OKC Thunder face reeling Philadelphia 76ers – game preview

Who replaces Jimmy Buckets?

The biggest question facing the 76ers this year is who would accept the role of taking over for the myriad of advantages Jimmy Butler provided the team, particularly in the clutch. Jimmy Butler was ‘the man’ in Philly and played to his moniker Jimmy Buckets. Aside from Kawhi Leonard‘s four bounce final shot, he came close to getting the 76ers to the Eastern Conference Finals.

Butler was a calming force and simultaneously offered the grit for the 76ers and for as great as Embiid is he hasn’t risen to that type of player yet. And, I’m not sure he should have to be that on top of everything else he affords his team.

Simmons is a defensive beast and does a ton defensively but for all his brilliance his reluctance to shoot and insistence on playing in the paint (where Embiid should be) is also hurting the 76ers spacing and ability to truly dominate offensively, especially when games are slowed to half court offensive sets.

Josh Richardson was the player exchanged in the sign and trade and while he’s a defensive stalwart he isn’t even close to being of the same ilk as Butler. Ditto for Tobias Harris who is a solid third option but who got arguably more than he was worth.

To deny the starting rotations overall talent would be mundane, but play them into clutch time and you unearth their greatest weakness.