Will the Philadelphia 76ers’ bench hold up in the postseason?
By AJ Iezzi
Who’s in the rotation?
The last several games have been a tell-tale sign of how Brett Brown will use the bench during the playoffs.
Against the Celtics and Bucks, the same four players came off the bench: Boban Marjanovic, James Ennis III, T.J. McConnell, and Mike Scott. I would not expect that to change. The Sixers are fortunate to have an elite starting five. When most of the starters are pushing 40 minutes per night, they could realistically account for roughly 100 points per night. The Sixers are 27th in bench scoring, and that stat is most likely crooked from the Sixers’ roster moves. The playoffs are when benches shrink, but there is definite cause for a lack of trust in the Sixers bench.
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Based on their skills, Zhaire Smith and Shake Milton could theoretically help the Sixers. Both young players have intriguing talents, but expecting two rookies that have appeared in 15 games combined to contribute in the playoffs is unwise. The same can be said for the recently rehabilitated big man Justin Patton.
Jonathon Simmons most likely won’t be seeing playoff minutes outside of garbage time or an emergency. He had no expectations coming in as a part of the Markelle Fultz trade, and he has somehow been worse than expected.