2019–2020 NBA Season Previews: Philadelphia 76ers
Head Coach: Brett Brown
Last Season: 51–31, 3rd in Eastern Conference
Projected Starters:
- PG: Ben Simmons
- SG: Josh Richardson
- SF: Tobias Harris
- PF: Al Horford
- C: Joel Embiid
Additions: Trey Burke, Al Horford, Raul Neto, Kyle O’Quinn, Norvel Pelle (R), Josh Richardson, Marial Shayok (R), Matisse Thybulle (R).
Losses: Jimmy Butler, Haywood Highsmith, Amir Johnson, Boban Marjanovic, T.J. McConnell, Greg Monroe, J.J. Redick, Jonathon Simmons.
A contested fadeaway jumpshot from Kawhi Leonard was the final blow to a heartbreaking season last year for the Philadelphia 76ers. Despite assembling a super team with the likes of Ben Simmons, Jimmy Butler, Joel Embiid and Tobias Harris, Philadelphia was unable to advance past the second round. With the process now fully in the rear view and Simmons, Harris and Embiid back, the Sixers have title aspirations for the 2019–20 season.
On paper, the 76ers have the most talented starting five in the NBA. On top of the previously mentioned returning trio, Philadelphia replaced Butler with Josh Richardson in a sign-and-trade with the Heat. The most surprising off-season move for the 76ers, however, was bringing in big man Al Horford from their arch rival the Boston Celtics.
The current projected starting five for Philly goes against the well-known pace-and-space style of basketball we see so frequently today. With Horford moving back to the four, Philadelphia will be one of the few teams in the league to start two prototypical big men. The Sixers have bucked the trends of floor spacing and small ball and will have the biggest starting lineup of any team in the league (no player is shorter than 6-foot-6).
While they are no slouch on offense, the Sixers strength should be their defense. Horford and Embiid are two elite rim protectors with Horford providing more switch ability on screens, Simmons can defend anyone at a high level with the exception of brute big men, and Richardson is exceptional in terms of perimeter defense. The only weak link is Harris, who is known more for his scoring prowess.
Offensively is where things get a bit tricky for this team. The losses of J.J. Redick and Butler will sting, as questions have been flooding in about how this team will space the floor and operate in a half-court offense. The Sixers were starved for 3-point shooting last season outside of Redick, who was an important cog in Brett Brown’s offense. On many occasions, Philadelphia’s offense ran through handoffs from Embiid and Redick as the sharpshooter was constantly sprinting around the perimeter looking for a shot.
Philadelphia will need to see improvement from several players if they want their 3-point productivity to increase. This is especially the case for Harris and Simmons. Harris shot just 32% from deep in 27 regular season games last year, while Simmons has still yet to hit a long ball in a regular season game. He did knock one down in the preseason, which sent fans and the internet into a frenzy. Richardson should help alleviate some of the spacing issues, as he shot 38.5% on catch-and-shoot chances last year. If either Simmons or Embiid show more consistency from long range, the lanes will be far less clogged at Wells Fargo Center.
On offense, Joel Embiid is still the best option for Philadelphia. Since entering the NBA, he’s posted the highest usage rate of any center in the league. He was the third best scorer on postups last season and dominates down on the block. The Sixers were seven points better per 100 possessions when Embiid was on the court last season, as he has turned into a dominant force on both ends. The only way to stop Embiid in the post in most instances is to foul him, evident by the fact that he led the league in personal foul percentage last year.
Embiid does still have his flaws. His biggest downfall in his career has been his passing, or lack there of. While his turnover percentage has gone down each season he’s been in the league, JoJo still struggles to find open teammates out of double teams. He’s also one of the worst 3-point shooters in the league and knocked down just 30% of his four attempts a game last season.
Embiid has been even more dominant on the defensive end as a rim protector. He finished in the top 20 in block percentage last season and his exceptionally nimble for a center. He’s quick off the ground and also uses his monster frame to chase away shots and grab rebounds at an elite rate (95th percentile in defensive rebounding rate).
While many have questioned this pairing, Horford and Embiid should be an elite combo at the four and five, respectively. While Embiid is a beast defending the rim, he has struggled at times and looks a bit uncomfortable with stepping out to the perimeter on switches. Horford, who is great defensively in both the paint and on the perimeter, should help take pressure off Embiid. Horford is more than capable of playing power forward, evident by the fact that the Celtics posted an impressive 99.7 defensive rating when Horford played next to Aron Baynes last year. Horford is also a more than capable floor spacer who has knocked down 38% of his 3-point attempts over the last three seasons.
