The 76ers’ preseason shot profile is already hinting at a real shift in how they want to play.
Through three exhibition games, Philadelphia has averaged 42 three-point attempts per game. That is a clear jump from last season’s 35.3 per night, and it stands out as one of the more meaningful early signs of how the offense may evolve as the roster settles in around its new pieces.
That kind of volume matters for a team that spent last season in the bottom third of the league in three-point attempts, makes, and success rate. With two All-NBA players now in the mix, simply running back that level of perimeter production would be a problem. The Sixers appear to understand that, and the early preseason numbers suggest they are at least beginning to address it.
The shot-making has not fully followed yet. Philadelphia has hit just 31 percent of its threes in the preseason so far.
But the bigger takeaway is the willingness to keep firing. At this stage, the attempt count matters more than the percentage, because the team is showing it does not want to live in the same spacing issues that dragged it down a year ago.
In today’s NBA, that adjustment can change everything. More three-point volume lifts both the floor and the ceiling, and for a team with this much talent, it gives the offense a cleaner path to turning star power into wins. That is especially important in a crowded Eastern Conference where there is little room for error.
The Sixers do not need to become reckless from deep. They just need to be more comfortable there, more willing to lean into that part of the floor, and better at making defenses pay for leaving it open. So far, the preseason points in that direction.
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Philadelphias depth on the boards has gotten thinner after losing Andre Drummond and Kelly Oubre Jr. in free agency, leaving the team without two of its better rebounders from last season. With Embiids rebounding impact not quite what it once was, the 76ers are heading toward the regular season still searching for a more reliable answer inside. [Read more 🡒]
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Sixers Are Running Out Of Time To Get Two Key Pieces Ready
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Bona is working back from a foot injury, while Simons is dealing with a hamstring issue, and both were listed as partial participants in Mondays training camp session. The hope inside the team is still to get one last preseason look at them, whether that comes in the final exhibition or simply in time for the regular-season opener, but the clock is starting to shrink. [Read more 🡒]