Domino Effect
Of course, the player most likely to be “slotted” first is Ben Simmons, a player who could conceivably be slotted at any of the five NBA positions. But where he goes dictates the team roster. Why? The domino effect.
If the team slots him at power forward, that will likely slide Dario Saric to small forward which will likely slide Robert Covington to shooting guard. That may in turn trigger one of the shooting guards to slide to point guard.
If the team slots Ben Simmons at small forward, that could open up Jahlil Okafor to slide to power forward. Once more, Robert Covington could slide to shooting guard and once more, a shooting guard could slide to point guard.
It’s the domino effect.
The Philadelphia 76ers are vulnerable to this as the team’s head coach, Brett Brown, likes to get his best five players on the basketball court. But which five will that be? And if the battle to start is across all positions, is that a good thing for the depth and durability of this roster?
One would think so. Last year the team began the season with just nine of fifteen players able to suit up for that first game. 60 percent of the team’s roster to take the floor, 40% unable to do so.
While that has less effect in one game, over the course of the season, the team used more players with significantly more minutes than any other team. Last season, eleven players averaged 15 or more minutes per game. If you lower the threshold to ten or more minutes per game, that number rises to 17 players.
Next: Will Philadelphia 76ers and Delaware 87ers share TLC?
The Philadelphia 76ers have refurbished the roster, have upgraded at virtually every position, and are eager to get the new season underway. Until that time, there will be plenty of action as the team will be working to form a roster and a nucleus going forward. It will be a very exciting year for the Philadelphia 76ers fans.