The Philadelphia 76ers will boast one of the most formidable starting lineups the league has seen, at least in recent memory. With four established All-NBA players and another budding young star in their opening group, it is easy to see why they are touted as strong title contenders. That being said, this team's most defining advantage next season might actually be one of their most overlooked weapons –– their revamped and bolstered bench.
Thanks to a slew of handy pickups and bargain bin deals this offseason, the 76ers might just have one of the best second units in the league. As currently constructed, their main bench rotation is projected to consist of Labaron Philon Jr., Anfernee Simons, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Dean Wade, and either Dominick Barlow or Adem Bona. At least on paper, that is a much better bench squad than any other iteration Philly has seen in recent years.
The 76ers have one of the best bench units in the league
Bench production was one of the most glaring holes the 76ers had in the last few years. While they consistently trotted out loaded starting units night in and out, their lack of solid play from their second unit ended up being their downfall. That was most prominent during their last postseason run, where the Knicks simply exploited their lack of reliable players outside of their opening group.
Well, that stands to change next season. Right off the bat, bench scoring figures to be much better this time around. Philon and Simons make for an electric backcourt that the team can rely on to help them maintain or extend leads. Simons in particular is already a proven scorer from all three levels who can even step into the starting unit when the need arises.
Caldwell-Pope brings with him a ton of experience, especially in high-stakes situations. As a two-time NBA champion, he will give Nick Nurse and the coaching staff a reliable hand and a steady three-and-D player whom they can easily plug into various lineup configurations.
Dean Wade is probably the most interesting piece the 76ers have off the bench. Before Philly won the vaunted LeBron James bidding war, the versatile forward was projected to be their starting 4. Now that he will most likely be with the second unit, the coaching staff will savor having a plug-and-play guy who can hit open threes and defend multiple positions thanks to his great size.
The 76ers still do not know who will be their primary backup center, but at the very least, they have multiple options who are young and spry in Dominick Barlow and Adem Bona (even Ariel Hukporti, for that matter). Admittedly, though, that is the one position which is easily assailable with this team.
For the reasons stated above, the Philadelphia 76ers might just be able to catch a lot of teams off guard next season. While their decorated starting five will get all the attention, they now have a very lethal bench that can give them a huge lift, even when the team is not fully healthy. That is a huge problem for the 29 other teams.
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