Somehow, someway, despite everything that’s happened this offseason, the Philadelphia 76ers are winning games. In fact they’re winning a bunch of games, and some have been against really good teams. Last night’s victory against a red hot Chicago Bulls squad brought the Sixers to 6-2, and they’re currently sitting at second in the East.
Sure, they’ve lost Tobias Harris to the health and safety protocols, Danny Green to a hamstring injury, and Ben Simmons to, well, whatever Ben Simmons is doing, but Philadelphia doesn’t seem to have missed a beat. On the contrary, they’re actually playing some of the most efficient basketball they’ve ever played under Doc Rivers. So how can a team missing almost $80 million on the court right now be playing so well?
This Sixers team is extremely deep
For what feels like an eternity, the Sixers have had an issue with depth. At times it’s been almost comical how bad the team is without Joel Embiid on the floor, and watching players like Mike Scott and Raul Neto play meaningful playoff minutes made you want to throw your TV through the window.
However, something is different this year. Everyone was shocked this week when Philly was able to beat Damian Lillard and the Portland Trail Blazers despite missing Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons, and Tobias Harris (and Danny Green didn’t finish the game). In the past, the 76ers never would’ve even been in this game, but this time they gritted it out and won by double digits.
This is partially a testament to how well coached this team is, and Doc Rivers deserves a ton of credit despite the criticism he receives on a nightly basis. However, even more impactful is the improved versatility and depth of the bench.
Here’s an incredible stat: every single member of the 76ers rotation has a positive plus/minus right now. All of them. Just chew on that for a second. There have been 12 players that have played significant minutes for this team, and every single one has had a positive impact on the court. That’s the kind of luxury most teams only dream of.
Now let’s get into the specifics.
A month ago, people were wondering what was going through Daryl Morey’s head. Fans were vocally upset with the way the Sixers’ front office is handling the Ben Simmons situation, and many thought the Sixers didn’t do enough this offseason to improve the roster around the edges. Well, they all look pretty silly now.
Andre Drummond dominates the middle for the Sixers
When I saw that the Sixers had signed Andre Drummond, my reaction was lukewarm at best. Over the last few years, Drummond has developed a pretty bad reputation among NBA fans as a guy who puts up huge stats and never wins. Last year with the Lakers seemed to confirm that. He’s also been rumored to be hard to coach, and not the hardest working guy in practice. Plus, he and Joel Embiid have a… rocky past.
So far this season, he’s putting all of that to rest. Over 127 minutes in 7 games, Drummond is a +29 on the court. No disrespect to Dwight Howard, who I love, but this is night and day from seasons past. Not only has he been able to give reliable minutes (and lower the workload on Embiid from night to night), but when Embiid sat the other night Drummond stepped in with a huge performance. He finished with 14 points, 15 rebounds, seven assists, and five steals with ZERO turnovers. That’s incredible basketball.
He has been active on defense this year in a way that he wasn’t in the past. His defensive box plus minus is a 2.7, which is easily a career high so far. His defensive rating on the court is a 90, which is pretty jaw dropping and also a career best. He’s still one of the best rebounders in the league and is averaging over 18 per 36 minutes. Assists and steals per 36 are similarly at career best. Simply put, the stats are great and the eye test is even better.
Andre Drummond is making his $2.4 million contract look like one of the best bargains in the league, and making Daryl Morey look like a very smart man. If the worst we have to stomach from him is a few hilariously bad no look passes, then Sixers fans should be thankful. Enjoy it while it lasts, because if he plays this way all season he’s gonna get paid in free agency.
Georges Niang is more than the Sixers’ new stretch four
THE MINIVAN! Georges Niang came over from Utah this offseason and has become the talk of the town, and for good reason. He has been shooting flames from his fingertips all year and is one of the main reasons the Sixers are third in the league in 3-point percentage. Fans have been begging for bonafide shooters for years, and Niang is delivering.
He is +38 through 171 minutes, shooting 44 percent from beyond the arc, and averaging career bests in points, assists, and blocks. I wrote about Niang’s success last week, so I’m not going to beat this to death, but WOW has he been impressive. Forget being the Sixers best offseason move, he’s starting to look like one of the best pickups of the offseason in the entire league.
