Philadelphia 76ers – Defense & Rebounding

We all know the famous saying, “Defense wins championships.” As much as the NBA has shifted its focus to more of an offensive game, this still holds true in some sense.

The Raptors last year were one of the strongest defensive teams in the league, and their defense got tested running into some very strong offensive opponents.

This year, the 76ers may have the best defensive personnel in the league. Despite the Milwaukee Bucks proving to be the most dominant defensive unit, Philadelphia showcased a lot of length, and versatility on the defensive end.

Joel Embiid is the best defensive big man in the league aside from back-to-back defensive player of the year, Rudy Gobert, and in my humble opinion, Ben Simmons is the best on-ball defender in the league.

Standing at roughly 6’5″, Josh Richardson is the smallest player in their starting five. Making this team very versatile, and very strong on the glass.

Then, Al Horford, who could be considered a top-five defensive center himself, and a very capable power forward on the defensive end.

The team still lacks a go-to ball handler in crucial moments, and a shot maker, the role which Jimmy Butler played phenomenally for them in the playoffs last year.

Philadelphia sits in the bottom half in the NBA in points, but are top six in points against.

This team definitely won’t outscore the majority of opponents, but if they can lock in defensively, and limit second-chance opportunities for other teams, while providing more for themselves, the 76ers could very well see themselves as the East representative in the Orlando finals.