This is Philadelphia and the idea of telling fans not to overreact is probably futile, but here goes …
R-E-L-A-X.
Yes, the Sixers lost in Jimmy Butler's debut, 111-106, to the Magic Wednesday. Yes, Joel Embiid had 16 points in the first half but had just three points on 1 of 10 shooting in the second. Yes, Ben Simmons was quiet with nine points, six assists and three rebounds.
But it's one game. When Butler first landed in Philly he said that the team was going to have things to figure out and that's what it looked like. Butler told reporters after the game that everyone has the right mindset.
That's the first thing: We all want each other to be great. We're all talking about where we're supposed to be and what we see out there on the floor. I'm telling you it's coming sooner rather than later. We're going to be just fine. Because once we put this thing together, we're going to be tough.
One of the concerns in acquiring Butler was that he wasn't an elite three-point shooter, something needed to complement the skills of Embiid and Simmons. That looked to be part of the issue Wednesday, but there's no reason to panic.
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These three players are all exceptionally talented, but that doesn't guarantee success. It's going to take more than just one shootaround and one game to develop that chemistry.
With that said, there were moments that showed promise. The first unit of Simmons, Butler, Embiid, JJ Redick and Wilson Chandler showed great potential and moved the ball extremely well. The flashes of the two-man game between Butler and Embiid were promising.
"I think if you put really good basketball players out on the court, it's always going to look good as long as you play basketball the right way," Butler said. "We just came up a little bit short. We're OK. We just have to go back to the drawing boards at practice and get the W next time."
As great of a player as Butler is, he wasn't going to come in here and solve all the Sixers problems right away. There are bigger concerns for the Sixers that were here before Butler arrived and you can't expect them to be solved after one game with him.
This is a team that finished third in defensive rating last season. This year they're 11th. That's simply not good enough. They gave up 111 points to an Orlando team that averages 104.4, good for 25th in the league.
There are also these big runs and quarters they've been prone to give up. They blew a 21-point lead against the Hornets last Friday and barely escaped with a win in overtime. After building a 63-50 lead at the half, the Sixers were outscored 52-39 in the second half of their overtime loss in Memphis.
On Wednesday night, they took an 11-point lead into the fourth quarter. They then allowed the Magic to go on a 21-0 run. You read that correctly, 21-0. I don't care if you're playing the Warriors, a 21-0 run in the fourth is completely unacceptable.
The new defensive scheme is surely a factor. The Sixers not having all their pieces at one time certainly is as well.
At some point, with Butler in the fold, there won't be any more excuses. But that time is not after one game.
"It is the NBA. You don't just click your heels and win NBA games," Brett Brown said. "It takes patience and work and time. We have that."
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