Have The Sixers Completed Their Six Year Process?

With the Bucks and Toronto battling it out for the top spot in the Eastern Conference of the NBA, the Philadelphia 76ers have managed to fly under the radar despite now having, what on paper, looks like one of the best two-way line-ups in the league.

After making a decent playoff run last year before falling to the Celtics, the 76ers have gone out this season and improved their line-up adding two-way star Jimmy Butler and another player who can make a huge impact on both ends in Tobias Harris. The Sixers did have to sacrifice their bench and role players in order to land the big two pieces, however, if the new bench can find a way to mesh and become more productive, the Philadelphia 76ers could be well on their way to the NBA Finals.

The new look starting five of Ben Simmons, JJ Reddick, Tobias Harris, Jimmy Butler and Joel Embiid will always take care of business, if 4 of the 5 drop 15-25 each, and the other manages to provide an extra 12-15, the team is likely to be in a close contest, whether or not the bench manages to produce points. The good thing is, any of the Sixers' starting five has the ability to drop at least 20 each on any given night, while a few have the ability to hit 30 or 40.

Let’s start at the 1 spot – Ben Simmons. Simmons is yet to develop anything that even resembles a reliable jumper and there has been a lot of talk about this hindering the team to a point where it prevents the team from being a contender. While not having a reliable or even respectable jumper limits the team to a degree, it definitely does not hinder them to the point of stopping them being contenders, it simply means that the game-plan for Philadelphia is different to what we are seeing elsewhere in the league. Simmons is a big enough presence inside to be productive and athletic enough to make his defender respect him on offence, we have seen Simmons drop 20-25 points pretty frequently just by getting to the rim and given his size, there isn’t a whole lot teams can do to stop it. And even without the ability to shoot, Simmons is averaging 17.1 points while only taking 12 shots a game (56.9%). If I’m Brett Brown, I am more than happy to trade off a mediocre jump shot for consistent and efficient points at the rim.

Ben also has the ability to find the open man and get him the ball, he has proven himself to be an elite facilitator and with the line-up the Sixers have put together this will be vital, he averages 7.8 assists (with only 3.5 turnovers) and nearly 9 rebounds which allows the Sixers to get out in transition quickly, much like the Thunder do with Russell Westbrook, but with less shots and more efficient points and assists from the Point Guard position.

Reddick at the 2 spot is the perfect fit for what Philadelphia need – a knockdown shooter, that has the ability to really get hot on certain nights, and looks good doing it. Unfortunately, as a counter to that, he has nights where he goes cold, and when he is cold it creates problems for the Sixers. But, for the most part Reddick does what he needs to do, averaging 17 points on 39% from behind the arc. He isn’t the best defender but respectable enough that he can stop whoever he needs to from getting wide open shots all game. More important than his defence is the veteran leadership Reddick brings to a team which has a lot of star players. But, again all Reddick has to do is move off the ball, and get open, he is not someone who needs to dominate the ball to be effective and if he can play somewhat like Klay Thompson does for the Warriors, he will help the Sixers be a more successful team. He also shoots nearly 90% from the free throw line, a big help in tight games.

Tobias Harris emerged as a star during his brief stint at the Los Angeles Clippers. The Tobi and Bobi (Boban Marjanovic) show can now begin to take place in Philadelphia, and that, is a magical thing in itself. Before the trade to Philadelphia he averaged 21 points and 8 rebounds and got the Clippers off to a start that has propelled them into a playoff spot, somehow. Since the trade Tobias has lost 2 points per game and he isn’t shooting as well as he was. However, it’s still early stages and as Philly continue to build trust in each other and work more as a unit rather than 5 talented individuals, Tobias is likely to improve and become more efficient. Even if he doesn’t, He is another player that can put up the 20-25 points that Philly need from their starters. On top of that, Tobias is a big defensive presence, who can guard the perimeter but is big enough and strong enough to body someone in the paint depending on the matchup.

