How the Philadelphia 76ers stack up against the Northwest Division
We continue our divisional series, breaking down how the Philadelphia 76ers compare to the Northwest.
I’ll be taking over for Quinn Davis on our latest project, comparing the Philadelphia 76ers to their 2019-20 competition. In previous articles, we have gone division-by-division, analyzing how the Sixers stack up against every NBA team.
Now we’re diving into the Northwest Division, home to a few underrated Western Conference contenders. Per usual, the Sixers will face each west-coast team twice during the regular season (and, if things break right, up to seven times in the NBA Finals).
At the end of each slide, I will offer a record prediction for the season series. You can check out the rest of the series here.
Oklahoma City Thunder
Oklahoma City Thunder Projected Starting Five:
- Chris Paul
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
- Terrance Ferguson
- Danilo Gallinari
- Steven Adams
- Other Notable Players — Andre Roberson, Dennis Schroder, Nerlens Noel, Hamidou Diallo, Mike Muscala
OKC is … interesting. The team will take an inevitable step back after trading Russell Westbrook and Paul George, but that inevitable step back — at the present moment, at least — doesn’t constitute a rebuild. The Thunder still have a competitive roster.
Even at advanced age, Chris Paul is one of the NBA’s top facilitators. His ability to control pace, carve up defenses in the pick-and-roll and get to his spots as a scorer will keep the OKC offense respectable. He will have more freedom sans James Harden as well.
Danilo Gallinari was a borderline All-Star last season and deserves credit for taking on the mantle of No. 1 option in L.A. following Tobias Harris‘ departure. He’s a genuinely good, impactful player when healthy. His crafty scoring and floor-spacing, in conjunction with CP3, is enough firepower to make a serious postseason push.
The supporting cast is also littered with useful players. Steven Adams borders on the top-50 players conversation, while Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was among the league’s top rookies. His length, basketball I.Q. and knack for subtly are all very unique.
The return of Andre Roberson, as well as Dennis Schroder, Nerlens Noel and a second-year Hamidou Diallo should keep Billy Donovan‘s bench in line.
From a matchup perspective, few players are better equipped to handle the size and physicality of Joel Embiid than Steven Adams. OKC also has the length to battle Philadelphia’s overwhelming size elsewhere on the court, although Paul could become a weak point in his age-36 season.
If OKC keeps the current group in tact, the Sixers should encounter two tough, physical matchups. Given the nature of west-coast road trips — the Sixers’ road bout with OKC is the third game in a four-day span — I’ll say it’s a series split.