The Sixer Sense
Fansided

The never-ending frontcourt logjam

By Luke Swiatek

PHILADELPHIA, PA - JANUARY 30: Joel Embiid #21 and Ben Simmons #25 of the Philadelphia 76ers look on prior to the game against the Sacramento Kings at the Wells Fargo Center on January 30, 2017 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - JANUARY 30: Joel Embiid #21 and Ben Simmons #25 of the Philadelphia 76ers look on prior to the game against the Sacramento Kings at the Wells Fargo Center on January 30, 2017 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /
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PHILADELPHIA, PA – JANUARY 30: Joel Embiid #21 and Ben Simmons #25 of the Philadelphia 76ers look on prior to the game against the Sacramento Kings at the Wells Fargo Center on January 30, 2017 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA – JANUARY 30: Joel Embiid #21 and Ben Simmons #25 of the Philadelphia 76ers look on prior to the game against the Sacramento Kings at the Wells Fargo Center on January 30, 2017 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /

Since drafting Jahlil Okafor, the Philadelphia 76ers have had more big men than they know how to use. That problem won’t be going away any time soon.

Recently, one of our site experts Christopher Kline wrote a fantastic piece about how Ben Simmons and Dario Saric will fit together on the court. However, as much as I agree with the merits of such a pairing, I’m doubtful we’ll ever get to see it on the court.

The problem is quite simple: there aren’t enough minutes to go around. This isn’t a new problem for the Sixers either. Since taking Nerlens Noel, Joel Embiid, and Jahlil Okafor in back-to-back-to-back drafts, the Sixers have had to juggle minutes around to keep everyone happy.

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Injuries have almost helped the cause, in a way. With Embiid missing two consecutive years, and Noel and Okafor suffering through various maladies, Brett Brown has rarely had all three at his disposal. Still, Brown was often forced to play cramped, ineffective, “twin towers” lineups.

The Noel trade should have finally solved this problem for good. The Sixers may not have gotten much in the way of assets, but theoretically they now could afford more playing time for their other young bigs. However, this isn’t really the case.

The Sixers have Joel Embiid, Richaun Holmes, Amir Johnson, Jahlil Okafor, Dario Saric, and Ben Simmons. In all, that’s six players who are best suited at the 4 or the 5 and who deserve more than a few minutes.

Let’s assume that somehow Okafor is gone, let’s not even factor him in. Maybe we trade him to the Knicks for an “I heart NY” T-shirt and a slice of week-old pizza. Even without Okafor, the numbers don’t add up well.

To be conservative, let’s say Embiid has a minutes restriction like last year, and only plays 28 minutes a game. In this scenario, Johnson and Holmes will get a combined 20 minutes between them, distributed differently depending on the matchup or how they’re playing.

That only leaves 48 more minutes for Simmons and Saric. If Simmons gets 32 minutes, that leaves only 16 for Saric, and he deserves more. Herein lies the conundrum.