One of the most difficult challenges of Philadelphia 76ers president Bryan Colangelo’s career will be the Simmons Saric Embiid combination.
As the brain trust of the Philadelphia 76ers scales the priorities of transactions to prepare for the 2016-2017 season, you cannot help but be somewhat overwhelmed of the possibilities laying at the feet of the team thanks to the austerity of the former president Sam Hinkie.
But now the team is nearly paralyzed with choices which are nearly as numerous as that of a young child seeing the flavor options of Baskin-Robbins ice cream for the first time. There is such a thing as too much of a good thing. This off-season, the Philadelphia 76ers are flirting with that theory.
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One of the most curious puzzlers is the ultimate roles for the three newcomers to the team. As you may guess, the Philadelphia 76ers value versatility, and it was that aspect of the roster which cramped the team development in the 2015-2016 season as so many players were plugged in at numerous positions to compensate for injuries or opponents. That whirlwind of roles switching will likely slow to a snail’s pace this season. But with the likes of Joel Embiid, Dario Saric, and a highly likely first pick of the 2016 NBA draft of Ben Simmons, the team will be introducing three more faces to the NBA to compete in the front court – as all three could make a case to start at the power forward positions.
But that cannot be, and the team must acknowledge the need to place the best lineup onto the basketball court simultaneously. Right now, the team knows that they have both Jahlil Okafor and Nerlens Noel for the center or power forward position, but either or both could become trade-able if the team is convinced that Joel Embiid is fully healthy to the point of withstanding an entire season of NBA basketball. If that is the case, one of the two centers will be given the bench, while the other will be given the “for sale” sign.
But the combination of Joel Embiid Dario Saric and Ben Simmons is another puzzler. Similar and yet world’s apart different in many ways.
Next: C PF SF
Center/ Power Forward / Small Forward
If the team plays Saric to his strengths, then Dario Saric becomes the starting power forward. With a healthy Joel Embiid anchored at center, the first option would be to push Ben Simmons to the small forward position. Perhaps that would work. Simmons can play virtually any position, and so the expectation that Simmons will be comfortable at the three is not stretching the imagination.
In this combination you have the potential to be very good on both offense and defense, and gives way to load the back court with shooting veterans. Embiid becomes a focus of this offense in the post, and if he can excel in a similar fashion as Jahlil Okafor, the Sixers will be very dangerous. At small forward, Simmons will be given the point forward role, and will distribute the ball to Saric as a stretch four, to Okafor down low, slice to the basket on his own, or draw defenders to him and dish the ball out to the back court for an easy look trey.
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The strengths of this lineup is that it truly fits what Colangelo wants to do and what the Sixers current roster would be optimally suited for. If the team retains Jahlil Okafor, he becomes the natural backup/starter as Embiid becomes healthy. While he will not have the defensive skills of a healthy Embiid, his offense will pressure the other team. With better looks, the team will find the play of Robert Covington, Nik Stauskas, Isaiah Canaan, and even Hollis Thompson will deliver better accuracy in their perimeter shooting. Offensively this is likely one of the stronger lineups.
Defensively, the team can rotate in Nerlens Noel, Richaun Holmes, and Jerami Grant in the front court and deflate any hopes of the opposition making a comeback in the game. This lineup also is not desperately dependent upon top tier free agents in the back court, as the team could slide in a veteran of Carl Landry‘s level of talent in the back court with surprisingly effective results.
Next: PF SF SG
Power Forward/ Small Forward / Shooting Guard
The front court, already well stocked with talent, will play a key role in who the Philadelphia 76ers seek this off-season, and at which positions they will look to fill. If the Sixers believe that the center position can be managed by the combination of Jahlil Okafor and Nerlens Noel, and are comfortable in a the prospect of Joel Embiid and Carl Landry at the four, then a shift of Saric to the small forward and Simmons to shooting guard is at least a discussion this team must hold.
In this scenario, the team gives the center role the responsibility for rim-protection and initiating the fast break offense. With Simmons on the court, he will likely continue to direct traffic, and the team will rely upon the physicality of Jahlil Okafor and the dependability of Carl Landry generate points.
In this scenario, Simmons floating down to the two compensates for anticipated difficulty of the Sixers in finding premier veteran back court help at both guard positions. This also allows the team to retain all three centers (Okafor Embiid and Noel) if the offers do not reflect the Sixers value of each player.
This scenario would be more offensively oriented, as both Dario Saric and Ben Simmons would be defending smaller and faster opponents. But it does have some potential to become stalwart at times. Point with this lineup should come in bunches, as the team could have a very tall lineup and with both Simmons and Saric on the floor, ball movement would be at a premium. In this lineup, Jahlil Okafor could conceivably score in bunches, as there will be too many other scoring threats to double him up.
