When handing the Philadelphia 76ers their 19th loss of the seasonthe Phoenix Suns only expected to come out with a clear, good win. Little did they know, they actually managed to provide a much-needed wake-up call to push their opponents to do the obvious thing on the trade market.
With the trade deadline approaching in a few weeks, the 76ers’ front office just got a stark reminder that they to have to upgrade the sofa. The Suns bench beat Philly’s second unit badly with a 58 to 28 scoring advantage, which was essentially what won Phoenix the game. This is probably the most vivid signal that improving the bank is absolutely necessary.
If the 76ers are dead serious about competing for a championship this season — or at least making a deep playoff run to be more grounded in reality — the front office can’t leave this meager bench intact. Rotation upgrades need to be made so they don’t run the risk of leaving the playoffs early or even missing out on them again.
The 76ers need to trade for another bench scorer or two before the deadline
Bench scoring has been this team’s Achilles heel for quite some time. This season they have the fifth lowest scoring bench in the league, with just a hair above 30 markers per game. That’s simply not a sustainable way to build a roster that aims to win something meaningful.
Part of their struggles off the bench stem from the sudden dip in production from Quentin Grimes, who had a good start to the campaign. Another major factor is the putrid play of second-year guard Jared McCain, who has yet to regain his mojo after missing nearly an entire calendar year due to injuries and is currently being mothballed by the coaching staff.
With the bench’s expected catalysts not up to par, the front office can’t simply gloss over the glaring need to send more help to the second unit. The 76ers already have one of the most lethal starting fives in the NBA when healthy, but having a weak bench only weakens their potential as a collective.
Strengthening their bench will also allow the 76ers coaching staff to spread the wealth a bit more when it comes to minutes, which will help prevent injuries as the season transitions into the second half.
The trade market is literally teeming with options right now to help this woeful 76ers bench. It’s high time the front office stops thinking about it too much and takes action to improve the second unit before they can no longer do so.
And for that, the Suns may have just given the 76ers a much-needed wake-up call.
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