Jalen Rose believes 76ers can make it into Conference Finals with the current roster led by Joel Embiid and James Harden
Many expected the Philadelphia 76ers to compete for an NBA title when they acquired James Harden to play alongside Joel Embiid. While they ultimately fell way short of expectations, former NBA player and current analyst Jalen Rose believes that the 76ers will reach the Eastern Conference Finals.
On "Jalen & Jacoby", Rose shared his prediction, stating:
"Joel Embiid who just led the league in scoring last year is gonna be uber dominant again this year. A motivated James Harden, who, yes, is a terrific playmaker, but also I believe he's gonna show that he could be a more efficient scorer like he was after he dropped some weight."
"Tyrese Maxey, the ascension that he's made as a player making open threes, his speed in transition. A veteran like Tobias Harris is also gonna give them size and competitivenss up front. I just think they are a deep team, a really stout team. They got a squad so I feel like the Sixers make the Conference Finals."
Watch Jalen Rose discuss the Philadelphia 76ers postseason chances below (starting at the 3:58 mark):
The Philadelphia 76ers success will largely be dependant on the health and performance of Joel Embiid and James Harden. Tyrese Maxey and Tobias Harris will, however, be counted on to provide scoring alongside the two stars. Both players averaged more than 17 points per game in 2021-2022 while shooting over 48.0% from the field.
James Harden's presence on the roster will also open up more scoring opportunities for Maxey and Harris. In the first game of the season, both players got off to a good start as they scored 21 and 18 respectively, 50.0% shooting from the field.
What production will James Harden and the 76ers get from their bench?
While the Philadelphia 76ers will need Tyrese Maxey and Tobias Harris to continue their production throughout the regular season and postseason, they will also look to their bench for production. As is the case with all championship contenders, the 76ers will look for strong defense and shooting from their bench.
P.J. Tucker will join Maxey, Harris, Harden and Embiid in the starting lineup, shifting Matisse Thybulle to the bench. Thybulle, who has made the All-Defensive Team the past two seasons, will exponentially improve the defense of the 76ers second unit. He won't, however, help with the scoring, as he has never averaged more than 5.7 points per game.
While Thybulle shockingly failed to see the floor in the 76ers opener, the four bench players who did see action scored just 11 points combined. If the 76ers want to seriously compete for the NBA title, they will need more production from their bench as the season progresses.