Is The Philadelphia 76ers' Starting Lineup The Best In The League?
The 76ers have already improved their rosters with new additions this offseason
After losing to the New York Knicks in the NBA Eastern Conference first round, the Philadelphia 76ers went into the offseason with optimism. With multiple expiring contracts, they took full advantage of the widespread variety of free agents.
Shooting guard Eric Gordon and center Andre Drummond were two major signings but the biggest one took place early Monday morning. After five seasons with the Los Angeles Clippers, it was announced that Paul George signed with Philadelphia on a four-year, $211 million contract.
With the new additions, the 76ers’ projected starting five is as listed: Tyrese Maxey (guard), Gordon (guard), Kelly Oubre (forward), George (forward) and Joel Embiid (center). Although there have been other teams who improved their rosters, this is a lineup that is poised to win at a high level.
Embiid and Maxey were one of the league’s best duos last season. Embiid recorded 34.7 points a game, the third consecutive season logging in an average of 30-plus points. He also recorded 11.0 rebounds, a career-high 5.6 assists, a career-high 1.2 steals, and 1.7 blocks. Maxey proved that he can be a star as he averaged 25.9 points, 3.7 rebounds, 6.2 assists and one steal, all career-highs. Those efforts helped him earn his first All-Star selection while winning the Most Improved Player award.
Even though Gordon is at the age of 35 and past his prime, he can still be a threat from beyond the arc. In the 68 games he played with the Phoenix Suns this year, he completed 37.8% of his 3-point shots, most of them being in catch-and-shoot situations.
As for George, he is still a highly-effective two-way player who proved he can stay healthy. After playing less than 60 games in each of the last two seasons, he played 74 this year, the most since the 2018-19 campaign. He finished this year with averages of 22.6 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.5 steals. He even had one of his best 3-point shooting seasons as he connected on a career-high 41.3% of his 3-point attempts.
It’s too soon to label this 76ers lineup the best one in the NBA but it’s clear they are prepared to compete for a championship.
Cory Nelson is a contributor to Fansided’s Wiz of Awes. He attended Northern Virginia Community College. He can be reached at corymckenzienelson@hotmail.com or follow him on Twitter @CKenzyNelson, Instagram @ckenzynelson, and Threads @ckenzynelson