Sixers need to strengthen their bench
The Philadelphia 76ers‘ bench has struggled, and that could hurt them a lot as the season progresses.
A bad bench has been the Achilles’ heel of a lot of good teams. Quality starting linueps can hang with any group, but it’s the second unit that often means the difference between good and elite.
Right now, the Philadelphia 76ers find themselves struggling in that respect.
The Sixers’ bench is awful. Injuries to Jerryd Bayless, Markelle Fultz and Justin Anderson haven’t helped, but it’s difficult to forsee any of those players — in their current state — singe-handedly fixing the issues at hand. The team’s production drops off a cliff whenever the second unit takes over, and that has killed the Sixers in a lot of close games.
Just look at these numbers from The Athletic. We all know this team tends to ride (or die) with Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons, but that kind of decline whenever the two take a rest is a serious problem for a team that’s looking to compete in the playoffs.
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Both Embiid and Simmons are transcendent talents, but the leads they’re able to pad alongside the likes of Robert Covington and J.J. Redick can’t be sustained given the current state of the Sixers’ bench. That’s why we’ve seen Philly, despite their strong start, end up in so many close games — regardless of competition level.
Perhaps the foremost issue has been shooting. Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot has been the second unit’s primary scorer, yet is hitting on just 33.3 percent of his shots from deep. That’s an improvement over last year, but some serious peaks and valleys have made him unreliable.
Bayless’ return should help, but again, he can’t be relied upon as the bench’s only viable scorer.
They don’t have much shot creation either. With Markelle Fultz out and Dario Saric in the starting rotation, there isn’t anybody who can consistently create his own shot on the offensive end.
T.J. McConnell can probe the defense and hit the occasional pull-up mid-ranger, but that’s not something Brett Brown should have to lean on offensively. If during any stretch of game the offense is heavily reliant on McConnell generating his own offense, there’s a serious problem.
Whether it be through trade or free agency, the Sixers need to address their bench production. Embiid’s increased minutes will make it easier for Brown to keep at least one of his stars on the floor at all times, but that can’t always be the case.
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The Sixers won’t win a championship in five years with a lousy bench, and it’s better to address the issue now than later.