Philadelphia 76ers: 5 Starting Lineup Options

Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

Lineup No. 1

PG Sergio Rodriguez
SG Gerald Henderson
SF Robert Covington
PF Ben Simmons
C Nerlens Noel

While there’s an argument to be made that Okafor is the more likely starting option, this is a fairly standard layout for what the starting rotation will look like regardless. Simmons will be slotted at the four quite a bit this upcoming season, considering it’s technically his natural position, but will likely be handling the ball and facilitating the offense from the perimeter for the vast majority of his time on the court.

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In this scenario, the Sixers are able to put out another playmaker alongside Simmons in Rodriguez, who gives them a viable floor spacer when needed and somebody who won’t attempt to do too much with the basketball in his hands.

The former Real Madrid star has improved tremendously during his time overseas, as he sees the floor extremely well and has improved his consistency on what was a previously woeful outside stroke. A Rodriguez-Simmons pick-and-roll could be highly effective it utilized correctly, and skill sets do mesh fairly well considering the fact that they both tend to operate with the ball in their hands.

Outside of Rodriguez, the Sixers would keep the floor spread out still with a pair of additional shooters in Henderson and Covington. Henderson will likely be the most effective perimeter scorer in the rotation on day one, while Covington has showcased his prowess is recent years as a rangy wing scorer who can put the ball on the floor and create when necessitated.

Henderson has never averaged below 14 points per 40 minutes since his rookie campaign, and gives Philly the type of proven off-ball scorer they’ve been lacking. He has a solid first step for a veteran who has endured the injuries he has, and gets to the basket swiftly when he’s able to find a lane. His outside shooting has wavered throughout his career, but he tends to peak around the mid-thirties in regards to his 3-point percentage, and gives them a far more reliable option that Nik Stauskas or Hollis Thompson in an expanded role.

Noel’s offensive production wouldn’t be all that different than it was last year. He’s an easy lob target around the rim and a mobile finisher when rolling off of screens, but still isn’t the most polished offensive talent when attempting to score in isolation. During the Sixers’ Summer League stint in Las Vegas, we’ve seen Richaun Holmes mesh extremely well alongside Simmons in the same role that we would see Noel pick up during the regular season, which is a promising sign in terms of how the two would be able function on the court.

Defensively is where Noel provides the most impact on the court. With Simmons, Covington, and Henderson all being viable defenders at multiple positions, Brett Brown and company would have the luxury to switch off of screens without losing too much ground.

The vast majority of the younger athletes the Sixers have compiled on the roster are versatile on the defensive side of the ball, and Noel gives them one of the league’s most respectable rim protectors to reassure their standing on that side of the basketball. He allows the team to alter coverages while still retaining a viable rim protector underneath and somebody who excels in help scenarios when called upon.

This is somewhat standard and doesn’t possess the same awe-inspiring factor that some of the more creative lineup options may display, but it would certainly work. Their defense would be far less exploitable with Simmons in the frontcourt alongside Noel, while they could still put out a higher degree of outside scoring prowess than we have seen in the past few campaigns.

This is also, in a sense, just compiling the best player at each position. While Noel may be more fit-oriented here, Simmons, Covington, Henderson, and Rodriguez are all Philly’s best options at their respective positions in a vacuum.

Next: Lineup No. 2