The Philadelphia 76ers have a handful of award contenders on the roster.
The NBA recently announced it will determine the 2020 NBA awards based on performance through March 11, when the season was initially suspended due to coronavirus. For the Philadelphia 76ers, that removes the opportunity for any last-minute surges in Orlando.
Many of the award categories already have consensus favorites — Giannis Antetokounmpo for MVP, Ja Morant for Rookie of the Year, and so forth — but there’s still a lot of grey area, especially after the season’s premature ending. A lot could happen when voters sit down to cast ballots.
While this season has been a disappointment for the Sixers, the roster still harbors a handful of award contenders. The obvious candidates need no introduction — the two All-Stars were All-Stars for a reason — but this article stretches beyond Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons. The Sixers have other players who deserve league-wide praise.
It’s difficult for any MVP candidates to play on a sixth seed, especially when that sixth seed is considered such a flagrant underperformance by the general public. The Sixers don’t have any MVP candidates, but the All-NBA squads — also All-Defense, and even All-Rookie — should have thorough representation from Philadelphia.
Matisse Thybulle
IN CONTENTION FOR…
- All-Rookie teams
- All-Defense teams
Despite his egregious exclusion from the Rising Stars game, there’s a real chance Matisse Thybulle cracks first team All-Rookie. If not, he should easily scratch out a spot on the second team. He has contributed significantly to a competitive team, which is more than most top-end rookies can say.
Among players who have played over 500 minutes this season, Thybulle averaged the fourth most deflections per 36 minutes. More than anyone else on the roster, and a stat truly representative of the chaos he creates. At this best, Thybulle is the most disruptive defender in basketball — a frequenter of passing lanes and a frenetic on-ball presence.
Thybulle makes exceedingly good use of his 7-foot wingspan. He has had his fair share of ups and downs as a rookie, but when he’s locked in, Thybulle is one of the most impactful defenders in basketball. That should be enough for All-Rookie honors.
As for All-Defense, I’m sure Thybulle will get a handful of spare votes, if nothing more. He’s much more of a long shot in that category — 19.5 minutes per game simply isn’t enough time on the court — but even so, Thybulle has developed a reputation. Players, coaches, and pundits all respect him.
Tobias Harris
IN CONTENTION FOR…
- All-NBA teams
I’ll keep it frank — you probably shouldn’t bet money on Tobias Harris winning any awards this summer (fall?). He started the season cold, and his reputation is irrevocably tied to his contract, fair or not. He will never live up to $180 million, and therefore the analysis of Harris is almost always bent negative.
He doesn’t deserve such a negative spin on his production, though. Harris has been crucial to the Sixers’ success this season, and he followed his rocky start with a genuinely impressive four-month stretch after October.
On the season, Harris averaged a respectable 19.4 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game. He shot 36.2 percent from deep, and helped buoy Philadelphia’s clunky halfcourt offense. When you consider he spent most of the season out of position, his effectiveness only becomes more impressive.
There’s a lot of top-shelf frontcourt talent in the league. Harris doesn’t have the big-name sway or the status of a No. 1 option to help his case. He’s essentially the No. 3 guy on a team that has underperformed all season. And yet, he should still earn a few stray votes. It doesn’t take too deep a dive to recognize Harris’ productivity this season, whether it’s indicative of a max contract or not.
Ben Simmons
IN CONTENTION FOR…
- Defensive Player of the Year
- All-NBA teams
- All-Defense teams
Ben Simmons spent this season listed at point guard and should be treated as such by the voting body. He occupies a weird space as someone who, at 6-foot-10, doesn’t really play like a guard. And yet, he’s probably one of the three or four best “point guards” in basketball, even when the position doesn’t fully take advantage of his skill set.
Making his second All-Star appearance this season, Simmons has entrenched himself as a perennial All-NBA contender. He has a real chance to appear on the second team, but if I were a betting man — I’m not, do not take this advice to Vegas — I’d put money on Simmons making the third team.
The real surprise from Simmons this season was his defense. He elevated his performance from “really good” to “all-world.” He’s one of the few players in the league who can truly defend all five positions, and he does so regularly. He can smother quick-twitch guards at the point of attack, or he can man-handle bigger centers on the block. He’s lightning quick, and he’s LeBron-esque in his strength. A wholly unique athletic specimen.
Simmons was third in the league with 4.0 deflections per game this season. He gets his hands on everything, he’s permanently assigned to LeBrons and Kawhis of the world, and he crashes the defensive glass hard as a cherry on top.
I’m not sure Simmons will get Defensive Player of the Year this season — Giannis Antetokounmpo and Rudy Gobert are tentative favorites in that department — but as far as All-Defense is concerned, Simmons should be a first team lock.
Joel Embiid
IN CONTENTION FOR…
- All-NBA teams
- All-Defense teams
Joel Embiid’s 2019-20 struggles are well documented. Embiid just wasn’t himself this year. He wasn’t consistent enough for Defensive Player of the Year, despite a sterling reputation and a knack for highlight plays. Embiid wasn’t even the Sixers’ cachet defender this season. All the attention when to Simmons.
And yet, Embiid should still earn All-Defense honors. If not first team, second team. There are others who have earned consideration this season — Bam Adebayo and Brook Lopez, for example — but it still comes down to Rudy Gobert and Embiid at the center position. Embiid eats up space like few 7-footers can. He’s agile on the perimeter, hulking at the rim, and freakishly quick to recover. If he overplays a passing lane, he’s liable to follow it up with a chase-down block.
On the season, Embiid averaged a career-low 1.3 blocks per game. His numbers across the board dipped. But his ability to alter shots at the rim, combined with the fear he instills in players unlucky enough to drive the lane, is too formidable to ignore. He should — should — get the All-Defense nod.
As for All-NBA, Embiid is still a lock. His 23.4 points per game was a four-point downswing from last season, but he’s still uniquely capable of collapsing defenses and forcing his way to the charity stripe. No player can push an opposing defense into the bonus quicker than Embiid.
Despite the widely acknowledged inefficiency of post-up possessions, teams still send doubles every time Embiid catches it on the block. He uses every bit of his 250-pound frame to absorb contact, and yet he’s one of the most graceful post scorers in recent memory. He’s a domineering blend of Hakeem and Shaq. Not on their level — I repeat, not on their level — but stylistically, Embiid occupies a rarified space.
Embiid has a long way to go, but on his best nights, he’s already a top-10 NBA player. He made his second consecutive All-Star start this season, and he’s still the driving force of a postseason contender. He’s probably the second team center, first team honors belonging to Nikola Jokic.