Philadelphia 76ers starting lineup: Locks, fringe, potential break-ins

The Philadelphia 76ers’ starting five is mostly set, but there’s room for change.

The 2020-21 season is roughly three weeks away — wild, when you consider the circumstances and the timeline. The Philadelphia 76ers are in a particularly difficult place, with a new system to install and new players to incorporate. It’s a Herculean task for Doc Rivers and Daryl Morey.

Rivers has said his rotation won’t be set on day one, and the Sixers are sure to experiment as the regular season unfolds. That said, we have a solid idea of what the starting five will look like Solid, but concrete.

Here’s a breakdown of how Rivers’ core group could look.

Sixers starting lineup: Locks

• Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons, Tobias Harris, Danny Green

There’s not much to discuss here. Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons are franchise cornerstones. Any and everything Doc Rivers does should be with them in mind, and it’s clear Daryl Morey has built this roster to better complement his stars — not prepare for their absence.

The same for Tobias Harris, who is the third wheel in Philadelphia’s title pursuit for better or worse. He needs to step up, but improved spacing and a coach who understands his skill set could go a long way in getting Harris closer to the player his contract indicates.

Danny Green is 33 and liable to regress, but he’s still a capable and intelligent team defender who hits spot-up 3s at a high clip. The Sixers will need Green’s perimeter defense, his his stability as a veteran is important on such a young team.