Next: C PF PG
Center/ Power Forward / Point Guard
This is unlikely, but could ultimately have the most upside for the Philadelphia 76ers. With the floor general Simmons at the point guard position, the Sixers automatically become a very tall team, perhaps the tallest lineup in the history of the NBA.
Every trend starts with the pioneer.
With Embiid at center, Saric at power forward, and Simmons at point guard, the team would need to have two very strong veteran two-way players on the roster. But the team would be strong, very strong.
Swarm and Sting
Saric and Embiid would be able to use their size and physicality to dominate the boards, and area of serious need of improvement next season. Surprisingly, the Philadelphia 76ers were dead last in rebounds in the 2015-2016 season. While we consider the various scenarios, that is a statistic that must be addressed going forward. In fact, not only did the Philadelphia 76ers get the fewest rebounds per game, but their opponents averaged the most rebounds per game.
But this lineup would also add to the Sixers strength – the three pointer. Last season, the Sixers were third overall (behind only the Golden State Warriors and the Cleveland Cavaliers) in attempted three point shots. While they were not nearly as accurate, Simmons and Saric will help out in that regard. As Simmons draws traffic to himself, he will either go low to the post or flip the ball out to the three shot. Saric posted at the perimeter is just as capable of taking the long shot or driving in and flipping back out to another waiting shooter.
Given this new lineup, you can bet some other players not named Okafor will see their scoring averages rise rapidly.
"“I think people play (Covington) to shoot. I think he has not read the close-out well in the last month (December 2015) or so, driving it when he probably should’ve shot it, and shooting it when he should’ve driven with it. We’ve moved him back a little bit. He can shoot with range. He’s not hugging as much. That part of his game we’ve worked with him on, and I thought it translated into the last game where he just shot the ball. That’s what he does. To create that space and create that environment is a skill and a footwork technique that we’ve talked to him about, and he did do that.” – Brett Brown discussing Robert Covington’s shooting"
Sam Hinkie was especially delighted to sign Robert Covington to the Philadelphia 76ers, and he continues to grow more rounded as a basketball player and as a scoring threat. Placed at the small forward in this lineup, he will find plenty of clean looks at the three.
Next: PF SF PG
Power Forward / Small Forward / Point Guard
This is another combination that won’t be discussed much in mainstream, but could give the Sixers a huge bump in their lineup. If the team holds onto Jahlil Okafor for center, then you move Joel Embiid out to power forward. Saric slides in at the small forward spot and if you start a rapidly improving Robert Covington at shooting guard, you plop Ben Simmons into the point guard role. No trades, no huge salary cap outlays, three rookies, a sophomore, and a two year veteran.
Will the Sixers do this? Highly unlikely. But what a line-up. With this lineup, the team merely needs to “stand pat” on the roster, avoid rash rushes to wheel and deal, and see first hand just how well the team can excel if the roster is not dealing with injuries, nearly half of the team as new faces, and just focus on playing basketball.
This is not to say the team cannot add veterans, but any additions would be akin to the Elton Brand/Carl Landry genre of seasoned veterans who would mentor younger players in practice and help to coach from the bench, all the while being ready to deliver quality minutes when they take the basketball court.
With either Noel or Okafor at center, the team will either defend well or score a ton of points. Embiid would be able to exercise his soft hands shooting from the four, and while Saric would be set up against faster small forwards, he would be able to use his size and strength advantage to score mid range.
This would also be a very unique lineup in the NBA, and would give the Sixers an early season advantage as other teams would not be prepared to face so many taller bodies on the floor simultaneously. This is the most unlikely scenario, but the one I believe would be both effective and entertaining to watch on the floor.
So much is being made of trading players and getting veterans onto this roster, when I think the optimal value is simply understanding and managing the current players. If the Sixers cannot find free agency talent who would elevate the team, nor willing trade partners, then the team must prepare itself for a pragmatic approach to managing who they have until they no longer do.
As of right now, that is the first round pick, plus two other players debuting in the NBA this year. How Colangelo manages the Simmons Saric Embiid combination is far more important and will have a longer reaching impact on this team than any free agent signing or trade he can muster – unless he gets taken to the cleaners immediately out of the gate.
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Traditional thinking now leads to traditional places, and with the 76ers at the bottom of the food chain right now, some innovative thought process is warranted. The Sixers can set up a line up this year which could play together for the next decade or two, improving together each year. This is the dawning of a new era, Philadelphia. Let’s hope we get it right.