Philadelphia 76ers: 3 big questions heading into 2018-19 NBA season

3. Does Philadelphia have a better roster than 2017-18?

The 76ers had a solid rotation during the 2017-18 season. Ben Simmons played at a high level running an offense in the NBA for the first time ever. Joel Embiid slowly showed fans why he could become one of the best players at his position as time progresses. J.J. Redick had a renaissance season, averaging a career-high 17.1 points per contest.

In a way, the Philadelphia 76ers made steps in the right direction as a winning organization in 2017-18. Now, they’ve got to become a consistent playoff threat. During their run in the playoffs, they got away with outscoring their opponents, at least in the first round. Marco Belinelli and Ersan Ilyasova combined to put up 22.2 points per game coming off the bench, but both will be gone this upcoming season.

That may not be the worst thing to happen for them, though. Although they were instant offense, Philadelphia lacked a gritty defender on its roster in 2017-18. Wilson Chandler falling in their laps could be the blessing in disguise they needed and a low-risk addition for them. If things don’t work out, he will be an unrestricted free agent, taking roughly $12.8 million off their payroll.

At 6’8″ and 225 pounds, he has the ability to play both the paint and the wing in the Eastern Conference. It was something Robert Covington struggled with in 2017-18. As a key piece in the rotation, Chandler gives them another leg up on defense.

Chandler still has plenty left in the tank at 31 years of age. He put up 10.0 points, 5.4 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game through 74 appearances with the Nuggets last season. He battled an injury down the stretch of last season, and now he enters with potential as their wildcard on the defensive end.