3 biggest takeaways for Sixers following latest loss to Pelicans
The Philadelphia 76ers fell to the New Orleans Pelicans 112-99 on Monday as they finished up their 6-game road trip on a 5-game losing streak following a win to open the trip. The Sixers were missing Quentin Grimes as Philadelphia wanted to make sure its top scorer was able to get some rest amid shouldering a heavy load.
The Pelicans were missing the likes of Zion Williamson, CJ McCollum, Bruce Brown Jr., and others, but were still able to overcome the Sixers. One has to give credit to Philadelphia for battling back and taking a lead in the third, but New Orleans then hit the Sixers with an avalanche that they couldn't recover from.
Justin Edwards and Jared Butler led Philadelphia with 19 points each, Jeff Dowtin Jr. had 12 and three blocks, and Jalen Hood-Schifino added nine off the bench. Guerschon Yabusele added 12 points, seven rebounds, and four assists and Chuma Okeke had 12, nine rebounds, and four assists.
Here are the three biggest takeaways from the loss:
Butler showing off his offensive game
Butler was able to show off his offensive game against a Pelicans team that struggles on the defensive end. The dynamic guard out of Baylor has a quick first step and is able to take guys off the dribble with regularity so one has to wonder if this can be a stepping stone for him going forward. He shot it well from deep--a development as of late for him--and the Sixers would be wise to continue trying to unlock more of this from him. With 10 games left, it wouldn't hurt to see what Butler has as a lead guard. He could maybe fill a role as a third guard in the future.
Edwards shows off his range
It was a weird night for Edwards on the offensive end. He was able to shoot it well from deep as he shot 5-for-9 from behind the arc, but he struggled shooting the ball from 2-point range. He shot only 6-for-18 overall on the night as he had a tough time converting on mid-range looks that he normally cashes in on. Either way, if Edwards is going to continue shooting the ball like this, then he is going to be in a good position. Much like with Butler, the Sixers should explore this part of Edwards' game down the stretch of the season.
Nurse deserves a break
Can somebody please get coach Nick Nurse a beer? Sure, it hasn't been the most perfectly coached year for Nurse, but he also hasn't had the roster he expected to coach for a large majority of the season either. He has had to piece together lineups with players on 10-day and two-way deals and Monday's effort against the Pelicans was no different. Nurse had to employ his 48th different starting lineup on the season and gave Marcus Bagley minutes after Philadelphia signed him to a 10-day deal shortly before the contest. Nurse revealed after the game that Bagley flew commercial to New Orleans in order to make it for the game.
This article originally appeared on Sixers Wire: 3 biggest takeaways for Sixers following latest loss to Pelicans
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