After much anticipation, the newly revamped Philadelphia 76ers starting five finally made its debut on the hardwood, suiting up for the team's second preseason game against the Nets. It marked the first time their opening group played together. That being said, it only took one game for them to prove that they do have a pretty obvious chink in their collective armor, which is their three-point shooting.
Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe, Jaylen Brown, LeBron James, and Joel Embiid combined to shoot just three of 11 from beyond the arc. While it is just their first game, it is already clear that outside shooting is indeed one of the more pressing questions surrounding this group. In both makes, attempts, and conversion rate, the 76ers' loaded starting lineup will have to solve this weakness as soon as possible before it evolves into a highly vulnerable issue.
The 76ers starting five already has a big three-point shooting question
Much has been said about the 76ers bringing in a ton of help this offseason, which is factual. However, while the front office signed some players who can help them out in the perimeter, those reinforcements are playing off the bench. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Dean Wade, Anfernee Simons, and Labaron Philon Jr. are all capable players, but none of them are starting.
James and Brown, while obviously both blockbuster additions, are not exactly knockdown shooters. That is not a definitive issue in itself, but given what the starting unit is composed of, that definitely raises some questions about the spacing in their opening group.
Maxey is the lone high-volume, high-efficiency three-point shooter the 76ers have in that unit. Edgecombe has shown glimpses of being a capable volume shooter, but he can still be hit or miss on that end. Ditto for Brown and James. Embiid is a capable shooter, but he has never been a high-volume marksman from out there.
The starting five will be playing together a lot, and for the most part, they will be starting and finishing games without any of the bench players mixed in. As such, it is incumbent upon them, and them alone, to resolve their three-point shooting concerns. That may come by raising their volume from beyond the arc and getting into better spots. Anyhow, there is no other way around it but for them to solve it themselves.
For now, it is way too early to toss the 76ers starters up as composing a flat-out bad shooting unit, but it has to be addressed as quickly as possible. Otherwise, their formidable setup could end up being way more vulnerable than it appears on paper.
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