Goals for Sixers training camp: Implement a more dynamic offense
Too often last year, the Sixers offense would bog down in the halfcourt. Rather than trying to create open looks through effective passing and off-ball movement, they would rely on isolation plays. Everyone would stand around as Tobias slowly plodded from the 3-point line to a contested mid-range shot.
The Sixers coaching staff should watch film of Popovich’s 2014 Spurs, whose ball movement flabbergasted LeBron in the NBA Finals. The team need not ascend to such sublime team offense, but they should aspire to keep the ball moving, set more screens, and engage in more off-ball movement.
This is no small task. Without Ben Simmons, who for all his faults is one of the game’s best passers, the 76ers do not have a lot of good passers. But the offense does not need brilliant passes into tight spaces, it simply needs the players to keep moving in the half-court. If the team can commit to making many solid but unspectacular passes, the offense should be fine.
When Joel has the ball, the team should be setting screens to free up Seth Curry and Furkan Korkmaz for open threes. The offense will become much more dynamic with a bit more passing and off-ball movement.