3 lineups the Sixers should use without Joel Embiid
Lineup the Sixers should use without Joel Embiid No. 2
- James Harden
- Shake Milton
- Danny Green
- Matisse Thybulle
- Tobias Harris
The Sixers should explore every option with Embiid out of commission. That includes small-ball. There are obvious risks here — the lack of rim protection being red flag number one — but it could optimize the offense with Harden taking over for Embiid as the guiding light.
This lineup includes: 1) Harden at point guard, 2) multiple quality perimeter defenders, 3) three plus shooters around Harden, and 4) Thybulle as the only non-shooter, allowing him to play in the dunker’s spot and feast on duck-ins while his other limitations are best hidden.
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Philadelphia’s defense will suffer greatly without Embiid. The best path to toppling Miami is with great offense. This is the kind of lineup that can generate good looks and capitalize on them. Tobias Harris will be make-or-break this series. He has thrived in a smaller role lately, and he should still embrace the core tenets of his new role — quick triggers 3s and decisive moves to the rim — but the Sixers will need Harris to shoulder a greater offensive burden out of necessity. He will have to take more shots and create more from scratch without bogging down the offense or tanking his efficiency. The same can be said for Shake Milton — the Sixers will need all the help they can get creating offense.
Of course, without Embiid and without very many quality backups on the roster, there are inherent flaws in just about every lineup configuration. This lineup would be at an immediate speed and athleticism disadvantage without having the size inside (A.K.A., Embiid) to offset that. The defense would not look good. That said, Harris can guard Miami’s centers adequately enough, and there’s a lot of length and girth split between the Milton/Harden/Green/Thybulle backcourt. The Sixers could switch everything and throw different looks at the Heat.