Philadelphia 76ers Starting Lineup 2019-20 76ers Starting Lineup

Preseason Analysis: Philly Looking to Take the East

Trust the process they said, and those who did were rewarded. Philadelphia is now one of the up and coming young NBA teams, and are in line for a very bright future. This offseason was more about adding a few pieces for depth, and guys like J.J. Redick returned, but Mike Muscala and Wilson Chandler are underrated pieces for their bench. Redick was on a one year deal last season, and is returning. Redick adds three point shooting to a team that needs it, but his veteran presence also helps. While Ben Simmons doesn’t necessarily have a point guard build, and we mean that in a way where he is oversized, he is the point guard on this team.

Simmons was the dominant ball-handler last season, and was a triple-double threat on a nightly basis. Simmons needs to work on his shooting from the mid-range and outside, if he does that then we are looking at a potential replacement for LeBron over the next 15 seasons. With Simmons playing point guard this makes Markelle Fultz’s role a tough one to predict. He will definitely play off the bench, but his overall play is still in question. T.J. McConnell is also deserving of some minutes, but the logjam roster at point guard is no guarantee. Robert Covington signed an extension in the middle of the season, but had a short leash in the second half at times. With Wilson Chandler now in the picture he is going to have some company if he is not hitting shots. Dario Saric has been an underrated asset for Philly, and his usage picks up when Joel Embiid gets some rest. Saric is someone who can play the three, four, and the five which gives Philly an advantage for when they want to matchup with other teams. With Ersan Ilyasova in Milwaukee, Muscula is hoping to fill that role. Of course Embiid needs to be mentioned. He has a dominant usage, and is a top five player in the Eastern Conference.