Fansided

5 reasons the Philadelphia 76ers can win the 2021 NBA championship

By Kristen Wong

PHILADELPHIA, PA - MAY 05: Ben Simmons #25, Joel Embiid #21, and Tobias Harris #33 of the Philadelphia 76ers react against the Toronto Raptors in Game Four of the Eastern Conference Semifinals at the Wells Fargo Center on May 5, 2019 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Raptors defeated the 76ers 101-96. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - MAY 05: Ben Simmons #25, Joel Embiid #21, and Tobias Harris #33 of the Philadelphia 76ers react against the Toronto Raptors in Game Four of the Eastern Conference Semifinals at the Wells Fargo Center on May 5, 2019 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Raptors defeated the 76ers 101-96. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /
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Seth Curry
Seth Curry, Philadelphia 76ers. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /

3. Philadelphia has improved their 3-point shooting

You might be more familiar with his brother on the other coast, but don’t sleep on Seth Curry. Curry’s long-range impact on the Sixers squad has been felt ever since he came to the City of Brotherly Love.

In the Sixers’ most commonly used lineup this season, which averages 20.7 minutes played in 30 games, Green, Harris, Embiid, Simmons, and Curry all take the floor, and the Sixers’ 3-point shooting shot up to 43.1 percent. Taking their next most-used lineup at 18.7 minutes without Curry, their 3-point shooting drops more than 10 percentage points to 31.8. Whenever the Sixers’ 3-point percentages drop, it’s almost always because Curry isn’t playing, and that’s what you call impact.

This season, Curry has shot 44.3 percent from beyond the arc, but he’s proven he can be so much better than that too. In the first eight games of the season in which Curry played with a fully healthy Sixers roster, he recorded a ridiculous 59.5 3-point shooting percentage. If Curry can somehow bring that kind of explosive firepower to the playoffs, teams won’t know what to do with themselves, caught between guarding big man Embiid in the paint or covering Curry from deep. Curry will be give Philadelphia a key scoring option that could make or break the Sixers’ title chase.