Three Questions Going into the Sixers’ 2019 Preseason
The 2019 Sixers Media Day reminded fans that NBA action is right around the corner, the first of which being the Sixers’ preseason opener on October 11th against the Charlotte Hornets.
The important date fans probably have in the back of their mind is the October 23rd Home Opener vs. the Celtics, but the upcoming preseason slate (Hornets, Magic, Pistons, Wizards) will still serve as a good microcosm of what to expect come Opening Night. Particularly, with a drastically different roster than that of the team which nearly found itself just a series and change away from a berth in the 2019 NBA Finals, these four games will reveal a lot about this team.
Who Emerges As a Potentially Key Contributor Off the Bench?
This question must be prefaced with the fact that the team and fans alike already know what they have in Mike Scott. At this point, his “3 and D” prowess is a given. What’s not so certain at the moment is the source(s) of the other necessary impactful minutes via the 2nd unit. At times, James Ennis showed his ability to put the ball in the basket at much-needed times, but the reality is the Sixers will need much more than Mike Scott and James Ennis if they truly want to achieve their Finals aspirations. This preseason will be a stage for youthful (Zhaire Smith, Matisse Thybulle, and Jonah Bolden) and veteran (Kyle O’Quinn, Trey Burke, and Raul Neto) presences alike to put in a good audition for Brett Brown and his staff.
How Will Brett Brown Stagger the Starting 5’s Minutes?
The additions of Josh Richardson and Al Horford will work wonders for this season’s squad. Two extremely versatile players, both Richardson and Horford will be vitally complementary to whichever primary scoring option(s) (Embiid, Harris, and ideally Simmons) they play alongside between the first and final substitutions of the game.
It’s expected that Horford specifically will serve the crucial role of rim-protection when Embiid is off the court. More importantly, Richardson and Horford are more than capable of knocking down a shot when called upon.
Last season it was evident that the Sixers had a tendency to play with their heads just barely above water and try to claw their way out of untimely sputters on the offensive end when their full starting 5 wasn’t in the game. Now, with the current pieces in place, Brett Brown has the talent to be creative enough to hopefully avoid such issues altogether.
What Will the Shot Distribution Look Like?
Of course, the implicit headline is how effective/efficient Ben Simmons will be with his anticipated implementation of a jump shot, but the more significant question is who else will be generating the shooting?
In a perfect world, Joel Embiid is not a culprit of field-goal attempts near the perimeter, while Tobias Harris, Josh Richardson (and hopefully Ben Simmons) assume such roles. Career 36.4% and 36.8% shooters beyond the arc, Harris and Richardson will help make the Sixers a formidable opponent for any lineup via the East or West.
The current questions surrounding this team revolve around shooting, and this preseason will be a preview of the Sixers’ answers to such questions.
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