The Issue with the Philadelphia 76ers

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I like the Philadelphia 76ers, I really do. Many people will disagree with what I’m about to say, but it must be said.

The 76ers are overrated.

I don’t think the 76ers are a bad team at all, in fact, I believe they are the second-best team in the eastern conference. They have a ton of talent and the potential to be the best defensive team in the NBA. It would shock me if the 76ers did not host the first round of the playoffs. This is the best roster Philadelphia has had in years, and they are undoubtedly one of the best teams in the entire league. The 76ers do have a few glaring issues and I just don’t understand why people are acting like they are miles ahead of the Milwaukee Bucks.

One issue this team has is terrible floor spacing. Let’s take a look projected starting lineup:

PG: Ben Simmons

SG: Josh Richardson

SF: Tobias Harris

PF: Al Horford

C: Joel Embiid

Look at all that talent! This is a great starting lineup, however there is a huge problem; Ben Simmons’ inability to spread the floor.

Ben Simmons’ inability to shoot the ball killed the 76ers in the playoffs. Since Simmons couldn’t or wouldn’t shoot the ball from outside 10 feet, he was forced to stay in the paint on many possessions. That wouldn’t be an issue if the 76ers didn’t have an All-NBA center in Joel Embiid. Embiid can shoot threes and can spread the floor, but he is at his best when he plays with his back to the basket. Watching Philly in the playoffs was painful because there were so many possessions where Embiid played on the wing like a guard because Simmons had to be in the paint. Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid are just not a great fit together.

Then you add Al Horford to the mix and things get worse. You can play him in a role where he’s standing in the corner for a majority of the game, but that just doesn’t make sense. Al Horford is a good shooter, but turning him into a spot-up shooter when he’s a good rim protector and rebounder isn’t a good idea. It’d be different if this were the 80’s when having two great bigs gave you a huge advantage. Too bad it's 2019 and you really need to spread the floor to be successful.

Let’s say Ben Simmons hasn’t improved his shooting. What does the 76ers offense look like then? Does Ben Simmons stay on the perimeter where he’s a huge liability in the half-court offense? Do you put Horford in the corner so Embiid can control the paint? Then on defense, you have to worry that teams can take advantage of the 76ers’ dual-center lineup.

Another problem is Philadelphia doesn’t have a go-to guy who can get them a bucket in clutch scenarios. Jimmy Butler did well as Philly’s go-to guy last year, but now he’s in Miami. Who plays that role for the 76ers now? Tobias Harris? Harris only shot the ball when it accidentally rolled his way last year, so that isn’t ideal. I guess Joel Embiid can be that guy, but having a center as your go-to guy isn’t the most ideal scenario either. They need somebody to step up and be THE guy in clutch situations.

As I said, this Philadelphia 76ers roster is really talented, but their talent doesn’t fit well together. They're like a bunch of puzzle pieces put in the wrong place. To be completely honest, I don’t think Philly is in a much better situation than they were last season. I believe the 76ers can win the 2019-2020 NBA championship, but only if Ben Simmons becomes an actual threat as a shooter. I guess will see what this team has in store when they take on the Boston Celtics at home in their first season opener on October 23rd.