Doc Rivers really seems to be opening up his third eye with his latest tactical move for the Philadelphia 76ers.
The Sixers head coach told reporters on Wednesday that the team would not be afraid to play centers Joel Embiid and Andre Drummond together, per Sixers writer Adam Aaronson. Rivers adds that the Sixers had worked on that lineup combination in training camp.
Unfortunately, it is not the 1980s anymore, and the glory days of Hakeem Olajuwon and Ralph Sampson running on the same ticket are over. Embiid, a 33.2 percent career three-point shooter, would basically have to become a stretch 4 to accommodate the plodding Drummond. He would also have to chase opposing forwards out to the perimeter. Embiid is nimble enough to do so, but that is less than ideal for a player with a history of knee injuries.
Granted, the Cleveland Cavaliers have had success this season with a similar tall-ball lineup of Lauri Markkanen, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen. But it has only succeeded because all three players are young and agile enough to switch on screens and at least two of them can hit the three at a decent clip.
Rivers has gone with some wacky lineup decisions before. But he might be begging for disaster if he tries to play Embiid and Drummond together for anything more than a sequence where the Sixers really need a rebound.
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