The Philadelphia 76ers got their new starting five on the floor for the first time in their second preseason game against the Nets, and the early takeaway was hard to miss: the group’s biggest question is already showing up from deep.
Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe, Jaylen Brown, LeBron James, and Joel Embiid combined to go 3-for-11 from three-point range. It was only one game, but it was enough to spotlight the most obvious concern with this lineup - the shooting simply has to be better.
That matters because the help the 76ers added this offseason is not all in the starting unit. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Dean Wade, Anfernee Simons, and Labaron Philon Jr. are all perimeter-capable options, but they’re coming off the bench. The opening group is on its own when it comes to making the offense work.
And in that five, Maxey is the only clear high-volume, high-efficiency threat from beyond the arc. Edgecombe has shown flashes, but he can be uneven.
Brown and James bring plenty of star power, yet neither is known as a knockdown shooter. Embiid can hit from outside, but he has never been a high-volume marksman.
That leaves the 76ers with a starting unit that will need to create its own spacing and live with its own shooting profile. Since this group is expected to spend plenty of time together and finish games together, the fix has to come from within. Better volume, better shot selection, better spots - those are the paths available.
It is far too early to label the group a bad shooting unit. But after its first look together, the concern is plain enough. If the outside shooting doesn’t come around, this talented starting five could end up looking much more vulnerable than it does on paper.
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