The Philadelphia 76ers struggled to defend the perimeter last season, Did the team successfully address wing defense this off-season?
Winging it. That’s what the opponents of the Philadelphia 76ers did at will last season. It was one of the Achilles heels of the team, and it never healed. To compete in the NBA, a team must have a significant contribution from the wings (shooting guard and small forward). In 2015-2016, that contribution came too sporadically and too little to help the team.
That needs to change.
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Part of the problem was the fact that the worst defensive players on the team all seemed to be responsible for defending either the shooting guard or the small forward of their opponent. Checking on returning players defensive ratings from Basketball-Reference.com, we learn the following( DRtg = defensive rating, and DBPM is defensive box plus/minus): Nik Stauskas (DRtg 113, DBPM -1.9), Isaiah Canaan (DRtg 113, DBPM -2.9 ), Hollis Thompson (DRtg 113, DBPM -2.0). Of the group, only Robert Covington (DRtg 106, DBPM 0.0) and Jerami Grant (DRtg 108, DBPM 1.3) have shown enough to believe they can offer some resistance at the arc.
This off-season, the team has added Gerald Henderson, Jerryd Bayless, and Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot to the shooting guard rotation. Do they help?
Bayless had a series of injuries in the 2015-2016 season, beginning with a sore shoulder in December 2015, moving on to a spained ankle just after the new year in January 2016 and even a hyper-extended knee in mid-February 2016. As a result, his defense suffered greatly, and he only appeared in 52 games A more indicative period would likely be the 2014-2015 season, where Bayless appeared in 77 games, and managed a DRtg of 104 and a DBPM -.3. While not a superstar, those number are far batter than virtually anyone on the team last year at shooting guard.
Similarly, Henderson injured his left hip, and struggled to return to form through much of last year. But in two previous season, he boasted a DRtg of 106 and a DBPM of 0.0 and -0.4 respectively. Once more, a vastly improved defensive scoring for a shooting guard.
Perhaps the ultimate acquisition for defensive wings was the drafting of Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot. Young and fearless, he makes up for his raw inexperience with an incessant energy and good hand movement to cause havoc to his opponent.
The fact that Luwawu was even available to the 76ers at 24 in the 2016 NBA Draft came as a shock to many, as the rookie was the top rated “3 and D” prospect in the draft on many boards. That skill is highly coveted in the NBA today, particularly in the wave of small ball popularity.
This young man’s passion is infectious. It’s tough to avoid getting caught up in his high energy style of play, despite the occasional missed assignment. He’s a high energy player, coming to a high energy team with a high energy fanbase.
In summer league, it was Luwawu’s defense which held Laker’s rookie shooter Brandon Ingram to just seven points on 25 percent shooting. Having witnessed shooting guards score at will against the 76ers last season, that effort was incredibly reassuring.
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Fixing wing defense was a “must-do” to give the 76ers any hope of improving this year. In Bayless, Henderson, and Luwawu, the team has brought on significant help on the defensive side of the ball. Matching their defense with that of Nerlens Noel, Richaun Holmes, Jerami Grant, and even pesky T.J. McConnell will give the Sixers a true boost to their defense.