The Sixer Sense
Fansided

Please pass the ball.. Philadelphia 76ers family-style feast on NBA this season

By Bret Stuter

BOSTON, MA - OCTOBER 9: Markelle Fultz #20 and Head Coach Brett Brown of the Philadelphia 76ers talk during a preseason game against the Boston Celtics on October 9, 2017 at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. 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. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images)
BOSTON, MA - OCTOBER 9: Markelle Fultz #20 and Head Coach Brett Brown of the Philadelphia 76ers talk during a preseason game against the Boston Celtics on October 9, 2017 at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. 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. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Philadelphia 76ers head coach Brett Brown relies upon a Pace, Space, Pass philosophy to win in the NBA. This season, his roster is built to do exactly that. Passing equals assists,and the team is among NBA leaders

Philadelphia 76ers head coach Brett Brown relies upon a Pace Space Pass philosophy in strategizing for success in the NBA. In previous seasons, the team simply did not have the talent level required to fully execute the plan.  The team operated at a fast pace nearly every year.  But spacing means three-point shooting, something the 76ers did in volumes, but did not quite have the accuracy to make that much of a factor.  And finally, the passing phase, where the idea is to sustain rapid ball movement to force defenses out of position.  Once more, decent but not advantage for the team in previous years.

Suddenly the 2017-2018 Philadelphia 76ers are winning, and passing the ball is a key component of the success. But measuring passing is not the end goal, but rather the resulting assist statistic.  As of November 12, 2017, the Philadelphia 76ers are second in the NBA with assists per game with 26.3. Who are they second to? Those Golden State Warriors hold the league lead with 31.0 assists per game.

Pass equals assists

Why is this an important statistic?  In of itself, it’s approximately as significant as rebounding or blocked shots. But combined with proper spacing, and a fast pace, the pass becomes the leverage for a team aiming at post-season play.

Once more, this is an area the 76ers had been emphasizing, even in bad years.  The 10 win team of 2015-2016 was 20th in the NBA in assists.  The 28 win team the following year was seventh in the league with 23.8 assists.  This year, the team is second in the league with 26.3 assists.

Offense comes faster than defense

Assists helps offense.  And the Philadelphia 76ers, despite the tutelage of defensive head coach Brett Brown, is sitting at 107.9 points per game average, which is good for 10th in the NBA. That is very important, because the same team surrenders an average of 109.8 points per game, which is only good enough for 25th in the league.  That unfortunately is up from a year ago at 108.1 points.

Part of the answer is the pace of the game.  With the team currently at third fastest pace in the NBA, the equation is simple: faster pace equals more opportunities to score. So the faster a team plays, the better the offensive output – but at the cost of lessening the defense.

Young team but rapidly improving

Ultimately, the Philadelphia 76ers are still a “rebuilding” team. Ben Simmons and, when available, Markelle Fultz are rookies. Joel Embiid, Dario Saric, and Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrrot are playing in their second season.  As such, the players continue to familiarize themselves with one another as well as their individual and team opponents.

All the while, this team continues to do the right things as they grown in their proficiency.  Even at a record of 6-6, this team is far improved over the 2-10 record from just one year ago.  Beyond that, this improvement is not linear, but will continue to widen as the season progresses.

Next: Thinking outside the box: Why Doug Collins is a visionary, and more

Space (three-point shooting), Pace (speed of team) and Pass (assists) are the three measures of sucess of this Philadelphia 76ers team.  And in all three categories, the team is robust and improving.   It may be that the team needs different measures by which they will discover success. Perhaps rebounds, turnovers, fouls, and shooting accuracy?  But for now, the team aims at just three goals.  From those, wins will follow.

So far, the team appears to be correct.