The Philadelphia 76ers have taken a bold approach to rebounding from a disastrous 2023-24 season. After playing 41 games without Paul George and 63 without Joel Embiid, the 76ers are combining the internal progress made in their absence with the hope that they can return to their All-NBA level.
In doing so, the 76ers have embraced a bold approach by relying on an old-school approach to solve their new school problems.
Philadelphia has gone all-in on the backcourt of the future with prolific 24-year-old scorer and playmaker Tyrese Maxey and well-rounded 20-year-old rookie VJ Edgecombe. That’s far from a controversial approach, as Edgecombe looks to play the role of a two-way wing and Maxey is a well-rounded attacking threat.
However, numerous teams have tried to turn the offense over to creative guards in recent years, and a large majority have fallen short of expectations due to the lack of defense.
However, Philadelphia has embraced the need for balance, with a potential defensive asset in Edgecombe working great with Maxey. That has paved the way for experimental lineups to take shape and explore the untapped potential of a unique 76ers side.
With George sidelined, the 76ers have gone with some two-major lineups that mock conventional wisdom and embrace the value of traditional ideology.
76ers prove two high-usage guards and two bigs can succeed
Philadelphia entered the regular season with questions about how the quartet of Dominick Barlow, Adem Bona, Andre Drummond and Jarace Walker would factor into the rotation. All four plan to be able to provide value in the four or five spots, but uncertainty remained about how that might manifest.
So far, the 76ers have had success using all four big men in relatively important roles as they complement and relieve Embiid.
Barlow is a versatile player who fits the modern definition of a 4, allowing him to find early success in a well-rounded role. He scored 13 points, eight rebounds, five assists, five offensive boards and a block in the opener, showing just how dynamic he can be with the ball in his hands.
Equally important is the fact that Barlow’s production reflected a definitive strength of the current quartet: Crashing the offensive glass.
Philadelphia’s four supporting bigs have combined for 16 offensive rebounds in two games. That amounts to six for Barlow and Drummond, three for Walker and one for Bona — the kind of well-rounded second-chance creation that could define the 76ers’ supporting cast.
While Embiid and George battle to overcome injuries, it’s the backup bigs who dominate the glass and allow the backcourt to take risks on offense.
The results were profound. Maxey has 68 points and 15 assists in two games, and Edgecombe has added 49 and 11. Quentin Grimes and Kelly Oubre Jr. In the meantime, they have taken third place into account and are coming from a match in which they achieved 45 points together.
It’s an imperfect system given how drastically it could change once George is healthy and Embiid is no longer under a minutes restriction, but the 76ers are relying on a traditional backcourt and old-school interior combinations to navigate their way through a challenging season.
It may be unorthodox by modern standards, but the 76ers dare to prove that it doesn’t work.
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