Getty James Harden #13 of the drives to the net against Danuel House Jr.
A serious problem plagued the Philadelphia 76ers last season. For all the firepower at the top of the roster, for all of Joel Embiid securing the scoring title, for all of James Harden’s 10-plus rebounds a night, the bench unit was a borderline catastrophe.
The second unit ranked 27th in assists and 28th in scoring last season, per Statmuse. Part of that is to be expected on truly exceptional teams — massive contracts go to the three or four at the top, leaving little firepower on the bench. It’s why Philadelphia was joined by the Bucks (26th) and Celtics (25th) at the bottom of the league’s bench-scoring barrel.
So Daryl Morey & Co. set out on a mission to fix that problem this summer. And by and large, it’s been a success, at least on paper. While we haven’t yet seen this revamped roster take the floor, the additions of De’Anthony Melton, PJ Tucker, Montrezl Harrell, and Danuel House at least look promising.
And it’s often the latter that gets overlooked among the bunch. And it’s probably warranted. After all, Tucker has played in multiple high-pressure situations, Melton brings a defensive tenacity and versatility, and Harrell is a former Sixth Man of the Year.
House? He bounced around on 10-day contracts as recently as last season.
Nonetheless, the Sixers will be counting on him to produce this year. His final 25 games with Utah last season bode well, considering he shot 41.5% from deep over that span. And if a recent off-season workout video is any indication, he’ll pick up right where he left off.
Liberty Ballers’ Harrison Grimm posted a clip of House in the lab, getting up shots and dishing out some sweet assists. “Danuel House looks pretty good!,” Grimm tweeted.
Danuel House looks pretty good!
House will need to bring this same level of intensity and accuracy this season. If he does, the Sixers’ bench could become a strength rather than a weakness.
Danuel House Given High Marks in Sixers Power Rankings
Given the sudden influx of talent, combined with the stragglers that remain, it’s fair to wonder where House fits into his new squad. Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report took a stab at power ranking Philadelphia’s new team after adding Montrezl Harrell.
The top four were to be expected — Embiid, Harden, Tyrese Maxey, and Tobias Harris, in that order. But slotting in just behind PJ Tucker and De’Anthony Melton was House, at No. 7.
“If House can be a top-shelf shooter—he shot 41.5 percent from range over 25 tilts with the Utah Jazz—then he’ll dazzle back in a three-and-D role alongside James Harden,” Buckley wrote.
Another note from Buckley’s rankings: Matisse Thybulle was the only returning Sixers bench player to crack the top eight. Georges Niang (No. 10), Shake Milton (No. 11), and Furkan Korkmaz (No. 12), all rounded out Buckley’s lowest tier. Yet the Sixers were relying on these players in key spots last season. It’s a sign of how far this rotation has come in just a few months of tooling.
Danuel House Projected to Lead the Sixers Bench in a Big Way
Back in mid-August Buckley also put out a slew of projections for Philadelphia’s summer additions. In addition to PJ Tucker being named to an All-Defense team, and De’Anthony Melton setting personal career-highs in points and assists, House was thrown a real bone.
Buckley predicted House to lead the Sixers bench in minutes played. After lauding his work in Utah late last season, Buckley gushed over House’s potential in a Sixers jersey.