1. Fit with Jo and Ben
I know. Duh. The Sixers executed this trade not because Curry is a talent upgrade over Richardson, but because Curry is a fit upgrade over Richardson. The Sixers are finally committed to building around the most gifted young duo in basketball. It’s about time the front office made that a priority.
As Daryl Morey mentioned in his late-night press conference, the success of Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons when surrounded by shooting is “completely insane.” The numbers indicate a road to competitiveness, and shedding multiple poor fits to add two elite shooters in Curry and Danny Green will improve the Sixers’ offense immeasurably.
Doc Rivers is not Brett Brown, but he understands the value of a high-level shooter. He worked with J.J. Redick in Los Angeles, and many will hold up Curry as the Sixers’ belated Redick replacement. Curry doesn’t have Redick’s shot versatility, but he can run many of the same two-man actions that made Embiid and Redick such an effective duo.
Curry will make life easier for Embiid. A less taxing offense, in which Embiid has a spaced floor and more options to defer to, will keep him healthier longer. The Redick two-man game was a consistent source of easy looks at the rim. When that well dried up, Embiid was forced to fight his way to points almost every possession — often facing a comically lopsided defense tuned into his every move. Curry will relieve a ton of pressure.
This also helps Simmons, who is at his best running the floor while shooters flank him. Curry will have the time of his life trailing Simmons in transition and burying spot-up 3s. Whether it’s a slowed-down offense with Embiid, or a sped-up offense with Simmons, Curry will have no shortage of ways to make an impact.