Is the Sixers' new-look starting 5 better or just new?

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The Sixers’ starting lineup will look completely different in 2019-20. It remains to be seen if the new look will be better.

Gone are Jimmy Butler and JJ Redick. In are Al Horford and Josh Richardson. Still, the Sixers have one of the most talented starting units in the entire NBA with Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons, Tobias Harris, Horford and Richardson.

In this year’s edition of Sports Illustrated’s Top 100 NBA Players of 2020, all five players are ranked fairly … for the most part. (You can check out the whole list and criteria for yourself.)

Not only are all five starters in the top 100 but they’re also all in the top 75. 

The lowest ranked is Richardson at 71, sandwiched between Harrison Barnes and Thaddeus Young. This feels like a good spot for J-Rich, though he was listed in the same exact spot for 2019 and certainly improved. He’s an ascending player that the Sixers may be getting at the perfect time of his career as he enters his age-26 season.

Next was Harris at 49, just ahead of Gary Harris of the Nuggets. Like Richardson, this seems fair, but Harris saw a nice jump. Harris was No. 65 on the list last year. Also, like Richardson, Harris is still improving and just turned 27 this summer. The pair of Tennessee alums have had a similar rise in the NBA and it’ll be interesting to see what they can do in a full year with the Sixers.

There are teams with impressive star power on the list. Both L.A. teams have two players in the top 10 — the Clippers with Kawhi Leonard (2) and Paul George (8) and the Lakers with LeBron James (3) and Anthony Davis (6). The Rockets have James Harden (5) and Russell Westbrook (12).

But one of the most notable facts is that the Sixers have three players in the top 25, the only team that can make that claim.

Simmons rose three spots from 26 to 23 while Horford dropped two spots from 16 to 18. Embiid also rose a couple spots from No. 9 to No. 7. (Perhaps the only thing that seems out of line is Anthony Davis being ahead of Embiid at No. 6, but I digress).

When you consider that Richardson and Horford are taking the place of Butler (11) and Redick (67), it’s an interesting trade off. The departed players are ranked higher but their value to the Sixers — something that SI outlines isn’t part of the equation when making the list — is different. Sure, the Sixers will miss Redick’s shooting, but Richardson’s defense is immensely better. Butler’s ability to create his own shot was huge for the Sixers, but Horford being able to play next to and back up Embiid may prove to be invaluable. Plus, it doesn’t seem out of line to say that Horford will be better for the Sixers’ locker room.

So is the Sixers’ starting five better? According to SI’s list, no.

But games aren’t played on paper — or on the internet — so we’ll find out for real starting Oct. 23.

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