NBA Playoffs 2020: 5 reasons the Philadelphia 76ers can win it all

1. The 76ers don’t rely on perimeter shooting

Teams that depend on their ability to bomb in 3s could really suffer due to the long layoff. The 76ers are less dependent on shooting from distance than the vast majority of their peers. As such, their offense should find its rhythm sooner than some of their competitors.

Simmons’ disinterest in shooting 3s is almost unheard of from the point guard position. Instead, he thrives on getting downhill in the pick-and-roll. He may need some reps to get his feel back, but it should be relatively easy for him to get back into his groove.

The team’s top two scorers, Embiid and Harris, are also capable of executing their offensive games with minimal perimeter jump shots. Harris does like to get 3s up from the corner, but he’s also fond of working in the mid-range. Embiid should do everything he can to pin defenders underneath the basket once the season starts again.

The 76ers are going to have to make perimeter shots at some point in this year’s playoffs, but they don’t need to make it a staple of their offense in every series. That gives them a big potential advantage over teams that need to bomb 3s to win. This may be the only time in modern NBA history that a team gains an advantage due to a lack of interest in perimeter shooting.