The Sixers enter the 2022-23 with a revamped supporting cast and fewer excuses than ever. Philadelphia has the star power, depth, and flexibility necessary to win a championship. Now, Doc Rivers just has to get his squad over the finish line.
While it’s safe to expect elite production from Joel Embiid and James Harden, the rest of the roster can be more challenging to predict. There’s a unique mix of youth and experience in the second unit. P.J. Tucker is 37 years old with a title under his belt, whereas Paul Reed’s NBA experience virtually boils down to a couple weeks at the end of last season.
If the Sixers are going to win the title — and that’s a huge if — it will take several players performing at the highest level of their career, from the top on down. Here are three players in line for career-best years.
Sixers who could have career-best years: Isaiah Joe
We have been waiting on the Isaiah Joe breakout for two years now. The former second-round pick has always felt like the perfect fit on paper — a supremely confident volume shooter who can defend multiple positions — but the Sixers have never really given him a fair shot. Doc Rivers’ youth aversion won’t suddenly go away, but Joe is entering the final year of his contract. It’s time to see what he can give.
The Sixers’ improved depth does complicate Joe’s situation. Last season, it was borderline indefensible to keep him tethered to the sidelines. This season, we’ll see tenured members of the rotation (Shake Milton, Furkan Korkmaz, even Georges Niang) fighting for minutes. Joe’s path is more obscured than ever, but from the flashes we’ve seen both in the regular season and in Summer League, he has to get his opportunity at some point. Philly always needs volume shooters, and Joe has defensive chops elsewhere unavailable at the tail end of the second unit.
It ultimately come down to consistency. Joe will have to capitalize when (if) he’s ever given the chance to play real minutes. He can’t slip, he can’t run hot-and-cold, or Rivers will move on to other options. There’s too much competent, proven talent in the second unit this season. It’s probably now or never for Joe in Philadelphia, though.
Sixers who could have career-best years: Tobias Harris
Tobias Harris could be in line for the best season of his career, but maybe not in the traditional sense. This is a guy who has averaged 20 points on close to 50/40/90 shooting in the past. His scoring numbers will probably dip in his first full season as the No. 4 option offensively, but that could coincide with his best all-around basketball yet.
We saw flashes of a new and improved Tobias Harris towards the end of last season. He cut down on mindless dribbling, upped his volume of spot-up 3s, and made a concerted effort to get all the way to the rim when attacking off the bounce. He became a supercharged role player, to the point where he even played the most focused and determined defense of his career. That is the best version of Tobias Harris — not the version who’s trying to live up to his contract as Embiid’s co-star. That’s not who Harris is. He’s a 3-and-D forward who can occasionally punish size mismatches in the post.
With Harden at the reigns, Embiid controlling the tempo, and Maxey taking another leap as the team’s No. 3 star, Harris is perfectly positioned to maximize his skill set. Less has always been more for the 30-year-old, and if he embraces his condensed role, we could be singing his praises all the way to the NBA Finals.
So no, Harris probably won’t break his personal scoring records. He might, however, put together his first season of consistent high-level defense. He might do more than ever to elevate teammates and keep the ball moving, rather than falling prey to ill-advised iso jumpers. He planted the seeds last season; let’s see if Harris’ game can blossom fully in 2022-23.
Sixers who could have career-best years: De’Anthony Melton
The Sixers swapped Danny Green’s expiring contract and the No. 23 pick for De’Anthony Melton on draft night. In this writer’s humble opinion, that ranks as one of Morey’s best maneuvers as GM. The 24-year-old is on an affordable contract and could quickly emerge as a staple of Philadelphia’s rotation both in the short term and long term.
On the surface, Melton is the third-string guard and could have his opportunities limited by the presence of James Harden and Tyrese Maxey. That said, Melton is arguably the best reserve on the team. He should be on the floor whenever one of Harden or Maxey rests, and he should probably spend a fair amount of time playing next to both of them too. He’s only 6-foot-2, but Melton wields a 6-foot-8 wingspan and plenty of competitive spirit on the defensive end.
Health has been an issue for Melton in recent years, but when healthy, he’s a legitimately fantastic defender who — along with new arrivals Tucker and House — could transform the second unit from a defensive liability into an impactful two-way force. On offense, Melton should get more reps than ever. He’s well-positioned as an off-guard who can hit 3s, beat closeouts, and provide supplementary playmaking alongside Philadelphia’s star guards.
Last season was the most productive of Melton’s career so far. He averaged 10.8 points on .407/.374/.750 splits in 22.7 minutes per game. He should get more playing time in Philly, and it’s not hard to imagine him beating those scoring totals. Expect Melton to really pop off the screen once he’s on the court for Philadelphia; he is one of the more underrated offseason acquisitions in the league.