Go big or go home: 76ers pursue title dreams by bucking small-ball trend

Storyline No. 3: Do the Sixers have a closer?

Last season, when the Philadelphia 76ers needed a big bucket in the clutch, it was almost always Jimmy Butler’s basketball.

With Butler now in Miami, who will be the 76ers’ go-to guy in big moments?

General manager Elton Brand suggested that it might be the new max player in town, Tobias Harris, who re-upped with the 76ers in July.

"“You’re going to see his growth. He’s going to have the ball, he’s going to be able to do things, last season that he may have not shown. We’re looking forward to his growth and him showing that.”"

Coach Brett Brown, however, suggested that Joel Embiid might be the guy to embrace that role as a finisher.

Harris has suggested the 76ers might take an egalitarian approach to the whole end-of-game thing, riding with the hottest hand.

"“We’ll definitely see. We have a lot of talent on this team, so everybody wants to know who the go-to guy is, but to be honest it’s going to be whoever has it going.”"

Last season, Embiid led the 76ers in shot attempts in so-called “clutch” situations, defined by NBA.com as in the final five minutes of a game that is within five points. Embiid was 27-for-66 (40.9 percent) in those situations.

Between his time with the LA Clippers and the Sixers, Harris was 24-for-46 (52.2 percent) in crunch time, while Ben Simmons was 19-for-31 (61.3 percent), but made only 13-of-28 at the foul line (46.4 percent).

Butler was 28-for-62 (45.2 percent) last season in those late and close scenarios.

Volume suggests it will be Embiid with the ball at money time. Harris would be the next option. Simmons could be, given his ability to break down defenders and get into the lane, but he’s such a liability at the free throw line that any advantage he has during live play might be negated if he’s camped at the stripe.

How the end-of-game hierarchy evolves will be something to watch early in the season as the 76ers continue to adapt to the new pieces in town.