Philadelphia 76ers: What to expect from Marco Belinelli

With the addition of Marco Belinelli, the Philadelphia 76ers are hoping to shore up a lack of perimeter firepower from their bench unit.

Following their non-actitivity in the final days leading up the 2018 NBA Trade Deadline, the Philadelphia 76ers quickly turned their attention to the buyout market in order to boost their bench production.

In signing Marco Belinelli, president of basketball operations Bryan Colangelo clearly saw a gaping need to address on the perimeter. A member of the 2014 NBA champion San Antonio Spurs, Belinelli has carved out a niche in now his 11th season in the league as an elite marksman.

This season as a member of the Atlanta Hawks, Belinelli averaged 11.4 points in 23.3 minutes per game, while shooting at a 37.2 percent clip from 3-point range on 4.8 attempts per game. A career 37.7 percent shooter from long range, Belinelli’s presence is sure to give a tremendous lift to the Sixers’ second unit.

Over their first 53 games of the season, the Sixers ranked 26th in the league for bench scoring at 27.1 points per game. In addition, the bench ranked 29th in 3-point shooting by converting at a 32.1 percent clip, while placing dead-last in offensive rating at 100.3.

Currently, the Sixers’ primary options at the 2 and 3 spots have been Jerryd Bayless, Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot and Justin Anderson. While he has shot at a 37.0 percent clip from long distance over the course of the season, Bayless has fallen out of the rotation significantly in recent weeks.

After missing seven games recently due to a wrist injury, Bayless has averaged just 13.7 minutes per contest since his return. As for Luwawu-Cabarrot, his 33.0 percent return from 3-point range has not been ideal, considering he ranks fifth on the team with 3.4 attempts per game.

Enter Belinelli, whose ability to play off the ball will provide a terrific fit in the Sixers’ setup. Over the course of this season, 77.9 percent of Belinelli’s made baskets have been assisted via a teammate.

Given the ball-handling duties held by the likes of Ben Simmons and T.J. McConnell, Belinelli’s smarts and veteran poise will be a significant asset as the Sixers attempt to reach the postseason for the first time since 2012.

Presently, just J.J. Redick and Amir Johnson, who both arrived this past offseason, are the only players on Philly’s roster that provide significant playoff experience. In fact, four of the Sixers’ five regular starters — Joel Embiid, Dario Saric, Robert Covington and Simmons — have yet to feature in a single playoff game.

Earlier this season, Hawks head coach Mike Budeholzer made special mention of Belinelli’s contributions to Atlanta this season:

"“It’s great to have a guy like Marco coming off the bench. He’s a guy that really knows how to play offensively. And it’s not just shooting, it’s his ability to cut off the ball, make passes, make reads, decisions, he opens up shots, he sets good screens. He just brings a lot to the table….veteran leadership, poise.”"

Having worked with Budenholzer for several years in San Antonio, Sixers head coach Brett Brown would no doubt have a similar line of thinking in terms of how Belinelli can be best utilized as he commences his stint in Philadelphia.

Next: Biggest winners and losers of the 2018 NBA Trade Deadline

So while he may not have garnered the attention of other recent transactions around the league, Marco Belinelli nonetheless has a great chance to make a significant impact with the Philadelphia 76ers.