Philadelphia 76ers: How Brett Brown should structure his rotations

Starting SF: Tobias Harris

There’s a chance Harris is the Sixers’ weakest link in the starting five. That’s a good problem to have. While a better player than Richardson in a vacuum, Harris’ fit on defense is more problematic. He’s a natural four who isn’t particularly adept on that end.

When sharing the court with Embiid and Horford, Harris will need to aptly guard quick, twitchy scorers on the perimeter. Philadelphia can hide him in certain matchups, but against the elite teams, Harris will need to hold his own.

Harris isn’t a bad defender, but he’s a touch slow laterally and doesn’t have the greatest instincts. He tries and has good size at 6-foot-9. It’s just a matter of staying in front of those quick-twitch perimeter threats.

On offense, the fit is much cleaner. Harris will share closing duties with Embiid, where his pull-up gravity could prove invaluable. He’s also an elite 3-point marksmen who should experience positive regression after a slight dip post-trade last season.

Next to Simmons, Embiid and Horford, there will be opportunities for Harris to thrive both on and off-ball. He can spot-up, run dribble handoffs, operate the pick-and-roll, push it in transition — all attributes Brown can explore more after Butler’s departure.

Expect Harris to take a real step forward as Philadelphia’s top perimeter option in the halfcourt. He has the tools to make it happen.