We're hearing that a lot around the MBA right now is Team struggled to find their footing after the shortest off season in history.

Hey, so we lost by 21 by 40.

Whatever.

It's just one game.

Which is true, except one game doesn't mean what it used thio in this shortened season.

Every outing is one of 72 not one of 82.

Which is why, when save John Moran is projected to be out 3 to 5 weeks with an ankle injury, it's all that much more devastating for a team like Memphis.

It's also why in Philadelphia, even just the second week of the season, it feels like there's an invisible James Harden shaped ticking clock over the Sixers heads.

Will Daryl Morey and Doc Rivers be better than their predecessors at putting Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons in position to flourish together, or, at some point, some number of games in?

Will it be time to push the button on a train for a certain bearded gentleman from Houston?

The Sixers did seem to do the right things this offseason, making moves to create more spacing for their two stars.

and they said the right things in training camp.

Ben Simmons told reporters that former teammate Josh Richardson quote was definitely right.

When Richardson said there wasn't enough accountability in Philadelphia last year and that since Doc arrived in town, Simmons said, Quote, It's been great to see that and see guys be accountable for certain things and come here ready with a different mindset, unquote.

Of course, those are all nice words.

But now that the season has officially started, the games are what count?

And last night against the Raptors, things did not start out well for the Sixers.

Philadelphia trailed for most of the first half, shooting 29% from the field, just 22% from three.

Meanwhile, on the other end of the floor, Toronto was getting so many good looks from three.

You wonder if the Sixers Arena staff had accidentally left a bunch of welcome mats out beyond the arc.

There was also Kyle Lowry, back in his hometown, doing Kyle Lowry things yet slowly, as the game ground on Philadelphia pushed its way through, Tobias Harris and Seth Curry both found their shots, combining for 18 points in the third quarter alone and being persisted through an injury scare to finish with 29 points, 16 rebounds.

Forces two blocks with a 14 of 16 performance at the line to boot, and the Sixers defense buckled down hard, holding Toronto scoreless for nearly four minutes in the final frame to turn the game for good.

Now, this wasn't officially the game winner, but it felt like it.

A nice Curry three on a pass from them bead, where Curry was so wide open, thanks to a triple team on Joel, the Sixers updated roster construction, working exactly like it's supposed to there.

So what does it all mean?

Should we be thinking this is finally the year that Embiid has a legit place in the M V P discussion?

Should be we?

Should we be worried about Simmons still being predictable in the half court?

Or should we be noting his defensive versatility is a marker of the Sixers being able to eke out more gritty winds like this one?

Or should we not draw any conclusions at all?

Sure, it was only just one game, but in this city in this season, that means more than it ever has.

So perk seeing his how that was just one game last night.

They're just a few games in.

Are you buying the Sixers roster tweaks so far?

I am buying it.

The thing that the Sixes were missing with Spaces and guys that can shoot the lights out of the ball.

You look at a guy like Danny Green.

You look at a guy like self Curry, who I think just get prosper shooting the ball.

But Rachel, he's a hell of a basketball player.

He's underrated defender.

He's underrated playmaker.

And then when you look at the structure of their team, just think about this.

Tobias Harris was having one of the best seasons of his career with the Clippers under Doc Rivers and Joe L.

And B.

I love what Doc Rivers is gonna do for Joe and what he's doing for Joel.

He's holding them accountable, not on the offensive end, but on the defensive end.

And it's a ripple effect.

So when you could hold when you could hold Joel accountable, not being Simmons is saying, You know what I could play for Doc.

I could go out here and lead all out on the line.

I love the way this team is structured.

I think they're moving in a great direction.

And last year, this time, if they were down at half time like they went to the Raptors, I don't know if we would have seen this same fight.

But since Doc Rivers is there one thing I know about Doc, his halftime speeches are gonna be on point.

And he's also gonna get guys to rally back and play together.

And that's what we saw yesterday from the 70 Sixes.

You know, from the start, when Darrell Moore and Doc Rivers got together there, they made it very clear that this was going to be Ah, Joel Embiid focused team.

Everything that they've said and done has pointed that they haven't gone away from Ben Simmons.

But they have really played to Joel.

And those roster tweaks that you mentioned Rachel were about Joel.

And if you watched this game last night, they ran their offense through the end of the game through Joel and be with high pick and rolls in their opener, where they had a 10 point comeback victory over Washington in the fourth quarter.

They ran that whole fourth quarter offense through, indeed, in the Post, and you know that is really what this is about.

This is about giving Joel and be what he wants, which is the ball in his hands and control Thio Thio be the kind of M v P candidate that he thinks he can be.

The other thing is, Doc Rivers is putting no pressure on Ben Simmons on three pointers.

He is not taking a three pointer yet.

Last year.

Remember Brett Brown publicly announcing, then we want you to shoot a three every game.

Doc has not done that at all, and the roster changes allow him to take that pressure off of them.

And this approach so far has him three and one.

And then the loss was winning.

Beat set.

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