month of January this season. After going 5-10 in the month of December, they are beginning to look like a team with depth to compete with other NBA teams. Things seemed to have clicked of late in the absence of J.J. Redick, which is a good sign considering how things have gone with Markelle Fultz.
Some good old TLC
The Philadelphia 76ers have gotten big minutes from Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot (TLC) and it’s been a breath of fresh air for their development. TLC has seen an increase in minutes in the past six games and his production has been pretty impressive.
He’s averaged 11.7 points, 2.5 assists and 1.8 assists in the past six contests for the Sixers. TLC has also shot 47.2 percent from behind the 3-point line in the same span. It’s a positive sign considering the team shot 2-for-26 (7.7 percent) on Monday night in their loss to the Milwaukee Bucks.
Outside of the Milwaukee game, TLC has been red-hot from beyond the arc for the Sixers. He went 6-for-8 in a 105-101 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies on Jan. 22. He went 4-for-7 from behind the 3-point line against the Chicago Bulls in the next game on Jan. 24. Philadelphia won that game 115-101.
TLC has made at least two 3-pointers in his last five starts prior to the team’s abysmal shooting night against the Bucks. TLC is in his second season in the league, which speaks to the youth on this roster. He’s emerging from a prospect to a role player, which has given the Sixers some unexpected depth in the process.
Finding Robert Convington’s 3-point stroke
Robert Covington has been himself in every aspect on the court except from behind the 3-point arc. Covington is currently shooting 33.3 percent from 3-point range in the month of January. He began the season shooting 46.7 percent in October but his efficiency has declined ever since.
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In November, it dropped to 39.6 percent. By December, it was at 35 percent. He’s shooting 22.7 percent (5-for-22) in Philadelphia’s past three games. Covington shot 1-for-8 from 3 on Monday night against Milwaukee. His shooting woes could all be in his head. After all, Covington was shooting 11-for-24 (45.8 percent) from 3-point land in the three games before that.
What started as a hot streak from behind the 3-point line has turned into something else for Robert Covington, that’s for sure. He hasn’t let affect his play on the defensive end, which is a positive sign.
With Redick out, the Philadelphia 76ers will need Covington to find his range. He may need to get some easy layups and dunks first to find his rhythm. The Sixers aren’t a team that needs to rely on the 3-point shot with Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons on the floor.
Next: 2017-18 Week 16 NBA Power Rankings
Philadelphia has one more game to close out the month against the Brooklyn Nets. Based on how things are going, expect another notch in the win-column. It is the team’s first meeting of the season.