Why Did Sixers Start Tony Bradley Over Dwight Howard vs. Pacers?
The Philadelphia 76ers hoped to have Joel Embiid available on Sunday against the Indiana Pacers. As the matchup approached, the Sixers had the All-Star big man listed as questionable as he continues to deal with back tightness.
Unfortunately, less than two hours before the matchup, Sixers head coach Doc Rivers revealed that Embiid could not play. That opened the door for more Dwight Howard and Tony Bradley.
Seeing as though Howard is Embiid's primary backup and has started in four games prior to Sunday's matchup when Embiid was out, it seemed the situation would be no different, and Howard would begin the game on the floor at center.
However, the situation was different on Sunday. Instead of starting Howard, Sixers head coach Doc Rivers decided to roll with Tony Bradley early to get a different look.
Initially, the move seemed surprising, but Rivers has hinted at the possibility of keeping Howard in a role off the bench with or without Embiid before. Just last Monday, as the Sixers faced the Detroit Pistons without Embiid, Rivers had Bradley on the floor to start the second half, despite Howard starting the game earlier in the night.
"I just like Dwight with the second group," Rivers explained last week after the loss against the Pistons. "I was kicking myself because I wanted to do that. Because Tony hasn't played a lot, I didn't do it at the start of the game, and I really thought we should've done that to start the game."
Over the next couple of matchups, Rivers didn't have to worry about choosing between Howard and Bradley because Embiid played against the Los Angeles Lakers and the Minnesota Timberwolves. On Sunday, though, the opportunity came about once again as Embiid was set to miss the matchup. And Rivers did what he believed he should've done last Monday.
"I like Dwight playing with the second group because that's what he's used to," Rivers explained before Sunday's game. "I typically try to keep at least one group together, so you don't change that. I could start Tony tonight -- most likely, I will."
Indeed Rivers did. Although Howard picked up eight more minutes than Bradley on Sunday, Rivers' plan to keep Howard in the lineup he's most familiar with paid off. In 25 minutes of action, Howard collected a double-double with 11 points and 15 rebounds in the win. Meanwhile, Bradley quietly held his own in the starting lineup.
The hope is that the Sixers don't have to gameplan for life on the court without Embiid too much this season, but there's almost a guarantee that it will happen numerous times in the future. Considering Howard had one of his better games this year and helped the Sixers pick up their first win without Embiid while subbing in for Bradley on Sunday, Rivers will likely roll with the same strategy in the future.
Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him on Twitter: @JGrasso_
