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How will Philadelphia 76ers cover for Holmes’ absence defensively?

By Rusty Gorelick

PHILADELPHIA, PA - APRIL 10: Richaun Holmes #22 of the Philadelphia 76ers reacts as seconds tick down against the Indiana Pacers during the fourth quarter at the Wells Fargo Center on April 10, 2017 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Pacers won 120-111. 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 Corey Perrine/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - APRIL 10: Richaun Holmes #22 of the Philadelphia 76ers reacts as seconds tick down against the Indiana Pacers during the fourth quarter at the Wells Fargo Center on April 10, 2017 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Pacers won 120-111. 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 Corey Perrine/Getty Images) /
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The Philadelphia 76ers have no dependable interior defender to come off the bench while Richaun Holmes nurses his wrist. How will they cover for him?

Philadelphia 76ers center/forward Richaun Holmes will sit for the first two weeks of the regular season with a fractured wrist. That means he will most likely miss the first six games of the year.  That places the Sixers at a slower start than anticipated. Holmes is the key defender who regularly comes off the bench.  Last season, he averaged one block in 20.9 minutes per game . The 6-foot-10, 245 lb. center is a big part of the Sixers second unit.  He delivers such energy and deliver great defense.

Amir Johnson and Jahlil Okafor are the two obvious alternatives to replace Holmes at the five for the duration of the injury. Dario Saric is a provocative option as well. The clear issue is that neither of them gets recognition for their defense, even though Jahlil Okafor has slimmed down and shown more desire on that end of the floor. The key to covering for Holmes is perimeter defense, and here are a few options for how Brett Brown can cover for his backup big man.

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Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot and Justin Anderson as first wings off the bench

TLC and Anderson both have the capability of becoming lock-down defenders. Anderson’s physique is comparable to a bull’s: he stands at 6-6 and weighs 230 lbs. Luwawu-Cabarrot, on the other hand, also stands at 6-6, but is slimmer at 200 lbs. Anderson has proven himself as an impactful defender in the past, but his inconsistency on offense is a concern, while Luwawu-Cabarrot undertook the challenge of guarding LeBron James when the Sixers faced the Cavaliers.

Both players averaged 0.5 steals per game last season, but TLC did so in 17.2 minutes per game while Anderson took 21.6 minutes. Neither of those are stellar marks, but the two wings are great athletes who should be able to handle any second-string perimeter player in the league.

The question Brown will have to answer when spotting minutes to the twos and threes on the bench is whether he will sacrifice shooting for defense. Nik Stauskas and Jerryd Bayless can shoot the rock really well, but at best, the two are merely average on defense. Anderson has shot 28.9 percent from three in his career while TLC shot 31.1 percent from there in his lone NBA season.

Give Robert Covington minutes in the second unit

This is much easier said than done. Dario Saric had his moments on defense last season, but he was never consistent. Richaun Holmes’ intimidation factor in the paint also helped Dario look better at times. Covington was far and away the best perimeter defender on the team, which led to his fourth-place finish in NBA Defensive Player of the Year voting.

Covington can contain anyone in the NBA who is not LeBron James, Kevin Durant, or anyone on that superstar plane. Giving him free reign to defend opponents’ sixth men and be the first option will help the team and take a lot of pressure off of the shoulders of bench players like TLC, T.J. McConnell, and Jerryd Bayless.

RoCo led the league in deflections last season, which is a valuable stat when it comes to disrupting opposing offenses, and his hustle in that department would likely rub off on second unit teammates.

Score more points than the other team’s second unit

This is the laziest option, but it could be the one Brett Brown uses. The second unit has a lot of guys who can fill it up on offense. Jahlil Okafor and Dario Saric are great scorers, and Jerryd Bayless, Amir Johnson, and T.J. McConnell can get a few buckets per game.

Okafor’s value has soared during the preseason, and while his defensive presence is not nearly enough to hold down the other team for an extended period of time, it appears that he won’t be nearly as much of a liability this year as he was last season. Dario Saric has shown improvement in his long-range shooting in the past few preseason games, which should help him develop into a top-tier sixth man and maybe even a top-tier stretch four. If his defense improves on the interior and the perimeter, then he could be in the conversation for Sixth Man of the Year.

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The most important part of Okafor and Saric’s skill sets for this approach to covering for Richaun Holmes’s absence is their scoring ability, and it’s hard to doubt them when they are approaching the basket. Okafor, who put up 11.8 points in 22.7 minutes in just 50 games last season, is still nearly unguardable when in a one-on-one situation on the low block, and Saric has a decent mid-range game, but he can also drive and post up when needed, which is shown by his 12.8 points in 26.3 minutes per game. If these two can improve on their production from last season, then Brett Brown won’t have to change a thing in Holmes’ time on the sidelines.