Philadelphia 76ers: Depth to be tested following J.J. Redick injury

With J.J. Redick set to be sidelined for the immediate future, the depth of the Philadelphia 76ers will be put to the test.

While the Philadelphia 76ers finally overcame the Toronto Raptors after their fourth attempt this season, there was a sour note to accompany the win.

Shooting guard J.J. Redick, a vital component to the Sixers posting a 20-20 record entering the midway point of the season, went down with a leg injury with just 4:37 remaining in the Sixers’ 117-111 win over the Raptors.

Although an X-ray proved negative, the Sixers announced that Redick had sustained a bone edema and a small cortical crack in the fibula head of his left leg. They stated that he will be re-evaluated in 10-14 days.

This represents a tremendous blow to the Sixers for a couple of reasons. Firstly, the team faces a challenging stretch in which they play six of their next eight games on the road, all within the allocated two-week timeframe the Sixers have given for Redick’s injury. Among these includes road trips to face the San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder, with other road games featuring Eastern Conference rivals the Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks.

But above all else, it’s the form Redick has displayed in his first season with the Sixers that’s going to be toughest to replace. In 36 games, Redick is averaging 17.3 points in 32.6 minutes per game, both representing career highs at age 33. Furthermore, he has returned his customary elite shooting numbers, hitting at a 40.5 percent clip from long range, while converting at a 94.6 percent clip from the free throw line.

Therefore, the Sixers are going to need to find some viable options to try to replicate what Redick has provided them on the offensive end of the floor.

The first cab off the rank will be Jerryd Bayless, the Sixers combo guard who has been rather up-and down all season, averaging 8.5 points in 24.8 minutes per game. Shooting 41.9 percent from the field and 37.2 percent from 3-point range, Bayless has scored in double figures on 14 occasions, but also has scored just six points or less in 13 appearances.

Another option will be second-year swingman Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot, with his ability to cover multiple positions on the defensive end being a real positive. However, his offensive game has been less than flattering, averaging 5.9 points in 15.6 minutes per game, while returning shooting splits of .383/.308/.755.

It’s likely head coach Brett Brown is going to need to deploy backup point guard T.J. McConnell for larger stretches playing alongside starting point guard Ben Simmons. Averaging 7.5 points and 4.8 assists in 24.8 minutes per game, McConnell has been undoubtedly the most consistent bench performer thus far, with his 2:58 assist-to-turnover ratio comfortably leading the team overall.

While his perimeter shooting is not a feature of his game, the tenacity he exhibits at both ends of the court has quickly led him to becoming a legitimate crowd favorite.

However, Redick’s long range shooting, and hence his ability to stretch the floor, is simply irreplaceable on this current roster. Entering the season, outside shooting was at the top of the Sixers’ to-do list, after finishing 25th last season in 3-point percentage. So while Redick has helped the team jump to 20th overall in this category this season, the rest of the team still has questions surrounding them in terms of their proficiency from deep.

Ultimately, the one player who can contribute the most to help fill Redick’s absence is forward Robert Covington. To commence the season, Covington was simply on fire, averaging 16.5 points per game over the first 15 games of the season while converting at an incredible 48.5 percent clip from long range on 7.5 attempts per game. But since then, Covington has cooled off dramatically, averaging 11.5 points per game while hitting at just a 31.0 percent clip from 3 on 7.0 attempts per game.

Signed to multi-year contract extension in mid-November, Covington has the chance to repay this faith shown in him by stepping up to the mark in Redick’s absence.

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However, with the Sixers 8.7 points per 100 possessions better off on the offensive end when Redick is on the floor, it’s hard to ascertain just how Redick’s replacements will cope with the extra responsibility. So while his absence is a significant loss, the Sixers coaching staff and front office will now get a real close-up look as to the overall value of some of the lesser lights on the roster.