7. Philadelphia 76ers: Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid
Philadelphia‘s foundational duo of Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid could arguably be higher on this list. If not for a miracle buzzer-beater by Kawhi Leonard in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals, the 76ers would have had an opportunity to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals and possibly supplant the next duo on the list with a strong performance.
However, Philadelphia will stay in the No. 7 spot for now, largely due to the offensive struggles that have plagued Ben Simmons in his first two seasons. As a 6-foot-10 point guard with outstanding passing ability, Simmons is one of the most unique players in the NBA. He is a matchup problem for smaller defenders and has the potential to become one of the most dominant forces in today’s game. That is, if he can develop a jump shot.
Simmons has been plagued by an inability to score from outside of the paint. He has completely shunned the perimeter shot as an aspect of his game, leading to widespread ridicule from fans and disrespect from players. Simmons is often left alone when he is on the perimeter, allowing opponents to assign more defenders to Embiid and other Sixers players. Simmons needs to at least start attempting shots from the perimeter, or he may continue to disappear in the playoffs as he often has the past two years.
Simmons can still become the star that Philadelphia envisioned when they selected him with the No. 1 overall pick in 2016. His combination of size, speed, ball-handling ability, and passing is rare, but until he attempts to add another dimension to his game, his ceiling will continue to be limited.
Embiid, on the other hand, is the main reason why this duo lands so high in these rankings. Simply put, he is the best true center in today’s NBA. While the aforementioned Nikola Jokic is extremely skilled, he cannot match Embiid’s post dominance and athleticism. After a few injury-plagued seasons to start his career, Embiid has established himself as a dominant force on both ends of the floor. This past season, he averaged an incredible 27.5 points and 13.6 rebounds per game, both career-highs.
He is Philadelphia’s unquestioned leader, and his brute force in the low post is a breath of fresh air in today’s perimeter-oriented game. That is not to say Embiid is not an outside threat. While his perimeter shooting is below average (30% from 3-point range this past season), he shoots well enough to keep opponents honest when guarding him on the perimeter.
With Philadelphia retaining Tobias Harris and adding Al Horford and Josh Richardson in place of the departed Jimmy Butler, this tandem has the opportunity to advance even further in the postseason next year.