Philadelphia 76ers: Who is the team’s third-best player?

It is the consensus that Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons are the two best players on the Philadelphia 76ers, but who is the team’s third-best player?

There is no debating that Joel Embiid is the best player on the Philadelphia 76ers. He can score in a variety of ways, unleashing a plethora of post moves on his opponents, slamming down ferocious dunks, and knocking down 34.8 percent of his 3-point attempts. The do-it-all, seven-footer from Cameroon ranks first on the team in points (23.4), rebounds (11.8), and blocks (1.3) per game.

Embiid is one of the most ferocious rim protectors to grace an NBA floor since Dwight Howard in his prime and can dominate pretty much anyone who tries to guard him one on one.  If the big man could manage to somehow overcome his injury woes, he would become a legit MVP candidate.

Similar can be said about Ben Simmons. Easily the second-best player on the team, Simmons can do everything on the basketball court except shoot. He has drawn comparisons to Magic Johnson and LeBron James, due to his size (6’10”), athleticism, and playmaking ability.

By now, anyone with two eyes can see that Simmons is a walking double-double and a triple-double machine. In 54 games this season, he has six triple-doubles and 30 double-doubles. On a per-game basis, the LSU product leads the Sixers in assists (8.2), ranks second in rebounding (7.8), and third in scoring (16.7). His 2.1 steals per game and 115 total on the season, not only leads the team but the entire NBA.

He also leads the team in Defensive Win Shares (3.2), Offensive Win Shares (3.8), and total WIn Shares (7.0). One can argue that if Simmons raise his free throw percentage from the depths of the underworld and can develop a consistent outside shot (career 8.7 3-point percentage), he will surpass Embiid as the best player on the Sixers.

The question here, though, is, who is the Sixers’ best player behind these two All-Stars? Basketball is a team sport, and winning takes a team effort, but who is going to step up as the third musketeer to help bring the Philadelphia 76ers back to the NBA finals?

We have a polished, versatile offensive hybrid forward Tobias Harris, a resourceful veteran and multiskilled big-man Al Horford, and the multifaceted stout defender known as Josh Richarson. This is no slight to anyone on the roster, namely, Furkan Korkmaz, but there are only three options worth debating at this juncture.