2018-19 NBA Power Rankings: Philadelphia 76ers’ poor depth causing issues

The Philadelphia 76ers’ flaws are becoming increasingly evident.

After putting together a solid win streak, the Philadelphia 76ers have lost three of their last four. Two of those losses came without Jimmy Butler, but the same issues continue to plague the Sixers. Right now, there’s no clear solution.

Joel Embiid, Jimmy Butler and Ben Simmons are arguably the best trio outside Golden State. It’s the supporting cast, however, that keeps dragging the Sixers down. Their bench, alongside Atlanta, New York and Chicago, is among the worst in the Eastern Conference.

Mike Muscala gets drilled in certain defensive matchups, with Amir Johnson no longer providing stability at the five. Landry Shamet, Furkan Korkmaz and T.J. McConnell are all liabilities on the perimeter. J.J. Redick and Wilson Chandler aren’t performing up to par either.

The Sixers have coasted to 20-12 behind an MVP-caliber season from Embiid, as well as strong campaigns from Butler and Simmons. When it comes to the playoffs, though, depth will almost certainly limit the Sixers’ ceiling. They also run the risk of burning out their stars before next spring.

Philadelphia has established itself as a top-five team in the conference, but without significant improvement, the elite tier will evade them for at least one more season. For our previous power rankings, click here.