Philadelphia 76ers: 3 big questions heading into 2019-20

2. Does this roster have enough shooting?

For some, this is the absolute most important question the Philadelphia 76ers have to answer. After all, shooting is the oxygen to any offense, especially one built around a non-shooter and a center.

Without berating Ben Simmons for lacking a jumper (he’s incredibly valuable despite that), shooting remains an important facet that must be addressed. Even if he begins to shoot them, defenses won’t take it seriously until he makes them consistently.

Tobias Harris has been an above-average shooter for several seasons now, improving seemingly every year. Josh Richardson is a better shooter when not tasked with being the primary offensive option, exhibiting upside that the Sixers can tap into better than Miami could.

Al Horford is a good shooter for a big, but when he shares the floor with Joel Embiid and Simmons, things could get clunky.

Mike Scott and James Ennis are both above-average shooters off the catch, but they’re not J.J. Redick.

Not having an all-time great sniper running around screens all game will be missed, but not having to worry about a defensive liability for 28 minutes a game should help Brett Brown sleep at night.

Furkan Korkmaz might be the best shooter off the bench, but it’s unlikely that he sees much time. Zhaire Smith and Matisse Thybulle are willing shooters who know their roles, but both are unproven for now.

With the addition of Horford, it’s clear that the lineups sans Embiid will try to emulate what the Bucks have done around Giannis Antetokounmpo. The problem that may arise, however, is that no one is a proven good shooter outside of Harris.

In addition, there’s always the possibility of adding a proven shooter at the trade deadline. Who becomes available is a development that can’t be predicted just yet, especially with all the teams that have pushed in their chips for this season.

As long as there is enough shooting, this question will be answered. But if a few fringe pieces falter below palatable shooting numbers, the offense could be quite clunky.