Philadelphia 76ers: 5 New Year’s resolutions for 2021

The Philadelphia 76ers have started the 2020-21 season on a strong note, but here are some resolutions for the new year.

The Philadelphia 76ers are 4-1 and tied for first place in the Eastern Conference after Thursday’s dominant victory over Orlando. When Joel Embiid is on the floor, the Sixers are 4-0. With plenty of promise, yet lingering rumors of a certain blockbuster trade, there’s a lot to look forward to in 2021.

With Daryl Morey and Doc Rivers in charge, there is finally an air of competence around the organization. Embiid looks like a borderline MVP candidate, while Ben Simmons continues to showcase his phenomenal versatility on both sides of the ball.

That said, there’s always room for improvement — both individually and as a team. Here are some new year’s resolutions for Philadelphia.

Sixers New Year’s resolution: Doc, stagger your rotations

Doc Rivers has compiled one of the most successful coaching careers in NBA history. Far be it from me to tell him how to do his job. That said, Rivers’ long-running desire to separate starters and reserves — basically, his tendency to play five bench players at once — could harm the Sixers in the long run.

While it’s early and there is value in trying different groups together, at some point, Rivers should stagger Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons. While they are highly effective together, they are also effective apart. The Sixers’ bench isn’t particularly good, and at some point, it will become apparent that Shake Milton cannot run a second unit lineup as well as Lou Williams.

Rivers has always had deep bench units, but that is simply not the case in Philadelphia. Embiid and Simmons should spent plenty of time together, but time spent apart is not a negative. Or, at the very least, give Tobias Harris minutes to eat alongside the second unit.