The Sixer Sense
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Philadelphia 76ers Should Start Ben Simmons, Dario Saric

By Christopher Kline

Jun 26, 2014; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Dario Saric (Croatia) gets a hug after being selected as the number twelve overall pick to the Orlando Magic in the 2014 NBA Draft at the Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 26, 2014; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Dario Saric (Croatia) gets a hug after being selected as the number twelve overall pick to the Orlando Magic in the 2014 NBA Draft at the Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports /
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With the NBA evolving and the likes of Ben Simmons and Dario Saric providing a highly unique pair of skill sets, slotting both “point forwards” in the starting rotation could be the best route for Brett Brown and the Philadelphia 76ers.

Regardless of the semantics of NBA positioning, both Dario Saric and Ben Simmons have proven their worth as legitimate facilitators in the game of basketball, albeit on different stages.

Simmons was a highly touted high prospect who shined during his tenure at the main cog at Louisiana State University, following that up thus far with a dominant stint in the Las Vegas Summer League with the Philadelphia 76ers. Dario Saric led the Croatian national team in their Olympic qualifying games, often acting as their primary creator and the tournament’s best player.

Both players fill somewhat similar niches, but together on the court, their production in combination could make the Sixers one of the more dangerous young cores in the NBA.

I’ve stressed the value of having a small ball rotation to fall back on at times, and the benefits are fairly clear. But even if the Sixers would rather rely on their bigs in a more prominent fashion, there’s still ways to slide both players into the lineup. Ben Simmons can play the role of point guard, and Saric could certainly be his secondary accompaniment.

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In today’s NBA, versatility in key. Having players capable of guarding multiple positions on the court is a necessity when facing upper echelon competition, and ball movement and it’s requisite spacing are at a premium in today’s league.

Both Simmons and Saric have the lateral quickness and overarching speed to cover multiple positions. Simmons’ strength and superior athleticism allow him to cover a wider range of positions and body types, but asking Saric to slide in at either forward spot on the defensive end is far from unreasonable.

They both switch out to the perimeter successfully and rarely get caught flat-footed against quicker guards. In fact, Simmons himself is quicker than a number of guards, even at the NBA level.

In terms of spacing, Simmons would likely act as the primary facilitator on the court. His seemingly generational talent as a passer is something that could truly provide the catalyst for massive improvements in Philly’s offense, while his improved aggressiveness has only increased his stock as an NBA player. He can find his spots on the court with ease and has the physical frame needed to work his way into the defense in whichever manner he pleases. While it may take some time for him to adjust to more capable defenders, it’s tough to picture him not being the primary source of offensive output once he’s put on the court.

Saric could work to and fro with Simmons as the shooting-oriented compliment that increases the Sixers’ offensive firepower far beyond what it has been in recent years. He’s a viable outside scorer who can help create more space for Simmons to operate than he would have in most larger rotations. He’s a skilled secondary ball handler as well, and gives Philly a pair of capable creators for when the Sixers want to run the court and play up-tempo, something they haven’t been able to do much in recent years.

In terms of who to start around them, one member of their current nucleus of bigs would obviously start at the five spot. Joel Embiid has the highest potential of the group, but lacks the proven NBA production of a Nerlens Noel or Jahlil Okafor.

Ideally, Noel’s flexibility on the defensive end and elite rim protection he can offer behind Saric and the remainder of the perimeter defenders would be the route Brett Brown and company takes. He’s the best rebounder on the team as it stands, and creates a highly versatile defensive core alongside the aforementioned Simmons and Saric to base their system around.

Okafor’s scoring would be set up in a much more efficient manner with more space to operate underneath, but his defensive woes are a fairly large deterrent. Neither Simmons nor Saric would be protecting the rim in any direct fashion when stretched out to the perimeter, and leaving a void around the rim could lead to their defensive setup being exploited at a far greater rate.

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In addition to their low post core, Philadelphia has done an excellent job of temporarily strengthening their perimeter group through the filter of a Ben Simmons-led game plan. Gerald Henderson not only gives them a steady veteran presence on the outside, but is a skilled wing defender who has proven his worth as one of the better 3-and-D role players in the league when at his best.

In addition, both Sergio Rodriguez and Jerryd Bayless are skilled shooters who can work off of Simmons when needed, but also take on the moniker of point guard when necessitated. They’re consistent presences on the outside who don’t look to do too much with the basketball, and often provide the type of offensive consistency, whether in reserve or in the starting rotation, that the Sixers have desperately lacked in recent seasons.

Robert Covington has consistently proven his worth as a rangy perimeter piece with an increasingly reliable 3-point stroke, while Jerami Grant has shown flashes of being an athletic specimen that could make the Sixers extremely hard to cover defensively alongside Simmons and Saric. Nik Stauskas is a skilled outside shooter at times, but has failed to display any one trait on a nightly basis that would lead me to consider starting him in any capacity.

In the end, an ideal rotation would look like this:

Ideal Starting Rotation for 2016-17

  • PG Ben Simmons
  • SG Gerald Henderson
  • SF Robert Covington
  • PF Dario Saric
  • C Nerlens Noel

While it may seems risky not to start a traditional point guard for defensive reasons, the overarching mobility of the group from a defensive perspective makes those qualms seem unnecessary. Henderson is a skilled perimeter defender who could certainly hang with point guards from an athletic perspective, and the ability of their frontcourt with switch onto the perimeter without losing much ground to quicker guards who almost be unmatched against some opposition.

Offensively, they have two creators who can spearhead their offense, while placing ample shooting around Simmons and an option underneath the basket. The entire starting five would be able to thrive in transition, and their aptness in putting points on the board would far outweigh that of any group Brett Brown has been able to put together during the Sam Hinkie era.

The opposition would have a tough time compiling the on-court assets needed to defend Simmons (6-10), Saric (6-10) and Covington (6-9) on the outside, while Noel is an easy lob target at the rim. Henderson is arguably the most effective scorer outside of Okafor on the team for the time being, and gives them somebody who has never averaged below 14 points per 40 minutes since his rookie season in the league.

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There’s a lot of firepower in a rotation that is headlined by both Simmons and Saric, and their options would be far more expansive as a result. While it may not seems likely at the moment, Saric’s talent level and offensive prowess could lead Brett Brown to seek out a manner in which to utilize him as the season progresses — and this is an excellent starting place.