The Philadelphia 76ers had NBA Finals aspirations for the 2018-19 season. After the Jimmy Butler trade, the team lost depth and many think the Sixers need to get involved in the trade market or acquire payers via buyout. What if I told you the 76ers can make a deep playoff push without making any changes to their current roster?
The Philadelphia 76ers are one of the few NBA teams who have three top 20 players in the league in Jimmy Butler, Ben Simmons, and Joel Embiid. They have immense potential in the youths of Markelle Fultz, Landry Shamet, Jonah Bolden, Justin Patton, and Zhaire Smith who are either rookies or in their second year. Don’t forget about the vet, Wilson Chandler, the sharpshooter J.J. Redick and the gritty, crowd favorite, T.J. McConnell.
This team has endured several injuries, especially to their young players, which has enabled the Sixers to see how well their team performs at limited strength.
With everyone healthy and active for the playoffs, the 76ers can make a deep playoff push without giving up any assets through trade, or getting someone through the unpromising buyout market. Yes, in order for this to occur you have to assume and hope for many things but the possibility for this team to represent the east in the NBA Finals cannot be entirely ruled out.
Do you want to know how this can occur? Well then, keep reading…
Team needs
The three largest needs on the Sixers are another perimeter defender, guard bench scoring, and a back-up center. These holes have been apparent all season and many Sixers writers, reporters, and many NBA analyst have repeatedly said that the 76ers need to address these gaps if they want to have a chance to win multiple playoff series come April.
There have been many who have said the Sixers should look at Robin Lopez, Dewayne Dedmon, Justin Holiday, Reggie Bullock, among many other names who have floated around (not as rumors from the team) as guys the Sixers should target.
The thing about the trade and buyout market is that neither one is reliable or definite to occur. There won’t be many times where the Sixers will score on Marco Belinelli and Ersan Ilyasova in the buyout market and trades do not always pan out the way they do on the ESPN Trade Machine.
The team should look at their own squad and see that all of their needs are right in front of them, they just have not all been active or playing at the same time this season. The chances of this working out are slim, but it does not hurt to try, especially if the team strikes out on the trade/ buyout market.
Corey Brewer
The Sixers have been in desperate need of a perimeter defender. A little over a week ago the team signed Corey Brewer to a 10-Day contract. In only his second game played, he started against the Houston Rockets due to Jimmy Butler’s wrist injury and he played magnificently. It was obvious the “Drunk Dribbler” got into Harden’s head, guarding him all 94 feet of the court and drawing a technical foul en route to a Sixers 121-93 win.
Brewer’s play earned him a second 10-Day contract. The 10-day gives the team until the Feb. 7 trade deadline to try and upgrade or decide to re-sign him for the year. If the Sixers don’t find anyone better then keeping Brewer for the rest of the year is a no brainer. He can defend teams’ opposing best players when needed and on offense he is not completely a liability, showing he can knock down catch-and-shoot threes.
Corey Brewer has the Philly grit and would be a useful asset down the stretch in the 2019 playoffs.
Zhaire Smith
The 76ers’ rookie guard, Zhaire Smith, just got assigned to the Sixers G-League affiliate, Delaware Blue Coats, to finish off his recovery from foot surgery to finally make his NBA debut in the coming weeks. It is not known exactly when Smith will return but the guess is that it will be around a month.
Zhaire Smith also fills many gaps on the Sixers. He was drafted due to his stellar perimeter defense, his ability to guard multiple positions, and his craftiness in slashing and finishing around the rim.
The Sixers don’t have any athletic guards who can speed by defenders and dunk on a defenders’ head besides Ben Simmons and Zhaire Smith. Defensively, Smith can defend positions 1-3. The Texas Tech product even has experience defending in the post due to him playing power forward in college, only being about 6-foot-5.
Whenever Smith makes his debut for the Sixers, the expectations will not be high but the rookie just needs to get into NBA shape and adjust to the game by playoff time, where he could provide valuable minutes off the bench.
Justin Patton
The Sixers acquired center Justin Patton in the Jimmy Butler trade back in November and not many people thought much of the acquisition of the second-year big man out of Creighton. Patton was high on every NBA team’s draft board entering the 2017 NBA Draft and he was taken with the 16th overall pick. Patton has only played four total minutes in his NBA career due to foot surgeries but there is still some promise in the 21-year-old.
Justin Patton was valued coming into the NBA for his ability to score out of the post, pick-and-roll/ pick-and-pop game, ability to stretch the floor with a decent jump shot, and his solid shot-blocking skills.
A huge gap on the Sixers’ roster is the backup center position. Even though Patton has only played in one game over his first two years, he is supposed to be able to play by the end of the season and he could provide some valuable minutes off the bench.
Any big that can set solid screens, stretch the floor, and play solid defense is valuable in the modern NBA. Patton has the potential to be that backup big alongside Jonah Bolden and Mike Muscala to hold down the center position while Joel Embiid rests.
Markelle Fultz
Yes, Markelle Fultz. Everyone is either completely done with Markelle and wants him traded or like me, will believe Markelle has star potential until the day Fultz retires. Fultz is now back with the team doing physical therapy as he recovers from Thoracic Outlet Syndrome. The timetable for his return is unknown.
Every Sixers fan loves T.J. McConnell for many reasons, like his gritty play, diving for loose balls, aggressive on-ball defense, and the underdog mentality he has carried with him throughout his career. But many will admit that T.J. has his limitations both offensively and defensively. His aggressive defense looks good at times but he is also exposed and scored on by opponents. If Markelle can return to the court and play he could take back those minutes from T.J. and give the team a more versatile guard off the bench.
T.J. McConnell only shoots from about 14 feet and in and is not a threat from the perimeter at all. Fultz, even back before he took time away to rehab his shoulder, could expand his range further than T.J.
We all assume Fultz will come back and have a more fluid and improved jumper. If that is the case, that is an immediate upgrade for the Sixers backup guard spot. Fultz has the better defensive body to guard multiple positions, is more athletic, and can offer more on offense from his playmaking, athleticism, crafty finishes and his mid-range game (and hopefully some from three).
The team has a need for an upgrade (I love you T.J.) at the backup point guard spot and Markelle Fultz has the ability to fill that spot and excel throughout the rest of the season.
Can it happen?
The probability of Zhaire Smith, Justin Patton, and Markelle Fultz all coming back and playing somewhat effective basketball off the bench for the Sixers is not the highest, but it certainly can happen. Those three along with Corey Brewer all fill the Sixers biggest needs on the team that they want to address via trade or buyout.
Corey Brewer can be the Tony Allen-esque lock-down perimeter defender the Sixers will need come playoff time. Zhaire Smith can also fill that defensive void as well as provide scoring off the bench. Justin Patton has the ability to play better than Amir Johnson and get solid backup center minutes along with Bolden and Muscala. Lastly, Fultz can be a solid backup point guard and be a defensive upgrade off the bench.
If the Toronto Raptors get the one seed, Milwaukee Bucks get the two seed, Sixers get the three seed, and the Boston Celtics get the four seed, the Sixers have a shot at making the Finals. Toronto can beat Boston and Philly could take the Bucks in a seven-game series at full strength. Looking at the games the Sixers and Raptors have played, it seems to me that the 76ers certainly have a shot at beating Toronto were that to occur.
The Philadelphia 76ers can make a deep playoff push with the team they have now, it is not likely all of these things occur but if they do the Sixers will be set for success.