The Philadelphia 76ers are finding their form as they get healthy and learn their roles. Joel Embiid and Paul George, both hitting their stride in their own right, have taken necessary backseats to Tyrese Maxey and are allowing VJ Edgecombe to blossom as he continues to learn the grind of the NBA season. And they have more reinforcements on the way.
With recent reports that Kelly Oubre and Trendon Watford have been upgraded to questionable for Wednesday's game against the Washington Wizards, the Sixers' rotation is going to look different as they get reintegrated. Here is how Nick Nurse should structure his lineups when he gets two of his better role players back on the floor:
Starters: Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe, Paul George, Dominick Barlow, Joel Embiid
If it ain't broke, don't fix it. All talented teams need time to gel. As Joel Embiid and Paul George have both gotten their legs back underneath them, the starting lineup has taken off. The health of their two highest-paid players and the pressure it takes off of Tyrese Maxey cannot be overstated.
What the Sixers have in VJ Edgecombe and Dominick Barlow ties it all together. From day one, Edgecombe has been a great complement to Tyrese Maxey in the offensive backcourt while being unafraid to guard the other team's best ball-handlers. His ascendance to stardom less than halfway through his rookie season changed the entire trajectory of the Sixers' present and immediate future.
The Sixers struck gold with Barlow when they signed him to a two-way deal. He is the ultimate dirty work player who does not step beyond his role. As Joel Embiid begins to play further away from the basket, having Barlow as a second big-man alongside him can clean up a lot of what Embiid's waning athleticism is leaving behind on both ends of the floor.
Bench: Quentin Grimes, Kelly Oubre, Trendon Watford, Jared McCain, Andre Drummond, Adem Bona/Jabari Walker
Kelly Oubre and Trendon Watford's returns should drastically help this bench unit and allow the entire team to take its shape. Watford is the best playmaker on the bench so he can take the ball out of Grimes' and McCain's hands and run the offense more efficiently.
Kelly Oubre will take some of the offensive load off of Grimes. Both are effective scorers on and off the ball, so there should at the very least be more structure and flow from the bench. Jared McCain has been struggling lately, but he is still the best shooter and release valve on the reserves. The Sixers are working through the duality of not being able to afford him the time to work through his mistakes while also not being able to afford taking him out of the rotation altogether.
Andre Drummond has been solid in his role for the Sixers all year whether he is starting or coming off the bench. Adem Bona and Jabari Walker can be used in "specialist" roles. If the team needs a jolt of energy and force, they can turn to Bona. If they need some floor spacing and reliable shooting, it can be Walker's night.
Starters: Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe, Kelly Oubre, Paul George, Andre Drummond
When Joel Embiid is out of the lineup, Andre Drummond should be the starting center. Where things change elsewhere is at the four spot. Dominick Barlow is not a good fit next to Drummond, and Drummond's rebounding and space-eating skillset is more important with the starters sans Embiid. Neither guy, individually or collectively, can be counted on to make up Embiid's scoring output, so to combat that while also maintaining necessary spacing, Kelly Oubre should be the one slotting into the starting lineup.
The Sixers will be sacrificing rim protection with this lineup, but that is something they have been learning to play consistently without for almost two years now. Bolstering the perimeter defense and putting the best scoring combination on the floor is the best course of action when Embiid is on the bench.
Bench: Quentin Grimes, Trendon Watford, Dominick Barlow, Jared McCain, Adem Bona/Jabari Walker
The bench unit is a lot clunkier with Oubre moving to the starting lineup and Barlow joining the reserves, but Watford's return is again what connects all the pieces together. Watford is the most physical wing of the group and should have the ball in his hands more often than not. His ability to work top-down from the perimeter will create shooting opportunities for Grimes and McCain.
Dominick Barlow's role with the bench unit does not change much from what he does with the starters; his skillset is just more useful off the bench when Drummond starts. He will make timely cuts when the defense inevitably forgets about him, and he will crash hard to the rim for rebounding opportunities. Jabari Walker is a more natural fit on the offensive end for this group, given his shooting ability, but Bona is the more natural fit on defense, given his athleticism. Whatever the game calls for is who should get the minutes.
