Sixers roundtable: Potential starting five and second unit for 2021-22
Roundtable, Potential starting five and second unit: Clayton Keir
Starting Five
- PG: Tyrese Maxey
- SG: Seth Curry
- SF: Danny Green
- PF: Tobias Harris
- C: Joel Embiid
Second Unit
- PG: Shake Milton
- SG: Matisse Thybulle
- SF: Furkan Korkmaz
- PF: Georges Niang
- C: Andre Drummond
By all accounts, Tyrese Maxey is ready for this moment. He became “too good” for summer league within moments of stepping onto the court. The guy put the Philadelphia 76ers on his back in Game 6 against the Atlanta Hawks. He’s got the stuff, he’s got Philly in his soul, let’s let him shine.
Fortunately, enemy of all things good, Rich Paul, nearly tore a calf muscle walking back his request to trade Maxey out of Philadelphia. That would make no sense, because so long as Ben Simmons is sitting out and Daryl Morey has not acquired another point guard, Maxey is set to become the Sixers primary ballhandler.
More. Ranking starting small forwards in 2021 preseason. light
The second unit looks like a disaster on offense if Rivers runs his famous all-bench units. Even Rivers should see that this unit, especially with George Hill leaving, does not have enough ball-handling. Shake Milton is an ok point guard, but as we noted in our most recent podcast, he does not create enough for his teammates. I am already having nightmares of every play resulting in a Kormaz three in the hopes that Drummond gets the put-back.
Presumably the Sixers will acquire some more ball-handling in the Simmons trade. As the season goes on, hopefully, Rivers will experiment with some different lineups mixing the first and second-unit guys to prepare for the playoffs.
The man, the truth, the (future) legend, B-Ball Paul Reed will feature prominently in small-ball lineups. 3-point phenom Isiah Joe will push for minutes throughout the season, particularly if Korkmaz or Green gets hurt. However, right now, neither cracks the first five off the bench.