The Sixer Sense
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Cutting Booker benefits Embiid, Simmons for Sixers

By Rusty Gorelick

PHILADELPHIA, PA - FEBRUARY 14: Trevor Booker #35 of the Philadelphia 76ers reacts in front of Tyler Johnson #8 of the Miami Heat in the fourth quarter at the Wells Fargo Center on February 14, 2018 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The 76ers defeated the Heat 104-102. 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 - FEBRUARY 14: Trevor Booker #35 of the Philadelphia 76ers reacts in front of Tyler Johnson #8 of the Miami Heat in the fourth quarter at the Wells Fargo Center on February 14, 2018 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The 76ers defeated the Heat 104-102. 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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The Philadelphia 76ers cut Trevor Booker on Wednesday to make room for Ersan Ilyasova. That transaction benefits Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons greatly.

The Philadelphia 76ers sit one game behind the Indiana Pacers for the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference, and since Bryan Colangelo swapped Trevor Booker for Ersan Ilyasova, the Sixers finally have a stretch four available to come off the bench and give Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid space to operate in the paint.

Trevor Booker described himself as a “taller T.J. McConnell” when he arrived in Philadelphia when the team dealt Jahlil Okafor to the Brooklyn Nets. It’s an apt comparison: both can’t shoot, lack athleticism, and play with aggression and grit. The Sixers will miss Booker’s effort in the paint, but he truly lacked the skills to fully earn the 15 minutes Brett Brown gave him each game.

When Brown sent lineups including Booker, Simmons, and Embiid on the court, the interior became crowded thanks to defenders sagging inside, particularly leaving Booker and Simmons alone on the perimeter. That makes things harder for Embiid since most of his scoring chances stem from isolation plays in the post.

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Now that Ilyasova is the first power forward off the bench, the Sixers will still have decent spacing when Saric sits. Ilyasova hits threes at a clip right around the league average: 36.6 percent of his long-distance shots have fallen over the course of his career.

He doesn’t add a knockdown presence outside the arc, but it’s a huge upgrade over Booker’s career three-point percentage of 31 percent. The 6-10 Turk won’t always hit open shots when defenses sag in towards Embiid and Simmons, but his reputation forces defenders to pay attention to him at all times.

Having Ilyasova out on the wing gives Simmons another outside option to get the ball to on dribble-drive plays. If Brown ever decides to play a lineup of Simmons-Redick-Belinelli-Ilyasova-Embiid, then Simmons has three dependable three-point shooters on the floor with him. That means Simmons will get much more room to operate when driving to the rack, and it’s always dangerous when defenses give the rookie any space.

Brown liked to play Booker with Amir Johnson, another undersized, scrappy big who can’t shoot. The coach would run them with other non-shooters like Simmons or McConnell, leaving the paint clogged at all times.

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Ilyasova will draw defenders out of the paint, and for a team whose two best players do almost all of their scoring inside, another presence who will clear the lane is invaluable ahead of the playoffs.