The current NBA game clearly emphasizes shooting the three-point shot. That means everyone on the court. Long gone are the days of big men not being able to space the floor.
The Philadelphia 76ers should look into finding a floor-spacing big man to help the likes of Joel Embiid, James Harden, and Tyrese Maxey. There are three options that the Sixers should certainly pick up the phone and kick the tires on bringing on to this roster. The candidates are Mike Muscala, Bobby Portis, and Isaiah Hartenstein.
3 floor-spacing bigs to pursue in free agency: Mike Muscala
The first option is an old friend of ours, Mike Muscala. The man that helped us get Tyrese Maxey. What a full-circle moment that would be to add Muscala to this possible contender years after he helped sure up the Sixers’ second guard spot. The man would be having the fruits of his labor with a real chance of winning.
Muscala is a known floor-spacing big man generally deployed at the power forward position but can operate as a small-ball center in a five-out offense. The former Sixer is a known shooter, shooting 37.7 percent from three-point land for his career. Last season, Muscala shot a career-high 42.9 percent from behind the arc. It is wishful thinking that if upon signing with the Sixers Muscala can replicate that number.
This was on a known tanking Oklahoma City Thunder team. Muscala was doing his job and letting it fly at an efficient rate from behind the arc. The ability to hit open shots at a high level and send defenses collapsing towards you is invaluable. Muscala would greatly help James Harden, Tyrese Maxey, and any other ball-handlers with his ability to stretch the defense in pick-and-pop situations.