We are near the ¼ mark of this season; how does this year’s Sixers roster stack up with last year’s squad? Let’s take a look at the numbers…
OFFENSE
PACE AND ASSIST NUMBERS
| Offense Rating | Pace | AST% | AST RATIO | |
| 2017/18 | 108.3 | 100.9 | 66.3 | 19.1 |
| 2018/19 | 107.9 | 103.1 | 65.7 | 18.1 |
The graph above shows an increasing trend in offense rating and a slightly decreasing trend in pace. The Sixers currently have the 15th best offense rating in the NBA, which is slightly lower than last year. Although the Sixers are playing at a faster pace than last year’s team on average, it is important to note the graph above. The Sixers pace has been on a decreasing trend since the Jimmy Butler trade. The Sixers are currently 7th in the NBA in pace, whereas they were 4th in the NBA last season. The Sixers continue to be one of the best passing teams in the NBA, ranking 1st in the NBA in assist percentage. Interestingly enough, this year’s average is less than last year’s average where they finished 2nd in the NBA.
SHOOTING AND EFFICIENCY
| Total Points | Shooting % | 3pt Shooting % | 3PA Per Game | |
| 2017/18 | 109.7 | 46.8 | 36.5 | 29.8 |
| 2018/19 | 113.5 | 45.7 | 34.6 | 31.9 |
Although a small sample size, offensive efficiency and scoring totals have been generally increasing since the Jimmy Butler trade. The Sixers average 113.5 points per game this season, which is good for 9th best in the NBA. This is more than last year’s per game total at 109.7 points per game. It’s also no surprise that the 2018/19 Sixers are not shooting as well as last year’s squad. The Sixers are currently 18th in the NBA in 3 point shooting percentage, while they were 9th in the NBA last season. Despite the lower shooting numbers, the Sixers take the 13th most three point shots per game in the NBA at 31.9. In summary, the Sixers are not shooting better than last year’s team, yet are even shooting the ball more from beyond the arc.
FREE THROWS
| FTM | FTA | FT Percentages | % Pts from FTs | |
| 2017/18 | 17.1 | 22.8 | 75.2 | 16.1 |
| 2018/19 | 22.8 | 29.3 | 77.6 | 20.1 |
Brett Brown has done a great job at getting his players to the free throw line this year. The above graph shows an increasing trend in getting to the line. This year’s Sixers team, in the area of free throw shooting, is better in nearly every category. A lot of this can be attributed to Joel Embiid’s brilliance at gathering fouls and making a living at the free throw line this year. As seen above, this year’s Sixers make more, attempt more, shoot better, and have more percentage of their points at the free line per game than last year.
BY THE QUARTER
| 1st Quarter | 2nd Quarter | 3rd Quarter | 4th Quarter | |
| 2017/18 | 29 | 27.2 | 27.2 | 25.7 |
| 2018/19 | 30.04 | 28.90 | 27 | 25.57 |
Here is what the Sixers’ offense looks like by quarter. The graph above shows an increasing trend in scoring in the first quarter. The first quarter this season has been when the Sixers have been able to do the most damage, averaging 30.04 points. Scoring production has been on a decreasing trend in the second quarter. The Sixers average 28.9 points per quarter in the second quarter. However, the Sixers have averaged more points in the first half compared to last season.
DEFENSE
DEFENSE RATING AND REBOUNDING
| Defense Rating | OREB% | DREB% | REB% | |
| 2017/18 | 103.8 | 28.6 | 73.6 | 52 |
| 2018/19 | 108 | 26.4 | 72.9 | 50.9 |
While offense numbers have been going up, it is the complete opposite when it comes to defense. As seen in the graph above, the Sixers defense has been only getting worse. It’s important to note that defensive numbers are up across the board compared to last year. The Sixers currently have the 15th best defense rating in the NBA, whereas they were 3rd best in the NBA last season. In terms of rebounding, last year’s team has shown better percentages in every category. The Sixers are currently the 10th best rebounding team in the NBA, whereas they were #1 in the NBA last season. Even more concerning has been the drop in offensive rebounding. The Sixers are currently 21st in the NBA in offensive rebounding, whereas they were 5th in the NBA last season.
BLOCKS AND STEALS
| Blocks Per Game | Steals Per Game | Deflections | Contested Shots | |
| 2017/18 | 5.1 | 8.3 | 15.6 | 63.6 |
| 2018/19 | 5.5 | 6.6 | 12 | 66 |
There has been a marked decrease in steals per game and deflections compared to last year’s squad. The Sixers are currently 27th in the NBA in steals per game, while they were 7th best last year. In addition, the Sixers are 21st in the NBA in deflections per game, an area they thrived in last season (4th best in the NBA). The Sixers have contested more shots compared to last year but are protecting the rim less than they did last season. They are 12th best in the NBA in blocks per game, while they were 9th best last year.
TURNOVERS
| TOs Per Game | TO% Per Possession | TO% Per Offensive Play | |
| 2017/18 | 16.3 | 15.8 | 14.2 |
| 2018/19 | 16.4 | 15.1 | 13.9 |
The Sixers continue to struggle with protecting the basketball. The Sixers are the 26th best team in the NBA in turnovers per game this season. They were dead last in turnovers last season. As the numbers indicate, the Sixers simply can’t get out of their own way at times. They are 26th in the NBA in turnovers per possession percentage and 25th in turnovers per possession play. If the Sixers want to increase their chances to win in the playoffs, this is absolutely where Brett Brown starts and ends that discussion with Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid.
*As always, thank you thank you thank you for reading! Trust the process, baby!
