Last season, the Philadelphia 76ers boasted the fourth-highest offensive rating in the league, trumping most teams with their efficient scoring profile despite logging only 115.2 points per outing, which ranked 14th in the association. While that’s still nothing to scoff at, the team could reach some new heights this season as a scoring unit.
Repeating as one of the premiere offensive squads next season will go a long toward the team’s mission to re-solifidy its footing as a championship contender. With the defense already shaping up to be even more solid, Fortunately, it’s increasingly likely that Philadelphia will be able to out-do itself on offense in the upcoming campaign.
Why the 76ers could be the highest-scoring team in the NBA next season
With James Harden still expected to be on the roster come training camp, the 76ers will have their three primary scorers in Joel Embiid, Harden, and Tyrese Maxey. That troika combined for 73.4 points per outing last season, and that’s with Harden still playing as more of a table-setter and Maxey playing a lot of games off the bench.
This season, that trio will be bolstered by, again, Tobias Harris, who actually turned in an efficient season despite posting just 14.7 points per game, his lowest mark since the 2015-16 season. Expect the veteran forward to hover around that average and potentially tally even more if his minutes are staggered to play more with the second unit.
The bigger thing, however, is the recent addition of Kelly Oubre Jr., who is actually coming off a season where he averaged 20.3 points per contest for the Charlotte Hornets. His role moving forward is yet to be determined, but he will undoubtedly add more scoring punch to either the starting unit or the bench.
What makes the 76ers so well-rounded and lethal on offense, aside from the obvious talent and scoring ability from the aforesaid players, is the clear role definition on the team. Ancillary scorers like De’Anthony Melton stick largely to their roles, and non-scorers like PJ Tucker and soon, Patrick Beverley, are and will not be tasked with handling the rock unless necessary.
Those things, combined with the fact that a highly creative head coach in Nick Nurse is now manning the sidelines for the Philadelphia 76ers, should be more than enough to justify a leap from the team on the offensive end this season. After all, the scoring outbursts tend to become more frequent with every passing year.