Philadelphia 76ers: 5 things to look for down the stretch

1. Who is the Philadelphia 76ers’ backup center?

As helpful as Dwight Howard has been this season, there are serious concerns over his playoff efficacy in 2021. Howard doesn’t space the floor, isn’t a good free-throw shooter, and protects the rim by taking huge on-court risks. His style was effective with the Los Angeles Lakers last postseason, but just about everyone looks good next to LeBron James. A team built around Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons isn’t as agreeable with non-shooting bigs.

So if Howard can’t play with Embiid for obvious reasons, and can’t share the floor with Simmons because of the spacing issues, then when will he get to play in the playoffs? Given that Embiid and Simmons already have a clunky fit, it’s reasonable that they’ll get staggered so that one is always on the floor. That doesn’t leave much room for Howard.

But if it’s not Howard, who is it? Mike Scott got some run at center during Embiid’s latest absence, but the results weren’t great: the Sixers basically tread water when Scott replaces Embiid, to the tune of plus-0.5 points per 100 possessions (per Basketball-Reference). Philly fans know that non-Embiid minutes could be a lot worse, but it’s still painful to watch Simmons, Harris and three shooters basically break even.

Maybe Anthony Tolliver is the answer. Tolliver is now on his 11th team in 13 seasons after agreeing to a 10-day contract with the Sixers. He’s rarely a positive contributor, hence why he’s never in one place for very long, but he provides basically the same skill set as Scott. It’s very possible to see the two competing for stretch-5 minutes over the next few games.

There’s a few other wild cards that Doc Rivers could pull out too. Simmons gets occasional burn at center, and the right mix of personnel around him could make for a very interesting setup. But there are a few limitations: putting Simmons at the 5 on defense pulls him away from the perimeter, where he’s most valuable, and the Sixers are also lacking in the switchable, defensively proficient wings that would even make it a viable model.

And then there’s Paul Reed, a.k.a. Bball Paul. Originally on a two-way contract after being picked late in the second round, Reed ran rampant over the G League this season, averaging 22.3 points, 11.8 rebounds and 3.7 “stocks” per game en route to the league’s MVP award. His defense was his calling card coming out of DePaul, so for him to also put up gaudy offensive numbers in the pros is icing on the cake. Rivers has made no indication that he’s ready to give Reed a chance, but necessity is the mother of invention, and the Sixers should turn over every stone in their chase for a championship.