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Mike Scott staying ready for Sixers, amid struggles | Off the Dribble

The fan favorite is battling through a shooting slump that has resulted in decreased playing time.

The Sixers' Mike Scott has seen his playing time decrease.
The Sixers' Mike Scott has seen his playing time decrease.Read moreTIM TAI / Staff Photographer

Happy Monday, peeps. Let’s start this work week off the right way.

Tonight, the 76ers will look to keep their home dominance intact when they host the Atlanta Hawks at the Wells Fargo Center. But they will be undermanned, with Ben Simmons sidelined because of a lower-back issue. And Tobias Harris is listed as doubtful with a knee contusion.

So things will be interesting for the Sixers (35-22), who boast the league’s best home record, 26-2.

The Hawks (17-41), meanwhile, have the league’s second-worst road record at 6-24. Atlanta does, however, have a sharpshooting All-Star point guard in Trae Young. The second-year player is tied for second in the league in scoring (30 points per game) and second in assists (9.2).

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— Keith Pompey (offthedribble@inquirer.com)

Scott thinks he can make an impact

Stay ready. That’s what Sixers reserve power forward Mike Scott is focused on doing.

Scott, a fan favorite, is battling through a shooting slump that has resulted in decreased playing time. But the 31-year-old is confident he can help the Sixers when called upon.

“Playoffs, regular season, preseason, training camp,” Scott said of when he can help the team. “I’m a hooper.”

The Sixers acquired Scott from the Los Angeles Clippers as part of a multiplayer trade last season. He quickly became a fan favorite with his grit, bluntness and ability to hit big three-pointers. Scott averaged 7.8 points and shot 41.2% in 27 regular-season games, including three starts, as a Sixer last season.

This season, however, those numbers have dipped to 5.5 and 34.1% in 56 games, including seven starts. He’s failed to score on 11 occasions.

Scott did not play because of a coach’s decision in Thursday’s 112-104 overtime victory vs. the Brooklyn Nets at the Wells Fargo Center. But he came back and scored three points, making 1 of 3 three-pointers, in 11 minutes, 42 seconds in Saturday’s 119-98 road loss to the Milwaukee Bucks.

“I got to stay ready,” Scott said before that game.

Starting five

  1. Blame Brett Brown for the Sixers’ road woes, Marcus Hayes writes. Spotty defense and horrid long-range shooting have broken down the Sixers. Somehow, the coach holds no road map for change.

  2. Sixers’ Simmons out, Harris doubtful against the Hawks, Marc Narducci writes. Simmons has a back injury, and Harris has a right-knee contusion.

  3. Sixers’ home-and-away disparity becoming more pronounced, I write. Brown on why the Sixers don’t shoot threes better on the road: “I don’t know. ... We have to fix our road woes.”

  4. Forget the Sixers’ trades and new lineups. Their playoff fate depends on Joel Embiid and Simmons, I write.

  5. Is Embiid really the best player in the world? In the East? In Philadelphia? Marcus Hayes asks the questions.

Harris to receive Community Service Award

Harris will be ultimately judged by what he does on the basketball court. But the standout Sixers forward has made an impact off it in Philadelphia with his community involvement.

As a result, the Police Athletic League will present Harris with a Community Service Award before tonight’s game. Whether it’s reading books to students, donating money or speaking at Black History Month celebrations, the 27-year-old has been a fixture in the area’s African-American community.

“For me, it’s always things that are bigger than basketball,” Harris said. “But also, basketball is what kind of unites them. So obviously, it’s a blessing to be honored for that. Hopefully, it inspires other and more people to just want to do more for the youth and more for people that need it.”

The Long Island native just wants to show the Philadelphia area that he cares. He wants kids to know that a role model wants to see them succeed.

“That’s what I’ve always been about,” he said. “It’s not about the acknowledgment. A lot of things I do in private, we don’t even discuss.”

Important dates: Next Five Flow

Tonight: Atlanta Hawks at Sixers, 7 p.m., NBC Sports Philadelphia, NBA TV

Wednesday: Sixers at Cleveland Cavaliers, 7 p.m., NBC Sports Philadelphia

Thursday: New York Knicks at Sixers, 7 p.m., NBC Sports Philadelphia

Sunday: Sixers at Los Angeles Clippers, 3:30 p.m., ABC

Tuesday: Sixers at Los Angeles Lakers, 10 p.m., TNT

Passing the rock

Send questions by email or on Twitter (@pompeyonsixers)

Question: Is Mike Scott going to be in the rotation? I feel like he spaces the floor better than [Al] Horford, but Horford is better on the defensive end. — Kyle Rice (@Sports24Fan7) on Twitter

Answer: Happy Monday, Kyle. Thanks for asking the question. I’m assuming you are asking about the playoff rotation.

While the Sixers have a general idea, the rotation hasn’t been set in stone yet. However, as we stand, you have to assume that Scott will be excluded from it. As you said, he’s known for spacing the floor. The only problem is he hasn’t been hitting a lot of shots lately. As a result, Scott hasn’t made a consistent impact off the bench in recent weeks.

So the Sixers might decide to go smaller and use Glenn Robinson III as a backup power forward. As for Horford, it’s highly unlikely that the Sixers will take him out of the rotation. While he and Embiid are not a good pair in the starting lineup, Horford remains one of the team’s best players. So he’ll continue to play.