The Philadelphia 76ers are not the favorites in the Eastern Conference this year. That is not a change from the 2018 playoffs. What is different for the Sixers? The composition of their roster and the frequency with which that roster passes the ball.
Rich Hofmann of The Athletic provided a deep-dive examination into the state of the Sixers as they embark on their latest playoff journey, beginning this Saturday against the Brooklyn Nets.
Hofmann unearthed a dramatic difference in the Sixers' average amount of passes per game since the team's flurry of significant transactions, chiefly the one which brought Tobias Harris to the City of Brotherly Love:
“The Sixers led the NBA in passes per game the past two seasons, according to NBA.com. Since acquiring Tobias Harris, they rank 15th,” Hofmann wrote. “The pass is no longer king. (Jimmy) Butler and Harris have run isolations on 10.6 and 9.3 percent of their respective possessions in Philly, per Second Spectrum. (Robert) Covington and (Dario) Saric were both under 3.2 percent last season.”
Covington and Saric were traded to Minnesota in the Jimmy Butler deal. The reconfiguration of the Sixers has been substantial, not merely cosmetic. It shows up in the changed passing numbers and an increased reliance on the dribble to create offense.
Elton Brand, the general manager of the Sixers, had more to say on this in Hofmann's piece:
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“What happened versus Boston, they limited our shooters,” Brand said. “Now this year we have players that can not only shoot, but can go get to the free throw line, can go create, can go get a timely bucket when you need it.”