5. Kyle O’Quinn
The Sixers will and should rely on Joel Embiid and Al Horford for the majority of center minutes. But over the course of an 82-game regular season, rest is a necessity. Both Embiid and Horford will take games off.
That’s where having a functional, not-Greg Monroe backup center comes in handy. Kyle O’Quinn was ineffective last season, but sample size is a large factor in those struggles. He simply didn’t see much floor time in Indiana’s loaded frontcourt.
It will be a similar story in Philadelphia, but there’s reason to expect positive regression. While not elite in a single area, O’Quinn fits the old cliche of checking multiple boxes. He’s a strong interior defender, an efficient at-rim finisher and a reliable mid-range shooter.
O’Quinn can fill spot minutes at the five without hemorrhaging points or bumbling through the offensive motions Amir Johnson-style. He can even start on occasion when Embiid takes a game off. He’s as good a third center as Philadelphia could have gotten on the open market.
There’s an argument for including another perimeter piece on this list — Matisse Thybulle and Raul Neto have the strongest cases — but in the regular season, expect O’Quinn to carry a small but important burden. It just won’t carry over to the postseason.