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The Philadelphia 76ers have been in the conversation of teams to contend for a championship for the past few years. Their title odds skyrocketed at the trade deadline when Daryl Morey pulled off a deal to acquire James Harden in exchange for a package centered around Ben Simmons.
As expected, the addition of Harden has done wonders for the Sixers' lineup. His playmaking continues to elevate role players like Matisse Thybulle and Georges Niang, while his scoring punch provides a legitimate second option alongside MVP frontrunner Joel Embiid.
Now that the new-look Sixers have played a handful of games, there is a large enough sample to gauge their performance. While there have been some highs, it's clear this group is still a work in progress as they prep for the postseason. Recently, Philadelphia has started to evoke a certain Sixers team from a few years back.
During the 2018-19 season, Elton Brand made multiple big splashes in his first year as Sixers GM. The first was trading for a disgruntled Jimmy Butler in the opening weeks of the season, followed by Philadelphia's mega-deal for Tobias Harris at the trade deadline. In its final iteration, many agreed Philly's new starting five—consisting of Simmons, JJ Redick, Butler, Harris and Embiid—had a case as the best in basketball.
Like that team, the current Sixers also find themselves in a race against time. Gearing up for the playoffs is tough for every team, especially one adjusting to multiple moving parts. Along with being under similar circumstances, both teams have the same glaring weak point.
So much attention has been paid to the Sixers' starters meshing that the bench's lack of production has gone largely overlooked. Given how their last two games have played out, the lack of punch provided by Philly's reserves is becoming a developing story.
The Sixers' second unit coughed up big early leads against the Denver Nuggets and Cleveland Cavaliers, allowing both teams to get back in the game—and Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets to steal a road win late.
Philly finally had an answer to surviving non-Embiid minutes with Andre Drummond, but had to surrender the former All-Star in the deal to acquire Harden. We've seen in the past what a massive difference playing without Embiid, even for just several-minute stretches, can make for the Sixers.
Everyone remembers his absurd plus-minus numbers in the 2019 Eastern Conference Semifinals against the eventual-champion Toronto Raptors, especially in Game 7. DeAndre Jordan will hopefully prove a more competent backup center than Greg Monroe did back then, but the issue still remains.
The Sixers have realistic title aspirations despite acquiring Harden so late in the year. Embiid is one of the top-five players in the league right now, and they like their chances with him leading the charge. That being said, this all too familiar Achillies heel should be a cause for concern.
While Philadelphia's stars will certainly play more minutes in the playoffs, consistent production from the second unit is going to be necessary, especially against other top teams in the conference like the Milwaukee Bucks, Miami Heat and Brooklyn Nets.
The 2018-19 Sixers are viewed a big what-if in team history, and this group will surely do everything that can to not suffer a similar fate.
