Notable Moves:
Additions: Al Horford, Josh Richardson, Raul Neto, Trey Burke, Kyle O’Quinn, Matisse Thybulle
Subtractions: Jimmy Butler, J.J. Redick, Boban Marjanovic, Jonathon Simmons, Amir Johnson, T.J. McConnell, Greg Monroe
Projected Depth Chart:
PG: Ben Simmons / Raul Neto / Trey Burke
SG: Josh Richardson / Matisse Thybulle / Zhaire Smith / Furkan Korkmaz
SF: Tobias Harris / James Ennis III / Norvel Pelle
PF: Al Horford / Mike Scott / Jonah Bolden
C: Joel Embiid / Kyle O’Quinn
What difference a year makes.
A year ago the Philadelphia 76ers were playoff contenders led by a fragile Joel Embiid and a second year point-guard in Ben Simmons. Since then; Embiid has become an MVP candidate, Simmons is an All-Star, Jimmy Butler has come and gone, and the 76ers are legit title contenders.
After Kawhi Leonard sucked the life out of Sixer fans all around the world, GM Elton Brand orchestrated a massive overhaul. Butler, J.J. Redick, and most of last year’s bench are no longer in the squad. Instead they resigned Tobias Harris to a max extension, stole Al Horford from the division-rival Celtics, acquired underrated shooting-guard Josh Richardson from Miami, and reinforced the second unit.
With Richardson the shortest member of the starting unit, the 76ers hold one of the largest starting units in NBA history.
Off the bench, fan favorite Mike Scott and James Ennis III remain in the rotation after solid outings last post-season. Veterans Raul Neto and Trey Burke will be in charge of conducting the offense when Simmons sits, and Kyle O’Quinn could bring a stretch-5 presence during limited minutes.
Furkan Korkmaz is still on the roster, but he has an awful lot of competition this time around. Zhaire Smith is incorporating himself this year after injury problems his first season and rookie Matisse Thybulle is drawing great reviews since training camp started. Additionally, Johan Bolden and Norvel Pelle will mostly play garbage minutes throughout the season.
If you’re a fan of the 76ers, you should enter this season with the highest expectations in recent memory. In a new era of NBA basketball, Philly has one of the most intriguing teams in the Association. A healthy and motivated Joel Embiid will be unmatched every single night; he is the most dominant center since Shaq, after all (sorry Jokic fans). For those nights where he needs to “load manage” and doesn’t suit up, Al Horford will gladly step in and do what he’s done throughout his career. With one move, the 76ers paired up the two best defensive centers in the Eastern Conference.
Additionally, Philly quietly has one of the top backcourts in the league. The only weakness in Ben Simmons‘s game is the fact that he doesn’t shoot the basketball from outside the paint. Coming off draining his first ever 3-pt shot in a professional game (pre-season, chill), Simmons has the potential to make his team even more dangerous if he starts shooting consistently. Alongside Josh Richardson, who’s an underappreciated 3&D wing in this league, opposing backcourts will have nightmares when they have to face this gigantic duo with complementary skill sets. And in between all of these giants, Tobias Harris enters the year locked under contract for the next five years and has the potential to be an All-Star this year.
The big question mark with this team is its depth. While the starting unit is among the top in the league, the Sixers have arguably the thinnest bench out of all title contenders. If the hype around Smith and Thybulle translates into real NBA games, add another dimension to the Sixers that will increase their chances at the ultimate goal.
Coach Brett Brown needs to tinker with his rotation in a way that two of Horford, Simmons, Harris and Embiid is playing during the entire 48 minutes of the game. If I were him, i’d also explore with Simmons in a Giannis-role, where he’s surrounded by four shooters, and gets to go to the paint as much as possible when Embiid’s on the bench.
This team was four bounces away from reaching the Eastern Conference Finals and maybe even winning a title. We saw Embiid’s tears after falling in such dramatic fashion, and hopefully he comes this year with a no-nonsense mindset. With new pieces in place, this team could have the highest upside out of any team in the league. What if Embiid isn’t derailed by injuries? What if Simmons starts shooting and defenders can’t wait for him in the paint anymore? What if Tobias or Richardson take a step forward in their development? Anything but a trip to the Finals will be utter disappointment for this franchise.
It’s time for The Process to bring in Results.
Before the 2019-2020 NBA season starts, NBA Porkchop will take an in-depth look at each basketball team separately. Team transactions, player additions/subtractions through free agency, depth charts, and season projections will be discussed.
NBA PORKCHOP 