Philadelphia 76ers: 5 keys to making the playoffs in 2017-18
2. Efficient floor shooting
The Philadelphia 76ers weren’t the greatest shooting team in 2016-17. Jerryd Bayless was sidelined early in the season with a wrist injury. He came off of a season of shooting 43.7 percent with the Milwaukee Bucks in 2015-16. His loss put a huge hole in the Sixers’ shooting potential in the early going in 2016-17.
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Philadelphia finished last season ranked 27th in field goal percentage (44.2 percent) and 25th in 3-point field goal percentage (34.0 percent). Finishing at the bottom of the pack in terms of shooting won’t get them to the NBA Playoffs.
With their new pieces in place, the Sixers will need to improve their shooting efficiency if they hope to make the playoffs. With Redick and Fultz leading the way, they should be a much-improved shooting team.
Shooting guard Nik Stauskas could turn into a big trade asset with an improved shooting season from 3-point land. He shot 36.8 percent from 3-point range while averaging 9.5 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game last season. He could find a quality role off the bench for the Sixers, as they have the depth to be a solid playoff squad.