The Philadelphia 76ers have a chronic issue that even eventually returning to full health cannot fix – their defense.
Philadelphia's defensive troubles were brutally on display in its 144-103 loss to the Orlando Magic on Tuesday. Orlando exploited the 76ers’ poor transition defense and insufficient rim protection in what was their largest loss of the season. Philadelphia’s outing served as a reminder about how its defensive ceiling is capped by its roster construction.
The 76ers’ defense went poof
The 76ers and Magic were tied at 35 after the first quarter, despite Philadelphia being without four of its six leading scorers.