Philadelphia 76ers: How does Richaun Holmes return affect the backcourt?

With Richaun Holmes set to make his first appearance for the Philadelphia 76ers against the Pacers, how will his presence affect the team’s backcourt rotation?

Catch 22 is finally back in Philly.

After breaking his wrist during the Philadelphia 76ers‘ preseason game against the Boston Celtics, backup big man Richaun Holmes is finally returning to the court, but how does he fit in with the team’s new-look roster?

Holmes, a former second-round pick from Bowling Green, came to the 76ers as the 2015 MAC Defensive Player of the Year but has really developed into a two-way player under Brett Brown‘s tutelage.

After playing power forward in college, Holmes has transitioned smoothly into a quality supplement to Joel Embiid as the team’s backup center. The owner of a 35-percent three-point percentage last season, Holmes emergence as a serious contributor helped to justify the trade of Nerlens Noel, and his 9.8 points-per-game was a godsend to the second team’s offense potency.

But how does Holmes addition affect the team’s current backcourt rotation?

Without Holmes available to play, Coach Brown had to utilize free agent acquisition Amir Johnson, a power forward by trade, at center, and the results were surprisingly good. In roughly 16 minutes of action-per-game, Johnson averaged six points-per-game and gave the 76ers’ second unit a veteran presence to lean on much like J.J. Redick on the first team.

But unlike Holmes, Johnson struggled mightily from three-point range so far this season, having made only 1-9 shots from outside for a disappointing 14.3 completion percentage. While shooting threes isn’t necessarily essential when playing center, that kind of shooting is far less desirable from the power forward position. With Dario Saric now firmly entrenched in the 76ers’ starting five, it may actually make more sense for Coach Brown to deploy Holmes as a stretch four on his second unit.

Holmes’ position flexibility could allow Coach Brown to deploy the former Bowling Green Falcon and Johnson on the court at the same time and give the team a pair of athletic, dynamic players to make opposing team’s time in the paint a nightmare on a nightly basis. This flexibility could also help Holmes to get onto the court more consistently as a foil to both Embiid and Saric, which would allow Brown to keep his freshest players on the court at all times, without having a big drop off in talent.

The addition of Holmes should also make it easier for the 76ers to finally commit to moving on from Jahlil Okafor once and for all, as they will have one of the deepest backcourts in the entire league. While it’s unlikely that Okafor will be moved anytime soon, due in part to the complicated circumstances surrounding getting a deal done, Holmes’ return should all but make his position on the team superfluous at best.

Next: The 76ers are winning now by playing big

With Holmes finally set to make his 2017-2018 season debut against the Indiana Pacers, the 76ers are getting back a player who will not only help to bolster their second unit’s offensive potency, but also an athletic, position-flexible player who can be an asset to the team going forward as their first big man off the bench.

How does Richaun Holmes’ return affect the 76ers backcourt?

By Matty Breisch | Nov 3, 2017

With Richaun Holmes set to make his first appearance for the Philadelphia 76ers against the Pacers, how will his presence affect the team’s backcourt rotation?