Philadelphia 76ers: Can this Big 4 work together in the playoffs?

As talented a bunch as they may be, the Philadelphia 76ers’ Big 4 draws some concerns over its ability to mesh at its absolute best.

Talent is pretty obviously the most important part of any legitimate championship contender, but it’s not always the end-all, be-all in deciding who walks away with the NBA title in June. Like a puzzle, the pieces have to fit. That doesn’t mean you don’t try to get the best players available, but the idea is always something in the back of the minds of front offices everywhere.

So when the Philadelphia 76ers acquired Jimmy Butler and subsequently Tobias Harris in the span of only a few months, there were questions about their fit next to both Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons. There was also no denying the fact that Philly now possessed one of the most talented starting units — rounded out by J.J. Redick — in the entire league.

With just five games left in their regular season, the Sixers sit third in the Eastern Conference at 49-28. The experiment with their new roster has proven successful so far. They’ve gone 35-18 since Butler arrived and 15-8 in Harris’ games as well.

However, playoff basketball isn’t about testing new ideas. It’s about putting yourself in the best position, and with that comes sacrifices. Whether or not this Big 4 can make them will say plenty about their quest to reach the top.

Even before Philly made its two biggest acquisitions of the year, there was some skepticism regarding the pairing of Simmons and Embiid. For as talented as they are, the duo doesn’t really seem to complement each other quite well.

Embiid prefers to grind it out in the half-court setting with a steady diet of screens and post-ups, while his Australian counterpart would rather make things up as they go along, constantly pushing the ball in transition while doing his best Magic Johnson impersonation as a 6’10” point guard.

Butler was brought in to function as the team’s closer, a go-to scorer late in games they could give the ball to without having to run any plays. The four-time All-Star has hit a number of big-time shots in his short stint with the Sixers already, but as a career 34.1 percent outside shooter, there have been long stretches of games where he goes silent playing off the ball.

Prior to his journey to Philadelphia, Harris was shooting a scorching 43.4 percent from distance on 4.7 attempts per game with the Los Angeles Clippers. As a member of the 76ers, that number has decreased to just 34.5 percent on 5.2 attempts a night.

Maybe the midseason switch has simply thrown the seven-year veteran off his balance. What may have also played a factor is a 2.8 percent decrease in usage rate as he’s transitioned from a focal point with the ball in his hands in Los Angeles to more of a spot-up shooter in the City of Brotherly Love.

Redick is seemingly the one player on the Sixers who hasn’t missed a beat with all the changes surrounding him. In fact, he’s thrived this season, averaging a career-high 17.7 points per game on 39.1 percent shooting from the outside. He’s a deadeye sniper who doesn’t need the ball in his hands, but with so much attention drawn to his teammates, he’s able to play off them and free himself for open looks.

NBA players always say they’ll do whatever it takes to win, but when push comes to shove, they want to be the reason for the victory and will often revert back to old habits — both good and bad.

Talent-wise, the Sixers may have enough to run through the Eastern Conference and challenge the Golden State Warriors in a potential Finals matchup, but it’ll take more than simply the names on the roster to get it done.

The question is whether or not someone like Butler, who is set to hit the open market this summer, will be content shooting in the single-digit range on some nights. Will Embiid, the megastar of the organization, be able to swallow his pride and get others involved on a night when he simply doesn’t have it going?

There’s a reason Golden State is so dominant. Yes, Steve Kerr can trot out as many as five All-Stars at a single time, but they’re an all-time great team because of their ability to play as if that weren’t the case, sometimes looking to pass to a fault, always hunting the best shot available.

If the Sixers can put egos aside and play for the sole desire of winning, they’re a dangerous bet to make some noise in the postseason. But if not, their stars and overlapping skill-sets will find themselves in each other’s way more often than not, prompting general manager Elton Brand to make some tough decisions once free agency begins July 1.