Sixers mailbag: Potential playoff rotation, rebounding issues, and life as a traveling beat writer

MIAMI — The 76ers are in the middle of a tight postseason race, including a crucial victory at the Charlotte Hornets Saturday night. They next play at the Heat on Monday, in another matchup that will decide the head-to-head tiebreaker and could go a long way in determining positioning in a crowded Eastern Conference.

That makes this the perfect time to take some reader questions. In this mailbag, we cover the Sixers’ rebounding issues, potential playoff rotation, and life as a beat writer on the road.

Have a question for a future mailbag? Send me an email at gmizell@inquirer.com, or respond on BlueSky or X. We’ll plan to do this every other Monday.

Let’s get it.

From Kevin “Go Phils” Diehl (@misterdiehl on BlueSky)

Were the rebounding woes because of the switch to [Paul George] at the 4 or a case of Charlotte just being good at that? I had Knicks series flashbacks [Saturday] night.

It’s funny you say that, Kevin. Because any time an opponent gets rolling on the offensive glass against the Sixers, I also think of Josh Hart and Mitchell Robinson and seemingly every New York Knick grabbing seemingly every offensive rebound in that first-round series two years ago.

First, you’re right, the Hornets are one of the NBA’s best rebounding teams. They entered Sunday ranked fifth in the NBA in both overall rebounding (46.3 per game) and offensive rebounding (12.8 per game). The Sixers, meanwhile, rank in the bottom third in the league in defensive rebounding (21st, 31.6 per game).

But the Hornets had 20 offensive rebounds through three quarters Saturday night, before the Sixers held them without any in the fourth. Sixers coach Nick Nurse connected that to Charlotte’s no-hesitation three-point shooting, noting teammates are “so ready for everybody to shoot so quickly, that the guys are revving up to go to the glass.” It clearly (and agonizingly) took the Sixers some time to adjust. But Nurse turned to rebounding machine Andre Drummond at the start of the fourth quarter. George totaled five of his 13 boards in that period alone. Maxey also had four in the fourth quarter, and Kelly Oubre had three.

“It was like, ‘Man, I’m going try to get every rebound there is,” George said after the game of his fourth-quarter rebounding approach.

This could be a significant statistical storyline for the Sixers in the postseason, however. The Detroit Pistons, Knicks, Boston Celtics, and Heat — all potential first-round or play-in opponents — also rank in the NBA’s top 10 in offensive rebounding.

From Enyalois (‪@enyalois on BlueSky)

Assuming everyone is healthy, what does the playoff rotation look like?

Great question, Enyalois. I think we got a glimpse of that in Saturday’s game. The biggest immediate question is if Oubre or Dominick Barlow starts as the other forward next to George. Nurse on Saturday went with Barlow, who has been terrific playing off Joel Embiid as a cutter, rebounder, and do-the-little-things contributor. Oubre, though, was in the closing lineup, and has become a more efficient offensive player and reliable perimeter defender. Both have earned that starting distinction this season, and Nurse will need to delicately navigate that with both players.

Beyond that, Quentin Grimes will obviously get heavy minutes. I still think Adem Bona will be the backup center most nights, though Drummond is an option if the Sixers needed a more traditional matchup. That’s eight players, which is often as deep as a playoff rotation goes. I think Justin Edwards and Cameron Payne will continue to be in the mix during the regular season, but could be the first squeezed out during the playoffs. Trendon Watford and Jabari Walker, who did not play Saturday, are wild cards based on matchup — or if a specific game suddenly trends toward needing Watford’s playmaking or Walker’s rebounding.

From Ed Helinski (@MrEd315 on X)

In your estimation, do the Sixers have enough left in the tank to move up the ladder or stay as a playoff team with less than 10 games left?

Thanks for your question, Ed. I think Saturday’s win in Charlotte flashed the Sixers’ potential at full strength — if (big if) they can stay healthy. But I still anticipate some hiccups over these final two weeks, both from the starters getting reacclimated and from the reserves who need to readjust roles again. But it appears they did survive the weeks without several of their most important rotation players.

The Sixers will absolutely be at least a play-in team, after the Milwaukee Bucks were eliminated from the postseason Saturday. But clawing their way out of that 7-10 range is obviously preferable, to not have their entire season to come down to one (or two) games.

The Sixers still could climb as high as fifth in the standings, entering Sunday a half-game back of the fifth-place Toronto Raptors (whom the Sixers should win the tiebreaker over, based on division record) and sixth-place Atlanta Hawks (who have already won the tiebreaker against the Sixers). Monday’s game at Miami won’t only determine the head-to-head tiebreaker, but also could create the necessary distance between those two teams. Two games separated the Sixers in seventh, and the Heat in 10th (and Hornets in ninth) entering Sunday.

After that, the Sixers have a difficult four-game stretch against the Minnesota Timberwolves and Detroit Pistons in a home back-to-back this coming weekend, before consecutive road games at the San Antonio Spurs and Houston Rockets.

If you want to further analyze these bunched-up teams, entering Sunday, the Sixers had the league’s 16th-toughest remaining strength of schedule. The Hawks’, Hornets’ and Magic’s were tougher, while the Raptors’ and Heat’s were easier.

From tomg18 (tomg18 on BlueSky)

Wondering if you are often the only Sixers’ beat writer on road games, or how small is the number these days? How has that changed from when you started your career with other teams? Do you like the advantage or miss the camaraderie?

We love an inside beat writing question! I have occasionally been the only local independent beat writer at road games this season, though usually Tony Jones from The Athletic and/or Ky Carlin from SixersWire are also there. That number generally increases for “Amtrak trips” for Knicks, Nets, and Wizards games — and will definitely go up during the postseason.

I’ve covered three teams during my nine seasons on an NBA beat. When I covered the Nuggets for The Denver Post from 2017-18, I was often the only local independent reporter on the road. When I covered the Suns for The Athletic from 2018-21, it was typically The Arizona Republic’s Duane Rankin and me. Overall, though, I do see local newspaper outlets traveling less and less, which is a hit to that reporter’s ability to do quality work and, thus, to the team’s fans who want the best possible insight. The best way to show that you value the on-the-ground reporting is to read those stories, and subscribe to the outlets that are still investing resources in that.

As far as the advantage versus camaraderie, is it a cop-out to say that I enjoy both? I absolutely do my most productive reporting on the road, when I can more regularly conduct one-on-one interviews and build relationships with players and staff through casual off-the-record conversations. And it is thrilling personally — and beneficial professionally — when being on road games pays off with an important story, anecdote, or quote that I get exclusively.

I also do have several amazing friendships among my sportswriting cohorts, both within the Sixers beat and across the NBA. Our careers and lives are super unconventional, and you naturally form bonds with people who can relate to that. I’ve been known to organize dinners or coffee outings while traveling across the country, and am particularly passionate about being a mentor and friend to fellow women in the industry. I’ve even been told that a colleague years ago once referred to me as the “Monte Morris of women sportswriters” because, like a pure point guard, I really try to be a connector of people. To be associated with such an NBA deep cut is an honor!