76ers' Starting Lineup Ranked Among Best in NBA

Originally posted on Philadelphia 76ers on SI
By Kevin McCormick | Last updated Jan 4, 2024 12:13 PM ET

Following the James Harden trade, depth was one of the key things mentioned when discussing the Philadelphia 76ers. While Daryl Morey didn't secure another star, he did manage to upgrade the pool of talent around Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey.

Now about a third of the way through the regular season, the Sixers find themselves in third place in the Eastern Conference standings at 23-10. The play of Embiid and Maxey has been a major catalyst in their success, but their starting lineup as a whole was recently ranked tops in the league.

Among starting units with at least 200 minutes played this season, the Sixers' lineup of Maxey, De'Anthony Melton, Tobias Harris, Nic Batum, and Embiid has the best Net rating (+34.0). The next closest is the Denver Nuggets, who have a net rating of +20.8.

Many factors have led to this success, but fit stands out the most. This five-man unit has done so well for the Sixers because of how they gel on both ends of the floor. Melton, Harris, and Batum are all positive defenders and are capable of spacing the floor. This has opened things up for Embiid and Maxey to attack opposing defenses.

Looking at this year's starting lineup, upgrading at power forward has been huge for the Sixers. Replacing P.J. Tucker with Batum has done wonders on both ends. The veteran forward can still hold his own defensively and is knocking down close to 47% of his threes. Also, his entry passing to Embiid has made him a huge complement to the reigning MVP.

Given how well these five players mesh together, there is a good chance the Sixers have one of the NBA's best starting lineups by the season's end. However, it is worth noting that things could potentially change between now and the February 8th trade deadline.

This article first appeared on Philadelphia 76ers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: