Seth Gupwell spent two years as an online journalist covering culture, lifestyle, and sports in New Zealand, and is now in his first year writing about the Sixers for Liberty Ballers.
Joel Embiid’s return to the court was meant to, among many things, shore up a promising but inconsistent Sixers’ defense. Around the end of January, especially during a four-game win streak, the team’s defensive identity was slowly emerging: closeouts, collapsing, and chaos.
They had always been near the top of the league in deflections, but they were getting nearly 20 a game during this stretch.