The Philadelphia 76ers have paired elite rim protection with elite perimeter defense.
For as long as Joel Embiid dons ‘PHILA’ across the front of his jersey, the Philadelphia 76ers will have a strong defense. He’s a one-man defensive system — a mobile, rangy 7-foot-2 hulk who can survive switches and engulf the paint. Funnel things toward Embiid as much as possible, and good things will happen.
This season, the Sixers’ strong interior presence has only gotten stronger. Al Horford adds a new layer, and his presence will allow Philadelphia to not get dusted every time Embiid sits. What puts the new-look Sixers on an elite level, however, isn’t Embiid and Horford. It’s the perimeter.
The Sixers have long struggled with dynamic pick-and-roll guards. Last season, the Kemba Walkers and Kyrie Irvings of the world were kryptonite — guaranteed nuclear explosions the Sixers had to live with due to a lack of personnel.
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In 2019-20, the Sixers have upgraded. Jimmy Butler was solid — his reputation is what it is for a reason — but Josh Richardson is younger, more spry, and more active. He won’t take possessions off, something Butler was prone to. Richardson is the Sixers’ long-awaited answer to dynamic point guards.
One can claim small sample size, but Richardson was a great perimeter defender in Miami — it has been the foundation of his reputation since college. Now it’s elevated to a bigger stage, on a team more suited toward maximizing his strengths. The Sixers will unleash Richardson wiry 6-foot-6 frame on point guards nightly. His blend of length and lateral quickness is tailor-made for creating havoc for smaller ball handlers.
The Sixers have also added a new weapon to the second unit — Matisse Thybulle. As noted on-ball connoisseur Zhaire Smith waits in the wings, Thybulle is claiming the mantle of sixth man. The rookie commanded the Kemba Walker assignment on opening night. In his first NBA game.
It wasn’t flawless — Walker is a master foul-drawer — but Thybulle, who’s listed at 6-foot-5, too has the lateral quickness to irritate ball handlers. Where he shines, though, is the instinctual side of defense. He’s a constant threat in passing lanes, and his nose for chase-down blocks and recovery is second to none. He gambles, but often makes up ground before it matters.
Between Richardson and Thybulle, the Sixers held Walker to 4-for-18 shooting in Wednesday’s victory. The same Walker who hand-fed 60 points to Philadelphia last season on a team with far less supplementary talent.
The Sixers will throw two uniquely talented defenders at point guards all season. At 6-foot-10, Simmons has the chops to handle point guard assignments as well. The Sixers have a wealth of versatility and a tight-strapped perimeter D to complement Embiid and Horford’s interior blanket.
Barring injury, Philadelphia will stand near the top of the NBA on defense. There’s too much size, physicality, and talent across the board for the Sixers to fail on that end. It also allows the Sixers to win ugly, as opening night showed. The offense doesn’t need to thrive for Philadelphia to dominate.