Will the Philadelphia 76ers’ bench hold up in the postseason?
By AJ Iezzi
The Philadelphia 76ers have the second-best starting five in the NBA. The first-five on the floor has been grabbing headlines since it was constructed. Nobody doubts the starters ability or production, but could the key to a Finals run come from the bench?
The Sports Illustrated cover washed over Twitter like a flash flood. ESPN was buzzing about deep playoff pushes. The post-trade deadline Philadelphia 76ers were the talk of the league. Tobias Harris was added to a starting lineup that is one of the most physically imposing five-man groups in the league.
Fast forward to late March and the Sixers are firmly slotted in the third seed in the East, and have just recently beaten the Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks. The Sixers are shaping up to become the team nobody wants to face.
Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid can gut-punch defenses in the paint. Jimmy Butler and Tobias Harris are excellent shot-makers. And, if J.J. Redick is hitting triples, they are insanely difficult to guard.
The Sixers will go as far as the starting five will take them, but without contributions from the bench, the Sixers will not become the best team in the East. The second unit for the playoffs is clear, but who can the Sixers count on and what can we expect?