The Philadelphia 76ers have dealt with bumps and bruises all season. Perhaps it’s not all bad.
At 20-7, the Philadelphia 76ers have sole possession of second place in the Eastern Conference. It’s the Sixers’ best start in decades, and Brett Brown’s squad is statistically on path to win around 60 games. It has, by all logical indicators, been a strong start to the season.
Yet the Sixers have also dealt with a slew of injuries. The new-look starting five, in all its glory, has played a mere 10 of 27 games together, good for 113 minutes of shared time on the court. We still haven’t seen Philadelphia’s best lineup for extended periods of time.
Joel Embiid has missed five games to suspension, rest, or injury, and is at risk of missing tonight’s game in Brooklyn due to illness. Al Horford has missed four games. Ben Simmons has missed two games. Josh Richardson has missed eight. Tobias Harris is the only starter to appear in all 27 games.
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On the surface, that’s a bad omen. The Sixers haven’t gotten healthy, and as a result the starting five has limited time under its belt. When you add two stars to the mix, remove two offensive linchpins, and slide Harris into an expanded role, it stands to reason the offense (and defense) need time to build synergy.
The Sixers saw the pitfalls of inexperience and a lack of continuity in the 2019 playoffs. Philadelphia came within inches of beating Toronto anyway, but another 20-30 games of Butler and Harris in the rotation would have done some good.
Ideally the Sixers would have more than 10 fully healthy games together this far into the season. Even so, it’s clear the Sixers are focused on the long haul. Last season, Philadelphia ran Embiid into the ground. This season, it’s about preservation — not pushing Embiid, Horford, or any starter past the point of exhaustion. There’s no need to infuse unnecessary risk into a playoff-bound season.
The Sixers have the depth to compete without one or two starters. Embiid and Horford are both All-Star centers — if one misses time, the other can help fill the void. Harris, Simmons, and Richardson can all operate in different roles dependent on the circumstances.
Unlike seasons past, the Sixers are good when Embiid rests. The Sixers managed to pull out a sizable win streak in recent weeks despite a string of games missed by Richardson. These injuries, to date, have not spelled certain death for Philadelphia.
With the long view in mind, the Sixers have the unique luxury of proceeding with caution. The Sixers can proactively deal with Embiid and Horford. Embiid sitting no longer amounts to a borderline forfeiture.
The Sixers are still working out kinks — it’s inevitable with a new roster and so little time spent on the court — but even as Game 28 approaches, there is a considerable distance between now and Game 82. Between now and the postseason.
Brett Brown has plenty of time to right the ship, and 20-7 is a more than fine start. The Sixers will gradually build comfort and continuity, and the days off now could mean fresher legs when the postseason starts.