Philadelphia 76ers: Who should lose minutes to Wilson Chandler?
Brett Brown needs to adjust the Philadelphia 76ers’ rotation following Wilson Chandler’s return. Whose minutes will he cut into?
Wilson Chandler made his uneventful Philadelphia 76ers debut in Saturday’s win over the Detroit Pistons, playing just 10 first-half minutes and scoring zero points. He did, however, grab four rebounds to go along with four fouls. It’s fair to say there’s some rust being knocked off.
Moving forward, Chandler will gradually take on a bigger role in the second unit. His defensive versatility and perimeter shooting are valuable weapons for a Sixers team deprived of such assets outside Robert Covington. His ability to defend multiple possessions will help against Boston and Toronto.
After dealing with several injuries in recent seasons, Chandler’s smaller role with the Sixers should be a welcomed change. He’ll see a reduction in playing time compared to his 31.7 minutes per game last season, keeping his legs fresh and ideally staving off more injury scares.
More from Sixers News
- 3 Sixers players who could help Team USA Basketball
- 76ers 2k24 ratings: 3 most underrated players on Philadelphia roster
- 76ers head coach Nick Nurse bares lofty plans for Paul Reed this season
- Grade the Trade: 76ers swap Tobias Harris for superstar PG in mock deal
- Breaking Down Bombshell Report on Sixers Star James Harden
Giving Chandler around 15-20 minutes is a reasonable bet, with the 6-foot-8 forward splitting time between the three and four based on the lineup. That doesn’t mean Chandler should take playing time away from someone playing the three or four, though.
For the time being, let’s assume Brett Brown is locked into the current starting five, with J.J. Redick getting ‘sixth man’ minutes. That leaves Amir Johnson, Mike Muscala and Landry Shamet at risk for reduced minutes. The former should take the biggest hit.
On the season, Johnson is averaging 11.9 minutes per contest — a fair number for an aging vet who still provides value on defense. With that said, Mike Muscala has gradually worked himself into a bigger role offensively. It might be time to give him the backup five minutes.
Before the season, I pondered whether or not Muscala could lead the bench in minutes played. That obviously won’t happen with Redick’s unique situation, but there’s reason to believe he can carve out 20-25 minutes per game behind Dario Saric and Joel Embiid.
We have also taken a stab at projecting Chandler’s role in the past, although recent revelations will obviously play a role in Brown’s decision making.
Chandler can take on the backup four minutes, spending some time at the three when Moose shares the floor with Embiid. That keeps Landry Shamet — whose shooting and off-ball movement is invaluable to the offense — locked into the rotation.
Here’s what the pecking order should look like (assuming Brown is bullish on starting Dario, among other things):
- Starting PG: Ben Simmons
- Starting SF: Robert Covington
- Starting PF: Dario Saric
- Starting C: Joel Embiid
- Starting SG/Backup PG: Markelle Fultz
- 6th Man/Starting SG: J.J. Redick
- 20-25 minutes: Mike Muscala
- ~15 minutes: Wilson Chandler
- ~15 minutes: Landry Shamet
- Spare minutes: T.J. McConnell, Amir Johnson
The lineup is obviously flexible in certain situations — Chandler can help the Sixers go small, while Johnson might prove useful against a more physical interior presence — but this is a general game plan. Chandler could also get more minutes if he cuts into Saric’s playing time for defensive reasons.
Next. How to help Simmons and Fultz coexist. dark
To put things in simple terms, Shamet should keep his role. He’s too valuable, both now and long term, to buck from the rotation. Johnson should be on the losing end.