Sixers' Week Ahead: A Possible Playoff Preview, Tobias Harris' Slump, Jimmy Butler's Return to Minnesota

While the sting of a disappointing loss in Atlanta is still fresh, the Sixers have a chance to redeem themselves Monday night in Orlando.

They'll also host Brooklyn in a possible playoff preview and catch up with an old friend in Minnesota Saturday.

Here's a look at the Sixers' week ahead.

Hoping to find the Magic

Whether it was a letdown coming off a couple big wins or them taking a hungry young Hawks team too lightly, the Sixers simply didn't show up Saturday night.

Their defense in the first half was horrendous as they allowed 74 points, the most they've surrendered to an opponent in a half this season. They struggled with a familiar issue, failing to stifle rookie Trae Young in the pick-and-roll.

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But as Brett Brown alluded to postgame, it wasn't strategy. It was execution.

"We had probably three or four different [adjustments] from blitzing to switching to hedging to dropping," Brown said. "If you really dug in and looked at that, you would have seen that. I can't say that any of them were incredibly effective, but they did force us to try and make different adjustments in the pick-and-roll."

Expect a better effort Monday against a Magic team that's fighting for its playoff life.

Tobi will come around

Tobias Harris was a monster in his first eight games as a Sixer, averaging 21.9 points while shooting 55 percent from the field and 42 percent from three. In his last 11, he's down to 17.3 points on 45 percent from the field and 31 percent from three.

Harris is having an All-Star-caliber season, but every player - especially shooters - has their ups and downs. JJ Redick is a perfect example. He wasn't hitting anything after the All-Star break and then followed it up with a torrid five-game stretch in which he shot 55 percent from three.

Whether it's fatigue - he's played in all 74 games for his teams this season - or just a rough patch, Harris deserves the benefit of the doubt given his recent track record. Also, it's better that he gets this kind of slump out of the way now instead of mid-April. 

Playoff preview?

The Nets have given the Sixers fits this season. Guards D'Angelo Russell and Spencer Dinwiddie have scorched them, averaging a combined 51 points while both shooting over 55 percent in three matchups this season.

The only Sixers' win was because of a furious comeback capped off by a ridiculous Jimmy Butler game-winner. In fairness, the teams haven't squared off since Dec. 12 and Butler was out of the lineup - Furkan Korkmaz started in his place - in a three-point Sixers' loss. This isn't even the same Sixers team.

If the playoffs started today, this would be the first-round matchup. It would behoove the Sixers to show up Thursday in front of their home crowd.

The return of Jimmy

Butler will return to Minnesota for the first time since the drama of his trade request ultimately landed him on the Sixers. 

While Butler was relatively quiet in the Sixers' blowout win back on Jan. 15, he's been a force recently. Over his last five games, Butler is averaging 23.8 points a game. 

The two most encouraging signs are his free throws and threes in that span. Butler has been aggressive getting to the rim, averaging 8.8 free throw attempts a game. Him attempting 3.2 threes and hitting 38 percent from there is a huge boon for his fit alongside Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons.

The Sixers will also see Dario Saric for the second time as an opponent. Saric was such a key part of the Sixers' playoff run last season, but has struggled to carve out a consistent role with the Timberwolves. Robert Covington, the key asset in that deal, is sidelined for the rest of the season with a knee injury. Covington hasn't played in 2019.

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