The Sixer Sense
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Philadelphia 76ers Should Utilize Small Ball

By Christopher Kline

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: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports /

10 years ago, the idea of running out a small ball rotation woudn’t have crossed my mind. In reality, it probably wouldn’t have crossed my mind prior to the Warriors signing Steve Kerr as their head coach either. But Golden State has truly changed the dynamic of the NBA and how the most effective basketball is played.

The Cavs’ best basketball was played with Richard Jefferson on the court rather than Kevin Love during the Finals, while the evolution of the Warriors’ death lineup has changed how teams have had to game plan heading into those matchups. A gritty group of athletes who neutralize their size disadvantage through savvy playmaking and superior athleticism is a proven weapon, and the Sixers are now fully capable of utilizing it.

As floor spacing and versatility have become ever so important in today’s league, the Sixers seem to be the one team that has gotten substantially worse in those areas. Their two big men sets bogged down the rotations and limited the work they could do on the inside, while leaving expansive gaps in their ability to cover the floor on the defensive end as well.

A rotation revolving around Simmons and a group of floor spacers could help allieviate a number of those problems. It won’t be their starting rotation, but it gives them an option that allows them to put their most impressive young talents in motion and shoot the ball at a clip much higher than they’ve been able to in years past.

This is the direction the league seems to be heading with the sheer momentum the Warriors’ movement has gained, and Philadelphia could be well on their way to establishing their prominence in that transition as we speak.

Next: The Lineup