Sixers could use Holiday-Wayns combo in Chicago

With a couple of practice days and a trip to Charlotte on Friday night, the Sixers may have shown a bit of Saturday’s gameplan for the matchup against the Bulls during Tuesday's win over the Mavericks.

For a long stretch during the first half of the win on Tuesday night, coach Doug Collins went with guards Jrue Holiday and Maalik Wayns in the backcourt. With two point guards on the floor at the same time, the Sixers were much quicker than the older Mavericks. It also allowed for Holiday to look to score more from the two-spot and for Wayns to attack the basket.

“If we can get Jrue and Maalik to play together, we can get Maalik to guard the ball and get Jrue chasing a little bit at the two,” Collins said. “We might see that a little bit in Chicago [on Saturday night]. If you remember in the playoffs we had Jrue guard Rip Hamilton so you might see that a little bit against the Bulls.”

Holiday scored 18 points with seven assists and three steals against Dallas in the victory, while Wayns scored a career-high 10 points on eight shots and four trips to the foul line. It was Wayns’ speed that wreaked havoc and produced those foul shots as the Sixers went to the line a season-high 32 times on Tuesday.

That was exactly the plan, according to Wayns.

“[Collins] tells me to be aggressive and be in attack mode,” Wayns said. “When I get out there, [opponents] aren’t really worrying about me, so they want me to be passive and just pass the ball. I’ve got to be aggressive and look for my shots and get other guys their shots, too.”

Still, Holiday and Wayns are an interesting combo. One might assume that with two point guards on the floor there could be a bunch of mismatches on defense. That’s not necessarily the case, says Wayns.

“[Holiday] has good size,” Wayns said. “He can guard a two-guard and I can put pressure on the point guard and we can push the offense.”

Perhaps with a dearth of size down in the low post, Collins and the Sixers can use the size and quickness on the perimeter instead.

E-mail John Finger at jfinger@comcastsportsnet.com