Sixers vs. Grizzlies: 5 things to watch for in first Orlando scrimmage

5. Horford’s minutes next to Embiid

This is a scrimmage, so Philadelphia won’t heap a full workload on its starters (or even its key reserves). But this is still our first chance to get a feel for Al Horford‘s new role as the sixth man. More specifically, it’s our first chance to get a feel for how often he and Joel Embiid might share the court.

Brett Brown recently told reporters that Embiid and Horford haven’t spent any time together in practices since the team arrived in Orlando. That will almost certainly change once the regular season resumes, but it’s clear the Sixers will separate Embiid and Horford as much as possible.

Once the postseason arrives, Brown has pegged 38 minutes a night as the target for Embiid’s playing time. That would leave Horford will 10 minutes at backup center. The Sixers probably want more than 10 minutes out of Horford each night.

Today, it’s worth looking for potential Embiid-Horford team-ups and the lineups placed around them. It’s abundantly clear the Embiid-Horford-Simmons trifecta cannot and will not work, but it’s not unfeasible to get squeeze solid production out of the Embiid-Horford tandem. Good shooting and solid perimeter defenders should make it work.

The Sixers plan to use more pick-and-rolls. Embiid and Horford are capable of clearing the paint for each other. Horford is a smart passer, highly unselfish, and capable of coexisting with other bigs. This is a duo that can still work in spurts. It’s simply a matter of putting the right pieces around them.