Sixers’ Kyle O’Quinn hopes to avoid ‘cliff-hanger’ of a season | Off the Dribble
That’s right, Tobias Harris. Keep pretending the season is rolling along.
What’s up, peeps?
This self-isolation is no joke. A brother is about to go crazy. I keep waking up in the mornings hoping the coronavirus pandemic was just a bad dream.
But it’s still here. So I want all of y’all to remain safe, keep washing your hands, and practice social distancing. Leave it up to Inquirer.com to keep you updated with the 76ers.
You’re signed up to get this newsletter in your inbox every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. If you like what you’re reading, tell your friends it’s free to sign up here. I want to know what you think, what we should add, and what you want to read, so please send me feedback by email or on Twitter @PompeyOnSixers. Thank you for reading.
— Keith Pompey (offthedribble@inquirer.com)
O’Quinn hopeful season will come back
The NBA wants to salvage this season. So does Kyle O’Quinn.
The 76ers reserve center made that evident in his first-person article in The Players’ Tribune. He has a valid reason to feel that way. The 29-year-old wants to see if the Sixers will live up to their preseason hype.
“Were we forming a championship team, or would we have fallen short?” O’Quinn wrote. “That’s the biggest cliff-hanger for me if the season doesn’t come back – and there’s a chance I’ll never know. It felt like we had really turned a corner and getting everybody back healthy. Damn.
“Maybe it’s better not to think about it. But I have to think about it, because that was our goal in the preseason, right?”
The NBA suspended league play shortly after the Sixers defeated the Detroit Pistons on March 11.
Commissioner Adam Silver announced the next day the suspension would last for at least 30 days. However, the NBA may not resume play until June at the earliest.
The Sixers were a preseason favorite to win the NBA title. However, they have a 39-26 record and are in a disappointing sixth place in the Eastern Conference standings.
“I have hope that the season will come back,” O’Quinn said. “I just hope that we come back, whatever system they come back with – format, game, tournament, whatever they decide to do – is beneficial to everybody.
“It can’t be one-sided, where if you crown a champion this year, in years to come people say, ‘Aah, that really wasn’t a championship. '”
Starting Five
Sixers mailbag: How will the coronavirus impact Brett Brown’s job status, Ben Simmons’ injury and chemistry? I answer readers’ questions surrounding the coronavirus and what the crisis means for the Sixers organization.
Don’t blame the Sixers for testing their players. Blame a healthcare system that prioritizes wealth over reason, writes David Murphy. While eight NBA teams have been tested for coronavirus, the most vulnerable segment of our population remains alarmingly exposed.
Torrel Harris, father of Sixer Tobias Harris, signs Suns forward Kelly Oubre Jr. to a management contract. The elder Harris is a longtime sports agent who runs Unique Sports Management International.
Sixers podcast: Crazy? We’ve surpassed crazy with the coronavirus. I share an e-mail I received from a healthcare worker, who labeled it “disgusting” that celebrities and athletes are being tested while many patients and healthcare providers are not.
‘My beloved Kobe’: Lower Merion coach Gregg Downer pens essay on Kobe Bryant’s death. Downer knew Bryant for nearly 30 years. After traveling to Los Angeles for the memorial service, he looked back ... and ahead.
Don’t mess with Harris’ imagination
That’s right, Tobias Harris, keep pretending the season is rolling along.
The Sixers forward is acting like the season is going on as planned in Instagram posts. And based on his posts, Philly is playing well. His first post of his imaginary season continued Thursday night when the Sixers were scheduled to face the Charlotte Hornets on the road. Harris congratulated Joel Embiid for leading Philly to the victory. Then on Saturday, when the Sixers were scheduled to host the Atlanta Hawks, he congratulated rookie Matisse Thybulle for having a career night in a "W". Harris mentioned the next game is Tuesday. That’s when they were scheduled to face the Minnesota Timberwolves at the Target Center.
Passing the Rock
Send questions by e-mail (kpompey@Inquirer.com) or on Twitter (@PompeyOnSixers)
Question: If the playoffs start, do you see Al Horford starting at PF? I don’t think he’ll get much PT as the backup center — @braydenostan on Twitter
Answer: What’s up, Bray? Thanks for the question. I think a lot of that will depend on if Ben Simmons comes back. I believe Horford will remain the starting power forward if Simmons doesn’t return. It will get tricky if Simmons return even though Horford had been playing well when the season was halted. The problem is the spacing with Simmons, Embiid, and Horford will be horrible due to Simmons’ lack of attempting perimeter shots.
As a result, the Sixers would be better suited starting Shake Milton and bringing Horford off the bench. Simmons would play more of a point forward in that starting lineup. Horford would be the sixth man.