You know, I know, and Doc Rivers almost certainly knows. The Philadelphia bench has always been a problem in these playoffs, and if they manage to get to the conference finals or further, it will almost certainly become a bigger problem. The emergency substitution of a player who was not in the rotation saved the 76ers in the second game, but this does not seem to be a reliable feat that can be replicated from game to game.

The question is simple: Who should speak in the third game, and how are rotations formed based on these decisions?

Shocking question

After using the full bench lineup and the team had fallen behind in the first game, Rivers returned and planned to hobble in the second game.Unfortunately, the 76ers dealt with the disadvantages of the starters, and the upside of the bench was not improved due to the plan-Tobias Harris was yanked in a fierce game, the second team still Drowned in the first half, losing to Atlanta’s bench 32-0.

Although this decision is not entirely valid for Philadelphia, I don’t know if Rivers has a good choice. Harris is the obvious choice for three stars to play with their usual substitute group because it creates the least problems for the remaining starters on the field and provides a safety valve for the second group when he returns.

Under the assumption that Dwight Howard will enter the rotation – we will revisit this in a second – you can’t put Joel Eng first in a lineup that doesn’t finally put Howard and Simmons on the court. Bid or Ben Simmons replaced at the same time. He either replaced Embiid on the early bench or became the only star on the court when Simmons returned.

These Simmons/Howard lineups are still a disaster in the playoffs, undeniably, in a very small sample:

In other words, in almost any case, you should not enter a lineup that includes this pairing. If this is the starting point, then Harris must definitely be the first person to come out (and then come back).

Whether Howard should be part of the rotation is another matter. There are more debates on social media than in the head coach’s office. At the end of the Philadelphia series against Washington, the small ball became necessary and Ben Simmons became the nominal “center” and became the biggest player on the field in Philadelphia.Maybe there is one better one Use these lineups against Atlanta, this team is interested in downsizing, and Clint Capela doesn’t have a real big man behind. Howard needs to defend from the basket to the three-point line can sometimes become very confusing.

If you expect the small ball to take Philadelphia to a new level, we are still waiting for results to support that argument. Cleaning The Glass has recorded more than 103 playoff rounds. There is no Embiid or Howard on the field. The lineup is 0.5 points higher than the opponent. This is undoubtedly much better than Howard’s lineup, but the defensive data is terrible. Philadelphia lost 122.8 points per 100 possessions without a big man. This is ugly, the most used lineup (Simmons Harris Table Green Curry) is even worse, scoring 138.5 points per 100 possessions. Again, we are talking about a small sample, but it follows the trend of small lineups struggling with Philadelphia defensively in recent years.

If you let me arrange the rotation, despite these defensive problems, I will still tend to those little eyes. They are closer to work than the Simmons Howard combination, and if the 76ers reach the conference finals and beyond, they are likely to become more important.

But I am operating under the premise that Rivers will lean towards tradition. Howard has experienced some wars and his position in the team has never been questioned this season. So let’s look at other places.

Shake Milton/Tyrese Maxey’s decision

Philadelphia’s rookie point guard is one of the great stories of their first round victory over Washington. Maxi was rewarded for his prominent position in the rotation, and this good atmosphere almost immediately disappeared.

This is not a blow to Maxey. Based on his first-round contribution, he is ahead of schedule. But playing alone and trying to use his personal shots to create a bench to support the 76ers, it turns out that it is much more difficult to play against Atlanta than against the Wizards. When you compare the defenses involved and the quality of the team, this is not the case. Shocking.

Looks calm in the opening series, and sometimes this moment is a bit too big for him, and there were unusual mistakes in his game. The most shocking thing is that in the first game, Maxi tried to push the ball to the floor in an attempt to break through the buzzer and crossed out of bounds. This was fortunate for him not to be punished in the subsequent possession of the ball in Atlanta. error.

In the second game, a more troublesome pattern emerged. Maxey’s defensive efforts have never been questioned, but there are still problems in this regard. The Eagles got some favorable conversions for Maxey to face Danilo Gallinari, and Danilo Gallinari was happy to simply shoot when he had the opportunity.

Please note that Milton is not a strong defender and has been spotted in stupid fouls again and again this season. But he is a bit older than the young Maxi, his length can bother the shooter if he has to, and he may rebound at the right time. In the final analysis, this battle will depend on their offensive contribution, and Milton has more work to do.

So far, Maxey’s playing time seems to be at the expense of Milton’s playing time, and vice versa. Milton’s excellent second half in the second game indicated that the rookie might ride the pine in Atlanta, but Rivers hasn’t gone that far yet, just pointing out that he will roll with the proverbial hot hand.

“We have a lot of defenders who can play, and they can’t play every night. So what we want to do is keep them pace,” Rivers said on Thursday. “If you play well, you will continue to play. If not, there will be someone pushing you, and he will drag you along.”

Maybe Rivers will eventually find space for two people on the floor, together or apart. Furkan Korkmaz yelled in the first half on Tuesday and only hit a 1:37 penalty in the second half. With his shot disappearing, Korkmaz made way for another guard to make sense for Philadelphia. The Eagles have multiple wings — ironically, their two players in the Philadelphia area, Cam Reddish and DeAndre Hunter — if Rivers wants to bet on increased shooting opportunities to compensate for height-related issues, use all Three “point guards” are an interesting choice idea.

Frankly speaking, Rivers has every right to enter the third game in a relatively conservative manner. In this series, the 76ers are better teams in 3 out of 4 games, and their own wounds are an exception to the rule. Simply swapping Milton for Maxi (or even leaving the rotation altogether) may be a move by Philadelphia. At least to some extent, they have reasons to behave like front-runners.

But the problem with the second team has not gone away. Rivers should prepare for the Hawks and make his children feel uncomfortable on the road.

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