Philadelphia 76ers Should Utilize Small Ball

Feb 13, 2016; Baton Rouge, LA, USA; LSU Tigers forward Ben Simmons (25) brings the ball up court against the Texas A&M Aggies during the first half of a game at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 13, 2016; Baton Rouge, LA, USA; LSU Tigers forward Ben Simmons (25) brings the ball up court against the Texas A&M Aggies during the first half of a game at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports /
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Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports
Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports /

One of the most likely arguments against a small ball rotation is going to be rebounding. People will likely point to the falsely perceived rebounding success of Nerlens Noel and Joel Embiid, while assuming that Simmons and company is far from capable of retaining any such advantage.

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Noel, averaging just upwards of 8 boards per game, was a fine rebounder last season. However, when you looking at Okafor, especially on the defensive end, he struggled to a much greater extent than expected. Okafor was often out of position and at times no physical enough on the boards, which led him to only averaging around 4 to 5 defensive boards per contest, despite having a more than sturdy build underneath the basket.

The Sixers had some solid rebounding players in Covington and Grant as well, mostly due to effort, but they never were exceptional in that category from a team perspective. Games where the Sixers were totally outmatched on the boards came in droves, and lacking size underneath clearly wasn’t where that problem was derived.

With their small ball rotation, it’s tough to see a major dip in production. Simmons was one of the most productive rebounders in college basketball at LSU, often putting on good showings against other solid rebounding talents such as Damian Jones and  Alex Poythress in the SEC. Simmons has the leaping ability, quickness, and strength necessitated at 6’10” to maneuver his way around the paint and rebound at a high clip with little problem at the next level. He’s going to be a legitimate triple double threat from day one, and shouldn’t give them much of a dropoff in that category.

Saric likely won’t be a great rebounder, but the aid of a lengthier rotation around him and solid effort on the wings should keep their totals on that side of the ball fairly respectable. They likely won’t dominate the boards by any stretch, but detailing the Sixers’ starting rotation as a sizable upgrade is a little generous at times considering Simmons will likely be a focal point in any improvements made.

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