Similar to Tobias in style of play is Jimmy Butler. Butler has proven himself to be a two-way star, a master on defence and has recently become a huge closer for the Sixers, drilling big shot after big shot for them since he has joined the team. Butler is only averaging 18.5 at the moment for Philly, but from his days in Chicago and Minnesota, we have seen Jimmy with the ability to lock up on the defensive end and also drop 30 on offence. Butler’s defence will be vital when matching up against teams in the East, particularly if they face Boston who have Kyrie Irving, who will no doubt become a volume and more than primary shooter in the playoffs. Kyrie is going to score, but against Jimmy Butler, the shots will be tougher, more physical and the amount of open shots should be next to none providing Jimmy is locked in on D. Butler is a competitor, someone who will play all 48 minutes, and lead the secondary unit (or third-string if you ask the Timberwolves) to get buckets and play tough basketball. He has the exact mentality that the Sixers will need to take into the playoffs.

Speaking of Competitors, Joel Embiid has cemented himself as one of the two, if not the best big men in the league along with Anthony Davis. In all honesty he should probably be in the MVP conversation but has managed to slip under the radar. Embiid is averaging 27.5 points on 48.5% along with 13.7 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 2 blocks and almost a steal each game. He is without a doubt the cornerstone of the franchise both on the offensive and defensive end of the court.. Embiid has the ability to drop 30-40 any night he likes, he recently dropped 38 against Al Horford and the Celtics who until then had covered him pretty well. Joel said it himself, he is the most unstoppable player in the league right now. At this point, there aren’t many that can argue with him. He is big, strong and shoots 80% from the free throw line so the hack-a-shaq tactic that has been used previously against so many good big men can’t be utilised against Embiid. Joel is as skilful as he is athletic and that is a scary combination, one that hasn’t really been seen for a long time in a big man. Embiid is almost a lock for Defensive Player of the Year, his only competitor being Paul George. But the impact Joel has on his team’s defensive performance probably out-weighs George's. Like Butler, Embiid brings an attitude that works no matter what the players around him are doing. He is smart, knows how to get in other players head (ask Andre Drummond) and can take advantage of almost any matchup, and given the line-up the Sixers have acquired, teams can’t afford to double team him.

So, breaking it down, the Sixers have one of the most talented line-ups in the league, they cover the floor well and the only area they really lack in is three-point shooting, which of course in this era of basketball is going to be a problem. But, for the most part, the Sixers can probably manage without it, so long as Reddick does his bit consistently. The key is going to be perimeter defence for the Sixers and if they can find a way to lock down shooters and force them into tough outside shots, or inside shots, the Sixers should find themselves in a position to win, of course this is easier said than done, especially against the Warriors or Rockets should the Sixers make it out of the Eastern Conference.

Fortunately, the Sixers have just the right pieces to do this. Jimmy, Tobias and Simmons all have the ability to lock down the perimeter, while Embiid controls the paint. This is going to prove vital against the Celtics in particular. While on the other end, Butler and Harris, along with Reddick can knock down enough threes to hold even with the opposition, while Simmons and Embiid can get to the hoop inside the paint anytime they need.

Another focus will be on limiting role players and dealing with letting certain players do what they do. There is no way to stop Giannis, who is just too big and players like Kyrie who are natural scorers, from scoring. The Sixers will have to live with this and focus on stopping the players around them from putting up points. Which, like I mentioned, they have the pieces to do. Of course, this approach will have to alter if they come up against the Warriors. In that case, it will be a matter of shutting down, or at least limiting the outside shot and forcing them to play inside the paint.

There’s a glaring weakness in the Sixers play this year, one other than the three-point shooting, and that is bench production. It has been able to do very little this year and is 27th in bench points per game. I was surprised that Reddick or Tobias wasn’t moved to a six-man position after the trade to try and give the second unit some leadership, at least for a while. But the Sixer’s bench production will have to improve come playoffs, where it will be more physical and draining for the starters. Boban Marjanovic who came with the Tobias trade can be good, he will be very handy for the Sixers provided he can play games consistently, which of course has been the main challenge his whole career. Aussie Jonah Bolden played well for the Sixers when he started in place of Embiid last week, dropping 19 points. Amir Johnson and Mike Scott are two big, experienced bodies that can play the power forward position. The big-men off the bench won’t be the problem for Philly, it will come when they need to put points on the board, T.J McConnell who runs the back-up point spot isn’t a scorer or a shooter. The Sixers only shot maker off the bench is James Ennis, who has been cold since the trade to Philly.

The Sixers definitely don’t have an easy road, and it is a road that will definitely test the young and competitive spirits on the roster, but if they can manage to focus on shutting down the players they need to shut down while scoring for themselves on the other end – there is not a team in the Eastern Conference who the Sixers can’t beat over a seven game series.

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