Five Questions About Five Sixers
Can Dwight really help in the playoffs?
Adam Aaronson, whose legal name is Sixers Adam (@SixersAdam on Twitter), covers the Sixers for The Rights To Ricky Sanchez. He has been legally banned from covering the team in person, and when that ban was set to be lifted, Covid-19 struck. He believes cantaloupe is the best food in existence, and is brought to you by the Official Realtor of The Process, Adam Ksebe.
This year’s Sixers team is, thankfully, less confusing and enigmatic than its predecessor. But even for a team leading the way in the Eastern Conference and being powered by a legitimate MVP candidate, questions will always be on the horizon.
So, let’s be picky and identify what questions we might soon be asking about five Sixers.
Is Joel Embiid going to be the league MVP?
Unfortunately, I think the answer here is probably not. I’d like to see nothing more, but Embiid and Nikola Jokic are so neck-and-neck that I believe Jokic’s iron man status helps him win out. Embiid has a solid argument over Jokic right now, with the margin between games played at just four. But as that deficit begins to grow, Embiid’s MVP chances will begin to shrink.
Is there anyone Ben Simmons can’t guard?
It’s pretty clear by now that Simmons, the ultimate swiss-army knife, can guard one through four. He’s defended players across the spectrum, from Malcolm Brogdon to Bradley Beal, Pascal Siakam and everyone in between. His versatility is an invaluable tool for Doc Rivers. But one question remains: will lineups featuring him at center be able to last defensively? Simmons is without question elite on the perimeter, even against bigs. But he has yet to show that he can protect the rim at an adequate level to, let’s say, log some backup center minutes in the playoffs. Rivers seems intent on trying it out in games where Embiid rests. While we’re on the subject of backup center minutes…
How playable is Dwight Howard in the playoffs?
Howard played a meaningful role in the Lakers’ defeat of the Denver Nuggets in the Bubble Playoffs. But in matchups against teams not built around a strong big-man, how useful will Dwight be in the postseason? His fit with Ben Simmons on offense is already dubious, but what happens if his defensive limitations get exploited as well? Howard is solid, even if flawed, in the paint. His rebounding will always be excellent. But what happens against teams like Brooklyn, Milwaukee, Indiana and Boston, all of which feature centers who are frequent three-point shooters? If he starts struggling, the length of Dwight’s leash in the playoffs will be fascinating to see.
Is Tobias Harris going to always look this way?
Harris was quietly disappointing in his first partial-season in Philly. But the disappointment became loud last season, leading many to believe that his five-year, $180 million contract was one of the few worst deals in the NBA. Harris, brought in to be a reliable and consistent three-level scorer, has finally shown Sixers fans what they’ve wanted to see. So what’s the deal? Is he going to be this year’s version of himself, possibly an All-Star and definitely a high-level starter? The longer his stretch of fantastic play lives on, the more comfortable I will be saying yes.
Will Tyrese Maxey gain the coaching staff’s trust in big moments?
Maxey’s usage has been odd, to say the least. He’s the team’s primary ball-handler in second unit lineups, already a weighty responsibility for a rookie. Rivers has continually
raved about Maxey’s skill and poise. And yet Maxey has rarely seen the floor against elite competition. Rivers has cut him out of the rotation, going from 10 to nine players, in multiple high-profile matchups. Whether or not he can become trustworthy enough to play in significant regular season games and or playoff basketball will be determined over the next few months.