3. The bench mob
The Sixers have a lot to figure out in the second unit. With James Ennis expected to miss extended time, Brett Brown is missing his top wing option. Jonah Bolden isn’t 100 percent either, while Boban Marjanovic and T.J. McConnell are postseason liabilities. At least we have Mike Scott.
Brett Brown said the Sixers will go 8.5 deep in the playoffs, presumably referring to Scott, McConnell and (insert wing here) as the three whole reserves. The centers will rotate based on matchups, one would assume. That seems like a reasonable interpretation of that statement.
With Ennis missing time and Shake Milton ineligible in the postseason, there has been speculation over who will get minutes on the wing come playoff time. Assuming Brown doesn’t use Bolden at power forward and favor bigger lineups, there’s reason to believe Zhaire Smith might get a chance.
Brown told reporters Smith and Milton would sit in the postseason, but that was before Smith’s recent success. He’s firmly ahead of Jonathon Simmons in the rotation and might be the Sixers’ best on-ball defender outside locked-in versions of Ben Simmons and Jimmy Butler.
Given the Nets’ dynamic backcourt, having someone with Smith’s defensive prowess could prove beneficial. There are still offensive holes and rookie moments Smith needs to overcome, but the Sixers should consider deploying him in Brooklyn — or, at the very least, testing the waters.