Sixers put forth unacceptable effort in blowout loss to Denver Nuggets

The Sixers put forth an abhorrent excuse for transition defense in the first quarter and then inexplicably went zone with Nikola Jokic on the floor in the third quarter as the Denver Nuggets lit them on fire without breaking much of a sweat.

Here's what I saw.

Likes

- Tyrese Maxey and Paul George did a very good job of seeing the second side of the floor in the first half of this game. Eric Gordon was often the beneficiary of those looks. To his credit, he cashed in on a handful of open triples. But, whether it was skip passes out of the drive or baseline kicks to the opposite corner, they saw simple and advanced passes quite well. Good displays of playmaking when there wasn't much elsewhere to go with the ball. 

Dislikes

- I don't want to hear about his nagging toe injury, the elevation in Denver or anything else, if Andre Drummond is going to mail it in as much as he did to start the game, give the opportunities to Adem Bona or Guerschon Yabusele. Drummond bobbled and lost the ball twice on short rolls early in the game, sending the Nuggets out in transition. He got beat down the floor by Jokic, allowing the big man an easy layup. Drummond was nowhere near the ball on some long Denver misses, shooting his "best rebounder in NBA history" theory in the foot.

No one expects him to approach the standards established by Joel Embiid on defense. No one is expecting elite rim protection and steady sailing in space. But, the absolute minimum has to be genuine effort and a human vacuum cleaner on the glass. What he showed in the first quarter was unacceptable mindlessness.

- Speaking of effort, nothing short of a disgrace in defensive transition. The Sixers can step to the microphone every night for the rest of the season and claim they believe in themselves. They can claim better times are ahead and that this season is not over. Actions speak louder than words, and their level of give-a-shit in transition was absolutely non-existent in this game. They came away with the occasional steal off a poke-away or intercepted pass. But, they offered zero resistance down the middle of the floor. Denver didn't have to bomb away from three in the first quarter. They could get whatever they wanted at the rim.

Here's the thing, and I'll have more on it in short order - this isn't even an Embiid problem. The Sixers' futility in defensive transition exists regardless of Embiid's presence. They fundamentally do not know what to do in transition, and it starts with the most basic elements. They don't get back, they don't claim assignments. The easiest way to dispose of Philadelphia in quick order is to watch them piss away possessions with uninspiring offense and sprint as soon as you secure the ball off the rim.

The body language said they were checked out. The focus said they were checked out. That matters even if their words suggest otherwise.

- George had a pretty good first half, so perhaps that's why I'm dinging him a bit for being too unselfish. There is no need to feel so compelled to find Drummond in the short roll every time he flashes to screen for you and leaves the action. He's not nearly reliable enough as an offensive player to warrant getting release valve treatment. Even if Denver was blitzing, immediately acquiescing and slinging a bounce pass to Drummond might not be the best play. The first play isn't always the best play.

Another instance was George passing out of an open three to look Justin Edwards' way. The rookie shot an airball. Don't overthink it. Take the open shot.

- Kelly Oubre Jr., I almost threw my laptop at the wall. It's one thing to botch a transition layup. It's another thing to actively ignore teammates running with you in transition, call your own number and then smoke the layup. A veteran NBA player is the only one who can escape that without a benching and verbal beatdown. Any other level of the game, take a seat.

- Nick Nurse, your pardon from criticism is over, buddy. You know what your team didn't need in the third quarter? Zone defense with Jokic in the high post. If Aaron Gordon is going to rain threes on you, live with it. But, it was a different Nugget every time. And if it wasn't a three, Jokic was finding cutters at the rim with touch passes. The route was on pretty much as soon as the Sixers went zone.

This is actually something I've thought about quite a bit recently. I like zone defense because it junks up the game. But, you can over-index on that and shoot yourself in the foot by going zone too often or for too long. Teams figure it out. It feels like Nurse has been a little too liberal with resorting to zone lately. 

Funny enough - and I know this is psycho because no one in the NBA would dare do it in this day and age - I actually wouldn't mind seeing them deploy full-court press early in games. It's uncomfortable. Offenses hate it. It eats time. It junks up the offense. Most importantly, it's when this group seems to play with its highest sense of desperation.

Spare thoughts

- Has Russell Westbrook's mustache always looked like the razor died mid-shave? Or, is that part of his latest fashion statement? 

The Sixers (15-27) will host the Cleveland Cavaliers (36-6) on Friday. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m., Eastern time. You can catch the game on NBC Sports Philadelphia.

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