Sixers Continue to Lack Depth at PF With Mike Scott Out vs. Pacers
Philadelphia 76ers veteran power forward Mike Scott dealt with knee issues over the summer as his team played in the bubble down in Orlando, Florida. Knowing his lack of availability gave his team reliable depth issues, Scott focused on getting his body right for the 2020-2021 NBA season to avoid the same complications.
Unfortunately, Scott has struggled with staying healthy once again. After appearing in the first five games of the season healthy, Scott missed the sixth matchup against the Charlotte Hornets as he was dealing with knee soreness.
That led to a five-game absence. Finally, after missing over a week's worth of games, Scott returned to the floor for the Sixers against the Atlanta Hawks on January 11. During his first matchup back, Scott earned 22 minutes of playing time in the starting lineup as the 76ers were shorthanded.
During the following game against the Miami Heat, Scott garnered nearly 50 minutes of playing time as the Sixers needed an extra quarter to finish them off. In the following game, Scott returned to his usual role of coming off the bench as Tobias Harris' backup, but he couldn't stay on the court for very long.
After checking in for just under six minutes, Scott was slow to get off the court and on his way back to the Sixers' locker room. The veteran forward hasn't appeared on the court since. Friday night marked the seventh-straight game Scott missed.
Sunday night against the Indiana Pacers will make it eight as Scott is already ruled out. Without Scott, the Sixers have very little depth at the power forward position. As the two-way rookie Paul Reed is on the road with the Delaware Blue Coats, the Sixers typically rely on Tobias Harris and Ben Simmons to pick up an extra shift with Scott out.
"It's so tough right now without having another four," said Sixers head coach Doc Rivers following Friday night's win. "We either gotta stretch Ben's minutes or Tobias's minutes every night. I don't love it, honestly. But it's what we have to do until we get some reinforcements." The help won't come on Sunday, but at least Scott hasn't dealt with any notable setbacks lately and could soon return to the floor.
Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him on Twitter: @JGrasso_
