For Sixers, this part of process painfully familiar

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It's starting to feel a whole lot like the first few years of the process again.

The Sixers were beaten handily for the second straight game, losing 112-98 to the Bucks in a game they once trailed by 27 (see Instant Replay).

In three of their last four games, the Sixers have been taken completely out of it early by the Heat, Pistons and now the Bucks, a team they'd beaten in the season's prior two meetings.

Between the blowout losses, all the new faces and the use of a pair of 10-day contracts ... this Sixers team feels much more like the cellar-dweller of the last three years than the team that was able to hang with the Rockets, Spurs, Cavs, Celtics and other contenders.

The personnel is different and there's no way around that.

"How can we all not look at that and just admit it? Let's call it for what it is," Brett Brown said when asked if the rotating cast of characters reminds him of years past.

"My analytics people tell me I've played 64 five-man rotations since the All-Star break. That's not 40 games, that's six games. Think about that. It's born out of injury, it's born out of trades, that's just the way it is."

There were a few bright spots for the Sixers during another dismal defensive effort. Justin Anderson, acquired from Dallas in the Nerlens Noel trade, had 19 points for the second time in three games. He went 9 for 16 from the field but 9 for 10 from inside three-point range, giving the Sixers a few glimpses of life with dunks and put-backs.

Shawn Long, signed earlier Monday to a 10-day contract, had 13 points and seven rebounds in a 15-minute stint off the bench, making his only three.

But when Anderson and Long -- two guys who weren't even here two weeks ago -- are your bright spots, things obviously aren't going well.

"What can I say? We don't have enough guys," Dario Saric said, noting that the Sixers are fighting as hard as they can but are clearly undermanned.

Jahlil Okafor missed Monday's game with right knee soreness. Richaun Holmes started in his place, and when he came out the Sixers were forced to use a small lineup that had little shot against Milwaukee's length, its calling card.

Giannis Antetokounmpo -- who's 6-foot-11 but is practically 7-7 when you account for his wingspan and reach -- had his way with the Sixers down low, finishing with 24 points, eight rebounds, five assists, two steals and three blocks (more on him here).

Fellow big man Greg Monroe, also 6-11, pushed Saric and company around down low as well, scoring 12 off the bench.

With that size and a 9-for-13 start from three, the Bucks took a commanding early lead and never looked back.

Right now, the Sixers have zero rim protection and not enough perimeter defense.

"For us to add me, Shawn and Justin (Harper), we're out there trying to do the (defensive) coverages and pick things up quick," Anderson said.

"On one hand, it's not an excuse -- it's our job as professionals to be able to adjust -- but we're trying to get it to click."

The Sixers have 19 games left and there will be several more like Monday's. They have a grueling upcoming schedule, with 11 of the next 14 games on the road, eight vs. contending teams.

The Sixers' group that played those upper-echelon teams well earlier in the season is no longer here -- there's no go-to guy with Joel Embiid out, no Noel to save a defensive possession, no Ersan Ilyasova to give you 16 points and a couple threes.

Guys like Saric, Robert Covington and T.J. McConnell are still doing as much as they can, but at this point it would be surprising if this 23-40 team reached 30 wins.

"Amongst the reality of where we're at with our roster, there's also the stark reality that this is the schedule coming up," Brown said. 

"And so now more than ever we need to keep these guys together, we need to continue to develop and experiment with our guys. When you look out on the floor and you've got Sergio (Rodriguez), Justin, Justin, Timmy Luwawu and Shawn Long, well that's a different group than we've obviously been used to playing. 

"We'll find a way to keep this real, move this forward and continue to grow our guys.

"The good news is we've had a lot of practice at this. When I say we, I mean me and my coaching staff."

They're far from the only ones.

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