Sixers Player Grades After Preseason Win vs. Hornets
The Philadelphia 76ers’ 2022 preseason run is in the books. After picking up three-straight wins over the Brooklyn Nets and the Cleveland Cavaliers twice, the Sixers returned to their home court for their finale on Wednesday night.
The Charlotte Hornets were in town to face their Eastern Conference opponent. Doc Rivers decided it would be best to treat the game as a dress rehearsal and rolled out the entire starting five for more than one-half of basketball.
With a 99-94 victory, the Sixers wrapped up the preseason with a perfect 4-0 record. Before we get to the regular season, let’s take a look at how the 76ers graded out in their final outing.
Tobias Harris: D
A strong start to the preseason for Tobias Harris turned into an underwhelming final two games from the veteran. On Wednesday night, Harris took the court for a little over 27 minutes. He collected just one point, which came from a trip to the free throw line where he missed two of three shots. From the field, Harris went 0-5. It was a rough final preseason outing for the veteran.
PJ Tucker: C
The best factor to come from Tucker’s Wednesday night performance was that he made it out of the game injury-free after having a scare. Tucker left the game after a collision with his teammate, Joel Embiid. Although he returned to the floor, Tucker looked like a seasoned veteran that just wanted to get to the regular season already.
Joel Embiid: A+
Embiid played in just two preseason games this year, but he showed why he doesn’t need too much extra time on the floor during the offseason on Wednesday night. The big man went 8-17 from the field and scored a game-high of 19 points. He also collected six rebounds on the defensive end.
Tyrese Maxey: C
Wednesday was Maxey’s worst preseason performance, and he’s still the team’s MVP for the four-game mini-schedule. He struggled from the field by scoring just nine points in 26 minutes. But with three spectacular performances to his name this offseason, the finale didn’t lead anybody to believe that Maxey’s emergence was a fluke.
James Harden: A
To quote Doc Rivers, “He got better every game.” Isn’t that the truth? James Harden has been getting the right looks as a shooter, but the shot has been inconsistent. That changed a bit on Wednesday. Harden knocked down 50 percent of his threes on eight attempts. He collected 17 points and five assists in 27 minutes.
De’Anthony Melton: C+
The Sixers are in good hands with their backup backcourt unit now that Melton’s running the show. His shot still isn’t consistent at this time, but he’s proven enough in the league to leave the Sixers worry-free in that department. On Wednesday, Melton did a little bit of everything by putting up five points, five rebounds, three assists, and two steals.
Montrezl Harrell: A
Once again, Harrell brought a spark off the bench the Sixers absolutely needed. The veteran center drained five of his eight shots from the field and was a perfect 4-4 from the free throw line. He finished the night with 14 points and six rebounds.
Georges Niang: B+
The veteran sharpshooter came off the bench for 15 minutes and did what he was brought to Philly to do; make threes. Niang went 2-3 from deep, finishing the night with six points.
Danuel House: C
The offseason acquisition Danuel House has done a solid job of bringing energy and reliable shooting off the bench. His shot wasn’t as consistent on Wednesday as he missed all of his three-point shots, but he’s shown a lot of promise throughout the offseason so far.
Shake Milton: A-
In limited time on Wednesday, Milton worked with what he had and was quite efficient on the floor. He knocked down two of his three shots, all of which came from beyond the arc. He wrapped up the night with six points and three assists in just ten minutes.
Matisse Thybulle: A
Thybulle turned his preseason around in the final two games. While he wasn’t launching threes on Wednesday, the defensive standout showed he could get some points finishing at the rim as well. He’s still a work in progress, but Thybulle’s offseason development has been on display lately.
Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for All76ers, a Sports Illustrated channel. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.
