Philadelphia 76ers have impressive lineup versatility

The Philadelphia 76ers are equipped to have an advantage in just about any matchup.

Considering the losses — Jimmy Butler and J.J. Redick — the Philadelphia 76ers turned in a pretty strong offseason. Al Horford and Josh Richardson will don red, white and blue next season, while the second unit feels much more complete.

In addition to his major signees, Elton Brand added legitimate point guard depth (Raul Neto, Trey Burke) and a serviceable backup center in Kyle O’Quinn. The most important reserves from last season, James Ennis and Mike Scott, both returned on deals below market value.

The Sixers will also have the services of Matisse Thybulle and a healthy Zhaire Smith, two young defensive savants who are ready to contribute in the NBA. It’s not a perfect roster, but it’s quite good. The Sixers are in a prime position.

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One attribute that makes Philadelphia stand out is its readiness for any matchup. The Sixers will unleash atypical size and versatility at every position, overwhelming opponents with elite rim protection, switch-friendly defenders and 6-foot-10+ wingspans.

The starting five alone is staggering. Josh Richardson, at 6-foot-6 with a 6-foot-10 wingspan, will lock in on opposing point guards. Ben Simmons is one of the few NBA players to spend time guarding all five positions regularly. Al Horford was a defensive cheat code in Boston. Joel Embiid is Joel Embiid.

No team will have more size than Philadelphia. After suffocating Toronto to a near-series win in the postseason, the Sixers added size. Embiid and Horford will blanket space inside, while Simmons and Richardson will hover around the perimeter. Tobias Harris, the weakest link, is still a solid 6-foot-9.

Both Simmons and Richardson can defend at the point of attack — Richardson being superior to current-day Jimmy Butler in that regard. Embiid will garner Defensive Player of the Year discussion. Horford is an All-Defense talent who can protect the rim, switch on the perimeter and communicate at a high level.

The biggest potential weakness for the starting five is when teams going with three smalls. Rather than matching the Sixers’ gargantuan size, teams might opt to use three dynamic ball handlers. That forces Harris or Horford to defend a twitchy scorer, which isn’t ideal.

Philadelphia has more defensive ammo on the bench, though. Zhaire Smith has the lateral quickness of an elite point-of-attack defender. He moves his hips, uses his 6-foot-10 wingspan effectively and fights hard over screens.

On the other end, the Sixers will punish smaller rotations. Every member of the starting five can post-up effectively. When Smith, Ennis or Thybulle enters the game, the Sixers add an effective cutter and spot-up shooter who can function off-ball.

The Sixers have managed to construct a functionally giant lineup in the evolving NBA. Even Embiid, who anchors the rotation at 7-foot-2, can survive forays on the perimeter. Horford was once a premier Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid stopper before the switch.

Brand and the front office have put a clear emphasis on size and defense. The Sixers want to grind opposing offenses into the ground. A revamped second unit gives the Sixers more flexibility than in previous seasons. Expect Smith to earn a sizable role due to his on-ball defense. He has the makings of a crucial rotation piece.

Offense won’t be far behind for Philadelphia. It will take innovative sets from Brett Brown, but the Sixers have a unique offensive ceiling in the modern NBA. One where size, physicality and skill intersect.

The Sixers will not only pound teams with size on defense. The Sixers will seek on mismatches on offense, working in the post and playing inside-out. While not the most efficient offense for most teams, Philadelphia will have a perpetual size advantage somewhere on the court. It’s an advantage Brown has exploited in the past and will continue to exploit next season.

With only two players on the roster boasting wingspans below 6-foot-10 — Burke and Neto — the Sixers will look to put constant pressure on the basket. Embiid is known for his hard-knocking style, but Simmons also improved his post-up repertoire last season, aggressively attacking smaller counterparts. Harris did so as well. Horford has always been skilled in the post.

In addition to targeting size mismatches, Philadelphia has ample skill on the perimeter. Simmons and Horford make a tantalizing pick-and-pop duo, where Horford 3-point gravity could give Simmons an advantage charging downhill.

Harris and Richardson, while not elite isolation scorers, function well in pick-and-roll and dribble handoff sets. Both can weave through traffic and shoot over defenders, with Richardson’s floater being a particularly nice asset.

Next. How Sixers stack up against Atlantic Division. dark

The Sixers won’t have the same offensive variety as the Nuggets, Warriors, Clippers or other high-end offensive teams. But when combined with the potential for a league-best defense, Philadelphia’s versatility puts it in a comfortable position entering next season.