Philadelphia 76ers vs Utah Jazz Prediction: Combined starting 5 featuring Joel Embiid and Donovan Mitchell
The two NBA conference leaders go head to head as the Philadelphia 76ers travel to the Vivint Arena to take on a highly impressive Utah Jazz side. The Philadelphia 76ers have seen a recent loss of momentum after succumbing to two back-to-back defeats, and will be looking for a quick change in fortunes.
Joel Embiid has been prolific so far and is producing MVP-worthy numbers, with the likes of Ben Simmons and Tobias Harris supporting him throughout. The Philadelphia 76ers were unlucky with injuries towards the start of the season but have been dominant since, and will be looking to avoid a third loss on the go.
The Utah Jazz on the other hand, have been highly efficient on both ends of the court, with multiple offensive threats who have done well throughout. Jordan Clarkson is the frontrunner for the NBA Sixth Man of the Year award, while Donovan Mitchell has been unstoppable on offense. In this article, we look at the hypothetical best combined 5 featuring all fit players from both the teams.
Philadelphia 76ers vs Utah Jazz Prediction: Combined starting 5
The Utah Jazz have missed the services of Mike Conley in recent games but have rallied nevertheless. They have won each of their last 7 NBA games and are now up against genuine title contenders in the form of Philadelphia 76ers. The Philadelphia 76ers have a largely injury-free roster as well. However, they come into this match without Shake Milton, who has until now produced 14 points and 3 assists off the bench per game.
Point Guard – Ben Simmons (Philadelphia 76ers)
Ben Simmons has been up to his usual tricks in recent weeks, and has missed multiple games towards the beginning of the 2020-21 NBA season. His return of 7.9 assists, 8.3 rebounds and 14.1 points is in addition to the defensive contributions that he has become invaluable for.
Ben Simmons is currently producing 0.8 blocks and 1.7 steals per game. He will be crucial to any title challenge that the Philadelphia 76ers end up mounting this season. He starts at the Point Guard position in this combined 5.
Shooting Guard – Donovan Mitchell (Utah Jazz)
Donovan Mitchell is the biggest reason for the surprise that Utah Jazz have managed to put up in the 2020-21 NBA season. They have won 22 out of their 27 games in the NBA so far, and Donovan Mitchell’s offensive displays have been crucial to that.
He is currently averaging 22.4 points and 5.2 assists, and has been defensively useful as well. Donovan Mitchell has produced .8 steals per game and will be required to put up a monster performance against a strong Philadelphia 76ers lineup.