NBA: Ranking the top 10 contenders to begin the 2019-20 season
By Marc Sherman
3. Philadelphia 76ers
Over the summer, the Philadelphia 76ers spent the majority of their time handing out max contracts to Tobias Harris, Ben Simmons, and their prize of the offseason, Al Horford.
With the acquisition of Horford, Philly added a player that can defend at a high-level, orchestrate the offense occasionally, and step in for Embiid when health is an issue.
In addition, Horford has been the only player in years prior that has been able to defend Joel Embiid one-on-one. Philly loaded up their front-court while simultaneously weakening their Eastern Conference opponents.
Ben Simmons and Embiid are another dynamic duo in the NBA. Averaging 24 years of age together, the two will look to build upon their All-Star seasons, and Embiid will look to replicate his MVP level production.
Philadelphia lost their 3-point specialist JJ Redick in free agency and star Jimmy Butler via trade. However, in return for Jimmy, the 76ers received the underrated 3-and-D wing defender Josh Richardson.
At the age of 26, Richardson will have to partially fill the role of both Butler and Redick with his 3-point ability and versatility on defense. Tobias Harris will take on more of a scoring role this season, as last year he was an awkward fit next to Jimmy in the starting lineup.
The 76ers are the favorites coming out of the East this season. Their two offseason acquisitions – Horford and Richardson – along with their two generational talents – Simmons and Embiid – will prove to be a challenging task for the rest of the league to handle.