How Do the 2020-21 Sixers Compare to the 2017-18 Sixers?
The Philadelphia 76ers have gone through monumental changes nearly every season for several years at this point.
Since Joel Embiid has been a Sixer, he’s been surrounded by many different players with varying skill sets.
To this point, it’s been pretty clear that the 2017-18 and 2018-19 teams were the most dominant and fun to watch. The team that Daryl Morey has built-in this short off-season shows similar traits to that of the 2017-18 Sixers.
How similar are these rosters and how high is the ceiling of this year’s team?
2017-18 Philadelphia 76ers
Photo: Eric Espada/Getty Images
The Philadelphia 76ers finished the 2017-18 season as the third seed in the East, with a record of 52-30. The starting lineup featured Ben Simmons, J.J. Redick, Robert Covington, Dario Saric, and Joel Embiid. This lineup clearly surrounded Simmons and Embiid with effective three-point shooters. Redick made 42% of his threes, Covington hit 37%, and Saric hit 39%. All three of these players also averaged over 5 attempts from distance per game.
This team finished 12th in offensive rating and 4th in defensive rating across the league. For reference, the 2019-20 Sixers finished 13th in offensive rating and 8th in defensive rating.
One more key difference between the 17-18 Sixers and the 19-20 Sixers is pace. Last season, the team finished 19th in pace, while the 17-18 team finished fourth.
2019-20 Philadelphia 76ers
This year’s starting lineup is still to be determined, but in comparing this team with the 17-18 team, similar play styles can provide an educated guess as to who will be starting to begin the year.
If Doc Rivers and Daryl Morey look at the 2017-18 team as a blueprint, a starting lineup of Ben Simmons, Seth Curry, Danny Green, Tobias Harris, and Joel Embiid can be expected.
Last season Seth Curry shot 45% from three on five attempts per game, better than Redick’s 2017-18 season. Danny Green shot just under 37% on five attempts per game, right in line with Robert Covington’s 17-18 season. Tobias Harris shot 37% from distance, a bit under Dario Saric’s 17-18 season production. It is worth noting that under Doc Rivers in the 2018-19 season, Harris shot 43%.
Simply looking at the three-point shooting, this year’s team should be at least as effective as the 2017-18 Sixers team was. It’s been well documented that Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons needed more shooting around them to be effective this upcoming season. Statistically, Simmons and Embiid both had solid seasons last year. Those two are so talented that no matter who you put around them, their per-game stats are going to look good.
Team success has much more to do with the complementary pieces around those two stars. Daryl Morey has brought in proven shooting and winning veterans to complement his two young stars.
The season really is right around the corner, with the first preseason game scheduled for December 15th. The 2017-18 season was arguably the most fun to watch in the Joel Embiid era.
Fans can expect this upcoming season to closely resemble the fast-paced, open floor play style that leads the team to its best record since the 2000-01 season that resulted in an NBA finals appearance.
Featured Image: Eric Espada/Getty Images
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