Philadelphia 76ers mailbag: Jimmy Butler, Markelle Fultz and the future

Answering your questions about the Philadelphia 76ers.

The Philadelphia 76ers are officially past the season’s halfway point, sitting 27-15 through 42 games. It’s been a largely successful campaign, with no major injuries and a new star in Jimmy Butler. If a few moves are made, the Sixers can make noise in the playoffs.

With all that said, there are still major concerns to address. The second unit isn’t very good, leaving the Sixers prone to poor road performances and difficulties on back-to-backs. The fit between Butler and the team’s core hasn’t quite clicked yet either.

Brett Brown needs to continue finding new ways to unleash both Butler and Joel Embiid, all while maintain Ben Simmons‘ prominence in the offense. With a post-dominant big, an iso-heavy wing player and a non-shooting point guard, there are some clunky moments. In the end, though, talent can still win out.

As Brown works on-the-court issues, Elton Brand needs to work the phones. Whether it’s via trade or via free agency, the Sixers need to add more around the main trio. It’s about not only winning this season, but convincing Butler to re-sign in the summer.

With the final stretch on the distant horizon, we took to Twitter for a mailbag. Here are some of the questions we received.