Head Coach: Brett Brown (7th Season)
Record: 39-26 (6th in Eastern Conference)
All-Stars: 2 (Joel Embiid – 3rd, Ben Simmons – 2nd)
Scoring Leaders: Joel Embiid (23.4 PPG), Tobias Harris (19.4 PPG), Ben Simmons (16.7 PPG)
Rebounding Leaders: Embiid (11.8 RPG), Simmons (7.8 RPG), Al Horford (6.9 RPG)
Assists Leaders: Simmons (8.2 APG), Horford (4.1 APG), Harris (3.2 APG)
Offense: 109.6 Points Scored/Game (21st)
Defense: 107.4 Points Allowed/Game (T-5th)
Key Wins: Lakers (108-91, Jan. 25), Raptors (110-104, Dec. 8), Bucks (121-109, Dec. 25), Nuggets (97-92, Dec. 10), Celtics x3 (107-93, Oct. 23; 115-109, Dec. 12; 109-98, Jan. 9), Jazz (103-94, Dec. 2), Heat (113-86, Nov. 23), Clippers (110-103, Feb. 11)
Season Summary: It’s nearly impossible to predict what the Sixers will look like on a given night. What’s clear is that the defense stifles opponents with its sheer size on the court (all five starters are 6’5” or taller) and currently sits with the sixth-highest defensive rating in the league (107.6). Tobias Harris is the team’s second-leading scorer, but hasn’t been as efficient from 3-point range since a trade from the Clippers. The Sixers, ultimately, will go as far as their two superstars can take them. Ben Simmons has been impressive all season long as the league leader in steals (2.1 APG) and fifth in assists (8.2 APG). Joel Embiid, in his 4th full season, is widely regarded as a top-10 player in the league. The 76ers certainly benefit from the extra time before starting the playoffs, as it allowed Simmons to return to full health from a back injury that was expected to cause him to miss the playoffs.
A major downside to an off-site return for the Sixers is the lack of a home-court advantage. At 29-2 in Philadelphia this season, the Sixers have the best home record in the league. In Wells Fargo Arena over the course of the year, the Sixers have given up only 102.5 points on average, but in opposing arenas, they’ve allowed 111.8 points. On the other hand, the hiatus might prove beneficial for rejuvenating veteran Al Horford, whose 12.0 PPG average is his lowest total since his sophomore season. Philadelphia has a pretty strong hold on the No. 6 seed, but could realistically move up to No. 4 with a strong showing in Orlando.
Memorable Moment: On Christmas Day, the Sixers went on the road and came up with a 121-109 statement win against the Milwaukee Bucks on national television. The Sixers’ defense, especially with Embiid protecting the paint, bottled up reigning league MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, who scored only 18 points on 27 shot attempts. The Sixers shot well the entire game, tying a franchise-record of 21 three-pointers made in a game. Embiid (23 PTS in the first half), Simmons, and Horford all finished with double-doubles.
Player To Watch: Furkan Korkmaz – The Sixers lost a monumental safety valve this offseason when veteran sharpshooter JJ Redick signed with the New Orleans Pelicans. Redick’s ability to sprint off screens and open the floor for extra spacing is unmatched. The Turkish Korkmaz isn’t nearly the shooter Redick is, but he’s still a worthy deep threat (.397 3P%) and provides more length and switchability on the defensive end. In the month of February, Korkmaz was able to come off the bench and put up secondary scoring with 14.4 PPG in 11 games. In two of those games (Feb. 7 vs. Grizzlies & Feb. 9 vs. Bulls), Korkmaz dropped 34 & 31 PTS, respectively, on 13-for-20 shooting from three. If Korkmaz can continue to effectively stretch the floor, opponents will have to make tough decisions on when to help off-ball with Embiid and Simmons slashing into the paint.
