With five potential All-Stars on their projected starting five, the Philadelphia 76ers have arguably the most formidable lineup in the league next season. Opening games should not be a cause for concern for this team, but interestingly, closing them could end up being one. After all, with five possible closers on the roster during crunch time, one could argue that this team does not have a real go-to option in the truest sense.
Having so many options to go to during late-game situations is a problem the 76ers will have to deal with, although it is most definitely one which all other teams would love to deal with. Most squads only have one go-to player in the clutch, some have two or three, but no other team has an abundance of options like Philly does ahead of next season.
The 76ers have a late game problem every team would love to have
After adding LeBron James, the 76ers now have the luxury of having one of, if not the best closer the league has ever seen. Even though he is 41 years old, he remains an intimidating sight for defenses, especially during crunch time. Thus, the fact that he is probably not even going to be the first option to close out games for the team next season speaks volumes as to how loaded they are.
Jaylen Brown, another newcomer, has ample experience as a clutch performer as well. After all, he is a Finals MVP. With his three-level shooting and elite mid-range scoring, he should get a lot of reps as the designated closer.
Depending on the matchup, the 76ers might also find it much easier to funnel everything through Joel Embiid. No player in the NBA can match him up one-on-one. Despite his declining physicals, his sheer skill as a post player is highly valuable in late game situations.
Tyrese Maxey is similar to Jaylen Brown in that he can hit shots from basically anywhere on the court. He is the fastest guy on the team, which will come in very handy against teams with weaker defensive backcourts. Heck, there is a good chance that he ends up leading the team in scoring next season.
VJ Edgecombe is the least decorated player in the 76ers projected starting five, but he is far from a weak link. In fact, he might just be the biggest X-factor on this squad, able to catch teams off guard when they double down on his more tenured teammates.
The 76ers have five potential go-to studs that the direct consequence of such is that they have no real default option. Early on, that could end up causing some confusion at the end of games, but in the long run, that is a problem that could easily overwhelm opponents. After all, it would be very difficult to guess which player will get the most critical shots on this team.
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