Philadelphia 76ers built a championship-caliber rotation by prioritizing defense

In Greek mythology, a man by the name of Sisyphus defied the gods by dodging death twice. This didn’t go over well with the father of gods, Zeus, who sentenced Sisyphus to an eternity of rolling a boulder up a hill. Every time Sisyphus approached the mountaintop, the boulder rolled back down, forcing the ill-fated man to renew his cyclical journey. In many ways, the last decade of Philadelphia 76ers basketball has been Sisyphean.

‘The Process’ certainly worked, if you look at it in a vacuum. Through all of their swings and many misses in the NBA Draft, the Sixers finally managed to acquire the franchise stars and adequate role players to develop a winning product. A five-year Playoff drought is mirrored by five consecutive winning seasons, but Philly has yet to make it past the Eastern Conference Semis.

The Philadelphia 76ers ascended to contender status in the 2022 offseason.

Finally, after so many years rolling that boulder up the hill, the Philadelphia 76ers have a 10-man rotation headlined by star power and versatile defenders worthy of competing in the NBA Finals. Statistically speaking, they have the most talented pick-and-roll duo in basketball with superstar center Joel Embiid and Scoring Champion turned playmaking extraordinaire James Harden leading the way.

Philly’s starting five projects to remain the same with third-year guard Tyrese Maxey, All-Defensive selection Mattise Thybulle and fringe All-Star Tobias Harris rounding out the lineup. However, President of Basketball Operations Daryl Morey returned to his roots this offseason by methodically maneuvering the salary cap and making a savvy trade to bring in four new rotation pieces who expertly fit the needs of this team and its superstars.

These offseason additions make the Philadelphia 76ers deeper than ever.

Instead of drafting another rotation hopeful in the late 20s, Morey opted to flip the Philadelphia 76ers’ draft pick and the injured Danny Green to Memphis for combo guard De’Anthony Melton, a two-way menace coming off the best season of his career.

Playing in relief of star Ja Morant, Melton hit 139 3-pointers at a 37.4% clip while serving as an off-ball threat and secondary playmaker. Where Melton truly shines is on defense. He’s an exceptional event creator with a unique aptitude for blocking shots, intercepting passes and forcing turnovers. That’s not to take away from his on-ball impact, which was exceptional throughout the year and played an essential part in establishing Memphis as a daunting defensive unit.

Similarly, P.J. Tucker adds a dimension of on-ball impact that Philly will hugely benefit from come playoff time. With brute strength, unrelenting effort and immense IQ, Tucker is a defensive cog that cannot be understated. He was an essential member of the Miami Heat rotation a year ago and played a pivotal role in securing Milwaukee’s 2021 NBA Finals victory. His experience and unique set of skills make him a contender to start games in the postseason.

Also joining the roster are center Montrezl Harrell and forward Danuel House — two players who entered the league with Morey’s Rockets and have experience doing the dirty work like rebounding, hustling, defending and scoring without high usage. Harrell, who won the Sixth Man of the Year Award in 2020, just might be the best bench center in basketball. Playing with elite creators on the Philadelphia 76ers, this could be a resurgent season for Trez.

Philadelphia 76ers enter the season with improved defense around the stars.

From 2021 to 2022, the Philadelphia 76ers dropped from the second-best defensive team to the 12th by defensive rating. Much of this shift had to do with the absence of Ben Simmons, whose versatility on that side of the floor made the Sixers one of the most difficult teams to face in the regular season. It’s only natural that Philly took a step back without a perennial Defensive Player of the Year candidate, but much of that loss should be mitigated this year with a handful of players to fill the gap.

Philly leaned too heavily on Embiid and Thybulle to uphold their defense a year ago. By adding several impact defenders at positions of need, the Sixers won’t have to rely on anyone in particular to uphold their values on that end of the floor. Not only are they 10 players deep, but they’ll have a disruptor on the floor at all times. Players like Tucker, Melton and House ensure that the Sixers can rest their starters without fear of giving up huge scoring runs as they have in the past.

Furthermore, every one of these players complements the stars in one way or another. Three of them played with Harden in the past and signed on to do it again, which is a sign of their trust in him as a leader and the team’s direction under Morey. Besides Harrell, who is a fearsome pick-and-roll threat, all of these new additions can stretch the floor effectively and won’t command the ball too often, allowing Embiid and Harden to remain the focal points of the offense without conflict. Melton will help get the ball in Embiid’s hands while Tucker makes it easier for the team’s anchor to defend the rim in drop and zone coverages.

In turn, these role players will conserve their energy and stay fresh for the postseason through their low usage on offense. Unlike in the Houston days, when players at positions one through four needed to jack threes at a high volume to stay on the floor, everyone will be asked to make simple reads and take quality shot attempts as they come. Typically, head coach Doc Rivers likes to get everyone involved through simple reads while funneling the offense through its top players.

By supercharging the team’s depth and ensuring that defense is a priority again, the Philadelphia 76ers pose a threat to capture the Eastern Conference this season. Entering his first full year with the team, Harden will further establish chemistry with his teammates. All the while, the remaining four starters will capitalize on the continuity afforded to them by Morey’s team-building strategy.

There’s no excuse for the Philadelphia 76ers to fall short in the 2023 postseason, and given the makeup of this team, it wouldn’t be surprising for them to win their first championship since ’83.