Philadelphia 76ers traded offense for defense in the second unit

The Philadelphia 76ers revamped the bench at the trade deadline. So far, it has come with mixed results.

In trading for Tobias Harris, the Philadelphia 76ers accumulated the best starting five outside Golden State. Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons, Jimmy Butler and Harris are all players who can carry the offense. J.J. Redick is as dynamic a fifth option as any.

Elton Brand didn’t stop with the starting five, though. He also made significant alterations to the second unit, adding James Ennis, Boban Marjanovic, Mike Scott and Jonathon Simmons — all of whom are now regular rotation pieces.

The Sixers shipped out Landry Shamet and Mike Muscala in the process, giving up two offensive-minded players for a slew of more defensively apt bodies. Given the Sixers’ inability to defend beyond the starting five in recent months, the additions made sense.

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On paper, Ennis and Simmons are useful wings who can hit open shots and defend multiple positions. Marjanovic has been solid in his role, consuming all backup center minutes when Joel Embiid is healthy. Scott, while off to a rough start, is probably the best player of the bunch.

When it comes to actually applying that perceived fit on the floor, though, the Sixers’ new bench has been somewhat underwhelming. Neither Ennis nor Simmons look comfortable, with the former struggling to measure up to his impact in Houston (which already wasn’t great).

Even with positive energy and an effective three-point shot, Simmons hasn’t been able to contribute much. He’s an erratic finisher whose passing and dribble penetration hasn’t yielded many productive possessions. His skill set, at the very least, applies well to the inevitable Celtics playoff series.

On the whole, the Sixers lost a valuable offensive punch in Shamet — something that simply hasn’t been replaced. The Sixers value high-level shooters who can move around screens and create looks off the ball. That skill set, outside Redick, is no longer available.

The defense also struggles in certain matchups due to the deficiencies that come with Marjanovic, a 7-foot-3 hulk who lacks the lateral quickness to defend in space. Jonah Bolden seems like a reasonable solution, but he’s still young and Brett Brown’s patience tends to run thin.

All this culminates with T.J. McConnell, who’s still getting significant floor time despite Jimmy Butler’s new ‘point guard’ minutes. His poor spacing and defensive limitations harm the Sixers on a regular basis, even if his hustle has certain benefits.

The Sixers’ bench should get better with more time to gel. It’s difficult to completely usurp the previous second unit and expect immediate results. Scott, Boban and Simmons have all shown positive flashes, however brief they may have been.

In the long run, though, the Sixers sacrificed legitimate offensive value for more defensive bodies. If Scott, Ennis and Simmons are all hitting threes, those concerns are mitigated. That doesn’t feel entirely likely, though, which means the Sixers will need to lean into their size and versatility whenever possible.

One might also suggest cutting into McConnell’s minutes with (Jonathon) Simmons and Butler, using their size and playmaking chops without sacrificing spacing to the degree McConnell does. Even with Simmons’ 24.4 percent three-point mark on the season, his willingness and prior history will keep teams honest.

When applying that logic to the Celtics, as is customary with all Sixers analysis, Simmons and Butler provide solid point-of-attack defense without giving up a perpetual size disadvantage. They check all the important boxes McConnell doesn’t and can still dribble, which is what made T.J. so valuable last postseason.

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As the chemistry comes together, expect the Sixers’ bench to get better. When Brown tailors his rotations to a specific matchup in the postseason, that should also boost their effectiveness. With that said, there were valuable attributes lost amongst all the new additions. It’s better than where the Sixers were before, at the very least.