Sixers Preseason: Five Things To Watch
In addition to being a drama-filled traveling circus, it turns out that the Sixers are also sometimes a basketball team.
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In addition to being a drama-filled traveling circus, it turns out that the Sixers are also sometimes a basketball team. Whether you are ready for them or not, the Sixers will begin playing basketball once again starting Monday night on the road against the Toronto Raptors.
If you still find yourself trapped in the fog of the Ben Simmons situation and unable to care about preseason basketball, I completely understand. But for the rest of you psychos who are curious to see what Paul Reed’s jump shot looks like, this article is for you. Here are five things that I’ll be watching for.
No. 1: Who was full of shit on media day?
Media day is generally understood to be filled with hyperbolic statements, but that doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t check to see if various players’ claims of development are true. There were a few interesting claims that caught my eye, chief among them being Tobias Harris and Joel Embiid’s statements that both of them plan to take more 3-pointers this year. Harris specifically mentioned 3s off the dribble for himself.
As someone who has long been perplexed by Harris’ aversion to shooting 3s, I remain highly skeptical that we will ever see a meaningful uptick in that department. But Harris will get the chance to prove me wrong, and that’s what I’ll be watching for throughout the preseason.
As for Embiid, I’m not sure it’s even necessary for him to up his 3-point volume to any meaningful degree -- especially without Simmons around -- but I’ll be curious to see if he lives up to his promise.
Another statement that caught my eye was Shake Milton saying that improving his defense was a priority this summer. I doubt we’ll be able to come to a definitive verdict on whether or not he’s succeeded in doing so during the preseason, but it’s something to focus on nonetheless.
No 2: What does the bench rotation look like?
We know for sure that Tyrese Maxey has assumed Ben Simmons’ starting point guard spot throughout training camp, but outside of that, the rotation is a bit of a mystery. We can project that Shake Milton, Matisse Thybulle, Furkan Korkmaz, Georges Niang, and Andre Drummond will have sizable roles off the bench, but it’s unclear what the pecking order is there, and which groups will share the floor together.
There also is the question of whether any unexpected young players will play well enough to force their way into the rotation. Can Isaiah Joe carve out some minutes? Is B-Ball Paul ready for some backup center minutes?
I’ll also pose the question of whether Jaden Springer can carve out an occasional role as a defensive stopper. At the point guard position, neither Maxey nor Milton are anywhere near being considered lockdown defenders. Thybulle can guard point guards, but with Simmons gone, he might be more desperately needed on the wing. If Springer proves capable, and Maxey and Milton struggle on defense, I could see him getting minutes here or there to cool down opposing point guards.
No. 3: Which non-shooters have improved?
There was some buzz that Thybulle has put a lot of work on his jump shot; I’ll be curious to see if that manifests. Paul Reed says he wants to shoot 45 percent from 3 -- I’m dubious, but it would be great to see some improvement in that area in order to give hope to the idea that he could be a stretch-five at some point in the future.
Springer, Maxey, and even Milton could also use some improvement in the shooting department. I plan to analyze each of their forms like the Zapruder film.
No. 4: How does Doc Rivers change the structure of the offense without Simmons?
The first thing that you can expect to change without Simmons is the pace -- the Sixers were third in the league in fast break points last year, and you’d have to think that ranking will go down.
But what I’m more curious about is what changes Doc Rivers will make to his offensive playbook and structure. The general changes to expect will be more pick and rolls and more post-ups for Embiid, but there are many layers within that. Can Embiid be used more as a passer out of the post without Simmons? Will Embiid be a more effective roll man in pick and rolls without Simmons waiting in the dunker spot? Will they play more through Harris out of the post, as well?
As much as it is a challenge removing Simmons, it also allows for more creativity as a coaching staff. You have just removed a complete non-shooter and opened up the floor; obviously, that comes with the opportunity to ask for more out of other players. That is something that Rivers and his staff will have to navigate.
No. 5: Will the Sixers employ more conservative defensive schemes without Simmons?
Last season, I wrote an in-depth piece praising Rivers and his staff for switching to more aggressive defensive schemes than were used under Brett Brown. To some degree, the success of that scheme was predicated upon having major defensive playmakers like Simmons to make it effective. It’s simple: the more playmakers you have, the more risky you can be schematically.
This season, I’m wondering if Rivers and company will dial it back just a tad to account for losing Simmons. That means fewer gambles, off-ball defenders staying home more often, and more drop coverages in the pick and roll. Perhaps Rivers will opt to stick with what worked last year -- the Sixers still have very good defensive personnel without Simmons -- but I’ll be curious to see if he makes any type of change.