76ers' Bench Depth Could Be Their X-Factor

The stars of an NBA team are what gets butts in seats. But realistically, the depth of a team's bench is what makes it easier to get to the playoffs. 

The Philadelphia 76ers have one of the deepest benches in the NBA. 

What makes a good bench are players that you know; if they are put in the game, the talent drop-off isn’t steep. If a player enters the game, there’s no sound of disgust or heart-racing when you hear the name called. On top of that, the bench is supposed to come in as relief for the starters. They either maintain the lead or keep it close for the starters to come back in and finish the job.

Usually there’s one, maybe two good players that get put into the rotation. Well, the 76ers have more like three or four. Their sixth man is Anfernee Simon. What follows is rotational players that could be starters.  Dean Wade, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, and even Caleb Love. 

Love may be the one name that many may scoff at. Just remember, he was a key player for the Portland Trailblazers last season. During that season he averaged 10 points in 20 minutes. It might seem like a small sample size, but that sample size showed a player who can shoot and move without the ball. A lost art in the game of basketball. 

The bench is going to play a vital role in this team's quest for an NBA title. Signing Dean Wade and Anferenee Simons is going to be the biggest move in terms of adding bench depth.  Many know what Wade is capable of. What’s even more interesting is Wade considers himself a key contributor and knew this was the place to sign during the free agent process.

Wade and Caldwell-Pope have similar abilities as defenders and spot-up shooters. They are there as anchors to a chaotic moment where opponents start scoring at will. Simons is going to be the scoring option who provides a spark off the bench. This could be his year to become a better all-around player now that the pressure isn’t on him to be the star. 

Love will be more of a wildcard. The good thing about all of this is that he may be similar to Edgecombe in terms of offensive ability. Let’s not forget about the rookie Labaron Philon Jr. This kid was drafted for a purpose, and he will showcase it when he is called upon. He’s a scoring phenomenon with guard-like abilities in terms of playmaking. He will be key for this team.

This bench is special; it will be up to this unit to allow the 76ers to have a chance at going on a deep playoff run.