Josh Richardson has been a useful three-and-D type guy on most teams he has played for, but he had too much ballhandling responsibility in Philadelphia as a result of, at least in part, Simmons' limitations as a lead guard. Harris did not work as a small forward for a lot of his career, but he especially didn't work there on a team with a point guard who refused to shoot and a power forward who is actually a center. Reservations about Harris being a full-time small forward are understandable, though some of those past issues were team-based problems and not necessarily all about him. In the vast majority of matchups, that is fine, and he showed during last season's stretch run that he has made real strides on the defensive end over the last few years. Tucker is going to take the toughest assignment on the other team in most cases, and Harris will be left to defend the second-most dangerous wing on the other team. I wrote it before, but I'll say it again: I am not personally worried about the 3/4 spots in Philadelphia's starting lineup. The biggest reason this headline is even a question is a product of how people feel about the Tucker/Harris combination. The "best player" fifth starter: PJ Tucker
For all seven of you who have that in your head, banish the thought.
He is better suited to play off of the stars than to lead second unit lineups by himself, and we don't need to entertain the discussion further. But the age-old question of "Who starts and finishes?" isn't going to answer itself, so I'll take a stab at that today, months before Sixers training camp begins.īefore we get started, let me just say it outright - no, there's no merit to playing Tyrese Maxey in a super-sub role. The Sixers won't play a meaningful basketball game until mid-to-late October, and the Eagles' training camp is underway as we speak, so I may be one of 25 people in the Philadelphia area thinking about the local basketball team.