NFL
By: Mark T. Wilson
Bring the nasty emails and dirty comments under this post. I’m ready for it. However, before you do, give me a chance to explain myself here. Despite their current slide, the Philadelphia 76ers are the best team in the Eastern Conference. Hell, they just might be the best team in the NBA.
Led by All-World Center, Joel Embiid, the 76ers have a viable superstar to build around. Tobias Harris should have been named an All-Star last season but he was snubbed. Those two players get the praise for the team’s success but a deeper look and you’ll see there is more to the 76ers than the combination of Embiid and Harris.
Seth Curry has been outstanding as the sharpshooter for the team. Tyrese Maxey has proven that offseason workouts can do wonders for one’s game and confidence. And despite the criticism he has taken, Doc Rivers is the perfect coach for this team. But those mentions are not why the 76ers are the best team in the East.
Let’s begin with the bench. Andre Drummond deserves to be a starter somewhere. On the season, he’s averaging 7.3 points and 10.8 rebounds while shooting 45.8 percent from the floor. While not displaying All-Star numbers, Drummond, when called upon has been a valuable starter in the absence of Embiid. Paired next to him in the frontcourt is Georges Niang who is averaging 11.6 points while shooting 40 percent from deep. These two were offseason pick-ups no one paid much attention to.
With a healthy Shake Milton and Furkan Korkmaz, the second unit has kept up with the likes of the Milwaukee Bucks, Chicago Bulls, New York Knicks, even on back-to-back games.
The main reason for their recent skid has been the team is not at full strength. Embiid has played only 9 games. Harris has just played 10, Danny Green has played 11, Matisse Thybulle has played 9, and Ben Simmons has yet to play a single game yet.
Let’s think about where this team could be if not for the Health and Safety protocols that caused Harris and Embiid to miss games and also think about the Simmons situation. What if Simmons was there?
There is no debate that Simmons brings an added dimension to the team. He’s a three-time All-Star. But if this team was at full strength, there is a very good chance they could be hovering around 13 wins. Before Embiid was forced to sit, the 76ers were first in Offensive Rating. Now, sitting at 9-7, the team is 15th in points scored and 11th in total defense.
There is room for improvement but that will come with time and everyone on the floor. Simmons, Green, and Thybulle are defensive aces. Remove them from the lineup, and of course, there will be a drop-off. which brings us back to the main issue at hand.
They’re not at FULL STRENGTH.
And they will never be at full strength until either Simmons returns or he’s traded. As good as they are now, barring any real injury, this team will only improve once this situation is resolved.
If Simmons does return, the team gets back an All-World defender and facilitator. What that does is shift Maxey back to the second unit where he and Milton can create havoc. The two of them combined, bring back memories of Isiah Thomas and Joe Dumars during the heyday of the Detroit Pistons.
Maxey, Milton, Korkmaz, Drummond, and Niang, for some teams that’s a starting unit capable of winning 20-25 games. With the absence of Simmons, the 2nd unit has played starters minutes and the younger guys have gained valuable experience that will only serve the team well once the playoffs start. This team is loaded and no one is talking about them.
But then the flip side of it all. What if Simmons is finally moved?
If so, that changes everything. Without him this year and before Embiid, Harris, Green, and Thybulle missed considerable time, the 76ers were at the top of the East and the NBA standings. But if he were to be moved, that would put the 76ers at full strength. A Simmons trade will pull the team 2-3 players in return. And one of them would have to be an All-Star caliber player and 1-2 top reserves.
With everything that has been written so far, imagine how dangerous this team would be with Simmons or with his trade value.
The Philadelphia 76ers are not losing games because their chemistry is off or a lack of talent. They’re losing games due to players being out. The entire Eastern Conference has to take advantage of this opportunity. Because once the team is at full strength, there is no stopping them.
