Short-Handed Sixers Have Their Work Cut Out for Them Against San Antonio Spurs

When the Sixers (33-27) host the San Antonio Spurs (43-17) on Tuesday, they'll take the floor without Joel Embiid once again.

Embiid suffered a right oblique strain in the Sixers' victory over the Miami Heat on February 26. He missed Sunday's loss to the Boston Celtics. He'll miss both legs of the back-to-back against San Antonio and the Utah Jazz before being re-evaluated later this week.

This will also be the 14th game of Paul George's 25-game suspension.

Johni Broome underwent a successful partial meniscectomy to address a lateral meniscus tear in his right knee on Saturday. He is out and will be re-evaluated in four weeks.

All of MarJon Beauchamp, Tyrese Martin and Dalen Terry are on Two-Way G League assignments and are listed as 'doubtful' for Tuesday's game agains the Spurs.

As for the San Antonio side of business, Mason Plumlee is out with return to competition reconditioning. David Jones Garcia, Harrison Ingram and Emanuel Miller are on Two-Way G League assignments and are out.

The bad news for the Sixers is Victor Wembanyama will ostensibly play barring something unforeseen.

How do they game plan for that guy?

Prayer might be a decent starting point.

Assuming the Sixers want to give themselves a real chance of winning this game—and I think they'd like to do that—it may be time to consider a very aggressive zone defense. I know, I know, everyone hates the zone. But San Antonio is not a good 3-point-shooting team. The Sixers are not very good at limiting dribble penetration, and the Spurs have a glut of ballhandlers who would love nothing more than to shift Philadelphia's defense and then spit the rock around the floor.

Not only would a zone force the Spurs out to the perimeter, but it would help thwart drives.

Even if you go with a zone, Wembanyama can just flash to the high post and splash mid-range jumpers in the soft spot by the foul line. If he's going to shoot over you, at least make him take long twos, I suppose.

Now, how does this likely play out? Well Wembanyama dunks Andre Drummond off the court and puts Adem Bona in foul trouble with pump fake after pump fake. That forces the Sixers to go small, and then he just does whatever he wants at the rim.

To make matters worse, he'll take the rim away from Tyrese Maxey. Wembanyama won't stop there. Unless the Sixers pull off a beautifully-timed episode of brilliant passing, Wembanyama very well may take the rim away from everyone on Philadelphia'a side. And if Maxey isn't having fun yet, Stephon Castle will be there to make sure the Sixers' star guard is having a grand old time.

Unless the Sixers have a 3-point barrage in them, look out.