Houston at Philadelphia
Time: 7 PM CT, TNT
Spread: PHI -4
Total: 233.5
Odds c/o 5dimes
PHI TEAM NOTES:
The Philadelphia 76ers have won seven of its last 10 games. It is currently seeded No. 4 in the East, but it trails Conference-leading Milwaukee by just 4.5 games.
In the most recent win over the Wolves, Joel Embiid absolutely dominated and owned Wolves’ center Karl-Anthony Towns.
Embiid held Towns to just 13 points and three rebounds, all the while racking up 31 points and 13 boards in his 27 minutes on the court (not to mention a +20 mark for his PT). The Sixers placed all five starters in double-figures, and Ben Simmons fell just an assist shy of yet another triple-double. The talent in Philly is undeniable but equally as confusing is just what this team can do to enter the realm of true and elite contenders.
The 2017 No. 1 overall pick Markelle Fultz has bust written all over him and is not currently playing, and Jimmy Butler is a strong addition, but the Sixers have certainly missed the defensive presence Robert Covington gave them (he and Dario
Saric were the two key players traded for Butler). The Sixers also are pretty heavily reliant on its top-end talent, and adding depth is not something that should be left out of consideration.
Perhaps, if the team can manage to swing it, a team would be willing to take on Fultz as a “reclamation” project while giving the Sixers some pieces it could use in its second unit. No matter what the case, it is entirely unclear how Fultz fits into any future plans and there are some certain holes on this roster that need addressing after giving up key pieces to acquire Butler this season.
HOU TEAM NOTES:
Though the Rockets have struggled this season, the team has won six of its last 10 overall and still is situated No. 6 in the Western Conference. The team lost Trevor Ariza over the offseason, hoping that replacing him with Carmelo Anthony would solve its problems. It did none of that, and the team has taken many steps back defensively, which ultimately is the reason it has failed to succeed at the rate it did a year ago. Houston is surrendering 110 points per game and scoring 112 itself, which yields just a 2.0 positive, point differential. The Rockets must tighten up its defense significantly to rejoin the realm of Western Conference contenders, which many are feeling can still happen.
But it cannot be all Clint Capela’s work, despite the outstanding season the center is putting together. Capela recently suffered an injury and is out for four to six weeks. That leaves the Houston Rockets with a massive hole at the 5-spot, given its lack of sizeable backups. Nevermind the fact that Clint Capela alone was having a career breakout season.
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Capela had been making a strong bid to be an All-Star and it is easy to see why Houston felt comfortable releasing Dwight Howard to clear the way for Capela. Truth be told, he has a little of young Dwight, in him and his game. Capela averages 17.6 points, 12.9 rebounds and 1.88 blocks per game while posting the second-best PER on the Rockets. He has proven to be the anchor of a defense that greatly needs perimeter improvement, and it is hardly all the fault of Harden as the narrative often goes.
Harden is playing passing lanes well, coming up with 2-plus steals a game, while heading the offensive attack in his usual masterful way. Harden’s averaging 33.9 points and 8.6 assists per game.
Chris Paul has fallen off in a noticeable way, but he has also played through some injuries and is declining as expected as he ages. The Rockets really need a power forward of the defensive mindset, and losing Luc Richard Mbah a Moute is as much to blame for the team’s defensive decline as losing Ariza. Few are factoring in the value of strong defensive role players and the Rockets roster is nearly bereft of such talents now.
