Philadelphia 76ers vs Phoenix Suns Prediction: Combined starting 5 featuring Joel Embiid and Devin Booker

The Philadelphia 76ers will visit the Phoenix Suns at the Phoenix Suns Arena on February 13th in the 2020-21 NBA.

The 18-8 Philadelphia 76ers currently have the best record in the Eastern Conference. The Phoenix Suns, meanwhile, have won four consecutive games and are 15-9 record on the season, and are fourth in the West standings.

The Philadelphia 76ers are coming off a loss against the Portland Trail Blazers on the road, and will play the third match of a four-game trip to the West. In their last ten games, the Philadelphia 76ers have won seven times.

Meanwhile, the Phoenix Suns are looking for their fifth consecutive victory and their eighth in their last nine games. Their current four-game winning streak includes victories over the Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks, two teams who are in the top 4 of the NBA's Eastern Conference.

Both teams have young stars who are essential pieces for them. On that note, let us take a look at a hypothetical combined lineup featuring the Philadelphia 76ers and the Phoenix Suns.

Philadelphia 76ers vs Phoenix Suns: Combined starting 5

The matchup will feature great talent on the court, as two of the most promising teams in the competition will go head to head.

With many talented players who play similar roles for their teams, some big names might be left out of this combined five. Without further ado, let us take a look who makes our hypothetical team and who misses out.

Guard - Chris Paul (Phoenix Suns)

Chris Paul is the ultimate point guard in the league, with his old-school style of distributing the ball and controlling the offense seemingly working in every team he plays for.

Currently in his 16th season in the competition, CP3 remains a top point guard in the league. He is a veteran presence in the Phoenix Suns, but has been a key player for them this season.

Paul is averaging 17 points and eight assists per game this season, doing so with a good shooting split of 47/34/97.

Guard - Devin Booker (Phoenix Suns)

Devin Booker has had a slow start to his campaign, but he remains a tremendous scorer and is efficient in offense.

The 24-year-old guard is coming off his first appearance in the All-Star Game last year and has a great chance to make the NBA Playoffs for the first time this season.

Booker is averaging 22 points on a 47/34/82 shooting split this season. However, he is averaging 26 points per game in his last six outings, making 50% of his shots and 39% of his three-pointers.

The Suns star is averaging 23.8 points, 4.2 assists and 3.7 rebounds for the season, doing so with 48/36/82 shooting efficiency.

Small Forward - Tobias Harris (Philadelphia 76ers)

Tobias Harris (#12) of the Philadelphia 76ers.

Tobias Harris is arguably having the greatest season of his 10-year NBA career. The Philadelphia 76ers' forward has always been talented, but has found stability at his latest team in the competition.

In 23 games this season, Harris is averaging 20 points, seven rebounds and three assists per game, while being the third option in offense. Moreover, he has made 51% of his field goals, 42% of his three-pointers and 89% of his free throws.

Harris has a chance to join the 50/40/90 club if he keeps up his tremendous shooting form for the rest of the campaign.

Power Forward - Deandre Ayton (Phoenix Suns)

The first overall pick of the 2018 NBA Draft, Deandre Ayton has been overshadowed by Luka Doncic and Trae Young, who were selected behind him in third and fifth place respectively. However, Ayton has been solid in his NBA career, and is performing well for the Phoenix Suns.

Ayton is a double-double machine, and is averaging 14 points and 12.6 rebounds per game. He is also an efficient finisher, and has made 57% of his field-goal attempts from the field (10.7 shots per game).

Though he is not a three-point shooter, Ayton is efficient in offense; he has made 72% of his free throws.

Center - Joel Embiid (Philadelphia 76ers)

Joel Embiid (#21( of the Philadelphia 76ers

Joel Embiid is one of the strongest candidates for the 2020-21 NBA MVP award. He has been extraordinary in both offense and defense.

In his fifth season in the NBA, the Cameroonian center is posting his best numbers in almost every category.

Embiid is averaging a career-high 29.4 points per game, while posting up a 55% field-goal efficiency, the best of his career. Moreover, he has made 38% of his field goals from the three-point line, and has improved his free-throw shooting (85% right now).

He has played 21 games for the 76ers in the ongoing NBA campaign, registering 14 double-doubles. Interestingly, the Philadelphia 76ers are 17-4 this season when Embiid has played.