Yeah, they shot well but those shooters weren't the kind of guys that defenses converge on to stop on the perimeter, which still leaves the inside clogged for both Embiid and Simmons. CJ would be that guy that teams would have to constantly close out on and he would help with spacing. There's more to it than just the numbers when we are talking about how cohesive an offense is.
This is tough but I would not trade CJ and Nurk for Embiid, simply because we are good enough at C that I wouldn’t want to give up assets to upgrade it outside of obtaining KAT or Jokic. We are lucky to have a C as good for that cheap—if we are trading CJ’s salary, I would much rather spend that kind of money on a wing. Nurkic just came back from a year long injury and averaged 17-10-4 with 2 blocks, which no one expected. Next year will also only be his third full year as a starter (four if you consider his DEN-POR year, he did start 60% if his DEN games that year) and will remain cheap for the next two seasons. I can expect him to continue to get better or at the very least hold his trade value due to the cheap contract. I don’t see Embiid’s situation getting better and everything suggests he will continue to get injured for at least 15 games a season. The only star I would be interested in on PHI is Ben.
I had an effectively similar thought. Russell's shooting complements Embiid better than Simmons, and Simmons needs a big who can shoot, and Simmons's defense helps make up for KAT's lack of it. But I really don't think KAT would like the Philly fans... Also, as ehizzy3 pointed out, there's this.
I love Jokic. Part of what I love is that his body language gives everything away. If they hit a clutch shot, his entire body slumps. [oops, wrong thread]
It's the gravity that Lillard creates. They have to cover him way behind the 3 point line. That leaves a ton of space for a big to operate if he gets the right pass. On the other hand you see the defender of Philly's main ballhandler drop back at the free throw line. Nurkic scores way more assisted points.
Portland Starting Lineup: 40% Dame 38% CJ 40%/37% (Ariza / Collins) 38.5% (Melo) 20% (Nurk) 42% (Trent) - Included because of Ariza not in bubble. Philly: 29% Simmons 37% Harris 34% Richardson 35% Horford 33% Embiid Our worst 3pt shooter would be the same as their best. So essentially all 4 players (outside of Nurk / Embiid) on our squad are significantly better shooters than what they have. Embiid is also forced to play a different style because Simmons ability to shoot is non existent. So while the overall stats may not seem drastic, if you look at who each player spends most of their time on the court with ... there is a significant difference. Also, defensive strategies are vastly different. Teams try and take away the 3 from us. Teams encourage Philly to shoot Js. So our stats are higher on tougher looks, while I’d wager the 76ers are shooting damn near uncontested 3s as teams pack the paint against Simmons / Embiid / Harris and Horford to a lesser extent.
