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Sixers-Nets observations: Horrid defense, lack of in-game adjustments, failure to feed Joel Embiid

Spencer Dinwiddie is the latest guard to put up a lot of points against the 76ers.

Jimmy Butler calls out to one of his teammates during the game against the Nets.
Jimmy Butler calls out to one of his teammates during the game against the Nets.Read more

Here are my main takeaways and best and worst awards from the 76ers' 127-124 loss to the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday night at the Wells Fargo Center.

Five observations

– The Sixers' “Big Three” needs some help. This roster isn’t good enough to make a deep run in the postseason. The Sixers must make some additions to play alongside Joel Embiid, Jimmy Butler and Ben Simmons.

Embiid is right: The Sixers do make every guard they play look like a Hall of Famer. This was Spencer Dinwiddie’s night to benefit from the Sixers’ inability to stop opposing guards. Dinwiddie’s career-high 39 points marked the 13th game that at least one guard has scored 30 or more against the Sixers this season.

The Sixers have to find a way to help JJ Redick get out of his funk. The Sixers shooting guard made just 1 of 7 three-pointers against the Nets and is shooting 5-for-24 from that distance in the past three games.

The Sixers are a good team, but they’re not above playing down to their opponents. How else can you explain their 1-2 record against an 11-18 Brooklyn squad this season? The Sixers’ other home loss came to the 7-21 Cleveland Cavaliers.

The Nets are a tough matchup for the Sixers, but the in-game adjustments were lacking. Instead of having primary defenders fight through screens, the Sixers kept falling for the dictated switches in the second half. As a result, Furkan Korkmaz often found himself being switched onto Dinwiddie. He’s not exactly the guy you want guarding him down the stretch. Yet the Sixers allowed it to keep happening.

Best and worst awards

Best performance: I had to give this to Dinwiddie for torching the Sixers. The backup point guard made 11 of 18 shots, including 4 of 6 three-pointers, and was near perfect from the foul line (13-for-14). Twenty-seven of his points came after intermission.

Worst performance: This was an extremely tough one, but I had to give it to Redick. He scored 11 points on 5-for-15 shooting and missed seven of his eight three-pointers.

Best defensive performance: This goes to Simmons for finishing with four steals and two blocks.

Worst statistic: Embiid’s one shot attempt in the third quarter.

Best statistic: Brooklyn’s making 14 of 28 three-pointers, 50 percent.

Worst of the worst: This goes to how Embiid was used after intermission. His lone shot in the third quarter came with 52 seconds left. Then he attempted only two shots in the fourth quarter. Not getting him the ball in the second half was more egregious than the seemingly invisible defense on Dinwiddie.