Philadelphia 76ers player grades for the month of February before break

There is still one more game in the month of February for the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday when they take on the Cleveland Cavaliers at home, but there is enough of a sample size to give everybody a grade for their performance for the month.

The Sixers are still playing well as they sit at the top of the Eastern Conference at 22-11 and they will send Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons, and Doc Rivers to the State Farm Arena in Atlanta for the All-Star game. Embiid will be a starter, Simmons is a reserve and Rivers will be coaching Team Durant in the game.

With that said, here are the player grades for the month of February:

Joel Embiid: A+

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What else is there really to say about this guy? Aside from him missing a game here and there, the big fella has been something special this season, and in February, he was even better. He threw the Sixers on his back in quite a few games in order to get some wins, and he strengthened his MVP argument with his performances this month. He's averaging 31.5 points, 11.4 rebounds, and 3.5 assists and he even dropped a career-high 50 points this month against the Chicago Bulls. He continues making strides in attacking the double teams, and it looks like he is getting ready for the playoffs in a few months.

Ben Simmons: A-

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Simmons has been a game-changer on the defensive end of the floor and he’s one of those guys who makes everybody better on offense. He even upped his scoring a bit, averaging 20.7 points in the month of February. When he’s aggressive and going to the rim, there is nobody in the league who can stop that freight train. It enhances the Sixers' offense when he’s aggressive. He's also getting to the foul line more often, and he shot 73.3% from the line, which is something that has been added to his game. On top of that, he has continued to play stellar defense. His work against Brooklyn Nets star James Harden and Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic was impressive.

Tobias Harris: A-

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Harris took steps forward in the playmaking area of his game. Obviously, he’s known as a scorer and a guy who can put the ball in the basket, but when he’s rebounding and pushing the ball up the floor and distributing as he was in February, that’s another big piece of Philadelphia’s offense. He shot well overall from the field in February at 51.1%, but his 3-point percentage dropped to 30.8% for the month. He had a lot of good looks in the month, but they did not drop. It could be a factor of too many minutes played due to injuries and that could have affected his legs.

Seth Curry: B

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Curry’s positive COVID test on Jan. 7 definitely set him back. It took him a little bit to find his rhythm and his shot again due to being out of the lineup as well as the lasting effects of the virus. He showed signs of returning to normal on the road trip, and the team will need more of that moving forward. He’s a guy who’s going to be very important to their success. He shot 42.6% from deep in February despite being out of his rhythm. He still needs to get back into his groove within the offense, but there are continued signs he is making progress in that area. His ball-handling in the pick-and-roll game has been an added layer to their offense.

Danny Green: B

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The fan base wants to get on Green when he’s having an off night from deep, but at the end of the day, he is having a solid season. He’s shooting 38.5% from deep on the season, and he is also playing some really solid defense. He’s not going to make or break this team, but his shooting ability as well as his experience and his defense is essential to the Sixers. He is shooting 43.1% from deep in the month, and he also played solidly on the defensive end. The Sixers have been in need of a guy like him who is a proven veteran in the game and he is a guy who can knock down open looks from deep. He has done that on a consistent basis and he is doing so for this team thus far which is a big boost for them.

Shake Milton: C+

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Milton continues to be effective off the bench. He comes in. He knows his role is to put the ball in the basket, and he does a good job of giving the team a spark when it’s needed. The team really missed him when he went out for five games with the ankle injury he suffered on Feb. 9. He just gives the team that shot in the arm whenever it’s needed. He averaged 11.6 points and 3.0 assists in the month of February.

Matisse Thybulle: B-

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The second-year defensive stud out of Washington continues to make a big impact on this team without scoring a large number of points. He constantly comes in and shuts down the opposition’s best player and his play in the zone defense has been something special to watch. The way he’s able to play freely and use his instincts and length in the zone is fun to watch. Once he begins knocking down shots, he is going to be the essential 3-and-D player.

Furkan Korkmaz: D+

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February was not kind to Korkmaz. He was finally getting into a groove after missing a few weeks due to the adductor strain and it looked like he was figuring out. Then he went into a slump where he shot 0.63% from deep on 2.7 attempts over a stretch of six games, and it really hurt him and the team’s bench unit when Milton went out. He’s one of those guys who needs to knock down shots in order to remain on the floor to make up for his lack of defense, and he shot only 28.6% from deep in the month.

Dwight Howard: B-

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The veteran continues to step up and provide both good production off the bench and mentorship in the locker room. Howard had a rough go at it to end January, but he had a better February and he even played through some tough circumstances after the death of his grandmother. He’s a reliable and respected player on this roster, and he shot 57.1% in February compared to 52.9% in January as he was finishing better around the basket.

Tyrese Maxey: C-

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This was a growing pains month for the rookie. Maxey continued to show aggression to get to the basket and score, but there were also some things he had to learn. He pulled up for jumpers and tried to show off more of his game at times. So his playing time decreased to 10.7 minutes a game, and he had to learn how to play in the NBA. A month such as this one will help his development.

Isaiah Joe: C-

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Joe showed enough in practice and in his limited time on the floor to earn a spot in Rivers’ rotation for the time being. He shot 6-for-14 from deep in the month. While he is still very raw, there are flashes that indicate he can play in this league. His ability to defend and put the ball on the floor is very attractive.

Mike Scott: B-

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The veteran was hurt for the majority of the month after he injured his right knee on Jan. 14, but when he did play, it was a solid performance. He was knocking down his 3s -- he made 5-for-8 from deep in the month -- and he was attacking the glass. The Sixers need him to stay healthy.

Tony Bradley/Vincent Poirier/Terrance Ferguson: Incomplete

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These are three guys who can’t be properly evaluated. Poirier has played in two games while Ferguson also played in only two games while being out due to a variety of personal reasons. Bradley played in three games in February as all three guys were pushed to the bottom of the bench a bit due to the play of others. They will eventually get their chance to play soon.

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