Getty De'Anthony Melton (8) and Georges Niang (20) of the Philadelphia 76ers challenge Raul Neto of the Cleveland Cavalier for a loose ball.
Philadelphia 76ers fans have pounded the table in frustration for years over the team’s lack of production from the second unit. During the Joel Embiid era, the team has struggled when their superstar is not on the court — and this year is no different.
Through three games, the Sixers’ bench has been outscored 103-34 by opposing second units. The 34 points (11.3 points per game) are the fewest scored through the first three games in the past 50 years, according to Kirk Goldsberry of ESPN Stats & Info. And the team is winless at 0-3 to start the season.
Three players acquired during the offseason to improve the second unit have not contributed as expected so far. De’Anthony Melton has scored 14 points, Danuel House Jr. has seven points, and Montrezl Harrell has just points, according to a tweet by reporter Sam DiGiovanni.
Sixers bench off to a historically bad start. No bench unit in at least the last 50 years has scored so little through the first 3 games (via @kirkgoldsberry).
The points distribution:
Melton: 14 (6/14 shooting)
Niang: 11 (4/9, 3/7 from 3)
House: 7 (3/8)
Harrell: 2 (1/3)
Are Bench Rotations a Problem?
One reason for the lack of production from the second unit is their lack of opportunity. Each of the Sixers’ starters is averaging 33 or more minutes per game, with James Harden leading the way with 39.3 minutes per game, which ranks second in the NBA behind the Phoenix Suns’ Devin Booker.
Looking deeper into the bench rotation, only three players have played more than 10 minutes per game. Melton leads the way with 18.7 minutes per game, House averages 18 minutes per game and Georges Niang adds 11.7 minutes. Former Sixth Man of the Year Montrezl Harrell has played a total of just 23 minutes, and neither Paul Reed nor Matisse Thybulle has seen more than five total on-court minutes. Former rotation players like Shake Milton and Furkan Korkmaz have yet to receive an opportunity.
In February, head coach Doc Rivers discussed his desire to keep keep two of his core starters (Embiid, Harden, Tyrese Maxey, Tobias Harris) on the court at all times. As isolation-heavy players, each is not shy about ensuring he gets his shots, effectively limiting the opportunity for the team’s bench players to produce.
Matisse Thybulle putting the work in 2 hours before tip. You can’t say the #Sixers stopper isn’t trying to improve his jumper. Took 5 shots in a row from every spot, around the horn. #HereTheyCome
Bench Players’ Production
Through the Sixers’ first three games, the second-unit players’ shooting has not shown that they deserve more minutes. Melton is 6-of-14 shooting, Niang (who has 11 total points on the year) is 4-of-9, House is 3-of-8 and Harrell is 1-of-3.
At 0-3 and tied for last place in the Eastern Conference, the team is already in a hole. Relying on the starters to provide nearly the entirety of the team’s scoring is a recipe for failure in both the short and long term, including burning out its top players before the postseason. At 11.3 points per game, the Sixers bench is far less productive than the 2021-2022 group, which scored only 27.2 points per game, which was the third worst average in the league.
The production of the bench is not the only issue. The Sixers are also ranking dead last in the NBA in pace and 24th in both offensive and defensive efficiency. There is still plenty of time for the Sixers to work through their issues and find their stride. Experimenting with the rotations and finding a way to get production from the second unit could be near the top of the team’s list of what needs to be fixed moving forward.
.@DeAnthonyMelton makes 10 straight at shootaround 👀