On February 11, Beijing time, at the last moment of the NBA trade deadline, Philadelphia finally got its wish, using Simmons, Curry Jr., Drummond Jr. and 2 first-round picks from the Nets in exchange for Harden and Millsap. So can this deal help Philadelphia rush to the championship?
For Philadelphia, being able to keep Maxie and Sable in the trade, and even Danny Green without even coming out, means that they can retain the main lineup of the season after the trade. To some extent, it is equivalent to upgrading the position of Curry Jr. to Harden, which can be said to be a big profit. But after the deal, Philadelphia's lineup still has some hidden dangers, and they still need to find a way to solve three problems if they want to complete their goal of impacting the championship.
One is the compatibility issue between Harden and Embiid. It seems that Harden and Embiid's technical capabilities are very comprehensive, but the tactical system built around them is contradictory and conflicting, and Philadelphia wants to solve this problem, I am afraid it is not easy.
Harden's most suitable partner is Capela, Clarkston and other internal lines that lack independent offensive ability, but are willing to block the pie, and Harden completely controls the ball. Embiid, on the other hand, is a relatively rare low-post back-to-back killer in the NBA today, rarely blocking attacks, and he also needs a lot of ball power on the offensive end.
According to statistics, Embiid has a ball share of 37.3% this season, ranking first in the league, higher than Doncic and Alphabet Brother. Although considering that this is related to Simmons's previous absence, it is enough to prove that Embiid's ball is in high demand. Meanwhile, per 100 possessions, Embiid only makes 16 blocks, the lowest of the league's interior players.
Before the trade, Philadelphia was a team with the inside line as the absolute core, focusing on Embiid's low-post offense, and then relying on Embiid to attract the bag clip, splitting the ball to form an inside and outside coordination, which is commonly known as "inside-out". But Harden likes to play the magic ball system, but it is to attack from the outside, and the tactical position of the inner line is limited.
So even if both sides are willing to sacrifice for each other, the fundamental problem of whether to let Harden integrate into Embiid's original tactical system, or to tear down the original tactical system and reshape the magic ball play, this fundamental problem must be solved. Otherwise, harden and Embiid would have a hard time producing good chemistry.
Second, there is no suitable candidate for the No. 3 starting position and a stable three-point shooter. Whether it's Embiid as the core or Harden as the core to play magic ball, it needs enough three-point pitchers to assist, but the embarrassing thing is that Philadelphia lacks reliable three-point shooters after sending away Curry Jr., especially stable pitchers who can take into account both offensive and defensive ends.
Maxi is still qualified in the No. 1 position, and the main problem is the No. 3 position. At present, Philadelphia is playing with Sebel, his defensive ability and athleticism are good, but the disadvantage is that he is only 1 meter 96 tall, and his three-point shooting rate is only 32%, if the lineup of Maximi, Harden, Sable, Harris and Embiid is discharged, Philadelphia's offensive space may be in trouble.
The best solution is to have Danny Green start. With a 39 percent three-point shooting percentage this season and a height of 1.98 meters, he is also a great 3D player. But the problem is that Green's competitive state has fluctuated greatly in recent years, and once he enters the "Sleeping Dragon" mode, it is easy for Philadelphia's lineup to have problems, which is also a major hidden danger in Philadelphia, and it is not easy to solve.
Third, Embiid lacks substitutes. Philadelphia sent Drummond in the trade, and there is only one center player left in the team except Embiid. This season, the No. 53 show can only play 7.3 minutes per game, with 2.9 points and 2.7 rebounds, which is too much of a difference with Embiid, so Philadelphia must find a way to strengthen the depth of the No. 5 bench.
Since the trading window is now closed, the only way for Philadelphia to strengthen the No. 5 position is by buying out the market. But whether the buyout market will have a center that will allow them to meet their needs, and even if Philadelphia can win, it is all questions. If that can't be done, then the absence of a replacement for the No. 5 could also be Philadelphia's fatal injury in the playoffs.