After another disappointing second-round exit, the Sixers spent all summer revamping the roster. Daryl Morey was unafraid to swing big, signing P.J. Tucker, Danuel House, and Montrezl Harrell in free agency and trading for De’Anthony Melton on draft night. All four new arrivals figure to contribute important minutes in 2022-23.
The starting five is all but set: Tucker will join the star quartet of Joel Embiid, James Harden, Tyrese Maxey, and Tobias Harris. While Doc Rivers hasn’t made any official declarations, and training camp could always bring new revelations, the Sixers didn’t pay Tucker north of $30 million to have him twirl his thumbs on the bench.
For the purposes of this article — in which we dive into five lineup combinations the Sixers should deploy — we will ignore the starting five, instead focusing on lineups involving staggered starters and the new-look second unit.
Sixers lineup worth deploying in 2022-23 — No. 1
- Tyrese Maxey
- De’Anthony Melton
- Danuel House Jr.
- Georges Niang
- Joel Embiid
Last season, Doc Rivers finally began staggering the starters after Harden’s arrival. That should continue in 2022-23, and he should keep the same star pairings: tether Maxey to Embiid, and tether Harris to Harden. There should never be a period of time — at least not an extended period of time — during which Embiid and Harden share the bench. Keep one of your superstars out there at all times.
That being said, this should be the first round of subs each night. Embiid and Maxey handle the creation burden. De’Anthony Melton and Danuel House provide defense and 3s, and Georges Niang provides a lot of the latter. What about Matisse Thybulle? Now that Philly has actual wing depth, Thybulle shouldn’t ever be on the court if Harden’s not there to spoon-feed him points at the rim. Thybulle complicates spacing with Embiid too much otherwise.
Four shooters around Embiid and multiple quality perimeter defenders (not to mention multiple ball-handlers) is a recipe for success. In the past, Philadelphia hasn’t had many lineup combinations that could check all of those boxes. Maxey and Niang are still vulnerable on the defensive end, but Melton and House cover ample ground on the perimeter, and Embiid is one of the NBA’s top safety nets at the rim.
Sixers lineup worth deploying in 2022-23 — No. 2
- James Harden
- De’Anthony Melton
- P.J. Tucker
- Tobias Harris
- Montrezl Harrell
Last season, it was common for Embiid and Maxey to play the entire first quarter before Harden and Harris subbed back in to start the second. That’s a good strategy to continue in the new season. Again, at least one of Embiid or Harden should be on the floor at all times.
So, this should serve as the second round of substitutions to open the second quarter. Embiid and Maxey take a seat, Harden and Harris (and Tucker) rejoin the fold with Melton (who should lead the bench in minutes played) and Harrell, the most experienced backup center on the roster.
Harris played the best basketball of his Sixers career after Harden’s arrival last season. If he can continue to embrace a higher volume of 3s, this group will absolutely roll on offense. Tucker is a corner sniper who has years of experience playing off of Harden. Harrell is an excellent pick-and-roll big who can finish prolifically around the rim. He also has experience playing off of Harden. Melton is a second ball-handler to relieve pressure and another above-average shooter.
Another underrated benefit of this lineup: The Harden-Harris-Harrell alliteration. Say that five times fast. In all seriousness, this lineup has enough size and mobility in the frontcourt to counterbalance Harrell’s limited effectiveness as a rim protector. Melton, meanwhile, can handle the challenging guard assignments, allowing Harden to be stationed off the ball defensively.
Sixers lineup worth deploying in 2022-23 — No. 3
- James Harden
- Matisse Thybulle
- Danuel House Jr.
- Tobias Harris
- P.J. Tucker
I’m going to shoehorn Matisse Thybulle into the proceedings here (even though I’m not convinced he’s a better fit than Melton in this particular hypothetical). At some point, the Sixers have to experiment going small with Tucker at the five. This lineup could credibly switch all five positions.
This is probably the best type of lineup for Thybulle. No center who requires space to operate in the post. Only Harden, Harris, and spot-up shooters. Thybulle isn’t a reliable 3-point shooter yet, but he can convert on dives to the rim every now and then. Using him as a screener for Harden while three shooters space out to the 3-point line is a good way to keep Thybulle (and his defender) involved in the action.
Tucker has ample success playing center in the past and he could very well be the Sixers’ best option behind Embiid once the playoffs arrive. Harden, meanwhile, is one of the great 3-point generators in the NBA. Station a bunch of shooters around him and he will deliver them good looks.
At the end of the day, this lineup’s success could depend on the extent of Harden’s offensive rejuvenation. Is he consistently putting pressure on the rim and forcing the defense to collapse? If not, then it could become more prudent to swap out Thybulle for Melton or Maxey to give the offense some extra kick.