Philadelphia 76ers: 3 lineups to look forward to next season

Three-point barrage lineup

Jerryd Bayless – J.J. Redick – Nik Stauskas – Robert Covington – Joel Embiid

With Redick having just arrived this summer, and Bayless playing just three games in his debut Sixers’ season, there’s a lot of unfamiliarity about this group.

But one area the Sixers needed to upgrade this offseason was their long distance shooting, and this quintet provides no shortage of shooting from behind the arc. The key piece here is clearly Redick, a career 41.5 percent three-point shooter who converted at a 42.9 percent clip last season. Having averaged at least 2.1 three-pointers per game over the last five seasons, Redick’s ability to play off the ball and spread the floor is going to be an incredible addition.

Bayless’ reintroduction cannot be underestimated, considering he’s a nine-year veteran combined with being a career 36.6 percent shooter from behind three. In this lineup he would be the primary ball handler in a group certainly lacking in terms of creating off the dribble.

Considering the players on the court, Stauskas would likely sneak under the radar of opposing teams. Last season, Stauskas converted at the third-best rate in the league for three-point shots considered wide open (six feet-plus from closest defender) among players who attempted at least 2.1 per game. His 46.4 percent clip trailed only Tony Snell (47.6) and Klay Thompson (46.8).

Covington would be employed as the small-ball 4, with Embiid manning the middle while also being able to step and shoot from long range. Embiid amazed in many facets last season, not the least of which being his 36.7 percent conversion rate from long distance.

While this lineup would be used sparingly, it nonetheless presents an exciting option for coach Brown.