Philadelphia 76ers: 5 keys to making the playoffs in 2017-18

3. Utilizing 3-point shooters

The Philadelphia 76ers entered the 2017 offseason with a hole in their 3-point shooting arsenal. As a team, they came in 25th in the NBA in 3-point field goal percentage at 34 percent.

Then in the offseason, they signed veteran sharpshooter J.J. Redick and drafted Markelle Fultz. All of a sudden, Philadelphia looked like a solid 3-point shooting team on paper.

Using their new shooters is key for a run to the NBA Playoffs. The league has evolved and so have the Sixers, in a short amount of time. In their first preseason game, Ben Simmons was able to dish out nine assists, creating shots in a variety of ways for his teammates.

It seems the one season out with an injury has also allowed him to adjust to the speed of the game as well. He finished with six points, seven rebounds, nine assists and a block in a 110-89 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Oct. 4.

Simmons seemed to jell nicely with guards Jerryd Bayless and Markelle Fultz on the floor. It looks like he’s comfortable getting into the paint and finding shooters when defenders fall asleep. It worked in Game 1 of preseason play. If he can find his consistency and utilize 3-point shooters like Redick, Fultz and Bayless, a run to the playoffs could be in order.

Power forward Dario Saric and rookie Furkan Korkmaz are two emerging role players for the Sixers as well. Saric returns after averaging 12.8 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game last season as a rookie.

Korkmaz averaged 9.3 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game while shooting 43.7 percent from 3-point range for Anadolu Efes. He is an old teammate of Saric from their old Turkish club.