Philadelphia 76ers: Exploring new go-to play possibilities

The Joel Embiid-J.J. Redick dribble handoff has worked well for the Philadelphia 76ers, but it takes Embiid out of the post. Here are some other plays they can try.

Brett Brown and the Philadelphia 76ers have used a dribble handoff play between J.J. Redick and Joel Embiid consistently this season, and it has worked to great effect. Given the two players’ skill sets, the play ending in a bucket is almost a foregone conclusion. Except, when it doesn’t end in a score and the Sixers have to fight for a rebound, the team’s tallest player is at the three-point line.

Embiid has recently complained about his role in the Sixers’ offense as a result of coach Brett Brown putting him on the perimeter for a large portion of plays. Contrary to how Keith Pompey framed Embiid’s quotes, the Jimmy Butler trade has not directly caused this problem.

Since he made his debut, Brown has dabbled in using Embiid at the top of the key in what could be deemed an almost Nikola Jokic role. As Embiid’s star power rises as he spends more time on the court, Brown strives to involve him early in plays, meaning the 7-foot-2 center begins plays on the perimeter so he can touch the ball and run a DHO with Redick.

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The dribble handoff works really well. Redick hits 53.9 percent of his midrange jumpers and 35.6 percent of his threes. Embiid can set monstrous screens with his huge frame in addition to having the ability to do just about anything on the basketball court, so he provides a perfect rolling or popping option for Redick to find if he cannot get a shot up when he runs off the screen.

Embiid averages the fifth-most rebounds in the league, but he ranks 30th in the league in offensive boards. That’s an issue, especially because the Sixers rank 17th in the NBA in offensive rebounds and 16th in second-chance points.

Philly has one of the best rebounders in the league, so he should play closer to the basket, which would not let him and Redick run the DHO that has worked so well this season.

At this point in time, the Sixers only have three players who can create their own shot in Embiid, Ben Simmons, and Jimmy Butler, and Simmons refuses to shoot the ball from more than seven feet away from the basket. Those three players may all rank among the top 20 players in the league, but the team as a whole has a limited offensive skill set.

Regardless of the lack of depth and versatility on the roster, here are some options for new go-to plays which will let Joel Embiid stay closer to the basket, even if some of the plays are not necessarily designed for him.