The Sixers may have finally found the key to a deep playoff run

The Sixers have come a long way since their postseason heartbreak last season, but have they finally found the key to right previous wrongs?

When a championship team is pictured in one's mind, all that seems to be considered is the superstars who are accounted for 20+ points per game and taking over in key moments. This is no doubt they're important (and probably the most important factor) but it is also essential to surround these franchise pieces with the right supporting cast - an area the Sixers have worked tirelessly to improve this offseason.

As Doc Rivers put it after the recent Pacers game, "There are going to be nights where our bench is going to win us games." This was put on full display in the recent preseason matchup as the Sixers bench poured in an impressive 67 points in the victory. While this was a preseason game and the minute splits favored these bench guys getting extra time, the ability that his been flashed speaks volumes for the potential of the team.

A look at the Sixers Starters

Outside of Joel Embiid undoubtedly sliding in for Dwight Howard, these seem to be the starters that are penciled in for the time being. The biggest takeaway for this is that Embiid and Simmons are finally being treated like the stars they are. Danny Green and Seth Curry are dedicated to creating space for them to work and play their respected play styles and Tobias Harris is continuing to play his necessary (yet extremely overpaid) role of spreading the floor and serving as a complementary scoring option.

The process is nearly complete

Let's start with the big fella. At the end of the day, the potential of this Sixers team depends on how far Embiid is able to take them. While concerns regarding his injuries and fitness are valid, when he is on the court he is every bit the star Philly faithful could hope for and he was ranked 10th in the Sports Illustrated top 100 NBA players as a representation of this.

The closest this Sixers team has come to winning a championship is still the 2018-19 team who were knocked out by a heartbreaking shot from Kawhi Leonard on the way to the Raptors' eventual title. In this series, Embiid ranked second in the team in minutes per game- only behind Jimmy Butler. However, it was a complete necessity for Embiid to play this sum of minutes due to the massive dropoff when he was not on the court.

In the minutes Joel sat on the bench, the Sixers were completely dominated. Greg Monroe and Boban Marjanovic served as the backup big men. In games 1 and 2 against the Raptors, Boban played just under 12 minutes and the Sixers were outscored by 22 points during his time on the court. In the Sixers losses in games 4 and 5, Greg Monroe registered were outscored by 25 points in just 16 total minutes of play.

Throughout the series, the Sixers outscored the Raptors by 21 points per 100 possessions when Embiid was on the floor and were outscored by the Raptors by 46 points per 100 possessions when Embiid was on the bench. The shot by Kawhi will always be remembered for sinking the team, but the fact of the matter is if there was a competent big man to cut these numbers the Sixers likely wouldn't have been in that position in the first place. The signing of Dwight Howard will play a major role in cutting this difference for the upcoming season, and Tony Bradley is also a much more well-rounded player than either of the big men behind Embiid in the 2018-19 season.

Both of these big men have flashed their appeal early on as Howard scored 14 points in last night's game and has been talked about by just about every member of the Sixers roster for the leadership role he has already played. Dwight has played an extremely important role in the pick-and-roll game as well as gobbling up rebounds and anchoring the team on defense. Tony Bradley is just 22 years old and was a first-round pick in 2017.

Bradley also scored most of his baskets on lobs and putbacks in his time in the NBA so far but also flashes nice shooting potential and there are hopes that this is developed further. His career averages are just 4.9 points and 4.6 rebounds, but his game is still far from a finished product. Regardless, both big men are legitimate backup options for Embiid and more than capable of holding it down on the occasions where Joel is forced to miss a game.

Continued on the page below.

Photo by Kyle Ross/Icon Sportswire

A look at the Sixers on theWings

Shooters, shooters, shooters have been the name of the game when building this area of the team. The biggest competition for minutes seems to be between Matisse Thybulle and Furkan Korkmaz. While Matisse has warmed the hearts of Philly fans in his time with the team so far in his career, he has looked skittish and tentative in his early preseason minutes.

His defensive prowess has still shown face at times, but given the modernization of this Sixers roster, it is essential for each wing to have the ability and willingness to shoot the ball and Matisse has not done anything to prove he can have progressed in this area thus far. In 24 minutes of preseason play, Matisse has scored a total of 1 point on 0-1 from the field.

On the other hand, Furkan Korkmaz has shown great strides in his game in his early preseason debut. "Korky" talked about his emphasis on ball-handling in the offseason and has put this on full display early on. He also has looked improved on the defensive end and his unconscious desire to shoot the rock has not been suppressed.

In the scrimmage against Indiana, Furkan scored 14 points and shot 4 of 6 from behind the 3-point arc. He also has shown a willingness to shoot the open 3 in transition which most would think is a positive given Doc Rivers' emphasis on pace of play.

In addition to these two, the Sixers could also look toward Isaiah Joe, Tony Ferguson, Mike Scott, and Justin Anderson. While he has not caught fire yet, Isaiah Joe shows many similarities to Furkan Korkmaz and has proven to be more than willing to shoot the 3 given the 10.6 three-point attempts he launched last season in college.

Mike Scott also had an extremely impressive game against the Pacers, scoring 12 points on 4-6 from behind the arc and also knocking down a deep shot that was a fraction of a second behind the buzzer and did not count in the first quarter. Scott will likely play a major role in backing up Tobias Harris but could be counted on for a larger role if he continues to produce.

A changing of the guard

This is where the Sixers' biggest asset lies. Led by Shake Milton and Tyrese Maxey, the Sixers will end the season in the discussion for the best bench guards in the league. An early candidate for Sixth man of the year, Shake Milton has shut down any whispers of last season being a fluke in the first two preseason games.

After a 19 point performance where he led all scorers against the Celtics, Shake followed this up with 15 points scored in the most recent game and played with the same confidence and composer that has become the norm. He has shown his ability to score from every level and his smooth jumper will allow him to be a legit scoring option for the Sixers on a nightly basis. While he seems in line to come off the bench in a 6th man role, Shake may even end up competing with Tobias Harris for the 3rd scoring option on this team by the end of the season.

I have fought to temper my hopes and expectations for Tyrese Maxey since the second he was drafted, and Maxey has done little to help with this. Despite sitting for 3 whole quarters before getting tossed in for his NBA debut, Maxey ended the first scrimmage with 8 points and 3 assists in 12 minutes of action.

He followed this up with an 11 point and 5 rebound performance in the most recent scrimmage against the Pacers. Maxey has proven capable of handling primary ball-handling duties despite the limited work in college and possesses a confidence and comfortability that is rare in a player so young. His jumper has not been put on full display yet, but Maxey has flashed an impressive first-step and a unique finishing ability around the rim.

Both of these players possess unique skillsets and are likely to greatly outplay the draft slots in which they attained them. Shake and Maxey are both capable of handling the ball and serving as a playmaker, but they also can create their own shots in a way that is not seen by many players on the Sixers roster in years past. At 24 and 20 years old, this young duo puts the Sixers in extremely good hands. Despite their youth, both will play an extremely important role in providing a scoring boost off the bench this season.

From top to bottom, the Sixers have greatly improved their roster since last year. The depth at key positions will make a significant difference as this team heads toward its playoff run. While many have shown concern for fan-favorites such as Matisse Thybulle and Justin Anderson seeing their playing time cut, the fact of the matter is this is a great problem to have. There has been a ton of attention brought to the complimentary starters that have been brought in, but the added talent to the bench may end up paying even greater dividends for this team.

Photo by Kyle Ross/Icon Sportswire