2. Philadelphia 76ers
The Philadelphia 76ers have one of the weirdest lineups in the NBA, but it should also be one of the best lineups in the NBA. They lost Jimmy Butler, but they added Al Horford and Josh Richardson – two outstanding players.
This means their five-man lineup could be Ben Simmons, Josh Richardson, Tobias Harris, Al Horford and Joel Embiid. Yes, that lineup would have more length than the Monstars from Space Jam.
Simmons is 6-foot-10, Richardson is 6-foot-6 (with a 6-foot-10 wingspan), Harris is 6-foot-9, Horford is 6-foot-10 and Embiid is a 7-footer.
I have no idea how anyone is going to score on the Sixers. They have the potential to be one of the best defensive teams of this century.
Offensively, spacing could be an issue. If teams don’t have to guard Simmons until he steps foot in the paint, he might be unplayable down the stretch in big games. Hopefully, his jumper progresses a little this summer.
Even if Simmons remains a non-shooter in the 2019-2020 season, the Sixers will be one of the toughest teams in the league to match up with. They’ll be a nightmare for opponents.