Sixers Emphasize Toughness, Defense At 2022 NBA Media Day

After the Philadelphia 76ers lost to the Miami Heat in the 2022 Eastern Conference Semifinals, star center Joel Embiid bemoaned his squad’s lack of toughness.

That was a common refrain throughout the Sixers’ media day Monday, albeit in a far more positive light.

“No. 1, we wanted to get two-way players,” team president Daryl Morey said when discussing his offseason strategy. “But a lot of that, toughness comes into that. Being able to fight and get a key rebound, like Coach said. When things are down, having that mental fortitude to pull everyone together. That was a big part of a lot of our acquisitions this summer.”

The Sixers traded for De’Anthony Melton on draft night and signed PJ Tucker, Daniel House Jr. and Montrezl Harrell in free agency. Melton was among the league leaders in both steals and deflections last season despite playing only 22.7 minutes per game with the Memphis Grizzlies, while Tucker has established a reputation as one of the NBA’s toughest players throughout his career.

Matisse Thybulle, who has earned two All-Defensive nods across his first three seasons, appears particularly excited about what the new additions bring to the table.

“Holistically, I think just what these new guys do to our identity as a team,” he said. “I mean, they all individually bring their own amazing talents and gifts. But who they are innately as players and people on the court is what was missing in that area of ​​toughness and grit. And their presence, I think, will change some of the structure of our identity and allow us to take strides in the areas that we’ve been weak before. I can only see it being a contagious thing that trickles down to every other guy.”

When asked how to define toughness, Tucker said he wasn’t about to give an “exact answer” since it’s “different for everybody.” He did know what it isn’t, though.

“People see somebody and they’re like, making mean faces and they’re yelling and they think they’re tough, that’s not tough,” he said. “Like I said, it’s being accountable, reliable, not backing down every night, different assignments, it doesn’t matter. Being available. Not being hurt. Being able to go out there and compete. There’s so many different facets that go into being tough. But for me, the biggest toughness is the mental toughness. To be able to play in an NBA season, play all games, most games, play in the playoffs, like, that consistency, that’s the biggest part of being tough. “

Both Tucker and Tobias Harris spoke about the need for the Sixers to develop foundational pillars that they can “hang their hats on” when the going gets tough this season. Embiid made it clear that defense will be central to their identity.

“Our focus is on defense,” he said. “We aim to be the best defensive team in the league. That’s gonna take all of us. I’ve gotta get back to not waiting until the fourth [quarter] to be that guy. Doing it all game. … We’ve got the pieces.”

Thybulle was similarly bullish on the Sixers’ defensive ceiling this season.

“I think we could set the standard for how good you could be as a team defensively,” he said. “I think as far as what it will take to get there is just a level of being bought in and being able to sacrifice yourself, whether it’s being tired or wanting to be right, but just doing whatever’s necessary for the team. Like I said earlier, I think these new guys and the guys we’ve got back and the level of commitment that can just be felt throughout the gym, I think we’ve got everything we need to make that happen.”

Embiid has the potential to push his way into the Defensive Player of the Year race, and Tucker is one of the league’s most versatile defenders as well. But being able to throw out the combination of Melton and Thybulle off the bench could give the Sixers’ second unit some serious defensive wrecking power, too.

“Given his ability and what he can do, especially at his size, defend pretty much almost 1-5, I think it’s special,” Melton said about Thybulle. “Because I think I can go out there and do very similar things. And we can definitely just raise havoc out there and just give offenses trouble. Not only just stopping them, but getting into the offense, tiring them down, so when the fourth quarter comes around, they’re a little bit more gassed because me and Matisse are running around, getting steals, staying out of foul trouble hopefully. I think us two out there is definitely gonna be havoc.”

“I think being able to have this type of tag-teaming effect, where we can throw different looks,” Thybulle added. “It is one thing to have guys who can get steals and blocks, but it’s another thing to have guys who do it in different ways. So being able to throw two players who are really effective in that area at some of the best players in the league I think will be a really exciting tool for us.”

Head coach Doc Rivers didn’t want to set expectations for any individual player. Tyrese Maxey said Rivers has been calling this a “‘we’ season, not a ‘me’ season.” But Rivers did make clear the type of potential this group has if they buy in.

“I believe this: This is the best talent I’ve had since I’ve been here,” he said. “What that means is what it’ll become. We have to become a team. Having a collection of individuals is great. But that says nothing about a team. And so, for us, we have to learn how to become a team first . And if we do that, I love who we are.”

Unless otherwise noted, all stats via NBA.com, PBPStats, Cleaning the Glass or Basketball Reference. All salary information via Spotrac or RealGM. All odds via FanDuel Sportsbook.