With Butler now out of the picture, Ben Simmons will be the man in charge of playmaking duties once again. After being negated in last year’s postseason to the point where Butler took over as point guard, Simmons returns to the role with a chance to redeem himself.
It goes without saying that Simmons is a mastermind of a passer. The former number one pick has been put up high quality assist percentage numbers thus far and thrives in transition thanks to his vision and speed. His ability to grab rebounds and race out in transition often leaves defenses confused with little time to react. This allows Simmons to find his cutting teammates for easy buckets.
Simmons’ biggest and most glaring issue to this point has been his effectiveness in the half court. Given his lack of ability to space the floor, defenses often sag off and dare him to shoot. Despite this, the 6-foot-10 point guard is still exceptional at finding cutters and opening up the offense. He also finishes very well at the rim and uses his size, strength and craftiness to finish among the trees at one of the highest rates in the league. He’s been working religiously on his jumpshot over the off-season, but it remains to be seen how that will translate into the regular season. Whether it’s confidence, form or a lack of work ethic, his jumpshot has not progressed. If he unlocks that facet of the game, he’ll further establish his status as one of the more elite point guards in the NBA.
The Sixers only draft acquisition was Matisse Thybulle, a disruptive wing who in a few years could provide the same production as Robert Covington did for this team before being traded. Thybulle was the best defender in college basketball last season at Washington and racks up plenty of steals and blocks. His seven foot wingspan makes things very difficult for opposing offenses as he wreaks havoc in the passing lanes. He also already leads the NBA in steals in the preseason, and if he develops a more consistent jumper, he’ll be an elite 3-and-D threat in no time. During a postgame interview, Thybulle was quoted as saying he “just wants to get steals.” Sounds about right.
X-Factor: Josh Richardson
Josh Richardson is one of the more underrated players in the NBA. Richardson is a constant threat to hit a three, block a shot or steal the ball. He is the ideal 3-and-D wing who didn’t get a lot of recognition on a subpar Heat team last season.
While Richardson isn’t a great shot creator and won’t be a dominant scorer, he’s still a great shooter and one of the top 10 perimeter defenders in the league. He ranked 17th in Defensive Real Plus-Minus last season, a testament to how much of a pest he is on the perimeter. Richardson should work his way in nicely as a complimentary piece for this team.
Questions:
How much does the bench contribute?
Philadelphia used its bench less than all but three teams in the NBA last season. The Sixers ranked 27th in bench points per game a season ago and were exposed in the playoffs for their lack of depth. Going into the season, players such as Thybulle, Trey Burke, James Ennis, Mike Scott, Zhaire Smith and Kyle O’Quinn should all get a fair share of minutes. While I’m not confident in how effective this bench can be, it should still be an upgrade from last year.
Who is the go-to scorer?
Jimmy Butler often rose to the occasion as the clutch time scorer last year, but now that’s he’s gone, that spot is up for grabs. Head Coach Brett Brown has pointed to Tobias Harris as a potential filler. Harris should once again be used primarily as a spot up shooter and occasional postup threat. The loss of Redick and Butler should expand Harris’ role in the offense. Embiid, Simmons and Horford could very easily take the role of clutch time scorer as well.
Is this a make-or-break season for Brett Brown?
After a second round elimination last season, Brett Brown’s job appeared to be in jeopardy. Philadelphia decided to stick with continuity and retain Brown despite rumblings that he would be fired. To be fair, Brown hasn’t always been dealt a fair hand with the Sixers. He coached several teams during the process that lacked any kind of talent and was forced to integrate Butler and Harris on the fly last year.
Now that Brown has had a full off-season to integrate his new pieces and create a system that supports them, things should go more smoothly this season. This is a big year for the Sixers head coach, as a deep playoff run almost feels necessary given all the talent he has at his disposal.
Verdict:
The Sixers are loaded with talent at every position, and talent alone should put them in the top two of a weak Eastern Conference. This team is under the microscope this year and will have to integrate a lot of new pieces quickly. If Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid show growth and the new players adjust well, this team should make the NBA Finals. If not, they will bow out early once again. At minimum, Philadelphia should make the Eastern Conference Finals.
