Philadelphia 76ers Thanksgiving: One thing to be thankful for with every player

Mike Muscala — Stability in the frontcourt

The Sixers swapped Justin Anderson and Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot for Mike Muscala over the summer — a move that generated some mild criticism. While Anderson and TLC are both young, neither can match Moose’s present value. The latter is only 27, to boot.

By adding Muscala, the Sixers were able to replace Ersan Ilyasova with another floor-spacing big on a short-term contract. He’s shooting 35.1 percent from deep, spotting up at a high clip and creating driving lanes.

Lineups with two bigs aren’t ideal, but Muscala continues to play important minutes next to Embiid. He should also earn more minutes as the backup five, eventually pushing Johnson to the periphery. Muscala’s shooting and defense are far more valuable at this point.

As the Markelle Fultz situation continues to devolve, it’s fair to call Muscala the Sixers’ most important bench piece. It’s almost as though someone on this very website called it before the season.