The NBA playoffs are just around the corner and the Philadelphia 76ers have six games left before the postseason begins. They are playing some of their best basketball of the Joel Embiid era. As a result, some players are having career seasons, but will that translate to a playoff run.
There are three players on the Sixers roster that have to prove their worth during these playoffs. It should be noted that Ben Simmons will be excluded from this list. Despite the lack of a jump shot, Simmons has performed well in the playoffs. With that being written, let’s begin.
3 players with something to prove in the playoffs: Matisse Thybulle
It’s hard for me to have second year wing Matisse Thybulle on this list. I’ve written about how he deserves to be a member of the NBA’s All-Defensive team this season and then he can be a more iconic shot blocking shooting guard than Dwyane Wade. After reading this article you should listen to the high praise I give Thybulle in the most recent episode of The Sixer Sense Podcast.
“If he does, then he might be in line for a starting job next season.”
That being written, he’s also a consistent jump shot away from becoming a starter, as I wrote about in the past as well. That is the reason why he’s on this list. On the year, Thybulle 4.0 points, 1.6 steals, and 1.1 blocks, while also shooting 30.7 percent from the 3-point line.
Despite being elite defensively, Thybulle is a liability on offense. While he’s shown some growth on offense this year, he doesn’t have one strength on that side of the ball. He was exposed on offense last postseason due to this weakness. He averaged 1.8 points on 25.0 percent from deep.
If it weren’t were for Simmons not playing due to injury, Thybulle might have barely played last year. He needs to prove he can positive on offense during the playoffs. If he does, then he might be in line for a starting job next season.
3 players with something to prove in the playoffs: Furkan Korkmaz
Fairly and unfairly I’ve been critical at certain points of Furkan Korkmaz‘s tenure with the Philadelphia 76ers. However, as this season has progressed in particular, he’s proven to be a valuable piece of head coach Doc Rivers’ rotation.
He’s averaging 9.3 points on 38.5 percent from downtown. However, the stats don’t show everything that Korkmaz brings to the Sixers. He’s the biggest threat of having a big game coming off the bench for Philly, yes even more so than Shake Milton. He’s also shown signs of being not being a negative on defense.
This year he has a Defensive Box Plus/Minus of plus-0.4, which is a career high, and the first time he wasn’t in the negative for that statistical category. Considering that Korkmaz has been played off the court in the playoffs in years past, this is a big development.
He’s doing it in the regular season which is great, however, he needs to do it in the postseason. If he can prove that he can stay on the court defensively during the playoffs, then he could see a pretty nice payday in free agency this offseason.
3 players with something to prove in the playoffs: Tobias Harris
This year has been the best of Tobias Harris‘ career. He was a legit All-Star snub and has an argument to make the All-NBA team. He’s also 0.06 percentage points away on free throws from joining the elite 50-40-90 club. He’s also having one of his best defensive year of his career on top of that.
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Harris’s play this year has made the fact that the Sixers overpaid him less of an issue. That being written, Harris hasn’t shown up for the 76ers during the playoffs during his tenure in Philly which is a big issue. He has Sixers’ playoff averages of 15.6 points and 9.2 rebounds, while converting 41.4 percent on field goals and 30.8 percent on 3-pointers.
In his first 76ers playoff run, he was the third or fourth option only after arriving on the NBA trade deadline. His second run was without Simmons and was against an elite defender in Jayson Tatum.
However, the time for excuses is over. He’s paid like an All-NBA player and he needs to prove it in the playoffs. He needs to be the team’s second best scorer on efficient shooting and someone that the team turns to at the end of games. He’s proven he can be those things in the regular season this year and now he has to do it in the postseason.
There are things that Thybulle, Korkmaz, and Harris need to prove in the playoffs this year. However, if they do, then the Sixers have a real chance of coming out of the Eastern Conference as champions.