The Philadelphia 76ers are looking at an open pathway to return to contention next season. With the Eastern Conference suddenly seeing two legitimate title contenders go down right from the get-go in Boston and Indiana, the franchise now touts much loftier chances to sneak in and make a deep playoff run after missing out on the postseason action last season.
Of course, there are still a slew of teams standing in their way to notch their first Finals appearance in two decades. Last season’s top seed in the East, the Cavaliers, got even better after their free agency additions, while teams like Orlando, New York, and Detroit should once again be in the thick of things. Oh, and Giannis Antetokounmpo alone still makes Milwaukee a force to be reckoned with.
Still, many fans and pundits — even those not in 76ers circles — believe that the squad has the necessary level of talent to potentially emerge as the best team in the East next season. But having said that, the 76ers front office has recently made some counterproductive moves, which made their current depth chart a hot mess.
76ers depth chart gets even worse after their newest free agency move
Following Philly’s dumbfounding decision to re-sign Kyle Lowry (and Eric Gordon), their depth chart currently looks like this:
PG: Tyrese Maxey | Kyle Lowry
SG: Jared McCain | VJ Edgecombe | Eric Gordon
SF: Paul George | Justin Edwards | Ricky Council IV
PF: Kelly Oubre Jr. | Trendon Watford | Johni Broome
C: Joel Embiid | Andre Drummond | Adem Bona
Quentin Grimes remains unsigned with the 76ers and his camp still looking to be a bit far from coming to terms on a new deal. Counting him, the team already has 15 players on standard NBA contracts, although they can get above that during before and during training camp.
A striking observation with this depth chart, however, is the fact that the 76ers still have not addressed their lack of size across the board. Their back court stands out due to their lack of entrenched defensive-oriented players, which makes the additions of Lowry and Gordon all the more confusing, if not downright foolish.
Come playoff time, if they stick with these players at large, the 76ers could end up being an easy opponent to game-plan against in the playoffs. Teams with imposing and rangy personnel can comfortably bother them on both ends, especially if injuries strike Philadelphia anew at the worst time.
Clearly, this cannot be the roster the Philadelphia 76ers will parade next season. It is simply littered with weaknesses, and having to play small-ball constantly will only wear them down when it matters the most.