The Philadelphia 76ers made a couple of very nice moves in the offseason to acquire the needed toughness and production at both ends of the court to compete in the tough Eastern Conference.
The moves also improved their depth because the Sixers have amassed some of the best talents in the league. Led by stars Joel Embiid and James Harden, the team has a rising star in Tyrese Maxey as well as solid players such as Tobias Harris, PJ Tucker, Danuel House Jr. and others.
Heading into the season, Bleacher Report ranked the five deepest rosters in the NBA and the Sixers came in ranked fourth:
Tucker and House were signed using exceptions that only became available thanks to Harden opting out and re-signing on a two-year, $68.6 million contract. They should both help improve a defense that ranked just 12th a season ago, with Tucker almost certainly starting at one of the forward spots while House settles into a rotation role off the bench.
Trading an injured Danny Green in a deal to acquire Melton gives Philly another reliable ball-handler and talented defender who can play next to Harden or Maxey, even if he begins games as the sixth man.
Thybulle, a two-time All-Defensive team member who led the NBA in steal percentage (3.4 percent last season), now gets bumped to the bench after starting 50 games for the Sixers a year ago.
The backup center spot was a problem after trading Andre Drummond away in the Harden deal, yet with Harrell and the continued development of Reed, should be much improved now.
The Sixers have the talent to make a run at a title right now. As they move forward with their aspirations, they need everybody to produce and perform their roles in a big way. They know what they will get out of their stars, but they need the supporting cast to step up and produce when the time calls for it.
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