Much has been made about James Harden‘s arrival in Philadelphia but whether or not the club scurries its way through the Eastern Conference and makes the NBA Finals could come down to the team’s depth.
The play of Paul Millsap, who was traded to Philly in the Harden deal, will go a long way toward completing this team around the edges. Millsap made his Sixers debut against Boston, scoring nine points (including going 2-for-2 from three-point range), and coach Doc Rivers provided some context for how the big man will be used with the Sixers.
“He [Paul Millsap] looked good. After the game, he said ‘I felt pretty good, I was surprised’ He’s not been playing,” Rivers told the media in Philadelphia. “So, he’s been working out every day. And he’s been playing pickup games in Atlanta.
“But this is NBA basketball, and he will add some toughness to us, there’s no doubt about that. He’ll be able to step out and make threes for us at the five spot. And that will be something we’ll work on.”
Millsap taking on the backup center spot in Philadelphia will be an interesting experiment. One of the concerns about trading away Andre Drummond was giving away a player who could spell Joel Embiid for stretches while also filling in for the MVP candidate when he sits out. Millsap isn’t quite that player, though he has seen some five in his career for stretches and should be able to give the Sixers solid minutes as a reserve.
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