The Potential Impact of More Pick & Rolls in the 76ers’ Offense
With the recent hire of Doc Rivers, Philadelphia fans are cautiously optimistic about the immediate future of the 76ers.
One of the reasons for optimism is the potential that Rivers can successfully implement an offensive identity for the team.
Many fans would agree that has been lacking over the last seven years under Brett Brown. There are a lot of changes that will be coming offensively, but the biggest one could be increased use of the pick & roll, which is good news for the Sixers.
2019-2020 Regular Season Pick & Roll Statistics
According to NBA Advanced Stats, the 76ers were ranked 29th in pick & roll frequency last season at just 13.2%. Only the Houston Rockets finished with less frequent use of the pick & roll. Seeing how little the Sixers used the play, one would assume it to be unsuccessful for the team. However, last season Philadelphia finished 12th in score frequency on the play, at 41.1%.
Looking at the way the Clippers played under Doc Rivers last season, the pick & roll rate was exceptionally higher than Philadelphia’s. The Clippers ran the play 22.6% of their possessions, which ranked as the fourth-highest rate in the league. Looking at the scoring frequency off the play for the Clippers, they ranked 7th at 42.6%.
As you can see, Rivers’ offensive philosophy includes a decent amount of pick & roll action. It has to be kept in mind that the Clippers two best players were wing players who handled the ball a lot and their bigs are clearly not as dynamic as Joel Embiid. Noting the difference in roster construction, I think it’s fair to expect more ball-handlers that can successfully run pick & roll with Embiid, Simmons, and Horford (if he’s still on the roster) to be added to the team.
Players Who Will Benefit Most from Increased Pick & Roll Action
Furkan Korkmaz
Korkmaz is clearly one of the best shooters on a roster that lacks adequate shooting for its two-star players. Looking into how he scored his points last season, 87.2% of his field goals made came off of an assist.
Running the pick & roll, especially with Ben Simmons as a ball-handler, would allow Korkmaz to sit in the corner or float around the perimeter and wait for a kick out. Increasing the number of open threes Furkan Korkmaz gets will just be one benefit of the increased pick & rolls.
Tobias Harris
One of the reasons for Harris’ success in LA with Doc Rivers, was his ability to handle the ball in the pick & roll. He was a threat to not only shoot the ball if the defender went under the screen, but also drive strong to the rim. Using pick & rolls to find open looks for Harris should eliminate a lot of the inefficient in-between game we’ve seen from him.
Photo: Ky Carlin/USA Today Sports
Ben Simmons
Ben Simmons is one of the most efficient players in the league when put in certain situations.
Last year, Simmons had a usage rate of 20.6%, the lowest of his first three seasons with the Sixers. Seeing how he can be a ball-handler and a roller in the pick & roll, expect his usage rate to increase in the upcoming season.
Hopefully, along with that comes even higher assist numbers and offensive efficiency for the All-Star.
“I don’t get lost in what positions guys play, I look at how many points we score as a team. I don’t care how we score. My teams have always been very good offensively, in the top five overall, and we score points.”
Doc Rivers has already discussed the importance of having a variety of ways to score.
The pick & roll will surely be a part of that and it will clearly be of great benefit for individual players and the team’s overall success offensively.
Featured Image: Ky Carlin/USA Today Sports
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Categorized:Sixers