The Sixer Sense
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Marco Belinelli must step up after Justin Anderson’s injury

By Christopher Kline

PHILADELPHIA,PA - FEBRUARY 12 : Marco Belinelli #18 of the Philadelphia 76ers warms up prior to the game against the New York Knicks at Wells Fargo Center on February 12, 2018 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. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA,PA - FEBRUARY 12 : Marco Belinelli #18 of the Philadelphia 76ers warms up prior to the game against the New York Knicks at Wells Fargo Center on February 12, 2018 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. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Justin Anderson is hurt, which only increases the role Marco Belinelli will carry for the Philadelphia 76ers.

The Philadelphia 76ers‘ win over the New York Knicks on Monday came with a cost. Justin Anderson is now expected to miss at least 7-10 days with a high right ankle sprain, taking away Brett Brown’s primary reserve on the wing.

For a team that has struggled with perimeter depth all season, losing Anderson is a bummer. The Sixers have settled into a rotation that revolves primarily around him and T.J. McConnell off the bench, which limits the need for Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot and Jerryd Bayless. Hopefully, with the All-Star break coming up, that’s only a minor loss.

That was going to change eventually, though. Marco Belinelli joined the roster via buyout, giving the Sixers another veteran with high-level shooting on the wing. Brett Brown emphasized the Sixers’ desire to work him into the rotation slowly, but that might not be an option with Anderson missing time.

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Even with lackluster shooting, Anderson has been a revelation of sorts over the past couple of weeks. His strength is a nice bonus defensively, while his off-ball cutting has worked nicely next to Ben Simmons. For all the slack he took after the Nerlens Noel trade, he’s not the one walking into the media room to grab a mid-game hotdog.

Anderson should have a role when he returns, but Belinelli was always going to take on most of his minutes. Brown has already mentioned potential lineups that include both Belinelli and J.J. Redick, while the regression of TLC and Bayless leaves little behind the 31-year-old in the depth chart.

As the Sixers make their playoff push, adding in a veteran of Belinelli’s ilk should be a net positive. He brings some much-needed shooting to the second unit, while his ability to score in bunches can keep the offense afloat when Joel Embiid sits.

Beli is a questionable defender, but the Sixers have the personnel needed to cover that up. We’ve already lineups consisting to McConnell, Redick and Bayless this season. An unathletic 6-6 dude isn’t the worst Brown has dealt with.

I think there’s a lot of untapped versatility that comes with bringing Anderson off the bench, so hopefully his recovery is swift. Again, even with Belinelli in the rotation, he deserves a spot.

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Until Anderson is back, though, Belinelli is set to carry a significant load. For a team that has struggled to fill gaps in the second unit all season, somebody like Belinelli provides some much-needed relief.