When Ben Simmons’ absence will catch up to Sixers | Sports Daily Newsletter
As long as the Sixers have a Simmons-sized hole on their roster, they won’t top the Nets, Bucks, and Heat.
The Sixers have proven to be a nice story in the NBA this season — jilted by their former star Ben Simmons, they are in first place in the Atlantic Division and third in the East.
But nice stories aren’t necessarily title contenders as well. The best thing about the Sixers is that they play hard most nights, but the worst thing is that they have to play hard every night to win. And that lines up for another second-round playoff exit because everyone plays hard in the postseason.
Mike Sielski contends that as long as the Sixers have a Simmons-sized hole on their roster, they won’t match the depth, top-end talent, and experience of the Nets, Bucks, and Heat.
— Inquirer Sports Staff, @phillysport
How far can the Sixers go in the playoffs with this roster? Tell us at sports.daily@inquirer.com
Early Birds
See Eagles defensive end Josh Sweat on the left there? He’s smiling, and that’s a welcome sight. Remember, he was forced to miss the Eagles’ playoff loss after being unable to recover in time following a life-threatening situation leading up to the game. But Sweat was named to the Pro Bowl as an alternate and now is able to work his way back into game shape. Beat writer Josh Tolentino caught up with Sweat in Las Vegas.
Off the Dribble
The 76ers have pulled off big wins under less than ideal circumstances this season, with their Monday win against the Memphis Grizzlies serving as a recent example. But the high from defeating the Grizzlies, Chicago Bulls, or Miami Heat hasn’t lasted long for this group, which has followed many of its most significant wins of the season with losses to some of the league’s worst teams.
The Sixers fell in line with that trend this week when they followed that Memphis win with a home loss against the Washington Wizards, a team that entered Philadelphia with a six-game losing streak and without its best player, Bradley Beal. Yet the Wizards managed to pull off a win. The Inquirer’s Keith Pompey points out the full details of a troubling trend.
Next: The Sixers travel to Dallas to play against the Mavericks at 10 p.m. Friday in a matchup between teams that have been hot since the start of 2022 (ESPN).
On the Fly
It’s All-Star weekend in the NHL and our Flyers beat reporters Giana Han and Olivia Reiner have touched down in Vegas.
Behind on the event schedule this weekend? Olivia provides her 10 most exciting things to watch for, featuring Claude Giroux, Gritty and blackjack hockey style!
The men’s Olympic tournament is also just around the corner, and while NHL players won’t be participating, a couple of locals will. Meet Yardley’s Brian O’Neill, a forward on Team USA who starred at Germantown Academy and is gearing up to win a medal in Beijing.
Next: The Flyers are off for the All-Star break and don’t return to the ice until Wednesday when they host the Detroit Red Wings (7 p.m., NBCSP).
Fleet Street
Yes! The first Union goal of the year was scored by Julian Carranza in preseason action for the squad. Even though the team ended up with a draw, getting a new striker on the board bodes well. As the club gears up for the season start of Major League Soccer, Jonathan Tannenwald has the latest.
Olympics
Philly’s ties to luge and a good showing at the Winter Olympics run right through the USA Luge CEO, Jim Leahy.
Figure skating is one of the most highly anticipated Winter Olympics events. Here’s a beginner’s guide on how to watch.
Worth a look
Lockout goes to mediation: With minimal progress in negotiations with the players union, Major League Baseball is requesting a federal mediator to assist in reaching an agreement.
Is this it? Mike Jensen ponders the possibility that Villanova might not necessarily get better as the season goes on.
“He was exactly what we thought he was”: Senior Bowl QB Kenny Pickett’s success begs the question: What if he had stayed committed to Temple instead of going to Pitt and becoming a record-setting passer?
Owls land a Warner: Temple felt like home for EJ Warner, a QB like his famous father.
A “deserving” new scoring leader: Mia Davis has led Temple in scoring each of the last four years and on Wednesday became the Owls’ all-time leading scorer.
We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from Mike Jensen, Mike Sielski, Sam Cohn, Olivia Reiner, Isabella DiAmore, EJ Smith, Josh Tolentino, Matt Breen, Jonathan Tannenwald, Keith Pompey, Scott Lauber and Ellen Dunkel.