His two-year, $6.7 million contract looks incredible, and there really isn’t much else to say about him. Please never leave us Georges. Now lets talk about development.
Typically the best teams in the NBA don’t have a lot of financial flexibility, and this is especially true with the Sixers right now. Therefore, the only real way to improve the roster is to draft well and develop the hell out of your players. The Sixers are getting absolutely solid play from guys up and down the roster right now and making their recent drafts look really good. That is, if you ignore Markelle Fultz and Zhaire Smith.
Tyrese Maxey looks like a major steal for the Sixers
Tyrese Maxey has been forced to start so far this season because Ben Simmons is out, but in an ideal world he’s still a bench rotation guy. While he’s still developing, he’s shown flashes and looks like he’ll be a high end starter in a few years. His jumper still has a ways to go, but he’s showing increased confidence every night and is learning his role in the offense.
While he’s not the best defender in the world, he’s gotten better and is giving great effort every night. He’s also learning how to find passing lanes, but the biggest growth he needs is in his ability to create shots for himself and others. That said, he’s looking like a steal as the 21st pick and is playing better than a bunch of the guys drafted ahead of him. It’s no wonder the Sixers recently picked up his option.
Matisse Thybulle provides the Sixers with all-world defense
Unless Maxey, Thybulle IS one of the best defenders in the world. Coming off a season in which he was selected to an all-defense team despite playing 20 minutes a game, Thybulle is playing even better and averaging career bests in blocks and steals. The third year wing is growing steadily each season, and has already guarded guys like Trae Young, Zach Lavine, and Damian Lillard this year. His confidence is through the roof, and he’s probably the most fun guy to watch play defense in the entire NBA.
He still looks pretty uncomfortable on offense, but he’s making a concerted effort so far this season to get more involved on that end of the floor. That being said, it still isn’t enough. If Thybulle can become even a passable offensive player, he’s suddenly a great rotation player and can be a key contributor to a championship team. Thankfully, the Sixers picked up his option too.
Furkan Korkmaz is essential to the Sixers’ wing depth
Has anyone had a more up and down career in Philly that Furkan Korkmaz? Okay, probably. But this guy’s story is still pretty incredible, from wanting to be traded, to not having his option picked up, and giving huge minutes to this team on a great value contract. He’s shooting with so much confidence it feels like its going in every time, even though his shooting numbers are actually down a bit this year.
Point Furkan has been a joy to watch, even though it’s not an ideal situation, and he’s passing extremely well. His fake pass layup is pretty nasty and he’s made huge strides as a defender each year. Anytime a guy making $5 million can come in and score 22 for you, that’s a great contract, and we’ve got him locked in at that for two more years as he enters his prime. Great job Morey.
Note: The Turkish Delight is such a perfect nickname, and thank you so much Kate Scott for bringing it to my attention. Y’all know I love a good sports nickname.
The Sixers have received contributions from all across the roster
Without making this article 5 pages long, I just want to mention how good the end of roster players have been. Shake Milton looks really solid through the first few games since he’s been back, and while his 3-pointer hasn’t been falling he’s adding a great element on offense. He’s probably the only guy off the bench that can reliably create a good shot for himself and he’s great finisher at the hoop. He came into this season with far lower expectations after a disappointing performance last year, but that seems to actually be good for him. The kid just turned 25, let him develop.
Isaiah Joe has struggled a little in his limited minutes this year, but he had an offseason that got a lot of fans buzzing about him. He still needs to put on some size, but he’s got a killer shooting stroke and you have to love his confidence. As a late second round pick, even just becoming a fringe rotation player would be fantastic value. However, he seems like he has potential to be even better than that.
Last but not least, the real reason you’re all reading this article… B-Ball Paul! The fan favorite really hasn’t played a ton of minutes this season, and at this point that’s probably for the best. While he is electric to watch, he still makes a lot of mistakes that young players tend to make like bad turnovers, silly fouls, and missed defensive rotations. That being said, if he can put on a little muscle he has the build and athleticism to be a huge mismatch for most teams and everyone would love to see him crack the rotation at some point.
This Sixers team has star power, and Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons are always going to dominate the headlines when it comes to this squad. However, to win a championship you need a lot more than a few stars, and this team has that. The only thing left to be seen is whether they can actually get it done and bring home some rings this year.