Ever since drafting Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons, the Sixers have been one of the more polarizing teams in the NBA. These two superstars possess enough talent to carry Philadelphia to a title on their own— yet due to clashing play styles, bad injury luck, and poor roster construction they’ve yet to maximize their potential. That all may be changing in 2021.
This past offseason, the Sixers made some serious changes in the hopes of getting the most out of their star center pieces. The first big move came when they fired head coach Brett Brown and replaced him with Doc Rivers, an accomplished head coach with championship pedigree. Doc’s had his fair share of mishaps in the playoffs, but he knows how to get the most out of his star players and is well respected across the league.
The second massive move came when Philly decided to bring in Daryl Morey as President of Basketball Operations (see: General Manager) to take control of personnel decisions. Morey is one of the most highly touted front office guys in the NBA, and he’s well known for heavily using analytics to build rosters and influence play style. He created “Moreyball” during his time with the Rockets as their small ball style of play helped turn James Harden into one of the most efficient basketball players the game had ever seen.
Upon arriving in Philadelphia Morey wasted no time morphing this Sixers roster into one that better complemented his two star players. He quickly got rid of redundant big man Al Horford and swapped him out for Danny Green, a sharpshooting veteran who’s been a key contributor on 3 Championship teams. He then followed that up by swapping Josh Richardson, a gritty defensive wing who’s offensive skills never surfaced in Philly, with Seth Curry, a career 45% 3 pt shooter with enough playmaking chops to serve as a secondary ball handler alongside Ben Simmons in the backcourt. Morey gave up a few draft picks in these exchanges, but the immediate impact these guys have had indicate the cost was well worth it.
The new look roster has made life immensely easier for the incumbents in the Sixers starting lineup. Rather than trying to play “Bully Ball” by trotting out a lineup of 2 centers, 2 forwards, and a wing, Philly has been able to shift Tobias Harris to the 4 spot and insert Curry and Green in the other two openings. The new look starting five surrounds Simmons and Embiid with three guys who demand attention beyond the three point line, and providing the two stars with a little breathing room in the paint has paid immediate dividends. The Sixers currently possess the best record in the East and are 14–2 when all five of their starters suit up. Simply put, when Philly has their top guys on the court, they’re almost impossible to beat. The question now is will the early season success translate to the postseason — an area where this team has fallen short in recent years.
Philly’s offseason changes have had a direct impact not only on team success, but also on the performance of each of their two stars individually. The Simmons/Embiid combo hasn’t quite reached Stockton/Malone levels of harmony just yet, but the duo is finding creative ways to capitalize on the newfound space within the three point line.
Embiid has been the primary beneficiary of a more open painted area has he’s established himself as a legitimate MVP frontrunner. The talented big man is averaging 29.6 points per game while making 54.3% of his shots and attempting over 11 free throws per game (all career bests), and he’s looked absolutely unguardable in the process. He’s simply too big, too strong, too nimble, and too talented for anyone opposing teams have try to put on him, and with ample shooting around him teams are getting punished for sending double teams at him in the post.
Meanwhile Simmons has gotten some flack for averaging a career low in field goal attempts and points per game, but he’s made up for that lack of offense with gamechanging defense and he still remains a triple double threat every night he steps on the court. He’s consistently tasked with guarding the opposing team’s best player, and he’s just as capable of holding his own defensively against a guy like LeBron James as he is against Dame Lillard. His defensive versatility is unmatched and he’s become a legitimate Defensive Player of the Year candidate due to his effort on that end of the court. Even though the offense has left something to be desired, he’s shown improvement month over month on that end of the court highlighted by his 42 point outburst against Utah the other night.
In an era where the three point shot is dominating the game, the Sixers still seem do most of their damage while operating near the basket. Philly is shooting just 28.9 threes per game, good for the third lowest rate in the league, and connecting on 35.9%, placing them in the middle of the pack in terms of efficiency. What’s fascinating though is when Embiid and Simmons are on the court together, the 3 point percentage bumps all the way up to 43.4%. The pressure Simmons creates when he attacks the hoop paired with Embiid always drawing an eye from opposing defenders has created clean looks for the rest of the team, and they’re knocking those looks down at an impressive clip.
The improved performance by Embiid and Simmons has allowed Tobias Harris to quietly step up and produce All Star caliber numbers of his own. In addition to benefiting from improved play from his counterparts, Harris may be also be seeing a boost due to a reunion with head coach Doc Rivers. Harris played for Rivers for a short stint together with the Clippers, and it appears the reunion has helped bring out the best in Harris’ game. So far this season Harris is averaging a career best 20.7 points per game on an extremely efficient 52.0% from the floor. Even with all the talent Embiid and Simmons possess, the one thing Harris offers that those two can’t provide is the ability to score off the dribble from the outside and in the mid range. His shot creation at different levels of the floor has been invaluable to the Sixers so far this season, and he’s hit a already hit a few big shots in key time moments including a game winner against the defending champion Lakers. Notice in the clip below, it looks as if this play was specifically drawn up to get Harris matched up with Caruso for the game winning attempt. The confidence Rivers lends Harris in a moment like this indicates just how important he is to this team.
Although Philly’s roster is starting to better complement their main stars, the two are still far from a perfect fit with one another. However this season has shown that with the right cast around them this duo can overcome their contrasting styles and team up to become a legitimate title contender. They’re still ironing out the kinks and developing chemistry with some new faces, but there’s no doubt this team has the talent to compete with the leagues best. There’s a lot of basketball yet to be played, but when the postseason comes around and the rotations start to shorten, watch out for the team that’s damn near unbeatable when their best 5 are on the court.
