Happy New Year and Happy New Decade! With 2019 coming to a conclusion, not only do we have an opportunity to reflect on an entire year of Sixers basketball, but we also can reflect on an entire decade.
The 2010s were no doubt a tumultuous time for the Philadelphia 76ers and their fans. We experienced The Process, the emergence of new stars for the city, the departure of beloved players, and of course, the heartbreak of *almost* experiencing playoff success. There were a lot of really good players and a lot of really bad players. With that said, here’s my “All-Decade Sixers Team”.
Point Guard: Ben Simmons
Love him or hate him, this one should come as no surprise. Since being drafted by the 76ers with the number one overall pick in 2016, Ben Simmons has established himself as one of the top PGs in franchise history. Through just over 190 games Simmons is averaging 16.0 points, 8.0 assists, 6.3 rebounds, 1.7 steals, and 0.8 blocks per game. He’s also shooting over 55% from the field with an eFG that ranks as one of the best all-time for a guard.
After sitting out his first year due to a foot injury, Simmons made his official NBA debut in 2017 as he went on to win Rookie of the Year. The following season Simmons continued to impress, as he was selected to his first career All-Star game.
While Simmons irks fans due to his lack of shooting ability, his production has been borderline historic in his first few seasons. Simmons recorded the third most triple-doubles of any NBA player in history before the age of 23, joining the likes of all-time greats Magic Johnson and Oscar Robertson.
In 2020 Simmons looks to continue to add to his ever-expanding resume, as he’s making a legit DPOY case for himself with his league-best 2.2 steals per game. Despite fan’s endless calls to trade him for a bag of rocks, Simmons is without a doubt the team’s best PG of the 2010s.
Shooting Guard: Jrue Holiday
Jrue Holiday was “Ben Simmons” before Ben Simmons was even in College. Prior to “The Process” truly taking form, the Sixers had a few seasons where they were absolutely carried by Holiday. Drafted heading into the 2009 season at the age of 19, Holiday instantly began contributing to the 76ers, with many fans expecting him to be the future of the team for quite some time.
Through four seasons in Philly, Holiday averaged 13.4 points, 5.8 assists, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.4 steals with his best seasons coming post-2010. Holiday made the playoffs with the Sixers in both of his first two seasons, helping contribute to the team winning a playoff series against the Chicago Bulls in 2012.
Holiday made his first (and only) NBA All-Star game during the 2012-2013 season, at the time becoming the team’s youngest All-Star in franchise history (22).
Holiday was ultimately traded following his All-Star season as the 76ers embraced the art of tanking. Jrue landed in New Orleans where he remained incredibly effective for the remainder of the decade, averaging just over 17 points per game with the Pelicans through 6+ seasons.
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Small Forward: Andre Iguodala
Andre Iguodala aka “Iggy” is a Sixers legend. However, his time in Philly during the 2010s was actually a brief one. He played on the Sixers for just two seasons (2010-2012) before being shipped away to Denver in that mess of an Andrew Bynum trade that we all love so dearly.
Despite playing just 129 regular-season games for Philly in the 2010s, his impact was undoubtedly special. He averaged just over 12 points per game while helping lead the Sixers (with Holiday) to two consecutive playoff appearances. Iggy also was selected to the All-Star game in the 2011-2012 season and was awarded a spot on the All-Defensive 2nd team that year.
Iggy’s main inclusion on this list actually extends past his time in Philadelphia. Iguodala spent six seasons with Golden State between 2013 and 2019 where he won three NBA rings, one Finals MVP (2015), while also seeing his playoff log for the decade rise to 125 games. Iggy’s role as a 3x world champion made him a must include in our starting five.
Power Forward: Tobias Harris
This position was easily the most difficult decision I had to make. Longtime Sixer Thaddeus Young wins in terms of tenure with the team whereas Tobias Harris wins in terms of production. Ultimately I went with Tobi simply out of the notion that if I’m building the best team with players the Sixers had during the 2010s, he should probably be on the list.
As I’m writing this, Harris has played just 63 games as a 76er. Despite that seeming like not quite nearly enough to label him as one of the franchise’s “best players of the decade”, the numbers speak for themselves. Since arriving in Philly, Harris has averaged 18.9 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 3 assists per game, all while shooting over 47% from the field.
Harris was part of an uber “win now” trade package last offseason which for the most part was relatively successful. Tobi averaged 15.5 points per game during that entire postseason run as he and the Sixers took the would-be NBA champs all the way to the final shot of Game 7.
Similar to Iguodala, Harris also had huge success last decade outside of Philly. In the seven and a half seasons before becoming a 76er, Harris consistently averaged over 15 points per game. He was also a staple of durability, playing in all 82 regular season games twice in his career (2016-2017, 2018-2019).
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Center: Joel Embiid
Was there ever any doubt? The self-designated leader of The Process, the “crown jewel” of the offense, or how about just the best center in all of basketball. Joel Embiid is not only the Sixers best player of the decade, but he’s also one of the NBA’s best players of the decade.
Through just 187 games dating back to the 2016-2017 season, Embiid has made an impact on the Sixers organization unlike anything we’ve ever seen. From the moment he was drafted fans could tell there was something different about him. He had a certain level of charisma and star power to him, a special “x-factor” which got fans excited. Across 4 seasons, the big man from Cameroon has averaged 24.2 points, 11.6 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 1.9 blocks per game.
Embiid has been selected to two consecutive All-Star games the last two seasons, and is well on his way to his third (currently in 2nd place among all Eastern Conference vote-getters). He’s won four Player of the Week awards, three Rookie of the Month’s, and one Player of the Month. He was selected to the All-Rookie 1st Team in 2017, along with the All-Defensive 2nd Team and the All-NBA 2nd Team in both 2018 and 2019.
Embiid has ranked top 5 or top 10 in a whole slew of other statistical categories that would honestly just take too long to write out. However, I think my point is clear. Embiid is currently the best center in the game and was one of the best the second he made his NBA debut. The focal point of our All-Decade squad.
Sixth Man: JJ Redick
In just two seasons with the Sixers, shooting guard JJ Redick made an unforgettable impression. Signed for his elite-level floor spacing and playoff experience, Reick made a noticeable impact on some of the younger talents.
He averaged 17.6 points per game in his two seasons with Philly while shooting over 40% from three. His 433 threes made rank sixth all-time in Sixers’ franchise history, a pretty incredible feat for someone who was only on the team for two years.
Redick was loved by fans, coaches, and players alike. He was cheered in his return to Philadelphia this year and was embraced by Embiid during the pregame shootaround.
Despite Redick only spending two years in a Sixer uniform his inclusion in this list was a no-brainer. The 76ers made the playoffs both years Redick was on the team and he ranks not only as one of the best shooters in Philadelphia history, but as one of the best shooters in NBA history.
Honorable Mentions: Thaddeus Young, Lou Williams, Robert Covington, Dario Saric
Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
