Pistons reveal glaring 76ers weakness that could deny them the title

The Philadelphia 76ers notched an impressive win last time on the road for their first dub of the season, but turns out, that was quite an aberration. As if the hobbled squad couldn’t put out an uglier product, they finally returned home, only to get smacked in the jaw by the winless and notoriously uncompetitive Detroit Pistons.

Save for a passable first quarter, the 76ers looked absolutely spent last night. The Pistons simply dominated them with physicality, and still missing two All-Stars, Philly couldn’t throw the ball into the ocean even if they wanted to.

But beyond that, Detroit exploited them on one, crucial department that could very well deny them the title if unresolved before the trade deadline.

The 76ers sorely lack rebounding and depth at center

Even a visceral glance at the boscore should be enough to tell you about how effectively the Pistons imposed their will on the 76ers. Touting a 49 to 37 advantage on the boards, Detroit capitalized on the team’s lack of gang rebounding and center depth.

Granted, Jalen Duren was completely neuitralized, yet they were fully unable to take advantage of the situation. Outside of Andre Drummond, the team simply lacked the size, especially on the wings and at forward, to combat the Pistons. Not having another true center to back him up also predictably bit them this time.

At this early juncture, the 76ers have the third-worst rebounding percentage in the NBA. Despite having the league’s best individual board crasher in Drummond, beyond him, the team has been really bad making up for their size disadvantage and compensating with gang rebounding.

This is an area where having Joel Embiid would massively help, as it would send Drummond back to the bench and ensure that the team always has a very competent rebounder on the floor.

However, to expect Embiid to play a lot at this point is a shout to the skies, and the 76ers have certainly recognized that alongside, well, the NBA. Thus, it is imperative for the front office to bolster the team’s center rotation.

Getting another center to supplement their two bigs would also prevent the 76ers f4rom having to play their regulars a position up, such as Guerschon Yabusele, who will very likely thrive as a jolt of physicality off the bench and leverage his size to help address the team’s rebounding issues.

To win a championship, the 76ers cannot just allow someone like Tobias Harris to post Drummond numbers on the boards. The most elite teams in the league certainly know how to take advantage of a frail team on paper, and Philly cannot afford to be vulnerable on that end if they want to maximize their shot at the title.