Philadelphia 76ers: The starting five was built for Ben Simmons

In 2020-21, the Philadelphia 76ers deployed an unconventional starting lineup.

On any given full-strength night, the team paired Joel Embiid up with a power forward-sized point guard, a point guard-sized shooting guard, a small forward who mostly played shooting guard up to that point, and a 6-foot-8 combo forward who could play power forward on the defensive end of the court and score from the perimeter in like late Knicks era Carmelo Anthony.

Did it look a little weird on the lineup card? Sure, but it worked; the Sixers’ starting lineup was the second-most utilized lineup in the NBA last regular season, and it finished out the season with the best net rating of any lineup league-wide with at least 400 minutes of on-court action.

But now? With the 2021 calendar year rapidly coming to an end, the Sixers find themselves with a lineup that isn’t quite built for their new offensive identity.

No, sans Ben Simmons, the Sixers are small. They have a 6-foot-3 point guard, a 6-foot-2 shooting guard, a 6-foot-5 small forward, and the very same 6-foot-8 power forward as a season prior. The team’s best starting perimeter defender is 34-year-old Danny Green – who was the team’s third-overall defender last season – their backcourt can be outsized by almost every other team in the NBA, and the combo nature of Tobias Harris‘ game that Elton Brand liked so much paired up with Simmons has now become a liability, as he’s routinely being placed on an opposing team’s power forward even if the matchup isn’t advantageous.

So what are the Sixers supposed to do? While their starting five actually has a much higher net rating than a year prior – albeit over much fewer minutes – there are clear holes in the game plan that can be exploited by a crafty head coach, let alone a player like Kevin Durant, who even Simmons would have struggled to contain in ISO situations?

That, my friends, is going to define the Philadelphia 76ers’ future moving forward.

The Philadelphia 76ers really need a “big” scoring small forward.

Alright, just for fun, let’s establish three qualifiers right from the jump from which to quantify this concept.

1. Tyrese Maxey is the Philadelphia 76ers’ point guard moving forward.

2. Tobias Harris isn’t getting traded.

3. Doc Rivers isn’t going to dramatically change his coaching philosophy.

If the Philadelphia 76ers don’t view Maxey as the guy moving forward, the primary goal of any roster reconstruction should be to get that guy. In the same vein, if Harris is available, the team could be much freer to trade Ben Simmons for the best possible player and then use a corresponding Harris trade to fill out the rotation with better-fitting players.

Alright, so if the Sixers are going to remain more or less the same but want to pull off a key upgrade or two in a deal for Simmons, what do the Sixers need to target?

First and foremost, the Sixers need size. They currently only have three players who measure in at 6-foot-10 or taller – Embiid, Andre Drummond, and Charles Bassey – and five total players who measure in at 6-foot-8 with the addition of Harris and Paul Reed. While there are two more players on the roster, who measure in at 6-foot-7, Furkan Korkmaz and Georges Niang, neither provide much on the defensive end of the court and don’t fit the classic mold of a small forward.

Landing a big-time player who measures in between 6-foot-6 and 6-foot-8 would be incredibly valuable for floor spacing and Doc Rivers’ defensive switchability.

Want to know another benefit of having a bigger wing? They can shoot over smaller, Danny Green-sized defenders… assuming they actually can shoot. When a small forward possesses a unique combination of size and speed with an above-average shot, they instantly become a point of emphasis on an opposing team’s scouting report and thus make life a little easier for players like Seth Curry. Such a player can seek out mismatches instead of being exploited by them and create plus opportunities for teammates if they draw multiple defenders.

If the Sixers can find themselves a player who fits that bill, can defend at least an average level, and maybe contribute a bit as a rebounder – the Sixers currently rank 27th in rebounding despite having Andre Drummon on their roster – they’d surely be able to ease many of their current roster’s woes, even if some fits will always be a bit clunky.

The good news? There are a number of players across the NBA who fit that bill. The bad news? Teams don’t really want to give them up, even in a trade for a three-time All-Star with legit Defensive Player of the Year abilities.

From OG Anunoby, to Jaylen Brown, Brandon Ingram, Andrew Wiggins, and my personal favorite under-the-radar trade target, Miles Bridges, there are numerous shades of the same basic player across the NBA who could help the Sixers’ roster composition significantly. Granted, those individual players vary pretty significantly in terms of availability and actual value in the eyes of Daryl Morey, but surely more than a few of the 30-ish players on the team’s trade list fit that basic athletic profile.

If one or more of those players become available, the Sixers should probably go for it.

A few months back, it was reported that Ben Simmons wanted to play for a roster that was built around his game. Many an outside observer, plus Joel Embiid for good measure, pointed out the irrationality of that statement, as the team’s current starting five is actually very well built around 25’s skill set but with him off the court and Tyrese Maxey in his place, that fact only becomes even more obvious. To fully reach their potential, the Philadelphia 76ers need to swap out one All-Star-level talent for another, yes, but they also need to secure a scheme fit who can smooth over the roster’s fit questions in favor of a quick and tidy on-the-fly re-tooling. A bigger wing – and a backup point guard, but that’s a story for another article – would do wonders to shore that up.