Sixers preseason 2020: 5 things to look out for

Joel Embiid | Sixers (Photo by Ashley Landis - Pool/Getty Images)
Joel Embiid | Sixers (Photo by Ashley Landis - Pool/Getty Images)
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Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

1. Embiid and Curry two-man game

Embiid loved playing with J.J. Redick and they were great together, generating lots of offense primarily from dribble handoff actions. Last season, Embiid didn’t have this option limiting his offense to post-ups and face-ups. It was a lot harder for him to get baskets. Add this to the lack of spacing last season, it makes sense that Embiid scored 4.5 fewer points per game compared o the 2018-19 season.

Embiid has already said that he hopes he can replicate what he had with Redick through Curry. In fact, the Sixers posted a video just last week of a Curry/Embiid handoff that led to an Embiid dunk from a lob.

Having Curry to play with Embiid is a huge boost to the offense. While he may not be as mobile as Redick, he has the second highest 3-point percentage of all time. I’m keen to see how Rivers utilizes this tool to enhance both Curry and Embiid’s game and consequently, the team’s offense in general.