Beale Street Bears is continuing their series of taking a look at the Memphis Grizzlies opponents around the league. This time we take a look at the Philadelphia 76ers to see how they match up against Memphis.
Trust The Process..... Guys it's happening #TrustBC
— Joel “Troel” Embiid (@JoelEmbiid) July 1, 2017
“Trust the Process” is a coined phrase at the center of the Philadelphia 76ers, and it has stuck. This young, energetic 76ers team is poised for a much better season this year. With the Eastern Conference being awful, now could possibly be the time the 76ers show the league how good they could be.
Players such as Ben Simmons, Markelle Fultz and Joel Embiid have boldly proclaimed that they reach the playoffs this year. It may be ridiculous for a team that hasn’t seen a .500 record since the 2011-2012 season, but you have to be confident to attain your lofty goals.
Getting to the north side of .500 looks extremely accomplishable. By adding JJ Redick and drafting their new point guard Markelle Fultz, they now have a solid starting five with Ben Simmons, Dario Saric and Joel Embiid, respectively.
While they have a lot of young talent, only two players in the starting 5 have played more than 40 games in a season, JJ Redick and Dario Saric. Injuries are a concern for guys like Simmons, Embiid and sixth man Robert Covington.
The youth movement is real in Philadelphia, so how do the Memphis Grizzlies match up with this 76ers team?
Advantage for the Memphis Grizzlies
The biggest advantage that the Grizzlies have on the 76ers is obviously the starting point guard position. Following a career year from Mike Conley, he’s determined to back it up with another monster year. 76ers have rookie Markelle Fultz as their starting point guard, so his talent has yet to be seen in at the NBA level.
Conley has elevated his game, and I don’t see any of the 76ers’ point guards containing him effectively.
I also see the center position being an advantage for the Grizzlies. Marc Gasol has reinvented his game which caused fits for NBA teams last year. Being able stretch the floor and bully defenders down low could give the 76ers a really hard time on defense.
Advantage for the Philadelphia 76ers
The biggest advantage that the 76ers will have on the Grizzlies is the youth up and down their roster. Three guys on their roster have played more than nine seasons in the NBA – nobody else has played more than four years. While the Grizzlies have started to move towards the youth movement, the 76ers have the youth movement down to the t.
The 76ers also have an advantage at the shooting guard position. Ben McLemore was on track to be the starting SG for the Grizzlies, and JJ Redick is the starting SG for the 76ers. I think we all know who the better player is here… JJ has always given the Grizz fits with his quick shot, his savvy playmaking and his veteran experience. It looks like more of the same will happen this year.
Closing Comments
Philadelphia could give teams like the Cavaliers and the Celtics fits this season, and they should be a playoff team. Although they’re still a few years away from being a serious threat in the Eastern Conference, they should make a big leap this season. But right now, the Memphis Grizzlies have the edge with their veteran experience as three-time All-Star Marc Gasol and top-10 PG Mike Conley are the leaders of the team.
Next: Opposing Views: Denver Nuggets
The health of their starts will determine the success of both of these teams. Both organizations have been plagued by the injury bugs over the last few seasons. If their stars can stay healthy, the Grizzlies and the 76ers could be two entertaining teams to watch for this season.