Philadelphia 76ers 2021-22 NBA season preview: Roster moves, starting lineup projection, and training camp storylines to follow
The Philadelphia 76ers have been the center of basketball media's attention, mostly because of the NBA trade rumors circling Ben Simmons. However, even if they lose Simmons, the 76ers will still remain of the formidable sides in a top-heavy Eastern Conference in the upcoming season.
The 76ers ended their 2021 Playoffs campaign on a sour note, crashing out to underdogs Atlanta Hawks in the Eastern Conference semifinals. They will be looking to bounce back and make a deep playoff run this time around, and head coach Doc Rivers certainly has the tools for it.
Philadelphia 76ers' roster moves so far in the 2021-22 NBA season
The Philadelphia 76ers were ranked quite low in the offseason performance ratings, and they certainly can't complain much about it. The 76ers only made lateral moves to fill the roster with squad players, but the front office executive made one major move, bringing swingman Danny Green back on a multi-year deal. Furkan Korkmaz was also retained.
Center Andre Drummond and 3&D player Georges Niang were also added, while franchise cornerstone Joel Embiid signed a 5-year supermax extension. The 76ers were extremely tight on cap space this offseason, and the only major move they can afford now is via a Ben Simmons trade.
In the 2021 NBA draft, they walked away with three players - Jaden Springer (28th), Filip Petrusev (50th), and Charles Bassey (53rd). They also signed undrafted free agent Aaron Henry.
In terms of the outgoings, the Philadelphia 76ers chose to waive veteran point guard George Hill and power forward Anthony Tolliver.
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Important storylines for Philadelphia 76ers' training camp
1. The relationship between Andre Drummond and Joel Embiid
Andre Drummond and Joel Embiid haven't been on great terms exactly in the last few NBA seasons, as both players like to trash talk during games. Drummond recently addressed the issue of the two stars have had spats in the past, but reassured the media that he had no malice towards the Cameroonian big and was looking towards having a healthy relationship with him.
2. How will the Ben Simmons trade rumors affect the Philadelphia 76ers' morale at the training camp?
Ben Simmons has been linked with a plethora of NBA teams this summer, and various reports have confirmed that he does not want to play for the Philadelphia 76ers anymore. Despite Joel Embiid's public request, it is unlikely that Simmons will budge, and this situation will certainly affect the 76ers during the training camp.
Whether they come out better or worse from it, that remains to be seen.
Doc Rivers on Joel Embiid:
“He’s an MVP waiting to happen…
I thought Joel was unstoppable when we played [against] him, and I knew he was good, I just didn’t know he was this good.”
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Predicted starting lineup for the Philadelphia 76ers heading into 2021-22 NBA season
With the Ben Simmons situation going on, it is safe to rule him out of the starting lineup head coach Doc Rivers will roll out. Tyrese Maxey is expected to step up this season, and there is a good probability of him sharing the backcourt with Seth Curry. The rest of the personnel should remain the same from last season.
Here is the Philadelphia 76ers predicted lineup for the 2021-22 NBA season
Point Guard - Tyrese Maxey | Shooting Guard - Seth Curry | Small Forward - Danny Green | Power Forward - Tobias Harris | Center - Joel Embiid