The 76ers finally saw their hot start get doused in disappointing fashion after suffering their first loss of the season thanks to the Pistons. Playing without Joel Embiid, Philly simply did not have enough juice to beat Detroit, another undefeated ball club. As expected, the main culprit behind them dropping this one is their horrid shooting from beyond the arc, which has been a recurring theme for them amid their early success.
Philadelphia managed to string together three consecutive wins despite them collectively struggling from three-point territory. Obviously, that is not a sustainable way to win basketball games, even if their mix of defensive edge and star power is a lethal combination that has won them tight contests so far. Thankfully, the Pistons handed them a big reality check that their bad shooting can only get them so far.
76ers badly needed their newest humbling as cold shooting continues
Right now, the 76ers are shooting just 31.7 percent from beyond the arc, which ranks 21st in the league. They are only 24th in total conversions per game. Simply put, three-point shooting has been their waterloo despite their hot start to the campaign.
Against the Pistons, Philly drained just seven of their 27 attempts from rainbow country, which is good for a 25.9 percent success rate. While they managed to limit Detroit to just 106 points, their cold shooting simply prevented them from catching any rhythm all night long. This goes to show that their winning formula in their first three wins will, more often than not, fumble against elite competition.
The squad’s anemic three-point shooting was evident even during training camp, and it has spilled over to the regular season. Aside from Dean Wade who had just returned from injury, only Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Jaylen Brown have shot threes at an above league-average rate. Tyrese Maxey, Anfernee Simons, LeBron James, and Embiid have been flat-out cold from beyond the arc.
With more reps as the season goes on, the team’s measly shooting should improve. However, if they cannot solve this problem early, they will have to perfect in all other departments to save them from losses, lest teams will exploit their unreliable presence out in the perimeter as a unit.
This should also be a call for the front office to start exploring some options in the market to give them a lift in that regard. Bad three-point shooting teams typically do not make it far in the playoffs, and while the season had just begun, it is never too early to invest in more shooting.
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