Predictions for a big Philadelphia 76ers 2019-20 season
By Simon Smith
5. The Sixers to lead the league in rebounding
With the inclusion of Josh Richardson and Al Horford into the starting five, the size and length of the Philadelphia 76ers’ starting lineup is bound to cause headaches for the opposition in a number of ways. One of the main advantages this will bring the Sixers will be their ability to crash the boards.
With Richardson at 6’6″ the shortest of the starting five, it’s hard to envision many times in which the Sixers will be bettered when it comes to cleaning the glass. Last season, the Sixers ranked third in the league with 47.8 rebounds per game and ranked second after the All-Star Game.
Leading the way were Joel Embiid, who ranked second in the league at 13.6 per game, with Ben Simmons ranking second only to Russell Westbrook among all guards with 8.8 boards per game.
With his eight rebounds thus far, @sixers @JoelEmbiid is the sixth player this @NBA Playoffs with at least 100 boards.
— Sixers Stats (@SixersStats) May 10, 2019
He's the first 76er with at least 100 rebounds in consecutive postseasons since Charles Barkley in 1985 and 1986.
h/t @bball_ref
While Horford averaged just 6.7 rebounds per game last season, he ranked 18th among players who appeared in at least 65 games by recording 6.5 box outs per game. Furthermore, forward Tobias Harris averaged 7.9 boards per game in his 27 appearances last season with the Sixers and will now be switching between the 3 and 4 spots due to the arrival of Horford.
The final piece of the starting lineup is Richardson, who posted a career-high 3.6 boards per game. Notably, the Miami Heat notched an 18-6 record last season when the 26-year-old Richardson grabbed at least five rebounds.