76ers become a terrifying group
The Philadelphia 76ers walked all over the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday, winning 143-120 in a game that wasn’t even that close.
A comfortable win for a middling Western Conference opponent wouldn’t normally be news, but when that win shows what a new-look team is capable of, and comes against an opponent with Lebron James on the court, it’s worth a moment of consideration.
And, boy, the 76ers looked fantastic on Sunday. The game showed off exactly what the team was trying to do when they added Tobias Harris at the trade deadline in a deal with the Los Angeles Clippers, one would think, and makes me reconsider what this team is capable of. Let’s break down why: Tobias Harris provides them exactly what they need.
Even with the addition of Jimmy Butler to this 76ers’ core, the fundamental issue with this Philadelphia team was always spacing. Ben Simmons, an oversized and truly gifted point guard, can’t shoot past about 12 feet. Philly has always lived with that because of everything else he does - he’s a 6’10” point guard who can beat guys off the dribble! - but teams could condense against them when he had the ball and pack the paint.
Lebron showed that off in a wild defensive possession where he guarded Simmons from about 40 feet away on Sunday.
Tobias Harris, a wing with excellent range and size, has instantly provided a solution to this by giving the team spacing, because opponents have to pay attention to him. With JJ Redick - another shooter that needs to be guarded - and Jimmy Butler on the perimeter, teams can slag off Simmons, but they can’t slag off anyone else. Embiid now has room to work. The man who’s going to benefit most from this is Joel Embiid. When Simmons and Embiid were the primary, and main, options on this Philly team, they were guardable. You stuck a man on Redick who ran around with him, and then you packed the paint to stop Embiid and Simmons.
The Celtics did this to them last year in the playoffs, and the 76ers didn’t really have answers. If Redick was covered, Simmons and Embiid tried to force the ball inside, or Embiid would try and shoot from distance, and they got beaten.
With Butler and Harris keeping defenses honest on the perimeter, Embiid can work. He finished Sunday with 37 points, 14 rebounds and 3 assists. It was a monster day, but it was made possible in part because Harris finished with 22 points and was 3-5 from deep. That extra danger outside gives Embiid a chance to thrive inside.
Embiid, Harris, Ben Simmons, and Jimmy Butler can all take over a game.
Having four legitimate game changers on a team is fantastic when they’re all on the court together, but it’s arguably just as dangerous when you can stagger minutes and let them thrive against an opponent’s second unit.
Having Harris gives the 76ers all sorts of options to throw stuff at an opposing team. They can go bully ball with Simmons and Embiid working their 1-2 game down low. They can give Butler the keys for a while and let him go at guys in isolation sets.
They can do the same with Harris, or let Butler and Harris run a nightmarish little pick-and-pop game that’s only going to get better as the two get more comfortable playing with each other. They can just run Harris out of the post if he gets a size advantage over his defender.
These are all legit options against an opponent’s first team. Against a bench unit having these tools is unfair.
They’re only going to get better defensively.
The 76ers gave up 120 points with the new-look lineup, but they scored 143 and were comfortably ahead. We don’t have enough numbers yet to evaluate this new starting lineup, but I think this team can work defensively.
Harris isn’t a standout defensive player, but he does have length, and with Embiid providing post help, Simmons providing additional length, and Butler being a monster on the defensive end, I think they’ll be able to get stops when they need to. They need time to gel, of course, but I think this team can get there.
And I’m not sure how anyone stops them on the other end. Ben Simmons tried a 3-pointer. Simmons attempted a 3-pointer on Sunday. It didn’t go in. But he tried one, and it came close. This is a huge development for Philly. I’m being dead serious. If Simmons can start making a couple of those, just a couple, it might be enough for teams to have to at least shade to the outside. When that happens, Embiid will have even more room to work, and Harris and Butler will have more room to beat guys and get into the paint.
Every little bit of spacing helps with this Sixers team. If Simmons can show that he can make a 3, that might provide just the little bit to get them over the top. The ceiling on this team is raised significantly with the addition of Harris. If Simmons can develop a 3, the ceiling goes even higher.