The Philadelphia 76ers, Joel Embiid, and Tobias Harris took their home floor Thursday night, intending to settle the score with the Toronto Raptors. Things did not go their way when these teams met on Monday, and the Sixers made sure not to suffer a similar fate in front of their fans.
In the end, the Sixers walked away with a victory and in a rather dominant fashion. There is a lot to take away from the 125-113 win, but one thing stood out above the rest.
Part of what led to a night and day performance for the Sixers on Thursday was some major additions to the lineup. After not suiting up on Monday, both Joel Embiid and Tobias Harris made their preseason debuts in the second meeting against the Raptors. Their return not only boosted the starting lineup but the second unit as well.
Having Tobias Harris and Embiid back allowed Doc Rivers to run his usual lineups and rotations. Meaning Andre Drummond and Georges Niang were used off the bench, how they will be most commonly used during the season. Throughout training camp, Rivers praised the second unit for how well they play together, and Thursday's matchup was a testament to that.
On both sides of the floor, the second unit played seamlessly alongside one another. Despite having two new parts to integrate, the bench lineup looked like they'd have been together for years.
Two of the biggest standouts off the bench were Tyrese Maxey (14 points, five assists) and Georges Niang (16 points, 4-7 3P). Isaiah Joe also kept up his strong play from the preseason opener, racking up 15 points and connecting on three of his four attempts from deep.
The additions of Drummond and Niang are already paying dividends for the Sixers' bench unit. What they bring to the table has added new elements to the way that lineup can play offensively. Niang's deadeye shooting has helped with spacing, and Drummond's sneaky-good passing ability takes facilitating pressure off the backcourt. It is still very early, but there is a lot to like about how the bench unit has blended thus far.
As we all know, the Sixers are preparing themselves to take on the regular season without the services of Ben Simmons. Replacing what he brings on a nightly basis will be tough, and is going to take a collective effort from the entire team. That said, if the second unit can build on a good training camp and preseason, it can help fill the hole left by the three-time All-Star.
Four of the Sixers' eight players in double figures Thursday came off the bench. It is ludicrous to think that can happen on a nightly basis, but anything close is a step in the right direction. Rivers played a deep rotation all season, so they are certainly going to get the chance.
Sixers
Increased production from the bench not only helps replace what is lost from Simmons but also lessens the burden on Joel Embiid. Getting him into the playoffs healthy is still the primary goal for this team. They do not want to risk taxing him more in the regular season due to Simmons' absence.
There are still some lineup decisions Rivers has to work through, but he should be more than pleased with how the second unit has grown in such a short time.
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