When news broke that the Utah Jazz offered restricted free agent Paul Reed a three-year, $23 million deal, many people thought he and the Philadelphia 76ers would be parting ways. This seemed evident, considering Philly had just signed Mo Bamba and Montrezl Harrell to one-year deals early in free agency. To many’s surprise, the 76ers matched the Jazz’s offer sheet. While the fanbase is primarily excited to have Reed in the long run, Philadelphia now has four centers on their roster. The question remains, how will they utilize each of their four centers?
What to Make of the 76ers’ Center Position Circus
Mo Bamba
Bamba signing with the 76ers came as a surprise to many. His most recent stint with the Los Angeles Lakers was not a promising one, as he only appeared in nine games for them. It is not clear whether he will be able to crack Philadelphia’s rotation with the other big men on the roster. If he does happen to check in, though, it will be because of his rim protection.
When Joel Embiid was off the court, the 76ers struggled with protecting the rim. In Game 1 of the Boston Celtics-Sixers second-round series, the Celtics scored 66 points in the paint. When Embiid returned the next game, that number dropped to 36.
At seven feet tall, Bamba is more than capable of protecting the rim when Embiid is out. Between his time with the Orlando Magic and Lakers last season, he averaged two blocks and 7.8 defensive rebounds per 36 minutes. Over his career, those averages are 2.7 for blocks and 8.4 for defensive boards. While his game is deficient offensively, his rim protection could earn him some minutes at certain spots throughout this upcoming season.
Sixers' Mo Bamba: “The next step for me is just consistency. Barring any injuries, just being out there and, you know, doing what I do best, protecting the rim, touching the floor and being so much more of a lob threat…. "https://t.co/G9luDK5CDH via @phillyinquirer
— Keith Pompey (@PompeyOnSixers) July 12, 2023
Montrezl Harrell
After being a healthy scratch in many games for the 76ers last season, many people did not expect Harrell to re-sign with the team. He showed some bright spots in the few minutes he got, but his offensive production took a significant dip under Doc Rivers. He went from averaging 13.1 points per game the year before to just 5.6 in his lone season in Philadelphia.
It is possible that Daryl Morey still believes that Harrell can be a reliable scorer under Nick Nurse. After all, Morey did draft him when he was the general manager of the Houston Rockets.
With that said, Harrell will have to show out in training camp to crack the lineup, as he finds himself fourth on the 76ers’ depth chart at the center position.
Paul Reed
When Embiid was out in spurts throughout the playoffs, Reed shined. In the two games he started in the playoffs, he grabbed 28 total rebounds and logged ten points in each outing. Defensively, Reed showed massive improvements throughout the season.
Several fans have speculated on social media that Reed could play some minutes at the power forward position alongside Embiid. His athleticism and build mirror that of Pascal Siakam, a former G-leaguer who Nurse helped develop into an All-Star. However, the 76ers may continue to utilize Reed as the primary backup for Embiid. He has been the most consistent backup the team has had during the Embiid era. At 24 years old, he can only get better.
Joel Embiid
Of course, neither Reed, Harrell, nor Bamba poses a threat to take any minutes away from the 2022-23 league MVP. Most of the roster is still intact from last season, so Embiid will remain the focal point of everything the Sixers do.
Will Embiid be able to capture another MVP? That remains to be seen. However, there is no doubt that the 76ers will be dialled in on squeezing every minute they can out of him while he is still in his prime. The team is desperate for playoff success, and this may be the last real chance that they will have with Embiid. If they come up short again in the playoffs, things could get ugly quickly this time next year.
Whether it is Embiid on the court or one of the three backups, the 76ers will rely on their centers to score big, protect the rim, and grab rebounds. The Sixers’ overall team success completely depends on the production their bigs will give them this upcoming season.
