Sixers Still Trying to Figure Out Their Rotations

Sixers head coach Brett Brown is still trying to figure out his rotations.

With 9 of his 15 players in their first season with the team, and with Michael Carter-Williams only 7 games back from injury, and only having returned to the starting lineup 4 games ago, that process is naturally still in its infancy.

"It's a puzzle," Brown said yesterday as he prepared his team for tonight's game against the Brooklyn Nets. "It's a whirlwind of different thoughts that you feel responsible for, to try to win a game and grow the program. It's not easy at times."

Brown, who mentioned that he hopes time together and consistency can help the team play better, likes his most recent starting lineup. He thinks.

"I like the ones that we're starting [now]," Brown said. "With Henry [Sims], and Nerlens [Noel], and Luc [Mbah a Moute], and Tony [Wroten], and Michael [Carter-Williams], there's a solidarity. There's a presence at the rim."

Brown went on to call that group perhaps his best defensive group, although he admitted that they have their offensive shortcomings.

"It's not our best scoring group," Brown said. "So I get caught all the time with that group better run, because you're going to have a hard time scoring any other way."

That group, while only playing 37 total minutes together on the season, has had some defensive success, holding opponents to only 48.4% shooting from the field and, more impressively, 21.4% from the three point line, per NBA.com. The Sixers are allowing opponents to shoot 35.8% from deep on the season.

But that lineup has provided an offensive rating of only 85.3, with a true shooting percentage of 45.2, while playing at one of the slower paces among lineup combinations on the team, with a pace of 93.6. Only 44% of the field goals that unit scores are assisted, well below the teams average of 59.3%.

When that lineup is playing? The Sixers are shooting only 9.1% from three point range. That's not a typo - seriously under 10% from three point range.

The net result has not been positive, with that lineups net rating (difference between offensive rating and defensive rating) at -20.1.

"I'm not even sure that Tony and Michael, on first glance, is good right now," Brown said. "But I think it can be, so I'm committed."