Philadelphia has an all-star lineup that could definitely push them to a title. One specific loss could lead to a drop in play for the team.
People all over have made the of calling the Philadelphia 76ers LeBron James team. It’s already been established that it’s not his as he wants to take a step back and allow others to take the lead.
You start to wonder, which player would be the biggest loss if he were to miss extended time. Many are going to go with Joel Embiid or LeBron James. Both would be good answers, but let’s take it in a different direction.
When you think of someone like Embiid who has missed substantial time over his career, the 76ers have still managed without him. James would be a different story because they’ve never played with or without him, but judging how they did without George, it’s very possible to live without James.
Jaylen Brown would be the hardest player to replace. The biggest reason for this isn’t what he does on the offensive side, but what he does on defense. His contributions as a defender are a big reason why the 76ers traded for him. He can hold his opponents below their average field goal percentage. He’s one of the best two-way players in today’s game.
In his career he averages a 109 defensive rating. Last season it was up to 113, but it still puts him in the 55th percentile compared to all players in the NBA.
Offensively, you have a player that could be lethal with the ball in his hands. In his last three seasons, he’s managed to average over 22 points per game. One of his strengths is going off the dribble as a shot creator.
If the 76ers were to lose Brown it would be a huge blow to their rotation. James would have to go back to his natural position and either Maxey runs the point or Anfernee Simons takes over and allow Maxey to stay at the shooting guard position.
Brown is the do it all player that the 76ers made sure to get this offseason. They knew where their faults lied last season and it was the lack of shot-creating. So if you take away the one thing that was a detriment last year, you’re basically repeating the same issues and flaws of last season.
That’s what made his acquisition so impactful. So if he’s lost for longer than expected it could be a chaotic season until his return.
Now the hope is that no one gets hurt and you can make due with a healthy lineup, but things change and it could be tough hurdle if a player like Brown is the bump in the road.
