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The Philadelphia 76ers will be hoping to conquer the 2021-22 NBA season after failing to clinch the ultimate prize of a championship title in what seemed like a promising season. The Philadelphia 76ers crashed out of the Eastern Conference semi-finals, suffering a Game 7 loss against the Atlanta Hawks.
The Philadelphia 76ers headed into the offseason in a mixed state, as uncertainties hung over some of its key players. However, they succeeded in clarifying many of those doubts in an offseason period that saw them end up with the core of the last season’s team intact. They will be hoping to launch a more sustained championship challenge this season.
How did the Philadelphia 76ers shooting fare last season?
The Philadelphia 76ers might pose as one of the finest squads in the NBA but their shooting stats didn’t always live up to the talent. They performed at an average level in the league last season when ranked for their stats in various shooting metrics. Scoring a total of 8,182 points, the 76ers operated a robust offensive style for the majority of last season, ranking 14th amongst NBA teams for overall points.
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They posted 113.6 points per game and placed ninth in field goal percentage in the previous season. However, if they are to put up a good championship challenge, they would need to work more on their three-point shooting. The 76ers struggled with this in their previous season, finishing 23rd for most three-points scored (811).
So looking forward to the start of the 2021-22 NBA season, here are our top five shooters on the Philadephia 76ers roster.
#5 Seth Curry
Seth Curry, the younger of the Curry brothers, has had it harder than most during his career. Not being able to hit the heights of a notable sibling is one thing, going through a wandering career in search of a home is another. Ever since his rookie season, which saw him play for two different teams, the NBA star has gone on to shuffle around teams. However, after putting on a classic outing for the Philadelphia 76ers last season, the 31-year-old might have finally found a team to call home.
Since recovering from injury, the shooting guard has risen to become one of the elite three-pointers in the league, locking up a starting spot on the Philadelphia 76ers roster last season. The player scored the second-highest three-points in the team, coming second behind Danny Green with 126 pointers in 57 regular season matches. He also scored 711 points, averaging 12.5 points per game for the 76ers. Placing him in the top five for both metrics.
But Curry seems to have saved his best for the post-season. His three-point average last season, along with other metrics, went up in the postseason. Curry went from a 45.0 three-point percentage to 50.6 in the postseason.
He also averaged 18.8 points in twelve matches, a major jump from his regular-season numbers. Curry will be hoping to see his previous season's playoffs form come to the fore this season, in a bid to finally prove himself as one of the NBA’s biggest stars.
#4 Ben Simmons
Ben Simmons has continued to dominate the summer news after his row with the Philadelphia 76ers, on the back of their humiliating defeat at the playoffs. Since performing below standard in the postseason, the elite defender has gone from requesting a trade to holding out on his return to preseason team training. However, with the news of his arrival back in time for the new season, the 76ers can now begin to plan for a successful outcome, regardless of whether Simmons stays or not.
The point guard has spent the past four seasons in 76ers, often producing bits of inspiration from the defense, where he’s able to surge forward, scoring important shots for the team. Last season he posted the third-best field goal percentage, hitting a remarkable 55.7 percent of his shots.
The Fresh Prince scored 829 points last season, the third-highest in the roster, making the most of his shots from inside the arc –leaving his three points record, at a sub-par level. Surely not one of his best traits. If Simons ends up as a Philadelphia 76ers player for the entirety of the upcoming season, the team would be hoping that he improves that aspect of his game.
#3 Danny Green
The Philadelphia 76ers have one of the elite three-point shooters in the league by the name of Danny Green. The shooting guard might be progressing at age (34 years old), but his shooting skills still seem to be at their peak powers.
The shooting guard scored 90 corner three-pointers last season, ranking first in the team for three-pointers made, coming in with an outstanding 175 three-points in the previous season. Icy Hot scored 654 points for the 76ers last season, a small number compared to their top-ranking players. However, the player’s efficiency truly stands out when you consider that the majority of those points were made from threes.
Green posted a three-point average of 2.5, with a 40.5% three-point accuracy. The Eastern Conference leaders have a chance to improve on their position if he can step up his game, and score more points this season.
#2 Tobias Harris
Since being part of a mega-trade between the L.A. Clippers and the Philadelphia 76ers, Tobias Harris has proved to be one of the most reliable players on the roster of the 76ers. In the process, he earned himself a multi-million dollar contract on the account of his performances and the 76ers would be counting on his contribution going into the new season.
Tobi has seen new heights in the past two seasons - his shooting range, in particular, has improved over time. He averaged just under 20 points per game in the past season, posting 1,210 points last season in 62 regular-season games, the second-highest in the Philadelphia 76ers' roster. His 51.3 field goal percentage also saw him finish in the eastern conference leaders’ top five players. However, if the Philadelphia 76ers are to challenge, Harris would need to improve on his three-point shooting, managing only an average of 1.3 three-points per game in the previous season.
#1 Joel Embiid
When it comes to scoring, no player is more important for the Philadelphia 76ers going into the new season than their star player Joel Embiid. Since emerging as the 76ers' 2014 first-round pick (No. 3 overall), the Cameroonian has gone on to cement his place as a key player in this talented squad, and the past offseason has seen the Sixers step up their belief in the player, building and strengthening their squad around him.
Fresh from a contract extension, Embiid will be hoping to continue his dominance of the 76ers on both sides of the court going into the new season. Jojo placed fourth in the NBA in points, producing an outstanding 28.5 points per game and free throws, finding the hoop 471 times. He also posted the highest points (1,451) on the roster, despite playing only 51 games.
The 4-time All-Star player is expected to lead the Philadelphia 76ers in points this season and be the focal point of the franchise's lofty championship expectations.
