The Philadelphia 76ers are steamrolling toward the playoffs sitting atop of the Eastern Conference standings at 32-14. There are 26 games to go until the playoffs begin on May 22, and some issues remain to iron out.
Coach Doc Rivers has to get everybody on the same page as the team has gone through a lot of injuries and the league’s health and safety protocols while also being a relatively new team.
The Sixers’ bench has been up and down throughout this season, and, over these final weeks, Rivers will have to figure out who to turn to in the playoffs.
“We pretty much have a vision right now of what we think our bench will look like, but it is a competition,” Rivers explained. “It’s a competition till the end of the season and it should be.”
That is what comes with being a pretty good team. That means there are a lot of talented players on the roster and guys have to fight to earn any minutes that are available.
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“If you want to be on a good team, you have to understand there’s multiple guys at your position and every minute is earned,” Rivers added. “I think our guys get that. They get it every night when they get taken out of the game, and someone else comes in, there’s someone behind you on this team. That’s a good thing. It always has been.”
The Sixers also made a move at the deadline to bolster their bench with the addition of George Hill. He is a proven guy who will bring a different look at the point guard as a two-way player.
“He’s always been a two-way player and you can’t have enough of them,” said Rivers. “This is not football, where you get to sit on defense, you got to play defense, or the other way. The more two-way players we have, the better.”
One thing for sure, Hill will be in Philadelphia’s playoff rotation due to the experience he has in the playoffs. He knows all about adjustments and everything that comes with being a veteran in this league and the challenges of the playoffs.
“George has shown that he can switch one and twos, and be very comfortable with it,” Rivers finished. “Eventually in the playoffs after Game 1, they know what you’re running; you know what they’re running. It’s going to come down to making the play after the play, and it’s going to come down defensively to not being the guy that they’re trying to attack.”
This post originally appeared on Sixers Wire! Follow us on Facebook!
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