Philadelphia 76ers bench is team’s Achilles Heel for NBA Playoffs
By Bret Stuter
Bench to bench
Ultimately, the Philadelphia 76ers signed Ersan Ilyasova on February 28 2018. So lets compare the benches of the 76ers to their opponents since that signing head to head. Or better yet, bench to bench:
Team Outcome Score Their bench score Our bench score
Cleveland Cavaliers W 108- 97 37 Pts 25 Pts
Charlotte Hornets W 110- 99 37 Pts 29 Pts
Milwaukee Bucks L 110-118 32 Pts 28 Pts
Chalotte Hornets W 128-114 51 Pts 39 Pts
Miami Heat L 99-108 46 Pts 31 Pts
Brooklyn Nets W 120- 97 43 Pts 26 Pts
Indiana Pacers L 98-101 31 Pts 15 Pts
New York Knicks W 118-110 35 Pts 22 Pts
Brooklyn Nets W 120-116 52 Pts 33 Pts
The pattern is … horrendous
So do you see the pattern? In each game, the Philadelphia 76ers must not only outplay their opposing team counterparts, but they must outperform the other team’s starter by 10 points or better. Who though this was a good idea?
More disturbing is the unanimous deficit of the Philadelphia 76ers bench to their opponent. And the fact that the team is 6-3 despite this bench shortcoming. How long can these Philadelphia 76ers keep up bucking this trend? Clearly the team surprised itself by benching Markelle Fultz the entire season. If Fultz played now, that would either place his production, of that of J.J. Redick, onto the bench. But the result of the personnel office’s series of inactions has placed this team into a precarious position. Even if the starting 5 outplay their opponent, can they push the team beyond the bench shortfall?