Philadelphia 76ers unveil new-look offense in Orlando debut

The Philadelphia 76ers’ offense caught fire early in Friday’s win over Memphis.

Friday’s win over the Grizzlies was as positive a scrimmage performance as the Philadelphia 76ers could have hoped for. After a mildly cold start, the Sixers caught fire midway through the first quarter and never looked back. At one point, the lead was as high as 29.

This was some of the best Sixers basketball we’ve seen in months (sorry, couldn’t help it). But in all seriousness, this performance was more emblematic of the Home Sixers than the Road Sixers. It’s too early for definitive takeaways, but it’s good to see Philadelphia find an early rhythm away from home.

A lot of this rhythm is tied directly to Philadelphia’s rotational changes. Shake Milton looked the part of a starting point guard in his first real-game exposure next to the other starters. He didn’t do a ton on the scoresheet — only six points and three assists — but he spaced the floor, initiated the halfcourt offense, and kept the defense engaged.

Replacing Al Horford’s stuffy presence with another ball-handler will alleviate a number of Philadelphia’s biggest issues from before the hiatus. The spacing will get better, the ball will move quicker, and Milton can help pressure the middle of the floor in ways Horford never could.

In moving Milton to the starting five, the Sixers also gave us our first taste of Ben Simmons as the “power forward.” By no means did his stat line resemble a typical four — Simmons poured in nine points, seven rebounds, nine assists, and three steals. He was the standout player of the game.

Simmons consistently received the ball around the elbow, allowing him to face-up, attack the paint, and collapse the defense. If left alone, Simmons is in a good position to use his size to attack the rim. If the defense brings help, he can use his panoramic vision to locate open teammates. Thus, nine assists in 22 minutes.

The Sixers will still get the ball to Simmons early and often. This move was never about taking the ball out of Simmons’ hands. It was about diversifying his looks — allowing him to attack the defense from spots he never could as the lead ball-handler. The early results are highly promising.

Also of note was Simmons’ exploits on the perimeter. He attempted two 3s from the corner, missing the first short before swishing the second. Even if he only attempts one or two per game, Simmons posing a consistent threat from the corner will dramatically increase his options in the halfcourt. At some point, if it happens often enough, defenders will recognize it as a threat.

Brett Brown’s commitment to more pick-and-rolls also paid dividends. Joel Embiid was involved in the pick-and-pop on multiple possessions, the result being several open looks on the perimeter. Milton and Josh Richardson can probe the interior, hit pull-up jumpers, or make the right pass. It’s a new staple of the offense Philadelphia should lean into.

It wasn’t a perfect game — Al Horford struggled mightily, despite dropping five assists — but the Sixers as a whole outperformed reasonable expectations for an opening scrimmage after four months off. The chemistry, tempo, and effort level all impressed. Especially for a team that struggled with all three before the season was suspended.

The Sixers’ next game is versus the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday, July 26 at 12:00 PM E.T.