The Philadelphia 76ers will need strong bench performances in the postseason, starting with Mike Scott and James Ennis.
The Philadelphia 76ers‘ new-look starting lineup is 7-1 when all five members are healthy. It’s arguably the most talented five-man group outside Golden State, giving the Sixers a legitimate chance in the top-heavy Eastern Conference.
If the Sixers are to make a legitimate title push, however, the bench will be of considerable importance. Even after some upgrades at the trade deadline, the Sixers are comparatively thinner than their conference counterparts. They need certain players to step up and exceed expectations.
Mike Scott and James Ennis are the most important names. The Sixers will need both to play significant minutes, for very different reasons. They’re the only two members of the second unit who aren’t clear-cut negatives against most high-level teams.
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The Sixers enjoy deploying Boban Marjanovic as Joel Embiid‘s primary backup, but against teams like Boston and Toronto, he’s simply unplayable. His inability to defend in space will get exploited relentlessly in the playoff setting.
That would mean the Sixers need to find other options behind Embiid. Amir Johnson and Jonah Bolden are too foul-prone, which leaves Scott as the only viable reserve. His small-ball attributes should outweigh the defensive concerns, especially once other teams go small.
Scott has struggled in recent outings, shooting just 25 percent from deep over the past three games. He’s been much better on the season, though, hitting at a 38.6 percent clip in 18 games with the Sixers. Expect regression to the mean and write it off as a minor slump.
His ability to space the floor opens up space for Ben Simmons, Jimmy Butler and the Sixers’ other star-caliber pieces, who will undoubtedly be staggered in the rotation. Scott, Tobias Harris and J.J. Redick give the Sixers a trio of near-40 percent three-point shooters to work with.
As for Ennis, his defensive prowess could prove invaluable in the second unit. The only other Sixers reserve who gets playing time on the perimeter is T.J. McConnell, whose size and athleticism provide severe limitations on the defensive end. J.J. Redick, the starting two, gets shredded by elite offenses.
The Sixers will need to lean on Redick for his offensive value, but there will be games where Ennis’ length, effort and athleticism will precede Redick’s shooting. Against the Raptors, Bucks and Celtics, it’s important to have wings who can switch on the perimeter and deter drives to the rim.
Once the postseason hits, Brett Brown’s short rotation will get even shorter. Scott and Ennis will be the focal points in the second unit, offering situational versatility that nobody else provides off the bench. Marjanovic, McConnell and perhaps even Jonathon Simmons will get spot minutes, but Scott and Ennis are going to provide the most value. At least, that needs to be the case.