Sixers Player Grades After Second Preseason Win vs. Cavs

How did the Sixers grade out after they defeated the Cavs again?

The Philadelphia 76ers continued their preseason schedule on Monday night with a matchup against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Monday’s game served as a rematch after the Sixers defeated the Cavs by one point last Wednesday. Unlike last week’s game, the Sixers went into Monday’s matchup shorthanded as Joel Embiid stayed back in Philly to get a rest night.

With Embiid out for the night, Sixers head coach Doc Rivers used the opportunity to experiment with a small-ball lineup throughout the night. 

Without Embiid, the Sixers found success and managed to pull off another victory against the Cavaliers. Philadelphia wrapped the game up with a 113-97 victory, moving to 3-0 on the preseason.

Following the victory, how did each individual player grade out?

The Grades

Sixers guard De'Anthony Melton

De’Anthony Melton: B+

With Embiid out, and Rivers opting to go small, Melton found himself in the starting lineup. Monday’s matchup was the first all-around successful game for Melton. His three-point shot still wasn’t sharp, as he missed the only attempt he chucked up, but that will come. He wrapped up the night with seven points, five assists, and six rebounds.

Tobias Harris: C-

The veteran forward has been one of the most consistent shooters on the team throughout the preseason, but his shot wasn’t falling on Monday night. Harris went 3-10 from the field, scoring 12 points in 24 minutes. At least Harris showed a willingness to get up seven threes. When those shots fall on a different night, Harris will help his team a lot.

PJ Tucker: B

The veteran shifted over to the big man spot for the night. After taking just one shot last week, Tucker put up six field goals on Monday, with four shots coming from beyond the arc. He logged his first points as a Sixer as he collected six points in 21 minutes.

76ers guard Tyrese Maxey

Tyrese Maxey: A+

The young guard continues to put on outstanding performances in the preseason. After going 3-5 from three and knocking down 43 percent of his shots, Maxey wrapped up the matchup with 19 points in 24 minutes. He could miss Wednesday’s finale and would still be the Sixers’ preseason MVP.

James Harden: B-

Harden didn’t light up the stat sheet, but his first two performances of the preseason are encouraging. As a playmaker, Harden will still hold a lot of value this year. As a scorer, that might take some time for him to get back into a rhythm. Harden looks a step quicker, which is a great sign, but his shots haven’t consistently fallen just yet.

Sixers defensive standout Matisse Thybulle

Matisse Thybulle: A

The young defensive standout has had a rough preseason, considering all of the talk about his improved offense over the offseason. On Monday, Thybulle finally showed he could be a two-way threat as he knocked down three of his five three-point attempts for nine points. That’s all the Sixers can ask for from the All-Defensive veteran.

Paul Reed: B

The young big man had a quiet night coming off the bench for the Sixers. He didn’t bring too much to the offensive end, but Reed snatched three steals and swatted three shots on defense. Considering the Sixers don’t need Reed to bring the same production as their starting center, Joel Embiid, the third-year center did his job on Monday night.

Shake Milton: A-

Milton’s another player who’s had another quietly solid preseason. On Monday, Milton was consistent as he went 5-8 from the field, collecting ten points. He also tacked on four assists and came down with five rebounds. 

Georges Niang: C+

If Niang is struggling from the beyond the arc, then that’s bad for his personal brand. After going 1-4 from deep in 15 minutes, Niang definitely didn’t have his best performance in Cleveland. Fortunately, his overall preseason performance this year has been encouraging.

Sixers reserve Danuel House

Danuel House: A

Similar to a guy like Niang, Danuel House came to Philly to knock down deep shots. In 13 minutes, House put up two three-pointers and was perfect from beyond the arc. He finished the night 4-4 from the field, picking up ten points.

Furkan Korkmaz: C

Korkmaz’s standout performance last Monday is beginning to look like an outlier. In both games against the Cavs now, Korkmaz struggled to make an impact as his shot hasn’t been falling. On Monday, he went 0-2 from deep and collected most of his six points from the free throw line.

Isaiah Joe: B-

The bad news for Joe was that he didn’t get too much playing time after failing to see the floor last Wednesday. The good news is that he did just fine when he was in the game. Joe went 3-5 from the field and collected seven points in eight minutes. For a guy that’s likely fighting for a roster spot, Joe is doing what needs to do to prove he belongs on the Sixers roster. 

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for All76ers, a Sports Illustrated channel. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.