9. Philadelphia 76ers

Notable Additions: Zhaire Smith, Wilson Chandler, Mike Muscala

Notable Subtractions: Marco Belinelli, Richaun Holmes, Ersan Ilyasova, Bryan Colangelo

Almost two months since Colangelo’s firing, the 76ers still have no official general manager on their payroll. However, Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons, and Markelle Fultz make this team interesting. Embiid is arguably a top 10 player in the league. However, it is still questionable if he can play more than 65 games in a season. Simmons can do just about anything except score outside of 3 feet. Fultz flashed potential as a ball-handler, passer, and defender, but he only played 17 games including the playoffs.

Besides health, perimeter shooting is their biggest question mark. Embiid is easily the best shooter of the bunch with a poor 30.8% from deep. In the previous season, he shot a decent 36.7% on .2 fewer attempts per game but is just 32.7% overall for his career and 27.6% in the playoffs. Simmons and Fultz went a combined 0/13 from 3 last season including the playoffs. In a sport where spacing is vital, it is tough for Philly to be successful with all three on the court at once barring significant improvement.

Considering the 76ers did little to improve their roster by mostly standing pat, this season hinges on the development of their youngsters. If they do not take significant leaps, defenses might figure them out. In the playoffs, the Celtics shrunk their defense by sagging off Simmons closing off driving lanes and double-teaming Embiid.

In summary, Philly’s defense should continue to be great, but their ceiling hinges on the perimeter shooting and health of their high draft picks.

Next Up: Team 8