Tier one: The contenders
2. Philadelphia 76ers
Last season: 51-31, 3rd in Eastern Conference
Notable additions: Al Horford, Josh Richardson, Kyle O’Quinn
Notable subtractions: Jimmy Butler, JJ Redick, Boban Marjanovic
Philadelphia’s revamped starting lineup is an experiment in modern basketball philosophy. While most of the league is looking to get smaller, the Sixers are upsizing to the extreme – Josh Richardson will be their shortest starter at six-foot-six, with the rest of the starting five standing 6-foot-9 or above. While that might seem counterproductive in the small-ball era, the lineup that Philadelphia has built has a rare combination of size and versatility on both ends of the court that should see it succeed.
Defensively is where the Sixers will make the biggest strides. Richardson is a huge upgrade on that end over JJ Redick, as he’s developed into one of the league’s premier perimeter defenders in recent years. Horford may be the most versatile defender in the NBA, as his dual abilities to protect the rim and switch onto the perimeter are virtually unmatched. While he’ll start alongside Joel Embiid, the two should also split time at center and ensure the Sixers always have one elite rim protector on the floor.
With Embiid a Defensive Player of the year contender and Simmons developing as another switchable defender, the size and quickness of Philadelphia’s starting five should propel them towards the top of the pile defensively. And while they may have lost some offensive firepower with the departures of Redick and Jimmy Butler, they may actually be better balanced on that end now.
Simmons, Embiid, and Butler are all at their best with the ball in their hands, and the three never really clicked when on the court together. Subbing Butler out for Richardson and Horford should help the overall flow of the offense, as both can operate well off the ball and without many touches.
The loss of Redick is a big one offensively, as his constant off-ball movement and shooting ability were crucial in giving Simmons and Embiid space to operate. However, with both Richardson (career 36.8 3PT%) an Horford (36.8 3PT%) as respectable perimeter threats, there should still be enough shooting to stretch the floor.
As was the case last season, the bench will be Philadelphia’s biggest weakness. They currently have three backup point guards in Raul Neto, Shake Milton, and Trey Burke, but there’s no guarantee that any of them will stick in the rotation. Kyle O’Quinn and Mike Scott are proven contributors in the frontcourt, but the rest of the bench is made up of raw youngsters (Zhaire Smith, Furkan Korkmaz, Matisse Thybulle, Jonah Bolden) and middling veterans (James Ennis).
The Sixers have made savvy midseason acquisitions in recent years, though, and they should be able to pad out their second unit around the buyout deadline. Until then, and even if that doesn’t pan out, their starting five will be one of the strongest in the league and should see them remain as one of the East’s elite teams.