The Philadelphia 76ers have one of the most talented starting fives in basketball. Does it fit?
The Philadelphia 76ers approach gameplay in Orlando with a strange blend of expectation and uncertainty. The small glances out of practice have been promising, but the Sixers are undergoing major changes with only eight games left on the regular season schedule. A lot could change, and a lot will change. But is it for the better?
Brett Brown — though he’s not willing to etch anything in stone — has turned to a Shake Milton-Josh Richardson-Tobias Harris-Ben Simmons-Joel Embiid starting five inside the bubble. Al Horford has assumed his new role as a sixth man, and Simmons is officially listed at power forward, not point guard.
This should help the Sixers’ offense, especially in the halfcourt. Milton is a deadeye shooter, a smart playmaker, and a generally cleaner fit next to the Embiid-Simmons-Harris triumvirate. He can help implement more pick-and-rolls, space the floor for Embiid, and create opportunities for Simmons, who should spend more time off-ball.
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Despite a solid group of talent and a theoretically improved fit, Bleacher Report ranked Philadelphia’s starting five 12th in their recent breakdown of each team’s main unit in Orlando. A bit lower than one might have expected.
In defense of B/R, it’s important to add proper context. The Sixers are sixth in the East and have struggled to establish continuity all season. Now they’re moving to a starting five that has played precisely zero minutes together. While a lot could go right, again, there is also considerable downside to such a drastic change this late in the season.
The Sixers will need Milton to pick up where he left off before the season. On the whole, Milton has about two months of solid, concrete NBA experience under his belt. Experience in which he played significant minutes on a consistent basis and carried a significant role.
That’s a small sample size, and expecting him to waltz into Orlando and shoot 50 percent from deep again is borderline foolish. We should expect the median outcome for Shake, not the best-case scenario. And it’s fair to question whether the median outcome is truly the needle-mover we all expect. We must wait and see.
With that said, 12th is a bit on the low side. Philadelphia has two top-15 players by Bleacher Report’s own estimation, and that alone typically deserves a higher mark. The Sixers have been wildly inconsistent all season, but when push comes to shove, it’s wise to bet on talent. The Sixers have talent.
Both Embiid and Simmons are capable of leading the charge for a competitive roster. Embiid is a uniquely dominant low-post threat, while Simmons is the most impressive transition force in basketball. On defense, Philadelphia has the personnel to lock any team out of the gym. Both Embiid and Simmons have first team All-Defense arguments.
If the Sixers’ new-look starting five works as planned, the minimum expectation should be top-10 production. And while it’s fair to hesitate — to question whether the new-look group will work as planned — Philadelphia is built for a strong postseason run. This is also the first time all season the Sixers are healthy, top to bottom. That’s important.
As for who B/R ranked ahead of Philadelphia, it’s difficult to make a ton of concrete arguments. There’s a lot of grey area — space for argument, if you will. But one major issue for me is the presence of New Orleans at No. 1.
The Pelicans are mighty fine, and yes, Zion Williamson is a top-five player in the making. The Pelicans’ depth of talent in the starting five is staggering at times, and it’s very possible this becomes the standard ranking for New Orleans in a couple years time.
But as far as 2020 is concerned, putting the Pelicans in the top spot after 19 games from Zion — even if it’s their most-used lineup this season — is a massively hot take, if not a premature stretch. The Sixers have two established superstars, a borderline All-Star, a premier two-way wing, and one of the NBA’s most exciting up-and-comers. Maybe NOLA has a better group, but 11 spots higher — the No. 1 group overall — is a proclamation I would contest.