Paul Reed, Sixers (Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)
For the Philadelphia 76ers, backup center has been a problem ever since Joel Embiid joined the starting lineup. It is natural for there to be a drop-off when a star player goes to the bench, but for the Sixers, that drop has been right off a cliff.
This past season, the Sixers’ most consistent two-way backup big man was Tony Bradley, but he was dealt at the trade deadline for George Hill, which in hindsight looks like a terrible decision. The “Ben Simmons at center” experiment always looked awkward and Dwight Howard, praised for his energy and positive veteran presence, is probably off fouling people in a gym somewhere as we speak.